Books
Book Review | ‘White River Crossing’ by Ian McGuire
A page-turning tale about a perilous expedition for gold in the sub-arctic Canadian wilderness of 1766.
Books
Book Review | ‘Land’ by Maggie O’Farrell
An Irish historical novel and hymn to the importance of natural spaces, from the author of ‘Hamnet’.
Books
Book Review | ‘Gerhard Richter,’ edited by Dieter Schwarz and Nicholas Serota
A lavish monograph retraces the 60-year career of one of the leading artists of contemporary painting.
Books
Book Review | ‘Ghosts Behind Glass: Encountering Extinction in Museums’ by Dolly Jørgensen
A meditation on what’s lost and what endures.
Books
Book Review | ‘Play This Book Loud: Noisy Essays’ by Joe Bonomo
Author cranks up the volume with an ode to random music.
Poetry
‘Memory Rehearsal’ Is Rooted in Santa Barbara
Author Eleni Sikelianos discusses her new book at Santa Barbara Museum of Art on May 21.
Books
Book Review | ‘The Complete Notebooks' by Albert Camus, Translated by Ryan Bloom
Series of notebooks is "a complete gem."
Books
Book Review | ‘The Irish Goodbye’ by Beth Ann Fennelly
A stellar collection of micro-memoirs from a gifted observer.
Books
Book Review | ‘A Place in the World’ by Bill Gaythwaite
Ordinary people making poor choices are a running theme in this award-winning short story collection.
Books
Book Review | ‘The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding’ by Joseph J. Ellis
America was troubled — and trouble — from the very start.
Poetry
A Feast of Words Celebrating Food and Drink
Literary morsels from more than 100 Santa Barbara–area poets are featured in 'A Feast for Santa Barbara: Poets Celebrate Food & Drink,' edited by George Yatchisin, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate.
Poetry
Art Meets Poetry in Linda Saccoccio’s Stunning New Limited-Edition Book
Dialogue between paintings and poets sparked collaboration.
Books
Book Review | ‘The Lies of the Artists: Essays on Italian Art, 1450-1750’ by Ingrid D. Rowland
A thought-provoking look at three centuries of Italy’s artists.
Books
Book Review | ‘Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run' by Peter Ames Carlin
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of one of Bruce Springsteen’s most iconic albums.
Books
Book Review | ‘Long Distance’ by Ayşegül Savaş
Short story collection from lauded Turkish writer shines.
Books
10 Best Books of 2025
The California Review of Books’s team shares their picks for the best books of the year.
Books
The Best Poetry Books of 2025
Santa Barbara Poet Laureate David Starkey (2009-2011) shares his favorite poetry books of 2025.
Books
Book Review | ‘A Wooded Shore’ by Thomas McGuane
A collection of stories that stands with the author’s finest work.
Poetry
A Poet’s Perspective on Song
Acclaimed poet Dana Gioia talks about words and music, with an upcoming visit to UCSB.
Books
Book Review | ‘Living in the Present with John Prine’ by Tom Piazza
Spending some prime time with the late John Prine.
Books
Book Review | ‘Talking All Night: The New York Poets – Interviews, Photographs, Letters’ by Mark Hillringhouse
A significant literary historical document, that’s also a fun read.
Books
Book Review | ‘Memorial Days’ by Geraldine Brooks
Brooks latest is a beautifully written memoir about the loss of a spouse.
Books
Book Review | ‘Insectopolis: A Natural History’ by Peter Kuper
A charmingly funny book length comic for adults, ‘Insectopolis’ gives insects a platform to tell their stories.
Books
Book Review | ‘Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus’ by Elaine Pagels
An exploration of the mystery of how a poor young man inspired a religion that reshaped the world.
Books
Book Review | ‘Golden State: The Making of California’ by Michael Hiltzik
From Pulitzer Prize winner Hiltzik, a new history of California that’s not always flattering.
Books
Book Review | ‘American Artifacts’ by Matt Black
Humble, discarded objects form a portrait of America assembled from its roadways and sidewalks, an archaeology of dispossession.
Books
Book Review | ‘Expatriates of No Country: The Letters of Shirley Hazzard and Donald Keene,’ Edited by Brigitta Olubas
A lively and pertinent correspondence from two writers.
Books
Book Review | ‘The Letters of Emily Dickinson,’ Edited by Cristanne Miller and Domhnall Mitchell
A poet even in her personal missives, this new collection is a research opus the rest of us can enjoy.
Books
Book Review | ‘Held’ by Anne Michaels
Booker-nominated novelist captures the elusive nature of our strongest emotions, in prose.
Books
An Alcoholic Monkey and a Mid-Century Housewife Walk into an Entertaining New Novel …
Michael Seabaugh talks about his latest book, “Gwendolyn & Eddie.”
Books
Book Review | ‘Memories of Distant Mountains' by Orhan Pamuk
The illustrated notebooks of a Nobel Prize winner.
Books
Book Review | ‘I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition’ by Lucy Sante
An exploration of the trials and joys of gender transition.
Books
Book Review | ‘A Sunny Place for Shady People: How Malta Became One of the Most Curious and Corrupt Places in the World’ by Ryan Murdock
One man’s experiences living in Malta, interspersed with personal narrative.
Books
Book Review | ‘Art Monster: On the Impossibility of New York’ by Marin Kosut
A compelling and insightful read about the New York art world from an artist’s perspective.
Books
Book Review | ‘Feint of Heart: Art Writings, 1982-2002’ by Dave Hickey
Living literature disguised as art criticism.
Books
Book Review | 31 Outstanding Poetry Books from 2024: Alcalá to Zarin
Here are 31 single author volumes of poetry that our reviewer recommends.
Books
Book Review | ‘The Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing’ by Adam Moss
An exploration of the process of creation from multiple angles.
Books
Book Review | ‘Playground’ by Richard Powers
Complex characters populate the Pulitzer Prize–winning author’s latest novel.
Books
Book Review | ‘Tell Me Everything’ by Elizabeth Strout
Her newest novel takes us back into the world of Strout’s beloved characters, full of complexities and quirks.
Books
From Films to Fiction
Santa Barbara–based filmmaker Andrew Davis discusses his new novel, “Disturbing the Bones.”