This post was updated Aug. 31 at 7:59 p.m. Warning: Spoilers for R.F. Kuang’s “Katabasis” ahead. “Katabasis” is an intriguing book for academics but possibly a challenging journey for casual readers. Read more...
Photo: Shown is the cover of R.F. Kuang’s latest novel, “Katabasis.” The story follows two graduate students’ journey to hell to save their professor. (Courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers)
This post was updated Aug. 31 at 7:48 p.m. In a summer short on compelling album releases, “Man’s Best Friend” falls far short of being Sabrina Carpenter’s best album. Read more...
Photo: Cover for Sabrina Carpenter’s seventh studio album “Man’s Best Friend.” Released Aug. 29, the singer-songwriter’s anticipated LP lacks Carpenter’s characteristic wit and humor. (Courtesy of Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.)
Though they are still sought after by aspiring creatives, some of the most acclaimed creative awards have suffered a decline in prestige among the public in the digital age. Read more...
Photo: (Helen Sanders/Daily Bruin staff)
This post was updated Aug. 24 at 3:23 p.m. Laufey has worked out what makes love tick. Following the success of the 2023 Grammy Award-winning album “Bewitched,” the Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter released her heartfelt third studio album, “A Matter of Time,” on Aug. Read more...
Photo: Album cover of “A Matter of Time” shows an all-blue color scheme, with Laufey posing in front of a clock. The Grammy-winning singer released her third studio album on Aug. 22 (Courtesy of Vingolf Recordings under exclusive license to AWAL Recordings America, Inc.)
This post was updated Aug. 24 at 3:31 p.m. Warning: Spoilers for “The Night Ends with Fire” ahead. This summer, alumnus K. X. Song is heating up bookshelves with the thrilling sequel to her Mulan-inspired fantasy novel, “The Night Ends with Fire.” Song is a diaspora writer whose debut young adult novel, “An Echo in the City,” won the Freeman Book Award and was named a Best Book of 2023 by the Financial Times and Kirkus Reviews. Read more...
Photo: Author K. X. Song smiles for a photo. Her newest novel, “The Dragon Wakes with Thunder,” is the epic second installation in her duology, “The Dragon Spirit.” (Courtesy of Ruan Yunong)
This post was updated Aug. 31 at 7:42 p.m. Michelle Huneven crafts an evocative tribute to her hometown in her latest novel, “Bug Hollow.” “Bug Hollow” is a tale of grief and drama following the lives of the Samuelson family in 1970s Altadena, California, after the death of their eldest son, Ellis. Read more...
Photo: Author Michelle Huneven poses in front of a house. The UCLA lecturer dedicated her latest novel, “Bug Hollow,” to her Altadena hometown. (Courtesy of Anne Fishbein)
Ethel Cain has left listeners with a gut-wrenching goodbye. “Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You,” the 27-year-old singer-songwriter’s latest studio album, was released Aug. 8 and features 10 heartbreakingly beautiful songs. Read more...
Photo: The cover of Ethel Cain’s new album “Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You” is pictured. Released Aug. 8, the LP is the ending chapter to the Ethel Cain narrative. (Courtesy of Daughters of Cain Records)
