Derek Book Recommendations & Book Mentions
This list consists of recommendations or mentions of books spotted in media, social media accounts, podcasts or other public websites.
Derek on Xfiction reader/writer and an entire, whole person. husband, dad, war correspondent, second cousin twice removed. debut novel: CHAR ACT ERS (2022, Expat Press).

The Writing Life
Annie DillardThe ending / last essay section on The Writing Life by Annie Dillard doesn’t make sense to me yet. It will come, I’m sure. The rest of it hit home in every way. I’m glad I saved it. I savored it too. https://t.co/1G7blAGqy5
Paperback, 1990
$15.99Member price:$7.99 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Psychiatric Tissues: The Arab On Radar Book
Jeff SchneiderBack with a new video: some thoughts and readings from @PigPublishing Jeff Schneider’s ‘Psychiatric Tissues’ and Lisa Carver’s ‘The Pahrump Report’ Please enjoy & share. https://t.co/tC4pK280fu
Paperback, 2018
$18.00Member price:$9.00 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Solenoid
Mircea CartarescuI am still proud of this unhinged reaction piece to Solenoid by Mircea Cărtărescu (translated by Sean Cotter) I wrote for The Last Estate. https://t.co/4ShQ4J0ZQv
Paperback, 2022
$24.95Member price:$12.48 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Self-Exposure: Human-Interest Journalism and the Emergence of Celebrity in America, 1890-1940
Charles L. Ponce de LeonIncredibly excited this morning to find the writer, critic, and classic hip hop aficionado Jesse Hilson has written a few awesome words about the latest audio project I’m involved with - Self Exposure (follow us! - @Self_expo_sure) Give it a read, why not? https://t.co/CsL03DLU4u
Paperback, 2002
$42.50Member price:$40.38 + Free shipping5% off
Game: An Autobiography
Grant HillA package arrived on the doorstep today that I’ve (no shit) been anticipating for twenty years. At Go Studios! in Chapel Hill, with Grant, snowy night, the singer asking for the score of the Knicks game between songs. “Smoked today, fifth time since 1988,” https://t.co/xLUIKbABQh
Hardcover, 2022
$30.00Member price:$15.00 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Die My Love
Ariana Harwicz@wastemailing @OpenAI Die, my Love by Ariana Harwicz, translated by Sarah Moses and Carolina Orloff from Charco Press.
Paperback, 2019
$16.95Member price:$8.48 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Jakob Von Gunten
Robert Walser@__AustinAdams Robert Walser, but I’ve only read Jakob Von Gunten. I should read more.
Paperback, 1999
$16.95Member price:$8.48 + Free shipping50% off your first book
The Literary Conference
César AiraHow are there not a million books about AWP? There has to be a whole genre of AWP auto fiction, right? The Literary Conference by César Aira (translated by Katherine Silver) is one of my favorite novels.
Paperback, 2010
$13.95Member price:$6.97 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Reflections: Essays, Aphorisms, Autobiographical Writings
Walter BenjaminMy latest video: bookish reflections from Larry McMurtry’s non-fiction essay collection on place, reading, writing, & book collecting ‘Walter Benjamin at the Diary Queen.’ Hope you enjoy and please help me spread the word. https://t.co/b6kY8ep2Cs
Paperback, 2019
$19.99Member price:$9.99 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming
László Krasznahorkai@CallGenova One of the major themes and sections of László Krasznahorkai’s Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming would definitely fit this bill. Recommend it highly
Paperback, 2026
$22.95Member price:$11.48 + Free shipping50% off your first book