Amy Rossi

Amy Rossi received her MFA from Louisiana State University, and she lives in North Carolina, by way of Massachusetts, with her partner and two dogs. The Cover Girl is her first novel.

Recently I asked Rossi about what she was reading. The author's reply:

I just finished the audiobook of The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Audiobooks are new for me, but it’s a nice way to get to read more books, especially nonfiction. The fact that Coates does his own narration added an extra layer of intimacy that made me really glad I chose this format; I felt like I was experiencing it as he intended, as he takes the reader to his classroom, then to Senegal, South Carolina, and Palestine. It’s a short book – an introduction and three essays – but it’s a powerful one. This is a book about reading, writing, and storytelling and how those inform the way we walk around in the world – and what our responsibilities are. I’m not sure a title has been more apt.

I’ve also been reading Old School Indian by Aaron John Curtis. A lot of what I’ve read this year has been fellow debut books, including this one. I’ve been reading a bit at night before bed, and while I could easily stay up for hours because it’s really excellent, I’m glad to stick around with Abe and his family for a while. A slower read works well with the way the narrator (no spoilers but the use of a narrator here is fantastic) moves back and forth through time, telling stories that enrich the present action. It’s poignant and funny and enlightening – all the things I want in a book.

A couple things that I’m excited to read next include Beasts of Carnaval by Rosália Rodrigo and Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell. The former is a Caribbean + Latine adult fantasy from another 2025 debut, and the latter is the latest thriller from a writer I very much admire. This really has been such a great year for books.

Visit Amy Rossi's website.

--Marshal Zeringue