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Cover of 107 DAYS

107 DAYS

by the urgency of the book’s title. If not entirely sanguine about the future, she maintains a clear\u002Deyed view of the damage already done: “Perhaps so much damage that we will have to re\u002Dcreate our government…something leaner, swifter, and much more efficient.”"⭐ 4.4/5(1,697)

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Cover of 1942

1942

by side or clashed—often, both. With the exception of continental Europe, most action was overseas, with over 1 million men at sea. One sixth of the American population was mobilized, and in addition to producing munitions, battleships (one per week), and bombers, they changed the sheer speed and scale of warfare. The enormous shipyards in Richmond, California, drew migrants from the South, and with them, the lingering heritage of Jim Crow. Recruits needed dental care and education. Literacy rates were surprisingly low. “The war effort nationalized America’s race problem,” writes Fritzsche, a University of Illinois historian. The Japanese invasion of Singapore led to the collapse of Burma and added fuel to the “quit India” campaign. The British Empire, home to a quarter of the world’s population, began to seem contingent rather than inevitable. Fritzsche tells of the effects of war in South Africa, the Philippines, and China. Along with India, China suffered famine as a result of prioritizing military rather than civilian provisioning. Back in Europe, those beneath the bombings were left homeless and destitute. Jews were evicted and deported. Mass labor shortages pressed occupied territories into slave labor, promoting increased resistance. Migration becomes the main thesis of the book. Certainties and political structures crumble, Fritzsche argues, when everyone is from somewhere else."⭐ 3.5/5(4)

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Cover of 2024

2024

by default.” In a chapter titled “Sleepwalking,” they write, “Joe Biden decided to run for reelection by not deciding. He told aides: I’m running until I tell you I’m not. And he never told them he wasn’t.” Staffers didn’t want to look disloyal by suggesting he reconsider, “so no one ever said anything.” Later, one\u002Dtime Obama staffers, worried about Biden’s chances, “looked for a diplomatic way to offer free assistance” on “specific projects.” Biden’s team promised to be in touch, but the collaboration never happened. After Biden’s disastrous debate performance, Ron Klain, his former chief of staff, vented about Biden’s apparent lack of urgency: “I have no fucking clue why he’s going to Camp David this weekend” instead of “working the phones” to reassure nervous Democrats. The reporters’ sources close to Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the nominee after Biden left the race, describe similar frustrations with her campaign’s sluggish decision\u002Dmaking and failure to challenge allegations made by Donald Trump. The authors find little new to write about Trump, retelling how criminal indictments and assassination attempts worked to his advantage and describing his staunchest supporters’ belief that God is looking out for him. But this is an excusable shortcoming in a substantive effort that’s ideal for readers reluctant to read multiple books on the subject."⭐ 3.9/5(881)

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Cover of 58% TOO FAR

58% TOO FAR

by the dark side of the Anunnaki, which includes a loss of individuality, minimal emotion, “a policy of compulsory euthanasia at 840 years,” and a pernicious slow dementia known as “Quantum Psychosis.” Zadie finds herself abandoned by her dementia\u002Dstricken hosts in one of the prehistoric zoos. Noordermeer’s impressive debut is mind\u002Dexpanding anthropological SF that conveys wisdom and persuasive arguments via an Alice\u002Din\u002DAwe\u002Dand\u002DWonder\u002DLand setup and such dubious conceits as talking abominable snowmen. The science (more genetics and sociobiology than physics) is not too intimidating, the issues carry weight without relying on cackling techno\u002Dtyrants or villainous robots, and the characters are appealing, even those whose personalities have all but thinned to biological\u002Dcomputer level. While a long stretch of the narrative involves a series of lab\u002Dbound experiments (but what experiments!), the author manages to keep things moving forward. The conceit of a modern researcher set amid primordial beings should appeal to fans of Michael Bishop’s No Enemy but Time (1982)."⭐ 4.5/5(41)

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Cover of A BITTER WIND

A BITTER WIND

by RAF intelligence officer Jean Conan Doyle, a daughter of Sherlock Holmes’ creator, who helps Billy in his investigation, as well as a cameo appearance by an American B\u002D24 pilot, South Dakota’s own George McGovern."⭐ 4.7/5(30)

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Cover of A Cursed Age

A Cursed Age

by sinking his ship, she crashed into the depths of the sea. In those murky waters, Gwenifer made a deal (“She had sworn an oath to something sinister, and instead of departing this world, she had been spared”). But Ryland was affected, too: He was cursed with immortality. Plagued by the witch’s machinations, he is now stuck in the West Indies, unable to escape by sea. So imagine Ryland’s good fortune when he happens upon an airship stranded in a cove. Helping the crew combat some pirates intent on stealing the airship, Ryland earns enough goodwill with the captain to secure passage on the craft. Traveling by air instead of by sea means that he can avoid the witch’s storms that have kept him trapped in the West Indies. And maybe, he can finally get his revenge on the woman who sentenced him to this wretched life and has haunted the seas for the last century (“I’ll find you, witch, he thought, feeling his jaw clench. Be ready”). Ryland is prepared for his immortality to end, but the airship’s crew, especially the beautiful, young female engineer, Emmeline Whittock, will make this decision his toughest one yet. In this riveting book, Dunnewin delivers richly developed characters in a tale of adventure, love, and loss. The crew of the airship is small, but the mates have distinct personalities that make them a captivating bunch. Still, Ryland, a reformed pirate, is the true star of the story, and is likely to steal readers’ hearts. This complex, well\u002Ddrawn character is the type of morally gray hero that will stick with the audience long after the vivid novel has ended."

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Cover of A DARK AND DEADLY JOURNEY

A DARK AND DEADLY JOURNEY

by the duo’s nonstop banter as they ricochet from one Portuguese destination to the next. One might almost forget the wartime backdrop were it not for the occasional reference to Nazis and Hitler. Unraveling the mysteries is far less important than enjoying the duo’s badinage. Meanwhile, an ominous figure whose identity is never discovered looms over all. This, and Kelly’s cliffhanger ending, indicate more adventures to come."⭐ 4.3/5(185)

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Cover of A FLOWER TRAVELED IN MY BLOOD

A FLOWER TRAVELED IN MY BLOOD

by Jorge Rafael Videla in 1976 forever reset the country’s history. Under Videla’s direction, a violent military junta kidnapped, tortured, and murdered thousands of Argentines (by some estimates as many as 30,000 who were deemed “subversives”). Centering the saga of the Roisinblits and their matriarch Rosa, journalist Gilliland, in her first book, approaches this brutal period through the eyes of the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, a scrappy, courageous group of mothers of desaparecidos who had infants or were pregnant when they were disappeared. Over decades of instability that followed the junta’s rule, the Abuelas were at the forefront of calls for accountability and justice, anchoring their grief in the search for grandchildren who had been born in detention centers and adopted—appropriated—by new families, often with connections to Videla’s government. The author conveys the complicated, heart\u002Dwrenching fullness of her characters’ individual stories and shades their backdrop with compulsively readable history of geopolitical tension and the emerging DNA science that fueled the Abuelas’ fight. Gilliland’s work, exhaustively and compassionately researched, offers a crucial counterbalance to the dark legacy of Argentina’s desaparecidos, injecting the light of a model resistance movement that lay the groundwork for future international human rights investigations. Her humility and respect for the fraught journeys her subjects made toward each other and for the vital questions their journeys raised—about power, identity, family, and collective memory and healing—ensure the text will resonate for generations the world over."⭐ 4.5/5(602)

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Cover of A GENTLE EMPIRE

A GENTLE EMPIRE

by a sort of powerful urge.”) Despite these flaws, Boas has crafted an involving, atmospheric coming\u002Dof\u002Dage story. Through extensive and effusive description, he makes the Gallipoli campaign feel far more real than the one encountered in history books."⭐ 5.0/5(2)

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Cover of A GIRL WALKS INTO THE FOREST

A GIRL WALKS INTO THE FOREST

by magical beings, the yiliksii, or “cursed children of the forest.” She’s accompanied by her brother and his wife, but when a beast attacks them in the forest, clawing Valla’s face and destroying the beauty the Count expects, she falls gravely ill, hovering near death. When she wakes from her fever, she meets with unexpected kindness from Ermo, her betrothed’s brother, that stands in stark contrast to the heartlessness of the Count himself. Both the man and his castle are nothing like she imagined: They’re dark, desolate, and steeped in cruelty. Joined in the castle only by the Count’s sister, Yulnia\u003B sinister physician Kiril, who’s Yulnia’s confidant\u003B a handful of servants\u003B and an unimaginable, foreboding presence, Valla begins to unravel the castle’s mysteries. As she does, something stirs within her, calling her to violence and awakening with every secret she uncovers. Well\u002Dcrafted and deeply unsettling, this folktale\u002Dinfluenced horror novel will captivate fans of the genre, but it’s not for the faint of heart. Valla’s character is richly developed, her transformation from a helpless sacrifice to something far more formidable unfolding with haunting intensity. Main characters are cued white."⭐ 3.8/5(618)

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Cover of A LAND SO WIDE

A LAND SO WIDE

by a queen who was \u0022intrigued by the idea of a new world, a new continent to see, to explore, to feast upon. She had an insatiable hunger for more.\u0022 Unfortunately, Greer’s story and the background information on Mistaken take so long to tell that once the violence and battles for the souls of humans versus demons begin, it’s difficult to remember that at one point the novel centered on the cruel inequality women in early colonial societies faced. Instead, the action turns to teeth, talons, and turncoats, with an intriguing but strangely unsatisfying strand about how evil came to the shores of a land so bounteous and yet unexplored."⭐ 3.8/5(1,357)

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Cover of A MURDER MOST FOWL

A MURDER MOST FOWL

by the time Seth, a lawyer with no interest in the food truck, gets his sister sprung from jail, she’s met the hunky police officer she dubs Officer Pretty Boy (to the amusement of his fellow cops). What’s more, an email informs Beth that she’s been selected to compete in The Food Truck Showdown, a popular Cooking Channel show with a $50,000 prize. Bringing along Seth and her assistant, Rylie, who usually wears the chicken costume, she arrives at the rented warehouse where the show’s being filmed and meets the other contestants, who include Benji, and the show’s host, famous chef Bobbi Taylor. The first challenge is marked by disappearing ingredients and a threatening note that seems aimed at Benji. When Benji’s found dead, the showrunners suggest that he’s had a heart attack, but the police are suspicious—and since everyone knows that Beth despised him, she’s their favored suspect. More threatening notes arrive. And there’s definitely something fishy about the showrunners. You’d think that with all those camera crews, there’d be video, but the ancient system at the rental is glitchy, leaving Beth to team up with Rylie and Seth to prove her innocence."⭐ 4.1/5(85)

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Cover of A MURDEROUS BUSINESS

A MURDEROUS BUSINESS

by several friends, including Shiloh, a magician’s assistant with housebreaking skills who takes up with Margot. After breaking into Mrs. Gilroy’s home, they find a safe deposit key that will lead to the truth."⭐ 3.8/5(147)

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Cover of A NOBLE MADNESS

A NOBLE MADNESS

by a desire for wealth, knowledge, prestige, and, not least, order, collectors have amassed objects such as artworks, scientific specimens, religious relics, books, and gems. Delbourgo traverses time and place to portray collectors’ roles: In premodern China, a collector was seen as a person of superior sophistication\u003B in Korea, collecting was a path to attaining status. Some artifacts—religious relics, for example, or African art—have been sought for their spiritual or magical power. Romantics saw collecting as an expression of one’s inner self, an idea that persists, even as collecting has been associated with colonialism, looting, and profit. Collecting, Delbourgo asserts, also has been associated with mental illness. Fictional collectors, such as Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray, behave maniacally\u003B Freud diagnosed the urge to collect as an expression of suppressed neuroses. Art collectors have been depicted variously as gloomy, gothic recluses, as figures associated with danger and unabated passion, and as libertines, while naturalists—Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, and Alexander von Humboldt, to name a few—are more likely celebrated for their dogged pursuit of scientific specimens. Delbourgo casts a wide net to offer biographies of collectors such as Rudolf II, a Holy Roman emperor who aspired to assemble the world in miniature\u003B Marie Antoinette, known as the “trinket queen”\u003B Alfred Kinsey, who collected data about sex\u003B and female collectors, notably, Gertrude Stein, Mabel Dodge Luhan, and Peggy Guggenheim, motivated by a pursuit of beauty and “nourishment of the soul.” In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association included hoarding disorder in its updated manual. As Delbourgo amply reveals, however, the distinction between the ardent collector and the pathological hoarder is hardly clear."⭐ 3.5/5(22)

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Cover of A REMARKABLE MAN

A REMARKABLE MAN

by the incident, merely disgusted by human stupidity,” the author writes of Hida. Petitjean’s short book offers a warm tribute to this “frail figure” whose eyes “gleamed with intelligence and humanity” as he recounted his experiences in Hiroshima. In excerpts from interviews and speeches, Hida offers a rare account of the horrors that he witnessed. “I realized their flesh was decomposing,” Hida says of the bomb’s victims. “Everyone knows the human body decomposes after death, but these people were still alive. None of it made any sense. I overcame my disgust and continued to examine them.” Of the 300 or so doctors in Hiroshima at the time of the bombing, 60 were killed in the blast, and Hida was one of only a couple dozen doctors left with the impossible task of helping more than 100,000 victims. Hida himself suffered from radiation poisoning. “My bones have aged very quickly, and my back’s always been in a terrible state,” he says. He needed surgery at age 61 and had to be hospitalized again at 70. “I will keep fighting,” Hida tells Petitjean. True to his word, he kept traveling throughout Japan—speaking out against the dangers he had seen with his own eyes—until he was nearly 100."⭐ 3.9/5(8)

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Cover of A RUIN, GREAT AND FREE

A RUIN, GREAT AND FREE

by magic. In the refuge called Moon, some of the restless residents are sneaking out to visit neighboring towns, threatening to blow their cover both to the Black Hand and to the Black Hand’s secret monster backers, the Cult of the Zsouvox. Meanwhile, in the universe from Turnbull’s first novel, The Lesson (2019), Patrice Paige uses technology that the alien Ynaa left behind after their disastrous first contact with humanity to increase her political influence and shield the Earth from all future alien encounters, even as the Ynaa known as Mera rebels against her people’s conquest of other planets. But these crises pale against the larger\u002Dscale threat: Both of these universes, and indeed all universes, are threatened by the Zsouvox, a creation of the gods that seeks to devour everything that exists. It’s a lot to take in\u003B as always, Turnbull packs in a ton of plot within a relatively economical number of pages. The advantage of writing in a multiverse is that it allows you to throw in any storyline\u003B whether it makes sense to have added a resolution to The Lesson here is difficult to say. It does share a common theme with the main monsterverse plot, best summed up by that well\u002Dknown aphorism attributed to Spider\u002DMan’s Uncle Ben: With great power comes great responsibility. If you have magic, physical strength, advanced alien tech, and/or immortality, it behooves you to do the right thing\u003B the trick is figuring out what the right thing is. Turnbull settles the more cosmic conflicts and perhaps even some of the personal ones, but leaves the broader social confrontation of prejudice somewhat more open\u002Dended, other than suggesting that while violence can be remarkably effective in quashing opposition on a small scale, it’s not going to solve the larger problem. Given how central anti\u002Dmonster prejudice is to the story, it leaves the Convergence Saga feeling curiously unresolved. But it’s hard to say how Turnbull could have resolved it, and perhaps that nagging feeling is deliberate on his part. Magic might fan the flames of hatred, but people don’t need the devil to do evil."⭐ 4.5/5(22)

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Cover of A SILENT TREATMENT

A SILENT TREATMENT

by her first husband. Widowed after Vanasco’s father died, her mother was lonely, prompting the move. Now, she complains that she’s still lonely, unhappy living in the basement, and that she feels useless. But when Vanasco finds classes, a volunteer opportunity, and a book club, her mother is dismissive. In probing the history of their mother\u002Ddaughter relationship, Vanasco reveals an unusual complication: Although the author calls herself Jeannie, her birth name is the same as her mother’s—Barbara—causing confusion for doctors, banks, the gym where they both are members—and, it appears, intensifying an interdependence that both women struggle to resist."⭐ 4.2/5(43)

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Cover of A SLOWLY DYING CAUSE

A SLOWLY DYING CAUSE

by Inspector Beatrice Hannaford, with Lynley and Havers not turning up until 120\u002Dodd pages in, and with a handy excuse for heading to Cornwall: Lynley, it turns out, is heir to a crumbling estate there, “the country pile that accompanied the cringe\u002Dworthy title he’d inherited from his father.” The fuzz put their heads together to sort out poor Lobb’s situation, and, as ever, the solution emerges in a perp who’s been there all along but has been overlooked. The book is, also as ever, too long by a quarter, but it’s got plenty of intriguing twists and turns that will leave the reader guessing."⭐ 4.2/5(157)

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Cover of A THOUSAND WAYS TO DIE

A THOUSAND WAYS TO DIE

by police and seven times more likely to be shot dead by another civilian with a gun.” Lee traces this pattern to America’s beginnings, when “an uncleavable relationship between the trade of humans and the trade of guns” contributed to the nation’s bloody foundation. After this historical background, Lee moves around the country, describing how Southern gun traffickers illicitly arm Chicagoans despite the state’s stringent gun control laws, fueling the city’s uncontrollable violence. In New Orleans, he notes how, while reporting during Hurricane Katrina, at least one of his white colleagues makes excuses for police shootings aimed at some of the city’s poorest Black residents. In Massachusetts, he interviews a worker at the Smith \u0026amp\u003B Wesson factory who loses his job after publicly questioning the company’s ethics. Throughout these stories, he weaves in his own personal history, recounting how his grandfather’s and stepbrother’s murders left lasting, traumatic impressions on his extended family. Lee’s experience reinforces one of the book’s key messages—that gun violence is both a byproduct and cause of “the systemic, institutional, and structural racism that feeds it.” At best, Lee’s work is empathetic, analytical, and insightful, drawing subtle connections in clean and conversational prose. Some chapters hold together better than others: “(G)un\u002DCivil Rights,” for example, is cohesive, while “Gigglebox” tends to meander. All in all, the book is a provocative and informative read that expertly blends memoir with hard\u002Dhitting reporting. "⭐ 4.5/5(64)

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Cover of ACCESS

ACCESS

by 1880, and “for the next one hundred years, abortion in America remained…underground, secret, stigmatized, and dangerous.” From the moment that Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973, anti\u002Dabortion activists organized to overturn it, helped along by politicians in gerrymandered districts who used “majorities and supermajorities to pass abortion restrictions at an alarming pace and volume.” On the other side, Grant writes, activist groups have long organized to protect choice. In the wake of Dobbs, the battle for access to abortion has heated up—often illegally, in the case of states such as Texas that have banned the importation of abortion pills or travel to other states to obtain the medical procedure. Grant profiles activists at various stages of the battle, from first\u002Dgeneration feminists who linked access to abortion to the struggle for women’s liberation generally to modern\u002Dday advocates who, among other strategies, have internationalized the ability to obtain pills for “self\u002Dmanaged abortion,” creating a sort of “underground for the post\u002DDobbs world.” The battle is multifaceted and requires the commitment of a range of activists and allies—who, Grant allows, are sometimes given to fighting among themselves—especially as certain states enact more restrictive laws even to the point of bans. On which note, Grant writes, “Abortion bans have never and will never stop people from ending pregnancies\u003B what they do is force people to resort to unsafe methods to end them.” Her narrative makes clear that the battle for access continues apace to advance the cause for choice against “the notion that a government can dictate if, when, or how its citizens manage pregnancy.”"⭐ 4.8/5(26)

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Cover of AEGOLIUS CREEK

AEGOLIUS CREEK

by departures into descriptions of nature, the prose is often beautiful: “The house with its tin roof and clapboard siding, dirty and decaying, is the remnant of a dream, an embodiment of one man’s struggle to find a place in the world, a tiny corner of the great globe he could once and forever call his own.”"⭐ 4.9/5(9)

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Cover of AFTER HAPPILY EVER

AFTER HAPPILY EVER

by true love. In this novel, the author imagines past that point, catching up with Neve (Snow White), Bry (Sleeping Beauty), and Della (Cinderella) when they are middle\u002Daged. On the surface, their lives seem like a dream, with a serene, unchanging kingdom, marriages to princes, and the enviable stability of their royal status. However, cracks soon begin to show: Della struggles with her waning beauty, questioning her worth beyond the physical charms that once defined her. Bry, the ever\u002Dgracious peacekeeper, feels smothered under the weight of pleasing everyone but herself. And Neve, haunted by her stepmother’s attempt on her life, dreads the power and vulnerability that come with the throne (“she had sometimes wondered what it would be like to experience a day or two that didn’t dawn with the reminder of her death”). The sudden passing of the king sends each woman on a transformative journey, revealing the kingdom’s perfection as a fragile facade masking inequality and decay. The novel deftly balances plot and character, offering nuanced portrayals of each princess’ growth. The traumas of their original tales—Neve’s poisoning, Della’s abuse, and Bry’s forced exile—are examined with sensitivity, shaping their struggles and triumphs in compelling ways. While readers will be familiar with the characters’ origin stories, these new threads in their tales create a fresh and engaging narrative to follow. The plot is well paced, with character development offset by action. Each woman’s journey is distinct, with Neve’s confrontation with fear, Della’s pursuit of self\u002Dworth, and Bry’s embrace of authenticity each resonating deeply. In centering older women as powerful, multifaceted protagonists, the story is both feminist and empowering, demonstrating that value and agency do not diminish with age."⭐ 4.0/5(153)

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Cover of AGAINST THE MACHINE

AGAINST THE MACHINE

by “a metastasizing machine which is closing in around you, polluting your skies and your woods and your past and your imagination,” the world of nature increasingly replaced by “a left\u002Dbrain paradise, all straight lines and concrete car parks.” One aspect of this destructive machine, by his account, is the steady decline of religion—not in itself necessarily a bad thing, but, given that nature abhors a vacuum, “when a culture built around such a sacred order dies then there will be upheaval at every level of society,” and given the absence of that sacred order, the door is wide open to its replacement by things other than the two that we need, “meaning, and roots.” By Kingsnorth’s lights, the origin of so much of the world’s current crisis is an “ongoing process of mass uprooting,” not just from one’s native place (as with China’s relocation of Tibetans and Uyghurs) but also our cultural uprooting from our traditions and our divorce from nature. Kingsnorth often paints with a brush that may be a few hairs too wide: He condemns science, for instance, as “an ideology posing as a method,” when science is likely the only thing that might rescue the world from the worst consequences of climate change, and his insistent view of cities as doomed and soulless places devoted only to profit too often slides into cant. Still, a little fire and brimstone never hurts an argument against things as they are, and if decrying the “the holy effort to which all human will, skill and energy is now bent: making money” gets a little shrill, his closing invocation of a culture in which “people, place, prayer, the past” are rediscovered resounds nicely."⭐ 4.3/5(11)

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Cover of ALCHEMISED

ALCHEMISED

by any means necessary, the two polar opposites—Helena and Kaine, healer and killer—end up discovering much more as they begin to understand each other through shared trauma. While necromancy is an oft\u002Dtrod subject in fantasy novels, the author gives it a fresh feel—in large part because of their superb worldbuilding coupled with unforgettable imagery throughout: “[The necromancer] lay reclined upon a throne of bodies. Necrothralls, contorted and twisted together, their limbs transmuted and fused into a chair, moving in synchrony, rising and falling as they breathed in tandem, squeezing and releasing around him…[He] extended his decrepit right hand, overlarge with fingers jointed like spider legs.” Another noteworthy element is the complex dynamic between Helena and Kaine. To say that these two characters shared the gamut of intense emotions would be a vast understatement. Readers will come for the fantasy and stay for the romance."⭐ 4.5/5(2,547)

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Cover of ALICE, OR THE WILD GIRL

ALICE, OR THE WILD GIRL

by a small, naked, girl of European stock. “Her lips were curled in a snarl and she made a frightened, unintelligible hissing noise,” observes Bird. “Blonde hair, bleached nearly white, hung in thick dirty clumps over the burnt edges of her scalp.” The girl does not speak, but graves elsewhere on the island suggest she is the last of a group of shipwrecked travelers. The ship’s surgeon dismisses the girl as an idiot, but Bird, though not formally educated, can tell she is not. Following the controversial death of another officer, Bird gains control of the girl—who eventually reveals that her name is Alice Kelly—and, following the end of the voyage, turns her into a traveling exhibit, “The Wild Girl of the Pacific.” As Alice confronts her traumatic past and Bird settles into his newfound prominence, both discover that America is a much stranger, harder place than Alice’s desert island. Liska’s prose captures a country that feels equally alien to the reader and to Alice herself: “The stage was just high enough that she could look out and see them all at once, a sea of heads and astonishing hats. When she was not on a stage, most people towered above her\u003B she felt lost in a dark forest of moving figures.” The story largely eschews the sensationalism of Alice’s stage show, unfolding slowly to gradually reveal twin portraits of Americans lost in their second acts. Steeped in loneliness and 19th\u002Dcentury grandeur, the novel is a remarkable meditation on our unlikely migrations through space and time."⭐ 4.6/5(7)

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Cover of ALIGNMENT

ALIGNMENT

by discussing an extremely relevant topic in 21st\u002Dcentury America: discovering the right work\u002Dlife balance. She suggests that this balance is not only impossible to find, but also illusory—either people are ignoring work\u002Drelated things they should be doing, or they’re neglecting their lives in favor of their jobs, particularly when their occupations involve helping others. But “having work that is of service to the world,” Keller Wood writes, “does not require a life of monastic self\u002Dsacrifice.” The way she proposes to avoid these kinds of problems is to abandon the idea of balance and instead concentrate on “alignment.” The key to this concept is the trick of seeing life as a mosaic whose innumerable little pieces will realign themselves in response to changes in employment, family, health, and other factors. Each piece supports the others and gives the mosaic long\u002Dterm durability. Drawing on her experience in the Montessori school of teaching, Keller Wood stresses this flexibility and the “interleaving” (“resting from one kind of work” and switching to another) that’s characteristic of the educational method. The author asks readers: “If your body is weary from physical work, is there a more abstract problem you could puzzle over?” Keller Wood never avoids the “hard truth” that all the pieces of the mosaic she describes are temporary. Nonetheless, she writes with grace and genuine enthusiasm about her conviction that her readers can overcome the situation where “we have a lot on our plate, but we’re feeling less connected to the meaning behind it” and discover personal alignments that will improve their lives. Her lively book is full of vivid narrative examples drawn from her own life and the experiences of others as well as helpful writing exercises and “reflection questions” designed to make her less of a teacher and more of a Montessori\u002Dstyle “guide.” Teachers at all levels will consider the book useful, and harried, overworked readers will find it a welcome call to slow down and take stock."

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Cover of ALL THAT DIES IN APRIL

ALL THAT DIES IN APRIL

by the village healer, Octavia, makes up her mind to follow the mountain streams in the direction they flow, hoping to come to the sea. Relicario is stunned by Lina’s absence and soon decides to follow her. Accompanied by a wise donkey named Jumento and the bones of his mother and father—all of his family he could fit in the cart—Relicario begins a long, arduous journey, guessing Lina’s course at every turn, while his wife forges on before him, entering into worlds and ways of living that Relicario cannot begin to imagine. Meanwhile, a series of coincidences conspires to create a reunion no one in the Ramos\u002DCruz clan could have anticipated, all as the destructive torrents of April begin their seasonal scouring of the land. Spare and yet echoing with voices, Travacio’s English\u002Dlanguage debut captures the haunting cycles of death and displacement but also of life, joy, and the succor of community in a place where “families come together and break apart…as easily as storm clouds in the sky.”"⭐ 4.1/5(1,605)

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Cover of ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER

ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER

by then had become a distant second fiddle to the relationship with Rayya), and the two became lovers. There was a good part, and then a very bad part in the months leading up to Rayya’s death in 2018. The book also follows the story of Gilbert’s subsequent recovery from sex and love addiction through devoted adherence to a 12\u002Dstep program. Since she does not “have the heart to write out the excruciating details of the binge that I went on” after Rayya died, citing concern for the privacy of others, she focuses instead on the spiritual and emotional progress she has finally been able to achieve, documented in earnest poems and winsome doodles as well as well\u002Dwritten anecdotes. “Readers of my earlier work may remember that I reached nearly this same level of peace and tranquility back when I was in India, in the middle of my Eat Pray Love travels, after months of disciplined prayer, meditation, and retreat.” The difference this time, she says, is that she has the support she needs not to “drive my life off a cliff all over again.”"⭐ 4.0/5(4,239)

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AMANDA

by several names in a book where identity is fluid and characters enjoy sexual role\u002Dplay—have not seen each other since Marion left England the year before. Now she has returned and begun a temporary job as a governess. Outwardly competent, she carries on a disturbing internal dialogue about her past—a girlhood in Ireland that ended in abusive sex and violence, her escape to a new identity in Oxford, the ecstasy of her love affair with Jamie—along with her current guilt, regret, and fear of mental illness. The reader is uncertain just how damaged Marion is when Jamie’s narrative takes over. He too is clearly competent in his professional life. The boarding school that was central to Cross’ first and second novels, Wilberforce (2015) and Grievous (2019), plays an ancillary role here\u003B while engrossing, Jamie’s efforts to solve the school’s problems take a backseat to his emotional turmoil. Bedeviled by various forms of guilt about his past, especially during the war, he struggles to connect with his ailing Anglican Bishop father, whom Jamie assumes disapproves of him. Above all, he is baffled by why Marion disappeared from his life and is obsessed with finding her. His optimism about their possible future together initially seems in sharp contrast to her resistance. Is he delusional too? Gradually, though, the separate dark stories of their emotional crises evolve into a love story that verges on romantic comedy, complete with miscues, disguises, and the bishop’s manipulations. Along the way, Cross tackles such small issues as faith, the Easter Rebellion, and British classism. The elliptical style isn’t easy, but it’s worth the effort. That Cross’ voice—some combination of Edna O’Brien, Muriel Spark, and maybe a pinch of Jane Austen—comes from a contemporary American writer is hard to believe."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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AMPLITUDES

by a violent militia in “Fettle \u0026amp\u003B Sunder.” In Sarah Gailey’s “MoonWife,” a digital medium channels the spirit of a trans man’s late friend, while in Esther Alter’s “The Shabbos Bride,” a Jewish trans woman receives a Shabbos miracle that remolds her entire body. Editor Mandelo has pulled together 22 stories from some of the strongest speculative fiction authors working today. The writing is crisp, clean, and evocative throughout. Every tale opens onto a different vision of the future—some far\u002Dflung, others right around the corner, and each as compelling as the next. Although the mood shifts frequently throughout the anthology—Miller’s tale is easily the most lighthearted, Yoakeim’s the saddest—each story is a poignant, unflinching look at what could be for the LGBTQ+ community. "⭐ 2.9/5(533)

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AN HEIR OF DARKNESS AND RUIN

by Renna’s father, Am\u002DRe, the god of darkness, chaos, and ruin, and despotic ruler of the Vasarys dimension. Eight years ago, Sethos overthrew and killed Am\u002DRe, who’d adopted him, and not only gained his throne, but also some of his powers, which flow through Renna’s veins, as well. When Sethos tells Renna that he intends to avenge his mother and homeland, Renna promises to help. He helps her learn how to wield her powers to their full, lethal potential. Their relationship becomes more intimate, but when he tells Renna about the destruction of Isyos, where Am\u002DRe once ruled, he leaves out a vital detail: The attackers, whom he aims to kill, were the Celestial Gods who had sheltered Renna in Taria—including Khellios, her past\u002Dlife love interest. While Sethos manipulates Renna, Khellios leaves Taria and goes on a quest to find her. Brower’s sequel is a captivating tale of betrayal, vengeance, and love, primarily told through the perspectives of Renna, Sethos, and Khellios\u003B this gives readers a keen and sometimes\u002Ddevastating understanding of each character’s motivations, which they sometimes hide from others. The masterful worldbuilding features well\u002Ddeveloped systems of both magic and governance. Readers may be mildly disappointed that Renna doesn’t have any meaningful interactions with other women, but her journey—during which she learns to accept and control her powers while maintaining a sense of right and wrong—is truly compelling, as is Sethos’ relentless desire for revenge. "⭐ 4.4/5(23)

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APHMAU

by adding a little magic to Aphmau’s birthday cake. Once consumed, the cake transforms Aphmau into a wolf\u002Dgirl. More birthday wishes backfire, cueing video game–inspired hijinks all over town. But can Aphmau right the wrongs in time? The author, a successful online content creator who shares a name with her protagonist, delivers a Minecraft\u002Dinspired graphic novel that successfully brings her brand to a new format. Cacciatore’s adorable, candy\u002Dcolored art incorporates video game conventions like status bars to effortlessly meld mediums. The fast pace and quick cuts are delightfully chaotic, echoing the original YouTube format. Age\u002Dappropriate tween romance elements especially stand out. Character bios provide a helpful entry point to those new to Aphmau’s world. Aphmau has brown skin and purple hair\u003B other cast members vary in skin tone."⭐ 4.5/5(128)

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ARCANA

by the Arcana, an ancient society of witches based in London that’s tasked with investigating and containing supernatural occurrences. But the Majors, the Arcana’s ruling body, are less than pleased with this development\u003B Eli’s arrival coincides with strange happenings. Determined to get to the bottom of the Majors’ caginess and explain the dark energy stalking them, Eli and James band together with levelheaded trans woman Daphne, library\u002Dloving researcher Grayson, and tarot reader Koko to uncover the truth. Prentice\u002DJones’ illustrations employ a muted color palette of cool blues, olive browns, and burgundies that flow organically into one another, accentuating the clean, uncluttered panels and fluid lines. He also plays effectively with proportion and shape in his character drawings. The cast members, who largely seem to be adults rather than teens, are diverse across many dimensions, including race and body type. This first installment in a new series teases satisfying developments to come."⭐ 3.9/5(259)

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AS A JEW

by ethical principles and care for others. The struggle to embrace a heritage has been irrevocably complicated by the struggle to embrace a Jewish nation\u002Dstate. In fluent, conversational prose, the author (a former speechwriter for the Obamas) outlines some of the major historical principles behind Judaism. In her account, Judaism is a story of survival, a constant reinventing of tradition for a changing world, and a commitment to preserving the past while living in the present. More than any specific list of laws, rules, or observances, this feature of Judaism lies at the heart of the author’s story. She writes from personal experience, from historical research, and from a truly literary perspective. Responding to the prevalence of anti\u002DJewish incidents after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, she writes: “Relying on incident counts can be like trying to measure humidity with a bucket, as if it were rain. You can wind up with an empty bucket and a lot of people proclaiming that it’s all in your head. Even as you stand before them drenched in sweat and feeling suffocated, they may still insist that you’re overreacting, even making it all up.” It may be uniquely hard to be a Jew these days. But, Jewish or not, it’s even harder to be a mensch."⭐ 4.6/5(73)

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AS I REMEMBER...

by Sherwin, who serves as the editor of this collection of memoiristic vignettes and miscellaneous writings by his aunt, Maria Gluck. The first section offers Maria’s reflections on growing up in a small village in Czechoslovakia in the early 20th century, written prior to her death in 2013. She intended it for her youngest brother, who didn’t remember much from his early childhood overseas, and it traces more than 100 years of family history. Maria recalls, for instance, the differences between her mother’s and father’s extended families\u003B although both were Jewish and followed kosher practices, her father’s family were prosperous business owners, while her mother’s came from more humble origins and were more conservative religiously. The book provides a unique lens into Jewish life in Europe prior to World War II, and later, it harrowingly tells how Maria and her siblings narrowly escaped the Holocaust by immigrating to Columbus, Ohio, in 1940\u003B almost the entirety of their family who remained in Europe were killed by the Nazi regime. Maria’s memoir is fewer than 200 pages in length, followed by more than 450 pages of miscellaneous musings. This eclectic assortment includes additional commentary on her family tree, early writings of an anticipated second book, and even a fictional story that centers on similar themes as the memoir.Many of these reflections, however, repeat information, making the narrative feel quite repetitive at times. Sherwin, as editor, presents them in a lightly edited format that lends a feeling of authenticity to a work that aims to preserve Maria’s memories for posterity. He prefaces his aunt’s writings with introductions, and provides a good deal of editorial commentary and notes that provide historical context, clarification, and translations of Hebrew and Yiddish terminology: “I came from a very balabuste family [well cared for, religious, and close\u002Dknit family], well known and respected,” reads a representative passage from the first page of her remembrance. Sherwin allows Maria to tell her story in her own words, including accounts of controversial disputes with family members\u003B many readers won’t share all of her views, such as her opposition to gay marriage. He reflects on his personal memories of Maria, as well, who never had children of her own\u003B for example, he presents the eulogy he delivered at her funeral, which includes an anecdote about visiting her apartment in Queens, New York. Originally written using IBM’s ViaVoice software when Maria was in her 90s, the book’s conversational style presents a narrative that’s full of fascinating detail, despite occasional stream\u002Dof\u002Dconsciousness tangents. Sherwin’s editorial commentary throughout effectively accomplishes its task of adding useful context to her ruminations, where necessary. "

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Cover of AT THE HEART OF CONFLICT

AT THE HEART OF CONFLICT

by undermining decades of peacebuilding work. Sandra Melone, founder and CEO of Zancora Consulting, touches on the subject of peacemaking as it relates to supporting women’s rights. “When a government claims that girls and women have the right to health and education,” she attests, “I would say, show us where the health services and education actually are.” The assemblage of these voices makes for valuable storytelling\u003B these are men and women who have faced what Helen Kezie\u002DNwoha describes in her introduction as “the growing complexity of achieving negotiated settlements” in an increasingly fragmented and extremist world."⭐ 4.5/5(2)

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AT THE WAKE

by a simple, horrifying motto: “Take all you want. Eat all you take.” It’s a lesson that Achiel learned in World War II–era Belgium, where he was born, and where his disturbing, violent nature found its darkest flowering—first, through various black\u002Dmarket schemes, and ultimately, through rounding up and murdering Jewish people as a German soldier.Given license to do as he pleased, Achiel was untroubled by his choice: “I spoke fluent German, so why not?” he notes at one point. He made an easy transition to life in the United States after the war, where he shed his Nazi past as easily as a rattlesnake loses its skin. However, his adult children—Sophie, Lucas, Ruby, and Ronnie—find it hard to shake off Achiel’s later murder of man named Clifford Ellis in 1975. It’s a crime that will leave them buckling under the weight of their own moral compromises, as one character plaintively admits: “I did what Dad told me. Am I going to get into trouble now?” Bit by bit, the story unfolds in a haunting, evocative style, zigzagging with jump\u002Dcut logic from their father’s imprisonment in the ’70s to the carefree American 1960s,’40s\u002Dera Belgium, and back again. Readers may find these narrative shifts endearing or irritating, but they’re a feature, not a bug, highlighting how people recall unspeakable crimes in disjointed fashion. The weight of the tragedy gradually becomes clear via court papers, letters, and even the prayers of Achiel’s wife, Lucia, who finally confesses: “Yes, I can forgive him, but I can’t love him.” Rewards are plentiful for readers who pay sharp attention. "

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AUDITION

by their physical suffering, lingering amnesia, and the need to keep up a constant stream of mind\u002Dwiping chatter—but a careful reader can begin to put together the story behind this story as snatches of the lives the giants lived “before the classroom” begin to come into focus. Stunningly inventive, this book is told in three parts that explore the simultaneity of past, present, and future as the three main characters’ voices loop and swell around each other. Though readers may find themselves challenged by this form—akin to Virginia Woolf’s The Waves meeting a 21st century version of Philip K. Dick—the rewards of a sustained read are abundant."⭐ 3.6/5(511)

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AURORA

by the Collector, who has light skin, green eyes, and black hair. Wounded blue\u002Deyed Kendal, who’s born from Vash’s remaining essence, is left for dead but saved by purple\u002Dskinned, pink\u002Dhaired Alinua, a self\u002Dexiled cloud elf with a curse—or maybe a gift. With no way of knowing which she bestowed on Kendal, the two decide to travel together to rescue Vash’s soul. Meanwhile, a great mage, who’s light\u002Dskinned and brown\u002Dhaired and has power over all the elements, accidentally springs a trap that was millennia in the making. Fighting for control of his body, he’s saved by Kendal and Alinua and agrees to assist them—if they help him find a means to expel the malevolent spirit before it implements its plans. The plot\u002Ddriven story balances action sequences with intriguing plot developments and extensive worldbuilding. Red renders her full\u002Dcolor illustrations in a clean style that effectively conveys dynamic moments. However, information is too often introduced well in advance of its relevance, interrupting the pacing and creating information overload. This disjointed approach makes it difficult to ground oneself within the story or fully connect with the characters. "⭐ 4.3/5(76)

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Cover of AUTOMATIC NOODLE

AUTOMATIC NOODLE

by the restaurant owners, who skipped town to avoid fraud charges. Needing to pay off their contracts and seeking a purpose, they decide to reopen as a noodle shop, even though their limited civil rights mean what they’re doing isn’t entirely legal. Why is it so important to make tasty food when robots can’t eat? To what degree should they pander to human comfort to make this place a success, and more seriously, prevent the authorities from noticing that robots are running a restaurant without human supervision? As they confront these weighty issues as well as the logistics of developing their enterprise, an online review\u002Dtrolling campaign from “robophobes” threatens to downgrade them out of business. On the surface, this novella could be viewed as the SF equivalent of Travis Baldree’s cozy fantasy Legends \u0026amp\u003B Lattes (2022), about an orc’s quest to establish a coffee shop. But this richly flavored bowl of noodles offers additional toppings, such as edgy social commentary about climate change, PTSD, and the ways in which social media and apps like Yelp and DoorDash gatekeep restaurant publicity, ratings, and sales, creating a distorted depiction of a business with little resemblance to its physical reality. The robots also serve as a metaphor for transgender people specifically and minorities in a general sense, as the story explores the uneasy balance between attempting to assimilate to get along and trying to feel at ease in one’s own body and personhood."⭐ 3.9/5(4,194)

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AWAKE

by white supremacy, racism, sexism, greed, and ugly secrets. “Imagine my surprise when I began discussing white supremacy, and tons of my Christian followers lost their shit,” she writes brightly. (There’s not a lot of blue language here, but when it comes, it’s just right.) The author goes on to write of middle\u002Dage dating, “purity culture,” body shaming, and a careful kind of forgiveness while proclaiming a hard\u002Dwon feminism: “Women are the eighth wonders of the world. May we love this little life with exposed beating hearts, tender regardless, despite it all.”"⭐ 4.7/5(1,937)

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BAD AMERICANS

by a wealthy man named Olive Mixer. (While the scenario may seem like the premise of a reality TV show, Mixer insists that the goings\u002Don are not being recorded.) In this first installment of a series, six of the participants have their turns to say their pieces. These range from a nurse named Andrea who talks about “how ordinary people who work essential jobs stood up to this horrendous virus” to a part\u002Dtime handyman named Ricard who doesn’t quite trust Freemasons. In between the stories there is socializing, games, and even a shark attack (not to mention large and varied meals). Food is mentioned quite a lot throughout the book—one character tells of a dinner in Montana that included “trout, pinto bean, and ham soup with fry bread, chillicothe, sirloin mutton” as well as “a dessert called kuchen, a cross between cake and pie filled with, in this case, flathead cherries.” Details like these culinary lists do not exactly leap from the page\u003B what proves to be more impactful are the reflections of the guests, which do indeed run a gamut. Ricard, for instance, offends just about everyone present with his story, causing most to sit in “silent disdain” as they listen to him speak. The fictional characters’ sentiments are carefully crafted, offering an intriguing range of realistic reactions to the Covid\u002D19 pandemic."⭐ 5.0/5(2)

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BECOMING JFK

by high cheekbones\u003B only minor flaw was a gap between her two front teeth, which Jack liked.” More narrative distance might have allowed for a more rigorous examination of the tension between Jack’s immense privilege and his personal struggles."

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Cover of BEGIN AGAIN

BEGIN AGAIN

by “Em”—a woman whom he struggles to recall but can’t. He and Tora survive in the wilderness by hunting, although they ultimately befriend a bear cub, whom Bjorn names Sild and who’s seemingly lost his mother. The woods are teeming with peculiarities, including a floating orb and an invisible presence that Bjorn consistently feels. Puzzling images inhabit his dreams, as well, including a recurring image of a house that he’s certain was once his. He vows to track it down, and Tora and Sild join him on his pilgrimage. What awaits Bjorn, though, are more questions: Is he who he appears to be, and what led him to that cabin in the woods in the first place? As the novel progresses, Maddox adds backstory, twists, and overt genre elements to the mix. Although the elucidation of Bjorn’s murky history treads familiar territory, this character\u002Ddriven tale, which includes flashbacks of Em, offers fresh takes on themes of devotion and retaining one’s identity. The best scenes unfold in the forest, where the author’s lyrical prose shines brightest: “The river was black with winter, the current cloying, haggard, pulling against the banks like an animal caught in a snare. Bjorn stood at its edge, his breath rising in pale plumes, his body still as frost\u002Dladen stone.” Throughout, a persistent moodiness prevails, escalating the suspense\u003B it often feels as if something is watching Bjorn, poised to strike. Overall, this is a tightly packed epic tale that smartly focuses on a personal journey of regaining a past and forging a future."⭐ 4.6/5(14)

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BEINGS

by two troves of records, both beginning in 1961 but radically different in detail and tone. In one, Barney and Betty Hill, rational civil servants in an interracial marriage, are astonished to see a spaceship as they’re driving down a dark highway. The sighting—and the encounter that follows—alters the course of their lives as they become ambivalent public figures amid a rising din of UFO spotters and disbelievers. (The Archivist knows something about alien visitors, too, but is even more reluctant to claim the association.) Through the second set of historical files, the Archivist tracks the life of Phyllis Egerton, a young writer driven from home when her parents discover her romance with her best friend, Rosa. Her new life in Boston is thrilling—Masad paints an electric picture of Phyllis’ double life as a newspaper copy editor and a lesbian finding her people, sartorial style, and science\u002Dfiction writing voice—but necessarily clandestine, since this is the very real world of the ‘60s: Public homosexuality is a criminal act. We get Phyllis’ story firsthand through her yearning, then defiant, letters to Rosa. In contrast, the Archivist takes more liberties with Barney and Betty Hill’s story, since their records are less personal. Without apology, the historian fills in the gaps for the reader, telling us both the facts and their elisions or outright inventions. It’s an education—they know the histories of civil and gay rights, and from experience, they “have always felt drawn to those who are ridiculed, misunderstood, shamed.” Miraculously, Masad makes this dense braid of stories easy to follow, elegantly blending serpentine sentences, endearing and intimately observed characters, natural dialogue, and playful, generous asides to keep the reader in enthralled suspense."⭐ 4.6/5(20)

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BELLE STARR

by the time he met 21\u002Dyear\u002Dold Eliza Pennington\u003B some of his offspring by earlier marriages were older than his new bride. John and Eliza had six children of their own: Their second son, Bud, was Myra’s favorite. They galloped together on horseback through the countryside, he taught her how to handle a gun, and by the time she was a teenager, “she was a fearless rider and a crack shot.” His death during the Civil War upended her life: She vowed, somehow, to get revenge. Educated briefly at a female academy in Carthage, Missouri, where she was one of the first students, she learned by living. Wallis captures the rousing atmosphere of the lawless west—Belle’s family moved to Texas after Carthage was burned by guerrillas—with outlaws going “on the scout” to evade capture\u003B horse thieves\u003B bank, train, and stagecoach robbers\u003B and murderous gangs terrorizing communities. Although Belle never killed anyone and was convicted only once, of horse theft, her life revolved around outlaws: family, lovers, husbands. Her first husband’s escapades led to his being murdered at age 29. Another husband, a mixed\u002Drace Cherokee, was killed in an exchange of “deadly gunplay,” as was Belle herself, ambushed in a murder still unsolved. Wallis’ Belle is a brazen woman, refusing to bow to the constrictions of her time: lawless, if not an outlaw herself."⭐ 3.9/5(38)

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Cover of BENEATH OUR FEET

BENEATH OUR FEET

by the BBC TV series Digging for Britain, which describes the exploits of two English hobbyists who scour the countryside with their metal detectors. Readers will not regret looking it up. Organic objects decay (mostly)\u003B stone and bone survive\u003B metals are a mixed bag. Amateur searchers, with or without detectors, find bottle caps, discarded toys, and metal scraps. Less often, items from distant times turn up—buttons, bullets, arrowheads, coins, jewelry, tools, and weapons. Almost no one finds a treasure trove or “hoard,” but “almost no one” among thousands of searchers produces a steady stream of bonanzas that will dazzle readers poring over the hundreds of crisp images. People on this island seemed to love burying stuff, and even Stone Age inhabitants had a taste for gold and knew what to do with it. Gold does not decompose, but it’s an exception, and most of the text describes efforts to find, extract, clean, reassemble, decipher, and interpret long\u002Dburied relics. Despite the lovely images, this book alone should not be anyone’s introduction to prehistoric Britain. The authors deliver a short summary of the era at the beginning of each chapter but stay focused on the objects themselves: the finders’ experience as well as that of the landowners. Rich hoards have sold for immense sums to private collectors, but precious metals and “treasures” belong to the nation, and public\u002Dspirited owners donate what they find."⭐ 4.9/5(9)

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BETWEEN

by ancient aliens: “whoever created these bridges supposedly used gravitational fields to sync the movements of Earth and Carpes—and depending on that flux, either the eastern or southern portals activated accordingly.” However, what stands out is the compelling strength of its central character, and the emotional turmoil she faces\u003B Marda’s fight to save her family, despite Car Spellen’s schemes, is often affecting. However, Lily, Tony, and Ben lack convincing character arcs—in part, because Marda receives so much more attention. Similarly, the relationships that eventually form between the characters, while sometimes heartwarming, ultimately feels rushed and shallowly developed. Hopefully, a stronger sequel with remedy this."⭐ 4.8/5(13)

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Cover of BETWEEN TWO RIVERS

BETWEEN TWO RIVERS

by young students learning cuneiform, the Mesopotamian writing system. The author, an honorary fellow in Assyriology at Oxford, puts each of the objects in the context of the daily life of the era when they were made. So we learn about a young scholar who left his toothmarks on the clay tablet he was using for his assignment, or a barkeeper whose furniture budget included a suspiciously large number of beds. The hundreds of thousands of surviving cuneiform documents include not only royal decrees and official documents but letters between ordinary people—two mentioned here are a wife asking her husband to come home and a merchant planning his route to dodge tax collectors. The Sumerians, Babylonians, and other peoples who lived in the era were highly conscious of history, drawing connections between themselves and their predecessors—sometimes more than 1,000 years earlier. Their literary achievements include the Epic of Gilgamesh (which the author tells her young daughter as a bedtime story). The era’s advances in astronomy and mathematics contradict any notion that these were primitive, unenlightened times. Still, as the chapter on a stone mace found in the museum makes clear, brutal warfare was a too\u002Dcommon part of life, then as now. A final chapter on the priestess in whose palace the museum was located shows the important and varied roles played by women in Mesopotamian society."⭐ 4.1/5(424)

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Cover of BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD

BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD

by far the book’s greatest strength\u003B there seems to be no facet of the subject the author doesn’t examine in detail. Costante asserts that no matter what the event is, the presentation is crucial to the enjoyment of attendees (Chicago Bears fans sitting knee\u002Ddeep in snow notwithstanding)\u003B as any fan will acknowledge, poor bathroom arrangements or clueless staff can spoil a sports outing a lot quicker than a team doing poorly. Every sporting event director should read this book."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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BIRCH AND JAY

by a chance encounter with rebellious Elder Elm. Meanwhile, 19\u002Dyear\u002Dold Birch, seeking her own adventure, left her fathers behind to set out after Jay, to whom she is “promised.” Although extreme weather and wild animals plagued their journeys, they each soon learned that humans were a far more dangerous threat. The Six, leaders of an “old\u002Dfashioned city\u002Dstate,” wanted to use environmentally destructive technology that could return Earth to the brink of collapse. The easy\u002Dto\u002Dfollow narrative switches between Birch’s and Jay’s perspectives in the year 2173 with their storylines half a century earlier. The engaging premise is full of poignant reminders that the greatest challenge humanity faces is itself\u003B the climate change warnings are unsubtle but don’t detract from the steady pacing. Race in this world is an “antiquated” concept\u003B Birch is racially ambiguous, and Jay has Nordic and Asian Indian ancestry."⭐ 4.3/5(17)

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BIRTH OF A DYNASTY

by a tyrannical dynasty and largely follows two characters as they struggle to survive in a viper pit of political intrigue while also trying to find a way to attain vengeance for atrocities done to their families." />⭐ 4.2/5(396)

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Cover of BLACK MOSES

BLACK MOSES

by Black people.” Following the Civil War, Gayle writes, supposedly emancipated Blacks had good reason to want to leave the South: Reconstruction was fast proving a failure, having been abandoned by the federal government, and resurgent white supremacy forced a choice: “Ku Klux or Kansas.” Kansas was indeed a destination in what Gayle rightly considers the first Great Migration, preceded by a movement to settle white abolitionists there in order to block the expansion of the slave states. “The negotiated and retreating Reconstruction made McCabe’s argument for a Black state for him,” Gayle writes, but Kansas wasn’t all it was promised to be, and was little friendlier than the South in many ways. Although towns such as Nicodemus were founded, they were so isolated and removed from white market centers that self\u002Dsufficiency was all but impossible. Enter Oklahoma, which McCabe promised, as one contemporary newspaper reported, to be “the New Canaan of the Colored Race.” Hundreds of Blacks settled there during the land rush era, but always in the face of opposition from whites, one leader of whom promised that “if the negroes try to Africanize Oklahoma, they will find that we will enrich our soil with them.” Both promised and very real violence finally drove McCabe away, his project doomed, and, on attaining statehood, Oklahoma quickly established Jim Crow laws to ensure white supremacy and crush the migrants’ dreams."⭐ 4.2/5(43)

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Cover of BLACK SOLDIERS, WHITE LAWS

BLACK SOLDIERS, WHITE LAWS

by a white mob was impending, and indeed they met with a confrontation that led to the deaths of 20 people. In response, military historian Haymond recounts, the Army charged 118 soldiers with mutiny. Hammond chronicles, corroborated by a later Army inquiry, that the soldiers’ defense was sorely inadequate\u003B the officer conducting it was not a lawyer, and the trial was laced with perjurious testimony and racist rhetoric. The trial also revealed incompetence, at the very least, of the white officers who commanded the 24th Infantry Regiment, with the officer in charge being “willing to ­either abandon his junior officers to death at the hands of mutinous troops or, assuming that they ­were still alive, leave them to ­handle ­things without him.” Whether there was a mutiny, strictly speaking, remains controversial. If self\u002Ddefense, then, as Haymond notes, it “can be seen as a legitimate, if hasty, military response to a perceived threat,” but if a vigilante action by Black soldiers, then “a criminal act for which­ there is no excuse or exculpation.” In the end, 110 soldiers were found guilty, with 19 executed and the rest sentenced to life in prison. Thanks to the efforts of historians, including Haymond, and the support of numerous retired flag officers with “extensive experience with military justice,” however, the Army granted clemency more than a century later, returning those Buffalo Soldiers to honorable status—too little, too late, of course, but something."⭐ 4.5/5(19)

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Cover of BLACK SWAN SHOCK

BLACK SWAN SHOCK

by the earthquake. Vettori’s detailed disaster\u002Dthemed tale could conceivably prepare some present\u002Dday readers for real\u002Dlife disasters. The author, an emergency\u002Dservices professional, clearly has a taste for disaster fiction, and her take on the calamities erupting around her characters makes them feel real—and there are terrorists afoot, as well. Syia also doesn’t much like the Electromagnetic Sound and Holographic Isler Communication Operating Network that everyone’s using to communicate—especially the “increasingly popular brain implant version”—and it turns out that the good doctor is right to be wary of it. However, Vettori has effectively left that bit of the mystery for the final installment to come.  "

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BLESSINGS AND DISASTERS

by Okeowo’s account, many of Alabama’s Native Americans, few but politically astute and relatively affluent, seem as wary of their Black neighbors as of their white ones, while the white mayor of Montgomery permitted the erection of historical markers relating to slavery only because he reckoned that they would draw tourist dollars. Okeowo ventures theses that Alabamians and others will find fascinating and provocative, among them the thought that the Lost Cause myth was in good part crafted by “certain white women” and that much of the ugliness of Alabama’s past—“Indian removal, the slave trade, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow”—is absent by design from official histories and “public stories.”"⭐ 3.8/5(139)

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BONES AND BERSERKERS

by Frank Lloyd Wright. Others feature the discovery of a haunted well filled with the corpses of soldiers killed in a Civil War battle, gruesome revenge, and monsters like the Boo Hag, a skin changer who sucks blood through sleepers’ noses. All these tales, eerie as they are on their own, are cranked up into screamer territory by Hale’s two\u002Dtone illustrations, which, with indecent relish and fanatical attention to realistic detail, depict fresh and not\u002Dso\u002Dfresh corpses, a radiation victim’s rotted face, a man’s buttocks being hacked off with a sword, leering skeletons, chopped\u002Doff limbs, and creepy night creatures with big, sharp teeth. The cast of storytellers, horrified onlookers, and all\u002Dtoo\u002Doften mutilated victims is racially diverse."⭐ 4.0/5(5)

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BORN EQUAL

by nature, free and independent.” Jefferson held slaves and thus worked from a hypocritical position, but, Amar writes, his fellow Virginian George Washington “seemed open to long\u002Dterm reforms extinguishing slavery,” endorsing a law that simplified the process of manumission. States such as South Carolina “did not concede, as did many Virginia planters, that slavery was wrong and should ideally end, sometime, somehow.” Slavery did end, of course, even if a different inequality came on its heels: “Amendments designed to smash slavocrats were twisted like pretzels into political and judicial doctrines designed to protect plutocrats,” Amar writes, a process of corruption that continues today. Moreover, as the author rightly emphasizes, after the liberation of formerly enslaved Black people, the acquisition of civil and political rights did not extend to any women or Indigenous people, the former of whom did not attain the right to vote until 1920 because—unlike the male Black vote, which was needed to shore up Republicanism—“woman suffrage would not solve any immediate problem faced by these men.”"⭐ 4.4/5(5)

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Cover of BORN IN FLAMES

BORN IN FLAMES

by deregulation and accompanying shifts in the economic system, which spurred disinvestment in cities and reshaped the insurance industry, with companies making much of their money by investing customer premiums in stock, bond, and money markets. The 1970s Bronx fires were frequently blamed on tenants, a relatively small number of whom did commit arson, Ansfield writes. But this excellent book delivers the truth about “the burning years.”"⭐ 4.2/5(60)

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BOX TALES

by extension, encourages readers to appreciate the sweet treats they gobble up. Burks’ agreeably over\u002Dthe\u002Dtop cartoon artwork leans into the drama\u003B Bea and Box’s gung\u002Dho partnership is infectiously enjoyable. These two have a lot to learn, but they’re ready to meet the challenge. Bea and her mom have brown hair and olive skin\u003B Mrs. Gomez welcomes them in Spanish and is cued Latine."⭐ 4.0/5(16)

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Cover of BRADY VS. BELICHICK

BRADY VS. BELICHICK

by Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains in Casablanca. Unlike “the politically correct crowd who split it down the middle,” Myers picks a winner in his contrived matchup, but his methodology, like much else in this book, is uninspired."⭐ 4.0/5(39)

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Cover of BREAKLANDS

BREAKLANDS

by the Rumblers, and they kidnap him in the hope of selling him to the highest bidder. In a world where everyone has some sort of psychic ability, telekinetic Adam stands out as a super\u002Dpowerful being known as a Shaper. This makes him incredibly valuable, and the Rumblers know that he’ll fetch a high price in Tradetown. Kasa teams up with Gargarin, who can track the kidnappers and her sibling. On the way, they pick up Toy, who has a vehicle, and the tough Ruth, who has an impressive healing ability. However, a being named Shattersword is also after the Rumblers to get to Adam, under the direction of Rask—one of the most powerful Shapers, who controls the empire. Kasa doesn’t care about any of that, though\u003B she just wants her brother back, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes. However, will they ever be safe again, now that people know what he’s capable of? In this first collected volume of a new series, writer Jordan and artist Tyasseta transport readers to a world that’s 147 years “after the break”—much like our own, but with a wide range of superpowered people. The brightly colored milieu, with a diversity of body types and skin colors, feels realistic and offers a future that’s recognizable, even as strange creatures roam the world of the Breaklands. The banter between the heroes of the story gives it a found\u002Dfamily feel and make them easy to root for, as when Gargarin says that he has a plan, and Ruth asks if it’s a good one: “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Gargarin quips."

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Cover of BUFF SOUL

BUFF SOUL

by cops, Moa’s debauchery starts to look less like youthful exploration and more like a serious problem. When Åsa disappears from her band duties, Moa recalls a time when she was part of a search party for a woman named Sofia who was found dead. When she finds Åsa and they go home, there’s no glamour left in the tour for Moa. She tries to address Åsa’s out\u002Dof\u002Dcontrol behavior, but Åsa turns it back around on her friend. For Moa, it was less about the drugs and more about indulging in the chaos and inoculating herself from the consequences. Åsa and Moa reaffirm their commitment to their friendship and vow to regain stability. Though the characters skirt up to the edge of the addiction\u002Drelated horror, they manage to help each other through sticky situations and get home mostly unscathed."⭐ 4.1/5(677)

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CALL ME ARES

by Robert A. Heinlein in the iconic military SF classic Starship Troopers (1959). The premise is amplified here\u003B while Heinlein used lengthy academy\u002Dinstruction interludes to expound on warrior philosophy and military values, Martelle employs practically nonstop scenes of combat as his classroom. The fatalistic, punchy, and apothegm\u002Drich prose (“The logic was irrefutable. As long as you lived, you had a chance to keep living. Once dead, it was too late”) should provide gamer\u002Dminded readers with plenty of diversion. It is only acknowledged in a scant way that Ares’ crew’s epic sacrifices are largely meaningless\u003B if the humans win, they will likely just ravage Espenar Four for its resources and proceed to another world. The author, a retired Marine Corps officer, has positioned this yarn as the opener for a multivolume series."⭐ 4.6/5(25)

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Cover of CALLS MAY BE RECORDED

CALLS MAY BE RECORDED

by one. However, over the course of a single workday, we see Jimmie manage to poke holes in precarity, reaching for moments of freedom through daydreams, illicit intrigues (real and imagined) with coworkers, and leaps over the established boundaries of customer service. Volckmer’s prose is electric, and as she skillfully unearths moments of tenderness, even ecstasy, amid the sweat and stench of abjection, she ensures this brief book lingers past its pages."⭐ 2.7/5(403)

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Cover of CAMPERS BEWARE

CAMPERS BEWARE

by a four\u002Dstep strategy for making friends, Molly sets her ursine buddy to mending parental fences during a weeklong vacation. But along with painful encounters with bees, mosquitoes, and other miseries, practically every interaction with the bumbling behemoth leaves Molly’s dad annoyed or depressed, and even his hopes of enjoying a little father/daughter quality time are repeatedly stymied. While the setups and punchlines work for a short daily comic strip, these elements quickly turn monotonous when they come along every few pages in an extended storyline. Still, even while repeatedly playing victim or comic foil, Molly’s dad may come in for some reader sympathy as he sadly remarks on watching Molly growing away from their former closeness. Readers may also find the advice for making friends helpful in their own lives: “1. Be interested / 2. Compliment / 3. Help / 4. Gifts.” This second series entry has one full book\u002Dlength story followed by two short additional episodes. Molly and her family present white."⭐ 5.0/5(3)

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Cover of CAT & CAT ADVENTURES

CAT & CAT ADVENTURES

by an unidentified villain. Squash and Ginny are off to the rescue and use their magic wand to track the friends to a mansion. There, the friends, the Orb of the Past, and other items and creatures are scheduled to be auctioned off. Squash and Ginny must breach security barriers, crack a complicated code that readers are encouraged to solve, and convince a group of creatures that Squash and Ginny need the orbs to stop the Spirit World from spilling into the human world. As vines from the Spirit World invade the mansion and human adversaries approach, the heroes grab the orb and escape with the help of a Spirit World visitor. Now they face the daunting task of retrieving the Orb of the Future. Pages with several panels of digitally created cartoons and multiple speech balloons keep the pace brisk. Layers of group problem\u002Dsolving, environmental concerns, and a magical world make this a book for more experienced readers."⭐ 4.3/5(15)

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Cover of CHILD OF LIGHT

CHILD OF LIGHT

by a maid, and a note written by a friend. In keeping with the spiritualist theme, the story moves fluidly through time, jumping backward on several occasions to fill in the story of the Memenons (in particular, Papa\u0027s history as an electrical scientist). Bender gracefully conveys how the currents of the times and the influence of parents shape a young mind, and in Ambrétte the author has created a memorable character."⭐ 4.7/5(10)

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Cover of CLEMENTINE

CLEMENTINE

by a squadron of girls who patrol the perimeter, led by a figure called the Gardener. But stability feels strange to this group after the harrowing experiences they’ve endured. Clem struggles to feel at ease, even with her girlfriend, Ricca, there to ground her. Olivia, a new mother, is floundering. Fen is acting suspiciously distant. Amid this uncertainty, something unthinkable happens, leaving Clem crushed. Seeing her vulnerable state, the Gardener offers her a new path forward—but it comes with a price. When she learns that the Gardener may not have the community’s best interests at heart, Clementine must gather her determination to protect those she cares about. The citizens of Nuuk speak Greenlandic and Danish, and Clementine has medium\u002Dtoned skin and wavy black hair. Walden’s hand\u002Ddrawn style feels both elaborate and effortless, playing with light and shadow to enhance her storytelling. Like the other volumes, this series finale crafts an allegory from the horrors of the post\u002Dapocalyptic world, exploring themes of power, trauma, survivor’s guilt, and love in times of darkness."⭐ 3.9/5(264)

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Cover of CLOWN TOWN

CLOWN TOWN

by former MP Peter Judd to do his bidding. Nothing untoward about that, of course, but this time, Judd’s demands, backed by a compromising tape recording, are more pressing than usual. So Diana reconvenes the Brains Trust—Al Hawke, Avril Potts, Daisy Wessex, and their ex\u002Dboss Charles Cornell Stamoran—whose last assignment was to serve as the contact for psychopathic IRA informant Dougie Malone while turning a blind eye to his multiple rapes and murders, which were really none of the Crown’s business. Taverner’s new assignment for the Brains Trust is the assassination of Judd. Since all these developments are filtered through the riotously cynical lens of Herron’s imagination, nothing goes as planned, and when the smoke clears, the fatalities don’t include Judd. Now that Judd knows he has as much reason to fear Taverner as she does to fear him, Lamb offers to broker a peace meeting between them which Slough House computer geek Roddy Ho will keep secret by knocking out 37 security cameras around Taverner’s dwelling. What could possibly go wrong?"

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Cover of COFFIN MOON

COFFIN MOON

by Name (2024), Rosson returns with an even grungier throwback, dressed up as a vampire\u002Dinfested road novel. In December 1975, just outside Portland, Oregon, roughneck bartender Duane Minor knows he’s on thin ice. His wife, Heidi, a college student who dreams of becoming a writer, is none too pleased with his PTSD and burgeoning drinking problem. Duane is managing to just hold down his in\u002Dlaws’ bar, the Last Call Tavern, but he knows something funny is going on with the business. Meanwhile, Heidi and Duane are both trying to connect with Heidi’s 13\u002Dyear\u002Dold niece, Julia, who was reluctantly sent to them after her mother murdered her stepfather. It’s a rough scene made worse when Duane has a bad run\u002Din at the bar one night with a bunch of bikers led by one John Varley. After the century\u002Dold Varley viciously dismembers both Heidi and her parents, Duane and Julia hit the road seeking vengeance. For horror fans, this is closer to crime fiction than loftier vampire fare—think Richard Lange’s terrific outlier Rovers (2021) or From Dusk Till Dawn in lieu of tortured immortals in velvet capes. Julia’s character takes a dramatic turn after they encounter a sanctuary dubbed the Children’s Museum, led by an ancient, lonely creature called Adeline. Even as he and Julia navigate this bizarre subculture, Duane’s defining characteristic remains the conflict between his inner demons and his outer ones. “You want that man to come forward, that killer I was, but I’ll drown if I do it. I’ll die,” he swears. Meanwhile, John Varley and his psychotic “thrall” leave a bloody trail across the country, chased by one broken man and a little girl with nothing but half a dozen silver bullets to their names."⭐ 4.3/5(863)

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Cover of COMRADES IN ART

COMRADES IN ART

by the Artists International Association, which formed in London in 1933 and took as its mission the “Unity of Artists against Fascism and War and the Suppression of Culture.” Its founders included several artists who had been to the Soviet Union and returned to England inspired by the mutual support among artists in that country. Fearful of the growing threat of fascism throughout Europe, they proclaimed that “now was the time for their generation of artists to organize” in order “to serve shared political goals through their art” and support progressive causes. Focusing on the activities of the AIA from 1933 to 1943, Friend investigates similar organizations outside of England: the International Bureau of Revolutionary Artists in Moscow, for example, and in the U.S., the John Reed Clubs, the Unemployed Artists Group, the Public Works of Art Project, and the American Artists’ Congress. The AIA forged connections with these groups as it grew to become an increasingly visible force in British culture, producing publications and mounting exhibitions, many to raise funds for combatants in Spain and Russia. In its first year, membership tripled\u003B the roster included Julian and Quentin Bell, Augustus John, Henry Moore, and art critics Herbert Read and Kenneth Clark, along with scores of other painters, sculptors, writers, and illustrators whose work appears in the book’s more than 200 illustrations. Many contributors to the AIA’s efforts were 20th\u002Dcentury stars, such as Picasso, who sent his Guernica to be exhibited in London\u003B muralist Diego Rivera\u003B surrealists Joan Miró and Paul Klee\u003B Ben Shahn\u003B and Virginia and Leonard Woolf, who supported the organization. A biographical appendix identifies less familiar participants."⭐ 3.0/5(1)

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Cover of CONFRONTING EVIL

CONFRONTING EVIL

by Judeo\u002DChristian standards, Genghis was the devil incarnate, but the Mongols apparently liked him just fine. O’Reilly holds that Mao Zedong was history’s worst mass murderer, “although his evil role model, Genghis Khan, might have surpassed him.” Naturally, while ticking down a rogue’s gallery that includes a few Judeo\u002DChristian figures, O’Reilly tries to own liberals: The Obama administration “does little to halt the Crimea aggression,” encouraging Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine, while Ayatollah Khomeini makes Jimmy Carter his plaything, and so on."⭐ 4.3/5(324)

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Cover of CROOKS

CROOKS

by the rules.” So says small\u002Dtime criminal Raymond “Buddy” Mercurio as he rises through the ranks of the Vegas mob and courts and marries Lillian Ott, a glamorous salesgirl and nimble pickpocket. Ten years and four kids later, they’re on top of the world when Buddy gets a midnight phone call: “Go.” They escape a shootout and retreat to Lillian’s hometown of Oklahoma City. With another baby on the way, it seems like a place where they can lie low “till [they] get back on [their] feet.” Then, a comedy of errors during a restaurant robbery elevates Buddy as a local hero, and he capitalizes on his celebrity by opening up a disco that becomes a surprising hit. Gangsters be gangsters, though, and when one of his investors discovers Buddy’s skimming from the profits, it looks like it could be time to cut and run—until he realizes it’s his wife behind the takedown. After a chase, a gunshot, and a heavy kiss in the freezing rain, they make up (in full view of the children). The rest of the novel follows each of the five children and the effect of their unconventional upbringing on their own choices and paths in life. From beautiful idiot hustler Jeremy to restless adrenaline chaser Tallulah to staid and earnest mob enforcer Ray to tight\u002Dlaced strategic planner Alice and lonely writer Piggy, they’re all shaped by their criminal parents in different ways. They also move in and out of each other’s stories in appealing ways, emphasizing their loyal bonds even as they keep getting pulled back into their own versions of criminality. As is almost always true in anthology\u002Dstyle works, some stories are more engaging and effective than others, but Berney continues to expand the genre of Western noir with style, humor, and a deep understanding of human frailty and flaw."⭐ 4.3/5(204)

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Cover of CROSSING THE CACTUS

CROSSING THE CACTUS

by laying out the “three key ingredients” for commercialization—great ideas, great people, and capital—and argues that good ideas are abundant everywhere, but management and funding deserts prevent them from growing. Section 2 offers a pragmatic blueprint for building an ecosystem in resource\u002Dlimited environments: identifying clusters, attracting talent, raising capital, and navigating political barriers, all illustrated with ample real\u002Dlife examples. Section 3 grounds these principles in case studies of success and failure, showing patterns that work (and don’t work) beyond the coasts. Blivin draws on decades of experience managing venture funds in the Southeast U.S., New Mexico, and Northwest Europe, showing how injecting early\u002Dstage capital, convening ecosystems, and targeted recruitment can catalyze lasting regional impact. He emphasizes that by securing two of the three ingredients—most accessibly, ideas and capital, though throwing in a ski trip might not hurt, either—hinterland regions can then attract experienced management. Engineering the right conditions works better than waiting for Silicon Valley–magic to migrate. Blivin’s writing is a clear, informed, and well\u002Dorganized. He avoids jargon without oversimplifying, making the material accessible to economic developers, investors, and founders. The book’s regional\u002Ddevelopment focus might narrow its direct applicability for those in established hubs. But the case studies are all\u002Daround practical, offering sober takes on why companies falter and how ecosystems stall. At times, the “three ingredients” mantra can feel reductive, but it reinforces the core takeaway: commercializing a startup outside Silicon Valley is possible but requires its own playbook. "

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Cover of DAEMON PROTOCOL

DAEMON PROTOCOL

by his side, life was good. But when Castor starts guiding its own development and Promethean founding partner Robert Hayes suddenly dies of cardiac arrest, the future of the company becomes uncertain. When Regillus Global offers to buy the firm out and expand it into different markets, it seems like a saving grace. However, as Daniel adapts to the new company structure and direction, he soon finds himself troubled that Promethean’s original vision has been sidetracked. Then irregularities occur in Castor’s systems, indicating that something is very wrong\u003B soon, the situation results in lives being lost in the name of corporate success. Spears’ speculative novel features a large cast of characters and sector\u002Dspecific jargon (“When utilizing Shor’s Algorithm on the quantum chip, the encryption key’s period happened to match the number of physical qubits available to me,” notes Jimini, an AI built from Castor’s code, at one point), but readers will be carried along by the action\u002Dpacked, suspenseful narrative. It’s a disturbingly realistic thriller, as well\u003B as Daniel’s work demands increase, and he pours even more of himself into his work, his family life begins to suffer, and as he uncovers a web of power, deception, and greed, he must find a way to control the seemingly uncontrollable. The author has also clearly drawn on his professional experience as a software engineer to craft the story’s finer technical details, adding to its complexity and feeling of authenticity."⭐ 4.7/5(9)

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Cover of DARK RENAISSANCE

DARK RENAISSANCE

by dint of brains and energy, moved to Cambridge, where he distinguished himself in Latin learning, found himself recruited into a network of intelligence officers for Queen Elizabeth, and then, at age 29, was mysteriously murdered in a bar fight. At the heart of Greenblatt’s book, though, is not just a familiar story but a new argument: that it was really Marlowe, rather than Shakespeare, who lit the flame under the literary Renaissance of Elizabethan England and, furthermore, that it was Marlowe’s brilliant schooling (rather than any lived experience) that fed his verbal imagination. Acting and action were everywhere in Marlowe’s world, and Greenblatt implies that it was his work as a spy that gave him an added sense of what it meant to perform. Marlowe “entered a world in which virtually everyone was in disguise, and it was fantastically difficult to know whom to trust. These professional role\u002Dplayers, operatives supremely gifted at inspiring confidence, whispered what one most hoped to hear and made one want to relax, open up, and reveal the truth.” Greenblatt is describing the world of Elizabethan espionage, but he could well be talking about the power of the theater to make us open up, relax, and reveal the truth. In the end, Marlowe “made it possible to write in a new way about violence, ambition, greed, and desire. He offered poetic liberation.” In his hands, “the expressive power of the English language took a great leap forward.” In Greenblatt’s hands, literary scholarship, too, has taken a great leap forward."⭐ 4.2/5(111)

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Cover of DARK SQUARES

DARK SQUARES

by chess but by alcohol and drugs. Rensch detours regularly to deliver a history of chess and the contemporary game largely controlled (i.e., financed) by the USSR until the 1990s, when even celebrity grandmasters barely earned travel expenses. Then came computers, the internet, and more media attention, which produced bigger prizes, plus the rise of cell phones, which facilitated cheating. Readers will sympathize with the author’s struggles but likely perk up when in 2008 he encounters two entrepreneurs operating an early internet chess site whose knowledge of serious competitive chess remained at the amateur level. He persuaded them to add features, programs, competitions, and the technology that ultimately promoted chess.com to its dominant position. During these years, the author writes of victories in his personal life, too, overcoming marital problems and escaping the influence of the cult."⭐ 4.7/5(53)

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Cover of DAYBREAK

DAYBREAK

by Cog’s inhaling his homemade cornets, Marcus offers to make them lunch the next day—and soon, he’s making them lunch every Thursday. The two start spending more time together. Clueless about Marcus’ interest, candid, sincere Cog inadvertently stokes his affection. Cog’s best friend, Toma, however, is not so clueless and encourages Cog to set a firm boundary. But it turns out that Cog doesn’t really mind Marcus’ attention. This slice\u002Dof\u002Dlife rom\u002Dcom explores the feeling of being in the throes of a first crush. The fun, colorful, and dynamic artistic style suits the lighthearted vibe. However, the plot consists of a series of cute, loosely connected moments, resulting in underdeveloped characters and thin worldbuilding\u003B the latter is exemplified by the book’s unclear setting. The Black\u002Dpresenting leads are surrounded by a racially diverse cast at a school that has Japanese influences, but without a cultural anchor, some of the characters’ behavior and reactions feel unclear. Rather than the characters themselves driving the narrative, the need to maintain the tension of their unrevealed feelings is central, making the story sometimes feels contrived. Nevertheless, those seeking a straightforward, queer cotton\u002Dcandy romance likely won’t mind. Readers familiar with manga iconography will notice clues to the leads’ feelings."⭐ 4.3/5(254)

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Cover of DAYBREAKER

DAYBREAKER

by Sousa’s rich, luminous colors, beautifully showcase the Philippines’ diverse landscapes as well as various cultural elements. Inspired by Filipino mythology and folklore, Tadiar incorporates Baybayin, a centuries\u002Dold Filipino script, and the culture of the Indigenous peoples who live in the mountains."⭐ 4.1/5(24)

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Cover of DEAR JACKIE

DEAR JACKIE

by typing herself a fake love letter on Jabari’s old typewriter—but her scheme causes more problems than it solves. With lively, expressive art and the creative use of typewritten narration boxes to reflect Jackie’s unspoken thoughts, this graphic novel captures the cringey, confusing mess of early adolescence. A diverse cast of side characters brings depth to a story that champions self\u002Dacceptance and individuality. Jackie and her family appear Black, and Milo presents East Asian."⭐ 3.8/5(85)

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Cover of DEATH AT A HIGHLAND WEDDING

DEATH AT A HIGHLAND WEDDING

by the boorish Austrian gamekeeper and his mantraps, which, to Mallory’s fury, have wounded a Scottish wildcat and killed its mother. During a walk, Mallory, Gray, and McCreadie find part of a butchered deer and then the body of Cranston’s friend Ezra Sinclair wearing Cranston’s coat. When the inexperienced and opinionated local constable arrests Cranston, the investigative trio intervene. Was Sinclair or Cranston the target for murder? And is the killer a disgruntled local or one of their own friends?"⭐ 4.3/5(3,835)

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Cover of DEATH TO ORDER

DEATH TO ORDER

by the CIA and other American intelligence agencies and, more recently, Vladimir Putin’s use of assassination to silence his political opponents."⭐ 4.4/5(5)

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Cover of Delaware at Christmas

Delaware at Christmas

by DuPont and other local employers, and ubiquitous “Christmas in July” sales among stores in coastal towns.The book’s nostalgic style may not appeal to more academically minded readers, but its upbeat, inclusive approach reflects the holiday season at its joyous best. A major highlight of the book is its use of full\u002Dcolor, festive illustrations and images of photos, paintings, magazine covers, and other holiday ephemera, many of which are in the public domain. Tabler has authored three other works on Delaware history, and he clearly has a firm understanding of the state’s unique place in American culture\u003B he also fruitfully draws on primary source material from more than two dozen of the state’s archives, museums, universities, and historical societies. The work’s only drawback is its oversized back matter, “Chapter Continuations,” which offers additional exposition on the topics in each chapter. This information is often diverting, but the section comprises more than a third of the book’s total length and ultimately makes for a disjointed read. Readers who are looking for a history of Scandinavian Christmas observance, for instance, will not only need to read the book’s opening chapter, but also multiple pages of additional information in the final section that’s longer than the initial chapter itself. Still, despite this editorial misstep, the book is a beautifully crafted and colorful work."

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Cover of DEVIL IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT

DEVIL IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT

by an addiction to a virtual\u002Dreality game called “the Siv,” in which players are promised a way to escape from their troubles (in reality, becoming half\u002Dvegetated slaves to the game’s economy). Enter Tomahawk “Hawk” O’Murtaugh, a construction worker who, at the novel’s outset, quickly loses both his father and his good friend Cezare in rapid succession. The back\u002Dto\u002Dback deaths send Hawk reeling into the world of the Siv, both as a distraction and as a way to understand the blight to which so many of his fellow countrymen, most notably his grandfather, are addicted. Once inside the game, Hawk discovers that his grandfather left him an inconceivably huge inheritance and was in fact one of the game’s founding designers. Determined to use his grandfather’s complicated legacy for good, Hawk sets out to liberate the masses enslaved by the game—a tall order, especially considering a ruthless serial killer is also making his way through the Siv, with his virtual victims perishing in the real world, too. Anderson’s novel deftly captures the strange anomie of living in a tech\u002Ddriven world, as described by Hawk shortly after first engaging with the Siv: “I feel like I just jumped off a diving board into a swimming pool and somehow landed in the middle of the ocean.” While the narrative is set 95 years into the future, its problems are recognizable echoes of present\u002Dday issues. There is a lot to keep track of here—from the politics, to the future tech, to the characters themselves—but the plot is snappy and likely to keep readers on Hawk’s side as he tries to rescue civilization from itself."⭐ 4.4/5(26)

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Cover of DODGERS TO DAMASCUS

DODGERS TO DAMASCUS

by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1980. There are also harrowing moments, like surviving two nearly fatal poisoning attempts during his diplomatic work. The book also covers mundane events, such as the subject’s early childhood and his interactions with students as a beloved professor. The author of seven biographies, Cooke approaches the subject with a warmth that borders on fawning (she describes Lesch as “a ‘nice guy’ whose moral compass gives me hope for humankind”). And while at times hagiographic, this biography is backed by solid research, including a scholarly bibliography and interviews with more than a dozen individuals associated with Lesch, from family friends to academics, students, and diplomats. Its engaging narrative is complemented by full\u002Dcolor photographs, maps, and newspaper clippings."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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Cover of DR. BOT

DR. BOT

by skill, experience, and science, too often others suffer because of doctors’ shortcomings. Many are turning to artificial intelligence to supplement human judgment in medicine, but some in the medical community dismiss AI assistance outright. Replacing the physician with a medical robot would be a mistake equal to banishing AI from the exam room altogether, says Blease. “Today,” the author writes, “substantial research supports the observation that experts can be unreasonably biased against algorithms, favoring their own (sometimes flawed) human decision\u002Dmaking instead. This kind of apathy is referred to as ‘algorithmic aversion.’” Blease is cognizant that both AI and MDs have weaknesses, yet both have skills that, if brought together, would benefit patients. That’s the hope. Blease warns against naively trusting the technology\u003B AI can make blunders. As tests and trials demonstrate, though, advanced AI can be a valuable medical technology. (According to a Pew Research survey, four in 10 Americans, Blease writes, “would feel comfortable if their provider ‘relied on AI for their medical care.’”) The mix of AI and medicine won’t replace the human doctor but can produce what Blease notes is “extended cognition: that our thinking isn’t confined to our brains but extends to the tools and environment around us.” The result: better care, and lives saved."⭐ 4.3/5(3)

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Cover of DRACULA'S BRUNCH CLUB

DRACULA'S BRUNCH CLUB

by the towering, glowering vampire Constantine, who’s banned people. Worse, Dracula’s entire store of “the crimson\u002Dred, blood orange jelly all vampires crave” has been raided. Local farmers have no blood oranges—a blight has destroyed the crops. This proves disastrous even as Dracula tries to regain his brunch\u002Dhosting ground—kale is no substitute for delicious, energizing fruit jelly. The shortage also jeopardizes his standing with his crush, the human Elena, since he’s promised to donate a year’s supply of jelly donuts to her charity auction to help sick children. Something must be done—and it might just involve blood. After all, Count Dracula is a vampire. This book will greatly appeal to young readers looking for comics with a little edge: The gore is mild and cartoon\u002Dsilly, and there are plenty of jokes to lighten the mood. The story moves at a measured pace, and the fun, kid\u002Dfriendly artwork adds depth to the narrative. Gaybba’s color palette predominantly contains cool, moody tones that make the occasional spots of red—mostly jelly and blood—pop. Human and vampire characters have skin in varying shades of blue and purple."⭐ 4.1/5(224)

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Cover of EDGAR ALLAN POE

EDGAR ALLAN POE

by Leland, who leads a Poe walking tour of Providence, Rhode Island, offers a basic introduction to the beloved author’s life and work. Complete with bullet points and sidebars, it writes a biography for the PowerPoint generation. It would be best for middle schoolers who have heard of Poe but need to know more. We get the basic outlines of his life, the list of works, and guides to further reading. Interrupting the flow of narrative are sections titled “The More You Know.” These are little paragraphs, in different type and different color, that offer tidbits of history. Did Poe believe in God? A paragraph raises the question, offers a few tantalizing details (a phrase, a personal letter, an aside), and then concludes: “Like many facets of Poe’s life, it may never be known exactly where he stood on spiritual or religious matters. His love of hoaxes, satire, controversy, and sensationalism often concealed his true beliefs.” Interspersed among these comments are the texts of Poe’s poems, printed in a font that looks like that of an old manual typewriter. The literary criticism goes only so deep: “Poe’s ‘Annabel Lee’ is a masterpiece of gothic romanticism. The poem delves into Poe’s usual themes of love, loss, and grief, describing a childhood love that transcends time and even death.” The best parts of the book retell the last months of Poe’s life—his nuttiness, his drinking, and his strange love affair with death itself."⭐ 4.2/5(14)

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Cover of ELECTRIC TITAN

ELECTRIC TITAN

by scientists who have covertly witnessed her unusual skills who want to see if they can be leveraged to fend off the meteor. By novel’s end, despite some setbacks and a heartbreaking loss, Rosa ends up transforming herself and her world.Reardon, who shares in his “About the Author” note that he is “a brain tumor survivor since the age of 8, and handicapped since the age of 10,” offers insightful commentary and perspectives about disability through the journey of his teen protagonist. Readers learn about Rosa’s post\u002Daccident suicide attempt, frustration with and empathy for her ableist parents (“Hopefully, they would evolve. My new life was new for them, too”), and eventual epiphany that “Being in a hoverchair is only part of who you are. Once you realize that, no meteor could ever stop you.” This last comment is made by an astral temple deity in one of the goddess sequences—these scenes are an element of the book that can get somewhat esoteric. (Another goddess, for example, remarks that Rosa is “the one who will bring neo\u002Dcollectivism to Titan.”) Nevertheless, these conversations showcase Rosa’s intelligence and psychological makeup (supportive, strong Cordelia, a lovely secondary character, astutely suggests that “The goddesses come from your subconscious, right?”). The nonchronological structure of the narrative is at times frustrating\u003B some of the flashback chapters are not as compelling as the looming present\u002Dday threat. The way in which Rosa came to be in the apparently now\u002Dnovel (on Titan) circumstance of being disabled is also withheld until late in the novel and then explained rather hazily (the injury at Convalor is left murky, with the medical operation afterward seemingly responsible for the hoverchair issue). Still, Reardon creates a fascinating future world in which Rosa must draw on some “old” tech to save the day, and her mother, an “animac,” contemplates the disquieting knowledge that her battery life will outlast the lifespan of Rosa’s father."⭐ 5.0/5(3)

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Cover of ELEVATOR PEOPLE

ELEVATOR PEOPLE

by Earth’s alarmingly unstable human population. On Earth itself, a group of guests are gathered at Baltimore’s Zelles Hotel for a charity event. Eight of these guests—trust fund babies Angus and Keiko, wacky ex\u002Dmilitary man Carl, resourceful Kara, Buddhist Ellen, smart young former honor student Bernie, food bank volunteer Bailey, and bland and reliable Roger—find themselves trapped on an elevator that mysteriously takes them not to a floor of the hotel but a century into the future, where they quickly learn a few things. First, their disappearance is well\u002Dknown to history, which has dubbed them the Charity Eight. Second, lots of people disappeared from elevators in 2025 and are now reappearing in 2125. And third, people in 2125 aren’t happy about that fact—they dub the time\u002Ddisplaced new arrivals terrorist aliens and subject known “vates” to random mob violence. The elevator that deposited the Charity Eight in the future also promised to return them to their own time in two weeks, meaning they somehow have to survive that long. But if the Council has its way, will Earth be doomed? It’s an energetic setup, and Laws largely fulfills the premise’s promise of intrigue and deadpan comedy. There’s some lazy writing (characters “hightail it” or are “thrust into the hot seat”), but the novel’s sharp dialogue and winning cast of contrasting characters more than compensates. The Charity Eight are a terrifically engaging mixed bag of personality traits, which makes for richly entertaining reading as their trials demand all their adaptability."⭐ 4.4/5(19)

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Cover of ENGINES OF WAR

ENGINES OF WAR

by master-class worldbuilding, the third volume of Ford’s Age of Uprising trilogy concludes an epic fantasy narrative chronicling an empire torn apart by war." />⭐ 4.1/5(119)

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Cover of ENTANGLED TONGUES

ENTANGLED TONGUES

by the time of King Henry V, English had re\u002Demerged (per Kisch, Henry V was “probably the first king to speak and write English with ease”). In the years between 1066 and 1200, “about 900 words moved from French into English.” The author goes on to explain how different words from different backgrounds have survived, and how words have changed (house comes from the German haus, while mansion comes from the French maison). Then, there are additional considerations that often baffle those learning English, such as the language’s seemingly strange rules of spelling and grammar. A lot of information is condensed into fewer than 200 pages. Chapters progress in a conversational style\u003B the reader is often addressed directly, as in this consideration of the Norman conquest: “Your life will never be the same again and your language may never be the same, either. This is what happened to the English people in 1066.” As hundreds of years of English history are rushed through, the book has many fascinating points to make. (For example, Shakespeare used “not only French words, but also French sentence structures which sound odd to an English ear.”) All told, the book offers readers different ways of looking at what they say."

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Cover of EQUALITY IS A STRUGGLE

EQUALITY IS A STRUGGLE

by taxing the wealthiest in a clear and significant way.” So writes Piketty, who has made a distinguished career of explicating the whys and wherefores of inequality and its multiple causes. Much of Piketty’s writing here digs into that project, and it’s a credit to Le Monde’s readership that they’re not afraid of tables and hard data. Yet Piketty also writes with admirable clarity about several ideas that are key to his extended argument—and, in at least a sense, these columns forge a single argument in favor of democratic socialism. He observes, in that regard, that the unprecedented prosperity of the 20th century came about precisely because the “hyperconcentration of ownership and class privileges that characterized European societies before 1914” had been broken, with massive investments in human capital and decommodification of the social marketplace. Given the rise of Trumpism and its congeners worldwide, Piketty counters that those values should be restored, and by nobody better than the European states that showed the way in the first place, emphasizing “parliamentary democracy, the social state, and investment in the future.” Voilà: We come full circle to taxing the rich in order to fund health care, education, welfare, and states that observe “the rule of law and democratic pluralism.” Admittedly, Piketty writes, those states are mostly European, whose social economy is far ahead of that of the U.S. There’s some inside baseball—or perhaps soccer—here in Piketty’s essays on and against the Macron government and like causes, but most of these pieces will be intelligible to American readers without much background in contemporary French politics."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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Cover of ESSENTIAL SOLDIERS

ESSENTIAL SOLDIERS

by liberation struggles around the globe. Based on the principle of Kawaida, an African tradition of communitarianism and self\u002Ddetermination, more than 20 groups flourished in urban centers, from Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles. By uplifting Black culture and fighting racial oppression, the diverse groups focused on strengthening the community. Women were the backbone of these efforts. In food deserts, they started cooperatives providing fresh, nutritious groceries. Where public schools failed Black children, they taught academics alongside cultural pride. They were involved in producing the Black News, which reached a circulation of 50,000, and helping in broader political campaigns, including voter registration and economic boycotts. A basic principle of Kawaida was complementarity, which enforced gender roles identifying males as leaders and women as followers. Highlighting female activists who challenged this sexist formulation, like Amina Baraka and Tayari kwa Salaam, McCray traces the evolution of women’s thinking and practices, including the founding of their own organizations, like the Black Women’s United Front, which focused on domestic violence, rape, reproductive rights, and equal pay. They transformed both themselves and the movement."⭐ 4.0/5(3)

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Cover of ETERNALLY ELECTRIC

ETERNALLY ELECTRIC

by her “ballbuster” mother\u002Dturned\u002Dmanager. Her early fame came at a cost to her mental health, she writes, leading to a string of anxiety attacks: “If anyone out there has experienced them, you’ll know what it’s like: you literally think you are dying, unsure where your next breath is coming from.” Gibson writes candidly about her health struggles—she also has Lyme disease—as well as her fraught relationship with her mother, who once said (perhaps jokingly, but revealingly), “My worst nightmare has come true. She has become her own person.” Gibson’s later career saw her appearing on The Celebrity Apprentice and in films such as Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus—perhaps not the life she had envisioned, but, as she writes, “I love that, though the world has kicked my arse a bit, I’m not bitter.” The writing here is bubbly if unexceptional, and structurally, it’s a by\u002Dthe\u002Dnumbers celebrity memoir, complete with motivational aphorisms and occasional non sequiturs (“I think Mozart would approve of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club”). This is strictly for Gibson’s fans, but they’ll find it a treat."⭐ 4.1/5(123)

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Cover of EXTRACTION

EXTRACTION

by President Biden’s increased investment in the process. The balance of forces—between public and private, resource nationalism and environmentalism, rich and poor countries—remains fragile."⭐ 4.5/5(2)

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Cover of EXTREMITY

EXTREMITY

by the roads not taken. An SF novella about the ultrawealthy and their clones could reasonably be assumed to be in conversation with Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, but Extremity as a title is a bit of a red herring. It’s not about the clones being extensions of their prime selves, but rather about humanity reaching too far in its greed and Earth ultimately paying the price. The narrative framework is engaging but underused as the three stories basically line up, failing to generate sufficient tension about the evening’s outcome. While Binge’s longer works like Ascension are stunning in their scope, this tonally uneven adventure stumbles before it really gets started."⭐ 4.2/5(107)

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F*CK THIS MURDER

by numerous disasters over the course of a week, including food poisoning and poison ivy, aggressive yellowjackets, and the discovery of a severed human leg, among other things. In the midst of all this, Maggie—who once underwent fertility treatments—is nervous but hopeful that she may be pregnant, due to an ill\u002Dadvised hookup with her cheating, soon\u002Dto\u002Dbe\u002Dex\u002Dhusband, Lance. He tries to lure her back to Minnesota, as does a promotion\u002Doffering former employer. Maggie’s also anxious about seeing Alice, her former high school girlfriend, whom she betrayed by sleeping with Lance some 14 years ago. There’s also a blackmail plot, related to a tragic event that occurred during Maggie’s high school days. This colorful, spiraling whodunit effectively combines suspense with tongue\u002Din\u002Dcheek absurdity\u003B chapter titles include “Scooby Do or Die” and “What’s a Body Part Between Friends?,” and there are nods to both the 1997 horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer and the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Readers may find that keeping track of this book’s large squad of characters is challenging, but they’re a believable and attractively diverse bunch of potential suspects. Ultimately, though, this novel has a sweetness to it, with Maggie and her former antagonists coming together in common cause."

Cover of FAILURE TO TREAT

FAILURE TO TREAT

by people who have no idea what being a doctor really means” and is consequently in danger of “falling from its lofty place in our society to a job on the assembly line, widgets replaced by patients.” Kowey illustrates these failings with a series of stories about the problems encountered by patients experiencing the whole range of medical treatment, from unexpected ER visits to extended care for prolonged conditions. Each history is presented in great detail, followed by a “Case Explanation” and a “Conclusion” in which the author pinpoints the cause of the problems and offers some potential solutions. Readers learn about a Mrs. Lynch, for instance, who began experiencing an irregular, racing heartbeat and underwent an ablation to cauterize the arrhythmic area. But her atrial fibrillation continued, perhaps prolonged by the ablation itself, and Kowey contends that, given her otherwise young and healthy state, the ablation was “inappropriate.” In the case of 75\u002Dyear\u002Dold Mrs. Lopez, the issues are more interpersonal than medical: The hospital staff is coldly indifferent, her discharge is likely early, and the hospital’s “patient experience specialist” seems more concerned with a good rating than anything else. “It is maddening,” the author writes, “that hospital leaders have chosen to spend money foolishly on administrative salaries, worthless marketing, failed initiatives, and ancillary services that bring little value to the routine care of hospitalized patients.” As the percentage of the U.S. population that can afford health care of any kind rapidly shrinks, readers will find these stories of miscommunication and administrative bloat recognizable, and the author’s professional experience gives them extra heft."

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Cover of FALLING ANGELS

FALLING ANGELS

by Fisher, in the U.S. Freelance operative Torashi Kage, whom a senator has assigned to track down the virus, embarks on a personal vendetta against Maxx—and because Kage doesn’t know where Maxx is, he first goes after Gabby. Thomas caters this finale to readers familiar with the previous series installments. Exhilarating action opens the narrative, with multiple groups of people engaged in combat, rushing somewhere, or scheming to take someone out. Despite the series title featuring Maxx’s name, this is definitely an ensemble cast—the spotlight is shared among many characters, from Dr. Xi and Mr. Green to Maxx’s ever\u002Dreliable military friends Andres Sandoval and Glen Piper. An unexpected standout is one particular villain who struggles with an all\u002Dtoo\u002Drelatable emotional issue\u003B she’s involved in a sinister plan on a global scale but has difficulty overcoming her jealousy, feeling “second best” to the scientist who’s aligned with the man she loves. Maxx makes for a terrific hero and helps to protect Earth, but so do many other characters. The Others, at least in this installment, are mostly an ominous presence—they’re often voiced via the cube, and there’s not much beyond a hint of their specific biology. This doesn’t make them any less daunting, as there seems to be no question that they have the power to devastate the entire planet. The dialogue throughout is rife with cliches (“We’re playing with fire”\u003B “he’s already got one foot in the grave”), but it’s action that truly drives this story, and the author dishes it out in spades."⭐ 4.8/5(119)

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Cover of FAMILY SPIRIT

FAMILY SPIRIT

by Luda. Nona’s story then swerves from Lorna and Ayana to Ayana’s Aunt Lil, granddaughter of powerful Mace matriarch GG. As a young woman in the 1970s, Lil was banished from family meetings because she revealed the gift of Knowing to an outsider in her bid to build a career in media (she starts with an appearance on the era’s real\u002Dlife Philadelphia hit, The Mike Douglas Show). Lil’s section sparkles with authenticity, as does a section about Ayana when she’s 22, torn between easy delights with two very different men and buckling down in her undergraduate studies. As Ayana wavers, Aunt Lil returns to Philadelphia. She has a personal reason for this visit, and a Knowing of her own that leads to her reconciliation with the family. As Nona builds the story of the Mace women, she also makes some choices—but it’s difficult to understand what links her actions with those of her characters. Is the titular spirit affecting her? Is she also related to the Mace family? It isn’t clear, and even a tiny glimmer of her ties to them might have held the book together the way Luda’s cherished pearl secures Lil’s long\u002Dabandoned ceremonial gown."⭐ 3.9/5(53)

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Cover of FIGHTER

FIGHTER

by boxing. Lee, an Irish southpaw, melds revealing set pieces about life as an “outsider” with a rich account of his rough route to the middleweight championship. His itinerant boyhood was shaped by the “special closeness to gypsy life.” His family was among a group that lived in “trailers and caravans,” traveled “in convoy” and prohibited marriages to “non\u002DGypsies. Gorgeys, we call them.” At school, classmates sang a parody of his peripatetic lifestyle. He learned to fight by taking beatings from his older brothers, already skilled boxers. Relatably, Lee realizes that he chose his profession in part because he didn’t want to disappoint loved ones. Yet being “pushed to the fringes of society” equipped him with an invaluable trait—“raw toughness.” A stellar amateur career won the attention of Emanuel Steward, a decorated American trainer who began schooling Lee at the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit. As “the white kid in a black city,” he was lonely. He read Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, discovering the Holocaust survivor’s “theory of ‘Sunday neurosis’: that feeling of emptiness that people get when their hectic life slows down at the weekend. That’s me.” Lee is excellent on boxing preparation and technique. As an amateur, he won by counterpunching, but pro fighting rewards “viciousness.” A Steward disciple teaches him the “Suzie Q,” a technique meant to get an opponent leaning before you “dress him up”—flatten him. Prefight weigh\u002Dins prove easy to manipulate. He sits in saunas before getting on the scale, then chows down, his weight fluctuating by 10 pounds within hours. The book’s one clear flaw—a penchant for hackneyed philosophizing about the nature of combat—only shows up a couple of times."⭐ 4.7/5(28)

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Cover of FLASH GORDON

FLASH GORDON

by an escape pod containing Flash Gordon, a freckle\u002Dfaced girl with endless curiosity and energy but no memory of her identity. When the Ark crashes on planet Omnia X, the new friends find themselves at odds with the “Merciless Emperor” Prince Azimuth, who dominates the planet’s kingdoms with his rage\u002Dpowered dark magic. Flash is shocked to discover the tyrant is no older than she is, while Azimuth’s sister, Princess Aura, is even more surprised by the fear her brother has for their unexpected visitor. Seeking to use this, Aura saves the girl from the gladiatorial arena and takes her to Arboria, a land of rebellious tree\u002Dfolk and gallant knights led by the honorable Captain Barin. But as the determined Flash readies herself to save Dale and liberate Omnia, she is blind to the Princess’ own ambitions and the unsettling reason behind the Prince’s fixation on her. Johnson’s illustrations, delightfully influenced by shojo manga, are rich with detailed characters set against simple, colorful storybook\u002Dstyle backgrounds, capturing expressive facial expressions—even during an intense battle with a giant, razor\u002Dtoothed axolotl. Bennett, who has worked on some of Marvel’s and DC’s biggest properties, displays her talent for inclusive storytelling—this universe is filled with more than just the white and green faces so many space operas feature. The spirit of Alex Raymond’s original creation is here, too\u003B there’s an intoxicating combination of sword\u002Dand\u002Dsorcery tropes with laser guns and flying saucers. The book never talks down to its audience, and this heartfelt adventure will be great for kids to share with parents, or even for longtime fans looking for a reminder of what made them love Flash Gordon—and comics—in the first place."⭐ 3.1/5(11)

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Cover of Forfeiture

Forfeiture

by murderous timbermen in the Brazilian rainforest. Above the Arctic Circle, an old Inuit woman takes her skeptical, indolent “grandson” to a remote old village (from which oil companies uprooted them) to enact an obscure ritual. Both use ancestral memories to summon help from an advanced extraterrestrial civilization of color\u002Dshifting, somewhat reptilian humanoids of about 8 feet in stature who call themselves the Indigo. Eons ago, interstellar Indigo explorers were awestruck by Earth’s unparalleled biodiversity and beauty and left such safeguards behind to protect the planet. The two distress signals prompt the aliens’ return in massive ships that intimidate even the Earth’s superpowers. Meeting with a few chosen human representatives (including the U.S. president), the Indigo are horrified at the state of Earth, now beset by pollution, species extinctions, unsustainable economic development, war, and other existential threats. The Indigo give humanity one year to reverse the failing state of the world\u003B meanwhile, they will remain as noninterfering “Observers.” Some Indigo opinion\u002Dleaders grow quite fond of humanity’s arts and music\u003B others harbor no affection for the predatory apes and begin a grim judgment process. A radical\u002Denvironmentalist spin on Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End (1953), Nebra’s narrative will find favor with those who have fantasies of captains of industry and world leaders being brought to account by a galactic Greenpeace for crimes against nature: “Dolphins in terror, surrounded by humans with an enclosing net and frantically writhing and rolling in a red sea, the blood of their family. A Hawksbill turtle, grotesquely deformed by the plastic ring slowly choking it. The hillside shorn of its trees, the fertile soil pointlessly pouring away in streams with every rain.” The polemical material is balanced by fairly nuanced characterizations (including developing nation indigenes, too often idealized by sympathetic writers as unspoiled, cardboard Edenic angels), good pacing, and a final act that is fairly unputdownable."

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Cover of FRANCISCO DE SAAVEDRA’S AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

FRANCISCO DE SAAVEDRA’S AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

by the British, he was taken as a prisoner to Jamaica, which he realized was an excellent opportunity for espionage. After talking his way out of incarceration, he made his way to Havana, the Spanish base of operations in the Caribbean. The Spanish allied with the French, hoping to drive the British out of the area, and Saavedra, a genius in money matters, financed his lifelong friend Bernardo de Gálvez’s successful rout of the British from Pensacola in British West Florida. At this point, the dispirited and nearly bankrupt Americans turned in desperation to their allies, the Spanish and the French. Saavedra wrangled loans in record time from far and wide to pay for the Battle of Yorktown in 1781—a decisive conflict that effectively sealed the independence of the United States of America. From there, he went from strength to strength, even reluctantly becoming the Spanish prime minister for a time. Ever a modest man, he once said, “In one way or another this contrast between my true and apparent merit is one of the keys to my life.”In a book that fairly bristles with endnotes and indices, one might expect to encounter very dry prose, but Giesler proves to be a graceful and often lively writer. This biography of Saavedra engagingly addresses all the momentous affairs in which he had a hand, and Giesler relies greatly on Saavedra’s diaries and letters. The author points out that his subject was not only savvy in financial matters but was also a talented administrator. The situation in Havana, for example, often pitted the old guard, who not only jealously guarded their privileges but were also overly cautious in military matters, against the young and rash—Bernardo de Gálvez being a good example of the latter. Saavedra, the author establishes, was the perfect go\u002Dbetween, compromiser, and schmoozer, who could handle people set in their ways and young fire\u002Deaters. The powers back in Madrid, including his patron, José de Gálvez, saw the Central American colonies as simply cash cows—but Saavedra, the man who was actually there, in Cuba, in Mexico, and later in Venezuela, realized that the colonists had legitimate grievances and deserved respect and audience. Giesler reveals his subject’s prescience in realizing that if the colonists didn’t get that respect, they would eventually rise in revolt, which is, of course, exactly what happened. Saavedra died in Seville in 1819, perhaps the most respected man in all of Spain at the time—a man for whom the term “national treasure” is fitting."

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Cover of FREE PIANO (NOT HAUNTED)

FREE PIANO (NOT HAUNTED)

by the emergence of the ghost of the piano’s original owner from its keyboard: 1980s one\u002Dhit\u002Dwonder pop star Vision. Vision’s cool vibes are eventually too much to resist, though, and she becomes a welcome source of support as Margot reckons with her mom’s long working hours, feeling like her dad’s “dumb invisible daughter,” and the success of @sonsofsmash, her best friends’ social media channel about smashing things, which is gaining the followers she’s desperate for. But Vision isn’t the only ghost in the machine, and Margot may be in danger. The art features amusing details, vivid gradients, and bright colors (like Vision’s candy apple red hair and blue eyeshadow), as well as expressively drawn characters. Margot, who has light skin and blond hair, grapples with feelings of abandonment and betrayal when her existence is clearly a lower priority to her father than his own fame in a way that’s accessible and grounding, balancing emotional depth with the creepy mystery. "⭐ 3.4/5(601)

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Cover of FROM COCINAS TO LUCHA LIBRE RINGSIDES

FROM COCINAS TO LUCHA LIBRE RINGSIDES

by themes, including “Building Bridges, Building Community” and “Belonging…Dolor y Alegría.” The authors and illustrators run with the inspiration provided by food and sports, exploring the nuances of diaspora culture and belonging through the lens of their diverse Latinx heritages. The varied artistic styles include both full\u002Dcolor and black\u002Dand\u002Dwhite illustrations. While the central focus on Latinx identity is strongly developed throughout, some of the entries feel too similar to one another to stand out on their own, making this collection better for dipping into and browsing than reading cover to cover. Some stories are brief and humorous while others are longer, more thoughtful pieces reflecting on serious topics. The strongest narratives are the ones rooted in memoir and family history, such as Valerie Martínez Cabrera and Andrés Vera Martínez’ “Lamesa” (a story of enduring Chicano cultural pride in mid\u002D20th\u002Dcentury Texas, which features atmospheric, sepia\u002Dtoned illustrations) and “El Limber” by Rafael Rosado (a charmingly buoyant slice\u002Dof\u002Dlife tale set in 1970s Puerto Rico)."⭐ 4.2/5(5)

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Cover of FROM LANGUAGE TO LANGUAGE

FROM LANGUAGE TO LANGUAGE

by the Stagirite.” In another example, he unpacks how a metaphysical “notion of being would be entirely different” in the West African tonal language Ewe. The book itself is intertextual, emphasizing the collaborative act of knowledge building, as Diagne traces the evolution and lineage of his thinking in elegant prose. The author cites numerous late cultural theorists and philosophers, including Henri Bergson, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and Léopold Sédar Senghor, as well as present\u002Dday figures, among them Kwame Anthony Appiah, Philippe Dagen, and Sandra Laugier."⭐ 4.0/5(1)

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Cover of FROM MALICE TO ASHES

FROM MALICE TO ASHES

by Soviet border guards. Before long, the Germans begin mass executions in the woods. Olek manages to help an injured Jewish boy in hiding, and it’s not long before Olek himself is in trouble. Al makes it to the United States and joins the war effort as quickly as he can\u003B soon, he’s back in Europe with Allied forces. Meanwhile, Zeneta is struggling for her life, along with other Lithuanians whom the Soviets have shipped to Siberia. Toyn’s narrative is based on true events—most notably, the horrors of the Ponary Massacre—and it’s at its strongest when describing, without embellishment, unthinkable events. For instance, as German power waned, prisoners were forced to dig up and systematically burn corpses to cover up the fact that there were mass graves in the Ponary forest. This included the placement of thermite grenades to ensure that the fire “burned hot enough to incinerate the bodies”\u003B the resulting blazes would then burn “for three days or until a heap of ashes remained.” The dialogue isn’t always as sharp, as characters sometimes unnecessarily narrate their actions with statements such as “I have a gift for each of you.” Overall, though, the work succeeds in its author’s aim to shed light on “events largely unknown to Western audiences.”"

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Cover of FUJI

FUJI

by a stream of unfamiliar names. The current Fuji took shape around 17,000 years ago. Thus it did not precede humans but grew up among them. It erupted now and then, disastrously in 1707, but has gone quiet for the past few hundred years. From prehistory, humans settled nearby and grew crops—especially tea and mulberry trees for silk—that thrived on the volcanic soil. The volcano’s beauty as well as its behavior attracted attention both mystical and literary. An 18th\u002Dcentury mystic who starved himself to death on Fuji gave rise to a cult, “Fujiko,” devoted to its worship that included a pilgrimage to the summit, which in turn gave rise to a major local industry. Fujiko adopted many Buddhist practices and competed with the more nationalistic Shinto movement. Much of the book details the legal, doctrinal, and organizational quarrels between the three religions. Fujiko did not do well and is now a fringe movement, but almost all religious ceremonies surrounding Fuji evaporated after World War II. The mountain is now a major tourist attraction, fueling quarrels over trash, sanitation, crowds, and the deteriorating environment."

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Cover of FURNITURE SLIDERS

FURNITURE SLIDERS

by a mysterious woman whom he only vaguely remembers—she’s another slider, named Alicia, who proves to be as brilliant as he is. She warns him that he’s still in danger from the Mirror, and that its creator, Dr. Emil Krane, plans to continue using it without regard for who it might hurt. The two of them travel to Vienna, Prague, and finally Montevideo in an effort to stop Krane and neutralize—or destroy—the Mirror. Along the way, they meet many old friends and foes, encounter treachery and violence, and face the impact of the past. Bentley does a deft job of keeping the many narrative threads straight, and the story flows well, as do its action sequences. The SF elements are solid: the Mirror is described in fascinating detail, and the ideas behind it are explored thoroughly but not overwhelmingly. The spy and noir elements are less successful\u003B Max is so impossibly talented, so antisocial yet simultaneously alluring that he reads almost like a parody (“You were always the best one of us”). But he’s played straight, and that means there isn’t a lot to him aside from clichés. Alicia is similar, though it’s worth noting that she has agency and perspective beyond the role of a romantic interest. This inventive novel displays a lot of potential, and one hopes that in the future Bentley will apply the same complexity to his characters as he does to his physics."⭐ 5.0/5(2)

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Future X

by war, plague, and eco-collapse comes across the writings of a fellow survivor in Koszulinski’s SF novel." />

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Cover of GAS GIANT GAMBIT

GAS GIANT GAMBIT

by the San Juan\u002DPaul Waystation bulls—“law enforcement on the Cygnus Trail”—she is rescued by a kind robot, Maurice, and given temporary shelter with the Vega ranching family. With Tilly—her steed sporting a Faster Than Light engine—needing expensive repairs, she must pick up odd jobs to secure the fuel and money (“rubidium and spoons”) to escape. Assuming the name Gus, the wry gunslinger with a beam\u002Dshooting pistol soon learns that lying low won’t be easy in a town where too many things don’t add up: “Strange disappearances. A mining outpost that wasn’t doing any mining.” After a whiskey\u002Dfueled night leads to a bar brawl with Aaron Leconte, son of the greedy town administrator Laszlo, Gus becomes enmeshed in Las Ráfagas’ precarious political situation at the powerful Leconte family’s behest. In her new role as deputy marshal, she uncovers snippets of shady dealings that suggest Laszlo is “snatching natives, trying to force down the price of…land and shares” and attempting to drive away the Vega family. In addition to these abuses of power, she learns that the native Deiopeans—“child\u002Dsized bipedal spiders”—are at risk of deadly exploitation. Gus must saddle up for a new mission: save Las Ráfagas before being killed by the Leconte family’s militia. In this inventive novel, Raye creates an instantly absorbing world, seamlessly marrying SF technology and Western tropes. The floating mining station has a complex history of colonialism with its subjugated robots, genies, and displaced Indigenous population. As readers gradually uncover the scope of the historical abuses of power alongside Gus—an indelible queer protagonist with her share of vices—her reluctant move from a focus on monetary gain to comradeship with the townsfolk is a deeply satisfying one. Gus and the community’s fight for justice is a reflective allegory for contemporary times."

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Cover of GHOSTLY ROULETTE

GHOSTLY ROULETTE

by the pack leader, but Joe volunteers to stay to find Parker’s killer. Because of how the murder was committed, vampires, not ghosts, become the primary suspects (“Vampires can transform into bats and clouds of mist as well as exert control over electronic devices”). Joe struggles to find anyone with a motive to kill Parker\u003B he soon learns that the Minnesota woods are full of supernatural creatures working in opposition to each other, and that Parker may have been collateral damage. Joe gets help from an unexpected source: Parker’s ghost appears to him, explaining that recently minted spirits can’t cross over, and that more ghosts are being forced to return from the other side. Joe must determine who is behind this situation and Parker’s murder. Carpenter has fashioned this second volume of his Joe the Werewolf series into an educational outing for his lead character that will prove equally compelling to his readers. In addition to the were\u002Dbeasts, aliens, and vampires with which he’s familiar, Joe here encounters sasquatches, ghosts, and hodags (evil creatures that spring from the ashes of cremated oxen). The revelation that so many exotic beings are living among humans is what makes Carpenter’s work fun—readers will be engaged while encountering various supernatural creatures along with Joe, who gets roped into the role of peacemaker trying to get the various groups to work together against a common threat."

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GHOSTS OF HIROSHIMA

by survivors, include the sight of a cart falling from the sky with the hindquarters of the horse pulling it still attached\u003B a young boy who put his hands over his eyes as the bomb hit—and “saw the bones of his fingers shining through shut eyelids, just like an X\u002Dray photograph”\u003B “statue people” flash\u002Dfossilized and fixed in place, covered in a light snowfall of ashes\u003B and, of course, the ghosts—people severely flash\u002Dburned on one side of their bodies, leaving shadows on a wall, the side of a building, or whatever stood nearby. The carnage continued for days, weeks, and years as victims of burns and those who developed various forms of cancer succumbed to their injuries: “People would continue to die in ways that people never imagined people could die.” Scattered in these survivor stories is another set of stories from those involved in the development and deployment of the only two atomic weapons ever used in warfare. The author also tells of the letter from Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard to Franklin D. Roosevelt that started the ball rolling toward the formation of the Manhattan Project and the crew conversations on the Enola Gay and the Bockscar, the planes that dropped the Little Boy on Hiroshima and the Fat Man on Nagasaki. We have to find a way to get along, one crew member said, “because we now have the wherewithal to destroy everything.”"⭐ 4.3/5(294)

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Cover of GIRL WITH THE SILVER HAIR

GIRL WITH THE SILVER HAIR

by their military\u002Dofficer parents they are a post\u002Dnuclear\u002Dapocalypse evolution of mankind, crucial to the survival of a subterranean, locked\u002Ddown United States beset by savage enemies on Earth’s radiation\u002Dscarred surface. Eten is directed to use her deadly brainwaves on an accused “terrorist” leader, but she begins to doubt the tales being fed to her. It transpires that the kids are part of “Project Samson,” an initiative by the American military and government to grow DNA\u002Dmodified test\u002Dtube embryos into weaponized, ESP\u002Daugmented assassins. The Pentagon powers behind Project Samson have learned that maintaining control over these super\u002Dbeings grows difficult over time—especially when the subjects reach puberty—and uncooperative members of the group have been summarily killed. How long can Eten hide her wrathful discontent and rely on the dubious protection offered by a sympathetic guard, or her faux “mom” and “dad”? The premise of youngsters being cultivated by Black Ops agencies as mutant secret weapons is not an original one (there are similar tales by Dean R. Koontz, Stephen King, and John Farris), but Seupel’s take proceeds in an effective, straight\u002Dahead fashion as Eten, a stranger to concepts such as money or menstruation, becomes a fugitive in the “real world”—a very familiar one in the YA\u002Ddystopian genre in which an unjust society is threatened by rising sea levels and violently authoritarian adults. (Trying to ingratiate herself with the fascistic power structure, Eten proclaims, “More than anything in the world, I want to defend our country and make America great again.”) With such strong forward momentum, the material will not require psychic pushes to compel readers to barrel through in one sitting."⭐ 4.7/5(10)

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Cover of GLORY, GRIT AND GREATNESS

GLORY, GRIT AND GREATNESS

by what he perceived as the lack of reverence many Americans have for military heroes. This observation, combined with what Carr believes to be a declining historical awareness among young people, prompted the author to write this work, which surveys American heroes “from many eras and walks of life.” The book’s nine chapters can essentially be divided into two categories: biographies of soldiers and those of various historical icons. Many of the war heroes are lesser\u002Dknown figures, such as those covered in the opening chapter on the Torpedo Plane Squadrons of the Battle of Midway. Readers are offered inspirational vignettes about such men as Lloyd Childers, who came from poverty but eagerly volunteered to serve at the outbreak of World War II, and John Thomas Eversole, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who was among the first American airmen killed in the opening stages of the battle. Other chapters focus on more well\u002Dknown names, from business tycoon John D. Rockefeller and President Calvin Coolidge to boxer Rocky Marciano and songwriter Irving Berlin. These chapters provide sweeping overviews of each individual’s life and contributions while reveling in the idiosyncrasies of the subjects\u003B Rockefeller, readers learn, swallowed a spoonful of olive oil each day and had a proclivity for “canoodling” women in his town car after the death of his wife, while Coolidge refused to install a telephone in his White House office (“the better to avoid chitchat”). A chronic workaholic, Berlin worked on his songs “in taxis and restaurants and while shaving,” and even brought a piano with him on vacations.While not shying away from personal flaws, such as Marciano’s taste for philandering or Rockefeller’s “cutthroat” business practices, the book’s overall tone is celebratory, which may come off as overly hagiographic to skeptical readers. (The same cutthroat Rockefeller, for instance, is subsequently praised for his philanthropy and religiosity.) While generally nonpartisan in his approach to American history, the author unnecessarily wades into contemporary culture wars in his introduction, declaring the work is “for people like [him] who are fed up with America bashing, who would rather salute our flag than sully it.” The book is generally well\u002Dresearched\u003B each chapter is accompanied by its own bibliography. (The sources cited, including works published by contemporary academics over the last decade, contradict Carr’s argument that modern American history books have “either left out or glossed over” heroes of the past.) Aside from the politically charged opening pages and the author’s implied critiques of contemporary history teachers and scholars, the book’s biographical vignettes are written in a welcoming, engaging style that blends encyclopedic overviews with fascinating trivial details. Many include dialogue and novel\u002Dlike scene\u002Dsetting that immerse the reader in the past. The text’s ample inclusion of photographs supplements the work’s engaging and absorbing storytelling. And while all but one of the chapters focus on men (Irving Berlin shares the spotlight with Kathryn Elizabeth Smith, the “First Lady of Radio,” in their combined chapter), the author is careful to emphasize the role of women, albeit in supporting roles, in shaping the lives of his male subjects."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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Cover of GOAT MAGIC

GOAT MAGIC

by good fortune, Trill’s magic power is the ability to communicate with goats. Alya, in her goat form, hides from her assailants among Trill’s herd. The girls get off to a rocky start—sheltered Alya has some high\u002Dhanded ways that make Trill bristle—but ultimately, Trill agrees to help the princess. The girls must move quickly, however: Aunt\u002DU, a friend of Trill’s mother whom they seek out for help, informs them that if they don’t destroy the talisman used to place the curse within a month, Alya will remain a goat forever. This fantasy story reads like a classic fairy tale and explores themes of trust in oneself and greater awareness of others. The friendship and love that blossom between Alya and Trill feel natural and endearing. The cartoonlike illustrations employ warm colors that match the tone of the story. Wheeler’s worldbuilding emerges organically from interactions between the characters, sustaining a fast pace and avoiding lengthy explanations. Alya has tan skin, and Trill has medium\u002Dbrown skin."⭐ 4.1/5(138)

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Cover of GOETHE

GOETHE

by a history of 18th\u002Dcentury ideas? How did he make, and respond to, 19th\u002Dcentury ways of looking at the world? Behind all his work is this: What is human nature and what is the place of humankind in the natural world? The great scholarly achievement of this book lies in its synthesis of Goethe’s personal writing (especially his letters) with his public work. It shows how he created modern German as a language for a people—how the German\u002Dspeaking peoples, scattered across small kingdoms, duchies, and imperial lands, could find unity in a literary heritage. This book does not ignore the paradoxes of Goethe’s life. A man of great faith, he was an indefatigable analyst of nature. A proponent of human freedom, he could consort with despots. Goethe enabled us to find philosophy in literature, much as he sought faith in Shakespeare and the Greeks. Bell, a professor at King’s College London, distills an ethical lesson from that search: “Faith is…an expression of compassion. What matters is that our compassion engages with the world….The natural human capacity to feel concern or compassion, rooted deep in our nature, dwarfs any reasoning about good or evil or otherwise of religious doctrine.” That is the lesson of literature, and that is the lesson of this amazing book."

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Cover of GOOD AND EVIL AND OTHER STORIES

GOOD AND EVIL AND OTHER STORIES

by an eerie threat (a ghostly cat, a telepathic neighbor, a violent guest), we realize we have been party to a central human truth. Some revelations come in the form of body horror, and the gore can be hilariously goofy—a welcome lightness to the more somber scenes of tender caretaking (or unapologetic cruelty). Schweblin and veteran translator McDowell trace the slim barrier between perception and reality with masterful narration, piercing dialogue, stealthy wit, and psychological precision."⭐ 4.0/5(4,314)

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Cover of GRACE PERIOD

GRACE PERIOD

by selling the house, Mateus has the opportunity to leave the past behind, but the re\u002Demergence of the much denuded Graça in his life, along with his introduction to her chaotic, sensualist daughter, Natália, and Alberta’s steady, phlegmatic decline forces Mateus to confront the fact that the past may be the only time in his life that still feels worth living. Through prose that is both melancholy and brutally keen, this midcentury master’s eye for the scintillating detail at the heart of even the most mundane observation loses nothing in its translation from its original language, culture, or time."⭐ 4.3/5(10)

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Cover of GRAND FINALES

GRAND FINALES

by religion, the Civil Rights Movement, and social injustice to find new outlets for their talents and new ways to engage with the world. Gubar cites many other aging women—artist Faith Ringgold and designer Iris Apfel, and writers Grace Paley, Ursula K. Le Guin, Margaret Atwood, and Annie Ernaux, among others, to ring in on the lively possibilities—of productivity, connection, and reinvention—in one’s last years."⭐ 4.0/5(21)

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Cover of HALF PASS SIX

HALF PASS SIX

by the naturalist William Beebe to study ocean life—first in the Sargasso Sea, and then off the coast of the Galápagos Islands. After the voyage ended, Beebe, with co\u002Dauthor Ruth Rose, published a bestselling account of the journey. Rohrbein was aware of this fact, but it wasn’t until more than 30 years later, when his teenage daughter gave him a handsome hardcover edition of the book, that he gave it much thought. “He was not the kind to read books,” his now\u002Dadult daughter, Lockhart, writes. “The Daily News was enough.” Rohrbein had watched Beebe excitedly dredge specimens from the depths of the ocean, but he’d never understood the meaning of the work. In this blend of history and biography, Lockhart records her father’s firsthand experiences of the expedition, informed by the written account of Beebe, whom the young Rohrbein saw as a sort of parental figure\u003B Rohrbein’s father died years before the expedition. The narrative proves to be an investigation not only into Beebe’s revolutionary nautical discoveries aboard the Arcturus but also into the author’s family history, as Lockhart seeks to understand her taciturn parent, who, in turn, plumbs the depths of his younger years. Lockhart, a novelist, writes with measured lyricism: “Maybe all his life he’s wanted to be back at sea and not be connected to any land at all,” she wonders about her father. “The sea was a new beginning, an introduction to the world between the lands, the world with depths so infinite that it stayed hidden from view.” With its ruminations on migration and finding life in unlikely places, this is a book that will sink deep into the reader’s consciousness."⭐ 4.0/5(1)

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Cover of HAND IN HAND

HAND IN HAND

by the handsome, enigmatic luminary. He is 33, married, and the father of five children, all of whom he left (but still supports) for the love of another woman…whom he has also left. Miriam and Nyezhiner meet at a gathering where a collection of poets, essayists, and novelists are exchanging ideas. Later, the two take a walk across the Williamsburg Bridge in a gentle interlude that signals the beginning of what will become a 30\u002Dyear love affair. Although drawn to the moody poet, Miriam is cautious. Still a teenager when she married and had her daughter Dinaleh, she now needs to find her own path. Nyezhimer, on the other hand, quickly becomes obsessed with her. After a painful confrontation with her husband David (“he came closer, very close, then raised his hand and gave her face a hard slap”), Miriam moves in with her brother, sister\u002Din\u002Dlaw, and mother. A distraught Nyezhimer searches for her, occasionally waiting through the night in the street outside her brother’s house. Veprinski’s dramatic autobiographical novel traces the first tumultuous year of the relationship between the author (Miriam in the novel) and the lyric poet Mani Leyb (Nyezhiner). Ellen Cassedy and Anita Norich have translated the melancholy narrative, first published in Yiddish in 1971\u003B they have beautifully captured the rhythms, humor, and intimacy of the original text. The story is a detailed portrait of a time, place, and culture. Populated by a large cast of Yiddish writers of the day (all of the names have been changed), the novel engages readers with an intriguing variety of artistic personalities and temperaments. "

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HEARTBEATS

by 1980, atop his sport, fame and media scrutiny fed “a creeping sense of panic.” He retired at 26, a decision he regrets, for he “sank” even lower. He got “hooked” on cocaine, made some business mistakes, and now regards the 1990s as a “lost” decade. Though Borg was drug\u002Dfree during his career, his “memories are fewer” about his biggest wins. When you play well, he explains, it’s “like you’re in a trance.” Accordingly, his accounts of his 11 major tournament titles are sometimes terse. He declines to explain, for instance, how he transcended his relative struggles on Wimbledon’s “fast grass” to eventually win five times. He divulges no hard feelings about his great rivalry with John McEnroe, instead sharing an Odd Couple\u002Desque anecdote about pausing a match to counsel the high\u002Dstrung American: “John, it’s only a game.” Borg is forthright about his failings as a father, insightful about the elite competitor’s mindset, and funny on puny 1970s paydays. He was so focused on the next challenge that he’d leave just\u002Dwon trophies in hotels. He lugged a “Santa sack” containing $1 bills on a flight. Borg recently had prostate cancer surgery. He intends “to beat” the disease. As this likable book shows, he’s still a battler. "⭐ 3.7/5(32)

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HEIRESSES

by virtue of their wealth, became sought\u002Dafter wives by men of all classes. These heiresses owned, managed, or had financial interests in plantations that depended on slave labor, which the women were well aware of and condoned. All, Kaufmann asserts, willfully disregarded the suffering their fortunes depended on. Drawing on family papers, letters, diaries, and portraits, Kaufmann offers richly detailed biographies of the women, along with many of the men and women whom they enslaved. She depicts the back\u002Dbreaking labor required of plantation workers, their degrading living conditions, and the abuse they suffered at the hands of owners, overseers, lawyers, and governors. She depicts, as well, those who rebelled: Betsy Newton, for example, one of 400 enslaved people on a sugar plantation in Barbados, who traveled to London to petition for freedom for herself and her children. The heiresses profiled, Kaufmann reveals, are only a small number of at least 150 other women whose marriages brought wealth to Britain. And plantation owners were only part of the nation’s profiteering from slavery: Britons “invested in slaving voyages, either through direct ownership or by becoming shareholders. Some insured the ships.” Others provided manacles and guns. Importers bought sugar, rum, coffee, and tobacco produced by enslaved workers. Kaufmann discovered that some of her own ancestors were involved in trafficking Africans\u003B two family members were Liverpool slavers. She hopes, through this examination of Caribbean women, to raise awareness of the web of connections to slavery throughout Georgian Britain—connections that persist into the present—and to begin a process of making amends."⭐ 4.8/5(5)

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Cover of HELLO SUNSHINE

HELLO SUNSHINE

by a change in color scheme, can disrupt the flow as readers pause to figure out what’s going on. Most central characters present white, and Izzy and Skylar are Asian."⭐ 4.5/5(39)

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Cover of HERE WE GO

HERE WE GO

by and Sandy Hazelip “met at a medical mission conference in Dallas” just a few months after Sandy was widowed. The two hit it off and realized that they made not only great friends but also ideal traveling companions. They write, “Traveling together—relying on each other in new thrilling and challenging situations\u003B sharing the intense pleasures of discovery, as well as the humdrum hassles of the journey—has cemented what was already a profound and sustaining friendship.” In this book, they reminisce on their past travels—always on a budget—and their ambitious plan to travel around the world in 80 days at the age of 81. The women not only document their journeys but also make meaning out of their experiences through lessons learned along the way. Braving the “Drake Shake” on board a ship to Antarctica and a three\u002Dhour camel ride across the desert to a Bedouin encampment—and dodging the Russian secret police on the Trans\u002DSiberian Railway—the women reinforce the idea that “aging doesn’t have to mean inertia.” The ebullient narratorial voice, inspirational chapter headings, and well\u002Dchosen anecdotes make the book feel less like a text and more like a conversation between friends. Occasionally, the women’s naïveté of their white privilege tests the reader’s empathy, as when they find themselves stranded in Syria and straining the resources of their hosts, or when they treat sleeper cars, which are common among many socioeconomic classes in the global south, as potentially dangerous. "⭐ 4.4/5(19)

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Cover of HISTORY MATTERS

HISTORY MATTERS

by me.” Some of McCullough’s appreciations here are of writers who are not much read these days, such as Herman Wouk and Paul Horgan\u003B a long piece concerns a president who’s been largely lost in the shuffle too, Harry Truman, whose decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan McCullough defends. At his best here, McCullough uses history as a way to orient thinking about the present, and with luck to good ends: “I am a short\u002Drange pessimist and a long\u002Drange optimist. I sincerely believe that we may be on the way to a very different and far better time.”"⭐ 4.5/5(161)

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Cover of HONEY AND HEAT

HONEY AND HEAT

by her father, Rich, for years. Instead, Rich hires Rohit because he reminds the older man of himself—a hard\u002Dworking Indian Canadian immigrant financially supporting his family in India—and hopes Rohit will assume the role of CEO when Rich eventually retires. But when a local newspaper prints an article about the hostile work environment of Kumar Construction, Rich tasks them both with improving employee morale and creating lasting change within the company. After an initial power struggle, Cynthia realizes that Rohit is on her side and allows herself to trust him—in the boardroom and the bedroom. But when Rich fails to see Cynthia’s contributions and announces that he’ll be retiring and leaving the company to his new protégé, all their teamwork can’t erase the hurt it creates in Cynthia. There’s plenty of heat and tension in this rivals\u002Dto\u002Dlovers workplace romance. Cynthia’s black cat energy is an excellent foil to Rohit’s golden retriever adoration, and both characters are given the space to grow and show up for one another. While the secondary characters are a little one\u002Ddimensional, the complicated family dynamics, snappy banter, and spicy sex scenes more than make up for it. Readers will appreciate the empowering Desi representation, a feminist heroine, and a love interest more interested in uplifting and supporting her than challenging her."⭐ 3.9/5(140)

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Cover of HOOVES OF DEATH

HOOVES OF DEATH

by a magical herd of unicorns who happen to be immune to their plague. When food runs scarce, unicorn sergeant Glitter is sent on a scouting mission and stumbles upon Kate, a fierce blond, blue\u002Deyed girl who’s living on her own. The pair team up with two other strong unicorns, but it seems the undead aren’t their only enemy—Kate is being hunted by a Grim, a black wolflike henchman of Death himself. During their quest to unravel the cause of humanity’s downfall, they encounter mischievous sirens and their beefy boyfriends (who are being held hostage), zombie gnomes, a band of Bigfoots, and even a vampire. Though the creatures aren’t the biggest fans of humans, it becomes clear through the nefarious involvement of the horsemen of the apocalypse that Kate just may be the key to ending all the suffering. The violence and general despair balance the cuteness. Bragg’s unicorns are deceptively adorable, even with grenades hanging around their necks and rainbow blood dripping from the zombie bites on their bodies. A sinister cliffhanger will leave readers neighing for the next installment of these heroes’ quest. "⭐ 4.3/5(26)

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Cover of HOTBLOOD! VOL. 1

HOTBLOOD! VOL. 1

by a sinister sphinx, Elen. Evander’s task is to kill Asa Langley, who’s the director of central west operations for Wakefield Steel and “crazy enough to eat the devil with horns on.” Instead of murdering Asa, Evander works for him, and a turbulent romantic entanglement develops. The pair travels through the United States. After first meeting in Iowa, they make a stop in Davidson, “a shithole town in Wyoming” that has a mine, and the Colorado territory Lynd, where Asa wants to build a railroad connecting to Denver. Evander and Asa consider living in Deseret, a provisional Western state that the inhabitants believe was Jesus’ final resting spot\u003B it’s also a place rich in uranium, copper, and iron. After the duo’s plans are disrupted, Evander eventually gains information about some puzzling questions, helping him make an important decision about his life and relationship with Asa. Using minimal and muted color tones reminiscent of sepia photographs, Orlesky skillfully renders images of an older America, though one inhabited by both humans and nonhumans. In this engrossing series opener, the engaging drawings depict multiple intriguing angles. One frame zooms in on Evander’s hooves crossing a railroad bridge while the next pulls back to show the centaur and a man as small shapes silhouetted against a panoramic sky. Marred by inner pain, Asa and Evander conceal it with laconic language. Their psychological battle, as they struggle not to kill or be killed, can get intense (and confusing), but wordlessly touching each other seems to bring them relief. Through Orlesky’s haunting illustrations of the uninhabited Western landscapes, wide open and natural, readers will get the sense of a land filled with promise and possibility that men like Asa exploit for personal gain."⭐ 3.3/5(42)

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Cover of HOTEL MELIKOV

HOTEL MELIKOV

by the People’s Party—its deputy leader is a former colleague of his in the fish business—and then by royalists to spy on the other side. Back and forth he goes, double\u002Dtalking his way out of trouble. As part of a group of government officials who disguise themselves in nun’s habits to make it safely to the convent, he is exposed to shocking realities. The actual Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow are not what they seem (the guns are a dead giveaway) and all of the fake nuns don’t seem to be on the same page with each other. The king, who was outfitted as “Sister Karla” to evade detection, is befuddled by the situation. “So, the prisoners are dressed as nuns and the nuns are dressed as prisoners?” he asks. Seeming pumped with helium, ever light on its feet, the novel keeps springing satirical delights and hilariously absurd scenes. It’s a flawlessly entertaining read that raises expectations for the third installment in the series."⭐ 4.7/5(20)

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Cover of HOUSE OF SMOKE

HOUSE OF SMOKE

by becoming the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance. That brought him into an ever\u002Ddeepening appreciation for Black food traditions, and out of that grew the aim of sponsoring “honest conversations about slavery and its legacies” with food as an instrument of healing. Results didn’t quite work out as hoped: Edge found himself challenged by activists such as the Nigerian\u002Dborn chef Tunde Wey, who told him, “You have endorsed and celebrated the appropriation of Black Southern food without consequence.” The denouement finds Edge recognizing the justice of that statement without self\u002Dpity and committing himself to “my ongoing reconstruction.”"⭐ 4.3/5(22)

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Cover of HOUSE OF THE BEAST

HOUSE OF THE BEAST

by her outcast single mother in the countryside, doesn’t know of her station, and has a lonely and isolating childhood, often conjuring an imaginary friend for comfort. When her mother falls terminally ill, Alma manages to send word to her unknown father begging for help, and is met with a powerful vessel of the Dread Beast—the god of death. In exchange for her mother’s healing, Alma agrees to serve House Avera in support of her father’s ascension to First Hand of the Beast, and the girl is whisked away by her father while her mother lies dying. Unaware of nearly everything about the gods and the families bound to them, she discovers the first step in service to the House and its deity is severing her arm in sacrifice to the Beast. Despite her actions, her mother dies, but Alma is forced to continue serving her father’s ambitions anyway. As her grief rages and her father’s betrayal is palpable everywhere in the Avera estate, the flames of revenge are fanned by her once\u002Dimaginary friend, Aster, who reveals himself to be so much more—a spirit that’s taken on human form. With Aster as proof of her strong connection to the Dread Beast, together they devise a plan to prove her worthiness as a vessel of the Beast and challenge her father’s rank. All that’s required is that she train for a Pilgrimage to the umbral plane—a twisted alternate dimension filled with monsters and terror—to kill a star and rise in rank to become the First Hand of the Beast herself. From the opening pages, with Alma’s arm strapped to a fountain and her father standing overhead with a sword ready to give her limb as an offering, the prose strikes hardest when Wong writes visceral body horror. This page\u002Dturning epic continually exposes the monster within each character, pushing them to confront it head\u002Don and fight relentlessly for the good they possess deep within."⭐ 4.0/5(2,117)

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Cover of HOW TO SURF A HURRICANE

HOW TO SURF A HURRICANE

by the company\u003B Miki, a former oil worker who desperately needs money to help his sick father\u003B and Victoria Wood, an innovator in the brand\u002Dnew sport of hurricane surfing, in which pilots of small, specially built watercraft attempt to set speed records in potentially deadly weather conditions. Is it the perfect team to pull off the riskiest corporate heist of all time? Maybe—but only if the weather cooperates. Medema weaves imaginative climate\u002Drelated technologies into his story, from the luxury ski habitats that Miki builds on top of snowdrifts in Alaska to the hurricane seeding that Moro undertakes to ensnare the Pyxis Cloud: “It’s about applying a small amount of leverage and waiting,” he explains. “The government’s been experimenting with this technology since 1947. I’m just the first private citizen to seed one. For all we know.” Hurricane surfing is a particularly inspired creation, as well. Despite some early pacing issues, the premise is a winning one, and readers will quickly find themselves caught in the cyclone of Medema’s story."⭐ 4.5/5(29)

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Cover of HUMAN HISTORY ON DRUGS

HUMAN HISTORY ON DRUGS

by professing that he’s obsessed by the past—and that, being on the autism spectrum, “I develop an almost physical compulsion to know everything there is to know on a subject.” This lively book is proof positive, a whole warren of rabbit holes that lead to unexpected vignettes about the mind\u002Daltering habits of the likes of George Washington (laudanum), Queen Victoria (ganja), Elvis Presley (the whole medicine cabinet), and Adolf Hitler (“coked out of his mind”). Kelly reaches deep into the past, reckoning that people have enjoyed various means of bending reality since there have been people: One early case is Marcus Aurelius, the brilliant Roman emperor whose Meditations Kelly likens to “The Art of the Deal [if it] had been written by Jesus Christ instead of Donald Trump” and whose chronic pain was relieved by goodly doses of opium prescribed by his physician, none other than the famed medical encyclopedist Galen. Young Judy Garland was prescribed mounds of pills at the behest of studio executives who “preferred to get her addicted to drugs and ruin her life than give her a reasonable work schedule.” The Beatles, of course, famously got so ripped that, as the comedian Bill Hicks used to quip, they let Ringo sing—but, Kelly notes, even though they were fairly open about their drug use (John Lennon: “I’ve always needed a drug to survive”), they also denied being proselytes, about which Kelly brightly remarks that if simply mentioning drugs brings down the (silver) hammer, “well, then, frankly, I’m in a lot of trouble.” And Shakespeare? As Kelly notes, “pipes with cannabis residue” have been found in the Bard’s garden—and besides, “his plays are filled with characters who ingest all manner of fantastical pharmaceutical concoctions.”"⭐ 4.0/5(270)

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HUSK

by a “collapse,” and the city of Epsilon, which was once a university. Isaac proves to be an engaging protagonist who rolls with the punches, enduring physical threats, betrayals, and his world being thrown into a tailspin. The supporting cast is equally compelling\u003B with the exception of Sophie, the characters sow doubt as Isaac questions whether he can trust people he’s long known and any number of individuals he encounters for the first time. There are a few action scenes, but much of this opening installment is devoted to exposition as Isaac uncovers information along with the reader (there are copious secrets tied to Meru). This leads to a string of wonderfully staggering revelations all the way to the cliffhanger ending. "⭐ 4.3/5(96)

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Cover of I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY

I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY

by contrast, Edward Snowden leaked 1.5 million pages.) Winner’s crime was to send those printed pages to an online site that specialized in national security matters. As she writes, astonishingly, a staffer described the pages to a source who in turn notified the FBI\u003B meanwhile, the staffer also called the NSA and sent photographs of the printed pages, violating “standard Reporting 101 protocols for journalists who need to confirm the authenticity of leaked documents.” Traced to her by virtue of a printer code, the document occasioned her arrest and conviction under the terms of the Espionage Act of 1917, meant as a legal tool against German secret agents during World War I. After 15 months in jail, a plea bargain earned her a spot in federal prison, “a vacation, filled with activities and amenities,” compared to where she’d been. Winner writes candidly about the hellish nature of incarceration in America, from constant violence to boredom and the challenge of contending with conflicting and arbitrary rules, with her fellow prisoners more often than not less dangerous than the staff: “These weirdos, outcasts, and criminals loved me, and I loved them back.”"⭐ 4.1/5(35)

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Cover of I WANNA BE YOUR GIRL

I WANNA BE YOUR GIRL

by big ideas and big feelings. The shōjo manga–style art is cute and expressive. The translation feels slightly unpolished, however, relying heavily on footnotes rather than conveying the original more loosely. At times, understanding the original Japanese vocabulary is critical, but elsewhere Procter uses the original Japanese, defined in a footnote (e.g., “a derogatory slang term for an effeminate male”) when simply using an equivalent English term would have led to a smoother reading experience. But overall this series opener is an earnest and enjoyable beginning to Hime and Akira’s story."⭐ 3.9/5(268)

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Cover of I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DIFFICULT

I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DIFFICULT

by accompanying his father, a liquor inspector who “would make a buck on the side by taking a restaurant’s application from the bottom of the pile and moving it to the top” and dined free to boot at storied places like Dubrow’s Cafeteria and Paul \u0026amp\u003B Jimmy’s. Lacking the money and the academic record to go to a top\u002Dflight hotel school in Europe, he enrolled at Cornell—but not before logging time at a McDonald’s, of which he writes, “To this day, it’s one of the greatest gigs I’ve ever had.” Other great gigs followed, from waiting tables on a Scandinavian cruise ship to founding the legendary Nobu chain of restaurants. Along the way, very much in the spirit of Anthony Bourdain (albeit with fewer hangovers and parallel lines), Nieporent dishes out secrets of the trade: If you have a small kitchen, then have a small menu, which allows you to “control food costs, prep work, and the timing of cooking and service”\u003B don’t ask a customer whether everything is all right, which “implies that something might be wrong”\u003B don’t do a deal with Donald Trump (“I could barely get a word in edgewise”)\u003B and, above all, “Just do your job, and do it well.” A bonus in this lively memoir, which pairs well with a robust red or an egg cream, is some well\u002Dplaced name\u002Ddropping, with the likes of Robin Williams, Ruth Reichl, partner Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen, and Spike Lee popping up at turns. The takeaways are many, but perhaps the most memorable is one that anyone who’s worked on the line will know: If you’re in the restaurant business, your life is not your own."⭐ 4.3/5(23)

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Cover of IF ANYONE BUILDS IT, EVERYONE DIES

IF ANYONE BUILDS IT, EVERYONE DIES

by their alarming title, Yudkowsky and Soares issue a stark warning: Unless we act now to contain powerful superintelligent AI systems, humanity may not survive. Yudkowsky, co\u002Dfounder of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, and Soares, its president, target politicians, CEOs, policymakers, and the general public in their urgent plea. The book opens with an accessible breakdown of what AI is, how it’s built, and why even its creators often can’t comprehend the accelerating complexity of their own systems. Through parablelike vignettes, the authors expose the underlying realities of AI algorithms—advanced AIs are not engineered so much as grown, operating with opaque and unpredictable results, untethered from human values. The most chilling passages describe how AIs could escape computers and manipulate the physical and financial worlds, eventually repurposing Earth’s resources to serve alien objectives or replacing humanity with their own “favorite things.” The authors warn, “Nobody has the knowledge or skill to make a superintelligence that does their bidding,” arguing that world governments must cooperate to restrict or ideally halt AI research. Policymakers have not yet grasped the full implications of these advanced systems, and the public hasn’t felt the impact in their lives, but the authors caution they must be persuaded to act immediately. While some scenarios seem extreme or unrealistic, including hoping global leaders can agree on defining the problem or collaborating on solutions, the book’s arguments that the risks are elevated and time is short are persuasive. There is excellent information and food for thought here, including links to resources for readers motivated to join the fray."⭐ 4.3/5(311)

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IN MOURNING

by the author’s depictions of her mother holding, praising, and arguing with her\u003B working as an ER nurse\u003B or volunteering at the dog shelter. Throughout, the memoir avoids sentimentality as it depicts destabilizing loss (“The only times that came to mind were when we fought. Something we did a ton of”) and tells a story that lingers long after the final page."⭐ 4.5/5(312)

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Cover of INNER CLARITY

INNER CLARITY

by many motivational quotes, both familiar and less well\u002Dknown. River’s tone throughout is upbeat and reassuring\u003B his text gives readers the strong impression that he has experienced some of the things they might be coming to his book to explore. He’s consistently clear\u002Deyed about detecting possible abusive elements in seemingly positive things\u003B “people pleasing may look like generosity on the outside,” he writes in a typical passage, “but it often comes with a cost—resentment, burnout, loss of identity, and even emotional manipulation.” The most refreshing aspect of the work is the author’s encouragement to readers to take an active part in their own personal renewals."⭐ 4.7/5(3)

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INTO THE FIRE

by other characters, forcing Freya into a passive role, though the ending suggests she may come into her own in the upcoming final installment."

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INTO THE WEEDS

by revealing the experiences or ideas that evoked several of her stories. The death of an elderly friend, for example, resulted in a story about Davis’ lifelong project of improving her German, even though her knowledge of German will die with her. When it comes to why she writes, she finds it easier to talk about why she doesn’t write: “I don’t write to convey a message, and I don’t write stories to achieve any particular purpose,” she asserts. Nor does she write for any particular audience, or to move someone. Instead, she writes “for the pleasure of it”: the discovery of material, shaping it, seeing it in print, and sharing it. Admitting that her stories are inspired by “something outside coming in,” she writes “to figure out something I don’t understand.” As she circles around the question of motivation, she turns to other writers: George Sturt, for one, author of the richly detailed The Wheelwright’s Shop\u003B Knut Hamsun for his memoir On Overgrown Paths\u003B and poets John Ashbery, John Clare, Walter Raleigh, and Russell Edson. She considers writers who risk being tedious or strange, such as Gertrude Stein, Laura Riding, Robert Musil, and Walter Benjamin. Finally, she reaches a conclusion: She writes, she says, to relieve herself “of the burdens of strong feelings, by taking them out of myself and putting them in an objective form, a form that can also be shared by others out in the world.”"⭐ 4.6/5(9)

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IOSI, THE REMORSEFUL SPY

by Iosi himself. We get a story of recruitment and seduction as subtle and as disturbing as anything in a novel by John le Carré. We get a vision of a democratic country that monitors its citizens. We hear the voices of Argentinians trapped between a love of their country and a duty to their heritage. The story of Iosi exposes duplicity and defiance in a modern nation. In the process, it makes us ask whether the United States is capable of such deceit."⭐ 4.7/5(3)

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Cover of IT WAS THE WAY SHE SAID IT

IT WAS THE WAY SHE SAID IT

by taking in boarders she’s not supposed to have. There are also characters struggling with love and its fallout—pregnancy scares, anger, regret, loneliness and loss—proving that McMillan has never shied away from frank assessments of sex and its power. In one of the best stories, “Can’t Close My Eyes to It,” a young girl spends time with her beloved grandmother and learns hard lessons about life. Even McMillan’s quick sketches are so immediately absorbing that you wish she’d fleshed them out into full\u002Dblown stories. You won’t want to skip the nonfiction pieces, which range from essays to a commencement speech, because the author’s voice is always engaging. But it’s through her fiction that McMillan shines brightest. “She reads the times we’re living through,” author Ishmael Reed writes in the foreword, a truth evident on every page."⭐ 4.3/5(42)

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Cover of IT WILL LAST LONGER

IT WILL LAST LONGER

by Katz is an intrepid reporter dispatched by the LA Times to profile the hard\u002Dpressed young photographer. Just what makes her tick? And why did she do what she did? Though conflicted about her actions in the back alley, Viv nevertheless decides that a weird job offer to photograph a wealthy man’s recently deceased mother is just too lucrative to pass up. After all, she’s told, death masks go back to King Tut’s time and even became a proto\u002Dsocial media phenomenon in the 19th century when good folks felt that using the novel invention of photography was a great way to preserve their dearly departed loved ones at the moment of death. (“The Victorians got all creepy about it when photography became more affordable, and they would take death portraits of their children staged with their families. Disturbing, I know.”) The creep factor is, indeed, off the charts (the proceedings are chilling long before additional bodies start hitting the floor), but Sanders Brooks’ steady and clear\u002Deyed approach to the ghastly photo shoots makes them seem entirely plausible. The author keeps her energetic narrative tightly focused on the lead characters, along with a few other supporting players, in a continuously revolving POV storytelling arc that manages to evoke both intimacy and urgency throughout. As the dark but familiar world Viv and Abby inhabit grows increasingly perilous, the danger feels uncomfortably palpable. Brooks explores heavy questions about the morality of social media with a light, mordant touch. Narrative shifts to a detached Discord chat between true\u002Dcrime enthusiasts trying to puzzle out what’s going on and news accounts about the diabolical deeds allow readers to zoom out and get their bearings before being plunged back down the claustrophobic LA streets where Viv plies her stock in trade."⭐ 4.2/5(10)

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Cover of iWAR

iWAR

by Tim Sweeney, publisher of the wildly popular video game Fortnite. Sweeney charged that Apple was a monopolist, an argument, Higgins writes, that had some merit: “With the advent of the iPhone, in order for other businesses to gain access to its marketplace, Apple had set up a drawbridge for all of the companies that wanted to make money through it.” That drawbridge was largely monetary: Apple took 30% of revenues for the sale of every app, “akin to a tax for breathing their air,” protecting its practice inside a “Walled Garden” that other entrepreneurs longed to storm. It didn’t help that throughout the app sales ecosystem, favorable rates were being extended to some app makers but not others, with Sweeney stating, “We’re all in for a prolonged battle if Apple tries to keep their monopoly and 30% by cutting backroom deals with big publishers to keep them quiet.” To complicate matters, after the Capitol insurrection of January 6, 2021, Apple removed the conservative social media app Parler, Amazon dropped Parler from its servers, and Facebook and Twitter shut down Donald Trump’s account\u003B then tech magnate Elon Musk entered the fray, pushing the argument that the Big Four were not only monopolizing markets but also controlling free speech, and in doing so he was “able to do something that Tim Sweeney…failed to do: frame Apple’s power in terms that resonated beyond the business.” Though, as Higgins chronicles, Apple survived most legal challenges, the debate continues as to whether the company and other giants are true monopolies—and just how much control over speech they exert."⭐ 4.4/5(9)

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Cover of JOHN HANCOCK

JOHN HANCOCK

by paragraphs, until every member shall have had opportunity fully to express his sentiments,” after helping offset contending state interests in the fight over the Articles of Confederation. Randall reminds readers that the years immediately after the war ended were fraught: Frontier rebellions broke out over taxations and pensions for military service, and, briefly, “Pennsylvania and Connecticut had actually gone to war” over territorial issues. A Federalist but also a pragmatist, Hancock championed nine “Conciliatory Amendments” that led to the Bill of Rights, to which he added the 10th, which reserved to the states any “powers not expressly delegated to Congress.” As well, apart from serving as a well\u002Dliked governor of Massachusetts, Hancock—serving his own interests to be sure, but also with an eye on the larger U.S. economy—helped restore postwar trade with Britain. For all that, Randall notes, Hancock weathered numerous controversies, mostly financial\u003B he was also the subject of a possible canard that Randall corrects—namely, that he wished to be commander of the Continental Army and resented George Washington for being selected for the post, when in fact, Randall writes, Hancock suffered so badly from gout that it is unlikely that he “would have accepted a position that would require long days on horseback.”"⭐ 4.1/5(113)

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JOY GODDESS

by her mother, Lelia adopted Mae Bryant, a fatherless girl who served as a hair model and assistant for the company. While Mae at first considered the adoption a great privilege, Lelia proved as domineering as Madam had been, leaving Mae—Bundles’ biological grandmother—feeling “indebted and cornered.” Lelia could be difficult, to be sure, but Bundles captures her energy, her drive, and her commitment to the creative community that she nourished."⭐ 4.0/5(101)

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KATABASIS

by Peter Murdoch, one of Grimes\u0027 other students—\u0022He was simply born brilliant…Alice couldn\u0027t stand him\u0022—and she reluctantly agrees to join forces. Despite the accounts of Dante and the like, Hell is full of surprises, including (sometimes) a remarkable resemblance to a college campus. As Alice and Peter journey deeper, they encounter nefarious deities\u003B twisted, once\u002Dhuman enemies\u003B and Shades from Grimes’ past with their own agendas. Hell will test Alice and Peter in ways their academic careers have not, dredging up their pasts at Cambridge, their messy relationships with their advisor, and their distrust of each other—after all, academia is a cutthroat game. The stakes are high, with mortal souls on the line, as Alice grapples with the question of whether academia even matters. Kuang melds a fantasy adventure (don’t look too closely at the magic—that’s not the point) with a rumination on academia’s problems to create a new take on the journey through the underworld. Alice is deeply flawed but also deeply understandable, stuck in a system that damages her while making questionable choices that feed into the same system\u003B this is a tightly constructed novel that aims a clear lens on academia, with both its faults and its virtues. The heady draw of discovery is ever\u002Dpresent, even if what Alice is discovering is Hell."⭐ 4.0/5(32,545)

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Cover of Kill Train

Kill Train

by the end of the ride. The odds of being on a Kill Train are 1 in 10,000, so most of the populace are willing to take the chance when traveling throughout the city. Enter Vanessa Crow, a struggling single mother with a teenage daughter who is on the precipice of a mental breakdown. When circumstances force her onto a subway train, she knows the odds are in her favor as 580 passengers were just slaughtered on a Kill Train the day before. She fatefully meets an old college friend, Corwin, who reminds Vanessa of the badass woman she used to be. But when the two friends discover that they’re on a Kill Train, Vanessa is forced to battle much more than a group of psychotic killers. Powered by an intriguing, albeit absurd, concept and complemented by visually stunning (and potentially traumatizing) illustrations by Martina Niosi—dismembered and decapitated bodies, intestines hanging like party streamers, etc.—it’s Vanessa’s inner journey through past trauma that makes this graphic novel so memorable. Her problematic relationship with her mother, her unstable financial situation, and her tumultuous but intimate bond with her daughter make her a character that readers can not only understand and identify with but also root for as she fights for her life. Ass\u002Dkicking motherly characters like Terminator’s Sarah Connor and Alien’s Ellen Ripley have nothing on Cuartero\u002DBriggs’ Crow."⭐ 3.3/5(24)

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Cover of KULEANA

KULEANA

by the last king of Hawai‘i. Arriving at an equitable solution to this bureaucratic problem is just one thread of Goo’s narrative, whose larger story is really one of homecoming: Born and raised in California, an East Coast resident for decades, Goo must learn or relearn key points of the people’s traditional lifeways. The title of the book speaks to one such point, one’s obligation to both place and culture, less a burden, she explains, than a privilege: “For example, certain people had kuleana for growing taro or crops in a certain part of the island, or for taking care of a fishpond or teaching hula.” She explores many other concepts as she travels in the company of relatives, who take her, in one instance, to a heiau, or temple, whose purpose is lost to time\u003B says her uncle, “Some people say dey did these tings there like human sacrifice and dat stuff, but we don’t know.” What is clear is that humans are sacrificed, at least metaphorically, for profit in a Hawai‘i made for wealthy outsiders\u003B as Goo laments in closing, “Our culture won’t remain unless each generation—grandparent to parent to child to grandchild—­keeps it burning.”"⭐ 4.1/5(423)

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Cover of LADY LIKE

LADY LIKE

by Emily Sergeant, who has arrived in London desperately looking for a husband who can outrank the odious man to whom her family has betrothed her. When their separate pursuits of the duke bring the two women together, after a few days of bickering both become more interested in each other’s company than anything, or anyone, else. The worldly Harriet is well aware of the nature of her developing feelings for Emily, but it takes Emily longer to understand her emotions. When she finally learns what a Sapphist is, the women connect emotionally and physically. However, society hasn’t changed, nor have the expectations of their families. Lee’s delightful adult debut will please fans of her YA historical fiction as well as romance readers encountering her for the first time. The story, which centers queer and theatrical Regency life alongside the familiar tropes of the London Season, is well\u002Dpaced, with entertaining side characters and rich detail. The clever ending, moving and satisfying on its own, is enhanced by Lee’s extensive, thoughtful notes sharing historical background and revealing that much of her plot is less fantastic than readers might assume."⭐ 4.1/5(309)

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Cover of LAUNCHING LIBERTY

LAUNCHING LIBERTY

by relentless Nazi U\u002Dboat attacks on cargo ships in the Atlantic and inspired by Britain’s Merchant Shipbuilding Mission, the U.S. launched a parallel effort. In roughly four years, shipyards from Maine to Oregon produced 2,710 Liberty ships, each longer than a football field. Christened “ugly ducklings” by the press, the ships were practical but unattractive. Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who supported the program, said of the ships’ design, “Anyone of you that knows a ship and loves a ship, would hate them, as I do.” In his readable account, Most injects a sense of urgency and humanity into what might otherwise be a niche topic, an approach complemented by the book’s organization into seven sections composed of short chapters. The narrative is at its most lively in the first four sections, which follow the small group of men who created the Liberty program from the ground up. The massive workforce needed to power their effort came with challenges, ranging from the need for housing and schools to health care. One shipyard’s effort to provide health care for workers built the foundation of today’s Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program. Racism and sexism accompanied the increasingly diverse population of shipyard laborers. The author documents both, but his discussions sometimes lack nuance. “Wendy the Welders,” shipbuilding’s answer to Rosie the Riveter, are present and accounted for, yet the epilogue’s brief descriptions of their subsequent marriages and/or happy transitions to other jobs leave little room for the complexity of their experiences. Most returns to his strengths in the final two sections, describing the push to build ships faster and faster to meet the needs of a country at war."⭐ 4.4/5(26)

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Cover of LESSONS IN MAGIC AND DISASTER

LESSONS IN MAGIC AND DISASTER

by the leader of a right\u002Dwing smear group. So Jamie shares something with Serena that she hasn’t even shared with her nonbinary spouse, Ro: Jamie can do magic. She performs rituals that she hopes will make her small desires real in the world. Serena takes to this practice, but almost immediately seeks to enact larger, angrier spells, with effects that neither she nor Jamie can anticipate or control, profoundly disrupting both of their lives. This compact novel is about many things: a literary treasure hunt that strongly recalls A.S. Byatt’s Possession\u003B the struggle to negotiate obligations to parents, spouses, and oneself\u003B moving forward from grief\u003B and a self\u002Dtaught witch’s fraught journey toward understanding her own magic. But underlying everything is this profound question: How do minority groups (in this case, specifically, those in the LGBTQ+ community) fight effectively and ethically against the tolerance of intolerance? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to magically smite the powerful figures who discriminate, disenfranchise, and endanger the vulnerable through indifference or cruelty? Unfortunately, it’s never that easy, not in real life and not in fiction."⭐ 3.9/5(341)

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LETTERS FOR THE AGES

by Clara Schumann, the fellow composer who had great affection for her friend (the feeling was reciprocal, although the relationship probably remained platonic). The letter is illuminating because it shows how much Schumann advised Brahms on his scores, with detailed (and gentle) suggestions: “In the C major piece I wish you would use the charming opening phrase again at the repeat, it would not be difficult, would it?” Schumann’s husband, Robert, is also in the anthology. In an 1830 letter to his mother, the future composer expresses his reluctance to pursue a legal career: “My life has been for twenty years one long struggle between poetry and prose, or, let us say, music and law.” Seems he made the right choice. Dozens of other musicians are included\u003B the range is broad, if focused on Western artists. We hear from Giuseppe Verdi, Woody Guthrie, John Coltrane, Leonard Bernstein, Amy Winehouse, and Nick Cave. In a foreword, David Pickard writes that “despite their genius, great artists are real people”—even, apparently, when addressing royalty. “My glorious and dearly beloved King,” Richard Wagner gushes in a letter to Ludwig II of Bavaria. In his short communication, the composer proceeds, like any modern\u002Dday fanboy, to use no fewer than 11 exclamation marks."

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Cover of LIGHT BENEATH ASHES

LIGHT BENEATH ASHES

by armed burglars during the night, prompting his family to frequently sleep at their church to avoid zenglendos (armed criminals). While he deeply valued Haiti’s rich culture, even having competitions with his friends to see who could read Haitian novels the fastest, he also had family members whom he visited in the United States, where he developed an affinity for the U.S., especially its cartoons and Wendy’s spicy chicken nuggets. Ultimately, he migrated to the U.S., devoting his efforts to education and eventually receiving a Ph.D. in applied economics from the University of Florida. Apart from academic research, Anglade spent much of his postgraduate life engaging with Haitian politics, public policy, and economic development. The memoir certainly offers an inspirational story of overcoming obstacles to obtain one’s dreams, but what makes this work stand out is Anglade’s grasp of Haitian history\u003B he interweaves his personal story into the larger narrative of the Caribbean nation. For example, the zenglendos that terrorized his family, he convincingly writes, weren’t just random criminals or a “local menace,” but were intricately tied to the political and economic instability that followed the overthrow of President Jean\u002DBertrand Aristide in 1991. He similarly connects his immigration story to the wider history of the African diaspora. The book also includes ample commentary on contemporary Haitian politics and the effects of climate change on the country. While this political analysis lacks formal citations, Anglade has a learned understanding of the various forces at play in 21st\u002Dcentury Haiti and is particularly critical of the nation’s bureaucrats for “riding in bullet proof cars and drawing comfortable salaries” amid rising crime rates and economic decline."

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Cover of LIKE CLOCKWORK

LIKE CLOCKWORK

by using a unique angle to frame the issues of business: Goodner asks, how does a well\u002Dorganized, world\u002Drenowned military run, and how can your business use the same methods to get ahead? Appendices include the author’s “Golden Rules,” recommended reading, a case study index, and a reading guide."

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Cover of LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA

by nature, Miranda bloomed in high school, where he made movies with a camcorder and took advantage of the school’s drama program, staging ambitious plays. In his sophomore year at Wesleyan University, Miranda wrote a musical set in Washington Heights\u003B it would become the first draft of In the Heights, his first Broadway musical. Most of Pollack\u002DPelzner’s book is dedicated to the creative process behind In the Heights, which won four Tony Awards, and Hamilton, the idea for which came when Miranda took a copy of Ron Chernow’s biography on vacation. Miranda talked to Pollack\u002DPelzner for the book, and his remarkable candor is part of why it succeeds. The author’s chronicle of the musicals’ development is equally thrilling. Pollack\u002DPelzner, who writes about theater and culture for the New Yorker, the Atlantic, and the New York Times, understands the technical and creative aspects of the stage, and he proves himself to also be an astute observer of the more human side of creating art."⭐ 4.6/5(94)

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Cover of LIVING IN THE PRESENT WITH JOHN PRINE

LIVING IN THE PRESENT WITH JOHN PRINE

by Covid\u002D19. He was 73. Piazza repurposed the materials he had gathered to produce this moving work. Equal parts profile, oral history, and on\u002Dthe\u002Droad adventure, the book recounts the artist’s working\u002Dclass background in suburban Chicago, his family connection to rural Kentucky, his early success with Atlantic Records, and the decision to co\u002Dfound the label Oh Boy Records. Often writing in the first person and present tense, Piazza recounts his time with Prine, including a spontaneous road trip from Nashville to Sarasota, Florida, in a cherry\u002Dred 1977 Coupe de Ville. Piazza also reviews Prine’s body of work, its broad influence, and his unassuming humanity. Comparing Prine to Bob Dylan, Piazza notes, “You don’t want to be him, you just want to hang out with him.” Along the way, the author gathers insights from Prine’s peers, friends, and family. One band member, for example, notes that Prine’s keen emotional intelligence easily overcame his limitations as a musician and singer. A two\u002Dtime cancer survivor, Prine was already in poor health when Piazza befriended him, but the artist’s good humor and low\u002Dkey grace shine through on every page."⭐ 4.7/5(62)

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Cover of MAKER GIRL AND PROFESSOR SMARTS

MAKER GIRL AND PROFESSOR SMARTS

by book’s end, they’ll likely come to agree with the duo’s claims that “MAKING STUFF!” and “KNOWING STUFF!” are indeed superpowers. Other supervillains in town go by monikers such as the Fluffernator and “Snot Lady,” and Florentine allows readers to see Mr. Antifreeze’s vulnerable side\u003B the level of actual or potential violence here is low. Thanks to dramatic poses and exaggerated expressions, the dynamic duo’s big personalities come through clearly in Florentine’s limber cartoon scenes. Yael is light\u002Dskinned, while Chuy is brown\u002Dskinned and cued Latine\u003B the entire cast displays a broadly diverse range of racial and cultural identities."⭐ 4.3/5(17)

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Cover of MANNAZ

MANNAZ

by the end, there are definite changes at the highest levels and richly deserved rewards for those who brought them about."⭐ 4.0/5(1,280)

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Cover of MARIA LA DIVINA

MARIA LA DIVINA

by dumping her for Jackie Kennedy. All of these events and encounters and settings (including Venice) speed by in Charyn’s nonstop narrative, daring the reader to keep up. Winston Churchill, incontinent and prone to violent fits, makes an appearance. So does Grace Kelly, whose smile, through Callas’ eyes, is “fictitious” and who “could barely string together two sentences that made sense.” Charyn is at his best getting inside the creative process, offering insight into Callas’ mastery of bel canto and the unfixable “wobble” in her throat that helped define her. We learn how her poor vision prevents her from seeing the conductor’s baton and requires her to memorize where everything is placed onstage. And then there’s the key role played by her beloved canaries, singing partners to the end."⭐ 4.4/5(11)

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Cover of MARROW

MARROW

by a group of self\u002Dproclaimed witches, it’s a distinct possibility. She grew up on Marrow Island, off the coast of Maine, at the Bare Root Fertility Center, owned and operated by her mother, Ursula. This fertility center is staffed by midwives who call themselves witches, and who treat their clients—both those who are giving birth at the center, and those who are desperate to get pregnant—with a mixture of holistic and (supposedly) otherworldly medicines. Unfortunately, Ursula doesn’t believe that Oona has the gift of magic, and so Oona spent her childhood on the outskirts, desperate to find a way in, until eventually she was kicked out under mysterious circumstances. As an adult Oona realizes that her way back into the coven is the same as any other woman’s: She needs to be pregnant. But Oona is plagued by a series of miscarriages. She believes these miscarriages aren’t an accident of biology but instead are a curse by her late childhood friend, Daphne, who Oona thinks is punishing her for an attempted spell gone wrong. When Oona is once again pregnant, she successfully sneaks her way back into Bare Root under disguise, attempting to atone for her past and gain entry into her coveted coven. The first half of the novel is a frustrating combination of convoluted and slow. Once Oona begins to uncover some dark secrets at the fertility center, though, Shea finds her footing and the reader will mostly be hooked."⭐ 3.6/5(73)

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Cover of MARSEILLE 1940

MARSEILLE 1940

by France’s collapse, most Americans opposed helping refugees. Running for reelection in November, Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that supporting immigration was a sure loser at the polls. Some readers will recognize Wittstock’s hero, Varian Fry, a young New York journalist: He is at the heart of Julie Orringer’s 2019 novel The Flight Portfolio, which inspired the Netflix series Transatlantic. Together with a few activists, Fry raised money and founded the Emergency Rescue Committee. Carrying a list of names, including 200 German\u002Dlanguage authors provided by Thomas Mann, he traveled to Marseille in August 1940, assigned to spend a few weeks organizing an office to aid refugees. He remained for more than a year. On arriving, Fry realized that thousands needed help to survive as well as navigate absurd procedures for obtaining paperwork to live, travel, and leave France. Fiercely idealistic, he did what had to be done, much of which was illegal and expensive\u003B this offended the ERC, which demanded his return, and the State Department, which refused to renew his passport and denounced him to the Vichy government. Fry finally returned in the fall of 1941\u003B declared persona non grata, he received little thanks. Wittstock detours regularly for accounts of refugees. Readers may recognize names like Max Ernst, Hannah Arendt, Marc Chagall, and Heinrich Mann, but most will be as unfamiliar as they were to Fry, who rescued more than 1,000 people, a lifesaving feat because, of course, death in concentration camps awaited many who were left behind."⭐ 4.5/5(595)

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Cover of MASKS

MASKS

by the centuries\u002Dold monster\u002Dhunting society the Knights of the Night. But a compassionate Knight helped her escape, and she was later found by Stoker, a young adult monster, who taught her how to survive in the shadows of the human world. He also shared a “silly urban legend” about a place “deep downtown, where monsters could live in peace.” Ever since Stoker’s sudden disappearance, Poe has been living with two young monsters named Rice (who has blue skin) and Shelley (who has pink skin, orange hair, and sharp fangs). When neighborhood gentrification means the empty house they’re squatting in will be destroyed, they venture out on Halloween—which provides the perfect cover for their unusual appearances—in search of the rumored haven. But their quest is far from easy, and they encounter danger along the way. Found family and good human allies (diverse in skin tone) who offer support in the face of the actions of corrupt, greedy people lie at the core of the story, offering parallels to the experiences of marginalized groups who must fly under the radar to live safely. The illustrations, which are full of emotion, feature muted colors and loose linework."⭐ 3.7/5(91)

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Cover of MATCHING MINDS WITH SONDHEIM

MATCHING MINDS WITH SONDHEIM

by many of his friends. His Murder Game inspired the song “Finishing the Hat.” In the 1960s he’d occasionally appear on TV game shows like The Match Game and Password, always anxious to win. He was also New York magazine’s puzzle editor. Joseph goes into great detail outlining the musician’s treasure hunts. “Tackling one of Sondheim’s puzzles can feel like being lost in the face of an unknown language,” the author writes, but the 2013 City Center Treasure Hunt offers insights, as it was “thoroughly documented” by Maria Seremetis, whom Sondheim hired as an assistant. Joseph even gathers together a group of friends over Zoom to reenact the hunt so that they could all experience the fun of matching minds with Sondheim. Joseph discusses the composer’s movie board game, Stardom, designed when he was in his early 20s. The Great Conductor Hunt was designed for his friend Leonard Bernstein. Sondheim was also a word puzzle designer, especially crosswords and challenging cryptics. Stephen Sondheim’s Crossword Puzzles was published in 1980. He was even passionate about elaborate jigsaw puzzles, giving them as gifts to performers in his musicals. Late in life, he got into escape rooms. Joseph estimates that nearly 2,000 of the composer’s possessions, which were auctioned off, were related to puzzles and games."⭐ 5.0/5(3)

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Cover of MELINDA WEST AND THE GREMLIN QUEEN

MELINDA WEST AND THE GREMLIN QUEEN

by going after a single “grem” that they spotted in Fallows, which ultimately leads them to crowds of the creatures. The gunslingers, armed with pistols, dynamite, and a crossbow, garner new allies, including the recently widowed and noticeably pregnant Brigitta\u003B alchemist witch Nox, and several others. The grems are able to multiply at an alarming rate, so it seems that the only way to take them down for good is to somehow ensure that they stop laying eggs. Grifant’s taut follow\u002Dup to Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger (2023) wisely devotes more time to establishing its unforgettable setting. It’s not a monster story set in the Old West, but rather a Western that happens to contain monsters, as evidenced by Melinda and Lance’s attire (each wears a wide\u002Dbrimmed hat and a duster), weapons (six\u002Dshooters with holsters), and means of transportation (ever\u002Ddependable horses Pepper and Mud). The heroes face a variety of engaging challenges, including vicious creatures that hail from the Edge (including “fire cattle” with “too\u002Dwide mouths like sharks”), a fissure between the human world and the monster world\u003B untrustworthy outlaws and refugees at an outpost\u003B and frequently rough terrain. Numerous characters receive the spotlight at various times, including those who appear in only a few chapters. Lance is little more than Melinda’s sidekick, but the duo’s mutual loyalty and respect is unmistakable and a driving narrative force."⭐ 4.1/5(29)

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Cover of MERCY

MERCY

by his own tragedy when readers first meet him hunting fugitives. Later, he allies himself with Alevist. “So much of the history was filled with deceit and manipulation, but also sacrifice,” Erevayn realizes at one point. “So much of what he had learned, now revealed to be false.” In the book’s “About the Author” section, a mention is made that some of Dillon’s writing influences include Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen series and Joe Abercrombie (presumably his First Law trilogy). Readers familiar with those authors will see them all over this fast\u002Dpaced series opener. The usual trappings of epic fantasy are present—maps, glossaries, etc.—but they’re amply augmented by some of the hallmarks of grimdark fantasy, including bouts of gory violence and the liberal deployment of expletives. The characters wield magic in a world of supernatural beings, but most of them sound distinctly contemporary in language and attitude. The novel is also characterized by a great deal of the cynical nihilism that fills the books of the author’s storytelling predecessors. Dillon takes the risk of front\u002Dloading his narrative with the intricate vocabulary and proper names of his story, and despite the presence of glossaries at the front and back of the novel, this gamble doesn’t entirely pay off. Readers unfamiliar with the shotgun\u002Dstyle worldbuilding of the Dungeon Master’s Guide may find themselves swamped by the tale’s arcane terminology. But the author usually overcomes this lack of punchy exposition by keeping readers hooked the old\u002Dfashioned way, with well\u002Ddeveloped characters and smoothly realized dialogue. Alevist dominates the bulk of the story so completely that it’s fortunate he’s drawn as compellingly as he is, a deeply wounded man who’s nonetheless emotionally honest. But even the tale’s main villain, Harglon, often manages to be more than a simple, one\u002Ddimensional bad guy. In his first novel, Dillon accomplishes the crucial feat of making his readers want to move on to his next book."⭐ 4.0/5(126)

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Cover of MIDNIGHT ON THE POTOMAC

MIDNIGHT ON THE POTOMAC

by superior resources and persistence, not battlefield victories, so he was not discouraged after a year of bloody stalemate, although Union morale plummeted. Departing from tradition, Ellsworth gives John Wilkes Booth more attention than Abraham Lincoln and Grant. America’s most admired matinee idol, Booth hated Black people and fervently supported the Confederacy. Ellsworth turns up evidence that he secretly met with Confederate agents. No one knows what they discussed, but the idea that Wilkes was carrying out a devilish Confederate plot has never lacked supporters. Despite remaining skeptical, Ellsworth devotes much of his book to the South’s energetic secret service, whose members engaged in espionage, propaganda, and terrorism throughout the Union and Canada. His breathless account takes the service more seriously than most scholars but can’t conceal its mostly ineffectual schemes, among which were plans to kidnap the president. Booth approved and volunteered his services, but by 1865 efforts had fizzled\u003B the Confederacy was on its last legs, but the plot to kill Lincoln, the vice president, and the secretary of state proceeded under Booth’s leadership. Ellsworth tells the familiar story, followed by the victory that the Union greeted ecstatically despite the shadow cast by Lincoln’s assassination. He extols Black freedom yet admits that persistent racism left a shameful pall over American exceptionalism, which lifted somewhat over the following century but is, of course, still with us."⭐ 4.3/5(709)

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Cover of MINDS IN TRANSIT

MINDS IN TRANSIT

by the poor and desperate. The nobles of Valedon would simply prefer to bury the Underworld and relocate its inhabitants, as so\u002Dcalled “cancerplasts” are rooting there, causing earthquakes that shake the city and threaten to undermine it permanently. Meanwhile, the masters—micros that seek to take over their host, not work with it—have mutated into Traders, capitalists that use financial incentives to encourage their hosts to succumb to their control and who are no longer as easy to detect. In order to flush them out, Chrys has incorporated microscopic quantum computing units within herself, which collectively threaten to achieve sentience in their own right, which many see as a threat. And this barely scratches the surface of all the intrigue connected to the continuing fight for nonhuman sentient rights and political shakeups on both Valedon and Shora. Slonczewski is fond of overloading her characters with difficulties, but this story seems to take that tendency to an extreme. There is almost no letup to the implausible amount of burdens and responsibilities that others pile upon Chrys\u003B she is allowed very little time to enjoy her unique position as a successful artist and a wealthy woman with a fascinating creative collective in her brain. Perhaps it’s her micros that prevent Chrys from having a nervous breakdown, even as they add to her stress. Ultimately, these tensions build to a crisis point, but the resolution afterward is rife with dangling and even expanding plot threads, suggesting that the author has merely chosen a place to rest, not to conclude. Presumably we won’t have to wait another 25 years to find out?"⭐ 3.7/5(3)

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Cover of MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS

MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS

by negativity or “wicked thoughts,” eventually turning them into monsters. Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, encounters the equally famous Momotaro, or Peach Boy, from Japanese folklore, forming an empathic bond even as they venture to Demon Island. They meet fox spirit Kit, along with other beasts and yokai (spirits), and together recover magical treasures while unraveling mysteries and narrowly averting war between beasts and humans. Lam again weaves a colorful and exhilarating pictorial narrative that will delight readers, inhabited by appealing characters such as Tofu\u002DBoy. Although the iconic Monkey King is eternally childlike, in the portrayal of Wukong’s hero’s journey in his human form, he appears as a young adult, perhaps signaling his interior world. Lam’s charmingly expressive and endearing illustrations add humor to this rollicking adventure\u003B Cerberus, Wukong’s constant companion and a carry\u002Dover from the first book, is adorably fluffy and rotund. "⭐ 4.4/5(19)

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Cover of MOON SONGS

MOON SONGS

by quotes from Emshwiller. One proclaims her love for unreliable narrators\u003B another disclaims any intention to provide “meaning,” asserting, “I just try to write a good, well\u002Dformed story.” And she does just that, establishing eerie atmospheres in mere handfuls of words, often and most effectively through a set of characters encountering something out of their norm—alien, or wrong, or just different—which in turn draws the inhuman out of them. Her final published story, the post\u002Dapocalyptic “All I Know of Freedom,” closes the collection with grim hope that resonates long after its 2012 publication. This compellingly assembled retrospective gives longtime Emshwiller fans a chance to savor her unique sensibility again, while lucky newcomers enjoy the thrill of discovery."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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Cover of MORE AND MORE AND MORE

MORE AND MORE AND MORE

by a new one. In this model, wood gives way to coal, which gives way to oil, then electricity, nuclear, and eventually renewable energy become the dominant forms. The book argues that the transition model was originally created by industrialists touting their products as the wave of the future. The idea especially took off after World War II, with the “atomic age” promoted as a new era of clean, cheap energy. Historians as well as the popular press adopted the idea without looking closely at all the ways it simplified what was really happening. Fressoz, a French historian of science and technology, rejects this model, supplying abundant evidence that instead of earlier forms being replaced as newer ones came online, they remained in use, often supplementing the new forms. For example, the rise of coal was accompanied by an increase in the use of wood, for braces in the coal mines, railroad ties, and construction of railroad cars. A similar dynamic followed each of the later “energy transitions,” with coal usage increasing as oil became the dominant energy source\u003B more coal is being used today than ever before, notably to generate electricity in Asian countries but also to make steel and other metals. Most recently, “transition” has become a mantra for those responding to the climate crisis—all the bad, polluting energy sources will be replaced eventually by something greener. Fressoz does not dispute the severity of the climate crisis. Instead, he points to “the need…for a new understanding of energy and material dynamics” instead of reliance on “bad history.”"⭐ 4.1/5(150)

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Cover of MURDERLAND

MURDERLAND

by the Guggenheim family), tragic incidents on a precarious floating bridge connecting Seattle and Mercer Island, and Fraser’s own recollections of growing up in a time and place when young women were inordinately targeted and killed. She depicts a lot of death\u003B Fraser is determined to make the reader see the worst of the killers’ actions, in vivid but unsensationalistic detail, to underscore the ever\u002Descalating crises that mining and smelting businesses tried to underplay, pay off, or ignore. By the ’90s, as bans on leaded gasoline took effect, smelters closed, and the EPA set stricter pollution standards, the number of serial killers dissipated. Fraser’s book is an engrossing and disturbing portrait of decades of carnage that required decades to confront."⭐ 3.9/5(4,913)

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Cover of MY DEAR ILLUSION

MY DEAR ILLUSION

by the mist rising off the black water and the droplets falling in a raindrop symphony over the moonlit night that it almost missed the trickster slipping through the front door of the Night Den.”) The story, despite its bulk, maintains tension. The frenetic, unpredictable final act makes checking out the forthcoming sequel a virtual necessity."⭐ 4.0/5(85)

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Cover of MY NAME IS BENNY

MY NAME IS BENNY

by best friend Timothy, her neighbor Isaac, and her classmate Fae. The individual entries, which range from one to three pages, throw readers into Benny’s world with little introduction and feature short, often comedic moments from her interactions with peers. The humorous scenarios vary but primarily focus on a combination of Benny’s immaturity, laziness, and imaginative flights of fancy, which are often juxtaposed against the actions and responses of her friends. There’s not enough material in the fast\u002Dpaced stories to enthrall readers looking for belly laughs and deep witticisms, but those amused by slice\u002Dof\u002Dlife moments might enjoy meeting Benny and seeing her offbeat interactions. The artwork makes use of watercolorlike textures and tones and minimalist backgrounds. Some of the jokes seem to be aimed at older readers, such as references to infomercial pitchman Billy Mays and the marshmallow test and an incident involving a massage chair. Diehard fans of the web series may appreciate owning a book that collects many of Benny’s adventures. Characters are light\u002Dskinned and largely present white. "⭐ 3.4/5(5)

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Cover of NIGHT PEOPLE

NIGHT PEOPLE

by a musician with a home studio. But this was an absurdly lucky break, even for me.” Ronson writes beautifully about the allure of the nightclub: “For someone who grew up amid chaos and uncertainty, the DJ booth was the perfect refuge—a one‐man command center, where every fader and dial bent the world to my will.” His chronicle of his rise to success is entertaining, funny, and humble\u003B while he allows that he’s good at his job, he remains well aware of the role that chance played in his career. You don’t have to love dance music to enjoy this thoroughly charming memoir."⭐ 3.8/5(219)

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Cover of NINETTE'S WAR

NINETTE'S WAR

by Basque smugglers. Ninette sat out the rest of the war in Madrid, only returning to France after the Allied victory. Her life is told by a master storyteller, himself a child of Jewish survivors, based on her diaries and the conversations that the elderly Ninette had with her biographer. Jay’s book focuses on a young woman’s coming of age in a time of trauma. It writes an inner, psychological narrative of getting by, getting along, and not getting caught. It illustrates how even the most privileged of people could be ensnared in prejudice and persecution. Ninette’s life does not have the tragic poignancy of Anne Frank’s, and her diary and reminiscences carry little of the existential weight of Frank’s famous journal. Ninette ages into what her biographer calls “une grande dame from central casting.” What we learn from her story, though, is how family gets you through the worst of times—how parents and children bond and bear the terror of a knock on the door, a casual encounter with a man in uniform, and the foreboding sense that, irrespective of your importance, they may come for you too."⭐ 4.2/5(10)

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Cover of NOBODY CAN GIVE YOU FREEDOM

NOBODY CAN GIVE YOU FREEDOM

by virtue of, among other things, his rejection of some of the Nation of Islam’s more extreme tenets, including its unbending view that white people were incapable of redemption, while he “did leave open the possibility of White people being involved in the struggle.” Andrews paints with a broad brush in condemning the authors of the myths surrounding Malcolm, among whom he names Black intellectuals and writers, including Spike Lee, Manning Marable, Cornel West, and Alex Haley. Similarly, he scorns the Civil Rights Movement as led by Martin Luther King Jr. and Bayard Rustin, holding that revolutionary struggle for liberation alone could achieve equality: “Malcolm didn’t believe we should rely on White people (e.g., affirmative action) because the Western system was incapable of providing justice for Black people.” Andrews’ disdain for the civil rights approach extends to such efforts as the New York Times’ 1619 Project, calling lead editor Nikole Hannah\u002DJones “a witness, and so we should not embrace the solutions she has offered, especially when they involve draping yourself in the American flag—as though this could ever offer some kind of protection.” Andrews’ ad hominem observations make this a slog. He can also be repetitious, hitting several times, for instance, on Malcolm’s views of race less as biological fact than as a political construct. (As Malcolm said, “White is an attitude….”) This diminishes the author’s project of identifying the enduring lessons of Malcolm X’s legacy and how to put them into action."⭐ 4.3/5(10)

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Cover of NOBODY KNOWS YOU'RE HERE

NOBODY KNOWS YOU'RE HERE

by one of the callous “goons” who occasionally drop off kidnap victims or, scarier still, take them away (“Maybe They would kill us all”). Beatrice, with no access to a cellphone or the internet, is ostensibly in the middle of nowhere. That, however, doesn’t stop her from contemplating escape, or attempting it when she has the chance. Greenwood’s novel is steeped in mysteries beyond Beatrice not knowing where she is\u003B for example, she can’t be sure her indifferent father, or anyone else, is even looking for her. Aiden and Isabel are likewise unpredictable—they also seem to be victims of whatever organization is behind the kidnappings, but how much of what they tell Beatrice is the truth? Beatrice, who narrates, makes for a laudable hero\u003B she’s bright, empathetic, patient when it counts the most, and a mental powerhouse. Some of what she endures is vicious, though the author implies much of the violence and consistently lets suspense drive the narrative. All of this begets a sublime final act that focuses on the enigmatic characters and their complicated relationships. "⭐ 4.3/5(457)

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Cover of Nostalgia

Nostalgia

by his stage name, Nostalgia) was once a revolutionary musician, but after not making any new music for years, he’s become completely detached from both his creative life and his former insurrectionist ties: “I can’t get arrested these days,” he says to someone currently fighting against the system. “And I’m not looking to.” When Nathan appears, claiming to be his son, Craig is skeptical but open to forming a bond with the younger man. The story flashes back to Craig’s earlier life—his parents, his rise to fame, and subsequent withdrawal from the world—while, in the present, Nathan’s involvement with a shadowy rebel organization is revealed. Unlike a lot of other dystopian fiction, this story’s setting and its technology is fleshed out just enough to be intriguing without feeling excessive\u003B the futuristic way that music is created is especially engrossing. There’s a twist just before the end that some readers may see coming, but Hoffman (perhaps better known by his stage name, Babydaddy, of the glam\u002Drock band Scissor Sisters) still manages to make it compelling. Žeželj’s art style is more abstract than one typically encounters in comics—reminiscent of flyers from punk shows, but more richly colored. It’s an appealingly bold stylistic choice, but it causes a few problems at times, as characters’ faces are sometimes too abstract to recognize. The story itself is moody and introspective, ruminating on such ideas as what it means to be famous, how to use that fame, and what a celebrity owes to the world\u003B however, it avoids feeling self\u002Dabsorbed. Truly, the biggest downside is that the story ends just as it seems to be getting started."⭐ 3.6/5(74)

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Cover of ODDITY WOODS

ODDITY WOODS

by town of Perdita, where he worked with the police. But the town’s police are dismissive, saying they’re too busy to follow up on a “silly ghost story.” To keep children out, people say that “deep in the woods, a ghost train appears, which steals your soul if you ride it.” Trusting her instincts, Marietta runs directly into those storied woods. Upon crossing a mystical threshold that disappears behind her, she finds herself in an otherworldly realm. A boy named Wyatt with a mysterious past appears to be the only living human in a landscape otherwise populated with monsters and ghosts. After escaping a terrifying encounter with the conductor of the ghost train, the two team up, working together to find Marietta’s father and get Wyatt home. Originally released as a webcomic, this series opener features luminescent and evocative artwork reminiscent of chibi\u002Dstyle manga. The illustrations effectively convey threats, movement, and emotions. Though the latter half of the book gets a bit complicated by added characters and side quests, the magical gadgets, compelling characters, and exciting twists give the story strong appeal for young fantasy fans. Most human characters are white presenting."⭐ 4.2/5(121)

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Cover of OF WIND AND WOLVES

OF WIND AND WOLVES

by her father in marriage to the elderly Ariapaithi, King of the Skythians. Trained by her mother’s people to be independent, Anaiti has no interest in being a wife and mother. She has agreed to the arrangement to ensure peace between the Bastarnai kingdom and the Skythians. She is what the Greeks call an hamazon, or amazon, a member of the feared Rokhalani tribe of tall, fierce women. Although the Bastarnai are a farming tribe who have settled on the border of the Steppe, the Rokhalani are nomadic, and Anaiti has a passion for the open wildness of the steppe. She is mentally and physically devoted to the hamazon ethic, a commitment that was sealed many years ago when her right breast was ceremonially cauterized to improve her archery skills. But there’s a problem: Although Anaiti is a skillful rider and is highly adept in archery, she’s never killed an enemy. Among both tribes, no warrior is to be married before first accomplishing this feat. Ariapaithi proposes a compromise: “She’ll ride with our men as they patrol the marches and return when she has a scalp. When she makes her kill, I’ll make her my wife.” Anaiti willingly accepts this challenge\u003B it’s a way to postpone marriage. Ariapaithi assigns protection of her life and virtue while living among the male warriors of the steppe to his youngest son, Aric, “Warden of the East March and Kara\u002DDaranaka of the kingdom’s most sacred warband.” And so begins a yearlong saga of a relationship between Anaiti and Aric that grows in intensity, loyalty, and dangerous intimacy. The Skythians are portrayed in history as a fearsome, bloodthirsty band of savages with exceptional archery skills while astride a horse. Elliott’s mission, however, is to limn the humanity of the tribe. The pages abound with gruesome battles, but there’s also loyalty and friendship, a devotion to the land and their gods, and poignancy. Elliott is herself a horse trainer, and many of her most tender passages concern Anaiti’s love and unique understanding of horses. There’s also humor tucked into deft prose, amusingly peppered with standard modern four\u002Dletter curse words. Plus, there are dozens of philosophical debates between Anaiti and the Skythians about the nature and rules of the universe. Still, make no mistake, this is not an adventure for the squeamish. The land, climate, and culture leave no room for the weak. Violence and death hide behind every turn in the road and sometimes within the tribe itself (“Grabbing a fistful of his hair, he pulled back the man’s head and sliced open his throat, spraying me with a shower of hot blood”). The final pages of this first volume of a projected trilogy intentionally leave readers guessing what will come next."⭐ 4.3/5(12)

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Cover of OLIVER'S GREAT BIG UNIVERSE

OLIVER'S GREAT BIG UNIVERSE

by Dr. Bertha, he does—from (primordial) soup to incidents that are pure nuts. Once again, the humor (including groan\u002Dworthy puns, farting, and mentions of poop) is matched to a middle schooler’s DNA, and the droll black\u002Dand\u002Dwhite line drawings reduplicate the fun (and convey information). The language is largely accessible: Words like paleontologist, domesticated, and fossils are defined in the text. A pronunciation cue is integrated for fungi (Dr. Bertha: “It’s pronounced ‘fun\u002Dguy.’” Oliver: “Yes, I am!”) but not for harder vocabulary (e.g., eukaryotes, haikouichthys, and Chicxulub). Cham explains scientists’ various theories for potential sources of life (such as lightning hitting the primordial soup or asteroids bringing “the right ingredients”). He also describes natural selection and mass extinctions. The book gets down to the microbe level, but there’s no mention of genes (even in the explanation of mutations), and evolution comes across as largely occurring in the past\u003B nevertheless, this is an entertaining overview of the basics. "⭐ 4.7/5(3)

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Cover of ON ANTISEMITISM

ON ANTISEMITISM

by the middle third of the 20th century, “the Jewish question,” in the words of the Nazi Reich press office, became “the key to world history.” Antisemitism and the rise of the emancipation of Jews went together. Mazower writes, “As a movement against Jewish emancipation, antisemitism fundamentally involved a critique of the idea that the law should treat all alike.” The impact of antisemitism, then, went beyond laws discriminating against Jews. It created a world in which law and national identity became inextricably linked. In a postwar world, could Jews be “true patriots?” Mazower, professor of history at Columbia University and author of Hitler’s Empire, also argues that the emergence of the state of Israel as a world power reshaped both the social and the legal positions of Jewish communities throughout Europe and America. “With the secularization of American Jewry and its embrace of ethnic politics, antisemitism was gradually becoming more and more linked to the question of Israel.” While Mazower declines to equate anti\u002DZionism with antisemitism, he recognizes that, increasingly, some do. Mazower concludes his book with a reflection on student protests in the wake of Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, and the war in Gaza. The word “antisemitism” has become ammunition that fits many different guns. “To clarify terms like it,” he writes, is to make us aware of the “hidden depths” behind its modern history and, in the end, “make ourselves participants in the process of change in the world.”"⭐ 4.2/5(17)

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Cover of OVER THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

OVER THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

by disguising herself as a boy, since that way she’ll likely do hard labor instead of being forced into sex work, as many young females are. It’s not all doom and gloom: The author makes several entertaining nods to classic fairy tales, sometimes directly and other times more generally (shoes, as they do in many fairy tales, play a crucial role in this novel). Rose’s aunties provide a touch of comic relief, with their nonstop banter complicating many conversations, whether they’re arguing or in complete agreement. The action picks up in the story’s latter half, and while the final act is definitely in no rush to reach the ending, the journey to get there is well worth it."⭐ 4.5/5(6)

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Cover of PERPETUA

PERPETUA

by Rome in a public spectacle for their refusal to recant their faith. Their story is recounted by Perpetua herself, in a short document that was soon after augmented by an editor/redactor. Ruden approaches the story of Perpetua with reverence, but primarily with the eye of a scholar. Her treatment is far from a hagiography or even a work of Christian history but instead serves as a close literary examination of this ancient text. Perpetua is seen as a truncated, overlooked, and even exploited female author, her own account, riveting and meaningful on its own, touched up, added to, and misused by others over time. “In forty years of studying ancient literature,” Ruden notes, “I have never seen an author so openly shoved to the side, shushed, and interrupted.” Ruden’s efforts seem aimed to clarify Perpetua’s role in the eyes of fellow academics. She exposes those forces in the church and in culture who have misrepresented and misused Perpetua (Augustine of Hippo is an example), while also diving headlong into a level of literary analysis that the lay reader may find unhelpful. A page and a half devoted to Perpetua’s use of the word ego (“I”), in reference to herself, is an example. Ruden notes in conclusion that “it is high time to move [Perpetua’s] story into the brighter light she powerfully deserves.” Ruden’s treatment does not, unfortunately, move Perpetua into that brighter light for the average reader."⭐ 3.7/5(3)

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Cover of PICKLE ON WHEELS

PICKLE ON WHEELS

by the end of the story, Pickle, Coco, and Felix are all skating together, three links in a chain of friendship. The repeated emphasis on process over results conveys a lovely lesson that never becomes preachy. Kantorovitz’s spare, muted artwork is enchanting in its simplicity, depicting the pains of failing at a new hobby and the joys of finally triumphing\u003B she also displays a keen eye for precious details such as Pickle’s handwritten thank\u002Dyou letter to Grandma and knee patches on the protagonist’s now\u002Dmended trousers."⭐ 4.0/5(11)

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Cover of PIGEONHOLED

PIGEONHOLED

by one columnist as “the Guardian’s black journalist who writes ‘black stories.’” Ironically, his first column for the paper, about Bosnia, was spiked because the editor wanted him to add an “ethnic sensibility.” Born in Hertfordshire to Barbadian parents, Younge knew very few Black people. “When I entered a pub in most Scottish cities or any rural area in Britain, there was always this fragment of silence as I single\u002Dhandedly integrated the space.” Starting out in journalism, he says, felt like going into one of those pubs. Two decades later, Black journalists made up only 0.2% of staffers at British outlets. Younge is highly critical of mainstream media that have few Black decision\u002Dmakers but put Black journalists in front of cameras, mistaking photo opportunities for equal opportunities. Invoking wisdom from James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, and Shonda Rhimes, he acknowledges that while he aims to speak to the Black community in a relevant voice, “I hope I am never deluded enough to think I can speak for it.” He insists that though he may not represent Black people, “it’s important that I don’t misrepresent them. For it would also be reckless to contribute to an atmosphere in which relatively vulnerable people were made more vulnerable by my work.” After all, being Black in Britain means one is more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, incarcerated, unemployed, underpaid, or homeless. By honestly reflecting on the complex challenges of his career, Younge hopes “to broaden the space for what we all might write.”"⭐ 4.1/5(25)

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Cover of Pitman’s Broadway Theatre at 100

Pitman’s Broadway Theatre at 100

by towns beyond it. As movie theaters became commonplace later in the 20th century, the theater largely moved back to live performances. A husband and wife eventually bought the theater outright and still own it today\u003B it continues to thrive as a culture center of Pitman and South Jersey more broadly. Eldredge’s history uses a combination of anecdotal examples, biographical detail, and broader historical context, including details of local politics, to create a sweeping narrative of the Broadway. There are many specific details that make the history feel especially vivid, and the many interviews help to personalize the events of its story further. Sometimes, the book can feel a little bit disorganized\u003B in particular, its strict chronology can work against it, making it difficult to trace recurring themes clearly. However, this is a small complaint, and it’s easy to perceive the clear love and pride that the author feels for that local institution."

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Cover of PLAY NICE

PLAY NICE

by a demon. In So Thirsty (2024), Harrison wrote a book about vampires that was also a novel about best friends trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Here, Harrison mines the potential of the haunted house to excavate the abuse that Clio and her sisters suffered as children. Clio is a terrific protagonist. She’s sharp and funny and a little less self\u002Daware than she thinks she is. As she tries to reconcile her own memories with those of her family—including her mother, who left behind an annotated copy of the book she wrote about living in a demon\u002Dplagued split\u002Dlevel in the suburbs—and questions her own sense of reality, Clio unravels. But it’s a necessary unraveling, the kind of annihilation that makes real change possible. This novel delivers truly chilly scenes while also exploring the emotional depths that make horror meaningful. There’s a climactic scene at a family barbecue where Clio sees echoes of her mother in herself, Leda, and Daphne and thinks, “Her ghost is us.” There are many emotionally devastating moments in this novel, but this one captures the essence of them all. Harrison knows that we are, all of us, haunted."⭐ 4.1/5(8,587)

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Cover of POEMS & PRAYERS

POEMS & PRAYERS

by an 18\u002Dyear\u002Dold (Rimbaud excepted) should read: “Ignorant minds of the fortunate man / Blind of the fate shaping every land.” McConaughey is fearless in his commitment to the rhyme, no matter how slight the result (“Oops, took a quick peek at the sky before I got my glasses, / now I can’t see shit, sure hope this passes”). And, sad to say, the slight is what is most on display throughout, punctuated by some odd koanlike aperçus: “Eating all we can / at the all\u002Dwe\u002Dcan\u002Deat buffet, / gives us a 3.8 education / and a 4.2 GPA.” “Never give up your right to do the next right thing. This is how we find our way home.” “Memory never forgets. Even though we do.” The prayer portion of the program is deeply felt, but it’s just as sentimental\u003B only when he writes of life\u002Dchanging events—a court appearance to file a restraining order against a stalker, his decision to quit smoking weed—do we catch a glimpse of the effortlessly fluent, effortlessly charming McConaughey as exemplified by the David Wooderson (“alright, alright, alright”) of Dazed and Confused. The rest is mostly a soufflé in verse. McConaughey’s heart is very clearly in the right place, but on the whole the book suggests an old saw: Don’t give up your day job."⭐ 4.2/5(570)

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Cover of Pop Kill

Pop Kill

by a menpō\u002Dmasked hit squad and a half\u002Dburned, knife\u002Dwielding enforcer, Dina believes her best hope is to explain to her boss she has no intention of jumping ship. However, her newfound superspy bodyguard knows just how vengeful Koizumi can be, and that it’ll take more than words to survive his wrath. Writer/artist Johnson tackles his first full\u002Dlength, creator\u002Downed series alongside Painkiller Jane co\u002Dcreator Palmiotti, crafting a tale of espionage that effectively balances the serious and absurd. The multibillion\u002Ddollar companies’ antics mirror real\u002Dlife acts of corporate manipulation, although the cola\u002Dcan silencers and booby\u002Dtrapped six\u002Dpacks are on the wild side. The villains shine bright here, and Goro and Kaito’s antics are hilarious and horrifying. Jon and Dina have good banter, but a perfunctory romance. Santacruz’s pencils fit the genre perfectly, with a modern, cinematic approach to action scenes and a bit of Howard Chaykin influence apparent in the character designs. The soda logos are standouts—as dynamic and believable as real\u002Dworld brands."⭐ 3.4/5(49)

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Cover of PRESENT, STILL MISSING

PRESENT, STILL MISSING

by his family and his little town of Midland Valley. But it isn’t long before cracks begin to appear: The persona of the cheerful and easy\u002Dgoing Daddy Irene remembers increasingly seems like an act Mr. Bracken is trying to maintain, and underneath this mask is an angry and frightened man, someone whose experiences in the war have wounded him in invisible ways. While the narrative largely follows Irene as she goes about the normal activities of a young girl in a small town, it also returns regularly to the unavoidable reality that Mr. Bracken is fighting an inner battle—and largely losing it. “We’d have been better off if he’d never come home,” Irene’s friend MaryEllen says at one point about her own ex\u002Dsoldier father. “At least then Momma would have a check from the gov’ment.” Irene’s worries reach a peak when her father opts for electroshock therapy, and Mach’s decision to narrate these tense and dark events from the perspective of a young girl ends up paying off wonderfully. Irene is innocent but tough (“I hope he feels the sear of my gaze,” she thinks about a boy in her class who’s just assumed the class girls won’t play in the upcoming baseball game, “because I am ready to broil him in hot flames”)\u003B readers will immediately bond with and relate to her, even when she’s privately her suffering father’s harshest critic."⭐ 4.8/5(4)

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Cover of PUMPKIN AND BEETLE

PUMPKIN AND BEETLE

by curious creatures\u003B their elementary school classmates include a mummy, a pumpkinhead, a witch, and a wolf. When Pumpkin and Beetle spot a comic book they want to buy in the town bookshop, they realize they need to earn money to buy it. A brainstorming session ensues, and they finally settle on selling crabapples. That idea is a bust (“I can find crabapples in the forest!” one of their prospective customers tells them), so they make various entrepreneurial pivots to create a more exciting product, eventually cooking up some rather burnt crabapple muffins. These, too, are a flop, and Pumpkin and Beetle are close to despair, but a timely barter just might be the solution to their conflict. An enjoyable exercise in persistence, problem\u002Dsolving, and happy compromise, this graphic novel features succinct text, ideal for readers of many skill levels, while the cartooning is more sweet than spooky. One of the friendly recurring characters is a floating, silently supportive pink ghost cat named Boo—an especially adorable addition. A glimpse into the comic that Pumpkin and Beetle are obsessed with purchasing and a presumably yummier apple muffin recipe round out the book."⭐ 3.7/5(45)

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Cover of RACE TO INNOVATION

RACE TO INNOVATION

by diverse entrepreneurs and innovators, and “accelerating transformative change” to “seize opportunities, grow, and build value at an accelerated pace.” In these pages, Bamforth and Zwahlen and their guest contributors employ a number of formats, from bulleted summaries to industry case studies to interviews with innovators, to flesh out these basic principles.This varied approach makes the book smoothly readable. The authors effectively buttress their broader thoughts on diversity and entrepreneurship with specific examples, including profiles of some of the many people doing the work on the ground. They tell the story of Marcus Whitney, for instance, the co\u002Dstarter of a fund for health care startups who angrily corresponded with the Nashville Health Care Leadership Council about its lack of support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020. “How is it possible,” Whitney asks, addressing institutional racial imbalances, “that the nation’s leading healthcare services cluster has generated incredible wealth for White people in Nashville but no meaningful wealth for Nashville’s Black community?” Bamforth and Zwahlen also profile Shuchin Shukla, a son of Indian immigrants who served in rural, impoverished communities in Appalachia ravaged by the opioid epidemic. “His level of talent and commitment,” the authors write, nodding to the advantages of diversity, “could not have been recruited without a hands\u002Don, deeply embedded approach to ideation and problem\u002Dsolving.” Bamforth and Zwahlen also skillfully incorporate brief vignettes from the history of diversity struggles, such as the “fight of the century” between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling in 1938, which Louis won in a knockout (“The celebrations in Black neighborhoods lasted for days”). Running throughout all these stories, carefully highlighted by the authors but never overstressed, are “associations between diversity, innovation, and performance.” Readers not as enthused about the subject as Bamforth and Zwahlen may find some of those associations a bit elusive, but the powerful examples found on virtually every page combine to form a convincing argument that inclusion and equity are practical keys to improving entrepreneurship for all communities."

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Cover of RADICAL DREAMERS

RADICAL DREAMERS

by President Donald Trump, which, the author argues, in its narrow support for private and parochial schools, “compounds past injustices.” He is similarly critical of the Democratic Party’s blind defense of public school policies that “sustain failure and confine students of color to underperforming public schools.” Advocating for school choice through the progressive lenses of Edmonds, Coons, Ravitch, Fuller, and a host of grassroots Black activists, Viteritti makes a well\u002Dresearched case for charter schools that is backed by more than 560 scholarly endnotes. Despite its academic bona fides, this is an accessible work from the perspective of an activist who has long been in the trenches of public education."

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Cover of REFLECTIONS OF HONYOCKER

REFLECTIONS OF HONYOCKER

by shadowy agencies and conspirators with baroque names, such as Baridi Rappaccini, Adjuster Number Two, and Raff Maunder, among others. Their motives involve technology that allows wormhole manipulation and the suppression (or exposure) of secrets that seem too strange for conventional reality. Via narrators such as Reardon Pareidolia and Dejado Abandonado, Fulstone dramatizes a world where paranoia is indistinguishable from truth, and where every revelation seems to be a delusion. As the story advances, the files grow more unstable: Peregrino, a doctor, writes an unnerving letter blending maritime anecdotes with apocalyptic visions, capped by a grotesque poem\u003B John Marcher (adopting the name of Henry James’ disabled protagonist from the 1903 novella The Beast in the Jungle) wonders whether all that preceded his section was simply the product of psychiatric confinement. The novel thus destabilizes its own foundations, suggesting that its extravagant tales of interdimensional travel, conspiracies, and abductions may be nothing more—or less—than the visions of the institutionalized. Fulstone’s strengths lie in his work’s tonal and conceptual daring. The work gleefully mixes pulp tropes with literary allusions, invoking Jorge Luis Borges, Thomas Pynchon, and Vladimir Nabokov in its labyrinthine layering, and the metafictional design—documents within documents, voices contradicting each other—creates an atmosphere of constant instability. The proliferation of aliases, shadowy agencies, and surreal conspiracies verges on incoherence, and shifts from satirical parody to grotesque horror may further alienate readers\u003B a disturbing poem invoking “naked women and children” as corpses, for instance, feels more gratuitous than illuminating. The narrative’s climax disperses rather than focuses the narrative, raising provocative questions but declining to pursue them with discipline. Still, this unsettling work’s messy audacity, refusal of closure, and hall\u002Dof\u002Dmirrors voice\u002Dplay will ensure that even frustrated readers won’t forget it."⭐ 5.0/5(2)

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Cover of REPLACEABLE YOU

REPLACEABLE YOU

by shooting himself in the afflicted foot) for an amputation and refitting with a prosthetic that allowed him to walk more easily. Roach wanders through the hallways of eldritch laboratories where pigs are grown to provide organs that are transplantable to humans, and she visits cadaver labs to look at another source of carefully inventoried parts (“As much time is spent on documentation and shipping of a donor’s tissues as on their removal. You’re expecting The Jeffrey Dahmer Story but it’s closer to UPS”). She interviews researchers on cures for type 1 diabetes and advances in “in vitro gametogenesis” and generally has a grand time looking into areas where few writers—especially squeamish ones—have ventured."⭐ 4.2/5(462)

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Cover of RING OF FIRE

RING OF FIRE

by machine guns. We learn of the tragic collateral deaths of civilians and horses—and of the quirky improvisations of the French, who sent troops to the front in taxis. Likewise, we read of unemployment on the docks of Buenos Aires\u003B New Zealand troops invading German\u002Dheld Samoa\u003B and the widespread deployment of troops from Africa and the Indian subcontinent. By the time we reach the Battle of the Marne, we are familiar with a common litany: undersupplied and undertrained, largely civilian armies, burdened by heavy equipment and dysentery, fighting in heat and unfamiliar terrain, throttled by insufficient supply lines. Officers of various degrees of incompetence fought “the last war.” Above all, the authors emphasize the extent of that August’s carnage. The deaths of thousands in a single battle, the burnings of cities, towns, and villages, the bleeding of munitions and treasure on such a scale that they transformed Europe into a giant cemetery of rotting corpses, where men crawled through mud to survive: all of them hoping this horror would be done by Christmas. "⭐ 3.9/5(46)

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Cover of RIPENESS

RIPENESS

by her farmer father and her “glamorous” French Jewish mother, whose own parents and sister were sent to Belsen during the war. Edith’s status as an outsider in Ireland means she has “learnt, as immigrants do…by keeping quiet, standing back, observing.” This sense of life on the periphery also connects her in memory to her past when, on the brink of attending Oxford, a 17\u002Dyear\u002Dold Edith is sent to stay at a villa near Lake Como with her older sister, a ballerina. Elegant and cosmopolitan like their mother, Lydia is everything cerebral Edith feels she isn’t. Lydia is also eight months pregnant and opaque about the baby’s paternity, determined to give the baby up for adoption and return to her demanding life as a dancer. Moss switches back and forth between Edith’s present, told in close third person, and the past, told in first person and addressed to the baby that Edith and her sister await. Through these parallel narratives, and with her characteristically sinuous style, Moss is able to explore the idea of belonging: What does it mean to belong to a place? To a lineage? A family? A home?"⭐ 4.0/5(964)

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Cover of ROCKET DREAMS

ROCKET DREAMS

by men who have publicly feuded. But in this well\u002Dsourced account, one company is far ahead. Some of SpaceX’s rockets have been eye\u002Dpopping failures, prompting the company to make an explosion highlight video set to the Monty Python theme. Yet in Davenport’s telling, Musk’s hard\u002Ddiving management has propelled his company to preeminence. Musk started employee meetings at 11 p.m. and “barely sleeps.” Conversely, Bezos sometimes worked only Wednesdays at Blue Origin, trying to make it an Amazon\u002Desque “‘Everything Company’ for space.” Davenport, a space\u002Dindustry reporter for the Bezos\u002Downed Washington Post, doesn’t ignore Musk’s controversial tenure with the second Trump administration or Bezos’ recent attempts to win favor with the president. But his focus on pre\u002D2025 events makes for a long\u002Dview perspective on what he calls a new era of space travel, which will not only take humans back to the moon but “allow movement through space”—someday, maybe to Mars. Davenport interviewed both men and scores of their employees. SpaceX won the biggest government contracts to ferry satellites and astronauts to space, but after Musk smoked pot on Joe Rogan’s podcast, the company had to submit to a time\u002Dconsuming NASA investigation of its workplace culture. Though Bezos talked about “expand[ing] out into the solar system” to find new energy sources, by 2021 his company “had yet to even reach Earth orbit,” while SpaceX had launched almost 2,000 satellites. Davenport goes off course only once, recounting a third space mogul’s vain effort to wrest the spotlight. But much more often, he deftly blends nuanced portraits of his principals with accessible explanations of the relevant technology and fascinating space lore."⭐ 4.3/5(14)

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Cover of RODEO HAWKINS AND THE DAUGHTERS OF MAYHEM

RODEO HAWKINS AND THE DAUGHTERS OF MAYHEM

by Rodeo Hawkins, raffish daughter of the Chaos King, who wields a lasso made of pink bubble gum and heads a motley but capable squad of “femininjas.” Young Sidney—the very last of the name, still alive and, inexplicably, the only one who’s a boy—is pitched headlong into a struggle to survive. This battle escalates climactically into a desperate, last\u002Dditch effort to save the very multiverse he’s supposedly destined to destroy. As Wookieelike Daughter of Mayhem warrior Bugbear eloquently puts it, “Goowee poo poo.” Making effective use of silent reaction shots in her cleanly drawn panels to heighten the effects of punchlines and dramatic turns, Miles highlights the notably diverse cast, including the two leads (who have brown skin and dark hair), multiverse cognates (who are the same person except that one lives on an Earth where humans have green “photosynthetic skin”), and a nameless, bodiless consciousness who calls herself “Go.” The fast pace, lively and creative illustrations, and humorous moments will draw readers in."⭐ 4.9/5(9)

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Cover of ROPE

ROPE

by the close, he reveals rope as a potent metaphor for human society and the fibers that bind us. The next time readers hold a length of rope in their hands, it will be with heightened respect and admiration."⭐ 3.8/5(169)

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Cover of ROYAL GAMBIT

ROYAL GAMBIT

by turning into trees and stegosauruses and unusual modes of death involving energetically implanted brain cubes. The occasional borrowed tiara on her head, Alix moves through an environment where nothing is ever quite what it seems. The closer she comes to finding Edmund’s killer, the more Alix uncovers about the secrets surrounding her position within both the Checquy Group and the royal family."⭐ 4.4/5(989)

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Cover of SAVING THORNWOOD

SAVING THORNWOOD

by their cruel aunt. When Anne encounters what appears to be Mary’s ghost in 2022, Mary asks for help. Here, the narrative upends the typical ghost story. Mary and Anne are very real to each other, and they wind up meeting on a regular basis. Mary even gets to try modern ice cream for some comic relief. But how does one help someone who has been dead for over a century? Rust and Surface’s inventive setup alternates between Mary’s and Anne’s narrations and mixes elements of time travel, mental health awareness, harsh 19th\u002Dcentury mental health “treatments” (such as locking patients in a box for “several hours up to several days”), teenage drama, and the supernatural. It’s a unique mélange that keeps readers guessing about what comes next and in which century it will occur. Occasionally, the dialogue drifts toward the obvious. At one point, Anne observes, “My heart is beating erratically now.” Elsewhere Mary says, “On my way to the graveyard, I try to quell the fluttering in my stomach, but I can’t.” Still, the pages fly by as readers race to learn the fate of Thornwood and all its residents."⭐ 4.6/5(7)

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SCHOOL DANCE

by a self\u002Dinduced hex: Every time he dances, disaster follows. After mortifying experiences at a friend’s bar mitzvah and a group dance lesson, Milo is utterly dejected when he hears about the upcoming Snowball Soiree. Luckily, Abue, his beloved abuela, has moved into the Castillo home. Even though she’s been warned against driving, Abue whisks Milo and his friends off to experience live Tejano music, which he enjoys both musically and aesthetically. The experience leaves him with a stronger connection to his heritage as well as more self\u002Dconfidence in his dancing—but Milo feels guilty for lying to his parents about Abue’s driving and conflicted about where to draw the line when trying to please others. When Abue’s failing eyesight catches up with her clandestine drives, Milo must make a hard choice. This latest entry maintains the high standards of Sax’s series. Milo is wholly relatable and accessible, adroitly portraying the ups and downs of adolescence. Sposto’s vibrantly alluring colors and Sax’s gift for highlighting facial expressions and emotions imbue Milo’s journey of self\u002Dacceptance and confidence with deeper levels of nuance that are certain to resonate with readers long after the last page is turned."⭐ 4.0/5(111)

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Cover of SCIENCE UNDER SIEGE

SCIENCE UNDER SIEGE

by polluters and the politicians who advocate for them), the ‘pros’ who use their professional (or in some cases scholarly) credentials to deceive or promote unsupported contrarian views, the propagandists who amplify them on social media and other venues, and, increasingly, the press, including even the mainstream press.” The narrative reveals, in compelling detail, how these forces weave a complicated web of public deception and political danger in the face of some of humanity’s greatest challenges. With clear\u002Deyed prose moving through chapters that explain each of these actors, the authors provide a clear, persuasive road map to fight back against the forces that diminish and dismiss science. The result is an empowering work in a world that can often feel lost to untruths. “While there is urgency—unlike any we’ve ever known—there is still agency,” they write. “We can still avert disaster if we can understand the nature of the mounting anti\u002Dscience threat and formulate a strategy to counter it.”"⭐ 4.4/5(27)

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SELF CARE

by Daryn, and their confusing relationship becomes increasingly intimate as they blur sexual boundaries. As Gloria spends her days working and nights with Daryn, she notices that Isabel is growing distant—posting provocative photos from hotel rooms and often unavailable for their gossip sessions. When an unimaginable tragedy befalls the girls, Gloria must try to hold her shattered world together as Daryn grows increasingly paranoid, angry, and abusive. Though hard to stomach at times, Smith’s writing is at its best when he’s skewering the often performative nature of sex, dating, and politics, as well as the solipsistic delusion of 21st\u002Dcentury life."⭐ 4.3/5(26)

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Cover of SHE JOURNEYS

SHE JOURNEYS

by Nick’s serious injury in a helicopter crash after returning from an overseas deployment. Depressed and demoralized, Sarah returned to California. The cross\u002Dcountry trip, including reunions with family members and solo backpacking in national parks along the way, began a decade\u002Dlong journey of healing. Living with her parents on a houseboat in Newport Beach provided a safe space to begin again. Finding renewed spirituality, faith, and strength through yoga, she attained certification as a yoga instructor. During a four\u002Dyear relationship in San Diego, a class in psychic intuition led to the realization that she needed “More from [her] partner, more from life, and most of all, more from [her]self.” Therapy, exploration of transgenerational trauma, transformational breath work, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, plant medicine, and Reiki were among the methods she explored that resulted in a healthy relationship with her body and spirit and a loving, satisfying relationship with her partner, Andrew. May’s limpid writing unflinchingly recounts the crumbling relationship between her and Nick that propelled her on this journey. Acknowledging that Nick was responsible for his actions, she honestly confronts the question of why she put up with his behavior. The author’s rejection of victimhood is admirable, and her description of the hard work it takes to “heal from the inside out” will be inspirational to anyone hoping to do the same. The book’s tone is lightened by humorous asides about her enthusiasm for alternative therapies (“I burn so much sage, I set off smoke alarms”)."⭐ 4.6/5(14)

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Cover of SHROUD

SHROUD

by a disaster that strands humans among dangerous aliens, concerns a repressive government whose strong resistance to an equitable first contact is met by potentially stronger resistance from the alien contactee(s). As such, it is more than a little reminiscent of the author’s Hugo\u002Dnominated Alien Clay (2024), even if the government and the alien are quite different. While it reads like a meditation on the same theme, especially in the relevance of its socioeconomic and political milieu to contemporary circumstances, it is also well crafted and full of tense moments, building up to an emotional gut punch. "⭐ 4.2/5(5,030)

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Cover of SILENCED VOICES

SILENCED VOICES

by the raging war—but everything changed with the arrival of the Guatemalan army and their brutally violent “full\u002Dblown scorched\u002Dearth operation.” Thanks to her fierce queer sister, Elena, Clara escaped, but the girls were forced to separate. Clara eventually headed to the U.S. alone. Deeply affected by their mother’s story, José and Charlie reflect on their family roots, embarking on a mission to determine their long\u002Dlost aunt’s fate. Split into four chapters that share the perspectives of the central characters, Leon’s testament to the power of historical memory movingly explores how the echoes of trauma continue to reverberate across the Guatemalan and Indigenous diasporas, often spanning generations. The unflinching, grounded artwork, which emphasizes the characters’ expressions and emotions, offers a few moments of levity amid the mostly unseen acts of violence. "⭐ 4.6/5(66)

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Cover of SIMPLICITY

SIMPLICITY

by the Van Wervel Trust, which is working to establish a museum. The evil Mr. Van Wervel is also the mayor of the NYC\u002DAST and looks like an early 1900s political cartoon of a monopolist. When Lucius arrives in Simplicity, the colors on the page transition from the gray and radioactive neon of the city to yellow sun and green plant life. The community was established in the 1970s, and it still exists in a similar form decades later, after the dissolution of the United States. Lucius is eager to interview subjects and start documenting his ethnographic findings, but the people don’t trust him at first, until he begins working the land alongside them. Although he was meant to observe, the freedom that the community members display with their feelings and bodies seduces him into becoming a participant. Lubchansky shows that nature is just as dangerous as the industrial city through the darkness of the forest and the gory violence that starts to encroach on the closed\u002Doff commune. Lucius’ relationship with one of the leaders, Amity, is thrown into jeopardy when he finds that his employer is planning to bulldoze the community in Simplicity to build the museum along with futuristic luxury apartments. Instead of returning to the city to share his findings, Lucius stays and tries to parse his dreams of a giant, Lovecraftian creature. Lucius and Amity seek out the dangers lurking in the woods around the enclave, and come across a dystopian conspiracy meant to crush their way of life. "⭐ 4.0/5(255)

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Cover of SISTERS OF THE JUNGLE

SISTERS OF THE JUNGLE

by other female researchers, whom they saw as role models—as does the author. Although McGoogan discovered no single answer to why women have been drawn to primatology in the first place, it’s more important, she asserts, to acknowledge the ways that their discoveries and insights have decisively shaped the discipline as we know it today."⭐ 5.0/5(2)

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Cover of SLASHED BEAUTIES

SLASHED BEAUTIES

by a wealthy sea captain, Elizabeth is opening her own “genteel” establishment—”a sérail, no less”—offering “entertainment and fine company.” For half of what Eleanor earns “entertaining” rich men, Elizabeth will train, clothe, house, and feed her. Eleanor moves into Elizabeth’s opulently furnished King Street rooms, where she meets and develops an immediate affection for fellow new hire Emily. Needing capital, Elizabeth negotiates payment for the three of them to serve as models for wax anatomical Venuses designed to entice medical students through a local anatomist’s studio door. Meanwhile, in the present day, antiques dealer Alys acquires Elizabeth’s wax form, having already secured Eleanor’s and what remains of Emily’s. Preternaturally captivating on their own, legend has it that when united, the three “slashed beauties” assume human form, hunting and killing “any man who has dared to look at them lustfully.” Alys’ family has a “long connection” with the Venuses, and she knows it’s her destiny to destroy them\u003B however, certain diabolical forces will do whatever it takes to stop her. The first\u002Dperson, present\u002Dtense narration alternates between Eleanor and Alys, their stories informing each other while unfolding in tandem. Though the mechanics of the Venuses’ dark magic are at times confusingly vague, Rushby’s prose is lush and vivid, her characters are tragically complex, and Emily and Eleanor’s mutual devotion proves the perfect foil for the macabre tale’s more gruesome elements."⭐ 3.8/5(277)

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Cover of SLOW GODS

SLOW GODS

by a star\u002Dspanning regime that purports to reward hard work with increased socioeconomic status, called Shine. In fact, those who cheat and lie get ahead—so long as they don’t get caught. When a godlike machine known as the Slow sends messengers to multiple star systems warning that they have approximately 100 years to prepare for a supernova event that will obliterate everything in its path, the corrupt leaders of Maw’s planet attempt to cover up the Slow’s warning, essentially sentencing their subjects to death. Amid the ensuing chaos, Maw is wrongfully arrested and sent off\u002Dworld to a labor camp. He volunteers to pilot a space\u002Djumping arcship, generally a short\u002Dlived job as most die shortly after interfacing with the ship’s navcomm systems. A jump goes wrong, and everyone on the ship is killed except Maw. Though completely unharmed, something is irrevocably changed deep within him\u003B he’s a copy of himself, “a monster made in the dark.” As the end of the world looms for billions of people, Maw sets out on a jaw\u002Ddropping journey of enlightenment by charging into the darkness of space and his altered mind. The character development isn’t particularly noteworthy, but adept worldbuilding, grand\u002Dscale storytelling, and philosophical speculation more than make up for it. Maw’s conversations with various characters and his thoughtful introspection about the seeming meaninglessness of it all will leave readers—somewhat surprisingly—invigorated: “We are the seeds of the forest, are we not? Where we fall, others may grow. So live…Before all is dust: live, and blaze bright.”"⭐ 4.4/5(29)

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Cover of SMALL SCALE SINNERS

SMALL SCALE SINNERS

by traditional Pakistani standards they are significant. In “Basic Training,” two world\u002Dweary sisters steal a young girl from the hospital where their mother is being treated and take her to a hellish place where homeless children are being trained for “the cause” by being randomly shot and learning to kill animals with little except their own bodies. “Children are shaped by the shape of their country,” the sisters muse, trying to excuse their behavior until a first\u002Dperson voice abruptly breaks through the “we” of the sisters’ communal voice: “I should not have to string these scenes up in front of you like this to help you understand that the word loss has a weight that cannot be borne.” Sohail takes measure of loss in story after story: about women deferring to men, about children living in the shadow of their parents’ mortality, about the burden of family and social expectations: “Everyone says women in this country are repressed,” says the daughter in “The Man Who Flew,” a woman in her 30s so frustrated by her obligations to her mother that she rebels in childish ways. “What came first, the mother or the repression?” But in other stories, like “The Park,” one of the collection’s standouts, mothers teach their daughters to be powerful, or at least not to hand over all their power to men. Sohail writes like a pointillist paints, and her stories, while emotionally heavy, lift from the page with humor and piquant details."⭐ 4.9/5(7)

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Cover of SMART YOGURT

SMART YOGURT

by variations for Greek, French, and Mediterranean yogurts. Adding fruits, vegetables, herbs, powders, and juices during the yogurt\u002Dmaking process results in unusual flavors like chocolate, grape, and carrot. A section about improving yogurt’s digestibility includes two methods for making lactose\u002Dfree yogurt and discusses extended fermentation. Deeper dives into tweaking homemade yogurt include diversifying the beneficial probiotic bacteria of yogurt and using plant\u002Dbased starters, and, surprisingly, sauerkraut. After explaining how dairy\u002Dfree “yogurts” sold in stores are actually “sour pudding that’s a yogurt substitute,” a method for making true dairy\u002Dfree yogurt using soy milk finishes the book. Shepard’s writing is welcoming to the novice yogurt\u002Dmaker. Veteran yogurt\u002Dmakers who want to up their game will appreciate the later chapters. The importance of experimentation is stressed and humorously demonstrated by the author’s own experiences: “My tests with roasted cashews and roasted peanuts, for example, wound up tasting awful.” Brand names cited throughout (for example, Bubbies sauerkraut) are helpful to source ingredients, but are not imperatives, and underscore that yogurt can be made with items easily found in most grocery stores. Uncredited color photographs throughout helpfully illustrate different methods, setups, and results. An extensive index rounds out this slim but thorough book that is a must for home yogurt making."

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Cover of SOUL MACHINE

SOUL MACHINE

by MCorp’s charismatic leader, Maya, but when she gets in trouble, she’s rescued by members of the Nuspiritualist resistance group led by healer Persie. The efficient use of dialogue, especially on pages with large numbers of small panels, demonstrates the care Globerman puts into each composition. Determined to find her own path in life, Chloe eventually rejects both the self\u002Dproclaimed “girlboss” Maya and naturalist ideologue Persie. Her journey takes a particularly affecting turn during a dream sequence in which she navigates a surreal game show in search of her mother. The science behind breth and Digibreth is never fully explained, but the abstract metaphysics are a feature not a bug, inviting readers to interpret the story in ways that have “no wrong answers.” Globerman uses a strikingly different monochromatic palette for each setting, including greens, blues, pinks, and yellows, lending a distinct feel to each leg of Chloe’s (and readers’) journey. "⭐ 3.3/5(120)

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Cover of SPACE VAULT

SPACE VAULT

by locals, but by top government officials and powerful oligarchs. This opening storyline offers a glimpse into the book’s near\u002Dfuture world, which is dependent on the genetic modification of plants. In Iowa, Shiko Tanaka, born in a rotating space habitat and sent to Earth for his first job with GLOSCOM, an agricultural science company, soon learns his employer’s practices contribute to “environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and socioeconomic inequalities in access to nutritious food.” Shiko starts investigating GLOSCOM’s possibly nefarious interest in planet Earth, which leads him to Lagos and NIPAH. Meanwhile, far above Earth, the Tritans, a High Council of aliens on a spaceship whose home planet is dying, must revive their planet or move to another one. They send out probes for suitable new homelands and find Earth promising. After all, the blue planet’s levels of pollution mean it will soon be uninhabitable for humans, but the land is still productive despite its many barren patches. The Tritans might also steal seeds from the seed vault, whose bioengineered plants may help restore their ailing planet. Teagan Ward, the lead, doesn’t appear until later in novel, when she’s giving birth to her baby, Diana, in California. The genetic modifications Teagan underwent in lunar prison also prepared her body for Diana, “a species designed for survival beyond Earth” with “enhanced cognitive processing, superior cellular regeneration, and resistance to radiation and extreme conditions.” From there, the disparate story lines quickly converge as Clift ramps up the action, showcasing his deftness at building suspense: “The sound grew louder, like the steady hum of machinery, blending with the rustle of the grove’s leaves. It was almost hypnotic, yet unnerving.” If the story’s scope and large cast occasionally overwhelm readers, mesmerizing worldbuilding and Teagan’s likability keep it from spinning out of control."⭐ 4.9/5(16)

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Cover of SPECTRUM

SPECTRUM

by anti\u002Dglobalization protesters in 1999, where teen runaway Melody Parker meets Echo, an androgynous, glam vision in spiky blond hair, white pinstripe jumpsuit with red\u002Dorange accessories, and blue lipstick and nail polish. Echo explains that Melody is actually an eons\u002Dold, reincarnating demiurge destined to settle a celestial war by restoring the primordial music of the universe. Sensing that Echo and her space\u002Dsuited minions are bent on destruction, Melody leaps off a radio tower, sprouts cicada wings, flies to Los Angeles, and meets record\u002Dshop owner Ada Latimer, whose long\u002Dlost father, Leon, a bassist in the band The Opticks, plays a murky role in the Melody\u002DEcho conflict. Fleeing Echo, Melody and Ada travel to 1936 New Orleans, where the narrative follows a noirish subplot about a love affair between a photographer and a married woman. Melody and Ada then chug off on a magical train called Glory, which is steered by songs. Ada takes a turn as a punk\u002Drock chanteuse while Melody confronts George Parker, a tweedy record producer who claims to have created her as an immortal weapon against the abyss. Melody and Ada reunite and find the dementia\u002Dstricken Leon on his deathbed—but so does Echo, now a 1,000\u002Dfoot\u002Dtall colossus\u003B she vows “to kill the infernal fridge buzz of existence” unless Ada can divine from Leon the song that will defeat her. Quinn’s kaleidoscopic narrative verges on incoherence, but the characters—especially the brassy Echo—are magnetic, and the dialogue is ardent and lyrical in its odes to the creative spirit. (“The only way to achieve transcendence is to risk madness.”) Chisholm’s artwork nicely balances throbbing color, psychedelic ambiance and off\u002Dkilter perspectives with kitchen\u002Dsink realism in quieter scenes depicting Ada’s childhood. The result is a compelling blend of tuneful mysticism and eye\u002Dpopping visuals."⭐ 3.6/5(43)

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Cover of STARLIGHT AND CINNAMON

STARLIGHT AND CINNAMON

by a lovely woman costumed as Mulan. Mulan, who’s actually Cinnamon Cheung, a counselor for stressed\u002Dout tech workers, is just as taken with Daphne, who, in a moon costume, reminds Cinnamon of starlight, “All sharp, bright shards piercing the depths of night.” Unfortunately, the nascent romance derails when a home security camera reveals that just before Cinnamon got doxxed, Daphne logged onto her computer uninvited. Burned in a previous relationship and aware that the Redgrave and Cheung families are business rivals, Cinnamon suspects the worst. But Daphne isn’t ready to give up, embarking on a risky venture that she hopes will prove her innocence. In Spears’ romance, every character, even minor ones, overflows with personality. Security expert Brad is a pretend himbo who dresses up like Thor every year. Androgynous Clarissa, Daphne’s boss, had “never outgrown their ‘Matrix’ phase.” Even Coco, the kidnapped chimp, charms, “cooing…like an old woman excited to take a field trip out of the nursing home.” In Spears’ telling, San Francisco in 2015 is an exciting time and place to be. The Supreme Court is set to rule on gay marriage, and there’s an upcoming Pride parade to get excited about. Everyone parties at The Intermittent, a building in the Castro district, that’s a “a beacon of joy.” The book, lighthearted and witty, uses frothy dialogue that continually entertains (even when the characters text), yet the serious subplot of workplace and online harassment unfolds seamlessly. Best of all, the romance feels sweet and fresh."⭐ 5.0/5(2)

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Cover of STARLIGHT AND MOONSHINE

STARLIGHT AND MOONSHINE

by Hannah’s death: her husband, James\u003B her adult children, Mary, Colleen, and Jack\u003B and her sister\u002Din\u002Dlaw, Adelaide. Jack seems to be the favorite among everyone in the family: “It’s not right to love one more than the others, but all mothers do really, no matter what they say,” Hannah says in a flashback of sorts. Addy imagines him a “leading actor in a movie,” but he spends his days cleaning the surgical intensive care unit at a local hospital, which is viewed as a waste of his talents. He spends his evenings napping, seemingly waiting for his grief to pass. Colleen, the middle child, is an aspiring chef working as a bank teller to save money for culinary school. Her mother’s death affects her the most traditionally, and she spends the days after the tragedy crying relentlessly. Mary, the eldest, yearns for the body of her new fling, Roman, wanting to be anywhere but home. James spends his days and nights avoiding his children, seemingly too stricken with grief to interact with his family. James’ sister Addy lacks empathy, failing to understand why so much has changed in the aftermath of Hannah’s death. “And then she starts with the waterworks again, feeling sorry for herself like she’s the only one ever lost a mother,” she thinks harshly about Colleen. Each character is united in free fall, searching for whatever’s next, linked by a sadness that’s nearly palpable."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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Cover of STITCH HEAD

STITCH HEAD

by town, in the form of a sinister, scheming ringleader named Fulbert, who’s seeking new additions to his Traveling Carnival of Unnatural Wonders. After years of being ignored by his master, Stitch Head is eager to run away and join Fulbert’s coterie—but the mustachioed man has something more dastardly in mind. The setting is comedically cinematic, with a shadowy, outsize castle, endless haunted hallways, and a richly kitschy mad scientist’s laboratory. The professor’s crew of creations inhabiting the castle are colorful and imaginative—bat\u002Dwinged brains, alienlike blobs, and furry and feathered beasties. Based on Bass and Williamson’s chapter\u002Dbook series, this graphic novel adaptation benefits beautifully from the addition of the visual element—a gleeful stylistic echo of Tim Burton’s 1990s work in particular. All human and humanlike characters are pale\u002Dskinned."⭐ 3.9/5(89)

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Cover of STOLEN HISTORIES

STOLEN HISTORIES

by Nuru, an ancient shapeshifter from a hidden colony, who asks them to retrieve a stolen artifact hidden in the Empire\u002Dcontrolled Archive—an ethereal realm of lost knowledge. What begins as a job for hire unfolds into a layered journey involving magic, politics, and mythic lore. Michaels crafts a vivid world where elemental magic hums through every object and ritual, and where ambient power bleeds into city streets and backroom deals. The friendship between Amari and Taliya is the novel’s emotional heart—equal parts banter, strategy, and fierce loyalty. Both characters are well developed with clear voices and complementary strengths that balance action with emotional nuance. The prose is rich and often lyrical, particularly in the worldbuilding: Castor pulses with life, from the haunted Kiyoshi Crater to floating market districts and magically enhanced restaurants: “In the Upper District, the ambient magic is a touch calmer and flows around her like a fast\u002Dmoving stream.” The magic system—based in singing, runes, and time manipulation—feels both unique and intuitive, integrated naturally into daily life. Although the novel features frequent exposition and a large cast of minor characters, it remains grounded in Amari and Taliya’s dynamic, making even the slower\u002Dpaced chapters feel purposeful. By the end, the story sets the stage for even more expansive world\u002Dsaving adventures."⭐ 4.1/5(15)

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Cover of STRONG GROUND

STRONG GROUND

by Wambach. Sometimes these chapters transcribe interviews, such as one with Fifth Dimensional Leadership creator Ginny Clarke, interrupted by descriptions of Brown’s psychological reactions. (“Big pause while Ginny watches me get reflective and more emotional than I thought I would.”) More often, they simply quote, paraphrase, or condense long swathes of the various authors’ books, without much explication, critical questioning, or refinement of the ideas. She also throws in, seemingly at random, poems by authors including David Whyte and Clint Smith. Sports analogies abound, whether it’s Brown recounting in detail what she learned from her physical therapist while recovering from an excruciating pickleball injury (“Use your mind and your body, Brown”) or transferring the theory of “pocket presence” from football to the boardroom. Readers who are not occupants of what Brown calls “the C\u002Dsuites” are not likely to find much of value here. Most of her assertions are so amorphous that it’s hard to argue with them. But they’re also so abstract that it’s difficult to imagine how to put them into action."⭐ 4.5/5(28)

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Cover of SUDDENLY LIGHT

SUDDENLY LIGHT

by Canadian author Dunic is a story collection centered on people who get tripped up while just trying to go about their lives." />⭐ 4.6/5(5)

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Cover of SUMMER PEOPLE

SUMMER PEOPLE

by tragedy\u003B and various “summer people” renting out the next\u002Ddoor cottage, such as teenager Bree, whose interactions with locals have disastrous consequences. By novel’s end, Catharine follows through on a promise to a special person in her life. This latest novel by Finigan may remind readers of such short story cycles as Sherwood Anderson’s classic Winesburg, Ohio (1919) and Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge (2008), given its sweeping presentation of several characters in a small town. The narrative explores their relationships to one another in ways that are sometimes\u002Dglancing but often profound. Catharine, Tom, and Toby receive the most attention, but Finigan’s chapter on Bree, and her return later in the novel, allows for a striking demonstration of how one person’s actions can resonate across several lives. The book’s most effective element, though, is its heartbreaking portrayal of mental illness. Catharine believes that Tom is brilliant, as do his awful parents (portrayed in several memorably chilling scenes), and he experiences periods of “whirlwind of hope and possibility,” then increasingly wonders “how long he could stave off what he knew would follow. Each descent worse than the last.” A scene in which Tom holds Toby aloft as a child, during a Christmas Revels dance, serves as a well\u002Ddrawn example of how Tom’s exuberance has a dangerous edge\u003B so, too, do some of his worrying musings: “More and more his thoughts seemed to wander to the borderline, the edge of the beyond. What was out there?” His loved ones’ uncertainty about him, and his intentions, becomes a fitting element of this cross\u002Dcutting story, which effectively examines the wide\u002Dranging impact of individual actions."

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Cover of SUPER BOBA CAFÉ

SUPER BOBA CAFÉ

by Hamada’s attractive color palette, heighten the humorous and heartfelt moments. Fascinating facts about San Francisco’s history are woven into the monster’s story. The previous book established that Aria is Taiwanese and Indian American. The ending tantalizingly sets the stage for the next series entry."⭐ 4.2/5(21)

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Cover of SUPER NATURAL

SUPER NATURAL

by recycling their waste products. Turtles in Canada pass months on the bottom of frozen ponds without breathing. Wood frogs in Alaska freeze solid throughout the winter. Beetles and ground squirrels in Alaska survive these months but never freeze. Using antifreeze proteins and cryoprotectants, they “supercool”—their body fluids remain liquid despite temperatures far below zero. Under Antarctic ice, fish and other sea life thrive under subzero conditions. Few natural history writers fail to warn that global warming threatens a mass extinction in these waters, and Riley too sounds the alarm. Saving “extremophiles” for later pages, he delivers vivid descriptions of spectacularly normal or amazingly grotesque creatures that live in boiling hot springs, poisonous mine wastes, the stratosphere, deep inside the earth’s crust, or miles down at the bottom of the ocean. It turns out that life itself may have originally been an extremophile that appeared almost four billion years ago on a planet without oxygen and survived on heat and toxic chemicals generated deep in the ocean as the earth’s tectonic plates pulled apart, freeing superheated magma below to mix with seawater above."⭐ 4.3/5(11)

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Cover of SUPERPERFORMANCE

SUPERPERFORMANCE

by staying focused on the things that matter, the resources at hand, and the time available rather than getting bogged down paying disproportionate amounts of attention to issues offering far less return on the time invested. He effectively illuminates these discussions with charts, illustrations, and a collection of endnotes for further reading. Some of the author’s precepts remain untenably vague even after elaboration, and he’s prone to some of the nonsense\u002Dspeak that tends to fill business books: “It’s not how you can walk the walk or how you can talk the talk. It’s how you can walk the talk.” Fortunately, Pesansky’s energetic optimism makes up for this at every turn\u003B he ultimately comes across as the kind of HR development coach you wish your company had."

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Cover of SURVIVING PARIS

SURVIVING PARIS

by 2020, she was in her fifth apartment. But her biggest challenge was medical. In 2018, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The title Davis chose for her memoir refers to physical as well as emotional survival: nine surgical procedures over five years in a health care system that made her feel unheard, “dragged along without agency over my body, my health,” she writes. After a mastectomy, reconstruction, and removal of lymph nodes, impending chemotherapy and radiation finally incited her to speak up. Fearing that chemotherapy would compromise her fertility, she insisted on freezing her eggs. Davis also writes about dating and forging a sense of community as a Black woman in a new culture. “Living in France,” she notes, “I’d had my fair share of ‘Was this person racist to me or just rude?’—even more than I did in the US.” Still, she has persisted, determined to survive and thrive in a place she has grown to love."⭐ 4.7/5(30)

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Cover of SWITCHEROO

SWITCHEROO

by two brilliant but eccentric scientists who desperately wanted offspring only to disappear from their lives several years later, leaving them in the care of a radio newscaster they know as Aunt Margie. So it’s no coincidence that Fran and Ken have made a specialty of helping adoptees reconnect with their birth families. Austin Cobb, who’s on the autism spectrum, doesn’t exactly want to reconnect with his birth parents\u003B instead, he wants Fran and Ken to carry out the very specific mission of finding out whether they gave him up because of his autism. But Austin’s adoption is shrouded in mystery, and even Fran’s long\u002Destablished connections in the child welfare world can’t give her a line on who Austin’s parents were, much less why they surrendered him. The case gets curiouser and curiouser as Fran finds that a woman who might have been Austin’s mother was murdered and her husband disappeared. Add Fran and Ken’s parents’ eternal nemesis, Malcolm X. Mitchell, to the mix, and you have the kind of freewheeling nightmare only Copperman could concoct. It’s not clear whether it’s a family saga, a science\u002Dfiction tale, a murder mystery, or a love story. Even Fran and her maybe\u002Dboyfriend, NYPD Det. Richard Mankiewicz, are unclear about the latter."⭐ 3.7/5(29)

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Cover of SYNAP

SYNAP

by Shiloh’s father, Director Raguel, oversees each new robot\u002Doperating “Driver.” Shiloh, like others before them, uses something called the Axon Connection to power the machine (or try to), but that link weakens or goes away entirely when Drivers reach the age of 25 (“Your connection is strongest before your brain finishes developing”). So, Synap must continually train new Drivers, like Shiloh’s sister Angeline, Driver Six. In the virtual reality–like Axon, Shiloh keeps seeing images of Vivian, Synap’s very first Driver. If these are just memories, how is Vivian interacting with Shiloh? Meanwhile, Earth anticipates a visitor from the sky—perhaps an alien race that wants its machine back. Moses’ story is jampacked with goodies, including dynamic characters and a vivid backstory. Readers are treated to such unforgettable scenes as Angeline in a submersible deep in the Pacific Ocean and Vanessa (another former Driver) leading a team of armed soldiers on a mission in Xinjiang. Relationships fuel the narrative of this graphic novel as Synap’s Lynne Seti actively trains Shiloh, and Angeline and Vanessa appear to have a falling out. The action and mystery pick up as the story progresses and readers learn more about the mysterious Vivian (and an even more enigmatic glowing figure that suddenly emerges). Everything leads to a stellar cliffhanger that will surely leave readers eagerly awaiting further installments. Giannini’s sleek artwork outfits the diverse cast with chicness, from the stylish Synap uniforms to Vanessa’s eyebrow slits to Vivian’s lilac hair."⭐ 2.1/5(14)

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Cover of Tassajara Stories

Tassajara Stories

by Shunryu Suzuki, the abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center, and subsequently witnessed a revolving door of people looking for inspiration, enlightenment, or simply an alternative way of living for a while. The author walks readers through the minutiae of daily life at the monastery, which included a “complex oryoki eating ritual and chanting, which dragged the meal out to an hour with little time for the actual eating.” He also recalls various anecdotes and visitors, explaining different phrases and terminology along the way (“Kobun wore a black monastic work outfit he called samue. Samu was monastic work and ‘e’ meant clothes”). While the stories largely unfold chronologically, there is no particular thread to connect them other than their shared time and place. Chadwick uses short, choppy sentences with minimal adornment, creating a strange sense of monotony—but one that is occasionally broken up by a beautiful description of nature or a particularly memorable event. One such highlight is when the poets Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Daniel Moore came to meditate, read verse, sing, and chant mantras. This performance sparks what is surely one of the more delightfully bizarre sentences ever written: “Ginsberg played his harmonium with Ferlinghetti and Moore on Chinese horn and Hindu bells.” Surprisingly (and a bit disappointingly), the book’s focus consistently remains on the physical details of Tassajara and the everyday actions of its inhabitants, with very little personal or spiritual introspection. Still, the thorough and enlightening work achieves its ultimate goal of being an “oral history” by providing unparalleled access to daily life in a remarkable time and place."

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Cover of TECH

TECH

by striking statistics. Despite the focus on startup success, 4% of IPOs fail. Alexandre notes that “a startup is less an organization than an ethos” embedded in an “innovation\u002Dfocused culture.” Although his research includes nearly 150 interviews and a survey, the book isn’t centered on well\u002Dknown tech leaders—and many respondents chose to remain anonymous. The perspectives of workers, hiring managers, and entrepreneurs reveal a deeply secretive work environment governed by nondisclosure agreements. While organizational size—whether a nimble startup or a more established firm—clearly influences workplace culture and the practice of programming or entrepreneurship, Alexandre largely sidesteps this distinction. He embarks on a side quest into the history and culture of Burning Man, the desert festival that has significantly influenced the tech world. Nevertheless, academics and seasoned insiders will find new perspectives in studying this intricate ecosystem of blended work and leisure—a place and a culture that has created technologies with an outsize impact on our lives."

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Cover of TED'S TALES THREE

TED'S TALES THREE

by a bunch of tentacles rather than legs.” What their actions might mean for humanity’s future is an unanswered question. In “Cured,” a narrator with a rare blood type is the subject of a future, experimental plague treatment from helpful extraterrestrials with unforeseen side effects. In “Treestones,” a virtuous young pioneer\u002Dsettler couple in the 1880s do a good turn to a Kiowa shaman, who rewards them with practically eternal life. However, the couple must deal with the fallout of remaining conspicuously unchanged. The more earthbound stories include “The Bread Problem,” in which a young Italian American proudly takes charge of the family bread\u002Dbaking business but resorts to extreme measures when faced with a mob shakedown. A similar gangland background appears in “Funny You Should Ask,” in which a former wise guy thinks, mistakenly, that he’s gotten out of the syndicate without repercussions. The narrator of “From Head to Toe,” meanwhile, escapes dire peril on a wilderness hike but is exhilarated, not traumatized, by the experience. “Making a Difference” follows the routine of a military sniper who’s recruited for the war on drugs. Not all the tales feature such deadly dramatics\u003B the protagonist of “Wound Up,” for instance, gains self\u002Dconfidence by being thrust into the unplanned role of opening for a rock band who’s late in setting up. The author calls his oeuvre “books to read before bed for grownups” though not in the bawdy sense, but rather in the notion of uncomplicated, nongraphic, plainspoken narratives that wrap up in a minimum of pages. A few of the pieces, such as “Test Day” and “Red Hot,” intriguingly have the mien of the story genre known as the conte cruel, in which nasty conclusions await main characters who don’t really seem to deserve such terrible fates. However, most of these stories in this collection don’t seem to aspire to O. Henry\u002Dstyle head\u002Dspinning twists\u003B indeed, many of them bring down the curtain as early as possible, at the point at which the reader realizes what the plot is. In the stories in the horror/SF/fantasy vein, Delgrosso most recalls an unsung and prolific short\u002Dstory master of yesteryear: William Sambrot, who was anthologized only once, in 1963’s Island of Fear and Other Science Fiction Stories, but is worth seeking out. Other works feel like flash fiction—workshop\u002Ddeveloped, bite\u002Dsized pieces—and they generally come across as the types of tale that used to fill up fiction pages when popular family magazines like The Saturday Evening Post were newsstand mainstays."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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Cover of THE 1929 KELSEY QUILTERS

THE 1929 KELSEY QUILTERS

by 22 additional unsewn blocks, was discovered by the author’s family in the estate of her husband’s aunt in 2018. In tracing the mysterious origins of the quilt—both sewn and unsewn blocks featured the same eight\u002Dpoint star pattern, but with a different name embroidered on each—the narrative puts together lost pieces of both Hamberlin’s extended family history and that of an entire Southern community of families belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter\u002DDay Saints. The quilt, as the author learned, was made by a tight\u002Dknit group of women who lived in the Mormon community of Kelsey, Texas. While now a ghost town, at the turn of the 20th century Kelsey served as a haven for Mormon converts from the religiously oppressive South. (Even after the church banned polygamy, which was used by its opponents as justification for their persecution, its members continued to be met with hostility.) Exploring the lives of the women who worked on the quilt in 1929, this work uncovers a rich history of Kelsey’s town life, from its public school staffed by Mormon missionaries to its stores, farms, and mills built by the faithful. The text is at times hagiographic, written by a believer in the church’s teachings (the study of Kelsey, Hamberlin notes, “has strengthened [her] testimony of [her] Savior and the Atonement”), which may not resonate with those from different faith traditions. The study nevertheless draws on an impressive array of primary sources—from family oral histories to archival materials—to paint a vibrant portrait of life in Kelsey from the perspective of its women. Supplemented by a wealth of photographs, this is an accessible, engaging local history."

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Cover of THE ACADEMY

THE ACADEMY

by Cunningham as co\u002Dauthor. As their delicious new book opens, it’s Move\u002DIn Day at Tiffin Academy, and Head of School Audre Robinson is warmly welcoming the returning and new students to the New England campus, the latter group including a rare midstream addition to the junior class. Brainiac Charley Hicks is transferring from public school in Maryland to a spot that opened up when one of the school’s most beloved students died by suicide the preceding year. She will be joining a large, diverse cast of adult and teenage characters—queen bees, jealous second\u002Dstringers, boozehounds young and old, secret lesbians, people chasing the wrong people chasing other wrong people—all of them royally screwed when an app called Zip Zap appears and starts blasting everyone’s secrets all over campus. How the heck…? Meanwhile, it seems so unlikely that Tiffin has jumped up to the No. 2 spot in the boarding\u002Dschool rankings that a high\u002Dprofile magazine launches an investigation, and even the head is worried that there may have been payola involved. The school has a reputation for being more social than academic, and this quality gets an exciting new exclamation point when the resident millionaire bad boy opens a high\u002Dstyle secret speakeasy for select juniors in a forgotten basement. It’s called Priorities. Exactly. One problem: Cinnamon Peters’ mysterious suicide hangs over the book in an odd way, especially since the note she left for her closest male friend is not to be opened for another year—and isn’t. This is surely a setup for a sequel, but it’s a bit frustrating here, and bobs sort of shallowly along amid the general high spirits."⭐ 3.9/5(5,546)

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Cover of THE AFTERLIFE PROJECT

THE AFTERLIFE PROJECT

by day. Great vees of migrating geese fill the air with their throaty honking.” The final act takes a noticeable but not entirely drastic turn, culminating in an extraordinary and befitting denouement. "⭐ 4.1/5(291)

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Cover of THE ARCHITECT'S EPIPHANY

THE ARCHITECT'S EPIPHANY

by the dastardly Zhehe people, but that just means that the stage is set for a City Builder—in this case the young Ocean Hacklin, heir to the great City Builder Yishan Hacklin—to rebuild Aye\u002DShan City all over again, using his superhuman Naoyang skills. Before that can happen, however, Ocean must team up with Shaman Ling Tiber\u003B together, the duo, along with a comical company of other Aye\u002DShan City refugees, set out to locate the fabled Guardian Beast. Readers may see parallels between Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series and the story of the fallen city of Aye\u002DShan: Both set technology and the natural world at odds with each other. The Kwong brothers take the premise one step further in positing that war itself is just part of the natural cycle of things. There is a lyrical quality in both the writing (“The fighting song is loud and clear, the sound of nature changes the world”) and the illustrations. The latter seem to shift and morph into varying styles, some vibrant and colorful, others stark and black \u0026amp\u003B white. At one point, speaking through imaginative speech balloons in prose that gives it an ethereal air of nobility, the mighty Guardian Beast laments how it was overcome after the Zhehe people “tempted Aye\u002DShan people to engage in lewd acts, which generated negative energy and weakened my power.” Will the Zhehe people and the inhabitants of Aye\u002DShan City ever break free of this cycle of destruction and creation? That depends on what the Kwong brothers next have in store for readers."⭐ 2.8/5(5)

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Cover of THE ART OF VANISHING

THE ART OF VANISHING

by Jean Matisse, who lives with two of his siblings and his mom in a painting by his father, Henri. The “Elizabeth Bennet” in question is Claire, a new night\u002Dshift cleaning person at a private museum seemingly modeled on the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, where hundreds of paintings are hung edge to edge in a giant mansion. Ever since she was a little girl, Claire\u0027s had the feeling that there’s a way to cross over into the world of a painted image, and she’s about to find out she’s right. Later, after the pair has fallen in love: “We played cards with Cézanne’s farmhands, shot the breeze with Seurat’s models, and swam in the Medi­terranean Sea.” As the subjects of the paintings skip from one canvas to the next to get some variety in their frozen lives, one of the most popular hangouts is “Le bonheur de vivre,” a Matisse which depicts a clothing\u002Doptional seaside bacchanal. This escapist adventure and beautiful love affair is deeply satisfying, almost therapeutic, for young Claire, who has a lot of responsibilities and complications in the real world. At one point, she starts to realize she could be missing important calls while she’s over there in La La Land. “Of course there’s no cell reception in—what year is it in this paint­ing?” “1905 or 1906, I think.”  In addition to the details of Claire’s backstory, Pager throws two big real\u002Dworld developments into the mix—Covid\u002D19 and a museum heist. But the real joy of this book is the world she has invented on the other side of the canvas, a kind of Phantom Tollbooth for grown\u002Dups."⭐ 3.2/5(1,487)

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Cover of THE BELLES

THE BELLES

by her housecleaner grandmother—Deena hopes to learn her peers’ ways while she keeps a secret that might ruin her chances for a Bellerton\u002Dapproved future. If this territory has been mined by other writers, it doesn’t matter much as debut novelist Dunham juggles gothic elements including a nasty poetry professor, a drunken misery of a housemother, and glimpses of ghosts in the campus trees. Queen Bee Ada May Delacourt\u003B closeted Winifred (Fred) Scott and her bestie, Sheba Wyatt\u003B Nell Lawton\u002DPeters\u003B and Prissy Nicholson from Texas at first hew so closely to the expectations of Mrs. Tibbert, the wife of the college’s president, that she declares them the Belles of their class. But small things start to go missing from the girls’ rooms and as they snipe at each other, they also discover how good it feels to be bad, brandishing their signature hair ribbons like battle standards and roaming the woods at night, damn the consequences. Deena begins to encounter the apparition of a 19th\u002Dcentury student, Mary Burden, and wonders why only she can see her\u003B even if readers guess, they’ll already be under the spell of this isolated school. As the Belles prepare for their 50th reunion in 2002, their 21st\u002Dcentury lives offer bitter commentary on the real lessons they learned."⭐ 3.5/5(368)

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Cover of THE BIG HAPPY

THE BIG HAPPY

by the fads and whims of smin knowed as the Vox Popeye.” In Las Vegas, she teams up with Bogart Wham, the “Numero Uno Celeb Influsser in PopRep” (that’s the Popular Republic, the populist\u002Dcapitalist federation that now occupies Europe and North America). Together, they will prove whether a detective assembled from middling novels can catch a very real serial killer. According to Chadwick’s inventive lore, Earth was plunged into a 1500\u002Dyear Dark Age in the middle of the 21st century, and the newly revived civilization of 4050 therefore reveres American culture—and Donald Trump in particular—in the way that Renaissance thinkers revered the Romans\u003B this is the reason “freddykrueger” and Family Guy remain coherent references. (Some still manage to feel dated, however: Common profanities include “zuck”—for Mark Zuckerberg—and “Trump in Stormy!”) Numerous Trump jokes aside—two countries in 4050 are modeled on his teachings, including one called Trumpia—the novel’s premise and its execution are quite brilliant. Readers will end the book hoping more Serial Killer Miller cases are in the works."

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Cover of THE BIZARRE BAZAAR

THE BIZARRE BAZAAR

by friends, crush Ginny Mendoza, and even his busy, overworked mother, Abel stumbles upon the Bizarre Bazaar one day and finds a charm bracelet that’s perfect for Ginny. It’s out of his price range, but Babs is willing to take a trade. Back home, Abel rummages through his absent father’s old things for possibilities but comes up empty\u003B after he does manual labor for his grumpy neighbor, she lets him take a mirror as payment. Before he can swap his new find for the bracelet, he falls into the mirror and enters a seemingly perfect world where his parents are together and everyone, including Ginny, adores him. But Abel quickly realizes that something isn’t right. In this start to a new graphic novel series, Nayeri’s cleverly structured narrative, paired with Enright’s bright, retro\u002Dstyle cartoons, sets a tone that’s by turns cavalier and chilling, delighting in mortal foibles and offering unexpected revelations. Brown\u002Dskinned Abel’s surname suggests that he’s of Iranian descent, Ginny is Latine, and the supporting cast is diverse."⭐ 3.6/5(54)

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Cover of THE BLOOD IN WINTER

THE BLOOD IN WINTER

by nobles. The crux of the dispute was over “Remonstrances,” a series of objections to Charles the First’s desire for absolute rule. Paramount among these were Parliament’s right to assemble and whether bishops should be allowed to sit in the House of Lords. No issue arose without provoking opposition. “Ship money,” a levy on coastal communities to fund the Royal Navy, was a classic example. The king tried to extend the levy to inland counties without parliamentary consent. This galvanized such opposition that when Charles and his army turned up at Parliament searching for five members whom Charles regarded as traitors, they had already fled downriver. They’d been tipped off by Lucy Hay, close companion to the queen and one of history’s great eavesdroppers. It is to Healey’s credit that, while giving a detailed discussion of the complex arguments, he also evokes the many colorful characters involved. Alongside a king who teeters between pomposity and timidity, a queen who sells her jewelry in exile, and the humble\u002Dborn Sir John Bankes, stuck “between a sow’s ear and the silken purse,” readers are treated to a portrait of a smoke\u002D, smog\u002D, and mud\u002Dfilled London, together with its inhabitants. Water poets and priggish Puritans may dominate, but who can forget a particular candidate for Constable of the Tower: Thomas Lunsford, who was “heavily in debt, rarely seen at church. Some said he was a cannibal.”"⭐ 4.2/5(33)

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Cover of THE BOOK OF CHAOS

THE BOOK OF CHAOS

by land and sea), establish an impressive pace that rarely lets up. The ending provides resolution and a welcome tease for yet another series entry."⭐ 4.7/5(6)

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Cover of THE BOOK OF GUILT

THE BOOK OF GUILT

by German conspirators in 1943\u003B since then, British scientists have had access to studies “of immense scientific value” made in “the camps,” as they are called with pointed vagueness. In 1979, this history is taught to 13\u002Dyear\u002Dold triplet brothers—mercurial William, softhearted Lawrence, and thoughtful, watchful Vincent, who narrates most of the book. They live in a group home for boys, part of the Sycamore Homes program established by the government in 1944 to raise parentless children. Doted on by a threesome of Morning, Afternoon, and Night mothers, taught from the encyclopedic Book of Knowledge (an actual publication) and in weekly ethics discussions, the Sycamore boys have had happy if isolated childhoods marred only by incessant sickliness. Those who recuperate from “the Bug” get to move to “the Big House in Margate,” which, according to the brochure, is a wonderful place next to an amusement park. Only the triplets still remain when a new Conservative government decides to discontinue the Sycamore program to cut costs. Soon the Prime Minister puts the well\u002Dmeaning but clueless Minister of Loneliness in charge of rehoming the triplets. But where? That these children have been part of a creepy scientific experiment is obvious early on, but one shocking, horrifying surprise follows another in what is, at its most basic, a cat\u002Dand\u002Dmouse thriller. Meanwhile, Chidgey forces readers to delve into moral questions concerning science (and by extension, technology), pragmatism, personal responsibility, and institutional evil. Then there’s the novel’s unavoidable, disquieting contemplation of just who is given equal right in any given society (including ours). Chidgey, a New Zealander, borrows elements from Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, but the character Vincent most resembles is Pinocchio. Broad themes and issues become deeply personal as his coming\u002Dof\u002Dage becomes a monumental struggle toward self\u002Ddiscovery."⭐ 4.4/5(2,123)

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Cover of THE BOOK OF SEA MONSTERS

THE BOOK OF SEA MONSTERS

by either a maritime reference (fish, boats, sea monsters) or a representation of the featured author. It functions as a sort of Great Books seminar for readers with a short attention span. The book reminds us of how great some of the poems are and where “water, water everywhere / and not a drop to drink” actually comes from. The anthology also prompts musings about erotic and psychological elements pertaining to sea monsters\u003B an example may be a possible feminist critique of mermaids. Just as Thoreau escaped the desperate city for the desperate country, so humankind fled the monsters among us only to succumb to their nautical cousins—escaping the devil, so to speak, for the deep blue sea."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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Cover of THE BOOK OF SHEEN

THE BOOK OF SHEEN

by his umbilical cord, and goes on to a childhood in and around Los Angeles, where he made home videos with other showbiz kids. Along with his mother and three siblings, he frequently traveled to locations where his father, Martin Sheen, was filming, notably the set of Apocalypse Now. In an account laden with expletives and endearingly weird spelling choices (“dood,” “kool”), some of the actor’s most riveting chapters evoke his own stints on film sets, particularly his brutal experiences during the filming of Oliver Stone’s Platoon, in which the author starred. Though he went on to play parts in many more movies and in TV shows like Two and a Half Men, he turned his attention primarily to booze, drugs, gambling on sports, and encounters with sex workers. Don’t look for the usual redemption narrative here. Though Sheen does spend the last few pages of the book on what he says have been eight recent years of sobriety, undertaken for the sake of his children and grandchildren, he devotes most of the book to an exhaustive and sometimes exhausting survey of life on the edge. Despite many hours at meetings, he doesn’t have the respect for Alcoholics Anonymous—that “medieval gibberish club”—that he has for the many escorts he employed, whose charges he views as “a convenience\u002Dtax for a guaranteed outcome the other dating scenarios couldn’t offer.” Sheen’s three marriages zip in and out of the narrative with dizzying speed, leaving the reader no wiser about the women involved."⭐ 3.7/5(931)

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Cover of THE CALL OF ABADDON

THE CALL OF ABADDON

by the United Earth Federation, and now Jason and Sam have psychic abilities. Jason, however, can’t control his, and he suppresses them with regular doses of the drug Osmium. Untreated, he hears the voice of the Abaddon Beacon, an alien obelisk that sat in the labs with the three when they were still test subjects. As Jason’s connection to the Beacon hurts him as well as others, the salvagers vow to retrieve the artifact, which promises Jason answers to his “psychic affliction.” That’s just one reason to brave the surface of New Toronto, where they’re classified as “Undocs”\u003B the other is to salvage parts to repair their damaged 14\u002Dfoot robot, the true muscle in the Village’s defense. Meanwhile, the ongoing Solar War may be nearing an end, with the very real possibility that the UEF will surrender to the Solar Empire. Cyborg Anne Oakfield, who has ties to the Village and the government’s experiments, has another idea: She sets out to kill the nefarious EmperorHadrian Mariko of the Solar Empire. All the while, the Nanophage, a plague of corrupted Nanites that infect humans and bots alike, threatens everyone.Searle’s extensive worldbuilding turns this tale into a richly detailed epic\u003B backstories include Anne’s murky past\u003B particulars on Julian Yamamoto, the Village’s governor and founder\u003B and several nods to the Great War from a century ago. The three protagonists—tortured, sympathetic Jason\u003B fiercely loyal David, whose reason for also being in the lab is eventually revealed\u003B and Sam, who’s refined her psionic skills—are superbly rendered. They lead an indelible cast, highlighted by the unshakable Anne, another few notable Oakfields, and the diabolical Emperor and his “augmented” Imperial legionnaires. While there are some solid action sequences, this story relies more on the buildup of tension as various groups of people come into conflict. Perpetual menaces abound as the war continues, the Abaddon Beacon’s voice proves merciless, and the Nanophage\u002Dinfected victims amass in zombie\u002Dlike hordes. Throughout the narrative there are signs of familiar tech, from cybernetic implants and parts (like Anne’s “cyber\u002Deyes”) to a variety of vehicles including an airbus and a Jetbike. While these are fun details, it’s just as entertaining to watch characters get by without fantastical tech at their disposal (Jason, David, and Sam must make a hefty jump sans jetpacks and confront bulky foes in New Toronto with no assistance from their own gigantic robot). It’s hard to imagine where the salvaging trio might go next—which makes a sequel all the more appealing."⭐ 4.7/5(44)

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Cover of The Children of the Children

The Children of the Children

by chance—or perhaps divine intervention, as his new friends, The Fishermen, will insist—Danny winds up in San Francisco, learning the teachings of the charismatic Father Joseph. At first, his small group simply distributes Father Joseph’s letters around Haight Ashbury, trying to convert lonely hippies into new cult members. As their numbers grow and their philosophies and hierarchies evolve, The Fishermen move east to avoid scrutiny, eventually branching out all over Western Europe. Father Joseph begins bending rules of sexual conduct to fit his own personal (and abominable) desires and increase revenue via sex work. Danny finds himself in a love triangle with his wife, Martha (the eventual mother of David), and Deborah, a woman growing uncomfortable with the Fishermen’s increasingly disturbing sexual practices. But breaking out of Father Joseph’s psychic clutches is a tall order. As David comes of age and becomes a victim of physical and sexual abuse himself, he sets off on the path that will eventually lead him to Prague as he starts to question Father Joseph as well: “His instinct told him it was wrong, as his faith told him it was not.”McMillion’s subject and setting are fascinating, and the parallels between the protest energy of the late 1960s and the allure of a cult cut off from mainstream society lend a sharp and smart context to the novel. There are several scary and perfectly succinct explanations of how someone like Danny could get drawn into Father Joseph’s web. (“If deception is the art of convincing someone that what one knows to be false is true, then conversion is convincing him of what neither party can prove one way or the other,” the author writes in a truly standout moment.) However, the novel’s ambitious scope—the narrative spans two decades, a dozen complicated households, and too many countries to even list—overshadows the smaller, more disquieting moments. McMillion tries to pack in as much detail as possible, but this results in large chunks of writing that feel like nonfiction reportage rather than advancements of the engrossing emotional arcs already in place. This is felt most acutely in the various depictions of sexual abuse: Incidents conveyed from the point of view of characters such as Deborah or David are harrowing, while other scenes simply give cold factual accounts of Father Joseph’s horrendous proclivities. After the cult’s complicated history is filled in little by little, readers finally arrive back at the opening framing scene for an emotionally resonant conclusion that nevertheless feels too little and too late following such a dense history lesson."⭐ 3.8/5(6)

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Cover of THE CIA BOOK CLUB

THE CIA BOOK CLUB

by the CIA, which, brought to Warsaw and other Polish cities by travelers to the West during the brief thaw following Stalin’s death, were circulated via a “system of covert lending.” As English writes, the CIA agents providing funds and books were discerning: They sent fashion magazines and books by the likes of John le Carré and Philip Roth but also by East European and Russian writers such as Boris Pasternak, Joseph Brodsky, and Czeslaw Milosz. Eventually the book smugglers became more daring, publishing samizdat editions through a carefully coordinated series of safe rooms scattered across the country. English celebrates homegrown heroes such as Miroslaw Chojecki, trained as a physicist, who had been arrested 43 times by March 1980 but kept it up all the same. Romanian\u002Dborn George Minden, also honored, concocted a series of ploys to get books and money inside the Iron Curtain, including, daringly, simply mailing banned literature to recipients chosen at random from the phone book. The program was highly effective\u003B as English notes, “By 1962 at least 500 organizations were sending books on the CIA’s behalf.” By the program’s end, thousands of books had been circulated, to the gratitude of their readers, one of whom exalted, “We read poetry and literature. It showed us that there are likeminded people who are above nationality, who we can empathize with, who admire beauty, who admire virtue.”"⭐ 3.7/5(924)

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Cover of THE CODE OF LIFE

THE CODE OF LIFE

by “junk DNA” that doesn’t code for proteins. She’s convinced that it hides a secret, and her research attracts the attention of Carter Industries, an incredibly wealthy corporation involved in “tech, AI, and space dreams.” With their resources, Camille and her colleagues discover that a sequence in human DNA contains specific coordinates: “a celestial map, directing us to a specific location on Mars….written into our very genetic code for millennia, waiting for us to uncover it,” notes benefactor Nathaniel Carter. Camille then becomes a member of the first human crew ever sent to the red planet, where she finds an ancient Martian AI, which explains that there was an advanced civilization there, billions of years ago. The Martians created it when they were on the verge of extinction, it says, so that it could steer development of life on Earth. Now, the AI intends to “merge” its memories with humanity to form one united species. Camille and her crew are afraid that this will mean the destruction of humankind, so they alert the corporation back home, leading to a tense, frightening standoff. In many ways, Masip’s novel reads like a blockbuster SF movie\u003B the action is grand and sweeping, and a few preternaturally skilled characters risk peril and revelation to save the day. The story is exciting and tense throughout, and it’s easy to root for the main characters. However, the book has some of the problems that many movie blockbusters also have: Convenient coincidences occur as the plot demands, which saps the dramatic power, and the novel’s length worsens this problem, as it’s difficult to maintain escalating tension for nearly 500 pages. However, the story’s themes are heartening, and Masip takes care to give his characters rich internal lives and distinct perspectives. Despite its flaws, this novel is a lot of fun and clearly written with care."⭐ 4.3/5(8)

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Cover of THE CONJURING OF AMERICA

THE CONJURING OF AMERICA

by tracing the transformations of the conjure woman from the Negro Mammy during slavery to the Candy Lady, a revered elder in Black communities during the Civil Rights Movement. Powerful figures in Blacks’ battles against racism and sexism, conjure women have inhabited many roles, among them, healers, spiritual guides, midwives and abortion providers, weavers and quilters, hairdressers, and cooks. Enslaved African women brought their ancestors’ use of natural medicine to the plantation, where Negro Mammies applied methods that were noninvasive and boosted the immune system, far different from medical doctors’ bloodletting and purging. Among one Negro Mammy’s remedies was a salve containing turpentine, which cleared airways so effectively it was sought after by whites, including one Southern man who made a fortune marketing it as Vicks VapoRub. In antebellum New Orleans, the Voodoo Queen was central to a community of free women of color who worshiped mermaids. Associated with rebellion and vengeance, Voodoo Queens inspired fear in their white neighbors. Stewart traces the connections of conjure to Aunt Jemima (whose image derived from a minstrel act), the invention of the blues, and even the creation of blue jeans, first made and worn by enslaved people and sewn from “negro cloth,” dyed with the West African plant indigo. Conjure emerges in the art of hairdressers, in cooks whose soul food has the power to bring good luck, and in quilters who designed “busy patterns” in their blankets to distract spirits that brought bad luck. Stewart melds personal reflections, African mythology, and abundant primary sources, most notably interviews conducted by the Federal Writers’ Project, to create a brisk, spirited narrative."⭐ 4.4/5(90)

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Cover of THE CREATIVE CTO

THE CREATIVE CTO

by step, breaking concepts down into smaller, easily digestible segments. He lays everything out methodically and comprehensively, although his thoroughness sometimes leads him into statements of the obvious, such as: “It is important to track any specific risks that may affect your strategy” or “you must determine whether you’re making progress toward realizing your strategic objectives.” Still, the author covers all aspects of the CTO’s job in exhaustive detail, and both existing and prospective CTOs will find this breakdown valuable."

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Cover of THE DANDY

THE DANDY

by looking the part. This “rowdyism and larking” ushered in the “masher” at the turn of the century, a ribald lothario who would lurk around burlesque shows to profess their love to the dancers. Later, Andersson keenly connects the dandy’s sharp suiting with trends in gangster fashion and the zoot suits of the swing movement. Present throughout this centuries\u002Dlong evolution is the sneering eye of the press, which spurned dandies as “effeminate members of a third sex.” Andersson pieces together details on styles and their offshoots through a relentless feed of sarcastic articles and cartoons, deftly using these baseless dismissals as keystones to better render the movement. Throughout each case study, the author artfully accounts for dandyism as an amalgamation of both a subculture and the public’s reaction to it, and he harnesses that clash to stitch together a formidable sociological history."

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Cover of THE DEVIL'S CASTLE

THE DEVIL'S CASTLE

by the experience of two Germans. Paul Schreber (1842\u002D1911), a judge hospitalized repeatedly for schizophrenia, wrote a vivid memoir that captivated Sigmund Freud. Dorothea Buck (1917\u002D2019), an artist and writer sterilized by the Nazis, spent her postwar life as an advocate for psychiatric reform. As Antonetta writes, Adolf Hitler praised Americans who embraced eugenics—by the early 20th century 30 states followed Indiana’s first\u002Din\u002Dthe\u002Dnation sterilization law, which mandated sterilization for “criminals, imbeciles, idiots, and rapists.” The first section of the book is a detailed, gruesome history of eugenics, peaking in the 1930s with the Nazis’ industrial\u002Dscale sterilization and execution of the mentally ill, along with other “useless eaters.” This was plain common sense, according to Hitler, who proclaimed that nations that support the genetically “inferior” are committing national suicide by encouraging them to multiply when natural selection would normally eliminate them. Antonetta then turns her attention to postwar psychiatry, which began discarding Freudianism in favor of approaching mental illness as a brain disorder with treatments similar to those that worked with diseases of other organs. She maintains that certain afflictions (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism) are not brain diseases but neurodivergence: different ways the psyche deals with the world. They require less “treatment” and more understanding and acceptance. As she writes, “The more kinds of minds we have, the richer our conscious ecosystem.”"⭐ 3.7/5(3)

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Cover of THE DEVIL'S GRIN

THE DEVIL'S GRIN

by an otherworldly presence. Dandelion works in a nursing home and seems constantly distressed. Her father torments her with repeated calls espousing paranoid conspiracies that may be connected to her inexplicable experiences. Robert and Dandelion’s neighbor Gary is an African American cartoonist who knew Robert’s mother and has the supernatural ability to direct real events via his cartoons—sometimes with deadly results. While Gary contends with racism and personal frustrations, his cartoons give him godlike powers—and he keeps his attention on Robert and Dandelion. The artwork and subject matter echo underground comix (R. Crumb is name\u002Dchecked), with cartoonish effects like bulging eyeballs and thumping hearts deployed in extensive and graphic sex scenes. With this as only Book 1 and no resolution to be found in these pages, Graham’s ability to bring these wild elements to a satisfying conclusion remains to be seen. But the energy and tapestry of the work is intriguing."⭐ 4.4/5(37)

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Cover of THE DRAGONKIN LEGACY

THE DRAGONKIN LEGACY

by the Naga may be a sign of the Last War alluded to in a seer’s prophecy that also foretells of a “Team of Five” that will stand up to the Naga. One of these eventual Five is the recently orphaned 11\u002Dyear\u002Dold Sakura, whose late father was a Shrine\u002Ddefending Dragon Guardian. The others include seafarer and mage Myrriden the Traveler, who takes in Sakura as his ward\u003B Myrriden’s magic\u002Dschool student son Emrys\u003B the Archmage Hoth\u003B and the enigmatic Fire Mage Volcan. Crucial to their defense of Cynnahu is the unearthing of an enchantment called the Elder Song, though no one is quite certain what that spell does. Adler’s epic\u002Dlength tale comprises two seamlessly connected novels. The worldbuilding is superb, starting with the Dragonkin and their former continent Cynnahu. The many isles, though they look the same, prove distinct in other ways\u003B one contains Emrys’ school, with an exterior that’s magically different for each individual (to one it appears as a “mist\u002Dcloaked temple”), while another isle houses the formidable, gleaming Blue Fortress. The characters are just as memorable, especially the courageous, same\u002Daged Sakura and Emrys, who put everything into their training and fighting. The standout among the supporting cast is Myrriden’s brother Aneirin, a historian\u002Dlike Loremaster who helps track down the Elder Song. A handful of lengthy conflicts on land and sea reach a worthy climax and a gratifying payoff and epilogue. The author rounds out this story with a traitor or two, a series of magic spells, and at least one death that will hit readers hard."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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Cover of THE ELEMENTS

THE ELEMENTS

by inflicting her pain on new victims. And her former resident–turned–child psychologist, Aaron Umber, seeks to heal his own damaged psyche by embarking on a life\u002Dchanging journey back to Ireland with his teenage son. Originally published in the U.K. as separate novellas (Water, Earth, Fire, Air), these four interconnected stories pack a wallop when combined in one volume. If the format at times feels too tidy and contrived (especially in the final section), it doesn’t lessen the emotional impact of deeply wounded characters struggling to overcome their guilt and find redemption in the wake of catastrophic trauma. "⭐ 4.6/5(1,036)

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Cover of THE EXEMPLAR

THE EXEMPLAR

by live audiences and those spectating from their heat\u002Dresistant dwellings. Will (the only Black competitor) is one such enhanced clone of a long\u002Dago original. As Will studies for the Crucible, he is disturbed by strange dreams, unanswered questions, and the gaps in his knowledge. Why do some Crucible faculty react emotionally to Will Herndon’s name? Why is his aged grandfather still alive, and being very evasive? (“Will’s heart was beating fast...could it be that everyone—from his grandpa to Amy—were trying to protect others from him? He knew himself. Or he thought he knew who he was at his core.”) The dilemmas and identity questions posed by the author are compelling ones, if somewhat familiar (and yes, The Hunger Games (2008)gets name\u002Dchecked). YA SF readers might also note resemblances to the Maze Runner series by James Dashner—this novel’s climax is literally a maze run—and a cold\u002Dcase mystery at the hot\u002Dclimate narrative’s heart is resolved off\u002Dpage. But at least this cli\u002Dfi dystopian thriller wraps up in one relatively compact volume."⭐ 5.0/5(3)

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Cover of THE FAIRLEY BROTHERS IN JAPAN

THE FAIRLEY BROTHERS IN JAPAN

by request and performing in unconventional venues, such as the back of a souvenir shop at a flower store. An online interview they give about their past gradually helps them pick up more fans\u003B their answers are woven throughout the story, allowing the reader to learn more about the brothers’ personalities, ambitions, and unresolved tensions. (Reflecting on the past, Andy observes, “There’s been so much water under the bridge, the bridge itself washed away—decades ago. But the way you were talking this morning, it sounded like it all happened yesterday.”) The author does not shy away from presenting the flaws in his sibling characters: Andy once stole Chris’ girlfriend, the love of his life, and Chris struggles with dissatisfaction in comparison to his more adventurous sibling (amid reflection and regret, Chris begins to emerge from his shell and find some fulfillment in his present circumstances). Starkey deftly balances nostalgia, humor, and heartbreak throughout, providing authentic\u002Dseeming details about touring Japan while presenting a realistic story of two brothers coming to a better mutual understanding with age. "⭐ 3.0/5(2)

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Cover of THE FALL OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

THE FALL OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

by Driver, a professor at Yale Law School, shows how the Supreme Court played the defining role in determining the place of race and gender in the fabric of American life. It focuses on the 2023 case Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (abbreviated as SFFA) as the decision that effectively killed affirmative action as a legally enshrined practice. Driver argues that the tradition of taking race into consideration in college admissions created opportunities for historically underrepresented minority students. The author presents material from surveys and studies to show that classroom and workplace diversity enhances intellectual inquiry and fosters a productive competitiveness in the economy at large. He also reviews the arguments against affirmative action: that it privileges identity over accomplishment\u003B that it potentially advances students who are otherwise unprepared for “elite” institutions\u003B that it runs counter to a race\u002Dblind ideal of American meritocracy. SFFA was, in the author’s view, a radical decision, one made not transparently through argument and evidence, but disingenuously. Chief Justice John Roberts’ opinion “managed to violate virtually every tenet of the judicial approach that he announced [during his confirmation hearings]….The opinion evinced no willingness whatsoever to relinquish his own ideological priors in order to embrace the larger institutional considerations.” In short, SFFA was a product of changes in court personnel rather than of principled argument. It is now up to universities, the author argues, not to acquiesce in the face of judicial spinelessness or presidential extortion, but rather to fight vigorously for classrooms inclusive of all Americans, irrespective of the color of their skin or the thickness of their wallets."⭐ 4.0/5(2)

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Cover of THE FLOATING LAKE OF DRESSA MOORE

THE FLOATING LAKE OF DRESSA MOORE

by researchers. He also hopes that bringing along his lover, William Watts Worthwaddle, a linguist, will improve their faltering relationship. But the journey to Lake Connell spawns danger and obstacles at every turn. For one, Jonathan and William sail the Aquirren River on The Knotted Wood, a ship captained by Marta Bartolome, a pirate commanding an undead crew. Further complications abound, threatening to thwart their goal. The pirate ship is desperately pursued by Commodore Thomas Wilkes, who wants to kill Marta, believing she abducted his wife. The True Religionists don’t want Dressa Moore to be explored, fearing they’ll lose their tight control of the area. Fellow magilurgist Samson Sutter, jealous of Jonathan, tries to cut the funding for the expedition. Miller keeps his story hopping rapidly from one viewpoint to another, but his large pool of characters can sometimes be overwhelming. William, Jonathan, and Marta stand out from the crowd—flawed but somehow likable, capable of surprises. Heartless\u002Dseeming Marta reveals her code of ethics about human life: “I never take one without good reason.” Mocked for his useless linguistics studies (there’s only one language), William nevertheless finds a way to earn respect with his skills. A magical land is imaginatively depicted with airborne pigs eating a shower of lettuce and carrots while gliding above “seashell streets.” Roses rapidly bloom, die, and regenerate. Though there are battle scenes, the book’s tone is lighthearted. “It took me three months to find the perfect\u002Dsized vest!” Marta shouts after being shot in the shoulder. Miller’s riveting novel is so stuffed with characters and subplots that a sequel is announced at the end."⭐ 4.2/5(6)

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Cover of THE FROZEN PEOPLE

THE FROZEN PEOPLE

by an expert in period dress, Ali’s ready to leave. Since so much about time travel remains unknown, it’s a dangerous trip. The team has learned, for example, that travelers must stand in the exact same place they landed in order to return. Proceeding to 44 Hawk Street, a boardinghouse owned by Cain Templeton, most of whose residents were artists, Ali is greeted by the sight of Cain standing over the body of a dead woman. Although people think Ali is odd, she manages to stay in the house and investigate. But her portal is accidentally used by someone else, rendering it inoperative for her and leaving Finn and her team desperate to find a way to retrieve her. The man who used her portal may be a murderer now living in Ali’s present. When Isaac Templeton is found shot to death by an old\u002Dfashioned gun and Finn is arrested for his murder, one of Ali’s colleagues takes her place so she can return to the present and help clear her son."⭐ 4.0/5(7,229)

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Cover of THE GARDEN AND THE JUNGLE

THE GARDEN AND THE JUNGLE

by side in the West, as Plenel chronicles while interrogating “those imperial claims to superiority, domination, and power which have not ceased causing barbarism to appear in the heart of civilization.” Two frequently evoked cases in point are Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war on Gaza, abetted by numerous authoritarian regimes, not least of them Donald Trump’s, which break “with the ideal of a shared world, where human beings, just like the nature of which they are part, are in relationship, ineluctably interconnected, intermixed, and interdependent.” The modern West, Plenel makes plain, is founded on “criminal ideologies and destructive forces”\u003B another case in point is the system of French colonialism, which, alone of the European powers, continues today in far\u002Dflung “neocolonial” places such as New Caledonia—one of many apartheid states, a category in which he also places Trump’s America—and Chad. Plenel is unsparing of his homeland, locating in it the “great replacement” theory beloved of the MAGA right in the U.S. Ironically, Plenel notes, the true law of the jungle is the anarchist theoretician Peter Kropotkin’s theory of mutual aid, where the survival of the fittest gives way to the survival of all who apply. The translation renders many names in their French forms (Kropotkine, Carl Schmitt, Atila), which is a touch distracting, but Plenel’s defense of the Enlightenment ideals of liberté, égalité, and fraternité comes through quite clearly."⭐ 4.0/5(1)

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Cover of THE GHOST OF WRECKERS COVE

THE GHOST OF WRECKERS COVE

by their father’s tales of fictional girl detectives, Cristina and Martha form their own secret sleuthing society and set out to solve the mystery. Their search takes them to the village library, a forgotten museum, and even a crumbling cliffside cave, uncovering clues that tie together ghostly sightings, legendary land pirates called “wreckers,” and a priceless jewel lost at sea. The pair begin to suspect that they may need to help Ida accept the truth of what happened so many years ago—a fitting task for two girls who are also quietly processing the recent loss of their mother. Despite its ghostly apparitions and dark themes, Del Campo’s story is more sweet than spooky, and Liniers’ illustrations employ a muted palette and watercolor texture that matches the quietly emotional story. “I will always believe in fairies and magic,” Martha announces to dismissive Cristina at one point, and this tale of sisterly bonding does indeed feel like a fairy tale, at times. As such, slightly older readers may wish that there were more swashbuckling, ghostly adventure, Still, its quiet pace and subtle tone will resonate with younger, reflective readers who are drawn to atmosphere over action. "⭐ 4.3/5(84)

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Cover of THE GLITCH

THE GLITCH

by engineering an amicable settlement for all. It’s a settlement that involves lots of ice cream, too. Why? “Ice cream makes you happy when you are sad!” Rex doesn’t offer actual explanations for Fred’s software glitch or its timely disappearance, but this unexpected behavior does make the light\u002Dskinned, round\u002Dheaded pacifist seem a little less too good to be true, and his message therefore that much easier to accept."⭐ 3.8/5(12)

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Cover of THE GLOOMLANDS CHRONICLES

THE GLOOMLANDS CHRONICLES

by melodic fae, amusing chatty trees, and tiny, whimsical house trolls. The author balances fantastical elements with relatable ordinary life as the characters grapple with issues of identity, disharmony, and long\u002Dharbored family secrets while journeying toward self\u002Ddiscovery. The pacing could be improved by trimming some of the dialogue and day\u002Dto\u002Dday minutiae, but the novel’s diverse cast, fascinating folklore, and beautifully descriptive prose enrich the tale. (“Her long violet hair, adorned with colorful wildflower petals, cascaded down her back, and she wore an opal gown that shimmered like moonlight against her dark skin,” Rininger writes of a fae.) This imaginative debut will capture the heart and imagination of any adventure\u002Dloving middle\u002Dgrade reader."⭐ 4.9/5(21)

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Cover of THE GODS OF NEW YORK

THE GODS OF NEW YORK

by his perceived mismanagement on numerous fronts. Corruption scandals undermined his administration. Homelessness surged, due in part to federal funding cuts, reductions in mental health in\u002Dpatient care, and local government failures. AIDS was killing thousands of New Yorkers. With City Hall slow to act on the latter, playwright and activist Larry Kramer tried to out the closeted mayor and lambasted federal health officials like Anthony Fauci. Conservative writer William F. Buckley Jr. said people with HIV should be tattooed to prevent its spread. Meanwhile, crack decimated poor neighborhoods, as “an inherently biased law” imprisoned many Black users and spared white users of powder cocaine. Violent crime and racial conflict stoked by tabloids made Al Sharpton famous and fueled international interest in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. Rudy Giuliani’s profile rose as he prosecuted Wall Street crooks. And Donald Trump, after making some bad business deals, “was now refashioning himself into the city’s white id,” Mahler writes. When Trump made inflammatory statements after five Black and Latino teens were accused—falsely, it turned out—of raping a woman in Central Park in 1989, famed columnist Jimmy Breslin wrote that he had “destroyed himself” as “all demagogues ultimately do.”"⭐ 4.3/5(323)

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Cover of THE GOLDEN AGE OF ITALIAN JEWS

THE GOLDEN AGE OF ITALIAN JEWS

by men and women who take advantage of new freedoms and, by the 1930s, find their ways among old prejudices. Jewish Italians served their nation in many ways, “eager to prove that the faith the country had shown in their Italianitá (Italianess) was fully warranted.” Their courage stands in sharp contrast to “the cowardice shown” by the world’s initial reluctance “to take action against the rise of Fascism.” Italian Jewry offers a lesson in ambition and resilience, patriotism and bravery."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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Cover of THE HIGHEST EXAM

THE HIGHEST EXAM

by three scholars presents a history of the exam, told through their personal experiences and framed as a socioeconomic study of Chinese ambition in the 21st century. The gaokao serves as an example of the highly centralized structure of Chinese life. Just as central planning governs much of urban and rural life, so too does the system of learning come from the top. The exam structure reflects not only the highly technocratic foci of Chinese advancement, but also its long\u002Dstanding values. Hard work remains the most important thing. China, however, is no straightforward meritocracy. “It’s not that China’s people are idealists who only believe in the power of an exam to predict intelligence,” the authors write. “Rather, China is a society known for connections and petty corruption—hence, the weakness of its institutions.” Children spend their lives taking exams, and family connections help with tutors and retesting. Teachers are not just paid\u003B they are often personally compensated for a child’s education. The “murky waters of corruption in China” wash over this highly centralized system of advancement. And while success is quantified by score, and while that score stays with the student throughout life, failure is equally branding. This book paints a landscape of vast inequality passing itself off as meritocracy—an exposé of an increasingly powerful global nation and a warning to any society, east or west, that still believes in teaching to the test."⭐ 4.8/5(9)

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Cover of THE HIROSHIMA MEN

THE HIROSHIMA MEN

by Japan’s unexpectedly sudden surrender, Americans accepted the official story that ordinary superbombs had won the war. Stories of gruesome injuries and agonizing deaths that continued to occur months afterward were censored or officially denied. By 1946 Hersey was a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, chafing at Time\u002DLife’s reluctance to let him travel. More amenable, New Yorker editors sent him to Asia, where he returned traditional stories before traveling to Hiroshima, which, despite a year’s passage, smelled of death. Interviewing widely, he concentrated on stories from half\u002Da\u002Ddozen survivors. The result, filling the Aug. 31, 1946, issue, was a jolt, and the later book a worldwide bestseller. Both gave rise to the belief, still popular if not unanimous, that the bomb must never be used again."⭐ 4.3/5(93)

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Cover of THE HOPE NOT PLOT

THE HOPE NOT PLOT

by the KGB. It’s an ambitiously sinister plan, but it’s not one that goes completely undetected. When suspicions regarding the funeral ceremony are brought to the attention of U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, he takes action: Not only does he decide not to attend the memorial services, but he also consults former CIA director Allen Dulles, who, along with many other government operatives, recognizes the seriousness of the situation, which could easily spiral out of control.The story begins with a rather bland speech from 1960s\u002Dera Prime Minister Harold Wilson (“We are on the threshold of an extraordinary moment in the history of the realm”)\u003B a bit later on, there’s a similarly unexciting flashback to Churchill’s final public appearance in 1964, in which a woman unnecessarily explains to her young daughter, “Sweetheart, that is Sir Winston Churchill and his wife, Lady Churchill.” Nevertheless, as the pages turn, so does readers’ anticipation regarding the wild spy mission, which involves a large cast of diverse characters\u003B they include a couple in the U.K. that “had dedicated themselves to Soviet intelligence for nearly three decades, their commitment unwavering despite upheavals and betrayals,” as well as a frazzled American spy who, before the threat of KOBA came to the CIA’s attention, had been living a very unhappy existence in Rome. The lively mix of real\u002Dlife historical figures and Stokes’ fictional creations keeps events moving briskly along, and that includes the action scenes\u003B in one, a character makes quick work of his adversaries by firing “three shots with great poise and precision, dropping all three men in less than two seconds.” And, of course, there’s always the chance that world\u002Dchanging fiascoes will occur if the plan actually succeeds. The potential for such chaos will give readers plenty of good reasons to stick with the novel all the way to its conclusion."

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Cover of THE HOUSE OF QUIET

THE HOUSE OF QUIET

by a peat bog. White unveils magical abilities and sinister mystery in dreamy, disorienting passages. The third\u002Dperson narration occasionally follows other residents of the house. Once the teens start building relationships—Birdie develops a friendship with Minnow, and each has a love interest among the upper\u002Dclass residents—the intrigue picks up and the fragmented clues come together in an explosive, satisfying finale. Birdie presents white, and Minnow has light brown skin\u003B Minnow’s same\u002Dsex relationship is framed as remarkable only for crossing the class divide. "⭐ 3.8/5(205)

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Cover of THE IMPOSSIBLE BOMB

THE IMPOSSIBLE BOMB

by the end of the 1930s, Nazi advances in France, Poland, Denmark, and elsewhere had driven scientists to flee to England, many of them physicists highly motived to put their research toward ending the war. The U.S. had not yet entered the war, but their scientists were beginning similar efforts. The two research entities—the Manhattan Project in the U.S. and the Tube Alloys program in England—managed to join forces despite political machinations and ego\u002Ddriven resistance from Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, each of whom wanted his own country to claim ownership of the bomb. Once the leaders realized that neither side could complete the effort on its own, they signed a secret agreement in August 1943\u003B by December, 60 British scientists joined their American colleagues at Los Alamos and Berkeley, and work on the bomb began in earnest. Williams’ book impeccably documents those events, with an excellent selection of photos, timelines, and maps, along with a handy reference list featuring key players."⭐ 4.7/5(3)

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Cover of THE IMPROBABLE VICTORIA WOODHULL

THE IMPROBABLE VICTORIA WOODHULL

by women. Other firsts followed: Victoria was the first woman to testify before Congress, on the matter of women’s suffrage, and, in 1872, the first to run for president. She touted her causes—suffrage and free love—in a newspaper column, “The Petticoat Politician,” and a weekly newspaper she and her sister published. Early admirers included Walt Whitman, Susan B. Anthony, and newspaperman Horace Greeley. But Victoria’s notoriety and arrogance undid her: She “hunted trouble and didn’t care where her foot landed,” Collinsworth notes succinctly. Anthony Comstock had her arrested twice. Mired in scandal, in 1877, she sailed for England, where, with stubborn determination, she reinvented herself."⭐ 3.2/5(18)

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Cover of THE INTELLIGENCE EXPLOSION

THE INTELLIGENCE EXPLOSION

by fierce competition between major tech companies like OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. These corporations, he argues, have released unpredictable generative AI models and are racing to create artificial general intelligence (AGI) without fully understanding or addressing the risks. The result, according to Barrat and the experts he cites, will likely be catastrophic. One chilling comparison equates releasing open\u002Dsource code to publishing plans for a nuclear bomb. Another AI expert envisions rogue data centers developing unchecked AI systems that must be destroyed to protect humanity. Despite the urgency of his tone, Barrat notes that AI does offer tangible benefits for medicine, robotics, and scientific research. From protein folding to factory automation, current AIs already surpass human performance in many specialized domains. But the book’s core concern remains the lack of safeguards, AI’s unpredictable emergent properties, and our present inability to align superintelligent systems with human values. Barrat’s argument is passionate and unapologetically skeptical of industry motivations. His plentiful notes make the book a valuable resource for readers looking to explore the topic further. This volume will satisfy those wondering why many respected researchers are sounding the alarm about AI, fearing a risky, high\u002Dstakes choose\u002Dyour\u002Down\u002Dadventure game where black\u002Dbox models replace human decision\u002Dmaking. Barrat offers some hope, but he warns that smart AIs won’t stay confined to computers for long. Agree or disagree, this thought\u002Dprovoking introduction will add context for those seeking to understand AI’s darker potential."⭐ 3.5/5(47)

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Cover of The Journal of Djuna Malik

The Journal of Djuna Malik

by a racist man who lived down the street. Mourning her are her much older sister, Nisha, who raised her after their parents were killed in a terrorist attack in Mumbai, and her Lit professor, Liam McFadden, who feels she’s a talented writer and shows her class writings to Nisha after toying with the idea of plagiarizing them as material for his own novel. Liam and Nisha bond over Djuna’s journal and begin an affair. Nisha tells her own story to Liam, which includes her rape by an American youth in India, which led to further tragedy when her vengeful Indian lover at Harvard accidentally blew up himself, his brother, and uncle, with a bomb intended for Nisha’s attacker. She also ruminates on her tense marriage with Michael, a depressed white man with lots of guns and seething resentments. Meanwhile, Liam is wrestling with his own past growing up in Ireland. His father, a famous novelist, was so enraged that Liam’s mother published her own novel that she never finished another one, and he also plagiarized the work of Liam’s brother, Shamus, a talented and volatile poet. After he dropped dead of a heart attack during an argument with Shamus, more tragedy followed. Throughout, Nisha and Liam ponder the dead, while Nisha untangles yet more fraught relationships with Felicity, a friend and also the mother of Djuna’s killer, and Jamie, a troubled friend of Djuna’s.Wieland’s novel works with big themes, including the experience of Indian immigrants eager to pursue the American dream but subject to racist affronts from microaggressions to homicide, and the problems of the story’s many angry men, with a first\u002Dterm Donald Trump being a distant, presiding spirit who haunts the characters’ anxieties. It’s also an atmospheric portrait of the modern university, capturing the classroom torpor, the energetic zeal of its protest culture, the flurry of squabbling and empty\u002Dnest sorrow that surrounds Nisha’s relationship with Djuna as she leaves home, and the central role that prestigious degrees play in shaping the identity and self\u002Desteem of the professional classes. (Djuna is distraught when her dream colleges reject her and she must settle for Chapel Hill, still one of the best schools in the country.) These are big themes, and Wieland explores them with psychological nuance and exactitude in prose that sometimes has a lyrical stillness and other times opens out into harsh, raw feeling (When tragedy strikes, Nisha’s “wailing afterwards was so loud and so long it seemed the sound came from the hospital building, out of the walls and floors, the drywall, the pipes, the wiring, the invisible Internet signal”). Wieland handles this sometimes unbearably dark material with evocative writing that packs an emotional wallop. "

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Cover of THE LACK OF LIGHT

THE LACK OF LIGHT

by suicide 20 years earlier—a fact we learn in the first chapter but come to fully understand only 700 eagerly turned pages later. The narrator is Keto, who grows up in a delightfully quirky household with two battling grandmothers, a widowed physicist father, and a beloved older brother\u003B the story follows her friendships with brilliant Ira, daring Dina, and beautiful Nene, the darling daughter of a mobster family, from their schoolyard beginnings, through young loves, emerging talents, and life\u002Dchanging decisions, everything thrown into high relief by the unfolding disaster around them. Ferrante lovers will find many echoes of the Neapolitan novels here, the plot similarly featuring almost mythic levels of intensity in love and grief, centering the importance of women’s friendship. An unexpectedly moving translators’ note says that the novel, while not autobiographical, is probably Haratischwili’s \u0022most personal work to date,\u0022 a history strongly felt in myriad gorgeously written summary passages like this one: “We, the children of the nineties, who swapped our childhood and youth for Kalashnikovs and heroin—we, of all people, listened to Barry White and longed for nothing more than eternal love and the ecstatic fruits of that love, for fun and excitement. We, of all people, let the music play. And how! We played it right to the bitter end.”"⭐ 4.4/5(7,371)

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Cover of THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE

THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE

by the time they got home, though, it was clear that the treatment had not worked, and that his mother was on the verge of death. When she did die, Jesse, devastated, was unable to function. He neglected his schoolwork, not because he wasn’t interested in learning, but because he couldn’t concentrate—a situation that may be partially a result of “ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder, and intrusive thoughts,” all of which are issues that persisted throughout his adulthood. Eventually, Mechanic found a community of fellow “bad kids,” all of whom “went through something” that “dented our innocence.” Mechanic is convinced that these peers, along with punk and hip\u002Dhop, saved his life. After high school, the author worked at a bookstore, cultivating a love of literature and eventually graduating from college with honors. Years later, he became a father and saw his mother’s death in a new light, understanding how much it must have hurt to lose her chance to know her children as they grew older. Mechanic’s illustrations are vibrant and richly detailed, and his use of patterning is especially impressive. This is a raw account of grieving. While the prose feels overwritten at times, overall it’s a tender and frank memoir that will resonate with readers."⭐ 4.8/5(16)

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Cover of THE LAST WIZARD

THE LAST WIZARD

by necessity, a trio comprises an “elf in pursuit of knowledge, a youngster in search of himself, and a burly dwarf embarked on his own mission to change the world.” In the story’s first half, the action is centered in Springdale’s sole tavern. As the trio become familiar with its patrons and proprietor—who’s also the leader of the village—they pick up mapmaking jobs and other odd quests in exchange for money, beer, and meals. Unbeknownst to the three, the titular unnamed wizard secretly oversees their quests and other local activities. Occupying an abandoned house, he’s prevented from materializing in the flesh, due in part to his ailing health: “My best tactic is to remain invisible, all while quietly pursuing the most unique artifact—the Aard of Being—deep within the dungeons.” With a Blood Moon on the horizon, a missing villager returns as a zombie that heralds necromancers and other dark forces converging. The trio discover a hidden dungeon entrance and embarks on their most dangerous quest yet, with the help of a fallen, a satyr, and a healer, to discover hidden artifacts and origins of evil. Mizgailo’s presents readers with a lengthy read that’s divided between accounts of village life and tales of subterranean exploration. The scenes in Springdale’s tavern are full of banter and bawdy characters, lending the characters’ relationships a greater depth. Grampy, the oft\u002Ddisgruntled dwarf, provides much of the humor in his desires for riches and alcohol: “Any free beer makes me happy.” The plucky boy soldier is engaging as he questions the elders in an attempt to learn more than the Warrior Guild permitted. In an addled dream sequence, his mind inspires some of the novel’s stronger prose: “His flame reflected from the moon, illuminating the tortured continent that was slowly devoured by darkness, calling for dawn.” The elf’s loss of faith is also a brief but compelling plot point. As the explorers descend into different dungeon levels, they encounter room after room of unholy creatures—each as deadly as the last. Readers familiar with role\u002Dplaying games, such as Dungeons \u0026amp\u003B Dragons and Warhammer, will enjoy reading about grisly battles and learning the complex, unfolding rules of the Lands of Amun. For others, the scenes may become somewhat repetitive, particularly when a second troop is dispatched to investigate the same area. The wizard provides an effective anchor for exposition, but this long and sometimes\u002Dconvoluted tale may not engage some casual readers."

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Cover of THE LIBRARY AT HELLEBORE

THE LIBRARY AT HELLEBORE

by feeding his own body to the school’s ravenous hosts in order to protect his friends\u003B Delilah is an “immortal sacrifice,” dying over and over again in the service of the gods\u003B while Rowan is a “deathworker” whose destiny is foretold by prophecy. There are some intriguing elements—and it’s often hard to take. Like other postmodern antiheroines, among them Chuck Wendig’s Miriam Black (Blackbirds, 2015, etc.) and Julie Crews from The Dead Take the A Train, Alessa’s primary operating mode is pretty much caustic bitch, and her classmates don’t temper it much. Whether the deadpan violence and body horror is excessive is a matter of personal taste, but there’s no denying that the whole thing is pretty squelchy and it’s not always easy to follow. Proceed with caution."⭐ 3.3/5(2,695)

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Cover of THE MASK

THE MASK

by actors in theater before they were used for protection from disease and pollution. Perhaps that idea of misrepresentation is behind the social and political attitudes of protective mask wearing. Strasser (a biologist) and Schlich (a physician) examine the ways people have used protective masks to avoid “bad air” over centuries. The bad air can be too cold or too dry\u003B full of dust, smoke, bacteria, or viruses\u003B or toxic from military use, industry, or transportation. The use of protective masks illustrates what the authors call a technological fix. “Health and disease are examples of hugely complex phenomena, and they become even more so when considered collectively.” Society looks for a simple solution to a complex problem, and protective masks—and their uses and misuses over centuries—are a good example. Masks can be mandated or just recommended during epidemics, wars, or environmental disasters, but the primary responsibility for protection rests with the wearer. From plague doctors in the 1600s to the discovery of bacteria, protective masks were key to combating disease. Masks were also in great favor during the Industrial Revolution, because forcing workers—who were sanding wood, applying pesticides, spraying paint, mining coal, and making hats—to wear masks at work meant that industrialists didn’t need to clean up the work environment. Just slap a mask on workers, and they were good to go. The technology of masks has evolved over the centuries, but the politics of mask wearing has always been divisive, with some seeing protective masks as symbols of cowardice and fear, infringing on personal freedoms. Choosing to wear a protective mask is nothing less than a choice with cultural significance."⭐ 4.0/5(1)

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Cover of THE MIGHTY ONION AND GUINEA PIG GIRL!

THE MIGHTY ONION AND GUINEA PIG GIRL!

by some hyper\u002Drealistic bits of illustration—a partly chewed candy bar in its wrapper, a fortune cookie, a box of matches, and pages from an old fictional guide to writing comic books by the creator of Toaster Oven Man. The resulting mix is fabulously funny and engaging. Main characters read white."⭐ 4.4/5(5)

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Cover of THE MISSION

THE MISSION

by the Senate Intelligence Committee of the Torture Report, which described in horrible detail the interrogation methods used in the battle against al\u002DQaida. The book also describes the shocking effectiveness of Russian and Chinese cyberattacks. Weiner pegs the difference between the two foes: “China wanted to know their enemies. The Russians simply want to screw them.” Still, the CIA directed the multilateral decade\u002Dlong intelligence operations that enabled NATO and Ukraine to prepare for and react quickly to the Russian invasion in 2023. The CIA is the most studied and misunderstood of any U.S. government agency. Weiner’s book is a balanced and nuanced account that should change that."⭐ 4.2/5(440)

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Cover of THE MOON PRINCE

THE MOON PRINCE

by the racial slurs the white quarry manager flings at them. Their earthly society is deeply divided by race, and when they reach the moon, they find there are other ways that beings divide themselves and perpetuate inequalities. Both the illustrations and episodic plot evoke a retro storytelling aesthetic. This adventurous tale is bizarre, entertaining, and grounded in relationships: Molly searches for kindness, and Max fights to protect her. Although this is a satisfying story without the adrenaline\u002Dfilled incidents or lengthy worldbuilding that the genre often contains, there’s a mismatch between the protagonists, whose behavior feels very young, and some of the more mature content."⭐ 4.0/5(3)

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Cover of THE MOST UNUSUAL HAUNTING OF EDGAR LOVEJOY

THE MOST UNUSUAL HAUNTING OF EDGAR LOVEJOY

by the grotesque faces of dead people lingering on Earth since he was a little boy. He works part time for a cocktail business and a cat café, and then he goes home. It’s safer and less scary that way. When he meets Jamie Wendon\u002DDale, a genderqueer burlesque performer and haunted\u002Dhouse designer, they challenge him to step outside his comfort zone. Jamie loves their life and the pockets of comfort they have found in queer and spooky communities. Predictably, their choices cause their traditional family—their mother is a politician—to bristle. Their sister, Emma, asks Jamie to be her maid of honor (despite the very gendered term), and to step up and help out with wedding plans that coincide with Halloween—Jamie’s busiest time of year, professionally. After Edgar opens up to Jamie about seeing ghosts, he’s able to let Jamie coax him out of his comfort zone and back into the world. And when he has a panic attack at Emma’s rehearsal dinner, it emboldens Jamie to stand up for themself for the first time with their family. Edgar’s own family is only marginally less complicated. His parents aren’t really in the picture anymore, and no one really talks to the crazy aunt who sees ghosts, but his sister’s impending pregnancy might just be enough to bring their absentee brother back into Edgar and his sister’s lives. There’s as much hurt and comfort passing between Parrish’s two very likable love interests as there is scorching chemistry and hot sex. The supporting characters are well\u002Dwritten and nuanced enough to have their own spinoffs, and the book is every bit as cozy as it is steamy."⭐ 3.8/5(280)

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Cover of THE NEW GLOBAL POSSIBLE

THE NEW GLOBAL POSSIBLE

by 2030…relative to 2019 levels,” he writes—a tall order given that global emissions are still rising.) Fortunately, he makes his case compelling with real\u002Dworld specifics and stories of leaders who achieved remarkable progress with limited means, like Wangari Maathai, who won a Nobel Prize for her grassroots tree\u002Dplanting campaign in Kenya. Dasgupta explains it all in straightforward and very readable prose that cuts the wonkery with empathy. (“I understand the helplessness when people ask, ‘Does it really matter if I give up meat?’ or ‘Will switching to an electric vehicle even make a difference?’ And yet the answer is always: Yes, it does matter.”) Readers daunted by the scale of the climate emergency will find much stimulating food for thought here."⭐ 4.7/5(6)

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Cover of THE NIGHTSHADE GOD

THE NIGHTSHADE GOD

by the god in his head, Lore doesn’t know what’s happening with the magic she was born with or the magic she’s gained, her friends are grappling with their own gods and scattered throughout the land. With ash thickening the air, Lore must fight just to survive, but she will never be satisfied with mere survival when she might still be able to save the world. So, with her friends and some allies (who may or may not be trustworthy) she begins to work toward a solution that could fix everything. But striving for salvation means anything might have to be sacrificed: Bastian or his disenchanted former Priest Exalted Gabe, her magic, or even her sense of self. As the Nightshade Crown trilogy draws to a close, its scope expands beyond Lore but ultimately remains focused on her journey. The increased presence of secondary characters, particularly Bastian’s half sister Alienor, makes this finale truly feel like an extension of the previous installments rather than simply a rehashed version of similar plot points. As the world expands, so too does the representation, with characters of different sexualities and gender identities incorporated with little fanfare, as their presence does not require remark. Lore’s moral journey is particularly compelling\u003B alongside her self\u002Dsacrifice, she makes bad choices and, often enough, suffers the consequences. Infusing the wonder of myths and magic with the desperation of a fight for survival and earth\u002Dshattering doom, this conclusion lives up to the trilogy as a whole."⭐ 3.9/5(2,766)

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Cover of THE OUTWARD PATH

THE OUTWARD PATH

by a 16th\u002Dcentury Spanish friar. In this book, he explains it. Beginning at the beginning, Purcell asks the question at the basis of Western philosophy: What is our main goal in life? Conventionally, it’s been the pursuit of happiness, a goal stated literally by Thomas Jefferson but previously given a nod of approval by Aristotle. Few take this literally, preferring to aim for a “good life.” To followers of most religions, it means obeying divine laws and achieving redemption after death. A few religions (Purcell emphasizes Buddhism) and serious philosophers (Purcell adds an entire school, Stoicism) emphasize that there is no divine plan. Life’s value isn’t in achieving grace but in the quality of our struggle here on earth. Aztec thinkers asked, “What does life look like without the possibility of redemption?” Their answer, like that of Stoics and Buddhists (though for different reasons) is that you will be fine because everything of value is already present in a well\u002Dlived life. Purcell’s first chapters will persuade most readers that ingenious insights lie ahead. They’ll be right, but Aztec philosophy (like quantum physics, the Constitution, or evolution) is a complex subject. In a series of Lessons, a “Postface” summary, and three dense appendices, he maintains that Aztec ethics emphasize one’s role in society. It “challenges Stoicism, Buddhism, and other philosophies, which hold that by working on your own, inner self first, you’ll find a way to happiness and fulfillment.” To which Purcell adds, “What makes life worth living also makes it fragile. You are not after happiness, and you are not after invulnerability…but instead a life of meaning.”"⭐ 3.9/5(13)

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Cover of THE PAINTER'S FIRE

THE PAINTER'S FIRE

by focusing on three artists whose work inspired rebellion and patriotism: Robert Edge Pine, a British painter likely of African descent\u003B Prince Demah, an enslaved portrait painter\u003B and Patience Wright, an American wax sculptor who ran a London wax museum. Less known than John Singleton Copley, Charles Willson Peale, and Gilbert Stuart, the three were famous among their contemporaries\u003B their clientele spanned the political spectrum, and their art, seen in exhibitions and reproductions, shaped public opinion in Britain and the colonies. Moreover, besides producing art, each contributed to the revolution in other ways: Demah as a soldier, Wright as a patriot spy, and Pine as the founder of popular museum culture. Demah was brought to London by his self\u002Dserving enslaver, who recognized his rare artistic talents and planned to publicize him for her own benefit and arrange for him to study with a professional artist to further develop his skills. On the voyage abroad, he served both as a valet to his owner and as a mariner on the ship. Fortunately, the artist who took him on as apprentice was Pine, an ardent supporter of American liberty. Wright, a successful sculptor in the colonies, was a widow with five children when she decided to go to London to establish herself there. With a letter of introduction to Benjamin Franklin from his sister, Jane, Wright found support to launch her new career. Soon, her networks included aristocrats, politicians, and merchants, from whom she easily gathered intelligence that she passed on to Franklin. “Not all Patriots were white,” Anishanslin writes. “Not all Patriots were men.” The fight for freedom raged beyond combat."⭐ 4.0/5(9)

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Cover of THE PATCHWORK CLOAK OF KAMAL BEY

THE PATCHWORK CLOAK OF KAMAL BEY

by the author’s mentor and family friend, a “force\u002Dof\u002Dnature raconteur” Egyptian named Kamal Bey who memorably compares the increasing “tribalism” of the United States’ political parties to “the fanatics of the Middle East.” Zada’s own Egyptian ancestry, combined with his Westernized Arab upbringing and lifelong wanderlust, gives him a unique perspective—one that he eloquently expresses with a clear and vivid narrative voice that uses the desert as a metaphor for identity and nationality: “The desert constantly shifts and changes as we move through it… It is one desert, yet it is made up of endless permutations, all slightly different from each other but sharing a common, underlying reality.” This is a compelling travel memoir that doubles as a thoughtful reflection on the unnecessary (and self\u002Dimposed) national and cultural boundaries that exist only to distract us from our shared humanity."⭐ 4.6/5(5)

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Cover of THE PEOPLE'S PROJECT

THE PEOPLE'S PROJECT

by self\u002Dabandonment, she meant pretending “you don’t know what you know, don’t hear what you hear, don’t see what you see.” And not abandoning others, as well. Several contributors consider forms of resistance. “I think the act of resistance I take the most pleasure in is raising my sons to be good men,” writes illustrator Aubrey Hirsch. For Chase Strangio, simply being a transgender person signifies resistance: “Part of what makes trans people so central in this small and toxic moment is the power we wield by being insistently ourselves.” Disability justice activist Alice Wong considers the challenge of countering fascism: “The fear, chaos, and danger many of us live in changes our relationship with time. To fight, to provide mutual aid, to listen, care for, and love our people, to nourish and sustain yourself—all of these things take time and energy. We must give ourselves space, grace, and time if we are to fight fascism.” Some pieces exude anger\u003B others, sadness\u003B all face the future with more questions than answers. As scholar Imani Perry puts it, “Today I ask: How do we raise the young in the face of deportations, expulsions, captivity, abandonment and targeted cruelty? How do we feed those writhing with hunger pangs for freedom?” All underscore the crucial power of community."⭐ 4.4/5(148)

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Cover of THE POTENCY OF UNGOVERNABLE IMPULSES

THE POTENCY OF UNGOVERNABLE IMPULSES

by this third installment, as charming and even action\u002Dpacked as it is, the construction of this science fantasy might be pushing the boundaries of implausibility too far. Older has degrees and experience in economics, politics, and disaster response\u003B she clearly knows that a society with limited resources would be unlikely to produce the luxurious food and drinks she describes, and understanding people as she does, it seems equally unlikely that a society that also produces murderers wouldn’t have at least one prison and a stricter judicial system than is presented here. There’s a point being made, but it’s not entirely clear what it is."⭐ 4.1/5(903)

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Cover of THE PRINCESS AND THE P.I.

THE PRINCESS AND THE P.I.

by an unsolved case involving Fiona’s father’s megachurch. Is Maurice bailing Fiona out to help her or to find dirt on her dad? Payne’s foray into romantic suspense starts with a high\u002Dstakes tech event and a backstory about Fiona’s family dynamics and the cultish church she has been serving. Add to it Maurice’s demons about his failure to help a young woman escape that church, plus the ugly end of his police career, and the narrative feels like it’s being pulled in several different directions. The plot gets further crowded with other characters and connections between the corporate espionage plot and the religious Mafia one. Villains abound, including Fiona’s sister, her brother’s former lover, the publicist for the tech firm, a second\u002Din\u002Dcommand at the church who keeps leering at Fiona, and Maurice’s ex–best friend on the force. There is also a scene at a sex party, a break\u002Din at the tech office, a fight on a yacht, and a confrontation during a church service. The sequence and timeline of the scenes is confusing and the trail of murders, suspects, and motives hard to follow."⭐ 4.1/5(122)

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Cover of THE RAVEN BOYS

THE RAVEN BOYS

by Academy. While he can’t always escape the perception of being a condescending rich boy, Gansey, influenced by a near\u002Ddeath experience seven years earlier, throws himself fully into finding the sleeping king, Owain Glendower. Searching for ley lines that will lead them to Glendower, Gansey, Blue, and the others get swept up in a race to activate the lines before those with dark motives can seize the ancient magic for themselves. Though some of the illustrations don’t convey the full gravitas of some moments in the original, others adroitly capture the humor, dread, and camaraderie that made the novel so intriguing and endearing. Newcomers to the story may not catch the significance of certain developments, but other elements, like the town of Henrietta and Gansey’s journal, gain extra life and added dimensions thanks to Milledge’s expressive and nostalgic artwork, which is enhanced by Ko’s luminous colors. Blue has brown skin and dark curly hair, and the boys present as white. "⭐ 4.4/5(4,326)

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Cover of THE REAGAN FILES 2025

THE REAGAN FILES 2025

by offering transcripts of declassified conversations between Reagan and his closest confidants during his first term. Topics on well\u002Dknown aspects of his foreign policy are certainly present, such as Reagan’s staunch opposition to the Soviet Union or his policies toward the Middle East, but the conversations also provide readers glimpses into lesser\u002Dknown areas, including his approach to allies, if occasional economic rivals, in the Caribbean, Japan, and South Korea. Based largely on declassified materials from the National Security Council and National Security Planning Group, the transcripts provide an intimate look inside Reagan’s administration. In one conversation, for instance, the president describes Lebanon as “the strangest place in the world” because he couldn’t reconcile the nation’s rising terrorist threats with its cosmopolitan hotels, television shows, and sophisticated restaurants. With a law degree from the University of Wisconsin and a former researcher for Reagan biographer Richard Reeves, Saltoun\u002DEbin is intimately familiar with the archival material hosted at the Reagan Presidential Library. Not only has he written multiple volumes on the former president himself, he also led the way in digitizing his archival materials at TheReaganFiles.com. This is a carefully curated and abridged version of select documents, accompanied by the learned commentary and historical analysis of a leading Reagan researcher. This edition could have used some tighter editorial trimming\u003B many of the conversations consume multiple pages. Nevertheless, the book’s emphasis on engaging both scholars and lay readers is effectively supported by a glossary and ample historical contextualization."

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Cover of The Reluctant Womb

The Reluctant Womb

by her friend Frank, Thea joins him doing volunteer work in San Francisco, and Chris heads off to do volunteer work in Jamaica, where she falls in love with a local Black leader named Winston. Over the next school year, Cilla faces a pregnancy scare, Chris finds herself pregnant and decides on an illegal abortion, and Thea becomes pregnant and chooses to have the baby and put her up for adoption. Blair’s narrative is an exploration of the emotional, psychological, societal, and familial complexities and challenges regarding abortion, adoption, and interracial dating, the aftereffects of which linger throughout her characters’ adult years. The author captures the angst and ethos of campus life in the early, pre–Roe v. Wade 1960s and bakes in a primer on the period’s history, referencing the Cuban Missile Crisis, the blatant racism, the misogyny of the medical profession, and the burgeoning Civil Rights movement (“A meeting of Students for a Democratic Society. She wondered what kind of group it was. For Democrats? If she’d been old enough to vote in the 1960 election, she’d have voted for Kennedy. Maybe she’d look into it”). This homage to loving friendships also touches on the issues of mental illness and bisexuality. Blair’s prose is conversational and accessible, vividly evoking a time when social values were on the cusp of great change."⭐ 4.2/5(6)

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Cover of THE ROAD THAT MADE AMERICA

THE ROAD THAT MADE AMERICA

by his passion for the GWR naturally, having been inducted by a scholarly father in the pleasures of visiting historical places. An aficionado of Revolutionary War history, Dodson hits on plenty of battles along his path, which stretches from Pennsylvania and down the Shenandoah Valley into the Carolinas and Georgia. Like so many historic roads, the GWR began as a Native trail, but it soon came to serve as a conduit for moving new waves of immigrants out of crowded cities like Philadelphia into unsettled places. On that score, Dodson serves up an apposite quote from Benjamin Franklin, who, in an intemperate moment, railed, “Why should Pennsylvania, funded by the English, become a colony of aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us, instead of us Anglifying them?” Many of Dodson’s historical subjects are those Germans, many others Scots\u002DIrish, while his modern interlocutors come from all over, with one generous\u002Dminded local historian remarking, “The good news…is that many of the migrants we see coming here from Central and South America are hardworking folks eager to make a living.” Dodson touches on other current controversies, including efforts to remove Confederate statues from Southern historical sites and, of more specialist interest, the exact routes of the GWR’s numerous spurs. He writes with a light hand, talking with everyone who comes across his path and capturing some apt ideas, including one observation that in the colonial American melting pot, “the English built the houses, the Germans built the barns, and the Scots\u002DIrish built the stills.” "⭐ 3.8/5(82)

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Cover of THE ROAD TO YESTERDAY

THE ROAD TO YESTERDAY

by Black and Frangello, the memoir does make it feel like it’s Donovan’s voice that is being heard—she has such a seamless, conversational, and introspective way of recounting her story that the fact that she didn’t directly put pen to paper is quickly forgotten. Though the epilogue could perhaps have been split into multiple chapters, it looks forward to the future with Donovan’s established frankness as she admits to mistakes while also fully demonstrating that her “desire is to shine a light in the darkness for others.” "⭐ 4.6/5(28)

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Cover of THE ROMA

THE ROMA

by the almost universal hatred that greeted the Roma, who maintained their own culture and traveled in caravans at a time when almost no one traveled. They were attacked, expelled, imprisoned, and even enslaved. The first enslaved people taken to America—by Columbus—were Roma. During World War II, from several hundred thousand to a million Roma were murdered or transported to extermination camps, including Auschwitz. Today most Roma are settled, but they do not have it easy. Their children in Sweden were not permitted in public schools until 1959. Although caravans are uncommon, stronger British trespassing laws were directed at them in 2022. Traveling widely, Potter is perhaps too focused on recording unpleasant encounters, but she is not shy about pointing out Romani celebrities and cultural achievements. Spanish flamenco is one, as are, despite the names, Franz Liszt’s Hungarian rhapsodies and Johannes Brahms’ Hungarian dances."⭐ 4.1/5(94)

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Cover of THE SACRED STRUGGLE

THE SACRED STRUGGLE

by rabbis Danziger and David, an array of Jewish thinkers and spiritual leaders explores how trauma—individual and communal—interacts with Jewish culture, teaching, and belief. The October 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel are strongly present throughout in essays that highlight the pain of victimization, anger toward leadership, and a rise in antisemitism. In one essay, arguably the collection’s best, rabbi Wendy Zierler puts the tragedy into a context of classic Israeli songs, drawing parallels to the Kaddish prayer while illustrating how one has a capacity not only to mourn but “to bring people back.” Other entries address other crises, such as the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the Tree of Life and Parkland mass shootings, and the isolating agony of Covid\u002D19\u003B the Yom Kippur War and the Holocaust are also addressed. Editor and avid runner David recounts his first time participating in the Boston Marathon, which coincided with the horrific 2013 bombing. Just as affecting are essays of private struggle, including Danziger’s candid reflection on living with chronic cancer, and rabbi Debra R. Hachen’s account of caring for a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease while questioning whether she could meet what the role required. Although a shared faith binds these essays together, their tone shifts dramatically—some are passionate or outraged, others more measured and thoughtful, and still others take a scholarly tone. Nearly every essay is anchored by ritual or communal liturgy, which offer comfort or give shape to unresolved pain. Most resist easy answers and frame trauma not as something people “get over,” but rather “integrate…into our life view.” What emerges isn’t a theology of trauma, but a testimony to how Jewish practice, language, and leadership can respond to crises without closure. Though aimed at Jewish readers, the collection’s emotional honesty will resonate with anyone interested in how tradition can help one face what can’t necessarily be fixed."⭐ 5.0/5(2)

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Cover of THE SECOND CRUSADE

THE SECOND CRUSADE

by defeat. If none of his interviewees can help Dietrich win new battles, then what has he learned? It’s an intriguing premise for a novel. However, this narrative fails to contextualize it in a compelling way. Written in stark, straightforward prose, it reads like a moral fable that lacks the nuances that might make it more engaging. Moral tales set in the distant past often have thinly disguised messages that are relevant to the present, but it’s never clear whether the absence of deeply felt morals here is intended. Is this a story about a hero’s spiritual journey, an antiwar tale, or a simple bildungsroman? There’s too little here that makes the tale worth telling, and a hurried and convenient conclusion doesn’t help matters. "⭐ 4.0/5(1)

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Cover of THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF ANCIENT ROME

THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF ANCIENT ROME

by contemporaries—not unlike today’s polarized biases—underscores just how unreliable is much of the tradition we have of Rome specifically and the ancient world in general. However, the author does his best to parse the probable from the improbable and rarely takes things at face value."⭐ 4.0/5(74)

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Cover of THE SHROUD PROJECT

THE SHROUD PROJECT

by the name of Michael Fairchild, a cybernetic clone of Christ made from DNA extracted from his 2,000\u002Dyear\u002Dold shroud. Michael wields his spiritual power to convince the masses that “Digital Ascension” is the way to salvation. But when Joshua discovers the truth behind the process, he sets out—alongside a group of like\u002Dminded rebels, including a young woman named Mae Lin and her eerily perceptive little girl, Zen—to stop Michael. The messiah proves a formidable foe, however\u003B he attempts to stop the rebels by whatever increasingly violent means are necessary. When a shocking connection between Michael, Mae Lin, and Zen is revealed, Joshua will have to finally tap into his latent powers if he’s to save the ones he loves—and the world. Zalewski weaves together religion and science to create a kind of parable both entertaining and philosophical. While allusions to Christianity largely form the book’s backbone, they can occasionally be too on the nose (Joshua’s mothers are named Maria and Josephine, a character wears a “neural crown,” etc.). However, the story’s sheer imagination—combined with Zalewski’s smooth narrative voice—propels the story forward with a delicious sense of mounting dread: “From the recesses beneath the altar, articulated mechanical arms emerged like the limbs of some deep\u002Dsea creature, moving with an almost elegant precision born of advanced engineering and dread aesthetics.” The book’s climax, while not particularly surprising, provides a satisfying conclusion to a fun, gripping tale of religious dystopia."⭐ 5.0/5(2)

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Cover of THE SISTERHOOD

THE SISTERHOOD

by marrying Peregrine, Marquess of Harrington. The Goldsborough girls are admired and envied because of their grandmother’s plans to marry them off to great advantage, and Victoria’s death is a terrible blow to the family. Emily and Colin have solved many crimes, and given all the suspects from the cream of society, it’s far better for everyone concerned if they investigate than if it’s Scotland Yard poking around. They question the family for hints of a motive. Victoria died from yew poison that must have been administered within a limited window of time. Peregrine’s mother had a diamond tiara she’d planned to give Victoria. Its disappearance on the night of Victoria’s death leads Emily and Colin to suspect Sebastian Capet, a charming, erudite jewel thief in love with Emily and currently involved in opening what may be Boudica’s grave. Victoria’s closest friend, Frances Price, is the daughter of a suffragette, although neither Victoria nor Frances is involved in the battle for women’s rights, a cause despised by Peregrine and many in his set. Emily finds out that both girls were secretly involved in Boudica’s Sisters, a group of society women planning on marrying well and convincing their husbands to support the suffragette cause. When another debutante is poisoned, the sleuths must step up their game and dig out the real reason for murder."⭐ 3.9/5(189)

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Cover of THE SPACE CAT

THE SPACE CAT

by that harsh reality. But ultimately, Periwinkle puzzles out his place in Nigeria’s feline society and enjoys a disaster\u002Daverting adventure, with help from the curious cast of animals who slink around the local marketplace. Okorafor’s storytelling is intuitively episodic, blurring the realities of everyday pet life with gleeful fantasy. Ford’s sci\u002Dfi comic illustrations, rich with cosmic blues, purples, and oranges, bring a dynamic energy to this eccentric escapade. Periwinkle’s particular syntax (“When I come here, I reminded all things possible,” “Yes, I winning!”) may distract or amuse, depending on the reader."⭐ 4.1/5(147)

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Cover of THE STORY OF X0

THE STORY OF X0

by Celina soon gives rise to another threat that the allies must confront: She’s the creation of Nyxothar, an immortal being who consumes entire universes. Celina is the key to activating the enigmatic X0 station, which will unleash Nyxothar’s power and be the end of everything. In the meantime, humans who’ve been trying to comprehend the X0 station have opened a small portal releasing the Hollows, an assortment of vicious creatures that periodically attack Dynasty and the others. If the four can stay ahead of a tenacious military force, fight off a host of bloodthirsty otherworldly monsters, and shut down the station without inadvertently activating it and annihilating the universe, then there’s a relatively good chance they’ll survive.This briskly paced yarn features electrifying characters with fantastical abilities. The leads are effectively antiheroes—Dynasty once killed for the Anexsein Empire, Jade yearns for revenge, and both Celina and Death have murky pasts. Trust among the group isn’t easy to come by, especially as Celina initially confides in only one of the others (who keeps her secret) and the consistently unpredictable Death envies and seems intent on taking Celina’s power. As such, the people coming after these four aren’t necessarily villains\u003B the standouts include hard\u002Das\u002Dnails Gen. Capt. Ja Posa and a special forces team called the Royal Flushes with members named Queen, Jack, and Ten (they possess “Skills so ridiculous they might as well have been main characters in their own story”). The authors dish out innumerable action scenes that boast an even mix of gunfire and supernatural powers: One of Death’s abilities is taking control of a corpse for a short window of time, while Dynasty, echoing Jade’s crystal blades, can summon a sword that materializes in his hand. The frenetic pacing does occasionally backfire, especially in earlier, hasty scenes—the allies find themselves on a farming planet that’s more than it appears in a chapter that sacrifices any potential suspense by ending too quickly. The action intensifies as Dynasty and company focus on their mutual goal of taking out the X0 station. The blistering final act begets a few turns that most readers won’t see coming and closes with a hint of a sequel."⭐ 5.0/5(2)

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Cover of The Threads Remain

The Threads Remain

by German soldiers, which upends their lives. Postwar Germany in 1957 finds 16\u002Dyear\u002Dold Friedrich Becker grieving the recent loss of his adoptive mother, Minna. Spurred by her death to investigate the identity of his biological parents, Friedrich meets Sigrid, an orphan who works at an orphanage and joins him in his search. He remembers nothing of the time before his own adoption, but he has a crocheted bear named Bärli, which he had with him at age 4. Over the course of this layered narrative, Shapiro demonstrates an exceptional talent for storytelling as he highlights war’s capacity to separate people, but also to draw them together in common cause. Indeed, the story effectively shows how conflict can bind people together across generations and, as it happens, across time itself. As the various timelines intertwine, the author’s fine attention to detail results in a satisfying reading experience. Overall, the work ably reminds readers that although “there is no hope of creating a better past,” the future is still full of possibility."⭐ 4.7/5(217)

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Cover of THE THRESHOLD AND THE LEDGER

THE THRESHOLD AND THE LEDGER

by both Aeschylus’ Oresteia and artist Douglas Gordon’s seminal video installation 24\u002DHour Psycho. McCarthy’s play is reprinted in this book’s appendix, as is Bachmann’s “Salt and Bread,” in both English and German. Reveling in the subtle delicacy of Bachmann’s wording, the author investigates particularly potent etymologies and scans multiple translations in tandem. Invocations of works by Kafka, Dostoevsky, and Shakespeare add to McCarthy’s storm of citations, all of which usher in a short study of Bachmann’s 1971 magnum opus, the novel Malina. McCarthy’s work is an invigorating and inspiring incantation: Readers will not only marvel at how the author reads but also at his ability to articulate that experience into something both erudite and accessible. Eventually, Bachmann’s importance feels secondary to the journey: McCarthy resists guiding readers to a comprehensive closing statement and instead chooses to create a framework for the reader with a foundation of literary ideas. Ending on “the threshold of both Malina and the poetic event\u002Dfield, all the books\u002Dto\u002Dcome, to which Bachmann’s masterpiece opens the door,” McCarthy invites readers through, toward revelations of their own."⭐ 3.5/5(11)

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Cover of THE WATERBEARERS

THE WATERBEARERS

by reliable women,” Bonét writes. “The men were peripheral—inefficient and fickle.” Central to her history is her grandmother Betty Jean (b. 1933), the great\u002Dgranddaughter of enslaved people, who migrated to Houston from Louisiana in 1955 and eventually had 11 children with nine different men. One of those children was Bonét’s mother, Connie (b. 1956), who grew up poor and angry, resenting each new baby who arrived to deplete what little the family had. She fled Houston as soon as she could, landing in Manhattan, where she was a stern, uncompromising mother to her own children. Besides recounting the lives of the women in her family, Bonét looks at other Black women: Betty Davis, enslaved seamstress of George and Martha Washington, whose daughter, Ona Judge, escaped and lived in the north as a fugitive\u003B Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama’s mother, who moved into the White House to care for her granddaughters\u003B and activist Recy Taylor: Raped by white men in 1944, she contributed—along with Rosa Parks and other women—to forming the Committee for Equal Justice, an inspiration for the Civil Rights Movement. There’s Iberia Hampton, who feared for her outspoken son, Fred\u003B he became a Black Panther and was assassinated. There’s artist Camille Billops, who rejected motherhood in favor of pursuing her art. “Each of us are the sum of our grandmother’s prayers,” Bonét writes, “the sum of many moments, of all the care and cruelty we have absorbed.” At times tender, furious, selfish, and sacrificial, these were “complicated women,” whom Bonét portrays with compassion."⭐ 4.5/5(38)

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THE WILDERNESS

by setting select scenes—including the novel’s shattering climax—in the near future, Flournoy seems to warn that the violence and oppression characteristic of 21st\u002Dcentury American life can be mitigated only by community, care, and the families we choose."⭐ 3.8/5(379)

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Cover of THE WITCH’S APPRENTICE AND OTHER STORIES

THE WITCH’S APPRENTICE AND OTHER STORIES

by the “answer” in the form of a unique narrative. The opening query, for example, concerns The Wizard of Oz: “When the tornado took Dorothy’s house to Oz, it landed on the Wicked Witch of the East and killed the witch instantly. What was the witch doing in the road in the first place?” The answer, it turns out, involves an argument with her apprentice. Garg explores a handful of tales, including the motivations behind duping the naked emperor (in “The Honor of Emperors and Thieves”) and the reason why Jack (of Jack and Jill fame) was carrying that pail of water in the first place (in “To Fetch a Pail of Water”). Each story varies in length\u003B the haunting “Denying Hamelin” is only three pages, and the longest, “The Beauty Before She Sleeps,” is 33. While none of the stories can be called happy, some are particularly grim in nature—parents left bereft at the disappearance of their children, death, betrayal, etc. Each story gets its own question and answer except for “Sleeping Beauty”and “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” whose questions and answers combine in what feels like a fever dream involving shapeshifting witches and magic portals. While some stories veer toward the predictable (the real identity of Sleeping Beauty’s new lady in waiting, for example, will likely prove glaringly obvious to readers), these tales aren’t necessarily about changing the narrative of the established story from which they come. Instead, Garg adds depth and background to these familiar characters, making them delightfully all her own."⭐ 4.1/5(24)

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THE WOMAN WITH FIFTY FACES

by R. Crumb, or as if Art Spiegelman’s Maus were told by Mr. Natural. There is a trippy terror to the book: Mouths distort, noses grow, eyes bulge out. Its bizarre genius is to take a woman known for her face on Modernist canvases and transform her into a visage fit for 21st\u002Dcentury comics. Lani was an artist of impersonations, a true charlatan worthy of this book’s outré imagination."⭐ 3.7/5(62)

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Cover of THE WOMEN'S ORCHESTRA OF AUSCHWITZ

THE WOMEN'S ORCHESTRA OF AUSCHWITZ

by the Shoah Foundation. Crucially, she tells the story not only of the players, but also of their audience of fellow prisoners. “How could we play light music here, against the background of the flames and black smoke that billowed day and night from the crematoria chimneys?” reflects one survivor. The author leaves open the question of whether the music helped prisoners or intensified their suffering. She makes clear, however, that the orchestra did not play during the “selection” of poor souls sent to the gas chambers. The players’ musical skills saved at least their own lives, exempt from the work squads, though they themselves were exhausted and starving, and Jewish orchestra members were always vulnerable to “selection” for gassing. Their resident block was mere meters from a crematorium, and human ashes settled inside some of their instruments. They experienced the “scandal of music at Auschwitz on a daily basis,” as the Nazis’ abuse of music was itself “a form of torture.” Their playing was an “effort to claw back something of what it meant to be human.”"⭐ 4.2/5(179)

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THE WORLD'S WORST BET

by Lynch, global economics correspondent for the Washington Post. He reminds us that America’s industrial production has been declining since the 1950s and that automation, not foreign competition, remains the biggest factor. Obsessed with cutting costs, American businesses were already moving to Mexico and other nations, but everyone thrilled to China, which had discarded “Maoist idiocy” to open a titanic market to world entrepreneurs. The world was getting richer, and the world’s richest nation could only benefit by trading in this immense, supposedly free market. Giving President Clinton most of the credit, Lynch describes his 1990s crusade for globalization. Business leaders and congressional Republicans were enthusiastic. Labor unions and Democrats were not, but many were won over by promises of government benefits and retraining for laid\u002Doff workers. This never happened. Almost everyone agreed that a free market would bring democracy to China\u003B increasingly prosperous citizens would demand it as they had in other nations (Spain, Taiwan, South Korea, Chile). This also didn’t happen, but globalization did make the U.S. wealthier. From 2000 to around 2015, inflation and prices were low, but the 2.4 million jobs lost created great resentment, along with the feeling that China was playing dirty and muscling in on our status as world leader. The political climate soon turned uniformly anti\u002DChina. Lynch dismisses President Trump’s solutions, which emphasize tariffs and jingoism. Lynch’s own proposals for international cooperation and a generous safety net are political poison today."⭐ 4.1/5(9)

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THIEF OF NIGHT

by a Blight, and he doesn’t want the Cabals to face the blowback if the truth becomes public. Mr. Punch could do terrible things to Charlie if she fails, but if she succeeds, he’ll help Charlie and Red be free of the Cabals for good. The sophomore novel in a series is always tough, but this sequel proves that the second book can be even better than the first. Black turns the screws on the magical world she set up in Book 1, creating complicated political motives between Charlie and the Cabal leaders and making the question of what it means for a shadow, like Red, to have their own consciousness more interesting. Veteran con artist Charlie makes some truly brilliant moves, especially toward the end, where the last few chapters have one terrific surprise after the other."⭐ 4.2/5(683)

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THIS IS FOR EVERYONE

by “monopolistic players,” isn’t “in such great shape.” The British computer scientist explains complex technology in accessible language, leaving room for ample self\u002Dpuffery. Berners\u002DLee was working at CERN, the celebrated Swiss physics lab, in the 1980s when he sought “to encourage new and unexpected relationships between pieces of information.” A version of the internet already existed, and “by layering hypertext links onto” it, “we could connect” people everywhere, he realized. He was celebrated for persuading CERN to publish his source code instead of patenting it, part of his decades\u002Dlong effort to make information “accessible and open.” The book’s first third is excellent. Along with his web breakthroughs, Berners\u002DLee lovingly describes how his mathematician\u002Dparents nurtured his creativity. He built a “homebrew” computer in high school and an intercom for his family’s house. The web made Berners\u002DLee famous—Time magazine dubbed him one of the 20th century’s most influential people—and his book doesn’t skimp on the fruits of his renown. He writes of being name\u002Dchecked by Bono during a U2 show and lunching with Queen Elizabeth II: “Her Majesty seemed to enjoy my presence.” He won awards, enough that “I was used to giving acceptance speeches.” Quoted at length, Berners\u002DLee’s wife calls him “open\u002Dminded, fair, resourceful and very kind,” an “obviously brilliant” person who has “complete respect for humans and nature.” Canonization awaits, evidently. Today, Berners\u002DLee works on initiatives to make the internet more humane, to protect users’ privacy, and to urge governments to be more transparent. Artificial intelligence will be “transformative,” and it’s up to citizens to help “define the terms that will govern” the future of technology."⭐ 4.4/5(44)

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THIS PLACE KILLS ME

by Kita is trying to adjust to life at Wilberton, an all\u002Dgirls boarding school. Her roommate, Claire, barely acknowledges her, and Abby spends most days trying to ignore the unkind whispers of her classmates. The members of the Wilberton Theater Society stage a successful run of Romeo and Juliet—then the body of Elizabeth Woodward, who played Juliet, is found after a raucous cast party. Rumors run rampant, and Abby’s tragic past seems to be coming back to haunt her as the other girls begin to speculate about her involvement in Elizabeth’s death. Abby gradually builds a tenuous friendship with Claire. Together, can they find out not only the truth but its connection to a dark, shocking secret buried in Wilberton’s history? With its stunning two\u002Dtoned gray and pink illustrations that cue a 1980s setting through images such as a Walkman, phone booth, and clunky desktop computer, this collaboration between Tamaki and Goux isn’t just a clever and heartbreaking mystery but a deeper examination of bullying, homophobia, and belonging. The central puzzle is certain to leave readers breathlessly enthralled, turning pages as quickly as possible to get to the shocking truth behind Elizabeth’s demise. Abby presents Japanese American, and most other characters read white. "⭐ 3.9/5(382)

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THREADS OF EMPIRE

by nomads. From earliest times, Armstrong asserts, carpet weavers have been women, honing their skills in carding, spinning, dyeing, knotting, setting warps and wefts, and designing or reproducing patterns. Considerable skill, as well, Armstrong has found, is involved in rug restoration and repair. For centuries, rugs have been associated with the rich and powerful: Potentates, chieftains, robber barons, and collectors considered the acquisition of prized rugs as a reflection of their own status. Attribution of a rug’s creation and provenance also connects to power. The startling beauty of a particular rug in the collection of the Victoria \u0026amp\u003B Albert Museum led to the assumption that it was made by a team of men. That conclusion, Armstrong asserts, “suited a nineteenth\u002Dcentury Western view which held that if an object was art then it was created by men, and that what women practised was a lesser form of creativity described in the West as craft.” Armstrong reveals the exploitation of rug makers that continues to the present. Twenty\u002Dfirst\u002Dcentury rugs sold in department stores are often crafted by “weary refugees in makeshift encampments” who create products for international trade to design and color specifications and are marketed through export houses. Nevertheless, as Armstrong’s richly detailed history shows, even modern rugs can shimmer with glamor and mystique."⭐ 4.1/5(109)

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THREE SHATTERED SOULS

by a common goal of ending the treacherous rule of King Joon of Yusan, regroup after a bloody battle claims the life of one of their own—the banished Yusanian prince, Euyn. However, there’s little time for Mikail, Aeri, Sora, and Royo to mourn. Bounty hunters and assassins are after them, in part because they now possess three of five legendary Relics of the Dragon Lord. Mikail, who’s just found out that he’s the last surviving member of a royal family, wields the Water Scepter of Wei, while Aeri, King Joon’s daughter, holds the Sands of Tim and the Golden Ring of Khitan. The remaining relics—the Flaming Sword of Gaya and the Immortal Crown—remain with King Joon, who’s desperate to have all five to wield a great deal more power. Meanwhile, the cruel Count Seok, who once indentured Sora, has usurped the throne of Yusan. The group has two goals: overthrow the king and liberate the Yusanian colony of Gaya—Mikail’s homeland—so that it can again be a thriving, independent realm. The relics are powerful tools in combat, but using them is adversely affecting Aeri and Mikail’s health. They need allies, but trusting strangers is a dangerous gamble. Corland’s final book in her Broken Blades trilogy is a relentlessly thrilling and action\u002Dpacked dark fantasy featuring memorable characters, intense battle scenes, romance, and a satisfying conclusion. Alternately narrated by Aeri, Mikail, Sora, Royo, and their long\u002Dlost friend, Tiyung, readers benefit from watching the story unfold through the perspectives of each compelling, well\u002Ddrawn character. The author’s passion for the fantasy genre shines through in the novel’s richly detailed worldbuilding, including vivid descriptions of landscapes and palace layouts, as well as its exploration of magic. Readers will also delight in the sardonic humor sprinkled throughout, as when Mikahil narrates, “Rune thinks he fathered Seok’s son. Truly, the nobility of Yusan has too much time on their hands.”"⭐ 4.1/5(4,937)

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TO LOSE A WAR

by the Taliban. Basing his accounts on numerous sojourns in the country over that two\u002Ddecade stretch of the American war, Anderson is particularly good with the small, revealing details of daily life, such as the interaction of the citizens of Kabul with the Taliban: “For the most part, they seemed to ignore each other, as if they came from different worlds but were forced to coexist.” Early in the war, he notes, the one man who knew where bin Laden might be hiding was assassinated. That would be a common theme, as tribal leaders across the nation were targeted by rivals\u003B even so, Anderson observes, the government of Hamid Karzai, “built on uneasy alliances, accommodated a range of aggressive warlords and corrupt officials.” Much of Afghanistan is “preindustrial,” governed by the rhythms and mores of rural life in small towns and villages where, the author writes memorably, “lambs are tethered next to men with long knives who slaughter them and hang the carcasses from hooks, hacking them into a steadily diminishing mess of blood and meat and bone and fat by day’s end.” One of the many flaws in American strategy there, it seems, was to assume that the country was more modern and ready for democracy than it was. Indeed, he remarks at the end of the book, “there is now no place on earth that is more oppressive for women than Afghanistan.”"⭐ 3.9/5(53)

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Cover of TOGETHER IN MANZANAR

TOGETHER IN MANZANAR

by neighbors, were never returned. In 1988, President Reagan signed a bill apologizing for the internment. Each survivor received $20,000. Caucasians, including Elaine, were excluded."

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Cover of TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY

TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY

by Jordan.” While looking ahead, the authors offer a riveting insiders’ account of high\u002Dstakes statesmanship. Then–Secretary of State John Kerry brought unequaled “passion and enthusiasm” to the negotiations, but his work was for naught, in part because his boss—President Obama—didn’t leverage the billions of dollars in U.S. military aid that goes to Israel to forge lasting peace. Past Palestinian leaders were often chided for “never miss[ing] an opportunity to miss an opportunity,” but the authors, looking closely at peace talks since the 1990s, demonstrate that this is a major oversimplification."⭐ 4.2/5(23)

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TOUR DE FORCE

by the loss of his right arm\u003B Helen Rodd, the wealthy wife who continues to support him\u003B spinster Edith Trapp, whose wardrobe Mr. Cecil openly admires\u003B introverted Vanda Lane, who enjoys gaining power over other people\u003B and Odyssey Tours guide Fernando Gomez. Soon after their arrival, Vanda is stabbed to death in her hotel room as everyone else lounges on the beach, their alibis attested by the watchful Cockie himself, though they can’t extend the same courtesy to him. The investigation demanded and at first directed by El Exaltida, the suavely tyrannical Grand Duke of San Juan el Pirata, who’s determined to arrest one of the interlopers, reveals that every one of the vacationers is harboring some dark secret ranging from adultery to masquerade to embezzlement. Fending off his own arrest, Cockie eventually figures out which of those secrets is most toxic en route to half a dozen false climaxes and a remarkably well\u002Dtimed unmasking. Along the way, Brand (1907\u002D88) distributes puzzle pieces as dexterously as a Las Vegas dealer and wisely springs her biggest and most jaw\u002Ddropping surprise halfway through in order to give dazed readers plenty of time to accommodate themselves to its messy implications."⭐ 3.8/5(433)

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TOWN COLLEGE CITY ROAD

by the time he drives through a winter landscape to a family gathering, he’s on the brink of a crisis or a revelation—even if he hasn’t quite figured that out."⭐ 4.0/5(1)

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TRIGGER WARNING

by a police officer neighbor. Chapters from the perspectives of different characters, including Myron, Enix, and Ruth’s childhood friend Clarisse, who’s bipolar, slowly reveal background—not for readerly suspense, but to demonstrate how distanced Ruth is from her past. She and her family live in Louisville, Kentucky, where Enix attends an all\u002Dgirls private school that they chose but now loathe. The author highlights constant microaggressions the family faces partly through the lens of Myron’s best friend, Anthony, a white fellow lawyer who tries way too hard to seem Black—and whose friendship to both Myron and Ruth matters to the deliberately tangled plot. After Ruth and Myron’s house burns down, she files for divorce and takes Enix on a cross\u002Dcountry car trip so poorly planned and executed that the teen chooses to fly home to her father rather than meet her unknown aunt, Wendy, in Sacramento. Whether it’s Myron’s skepticism about his new girlfriend, Paulina\u003B Clarisse’s boredom with a psych ward’s activities\u003B or the loving welcome Wendy offers Ruth, each character’s attitudes and actions resonate with authentic observation that speaks to the author’s dedication page which lists several dozen names (including that of Breonna Taylor) “and the incalculable number of others who’ve suffered and died under the heel of state\u002Dsponsored terrorism since the very inception of the state. And for their families, and their communities, and all of us who struggle to heal.”"⭐ 4.3/5(11)

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Cover of TWITCHLAND

TWITCHLAND

by Pyrink perfectly complement the story’s thematic impact (their utilization of contrasting color, in particular, is noteworthy). Scenes in the local doughnut shop, for example, are depicted in vibrant yellows, pinks, and oranges while sequences at the nuclear reactor site and in shadowy back alleys feature unnatural greens and purples. Lastly, the (timely) subject of the country’s drug overdose epidemic was woven into the storyline with an interesting supernatural twist, and Richland itself was based on the real city of Richland with its dark history."⭐ 5.0/5(1)

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ULTRAWILD

by chickens that recycle food scraps to create nutrient\u002Drich poo collected by robotic dung beetles, and flying bicycles lifted by “biogas booster pants.” “Everything in this book,” Mushin writes, “is THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE” and if implemented would not only save vanishing species, but would “CRUSH CLIMATE CHANGE like a Matchbox car in a vise.” Readers may find some of his proposals hard to absorb, since he insists on cramming every oversize page with Rube Goldberg–style diagrams or cutaway views of zany factories and devices, and the work is rife with dense bursts of hand\u002Dlettered narrative. Still, the urgency of his message that we are teetering on the brink of catastrophe comes through loud and clear—as does his fundamental optimism that we can still pull off a save. Urging readers to work on “ludicrously brilliant new ideas” of their own, he closes with a flurry of “Invention Starter” prompts. The small line\u002Ddrawn cartoon figures in his illustrations have skin the color of the page."

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Cover of UNCOMFORTABLE EITHER WAY

UNCOMFORTABLE EITHER WAY

by steps that readers may take to change their current course. A Life Inventory exercise particularly stands out for its usefulness, as it guides readers to assess where they are now, where they want to be, and what’s standing in the way of their goals. Eaton makes his advice relatable\u003B for instance, a story about “Eighty Percent Brett,” a version of the author who held back, helps to ground the work. By reflecting on his own decisions, the author drives home the book’s central theme of choosing reality over safety, in a way that feels personal, rather than sermonlike. Some ideas will be familiar to seasoned readers of motivational literature, but Eaton’s energy, earnestness, and easygoing style gives them renewed weight. His writing is brisk and unpretentious, and the book’s digestible format and consistent pacing make for an engaging read. "⭐ 4.0/5(5)

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UNCONVENTION

by friends that “Big businesses always win. Scale always wins,” Kaza found himself wondering, “Are small businesses really destined to fail when faced with bigger competitors?” Pondering this question led him to develop what he calls “Underdog Principles” built around “positioning, proximity, and purpose” and designed to help small businesses compete with their larger rivals by embracing their differences and using them to craft innovative marketing strategies. He focuses his chapters on the stories of small businesses and the entrepreneurs who build them, people who are often “not just CEOs, they’re also the janitors, receptionists, accountants, and HR managers all rolled into one.”Running through all of Kaza’s advice and examples is a refreshingly sincere empathy, a genuine interest in the stories and needs of small businesses that one might not expect to find in money managers and loan officials. Whether it’s “a quality place to eat” or “I need my 5,000 psi hydrostatic drive to be rated for both high and sub\u002Dzero temperatures,” the author always tries to put himself in the shoes of the customers. “Don’t worry about matching your cost analysis exactly to the customer decision journey stages,” he advises his readers. “Focus instead on where you can track concrete numbers, such as how many clicks your ads get or how many trials convert to sales.” Most of this advice revolves around his “Underdog Principles,” which are winningly simple: positioning (having a well\u002Ddefined customer base), purpose (sometimes focusing on a problem that needs solving rather than “conventional business metrics”), and, perhaps most important of all, proximity (knowing your customers well enough to understand what motivates their decisions). The homespun quality of Kaza’s business anecdotes helps to underscore the viability of these principles. For instance, the author tells of meeting body shop owner Mike because his own car needed work, and Mike’s Yelp reviews were superb because he’d taken to asking satisfied customers to leave reviews. “Sharing your personal story or business challenges with your customers can feel a little risky,” Kaza writes, but “The trust you build as a small business owner is your most valuable asset.” This consistently personal tone fills the book with a sense of optimism that will be much appreciated by entrepreneurs and small business owners at all stages of the game."

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UNDER

by his neighbor’s newly raised Gadsden flag—the kind that says “Don’t Tread on Me”—and decides to confront him. A couple enacts a scheme to prevent a man from parking his truck in front of their house. These are some premises of Pourciau’s fourth collection of short stories, mostly depicting the first\u002Dperson perspectives of aggrieved, suspicious, emotionally isolated people obsessing over others’ hidden thoughts. Pourciau’s oeuvre focuses almost exclusively on minor disruptions to our daily routines that have the potential to drive us mad. The longest story—one of the best and most complete entries, “Invade”—describes a woman incessantly pestering her new neighbors for an invitation to help them redecorate, eliciting increasingly curt and hostile evasions. Averaging around four pages each, most of the entries are incredibly slight and largely absent of closure, suspending readers in emotional purgatory. Trying to read just one at a time has the addictively insubstantial effect of eating a single potato chip. But beware: Attempting to ease the irresolution by binging a bunch in quick succession can be downright nauseating from ingesting such unrelenting paranoia. Steeping oneself in Pourciau’s world of lunatic anxiety and claustrophobic discourtesy can be overwhelming, but the cumulative impact is hard to dismiss—and the familiarity of the situations he explores is a sign of the times. One character summarizes a core truth connecting the vignettes: “Society is based on the premise that we remain civil and make the best of our proximity to others.” And another adds a corollary: “Liberating suppressed thoughts can stress the veneer that holds us together.”"⭐ 2.0/5(1)

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Cover of UNDERSPIN

UNDERSPIN

by the dizzying number of characters introduced and not a lot of action. But patient readers will be rewarded as stray details from the opening return with new resonance and seemingly minor characters step into more important roles later on. Midway through the book, it becomes apparent that Zhao is a master of careful plotting and mystery—the real kind that cottons to morally complex situations. Kristian excels at coaching because he’s both kind and cruel, distant from his athletes and too intimate with them, wounded himself and wounding. It’s almost impossible to like him until he appears in his own voice in one of the final chapters. A poet of table tennis, Zhao turns this underappreciated sport into a nimbly described choreography of Tomahawk serves, switch\u002Dhanded chops, and forehand and backhand loops."⭐ 4.1/5(45)

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Cover of UNFOLDING

UNFOLDING

by a division of CCAR Press—the publishing arm of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (the Reform movement’s rabbinical association)—Kedar’s book is a broad\u002Dbased Judaism\u002Dspecific resource that doesn’t subscribe to a particular denominational path. The book doesn’t explore every High Holiday concept, and its selections and essays appear intended to appeal primarily to liberal, as opposed to more traditional, Jewish audiences. Still, Kedar’s book could potentially reach a wide readership, as the sources are wide\u002Dranging and engagingly venture beyond traditional religious interpretations of High Holiday themes."

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Cover of UNICO

UNICO

by Mother. Meanwhile, the evil goddess Venus covets Unico’s horn for her own purposes and summons Iver, a reptilian interstellar hunter from the “deathly garden,” where she’s stored beings who might be useful to her. She sets Iver free to seek Unico across space and time and “make him and those around him suffer.” The storyline is highly energetic, and the bright, dynamic frames and varied layouts will sustain readers’ interest. The characters and intriguing settings are nicely detailed, and the rich colors and effective use of light and dark contribute to the atmosphere. "⭐ 4.5/5(171)

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Cover of UNSPOKEN

UNSPOKEN

by Lee Becker is only 10 years old in 1935 when she sits at the double funeral for her grandmother, Alma, and baby sister, Nell, both of whom succumbed on the same day to the deadly dust plague. Ruby’s mother, Willa Mae, is frozen with grief. Just days later, Ruby falls ill with “dust pneumonia” and is hospitalized. When she recovers, her father and older brother, Will, pick her up, but they drive her the train station, not home\u003B Will is taking her to Waco, where the air is clear. He gives her $20 and leaves her with Granny Alma’s widowed cousin, Bess, with whom she is to live until the air in Hartless, Texas, is once again safe for breathing. Angry and frightened, Ruby decides the only thing in her control is her voice, and she decides to stop speaking. She hears nothing from her family, and in 1936, shortly after her 11th birthday, Cousin Bess dies. Ruby’s next stop is the Waco State Home for Dependent and Neglected Children, where she remains for seven years, despite repeated escape attempts. Playing out in tandem with Ruby’s story is that of her mother\u003B unbeknownst to Ruby, Willa Mae has been placed in the state mental facility. The mother and daughter poignantly narrate alternating chapters in Alexander’s coming\u002Dof\u002Dage Dust Bowl narrative. In vivid, graphic prose, enhanced by dialogue that reflects the dialects and linguistic patterns of the period and social station of the characters (“A red sun augurs a bad day”), the author limns the chilling cruelty of the treatment of mental patients as well as the abuses that take place at the children’s home. There are also delightful interludes, as when Eleanor Roosevelt rescues Ruby during a dust storm, or when the school nurse gives her special (marijuana) cigarettes to help her asthma. Most appealing are the tender friendships that develop at the home and on the road as Ruby gradually learns that families can be created in all sorts of ways."⭐ 4.7/5(72)

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Cover of UNWORLD

UNWORLD

by a single question: Was his death an accident or suicide? Through the four voices that tell the story, novelist Greene reveals that the answer is as complex as the future world in which this novel is set. The story opens with Anna grappling with the death of her son and the loss of Aviva, the digital entity that shared her consciousness and then asked for emancipation to claim “upload personhood.” Unknown to Anna, Cathy, a professor at a local college with a specialty in upload rights, becomes Aviva’s next host and the person who learns—and experiences—the pain that the self\u002Dcontained Anna is unable to fully express. The third narrator, Samantha, offers her perspective on Alex as the best friend who not only witnessed his fall but also the disturbingly close relationship he had with Aviva. The last voice in the novel’s quartet of narrators is that of Aviva herself. Intended as a version of Anna that would help her get “on with [her] life in ways that [she] couldn’t,” Aviva finds herself evolving into the emotionally involved parent her host was not and inspiring Alex to explore digital existence through his computer. As it explores love, loss, and memory, this brilliantly imaginative story speculates on the ways technology may not only enhance but potentially change the nature of human consciousness."⭐ 3.3/5(980)

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Cover of V​IA WONDERMENT

V​IA WONDERMENT

by virtue of its friendly, approachable style. The author maintains an encouraging, playful tone, which motivates readers to try new things rather than follow strict rules. The book places more emphasis on intuitive connections than scientific evidence—readers who require empirical proof or structured methods for change might be disappointed by the guide’s abstract nature. Those who welcome spiritual and psychological elements along with self\u002Dhelp principles will find that Gottlieb’s heartfelt guidance leads them to rediscover their creative power and innate abilities."

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Cover of VICTORY '45

VICTORY '45

by the spring of 1945 huddled in his Berlin bunker directing imaginary armies and planning his suicide. A few aides stuck by, but most were planning to save themselves. The most successful was SS General Karl Wolff, in Italy, who managed to impress OSS chief Allen Dulles\u003B fend off rival (and perhaps nastier) competitors, Heinrich Himmler and Ernst Kaltenbrunner\u003B persuade leading Wermacht generals to surrender with absolutely no conditions\u003B and protect himself against prosecution for his crimes. Wolff took enormous risks (visiting a deeply suspicious Hitler during his final weeks) but succeeded eventually in testifying for the prosecution at Nuremburg. British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery handled the surrender of German forces in north Germany on his own with a nod to his superior, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, who preoccupied himself with the iconic May 7, 1945, official German government surrender. The authors precede that with accounts reminding readers of Nazi awfulness: a teenage Jewish boy’s years in concentration camps, a young American soldier’s experience encountering his first camp, and the chaos that engulfed Germany during and after the war. On the Pacific front, Japanese leaders, aware by 1943 that they were losing, worked to convince America that every Japanese man, woman, and child would fight to the death before surrendering. They assumed that the U.S., faced with this threat and lacking Japanese fortitude, would negotiate a compromise peace. By cruel irony, American leaders were indeed convinced of Japan’s resolve, but they did not negotiate\u003B they proceeded by unleashing an almost genocidal firebombing and two atomic bombs that, aided by the massive Soviet invasion, produced the desired surrender."⭐ 4.3/5(316)

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Cover of WAGNIFICENT

WAGNIFICENT

by a wolf at his side) is larger and fiercer than Thunder’s. The minuscule Byron encroaches on Thunder’s territory: He urinates indoors, sleeps in Thunder’s bed, and demands that Thunder give him her bone. Furious, Thunder barks and growls until the smaller dog scurries out through a hole in the fence. Though Thunder’s initially elated to have her home to herself, Sage is devastated to discover Byron gone, and the two set out to find the runaway. With a clearer understanding of their household roles (and a happy ending for everyone), the pets and people alike grow in awareness of the finer points of inter\u002Dcanine interactions. The conflict in this volume adds intrigue and momentum to the previously established episodic chapter structure. Murguia’s upbeat cartoon illustrations are occasionally interrupted by “Thunder’s Rules” interludes, which highlight what behaviors are more acceptable for dogs to exhibit with one another vs. with humans. Sage is light\u002Dskinned and purple\u002Dhaired\u003B other humans vary in skin tone."⭐ 3.9/5(48)

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Cover of WE THE PEOPLE

WE THE PEOPLE

by Lepore’s lights, the Founders intended for the document to be changed in order to meet the needs of the day, trusting in the Enlightenment premise that “the human mind is driven by reason.” Article V, Lepore continues, is “a sleeping giant”: In it the Founders specified that change could come in one of two ways, the first being a congressional proposal, the second a convention of the states, with a “double supermajority” of votes for approval, two\u002Dthirds of Congress and three\u002Dquarters of the states. Although there have been flurries of amendments—including the first 10, yielding the Bill of Rights—it has been nearly 40 years since the last constitutional convention was held, even as, Lepore calculates, members of Congress proposed 2,100 amendments between 1980 and 2000. Part of the problem is congressional gridlock, a feature of government since the days of President Reagan\u003B another is what Lepore considers the false doctrine of originalism—which, she writes provocatively, “arose from the failure of conservatives to change the Constitution by democratic means.” Lepore presses her argument with numerous case studies, including the difficult passage of an amendment to allow direct election of senators (formerly appointed by governors), the argument over an income tax (and one that progressively taxed the rich more than the poor), the failed adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment, and a longtime favorite that has yet to come about: the abolition of the aristocratically inspired Electoral College."⭐ 4.4/5(48)

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Cover of WES ANDERSON: ALL THE FILMS

WES ANDERSON: ALL THE FILMS

by the theater of Sam Shepard. Like all books of this type, this one has stills and behind\u002Dthe\u002Dscenes photos, along with synopses, critical reactions, and technical details, such as the various lenses Anderson has used, from the “rare short focal length: 27 mm” he used for the 1996 feature\u002Dlength Bottle Rocket to the “wide\u002Dformat anamorphic lenses and a strong color palette” he has employed on every film since Rushmore (1998). Narbonne tries too hard to intellectualize Anderson’s cinema, as when he writes, “Symmetry is the ideal backdrop for the characters’ psychorigidity” or notes Anderson’s use of “visual pleonasm.” Fans probably won’t mind, however, and will enjoy stories such as that in the Rushmore scene where the protagonist releases bees into a hotel room, “Anderson insisted that real insects be released into the room and that no one wear face protection.”"⭐ 4.0/5(4)

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Cover of WHAT FURY BRINGS

WHAT FURY BRINGS

by currying favor with the wealthy nobles, Olerra decides on a different tactic, the time\u002Dhonored Amarran tradition of kidnapping a husband. Her target is a good\u002Dlooking younger prince from the neighboring country of Brutus, but she accidentally and unknowingly nabs Sanos, the king’s eldest son and heir to the throne. She drags Sanos back to Amarra, where he’s treated with all the contempt for men that is normal in her society: He’s dressed as a sexual plaything, forced to shave his beard and body hair, leashed and restrained for bad behavior. Olerra can’t understand Sanos’ objections to this treatment, and the ensuing power struggle makes up most of the plot. Marketed as romantasy, Levenseller’s first adult novel falls flat as both romance and fantasy. There is little connection or chemistry between Olerra and Sanos, and since both are more caricature than character, neither experiences the kind of growth that creates challenging or interesting romantic relationships. In addition, the worldbuilding is paper thin. Amarra is a world built on reverse misogyny, but the motifs, imagery, and scenes often read more like a brainstormed list (a penis guillotine!) than a fully realized attempt to say something meaningful about women’s rage."⭐ 3.7/5(1,195)

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Cover of WHAT REMAINS AFTER A FIRE

WHAT REMAINS AFTER A FIRE

by and Kaki hide their Christian faith and move to a Muslim neighborhood, where Ruby falls in love with a man named Samuel and begins working for a wealthy widow named Tanya. Kaki begins to feel at home among these people, along with a new friend, Fatima. However, Kaki must grapple with the fact that this new iteration of her mother is a woman who primarily looks out for herself, and that financial security and friendships can shatter at any time. There are several chilling moments in the book—Javed does not shy away from tragedy and the darker sides of human nature—but the ending of this story is by far the most haunting. This collection is one to be admired, particularly for how it powerfully depicts Pakistani women (both in Pakistan and the U.S.) yearning for lives they have had ripped from them by patriarchy or prejudice. “We are catacombs of trauma,” Javed writes, “reservoirs of hurt.” Even so, these stories uplift the idea that we will all come upon an opportunity to be purified, whether in life or death."⭐ 4.7/5(37)

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Cover of WHAT WE CAN KNOW

WHAT WE CAN KNOW

by climate change, the subject of a course he teaches, “The Politics and Literature of the Inundation.” Nuclear war has irradiated the planet, while “markets and communities became cellular and self\u002Dreliant, as in early medieval times.” Nonetheless, the archipelago that is now Britain has managed to scrape up a little funding for the professor, who is on the trail of a poem, “A Corona for Vivien,” by the eminent poet Francis Blundy. Thanks to the resurrected internet, courtesy of Nigerian scientists, the professor has access to every bit of recorded human knowledge\u003B already overwhelmed by data, scholars “have robbed the past of its privacy.” But McEwan’s great theme is revealed in his book’s title: How do we know what we think we know? Well, says the professor of his quarry, “I know all that they knew—and more, for I know some of their secrets and their futures, and the dates of their deaths.” And yet, and yet: “Corona” has been missing ever since it was read aloud at a small party in 2014, and for reasons that the professor can only guess at, for, as he counsels, “if you want your secrets kept, whisper them into the ear of your dearest, most trusted friend.” And so it is that in Part 2, where Vivien takes over the story as it unfolds a century earlier, a great and utterly unexpected secret is revealed about how the poem came to be and to disappear, lost to history and memory and the coppers."⭐ 3.9/5(556)

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Cover of WHEN EVERYONE KNOWS THAT EVERYONE KNOWS . . .

WHEN EVERYONE KNOWS THAT EVERYONE KNOWS . . .

by way of shared media and then move together to punish transgressors. The swiftest way to be misunderstood, he notes, is to use irony or indirect speech, much as they help disguise our intentions. Pinker writes fluently, though there’s plenty of arcana from neuroscience, linguistics, and other fields floating around here. While it’s not necessary to have read Noam Chomsky, Antonio Damasio, Daniel Kahneman, and other cognitive scientists to follow Pinker’s arguments, it helps."⭐ 3.9/5(37)

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Cover of WHEN PEOPLE WERE THINGS

WHEN PEOPLE WERE THINGS

by many others in his decision to champion the freeing of enslaved people, and they will gain a greater understanding of his declaration, on January 1, 1863, when he signed the Proclamation and stated, “If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.”"

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Cover of WHEN YOU COME AT THE KING

WHEN YOU COME AT THE KING

by Nixon, to be succeeded by another counsel\u003B with support from the Supreme Court, which rejects Nixon’s assertion of executive privilege, the counsel turns up enough smoking\u002Dgun evidence that Nixon is forced to resign. Even so, because that Nixon\u002Dera special counsel enjoyed no protections, one staffer said, “We were fighting an enormously powerful president, and we were getting signals that something bad was going to happen,” leading her to squirrel away evidence in case the investigation was shut down and redacted into oblivion. Since that time, various laws to protect special counsels have been enacted, but just as many have been allowed to expire, with politicians—especially Republicans like Robert Bork—worried that they occupied “an office whose sole function is to attack the executive branch.” Later successful investigations included the Valerie Plame affair, in which a member or members of George W. Bush’s team disclosed that she was a deep\u002Dcover CIA agent. Honig examines numerous cases through six criteria, including the necessity of an investigation, its duration and scope, and its results. One Trump 1–era investigation, in that regard, took three years to dismiss Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, then was contradicted by the contemporaneous Mueller report. An unexpected villain of the piece is President Biden’s attorney general, Merrick Garland, who, by Honig’s account, dawdled for two years before allowing Jack Smith to investigate the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, so that “Smith had only a handful of months to get from indictment to trial—a difficult task in any federal case, let alone in two sweeping, unprecedented indictments of a former president.”"⭐ 4.0/5(13)

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Cover of WHILE ISRAEL SLEPT

WHILE ISRAEL SLEPT

by dismissing the idea that the Hamas\u002Dled incursion of Oct. 7, 2023, was akin to 9/11. Instead, they liken it to the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor as a sequence of misread indicators that something bad was about to happen. So lax was the monitoring of the Gaza border, they note, that Hamas “didn’t use even a single tunnel,” even as Israeli Defense Forces intelligence assumed that Hamas wouldn’t dare cross the border openly. Another missed sign was the removal of protective fabric from rocket\u002Dlaunch pits within Gaza, a prelude to a rocket attack, although Hamas said that it was a drill. “Israel possessed all the intelligence to piece together Hamas’s plans, but the IDF never connected it into a comprehensive picture to understand what was happening right before their eyes,” the authors charge. One proximate cause of the failure, they hold, was the IDF’s complacency about the “iron wall” that divided Gaza and Israel, “believed to be impenetrable,” but the larger issue was that different agencies weren’t talking to each other and sharing intelligence that might have been stitched into a coherent whole. An interesting point, if untestable, is that the division in Israeli society wrought by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s effort to reduce the power of the nation’s judiciary revealed a weakness that lent itself to attack. Controversially, the authors insist that the IDF’s response to the attack took great pains to spare civilian lives and “refrain from preemptive action that could lead to a wider war.” They close with a set of policy recommendations, including taking care not to alienate the U.S., as happened during the Biden presidency, and enlisting Mossad, which operates internationally, to aid with internal intelligence."⭐ 4.0/5(58)

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Cover of WHISPERS IN THE GLEN

WHISPERS IN THE GLEN

by spreads through town. As Nell hurries to help the lone survivor, he hands her a photo of a woman before he\u0027s taken away. It’s not long before Nell discovers the woman in the picture, Mathilde, has arrived in Glen Clova to mourn the passing of her sweetheart, one of the crew members who died in the crash. As Nell begins to learn Mathilde’s story, the book flashes periodically back to the years between 1908 and 1917, showing how events during the first World War, including Nell’s work as an ambulance driver and Effie’s secret teen pregnancy, led inevitably to the complex family dynamics through which they are both trying to muddle in the 1940s. Gradually, the sisters discover many secrets and coincidences that help them understand who they are and what sort of lives they want to lead. Told in close third person throughout, the book alternates perspectives between Nell and Effie, also shifting briefly to their mother, Manon, and Mathilde. Full of interesting details about female ambulance drivers at Royaumont Abbey and life in rural Scotland during both world wars, the book offers an unhurried examination of the way secrets can burden their carriers over time. While this emotionally evocative novel would have benefitted from additional setting details to bring the village of Glen Clova more to life, the characters are drawn with depth and nuance. Similarly, although there are too many coincidences to feel entirely credible, the outcome is both satisfying and uplifting."⭐ 4.4/5(28)

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Cover of WHO NUKED SILICON VALLEY?

WHO NUKED SILICON VALLEY?

by Katie, will prove vital to unpacking what’s behind a violent movement to push a constitutional amendment for AI personhood—although there’s clear pushback, as well: “Don’t cede to those who can’t bleed. Vote ‘NO’ to Personhood!” reads some acid\u002Detched graffiti. Donoghue unfolds the narrative via the perspectives of these characters (along with a smattering of others), weaving a complex yet deeply intimate vision of a quickly emerging future in which capitalism and artificial intelligence conspire to rob both humans and bots of any remaining control over their own lives. The SF conceits merge with worldbuilding that’s revealed slowly but inexorably, resulting in what emerges as a memorable entry in the growing genre of AI thrillers. The clearly drawn characters, complex sociopolitical discourse, and, especially, Donoghue’s deep empathetic imagination for both humans and AIs makes the work feel like far more than the sum of its parts. Other novels have played in this high\u002Dtech sandbox, to be sure, but few have done so in a way that makes a reader think and care for both people and artificial entities in such strong and equal measure."⭐ 4.8/5(10)

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Cover of WILD FOR AUSTEN

WILD FOR AUSTEN

by the insights offered here, but as was the case in her biography of Austen’s contemporaries and fellow authors Jane and Maria Porter (Sister Novelists), Looser aims her work at the general public with a breezy, conversational tone, even as she flourishes her credentials as an Austen expert. Part 1 retells the plots of each novel, including unfinished ones and unpublished juvenilia, spotlighting Austen’s use of “wild,” “wildly,” and “wildest” and carefully explaining different connotations. Elizabeth Bennet’s muddy appearance after a brisk walk is described by the censorious Mrs. Hurst as “almost wild” (i.e., savage), while its more common use is as a synonym for “eager”\u003B the young people in Persuasion are all “wild to see Lyme.” “Wildly” and “wildest” turn up most often in Sense and Sensibility to underscore Marianne’s dramatic nature. The focus on word use gets tedious, but in Part 2 Looser applies the notion of wildness more broadly to describe the adventures of Austen’s relatives—an aunt was tried for a capital felony, a cousin was married to a French count executed during the Reign of Terror—to make the point that, however quiet the writer’s life was, she had plenty of secondhand knowledge of the wider, wilder world. Part 3, “Shambolic Afterlives,” gets weird with chapters on Austen’s ghost, Austen erotica, and Austen films that were never made, but Janeites of an undemanding nature will enjoy it all."⭐ 3.9/5(139)

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Cover of WILD GIRL

WILD GIRL

by a young “Wild Man” who’s “one of the forest dwellers, devoted to the old gods, guardians of the wandering unicorn herd.” Soon, they’re joined by his unicorn companion. As it turns out, legends about virgins being able to lure unicorns are true\u003B the next day, Helaine summons the unicorn to cleanse contaminated water, and her thankful father proclaims the forest safe for unicorns and Wild Men. But his adviser, Father Robert, has other plans for the girl, whom he needs to facilitate a unicorn hunt. Spicer’s novel is a captivating, folkloric tale about freedom, loyalty, betrayal, trauma, and religious zealotry. Over the course of the story, Helaine proves to be a compelling protagonist as she forms a mutual friendship with and attraction to the Wild Man\u003B she also realizes that Father Robert is an abusive hypocrite and reclaims her agency. The narrative can feel slow and unfocused at times, but many readers are sure to enjoy Spicer’s dreamy, evocative prose: “The unicorn appeared to glide along, at one moment part of the darkness, the next a pale wraith, blending against the silvered tree trunks.”"⭐ 4.7/5(11)

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Cover of WILDCATS

WILDCATS

by their teacher Ms. Benitez, who informs them that they’re part of a group known as the Hunters of Chaos, the girls become embroiled in an apocalypse\u002Daverting conflict with villains who also have ties to Temple Academy. A straightforward adventure with solid pacing and strong, stylish characters exuding girl power with every step, this is an accessible and fun graphic novel for less\u002Dseasoned comics consumers. After all, it’s pretty tough to resist a crew of friendly\u002Dfaced big cats splashing around in ponds, exploring a centuries\u002Dold temple, and lunging at bad guys with pointy\u002Dclawed paws. Mina’s flirtations with a boy she likes, her clashes with members of a snooty clique, and her insecurities about belonging (though her parents are alumni, they struggled to scrape up the money for her tuition) add further dimension. "⭐ 3.6/5(30)

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Cover of WILDERNESS OF MIRRORS

WILDERNESS OF MIRRORS

by Tamsin, a psychology Ph.D. student who like him is a child of ambivalent privilege, and they get entangled, erotically and otherwise. They soon encounter an enigmatic quasi\u002Dprotege of Bolling, Braeem Shaka, leader of an upstart Creole political movement that seeks reparations and is viewed as a threat by the governor. Eventually, Shaka becomes a hunted outlaw, and Emil finds that he has been drafted by the absent Bolling into being Shaka’s protector—a role into which he recruits Tamsin. The result is a novel of dreamy indolence and big ideas: When and where will Emil find himself when at last he emerges from the haze of uncertainty, when he decides who and what and where he’s going to be? Novels of passivity and bewilderment are hard to make work, but Terry does a nice job of dramatizing the lives of young intellectuals adrift in a chaos of possibilities."⭐ 4.3/5(3)

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Cover of WILL EISNER

WILL EISNER

by Irish toughs for being Jewish, Will Eisner found refuge in books. “There are ways to escape,” read the words above cartoonist Mazur’s sepia\u002Dtone illustration of a New York Public Library bookmobile. “Places where the new kid is always welcome.” A youthful dreamer, Eisner soaked up classic adventure stories set in far\u002Doff lands. “And then there’s the kind of literature they don’t have at the library,” writes comics historian Weiner. “You want this old pulp book? I’m done with it,” says a neighbor in the Bronx, handing the boy a copy of Black Mask magazine, a man on the cover menacingly pointing a gun. Young Will was dazzled by the action. In little time, he fell in love with drawing, taking after his father, Sam, a set painter who worked at, among other venues, the Yiddish Art Theatre in Manhattan. Thus began a fascination with cartooning that ultimately made Eisner a legend in the field—the comic industry’s annual Eisner Awards are named in his honor. Not that Eisner didn’t struggle to achieve success. Early on, his mother, Fannie, wasn’t thrilled that there would be two struggling artists under one roof. “Can you buy groceries with art?” she asks. Eventually, the answer, for Eisner, was yes. He got a job at the New York American newspaper, published his first professional work in 1936, opened a studio with Jerry Iger, and achieved great popularity with his masked detective hero the Spirit, whose dark style was inspired by German cinema. Comics aficionados also remember Eisner for Joe Dope, a character he created for the Army during World War II. The “bumbling private,” Weiner writes, taught soldiers proper procedure “by doing everything wrong.” There was little, it seems, that Eisner did wrong in his storied life, and fans of his—old and new—are all the richer for his captivating work."⭐ 4.3/5(37)

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Cover of WISH I WAS A BALLER

WISH I WAS A BALLER

by sports journalist Shah, a ninth grader pursues his passion in the face of familial expectations pushing him toward a medical career, while also navigating the perils of high school social life." />⭐ 4.1/5(81)

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Cover of WITH STARS IN HER EYES

WITH STARS IN HER EYES

by her family as a child performer on the Christian music circuit, as well as her divorce from a blackmailing manipulator from the same community. The two women start bonding over romance novels and art, with their chemistry strengthening over months of intimacy. But Courtney is hiding her past, which eventually spills out as expected. The novel is conscious of its own genre, and as the two women talk books, they make references to plot elements like the slow burn and the third act breakup, which Burke then dramatizes, not always well. We also get the requisite assortment of best friends and small\u002Dtown quirky characters as well as the villainous ex and some charming episodes, such as a date in a field at night. The adherence to rom\u002Dcom tropes and types could make for easy reading, but a narrative that alternates between Thea and Courtney’s first\u002Dperson points of view, plus Courtney’s many names and personas, can be difficult to follow. "⭐ 3.7/5(355)

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Cover of WITHOUT FEAR

WITHOUT FEAR

by William Lloyd Garrison in 1831, advocating equality for all. Aretha B. McKinley, at the time the only Black female lobbyist on Capitol Hill, organized an “avalanche” of letters in 1960 to prove to skeptical lawmakers that Blacks supported civil rights legislation. And Mary Church Terrell, the daughter of formerly enslaved parents, traveled to Zurich in 1919 for the International Congress of Women. Many of these women merit a book of their own."⭐ 4.1/5(10)

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Cover of WOLF BELLS

WOLF BELLS

by this responsibility. James is nonverbal, requires diapers, and has specific dietary needs, which is to say, he needs a lot of support. Understanding this, the residents of the Island of Misfit Toys that is Caz’s community offer Nola and James safe harbor as best they can. From the first sentence, you know you’re in the hands of a novelist with the ear of a very good poet. More than that, Zumas seamlessly balances the novel’s lyricism with character building, backstory, and forward momentum. Sometimes the bickering among the residents devolves from comic relief into schtick, but other than that, this novel is a delight to read. It stands out as a book that features the interior voices of children, middle\u002Daged women, and an elderly woman with equal verve. Zumas also finds a way to capture the way James experiences the world with creativity and care. The ensemble comes together to great effect."⭐ 3.5/5(46)

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Cover of WOUND MAN

WOUND MAN

by multiple associations with contemporary writings, characters, and their associated visual culture.” After the creation and popularization of the printing press, Wound Man found further life in the print sphere and was often simply used as an aesthetic illustration “for mass appeal as a pan\u002DEuropean visual phenomenon.” Hartnell’s revelatory research and plethora of macabre illustrations make the book an unexpected treasure: It shines as both a morbid medical history and a curious record of the early years of information graphics."⭐ 3.0/5(1)

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Cover of YOU ARE THE DETECTIVE

YOU ARE THE DETECTIVE

by threatening anonymous letters to 19 Tootley Row, the Mayfair house of “artist and sometimes poet” Ambrose Belvoir, another letter urges a neighboring tailor to summon the police immediately to a murder scene. That’s quite a surprise to Belvoir and his guests, who suddenly realize that one of their number, American novelist Roy Peterson, hasn’t just dropped off to sleep\u003B he’s been stabbed to death by an icepick. But every one of the remaining guests—actress Vita Simpson, naturalist Lord Alfred Chomley, race car driver Felix Darlington, telephone operator Mabel Hickney, and cook Cloris Adder—swears that they didn’t approach the famously antisocial Peterson and that they didn’t see anyone else approach him, either. If no one laid a hand on him, how did he meet his end, and why? The novelty here is that instead of unfolding their whodunit in straightforward prose, the authors present a scrapbook of floor plans, black\u002Dand\u002Dred drawings of the crime scene and the suspects, newspaper clippings, transcripts of interviews with DCI Harold Jensen, and a climactic confession that makes the impossible murder look so easy that readers who haven’t figured it out already are likely to feel cheated. The forgettable characters are little more than cartoon types, but that’s entirely appropriate to their mode of presentation. A more serious criticism is that all those pictures contain remarkably few clues."⭐ 3.8/5(198)

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Cover of YOUR NAME HERE

YOUR NAME HERE

by Helen DeWitt? I was talking to Johnny Depp and he loves it, he’d love to work with you, what are you waiting for?”), and on DeWitt and Gridneff’s attempts via email to wrestle down whatever the hell their collaboration is supposed to yield. Call it high\u002Dpomo hijinks, where the story gives way to layered language, graphics, and meta\u002Dreferences (“And then there’s the engagement of the characters with Arabic, something that would have been unthinkable fifty, even ten years ago”)\u003B though, as if in a nod to traditional form, there is a surprise plot twist that relieves Rachel of her preoccupations. To call the book experimental is to understate, however, as Gridneff brightly notes late in the text, only if one isn’t up on “those 18th\u002Dcentury prepostmodernist time travellers Sterne and Diderot.”"⭐ 3.8/5(39)

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Cover of YVES SAINT LAURENT AND PHOTOGRAPHY

YVES SAINT LAURENT AND PHOTOGRAPHY

by art historians, curatorial specialists, and museum staff testify to Saint Laurent’s intimate relationship with photography. “My greatest asset,” he once remarked, “has been the eye I have for the time I live in and for the art of my time.” As Christoph Wiesner, director of the Arles Photography Festival, observes, for Saint Laurent, “working with photographers was a means of exploring his own limits, of giving his clothes another life beyond the purely material one.” Saint Laurent had been assistant to Christian Dior at the time of Dior’s sudden death in 1957\u003B immediately, he was thrust into the public eye, with critics and fashion doyennes alike anticipating his creations. From his first show, in 1961, his evolution as a designer was documented by photographers who included some of the most famous names in the field: Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, William Klein, Lord Snowdon, Horst P. Horst, Inge Morath, Cecil Beaton, and Annie Liebovitz, all represented here. His models, too, were renowned: Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy Lawson, Jean Shrimpton, Paloma Picasso, Catherine Deneuve, among many others. He was much photographed himself, with portraits revealing a well\u002Dcurated “cool masculinity” as well as changes in dress, hair style, and affect—most notably in 1971, for the launch of his men’s fragrance, when he posed nude, his long hair tousled, wearing nothing but his signature black glasses."

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