Lauren Groff's latest is an absolute masterpiece. Slice of life historical fiction, every sentence carefully crafted. The book follows the life of Marie in 1158 as she enters an abbey in crisis and transforms it into a thriving community.
An incredibly powerful and timely book set in a small North Dakotan town that's in the middle of an oil boom. Yun turns this small town into a condensed version of America. It felt like a modern gold rush novel. Totally brilliant.
I loved this book from beginning to end. It's about a Japanese housewife who has a love affair, but also not about that at all. It's about motherhood and difficult choices and so spot-on and expertly handled. I wouldn't change a word of it.
Less of a thriller and more of a character study, this book was absolutely brilliant. Both the setting and the characters are so richly imagined. I came away feeling like I had personally taken part in their story. My favorite read of the year so far.
I have so much respect for this book and this author. It's a book that everyone should read. A blend of history, memoir, essay, and poetry. It is such an important book.
Atmospheric and compelling - I couldn't stop reading this book. The characters were flawed and fascinating, the story was one that crossed genre in all the best possible ways.
Clearly drawing inspiration from Toni Morrison, this is a stunning debut, deserving of all the attention it has been getting. It's a slave narrative, focusing mainly on the relationship between the two boys who care for the animals on the plantation. Groundbreaking and beautiful.
A fast-paced, steampunk, police procedural - so basically, everything you could ask for from a good fantasy novel. Descriptive and visual with a memorable cast of badass characters, this is a solid fantasy. Loved it.
Memoirs written by poets really can't be rivaled. This was such a pleasure to read. For anyone who loves to linger with words.
One of my favorite books in the last decade. This book is like nothing I've read before. Set in an Africa-like fantasy world, Tracker is called on to find a missing child. Unforgettable characters and richly imagined worlds and customs move this book into a category of its own. I loved it and can't wait for the next installment!
An absolutely gorgeous family drama set in Hawaii. A really solid debut - I am looking forward to reading more from Kawai Strong Washburn in the future!
The rich, descriptive details and thorough research used to paint the portrait of the charismatic Malcom X really drive this narrative. Some of the scenes are written with a heart-stopping intensity.
This book is so different, so unlike any other novel I've read. It's laugh out loud funny and incredibly poignant. A satire about Hollywood and what it's like to be an Asian-American actor. This is a solid read, and an important one! I absolutely loved it.
Set on the Australian coast, this mystery is atmospheric, quiet, and so memorable. Harper has quickly joined Tana French at the top of my list of favorite mystery writers. Her settings are consistently as unforgettable as her characters. I absolutely loved this book.
A police procedural that ticks all the boxes - depressed, recently divorced detective, a twisty plot, and a genuinely surprising ending. Everything you could ask for in a good mystery.
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A year in the life of a Harvard freshman, Selin - awkwardly tall & charmingly self-aware. This book is so so funny with moving insights on language and identity. One of my new all-time favorites!
--Becky
This book of short stories by the author of Fates and Furies is one of those books that left me feeling utterly changed. It's rare to encounter an author so willing to dive into the darkness of the human experience. This book is raw, brave, honest. It evokes such a sense of place that you can almost feel the Florida humidity. Such a powerful read.
A mystery told in reverse over the course of four days - this book is unlike anything I've ever read. For fans of hisorical fiction, mysteries, or just really great, well told tales.
Bridie Devine is a female detective in Victorian London. With the help of a dead man, she goes in search of a kidnapped child. This book is a ton of fun. I loved every second of it.
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Absolutely heartbreaking, but beautiful from start to finish. This is such a compelling and important novel. Written with so much compassion and so much heart. I very highly recommend this book.
This is a novel about climate change, but framed within the more personal narrative of Franny as she follows the last Arctic Terns on their migration. This is an absolutely stunning book that will stay with me for a long time.
Debut author An Yu absolutely kills it with this novel. When a young woman's husband dies leaving no note, just a sketch of a mysterious fish man, she goes on a bit of a quest to find out what happened. For fans of Murakami! This book was strange and lovely. A fantastic debut.
A story of a woman struggling with depression written with empathy and a healthy dose of humor. It's such a compelling story with vivid characters helping to move the narrative along. I read it in a single sitting.
A very light and uplifting novel. Set in a cafe in Tokyo where people have the chance to go back in time - with the caveat that they will never be able to change the future. It's a quiet, but beautiful little book. A comfort read, and one I'll come back to again and again.
One of the strangest "mysteries" I've ever read. It's both disturbing and strangely delightful and has one of the best main characters of all time. I couldn't get enough of it and was a bit devastated when it ended.
Interconnected stories centered around a fictional town in Maryland. It reminded me of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man and has become one of my favorite books of the last few years.
