Nov 23“There’s Always This Year” by Hanif AbdurraqibHanif Abdurraqib turns his brilliant eye and inimitable mind to arguably his most intimate memoir yet in “There’s Always This Year” — an ode to his roots with a focus particularly on the meaning of redemption, resurrection, and succeeding. “There’s Always This Year” is scaffolded around Akron, Ohio and world…2 min read2 min read
Nov 16“Thieving Sun” by Monica DattaMonica Datta’s debut novel “Thieving Sun” is a delight. The narrative is erudite and compelling. Word choice is delicate and meticulous. The main characters, Julienne and Gaspar, are complex, flawed, elegant, and beguiling — often struggling, though maybe not always strongly enough. “Thieving House” is a special treat for art…1 min read1 min read
Oct 18“Whale Fall” by Elizabeth O’ConnorElizabeth O’Connor’s achingly beautiful debut novel, “Whale Fall”, is a mesmerizing effort. On one level it is a straight-forward story of a motherless teen-ager growing up on a desolate Welsh island in the run-up to the horror that will be called the Second World War. Manod is a loyal, driven…1 min read1 min read
Oct 15“The Extinction of Irena Rey” by Jennifer CroftI approached “The Extinction of Irena Rey” with high anticipation. A debut novel by the preeminent, award-winning translator, Jennifer Croft, about a Nobel-prize worthy author and an intimate group of translators, set on the edge of the mystical, primeval, haunted Bialowieza Forest World Heritage Site. What more could you ask…1 min read1 min read
Oct 11“The Liberators” by E. J. KohThe Korean peninsula has been the site of some of the most brutal horror, combat, and political repression of the past 75 years. World War II saw the land and its citizens subject to abject terror at all physical and psychological levels. …1 min read1 min read
Oct 10“Fury” by Clyo Mendoza (trans. Christina MacSweeney)Clyo Mendoza’s mastery of language, mood, and story are on full display in her debut novel, “Fury”. Christina MacSweeney’s sharp translation is the perfect compliment. “Fury” consists of a series of poetic snippets of varying length that meander in and out, building upon themselves, creating a tapestry. …1 min read1 min read
Aug 22“The Dimensions of A Cave” by Greg JacksonGreg Jackson’s debut novel, “The Dimensions of A Cave” is a spot-on story for our times. We are experiencing an age where many believe that we are living in a simulation, while many others can’t wait until we get deeper in there. …2 min read2 min read
Aug 16“Redwood Court” by DeLana R.A. DameronMika receives a “simple” History Project assignment in her Middle School Social Studies class: “Where do you come from?” While classmates get right to work, Mika decides after some thought that she will want to discuss this project with her parents and grandparents. Because, you see, Mika’s ancestors didn’t come…2 min read2 min read
Aug 5“Coleman Hill” by Kim Coleman FooteKim Coleman Foote invests heart and soul into her debut novel “Coleman Hill”. It is a “biomythography” and Coleman Foote honors us with an honest and powerful tribute to her families’ real and imagined struggle to find their place in a continually imperfect, racist, and hostile country. “Coleman Hill” gives…2 min read2 min read
Jul 23“While We Were Burning” by Sara KoffiSara Koffi treats readers to a taut, propulsive psychological drama in her debut novel “While We Were Burning”. Koffi reminds us that The “American Dream” is never far-removed from the “American Nightmare”. All the main characters of “While We Were Burning” are struggling in one way or another with identity…1 min read1 min read
