My Current Reads
Books I’ve read and reviewed.
The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard
Pulling in a hazy time-travel-esque conceit, Howard delves into a sort of fates and consequences argument via his character Odile from her vantage point of her reality's construction of valleys. In a constant spherical flux with time, the valley to the west is 20 years previous and the valley to the east is 20 years in the future.
Clear by Carys Davies
Clear is set during the 1840s Scottish Clearances, where a poor minister takes a job evicting the last occupant of a remote island. Despite his wife Mary's qualms, John goes, only to be severely injured upon arrival. Ivar, who has lived alone for decades, nurses John back to health. Though they don't share a common language, they develop a fragile connection as John learns to understand Ivar's world.
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
In This Could Be Us, Soledad Barnes is facing a devastating betrayal that shatters the life she built with her husband. As she struggles to provide for her daughters, Soledad begins a journey of self-discovery and resilience. Alongside her rebuilding, a new romance challenges her to trust again.
In Universes by Emet North
A truly interesting debut, In Universes features what, in essentials, feels like a series of deeply connected short stories. These episodic pieces are deeply entrenched in and intertwined with one another and their core story, set at the beginning almost like a prologue, covering themes about identity, relationships, and agency.
Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
In Close to Death, Hawthorne and Horowitz are without a current case demanding their attention and turn to a previously worked case in order to get started on a new book. Riverside Close epitomized tranquility, with its exclusive houses nestled away from the hustle and bustle of city life. However, when Charles Kentworthy was discovered dead, Detective Hawthorne was called in to unravel the mystery in a neighborhood where everyone became a suspect.
The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray
Gray gets the tone just right while also loosening the narrative a wee bit for a modern audience. Following the delightful introduction to Mr. Jonathan Darcy and Miss Juliet Tilney in 2022’s The Murder of Mr. Wickham, Gray returned with a sweet little sequel that reunited this crime-solving duo in another reimagining of a continued and united Austen-verse.
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Moody, atmospheric, untethered — an anthropologist, a surveyor, a psychologist, and a biologist all walk into an area named X. There they are to gather samples, map the terrain, and document their observations. But this is the twelfth expedition to Area X, which has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Each previous expedition has reported back something different, with many members disappearing or dying under mysterious circumstances.
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
From the possible influence of two earlier dystopian stories, and the definite impact this had on two later dystopian stories, We holds its own among the heralding bells of danger ahead.
Ilium by Lea Carpenter
Such an intriguing take on espionage, Ilium looks through a different lens into the world of espionage as a young woman becomes entangled in international intrigue. Ilium is quiet, and content with being so. It's fast-paced and at times intense, but this not a thriller. Instead, it delves deep into characters and themes, delivering a noir-like confessional, reminiscent of a memoir.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Center's unabashed, no-holds-barred defense of rom-coms, be it a book or a film, is so enjoyable. In The Rom-Commers, she nails the humor, the characters, and the story, all with the right amount of lightness and reality.
You’d Look Better As a Ghost by Joanna Wallace
Claire has just lost her father, following a battle with dementia, and is seeking closure and direction with a bereavement group. She's especially upset by a recent issue regarding a piece of artwork. First it was accepted into a gallery showing, and the next minute she's received an "oops, wrong Claire" email, which is an unfortunate problem for the sender, because Claire's other hobby — beside art — is murder.
Oye by Melissa Mogollon
Oye is a captivating debut novel from Melissa Mogollon. Told almost exclusively through phone calls with her sister Mari, Luciana, the youngest member of her lively Colombian American family, suddenly finds herself taking on the role of caregiver and confidante with her grandmother.
The Woman in the Sable Coat by Elizabeth Brooks
Brooks brings a great voice, intimate yet playful, to both Nina and Kate. The Woman in the Sable Coat never feels like run-of-the-mill historical fiction. The overlapping timelines avoid a predictable duality, revealing the complete story in a way that suits the characters.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Right in my wheelhouse, The Ministry of Time is set in the near future, when a civil servant becomes involved in a government project studying the impact of time travel on "expats" pulled from different historical periods. Each expat is paired with a bridge from the ministry who acts as their liaison, caregiver, observer, and protector. They are closely monitored to evaluate their assimilation into modern society and ensure their safety.
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
Ogawa draws on familiar dystopian settings, focusing on highlighting the dangers of totalitarianism and the collective enforcement of memory loss. The narrator lives on an island where objects are removed both physically from the island and from the collective memory of the people. There are some who are unable to forget, and it's these people who fear the memory police the most. At the beginning, the tension between preserving memory, succumbing to historical erasure, and submitting to the oppression is palpable, as characters grapple with compliance and resistance.
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
From the perspective of a crew aloft in space and circling the planet, Orbital offers poignant, meditative moments with beautifully crafted language. If this is your first existential book without a plot, it'll it all the right notes, but I felt like I've been here before.
Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon
Love You, Mean It is a rom-com, full of playfulness and sharp humor. Ellie Greco has been managing her family's deli after the death of her father. After the residents and the Greco family learns that a gourmet food department store is looking to move into the neighborhood, concerns rise for the longevity of the family legacy.
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
Real Americans presses into the crevices between generations, thickening the connective tissues with stories of befores and afters, whys and wherefores. Over the course of the novel, spanning three generations and fifty years, Khong goes after a lot, but I never felt like we quite got there.
Within Arm’s Reach by Ann Napolitano
Napolitano's debut novel, Within Arm's Reach, is getting a reissuing after the incredible success of Napolitano's 2023 hit, Hello Beautiful. First published in 2004, Within Arm's Reach allows the reader to spend some time with three generations of an Irish American family. From grappling with an unplanned pregnancy to wading through the complexities of the various relationships, this debut explores the unspoken emotions and interconnectedness within the family, emphasizing an enduring, but sometimes testy, bond.
I, Antigone by Carlo Gébler
Years following his exile, Oedipus's daughter Antigone takes on the role of biographer, determined to set the record straight about her father's life and death. Through her eyes, we get a new perspective on the tragic tale of Oedipus, a mythical Greek king who unknowingly faced a prophecy foretelling his dark destiny: to kill his father and marry his mother.