“… because their parents no doubt told them I was and was not to blame and so why go into a past where nothing and no one can be reclaimed…” Andrew Krivak’s Mule Boy (Bellevue Literary Press 2026) is a marvel, and it will undoubtedly be in my top reads of the year. Possibly ofContinue reading “MULE BOY – Andrew Krivak”
Author Archives: Tommi Powell
THE LAST OF EARTH – Deepa Anappara
“What had these stars not seen before? Life and death, bonds broken and repaired, and men who drew maps who couldn’t find their way home.” Deepa Anappara’s The Last of Earth (Random House 2026) is a really interesting slice of Tibetan history and colonization. It is beautifully rendered, but it just moved a bit tooContinue reading “THE LAST OF EARTH – Deepa Anappara”
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF COTTON – Cristina Rivera Garza
“Desire, which has been his guide during the hours of riding on horseback across the plains, leaves him no peace. Desire fires him, cuts him to pieces, lambastes him. Desire opens up his imagination and closes down his fear.” Cristina Rivera Garza’s Autobiography of Cotton (translated by Christina MacSweeney, originally published in Spanish in 2020,Continue reading “AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF COTTON – Cristina Rivera Garza”
GLIFF – Ali Smith
“The words are only bits of words, lines of blurred or smeary words with the occasional whole word.” When the publisher sent me an advanced copy of Ali Smith’s upcoming release, Glyph, I knew I needed to read the companion novel, Gliff (2024 Penguin Random House) first. It is my understanding that the novels areContinue reading “GLIFF – Ali Smith”
DOGS, BOYS, AND OTHER THINGS I’VE CRIED ABOUT – Isabel Klee
As a follower of Isabel Klee, I enjoyed some parts of her upcoming memoir, Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About (a big thanks to William Morrow for this advanced copy). As a reader, I was disappointed. Let’s talk about it. The cover is absolutely fantastic – it is truly perfect. And it doesContinue reading “DOGS, BOYS, AND OTHER THINGS I’VE CRIED ABOUT – Isabel Klee”
A BEAST SLINKS TOWARDS BEIJING – Alice Evelyn Yang
“No, can’t go in there. Too close. Start somewhere else.” “If they killed her now, she would leak river instead of blood.” “The way Nǎinai said Mother’s name shifted alongside her memory.” Alice Evelyn Yang’s debut novel, A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing (William Morrow 2026) is going to hold space in my head for aContinue reading “A BEAST SLINKS TOWARDS BEIJING – Alice Evelyn Yang”
THE TEN YEAR AFFAIR – Erin Somers
“The mountain that saw everything turned from green to rust, from rust to brown, from brown to green again.” Erin Somers’s The Ten Year Affair (Simon & Schuster 2025) was on my radar simply because of my goal of reading more Booker eligible litfic. While I could see this being listed, I didn’t like it. Continue reading “THE TEN YEAR AFFAIR – Erin Somers”
HOW TO COMMIT A POSTCOLONIAL MURDER – Nina McConigley
“Because you always seem to want to take what I give you and translate it into something else, something that fits your narrative, you can have it.” “It is an acknowledged truth that to be a girl is to be extracted. Girls, we are taken.” “And if you’re lost, if you have no idea whatContinue reading “HOW TO COMMIT A POSTCOLONIAL MURDER – Nina McConigley”
CURSED DAUGHTERS – Oyinkan Braithwaite
“She was a mermaid – queen of song and sea, goddess of the gill-bearing vertebrates, mistress of the hearts of men.” After a couple of “meh” BOTM reads (I’m trying to clear a backlist), I read one that reminded me why I keep the membership. Oyinkan Braithwaite’s Cursed Daughters (Doubleday 2025) gave me absolutely everythingContinue reading “CURSED DAUGHTERS – Oyinkan Braithwaite”
CRUX – Gabriel Tallent
“Waiting was death, and total commitment his only chance.” I don’t know what I expected with Gabriel Tallent’s Crux (Riverhead 2026), but it wasn’t what I got. The more I think about the novel, the more I have issues with it, so I’m going to get this out before I completely hate it. I saidContinue reading “CRUX – Gabriel Tallent”
A Girl Named Tommi 