I’ve never read Mary H.K. Choi before, but it would seem her YA novels are well-loved. Pool House (Flatiron 2026) is her debut adult novel. It’s an extremely well-written novel, with a bit of a bite to the dialogue and characters that drew me in even though the plot isn’t one that would typically holdContinue reading “POOL HOUSE – Mary H.K. Choi”
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LAND – Maggie O’Farrell
“And when we die, we surrender our bodies to the earth and we become earth. It is the end of one story but the beginning of another.” “So now she waits. She finds herself to be the woman in all stories, in all ballads and myths, waiting for her man to return – from battle,Continue reading “LAND – Maggie O’Farrell”
THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY – Elizabeth Strout
“A page had been turned. It was that quiet and that simple, but Artie – having almost died – no longer wanted to.” Elizabeth Strout is a talented writer, I’d just previously decided I don’t really like her leading characters. To be fair, I’ve only read Oh William! and I said the following regarding it:Continue reading “THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY – Elizabeth Strout”
RASPUTIN SWIMS THE POTOMAC – Ben Fountain
Ben Fountain is a born, bred and dead Carolina kid. (I’ll ignore the Duke years.) While he spent much of his legal career in Texas, he was born and raised in NC, educated at Carolina, and now lives in NC. And he’s written one helluva political satire in Rasputin Swims the Potomac (Flatiron 2026). I’mContinue reading “RASPUTIN SWIMS THE POTOMAC – Ben Fountain”
ALL THEM DOGS – Djamel White
A buzzy debut with some Booker-heavy blurbs, including from the first Booker prize winner to serve as chair of the award, Djamel White’s All Them Dogs (Riverhead Books 2026) has been on my radar for a bit. It’s one of two releases that I anticipated would end up on my predictions list and hoped toContinue reading “ALL THEM DOGS – Djamel White”
THE NIGHT WE MET- Abby Jimenez
As you’ll recall, while I don’t typically read genre/formula fiction, I’ll pick one up now and again as a bit of a palate cleanser. If I’m going romance, Abby Jimenez will typically fit the bill. The writing is sharp, the dialogue is typically great, hilarity often ensues, and there’s going to be a dog. Oh,Continue reading “THE NIGHT WE MET- Abby Jimenez”
GHALEN: A ROMANCE IN BLACK – Walter Mosley
The first half of Walter Mosley’s Ghalen: A Romance in Black (Amistad 2026) is achingly tender. The love story between Ghalen’s mismatched parents is just beautiful; Robert is neurodivergent with a slower, different view of life, and Jamilah, a brilliant med student, falls head over heels with how he sees her. They meet at aContinue reading “GHALEN: A ROMANCE IN BLACK – Walter Mosley”
MEETING NEW PEOPLE – Daniel M. Lavery
Have you ever read a book that is so well-written that it makes you absolutely angry that you don’t like it? That’s me with Daniel M. Lavery’s Meeting New People (HarperVIA 2026). He is such a talented writer – just so smart and so funny – but I couldn’t bring myself to like it. WhyContinue reading “MEETING NEW PEOPLE – Daniel M. Lavery”
THE YOUNG WILL REMEMBER – Eve J. Chung
“I am in such despair that everything looks like a noose. But then I remember that I cannot leave, or you will have no home to return to. And so I stay.” Eve J. Chung’s The Young Will Remember (Berkley 2026) is a captivating historical fiction novel that takes a deep dive into the humanityContinue reading “THE YOUNG WILL REMEMBER – Eve J. Chung”
RETURNS AND EXCHANGES – Kayla Rae Whitaker
Kayla Rae Whitaker’s Returns and Exchanges (Random House 2026) is likely going to wind up in my top five reads of the year – most definitely in the top ten. Spanning 1979-2015, the novel follows one Kentucky family – a rags to riches to reckoning story of resilience and risking it all to be seen,Continue reading “RETURNS AND EXCHANGES – Kayla Rae Whitaker”
A Girl Named Tommi 