Kazuo Ishiguro may be the odds-on favorite for the 2021 Booker Prize, and understandably so. Not only is he a previous winner (Remains of the Day 1989), he is arguably one of the most heralded contemporary English authors. I don’t think anyone was surprised to see Klara and the Sun (Knopf 2021) make an appearanceContinue reading “KLARA AND THE SUN – Kazuo Ishiguro”
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THE PROMISE – Damon Galgut
Hailed as “in every way equal to J.M. Coetzee” by Rian Malan, Damon Galgut is an author I was thrilled to see on the Booker longlist. Shortlisted twice, Galgut’s work is a proven favorite among the Booker judges, and The Promise (Europa Editions 2021) very well could win it for him. In the spirit ofContinue reading “THE PROMISE – Damon Galgut”
LIGHT PERPETUAL – Francis Spufford
Francis Spufford’s Light Perpetual (Scribner 2021) just oozes traditional Booker Prize type, so I’m not surprised it was longlisted. The novel opens in 1944 at the Woolworths in South London. The store is packed full of patrons because there are new cookpots available, something that war-torn England hasn’t seen in a long time. A rocketContinue reading “LIGHT PERPETUAL – Francis Spufford”
NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS – Patricia Lockwood
Can we talk about Patricia Lockwood’s No One is Talking About This (Riverhead Books 2021), because we all need to be. Longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize, this is Lockwood’s first work of fiction and one of the best books I’ve read this year. The narrator is a social media influencer who travels the worldContinue reading “NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS – Patricia Lockwood”
SECOND PLACE – Rachel Cusk
In January, I resolved to read the 2021 Booker Prize longlist. The list was released last week, and I immediately put in my requests at the local library. (That was another resolution – to use the library more.) Three of the books haven’t been released in the US yet or have limited distribution, which isContinue reading “SECOND PLACE – Rachel Cusk”
THE DIRTY BOOK CLUB – Lisi Harrison
Lisi Harrison’s The Dirty Book Club (Gallery Books, 2017) is what happens when the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants grows up and pants become erotic novels. Embracing the bonds between women, The Dirty Book Club begins in 1962 when a group of friends start their own secret club, the aptly named Dirty Book Club. TheContinue reading “THE DIRTY BOOK CLUB – Lisi Harrison”
CLAP WHEN YOU LAND – Elizabeth Acevedo
Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel in verse, Clap When You Land (Harper Teen 2020), sings with beauty, love, loss, and family. Told in alternating views, the novel follows two teenagers whose father is killed in plane crash – neither knowing of the other’s existence. But when the plane goes down and they must accept that their belovedContinue reading “CLAP WHEN YOU LAND – Elizabeth Acevedo”
BLACK SUN – Rebecca Roanhorse
Rebecca Roanhorse’s Black Sun (SAGA PRESS 2020) was one of last year’s hotly anticipated releases, and I can see why. Inspired by various pre-Columbus American cultures, this epic fantasy is full strong female characters, magic, politics, and prophecies. It is the first of the Between Earth and Sky series, and Fevered Star is slated forContinue reading “BLACK SUN – Rebecca Roanhorse”
THE STILLNESS BEFORE THE START – Jennifer Ann Shore
If you’re looking for a well-written YA romance that is sweet with endearing characters, look no further than Jennifer Ann Shore’s The Stillness Before the Start (2020). Shore is phenomenal at capturing the voices of teenage girls who are strong and confident while still figuring life out. I don’t read this genre often, but IContinue reading “THE STILLNESS BEFORE THE START – Jennifer Ann Shore”
THE OTHER BLACK GIRL – Zakiya Dalila Harris
Zakiya Dalila Harris’s The Other Black Girl (Atria Books, 2021) is a surprising, unsettling, laugh out loud, edge of your seat sort of read that comfortably sets you down one path before abruptly shifting gears and leaving the reader gulping up each page to the end in what becomes one hell of an unexpected ride. Continue reading “THE OTHER BLACK GIRL – Zakiya Dalila Harris”
A Girl Named Tommi 