“She wished that she could read music. She might have hummed the melody, or at least understood why this phrase of music was important or original or innovative enough – or elusive enough, at the risk of being forgotten – to require being written out so urgently. But she couldn’t read music, and so theContinue reading “THE HISTORY OF SOUND – Ben Shattuck”
Tag Archives: 2024 release
SOMEONE LIKE US – Dinaw Mengestus
“You look for ruin. And if you can’t find it, you make it.” My top read of the year came as a surprise right at the tail end of December. I was gifted Dinaw Mengestu’s Someone Like Us (Knopf 2024) by the publisher earlier this year. With life in the way, I didn’t get aroundContinue reading “SOMEONE LIKE US – Dinaw Mengestus”
TEHRANGELES – Porochista Khakpour
When the publisher sent me a copy of Porochista Khakpour’s Tehrangeles (Pantheon 2024) and I saw that cover, I knew this would be a devilishly decadent over-the-top candy book. Not one but two Kevin Kwan blurbs on the cover further confirmed my suspicion. Khakpour’s writing is playful and witty, and devastatingly disarming, but this oneContinue reading “TEHRANGELES – Porochista Khakpour”
THE GOD OF THE WOODS – Liz Moore
“It came from the Greek god Pan: the god of the woods. He liked to trick people, to confuse and disorient them until they lost their bearings, and their minds.” “Something about her looks immortal…a spirit, an apparition, more god than child.” Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods (Riverhead Books 2024) is in myContinue reading “THE GOD OF THE WOODS – Liz Moore”
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK – Chris Whitaker
“I’d say follow your heart, but in that way madness lies.” It’s Stephen King meets Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides with the faintest dash of Fredrik Backman’s Beartown’s small town heart. It hums with hints of My Girl and Fried Green Tomatoes – perhaps it’s the bees or the friendship or both. In short,Continue reading “ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK – Chris Whitaker”
CHILDREN OF ANGUISH AND ANARCHY – Tomi Adeyemi
Y’all. I don’t even know where to start or what to say. I have waited over half a decade for this book – the final installment of a trilogy that started with such a ferocious and addictive magic. The second installment left me baffled and sorely disappointed. At that time, I wrote: All the beautifulContinue reading “CHILDREN OF ANGUISH AND ANARCHY – Tomi Adeyemi”
LIES AND WEDDINGS – Kevin Kwan
Kevin Kwan’s novels scratch a certain itch. They are decadent, delicious, and outrageous – perfect novels to gorge yourself on. And Lies and Weddings (Doubleday 2024) is my absolute favorite of his works. While some of it may seem like a regurgitation of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy as far as certain plot points andContinue reading “LIES AND WEDDINGS – Kevin Kwan”
MIRRORED HEAVENS – Rebecca Roanhorse
“And I am happy to see your language is still more drunken sailor than Teek queen.” “Love me. And let fate do its damnedest to get around that.” Rebecca Roanhorse’s epic trilogy, Between Earth & Sky, has come to a close with Mirrored Heavens (SAGA PRESS 2024), and it is one of the more satisfyingContinue reading “MIRRORED HEAVENS – Rebecca Roanhorse”
THE RETURN OF ELLIE BLACK – Emiko Jean
Reading more like a fast-paced, bingeworthy Netflix special than a novel, Emiko Jean’s The Return of Ellie Black (Simon & Schuster 2024) is a quick read that scratches an itch and serves as a good cleanser between reads. I never know what to say (or not say) about books like this because I don’t wantContinue reading “THE RETURN OF ELLIE BLACK – Emiko Jean”
JAMES – Percival Everett
“Folks be funny lak dat. Dey takes the lies dey want and throws away the truths dat scares ‘em.” “With my pencil, I wrote myself into being. I wrote myself to here.” Confession: I’ve never read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn OR Adventures Tom Sawyer. (I was very dedicated in charting my path towards a MastersContinue reading “JAMES – Percival Everett”
A Girl Named Tommi 