“As long as it’s not boring. That’s our motto now.” Set in London in 2017, The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley is my least favorite Booker read to date. I’ve never read Riley before, but I have seen some comparisons drawn between her and Rachel Cusk. That tracks. I don’t like either. It’s a writingContinue reading “THE PALM HOUSE – Gwendoline Riley”
Tag Archives: Book reviews
SOME PEOPLE – Parini Shroff
“We’re all just people, trying. We’re all eggshells, walking around trying not to bump into shit that will break us.” I really enjoyed Parini Shroff’s The Bandit Queens, so I was eager to read the follow-up novel, Some People (Ballantine Books 2026). While it is a very different book from The Bandit Queens, the writingContinue reading “SOME PEOPLE – Parini Shroff”
The Pōhaku – Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes
“Death has been chasing this story for generations, trying to kill it.” The Pōhaku by Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes (HarperCollins 2026) has all the elements of the type of story I love: family saga, a storytelling tradition, and a bit of magic realism. Add the fact it is about the Hawaiian people and boasts a stunningContinue reading “The Pōhaku – Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes”
CHILDREN OF THE WILD – Kevin Powers
Based on the premise and the reviews, I thought I was sure to enjoy Kevin Powers’s Children of the Wild (Harper 2026). Color me wrong. I was so disappointed in this book. And quite honestly mad at myself for finishing it. But where did it go wrong? Historical fiction set in 1917, isolated rural valleyContinue reading “CHILDREN OF THE WILD – Kevin Powers”
MARE – Emily Haworth-Booth
“When I began it, I saw that the story didn’t begin with her at all, but further back. I decided to begin it, for now, with the dog.” “And the dog died, and all my stories with him…” Emily Haworth-Booth’s Mare (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2026) is the type of book that will rip theContinue reading “MARE – Emily Haworth-Booth”
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”
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”
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”
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”
A Girl Named Tommi 