Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

3/5 stars

What's it about? Gifty, an ambitious and talented doctoral candidate in neuroscience at Stanford, takes in her mother as she grapples with a depressive episode that rivals the one she survived when Gifty’s brother died of an overdose. A tender sophomore novel about family, faith, and grief.

How’d I find it? How I miss Politics and Prose and the way they have every title I could possibly imagine.

Who will enjoy this book? The book reminded me heavily of the excellent 2019 film Waves. If you like the work of Celeste Ng, pick this one up.

What stood out? Transcendent Kingdom covers relevant themes about immigration, race, mental health, and modern religion, so it will appeal to any reader who seeks a solid pick from the bestsellers table. Despite Gyasi’s sure command, the novel lacks an edge, and this well-written approachability fails to cloak its formulaic narrative.

Which line made me feel something? “God was gone in an instant, but my mother became a mirage, an image formed by refracted light. I moved toward her and toward her, but she never moved toward me. She was never there.”

Bright Unbearable Reality by Anna Badkhen

3/5 stars

What's it about? Badkhen reflects on humanity, origins, and the inequities of our world in this collection that is part travelogue, part reckoning. Bright Unbearable Reality figures into the chorus of responses to the pandemic and its aftermath.

How’d I find it? One always finds something on the sale tables at Powell’s.

Who will enjoy this book? If Zadie Smith’s Intimations resonated with you, Badkhen’s thoughts might, too.

What stood out? Badkhen takes a graceful approach to mass migration, displacement, and injustice, and, while her sumptuous language doesn’t always work, it’s intoxicating to read. She pulls from across the spectrum of human creativity to enrich her subjects, like, for example, when she references the sculptures of Roni Horn in an essay set during a pilgrimage across the Sahara.

Which line made me feel something? From “Dark Matter:” “Why refuse to address head-on the two experiences that pinnacle our humanness, violence and astonishment, why find circuitous ways to describe them; why not behold and marvel at what is before us on its own terms, just as it is; what avarice within us makes us plow right through the miraculous, or past it, without pause, makes us insatiable?”

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell

3/5 stars

What's it about? The dark and cruel little stories of Seven Empty Houses explore domestic dangers: loved ones turned enemies, intruders, and even child abduction. A solid collection.

How’d I find it? You can’t go wrong with Samanta Schweblin. If I see something of hers I haven’t read, I pick it up. This copy was discovered at Powell’s.

Who will enjoy this book? Those who enjoy the stories of Ottessa Moshfegh will find much to admire in Seven Empty Houses.

What stood out? The claustrophobia that Schweblin creates throughout the book works its magic, and the tension is a delicious addition to the complex interiors we visit. There’s also a range of emotion for the reader. “Breath from the Depths” will break your heart, while “An Unlucky Man” will make you shudder. Schweblin lets her characters be themselves, even when they’re horrible or selfish.

Which line made me feel something? Lola’s to-do list: “Classify everything. Donate what it is expendable. Wrap what is important. Concentrate on death. If he meddles, ignore him.”

The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe by D. G. Compton

3/5 stars

What's it about? In a future where death by disease has been eradicated, Katherine Mortenhoe learns that she has a terminal case of sensory overload. While Katherine tries to reckon with her impending death, the showrunner behind the Human Destiny program secretly captures it all with the help of one special journalist. How real is Katherine’s experience? How do we judge our lives in the context of an ugly world? A novel that asks important questions for readers in 2025.

How’d I find it? When I want to treat myself, this is what I do: I stroll into Powell’s after lunch and scan the new arrivals, then wander through the shelves of my favorite sections (poetry, mid-grade fiction, foreign language, and horror). I find something (on this particular day, The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe) and sit myself down in the attached café for a cider and reading sesh.

Who will enjoy this book? Fans of the show UnREAL and Black Mirror should pick this one up.

What stood out? Compton did an eerie job of describing a society in which suffering is entertainment. Though written in 1974, the themes of surveillance and privacy feel timely for our present, in which we’re constantly bombarded with content and reality TV shows like The Bachelor are under scrutiny for their producing practices. Compton includes a dash of poignancy with a Citizen Kane “rosebud” moment that nods to the bigger questions of existence. The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe may be a quieter book than The Hunger Games or Chain-Gang All-Stars, but it has something to say.

Which line made me feel something? “…she’d crawled out of antediluvian mud on the legs of curiosity, and descended from ancient trees in search of something more than survival.”

An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie, translated by James Kirkup

3/5 stars

What's it about? Togolese teen Kpomassie is promised to a cult after being healed from a dangerous encounter with a snake. While convalescing, he reads a book about Greenland, and, through charm and determination, finally arrives at the destination of his dreams after an eight-year journey. An endearing travelogue from a gifted storyteller.

How’d I find it? Of course, I found this one in the travel section at the ever reliable Solid State Books.

Who will enjoy this book? The Patrick Leigh Fermor fans will enjoy the journey with Kpomassie. It’s a story almost too incredible to be believed.

What stood out? An African in Greenland contains so much to admire: a snapshot of life in the 1960s for a young African, the unsparing descriptions of culture, and Kpomassie’s wholehearted embrace of the Greenlander way. He’s a surefooted travel guide whose curiosity anchors this book.

Which line made me feel something? The anthropological tidbits in An African in Greenland are utterly fascinating. Take the following sentences on the symbolism of the python for Kpomassie’s people: “He links heaven and earth: the golden patches scattered over his black skin recall the stars that sparkle in the sky at night. He is the image on earth of the rainbow that hangs in the air during a shower of rain. His movements resemble the flow of watercourses.”

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

3/5 stars

What's it about? Thirteen-year-old Meg Murry and her savant baby brother Charles Wallace embark on a mission to find their long-missing father, with the guidance of the enigmatic Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit and the support of smart, athletic Calvin. The quest has a far more complicated objective: to save the world from Evil.

How’d I find it? Though I rarely reread anything, I’ve recently had a hankering to revisit books I loved as a child. I met Madeleine L’Engle when I was eleven and was in awe of her. A Wrinkle in Time was the first of her books I encountered.

Who will enjoy this book? This book is perfect for young readers interested in probing bigger questions about purpose and goodness.

What stood out? The eerie monotony of the planet Camazotz and the healing love of Aunt Beast hold special places in my literary education; the story abounds with similar treasures. A Christian undercurrent that was invisible to me as a child runs through A Wrinkle in Time, and it admittedly smacked of another agenda that I found less savory in this reread. I wish the rescue of Charles Wallace was less rushed after such a paced build to the climax, but this is a small gripe in a story that sparkles with ingenuity.

Which line made me feel something? This conversation between Meg and her mother: “‘Do you think things always have an explanation?’ ‘Yes. I believe that they do. But I think that with our human limitations we’re not always able to understand the explanations. But you see, Meg, just because we don’t understand doesn’t mean that the explanation doesn’t exist.’”

The Birds of Pandemonium by Michele Raffin

3/5 stars

What's it about? Michele Raffin details her journey from animal lover to conservationist, as her California home evolves into Pandemonium Aviaries, a sanctuary for abandoned and endangered birds. A cozy read about compassion that will warm your cold human heart.

How’d I find it? I spent a year living in my spouse’s grandmother’s home in rural Virginia, and she generously left behind a wall full of books. This book was among them.

Who will enjoy this book? Helen Macdonald fans and those who liked The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery will want to pick this up.

What stood out? The stories of individual birds make up the most compelling sections of The Birds of Pandemonium. Take Sweetie, a joyful quail saved from becoming dinner by being forgotten in a supermarket produce section. Or Amigo, a red-headed Amazon parrot who survives a series of bad homes to fall in love with Michele’s son. The book is impactful in its urging to be better stewards of the natural world and to take responsibility for the lives that depend on us.

Which line made me feel something? Raffin shares a list of poetic flock names, of which I found particular delight in “an ascension of larks” and “a lamentation of swans.”

Liberation Day by George Saunders

3/5 stars

What's it about? George Saunders tinkers with technology, absurdity, and amusement parks in this collection of nine short stories.

How’d I find it? You know when you go into a bookstore on a Tuesday when the fresh titles are laid out, and you see not only a new book from a favorite author, but also that it’s signed? I had that experience at Solid State Books.

Who will enjoy this book? If you like the work of Karen Russell or Stephen Millhauser, these stories strike similar notes.

What stood out? As usual, Saunders brings wit and playfulness to the page, and his writing sparkles. “Mother’s Day” and “Elliott Spencer” were the book’s most successful stories. Much of Liberation Day reads like retooled versions of past powerhouses; the title story recalls Tenth of December’s “The Semplica Girl Diaries,” while “Ghoul” shares elements with “Bounty”. Having recently finished CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, I received this collection as an entertaining echo.

Which line made me feel something? I related cosmically to the narrator of “The Mom of Bold Action,” whose deluge of thoughts seems to keep her from ever actually writing: “‘The Discontented Dog.’ The Discontented Dog was never happy. No matter how many peanut-butter thingies he was given. When he was in, he wanted out. When out — She grabbed another peanut-butter thingie from the box. ‘The Peanut-Butter Thingie Who Sacrificed Himself So the Other Peanut-Butter Thingies in the Box Could Live.’”

March by Geraldine Brooks

3/5 stars

What's it about? Geraldine Brooks found a surefire win in this Little Women spin-off that follows Mr. March as he serves as chaplain and teacher in the Civil War. A story about the price of one’s ideals and the miscommunications in a marriage.

How’d I find it? My husband recommended this read, and I found my own copy in a Little Free Library in Capitol Hill in DC. A walk from where I worked to a bar to meet friends, and an offering of books along the way that held me up a little, just enough. I need a bigger backpack.

Who will enjoy this book? Little Women fans, of course. Those who seek historical fiction along the lines of Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell will also like March.

What stood out? The book reads like Water for Elephants, the kind of bestseller that goes down smooth and easy. We hear Marmee’s voice at a crucial moment in the book to tease out the climax, a device that lifts the curtain on how differently one partner can experience a relationship. Despite our protagonist’s abolitionist tendencies, the language used for characters of color can shock in 2024, and I found myself wincing a few times, particularly in scenes involving Grace, who reconnects with Mr. March during the war. The allusions to the famous little women disappoint in their lack of invention; Amy is merely vain with blonde curls, and Jo is clumsy and dark.

Which line made me feel something? As a former DC resident, this warning from the ever faithful Mr. Brooks stirred in me a chuckle: “I am afraid that Georgetown in particular has an unfortunate reputation. I have been informed that drinking places are ordered closed at a half past nine, and they say there can be, well, a good deal of unseemly behavior on the streets at that hour.”

Billy Summers by Stephen King

3/5 stars

What's it about? Veteran Billy Summers has one last job as a hired assassin before he gets out of the game. Of course, it’s his messiest assignment yet, and Billy starts to question how to tell the bad guys from the good. A well-written crime novel with momentum and heart.

How’d I find it? My aunt passed this along as “a good one.” She was right.

Who will enjoy this book? The HBO series Barry is the perfect companion to Billy Summers. Certain similarities make me wonder if King was inspired by the show.

What stood out? Billy’s alias as a writer provides the frame to learn more about his horrific childhood and deployments in Iraq. The novel within a novel schtick makes the timing in this book perfect. The arrival of Alice, who contributes much of the aforementioned heart, steers the story into sentimentality, but King is, as always, an able navigator. A nod to The Shining that comes out of nowhere gave this fan much joy.

Which line made me feel something? This had never occurred to me: “Billy thinks of telling her that dead, like unique, is a word that cannot, by its nature, be modified.”