The Blue Mimes by Sara Daniele Rivera

3/5 stars

What's it about? Rivera’s debut book of poetry gathers meditations on language, the uncertainty of our times, and the nature of grief.

How’d I find it? I picked up this collection while browsing the poetry shelves at Powell’s.

Who will enjoy this book? The Blue Mimes recalls Ocean Vuong’s Time Is a Mother in its descriptions of losing a parent and the link between loss and heritage.

What stood out? Rivera writes in both English and Spanish; the mingling of language challenges us to find the right words for experience using the accumulations of our personal histories. The Blue Mimes fails the “wound” test, but Rivera’s plays with abstraction and form make for interesting reading.

Which line made me feel something? This description of holding a newborn from “The House It Is”: “You were astonished by her smallness, held her in two hands the way you would hold and funnel birdseed.”

Sun City by Tove Jansson, translated by Thomas Teal

3/5 stars

What's it about? The residents of the Berkeley Arms in St. Petersburg, Florida squabble, fret, and weather the realities of aging and retirement in this trim, breezy novel.

How’d I find it? This came in the mail as the monthly selection of the NYRB Classics Book Club.

Who will enjoy this book? Sun City tackles the humor and distress of older adulthood à la Helene Tursten (without the murder).

What stood out? The novel shifts between the perspectives of its many characters, lending depth to the daily humdrum of life. I was particularly drawn to the formidable Mrs. Rubinstein, whose sharp tongue and sway over her retirement community make her a delight to accompany, and Linda, an adored employee of the Berkeley Arms whose boyfriend impatiently awaits the next coming of Jesus.

Which line made me feel something? “Afterward, Miss Frey thought she had been lost, but sometimes even then she would secretly indulge a wonder and a daydream that had to do with the beauty of emptiness and extinction.”

The Frog in the Throat by Markus Werner, translated by Michael Hofmann

3/5 stars

What's it about? Dairy farmer Klement shunned his son Franz after an affair cost Franz his family and position as a clergyman, and they remained estranged until Klement’s death. Now Franz is being haunted by his father, who manifests as a literal frog stuck in his throat for three days every month, never letting Franz forget his shame.

How’d I find it? As ever, the inimitable NYRB Classics Book Club.

Who will enjoy this book? During my reading session, I was reminded of the humor and absurdity of Milan Kundera and the themes of Neil Gaiman’s work.

What stood out? Werner inhabits the two voices of this book so completely. Chapters vacillate between the self-flagellating Franz reliving his sins and Klement milking his cows while airing his disappointment with the changing world around him. The Frog in the Throat has more to say about time and being human than most books twice its length, and does so in a uniquely dark way.

Which line made me feel something? “So or so or any old how, we live for moments and everything withers at a dismaying pace, and the fact that my clothes will outlive me only underlines the misery of it all, while the bells chime brightly and the organ is as dignified as the obituary, the worms bestir themselves, I ventilate.”

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.”