The Abstainer: by Ian McGuire Everyone in this grim tale walks a balancing act between falling into the clutches of Irish retribution or English repression. Read More
Interior Chinatown: by Charles Yu While the novel may seem gimmicky in presentation, readers will excavate frank examinations of culture and race with critical thinking and reflection. Read More
Luster: by Raven Leilani A literary artwork interweaving many themes -- loneliness and companionship, trauma and self-actualization, especially as an underpaid, undervalued Millennial and a Black woman. Read More
Sorry for Your Trouble: by Richard Ford Ford’s main characters find that they only ever truly develop any sort of lasting, meaningful relationship with themselves, not other people. Read More
Predicting the Past: Edited and designed by Stephen Berkman It’s at least three books, at once a stunning photobook, a dense historical compendium and a fascinating portal into another time—which may turn out to be today. Read More
The Unreality of Memory and Other Essays: by Elisa Gabbert Gabbert’s essays are deeply engaging, full of questions and anecdotes the reader is likely to recall, whether scrolling through social media or deep in conversation with friends. Read More
Earthlings: by Sayaka Murata While its plot could be taken for simple childhood escapism or as a metaphor for alienation, much like its heroine, this novel never quite conforms to expectations. Read More
Fathoms: by Rebecca Giggs For a book of less than 300 pages, it covers an enormous amount of ground both scholarly and personal – but as a result the account is wide rather than deep. Read More
The Hole: by Hiroko Oyamada (Translated by David Boyd) The novel becomes a commentary that offers its best insights through teases and impressions, and only Oyamada's calm assurance as a writer gives us the stability we need. Read More
USBM: A Revolution of Identity in American Black Metal: by Daniel Lake Chock-full of archival photographs and interesting interviews, USBM is a necessary tome of an oft-misunderstood movement in extreme metal. Read More