Shepard seems interested in something more than a compact thriller in Phase Six, but after the crackling place setting he gives us, it’s hard not to be disappointed.

Jeffery perfectly blends a personal, queer and highly subjective experience with historical context to make this one of the more entertaining entries in the series — and one of the better entries on a growing shelf of books that take disco seriously as an art form.

A masterful book that weaves together two seemingly disparate strands—the demise of heavy industry and the rise of care work—into a single thread that traces the story of a broken society.

Cusk’s novel is more philosophical and sociological ponderance than story.

Occasionally diffuse but always rewarding, Albert & the Whale is a rich and poetic study of Renaissance man Albrecht Dürer that’s as much meditation, travelogue, nature study and autobiography as it is art history.

Put aside what you may remember about Duran Duran and enjoy this loving and level-headed analysis.

This posthumous work from the French philosopher challenges stereotypical pagan vs. Christian suppositions.

Early Morning Riser is a nice reprieve from the agony playing out in the world right now. But people who need more rising action, tension and climax in their books should look elsewhere.

It seems a bit flippant to describe it this way given the gruesome subject matter, but the novel reads as stylish.

Does a widower have to attend his wife’s funeral? Or is this his best excuse ever for calling in sick?