A slice-of-life novel about a woman recovering from a bad breakup and reconnecting with family members. It‘s very sweet and easy to read and the characters were lovely.

This was sooooo fun! Surprisingly cozy, in spite of the dark content - takes place in a bookstore in London in the fall. It was spot on in its descriptions of the bookselling business. I really enjoyed it!

I‘m not sure what to write about this. It feels almost irreverent to review it. I wanted to read every sentence aloud. This combination of Han Kang and her translators has resulted in something that is so moving and beautiful that I want to just sit in silence with it for a while. It‘s fiction. It‘s poetry. It‘s raw humanity.

I would not have chosen to read a pandemic novel, except this one is written by Claire Fuller and she‘s one of my favorite authors. It‘s brilliant. Terrifying. And as always with Claire Fuller, a book full of fully realized, flawed, and beautiful characters. I read it in a day.

This was such a weird book, but I loved it. It‘s like the most literary fan fiction you‘ll ever read. It‘s about an unnamed woman who falls in love with Moon, a member of a KPop group and goes to find him after he retires suddenly. It‘s so poetic and smart and written in a dreamlike way. Like, if Murakami wrote fan fiction.

This was a very sweet book about a centenarian revisiting her past and coming to terms with the consequences of her actions during her long life. I really enjoyed reading this. Not mind blowing, but well executed and very moving. Comes out in August.

This book is electrifying!! Set in a dystopian near future in which death row convicts fight each other to the death gladiator style for the entertainment of the masses. Adjei-Brenyah uses footnotes to describe America‘s real life mass incarceration injustices, which brings it so close to home. It‘s emotional, violent, and an incredible redemption story. Beyond brilliant. He doesn‘t once sacrifice character or plot for the sake of his allegory.

Love it here.

Me and my boys in front of Daunt Books in Marylebone, London. Possibly the best bookstore experience I‘ve ever had. It was magical. Will post one more of the interior.

Started watching British panel shows before our trip to London last week and Bob Mortimer was our favorite guest on a show called Would I Lie to You. Found his brand new novel at Foyle‘s Books on Charing Cross Road and had to get it. It‘s lovely! So quirky and hilarious and I hope it comes to the States. Best souvenir.

Ooof. This one hurt my heart. My first Octavia Butler and holy hell can that woman write. Read it if you haven‘t. But prepare yourself. Like Morrison, it‘ll leave you wrecked.

This one will leave you reeling. A literary thriller in the same vein as The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Very readable, compelling, a little horrifying. A little bit of yourself or someone you know in every single character. And totally brilliant of course.

Suuuuuper atmospheric and a ton of fun!! Liked this a lot. An easy, light, but well-imagined read. Awesome characters!

A swashbuckling good time! Pirates! Chaos spirits! Nefarious treasure seekers! Loved it.

Sequel to Lovecraft Country comes out this month and it‘s sooooooooo fun! If you haven‘t read Lovecraft Country, I highly recommend it and any of Matt Ruff‘s other books. He is one of our regulars at the bookshop and we love his books!

I‘m so sad it‘s over!!! Cara Romero is one of my new all-time favorite literary characters. This novel is brilliant. I actually listened to the audio and the voice actress was SO GOOD as well. It‘s basically the story of Cara‘s life as told, by Cara, to an employee of a job placement program. I cried at the end. Brilliant.

This one was a really good read! Three Weyward women‘s stories spanning centuries, finding power when faced with vicious and abusive men. It was an emotional rollercoaster. My only complaint is that it was tied up almost too nicely in the end. I wanted it to be a little rougher and open-ended.

This one was no literary masterpiece, but it was a ton of fun! A murder that takes place in a city in Alaska that is all in one building. A fantastic setting. A little cliche in parts, but a good read/listen nevertheless.

Set in Australia in the 1880s about a boy who goes missing in the desert. It‘s also a slice-of-life story as the narrative bounces around between the characters in town, following little side plots that meander pleasantly through the novel. Every character is developed beautifully. This was a solid read.

This was at times just ridiculously funny, but I struggled a bit with how dark it got. A first person narrative from a narcissist‘s perspective is a tough read, honestly. Props to the author for not shying away from the reality of divorce and the toll it takes on a person and those closest to them though.

Top 10 of 2022. Narrowed down quite easily from 90 titles.

A really fabulous, engaging, and snarky history of an abortionist in the late 1800s New York. This is such an important book for our times. The epilogue was really well done as well.

This is a hard one to describe. It reminded me a bit of “A Brief History of 7 Killings” by Marlon James only set in India and with fewer characters. The writing was other-worldly. Absolutely jaw-dropping, stop everything and read sentences out loud to whoever is nearby because holy shit the way she uses words… five stars. So so good.

This was riveting! Some overlap with ideas in “The Body Keeps the Score” (credited within the text) Mate looks at the broader societal “toxins” that are contributing to a rise in autoimmune diseases etc. Five stars. So much to think about. And somehow he ends it on a note of positivity!

I love An Yu‘s books! This one is just as weird and wonderful as “Braised Pork” - her first novel. Her writing reminds me a bit of Murakami only without all the sexism. It‘s unsettling - like if you take a slice-of-life style novel and add just a pinch of a psychological thriller. So not for everyone maybe, but definitely for me! Lol

Loved it! Lucy works with me and I‘m stoked to start hand-selling her book. I genuinely loved it. Her characters are so flawed and yet you can feel the author‘s empathy towards them all as they try to understand each other. Total freaking grand slam of a book.

I fully understand the title now and it‘s surprisingly powerful. Just like the book. Short, quiet, and moving. Takes place during the holiday season so now is a good time to pick it up if you haven‘t yet.

Like watching a Ghibli movie. First published in 1985 in Japan and only just now translated into English. It‘s stunning. Stunning stunning stunning. Classic storytelling. Reminiscent of Princess Mononoke and Nausica. So many stars for this one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The first book in a new mystery series featuring detective Inaya Rahman as she works cases and faces racism and sexism from her colleagues. It‘s very political, but it doesn‘t slow down the story or feel too didactic. Loved all the main characters - Inaya‘s teammates and her family - and I can‘t wait for the next installment!

Set in Ireland during the troubles about a Catholic woman who has an affair with a much older man, but also about making hard choices in the face of others‘ judgment and persecution. The characters in this book are so well crafted and easy to care for. I liked it a lot.

I liked this book so much more than I expected to. About a woman who can‘t leave her home, recovering from trauma. It‘s just beautifully uplifting and Meredith is such a star of a character. One of those books that leaves you believing in a better world, even if that world is a very small one.

Love it when you trust an author enough to just take the ride without much thought. Jane Harper and Tana French are my number one mystery writers. I will read anything and everything they write. Just one more Jane Harper to go until I‘ve actually done that too.

Self-portrait with Self-Portrait With Nothing … which is a very fun, action-packed, often hilarious ride through the multiverse. Sort of. You‘ll see what I mean when you read it. Comes out tomorrow!!

Customers at the bookshop have been telling me to read this book for years. And I get it now. It‘s amazing how O‘Farrell takes you inside her characters minds and the historical details she adds so casually are incredible. But as a mom of two, this book also kind of destroyed me emotionally. Had to take breaks to hug my kids and be thankful for modern medicine.

New Jane Harper coming in January and it‘s great!! Now excuse me while I go read the only two books she‘s written that I haven‘t gotten to yet. #imtotallyobsessedwithjaneharper

This was fast-moving, intense, and delightfully dark and spooky. Longlisted for the National Book Award (though it didn‘t make the shortlist) and for good reason. I picked it up because it‘s rare for a thriller to make the list and I was very curious. It didn‘t disappoint.

So so charming, just like the last book. Laugh out loud funny at times. A refreshingly positive book full of hope as well. Nothing mind blowing and very similar to Less, but just a really nice little world to be a part of for a while.

Had to give this a “pick” because of the writing. Gunty‘s prose is stunning. The story itself was…different. I can absolutely see why it was long listed for the National Book Award, but it has some moments that are a little slow and there are a lot of characters to keep track of. That being said, every character was compelling, even when totally unlikeable.

Elisa Shua Dusapin writes angst and displacement so well. This is her second novel after Winter in Sokcho (which I also loved) and it‘s quiet and lovely. Slice-of-life. Set in Tokyo.

A little late to this party. This was fantastic. Would love to see a mini-series or movie adaptation.

This was an interesting read. I liked the middle section the best - about the three women at the center of the story during their college years - but the ending was abrupt and felt unearned. The story meandered a bit too much and not enough time was spent on the mother/daughter relationships. So just a so-so rating from me for this one.

Translated from Korean, about a group of people living illegally at the Saha Estates in a dystopian Town. Really different and fascinating. Reminded me a little of The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa.

Never got around to reading Hamnet, but I might now! This book had so much depth, description, and an almost thriller-like quality to it that made it almost impossible to put down. I liked it a lot!

This was a…fun??? book?? 😂 I don‘t read much psychological horror so I didn‘t know what to expect from this. It was definitely strange and definitely horrifying. That vintage cover is epic though. And it was very funny in a disconcerting way. So I gave it a “pick” because I think it accomplished what it set out to do. I will let the horror readers be the ultimate deciders on this one. Out in October.

This one was a masterpiece of world building. Neon Yang will leave you questioning the truth and reality of their worlds and yours. A space odyssey like you‘ve never encountered before. Comes out in September. Stack it if you love Sci-Fi that excels in plot and worlds.

I was super skeptical of the premise of this book, but I got over it so quickly after starting it. It‘s a really well crafted fantasy - gruesome and violent, raw and emotional. The themes of motherhood and sacrifice run throughout the book. I‘m looking forward to more from Sunyi Dean.

A couple of short stories followed by a novella. Stunning. Totally brilliantly stunning. I‘m still reeling from the novella. So much to process and unpack. Really solid audio as well. Lavar Burton reads the first story. It‘s heartbreaking. The whole book.

I loved Jess Kidd‘s “Things in Jars” - a high standard to meet for sure, and this one wasn‘t quite as polished. But I still loved it. It‘s two timelines - 1647 and 1987 - and the stories intertwine beautifully. I only wanted her to go a little deeper into the details, I guess. My only complaint. Otherwise totally brilliant and an excellent read. Comes out in October. Stack it!

I devoured this book. It‘s one of those books in which not much happens plot-wise, but you fall madly in love with the characters and never ever want it to end. It‘s also an elusive goldmine of ideas and philosophy. Subtle and wise and lovely. Comes out in October.

Not really much of a romance reader. I prefer endless pining to a happy ending, honestly. Should have stopped listening two chapters from the end. 😂 No, but seriously, this was so fun. Not that anyone needs my review of it. Hasn‘t everyone already read this one??