Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bookstore.

Almost microscopically detailed, Nev March's debut "Murder in Old Bombay" follows the adventures of Captain Jim who was hired by the Parsee family to examine the mysterious death of two women from a university clock tower in broad daylight.

What I liked the most about this novel is how March was able to transport us to colonial India with the hustle and bustle of "old" Bombay. Along the way, she challenges our concepts of gender norms and class divides. I wish there was more of a discussion of caste.

Thank you to House of Anansi Press for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

If you aren't familiar with the history of Ariel Sharon, the 11th Prime Minister of Israel, I would recommend doing a brief search just to help follow along the narrative in this extremely lyrical, fast paced & prosaic novel. Told in fragments, "I am Ariel Sharon" attempts to reconstruct the life of a man through the perspectives of his loved ones, including his mother, Vera, who is a refuge and his two wives, Lily and Gali. It's a taut read that delves into the complexities of life in Gaza's West Bank, the contradictions of being a Zionist on a refugee land, of settler colonialism and its impact on human life. If anything, I was entranced by Yara El-Ghabdan's light poetic language in direct contrast to the gruesome subject matter, making the latter all the more poignant and timely.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Charming and quick witted, Askaripour's Black Buck is a contemporary Death of A Salesman. When 20 year old Darren joins Rhett Daniels of the new, lucrative startup Sumwun, he has no idea how his life is going to change. Dubbed Black Buck, Darren quickly climbs the corporate ladder only to find that success is not what he thinks it is. Interspersed with reflections of an older Darren, Black Buck sheds a harsh light on modern day corporate America, race relations, and much more. Fast paced and amusing read.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Charming and quick witted, Askaripour's Black Buck is a contemporary Death of A Salesman. When 20 year old Darren joins Rhett Daniels of the new, lucrative startup Sumwun, he has no idea how his life is going to change. Dubbed Black Buck, Darren quickly climbs the corporate ladder only to find that success is not what he thinks it is. Interspersed with reflections of an older Darren, Black Buck sheds a harsh light on modern day corporate America, race relations, and much more. Fast paced and amusing read.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available July 13th!

Darkly humorous, Tahmima Anam's "The Startup Wife" is an interesting experiment with social media. When self conscious and sarcastic Asha Ray meets Cyrus, she can hardly predict the journey they will take together. Inspired by Cyrus's fascination with religion (think Pi from Life of Pi taken to the extreme), Ray designs a new social media platform, WAI, that tries to give others meaning to their lives. As WAI expands rapidly, Ray is confronted with the ultimate question - what is the meaning of her life?

In some ways, "The Startup Wife" is a departure from Tahmima Anam's usual stories about life in Bangladesh. In other ways, though, the novel still features strong female protagonists, blistering social commentary and memorable dialogues. Reminiscent of Dave Egger's "The Circle," Anam's newest novel leaves the reader with a deep sense of unease about our growing technological dependence.

Recently I gave birth to my son Joel six weeks early during a pandemic where I was not allowed any support people in the room. This is to say that the opening to Thi Bui's enchanting memoir struck a deep cord as I lay in the cold hospital room while my son was in the NICU & I understood intimately the anxieties of being a new mom. The stories, characters and places in this memoir are absolutely mesmerizing and I could not stop reading! In the wee hours of the night, just after breastfeeding, I reached the devastating plot twist & started bawling. It's not just the simplicity of the prose or the complexity of Bui's reckoning with her homeland, but also the emotional pull of immigrant families that make this book resonate. My only complaint is that the font is a bit hard to read at times, but that could be the way the book renders on an eReader!

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Available Nov 10 2020

What a joy it was to revisit Kiese Laymon's extraordinary collection "How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America" in the continued aftermath of 2020. Through letters and essays, Laymon recollects his journey through academia, publishing and teaching. There were some laugh out loud moments and many more emotive, tearful moments. Overall, Laymon has penned a love letter to his mama, his hood and, above all else, to Black male joy. A much needed book during these evermore challenging times.

I first fell in love with Tina Chang's work when I heard her recite "Fury" for an event with the AAWW. The poignant message of the poem - "How can we hold space for love if we don't hold space for anger?" has stuck with me throughout the political upheaval of 2020 and 2021. Being angry & creating space for anger is not an antithesis of love but perhaps it means that we care enough to be angry, to care even.

Hybrida is, as the title suggests, a hybrid work. Chang plays with formal structure as she juxtaposes poetry & art & police reports. The poems address both her children as she rewrites fairytales into the modern era, and the public. Stepping into this hybrid world, Chang asks us to hold space, to hold space for Black children, Black art, biracial mothers, overpolicing and the grief & joy of it all. A stunning piece of work.

Ever inventive, The Tradition by Jericho Brown ironically/unironically pushes the boundaries on poetic form and meter. I could live forever in the complicated world of "duplexes" marveling at the intricate wordplay, a magician's sleight of hands. I could talk about how Brown brings to life Black queer joy, Black queer sorrow, Black American life in a way that leaves the soul both heavy and light. But perhaps what is most awe-inspiring about The Tradition is its quietness, how it weaves together all of these things without ever explicitly naming these things. A book I'll hopefully be returning to again and again.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcout and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available!

Hala Alyan's second novel, "The Arsonists' City", is a delectable, savory family drama based in Lebanon and Syria. When Idris Nasr decides to sell his father's house in Lebanon, even he can't predict the secrets that will be unearthed in the centuries old property. Nasr is joined by his family from across the globe - his cinematic wife Mazna, his daughter microbiologist Ave, spurned bassist turned restaurant manager Mimi, and his rockstar daughter Najla. As the novel unspools, Alyan takes readers on a journey through old Lebanon and Syria, offering a tantalizing glimpse into the region.

I could not stop reading this addictive drama! The characters have such complexity and the descriptions of 1960s Syria and Lebanon were transformative and breathtaking. The plot twists were somewhat predictable but somehow this only endeared the novel even more. Reading Arsonist's City felt like walking into a warm cafe and eating fresh baklava with the honey just about set. It is inviting, a little bit crunchy with the drama and ultimately comforting. I am eagerly waiting to devour another Hala Alyan novel!