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Thank you to Simon&Schuster & NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!
Available January 2022.
Every mom has a very bad day. Some, though, get caught during their very bad day. In "The School For Good Mothers", Jessamine Chan paints a compelling and terrifying look at a near future. When Frida Liu gets contacted by CPS about leaving her infant daughter Harriet home for two and a half hours, she can hardly imagine the consequences. Soon, Frida is submerged into a world of motherese, artificial children and endless counseling. Chan takes our current ruthless CPS system to its logical conclusion, exploring the heartbreak the system causes on families and communities, especially in Brown & Black neighborhoods.
There was no point in this book where I was not clenching my teeth, tightening my fists and looking over to my own infant for reassurance. I loved how the author manages to capture the illogical approach of CPS, of trying to measure motherhood with austere rubrics, of trying to weigh out who is a "good mother" by society's standards. As a new mom myself, Frida was wholly relatable & watching her emotional turmoil definitely uncovered my own feelings towards motherhood in America. Most of all, I appreciated how the author subtly points out the lack of institutional, social and community support for newborn moms & the way systems that are supposed to help parents often do the opposite. A wonderful book!
Available January 2022.
Every mom has a very bad day. Some, though, get caught during their very bad day. In "The School For Good Mothers", Jessamine Chan paints a compelling and terrifying look at a near future. When Frida Liu gets contacted by CPS about leaving her infant daughter Harriet home for two and a half hours, she can hardly imagine the consequences. Soon, Frida is submerged into a world of motherese, artificial children and endless counseling. Chan takes our current ruthless CPS system to its logical conclusion, exploring the heartbreak the system causes on families and communities, especially in Brown & Black neighborhoods.
There was no point in this book where I was not clenching my teeth, tightening my fists and looking over to my own infant for reassurance. I loved how the author manages to capture the illogical approach of CPS, of trying to measure motherhood with austere rubrics, of trying to weigh out who is a "good mother" by society's standards. As a new mom myself, Frida was wholly relatable & watching her emotional turmoil definitely uncovered my own feelings towards motherhood in America. Most of all, I appreciated how the author subtly points out the lack of institutional, social and community support for newborn moms & the way systems that are supposed to help parents often do the opposite. A wonderful book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for the Advanced Reader's Copy! Available Sept 14th. I have been a long time fan of Kei Miller, starting with The Last of the Warner Women and most recently, Augusttown. His lyrical and deliriously gorgeous description of Jamaica casts a mesmerizing spell. In "Things I Have Withheld," Miller lets us into his private ruminations. This collection of essays covers a wide range of subjects including racism, gender and sexuality, police brutality and mental health. From allegorical tales to travelouge, it has a little something for everyone. Along the way, Miller's keen insight and gorgeous prose leave the reader hooked. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster & NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!
Now available!
You know a book is incredible if you have to repeatedly Google the protagonist to make sure she's not, in fact, a real person. Engrossing and immersive, Dawnie Walton's The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is a wild journey through the world of rock and roll in the 1970s. Told from shifting viewpoints, the book does a great job of trying to pin down what it means to be a Black punk singer, a Black woman with aspirations, in racially tense America. The documentary style can be hard to adjust to at first but reminds me a lot of Dear White People, especially towards the end of the novel. One of my main critiques is that at times it seems to be overcrowded and the editor/protagonists voice gets drowned out in the ever shifting cast of characters. Overall, though, grab your popcorn & sit down for this juicy story!
Now available!
You know a book is incredible if you have to repeatedly Google the protagonist to make sure she's not, in fact, a real person. Engrossing and immersive, Dawnie Walton's The Final Revival of Opal and Nev is a wild journey through the world of rock and roll in the 1970s. Told from shifting viewpoints, the book does a great job of trying to pin down what it means to be a Black punk singer, a Black woman with aspirations, in racially tense America. The documentary style can be hard to adjust to at first but reminds me a lot of Dear White People, especially towards the end of the novel. One of my main critiques is that at times it seems to be overcrowded and the editor/protagonists voice gets drowned out in the ever shifting cast of characters. Overall, though, grab your popcorn & sit down for this juicy story!
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!
Now available!
Powerful and moving, Ly Tran's "House of Sticks" is an ode to immigrant America. When Tran was only a few months old, her family moves to the United States, escaping the dire conditions in the refugee camps. However, life in the Bronx is not easy. Navigating poverty, language barriers and cultural barriers, Tran and her family struggle to make ends meet. Bit by bit, through hard work and sacrifices, they start to achieve their version of the American dream.
What I loved most about this story is Ly Tran's piercingly honest voice. She does not sugarcoat the bitterness of America, the hatred and xenophobia she and her family experienced and the intergenerational trauma from the Vietnam War. All the emotions and experiences felt vivid. Ly Tran's strength, resilience and faith is something everyone can draw from.
Now available!
Powerful and moving, Ly Tran's "House of Sticks" is an ode to immigrant America. When Tran was only a few months old, her family moves to the United States, escaping the dire conditions in the refugee camps. However, life in the Bronx is not easy. Navigating poverty, language barriers and cultural barriers, Tran and her family struggle to make ends meet. Bit by bit, through hard work and sacrifices, they start to achieve their version of the American dream.
What I loved most about this story is Ly Tran's piercingly honest voice. She does not sugarcoat the bitterness of America, the hatred and xenophobia she and her family experienced and the intergenerational trauma from the Vietnam War. All the emotions and experiences felt vivid. Ly Tran's strength, resilience and faith is something everyone can draw from.
Thank you to Soho Press and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!
Now available.
By turns revolting and addictive, Sandi Tan's The Lurkers is a lurid read that keeps readers hooked. Told by a cast of unruly narrators, each ruled by a fatal flaw, the novel traces life in suburban California. From spiteful retired writer Raymond to Rosemary's young teenage lust to Mary Sue's unflappable spirit, there is such variety in this cast of misfits. Tan masterfully splays their lives, their motivations, their yearnings and secrets in moments of dramatic irony. Like the title suggests, these are the lurkers, the half shadowy lives lived under the shade of ignorance and bliss. An enjoyable read, especially if you like character driven novels!
Now available.
By turns revolting and addictive, Sandi Tan's The Lurkers is a lurid read that keeps readers hooked. Told by a cast of unruly narrators, each ruled by a fatal flaw, the novel traces life in suburban California. From spiteful retired writer Raymond to Rosemary's young teenage lust to Mary Sue's unflappable spirit, there is such variety in this cast of misfits. Tan masterfully splays their lives, their motivations, their yearnings and secrets in moments of dramatic irony. Like the title suggests, these are the lurkers, the half shadowy lives lived under the shade of ignorance and bliss. An enjoyable read, especially if you like character driven novels!
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!
Now available.
Sparing and prosaic, Pik-Sheun Fung's "Ghost Forest" is a touching ode to immigrant families and the sacrifices they must make. Separated from her father from a young age, Pik-Sheun Fung has difficulty making a connection with this seemingly distant man in her adulthood. Told in halting, overlapping stories, Pik-Sheun mines the depths of her mother's and grandmother's past to build a connection to the present. "Ghost Forest" is a delicately wrought reckoning, a portrait of an imperfect father and daughter and an ode to the love that binds them.
Now available.
Sparing and prosaic, Pik-Sheun Fung's "Ghost Forest" is a touching ode to immigrant families and the sacrifices they must make. Separated from her father from a young age, Pik-Sheun Fung has difficulty making a connection with this seemingly distant man in her adulthood. Told in halting, overlapping stories, Pik-Sheun mines the depths of her mother's and grandmother's past to build a connection to the present. "Ghost Forest" is a delicately wrought reckoning, a portrait of an imperfect father and daughter and an ode to the love that binds them.
Thank you to Astra House and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy! Available October 26th Coasting in a surreal landscape, Melissa Lozada-Oliva's collection "Dreaming of You" tackles everything from relationships to family and identity, with a strong dose of Selena Quintanilla. Much like the beloved songs, these poems are timeless and memorable.
Honestly, I just couldn't get into this novel. It just seemed like a group of friends where everyone wanted to sleep with everyone else but their societal rules and personal hangups prevented it. Yes there is some discussion of class, race and social privileges but it comes from such a white male POV that it's dry. For example, Nat is a Korean adoptee of the family. One of her main defining characteristics is that she loves BTS and her white parents are bewildered. Her mom, Masha, is angry when she starts to learn Korean. Overall, I felt disconnected from the story.
Thank you to Counterpoint Press for the Reader's Copy!
Now available.
Much like Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children," Nawaaz Ahmed's "Radiant Fugitive" starts on the night of a catastrophic birth. Narrated by the fetus of Seema, the story toggles between three distinct female narratives, exploring what it means to be South Asian American in the modern era. There's the mother, Seema, a 30 something year old bisexual political activist living in San Francisco who is struggling between her disillusionment with the political establishment and her ever growing list of lovers. Then there's her sister, Tahera, a stuanch Muslim woman who is trying to raise her kids in the "right" way. Finally, we have the grandmother, Nafeesa, who is struggling with a debilitating chronic illness and trying to hold onto what remains of her family.
Emotional, dramatic, with a strong flair for Keats and lengthy anatomic discussions, this book definitely kept me intrigued the entire time. While I didn't always love the second person, it did allow me to delve into the many POVs presented in the piece. In some ways, the ending did feel anticlimactic because we already knew it from the beginning and because it felt too neatly boxed in for such an otherwise messy piece. What struck me the most is the way Ahmed created unlikable traits in each character - Seema's fickle mods, Tahera's jealousy, Nafeesa's passivity - and still made them humane. Incredible character driven tale.
Now available.
Much like Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children," Nawaaz Ahmed's "Radiant Fugitive" starts on the night of a catastrophic birth. Narrated by the fetus of Seema, the story toggles between three distinct female narratives, exploring what it means to be South Asian American in the modern era. There's the mother, Seema, a 30 something year old bisexual political activist living in San Francisco who is struggling between her disillusionment with the political establishment and her ever growing list of lovers. Then there's her sister, Tahera, a stuanch Muslim woman who is trying to raise her kids in the "right" way. Finally, we have the grandmother, Nafeesa, who is struggling with a debilitating chronic illness and trying to hold onto what remains of her family.
Emotional, dramatic, with a strong flair for Keats and lengthy anatomic discussions, this book definitely kept me intrigued the entire time. While I didn't always love the second person, it did allow me to delve into the many POVs presented in the piece. In some ways, the ending did feel anticlimactic because we already knew it from the beginning and because it felt too neatly boxed in for such an otherwise messy piece. What struck me the most is the way Ahmed created unlikable traits in each character - Seema's fickle mods, Tahera's jealousy, Nafeesa's passivity - and still made them humane. Incredible character driven tale.
When Jivan, a Bengali Muslim woman in her twenties from the slums of modern day India, writes a scathing statement on Facebook, she hardly expects anything to happen. In an almost comical way, the comment and Jivan's seemingly unknown friendship with a terrorist organization spirals into a national case of sedition against the nation. In an ever expanding cast of characters, we slowly learn about Jivan. In "A Burning", Majumdar paints an image of a chaotic and desperate working class, from Lovely the aspiring actress and hijra whom Jivan tutored in English to PT Sir a jaded teacher who is unexpectedly rising through the political ranks. As each character's motivations and emotions come into play, the novel shifts away from the court case and into a moral examination of the contemporary Indian working class, with Majumdar showing the system's failings on every level across gender, sexuality, class, caste and religion. Similar to Aravind Adiga's White Tiger, Majumdar opts to let the characters speak in their own language and complicates what the reader's assumptions might be. Overall, a compelling read.