A (Belated) Book Preview

January to April reads.

Another year, another book preview, and this one has a lot of books. I am terribly late to compiling this list, so late I considered not sharing it, but someone said I still should, so I am. I like to think there’s no RSVP list to reading a book; they don’t become less magical or less interesting because you didn’t read them the second they came out, so that’s how I’m justifying letting life (read: Severance, The Barkley Marathon) get in the way of writing this.

In addition to the books I’m excited about, I also wanted to talk about the things I’m noticing. The overarching thing is that plot is back. It’s no longer enough to write meandering stories about women staring into the abyss—now those characters have to actually do something or are stuck in precarious situations. There are exceptions to this, but I’m seeing a renewed commitment to a propulsive story engine, something to keep the people talking and their fingers moving. I owe this in part to the surge in the book club–the best kind of book for those situations is one where things keep happening, so there’s something to talk about. Some other trends I’m noticing—books about friendship, groundhog-day style novels, male coming of age (specifically queer boys), marriages of convenience, queerness on the other side of compulsive heterosexuality, and dystopian near-future climate fiction—lots and lots of that.

This post is mostly free, but I’ve paywalled the April reads, as we haven’t got there yet. I’ll remove the paywall when April ends. That’s my plan for these previews moving forward (the next one will be in May)—the current month will be free, while subsequent months will be paywalled until we’re at the end of that month. June, for example, will be available June 31, and so forth. Anyway—onto the post!

JANUARY

A new Zora Neale Hurston novel, a deep dive into the link between racism and climate catastrophe, and a poetry book about the longest-running house party in South London.

January 07

The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe by Marlene L. Daut

There was only one king of Haiti, Henry Christophe. He was perplexing in that he helped overthrow the British in North America and then fought in Saint-Domingue, only to join forces with Napoleon to fight the enslaved people. He would later go on to become the king of Haiti after somehow convincing the people he betrayed to take him back—wild!

Playworld by Adam Ross

I’m of the mind that child actors shouldn’t exist, so I’m interested in this novel, which follows a child actor on the brink of adulthood who falls in with an older woman that possibly does him harm. It’s being billed as “less a bildungsroman than a story of miseducation,” which seems like the right way to go about a story like this.

The Life of Herrod the Great by Zora Neale Hurston

This novel cropped up in my group chat with Yaminah and Siraad. I can’t remember who asked where we keep dredging up unreleased ZNH novels. This one is a continuation of Moses, Man on the Mountain, which follows Herod, a king famous for consolidating Roman power and ordering the murdering of all the children of Bethlehem. In Hurston’s retelling, she humanizes him, painting him as a peacemaker. Sounds interesting.

Darkmotherland by Samrat Upadhyay

Darkmotherland is described as a “romp through a globalized universe.” It’s almost 800 pages long, so it promises to be epic. It follows the lives of a revolutionary’s daughter who marries into a dynasty and a dictator and his mistress. I live for big stories told through an intimate lens, and this sounds like it fits the bill.

The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf by Isa Arsen

A couple of actors in an unconventional marriage are ensnared by a dodgy director staging a Shakespeare play in the New Mexico desert. From the blurb, it sounds like both the husband and wife are having an affair with him. I’m listening!

January 14

The Forger’s Requiem by Bradford Morrow

There are few things I love more than a thriller—mystery! Intrigue!—and this one is literary, which makes it even more fun. A literary forger is presumed dead, only to rise from the grave and ensnare his nemesis’s daughter in his scheme. He blackmails her and teaches her the ropes. Eventually, she begins writing letters in Mary Shelley's style, peppered with clues to trigger the forger’s demise.

Going Home by Tom Lamont

I’m a Big Daddy fan—I cry every time I watch—so this novel, about three men who become fathers to a toddler after an unimaginable loss, is right up my alley.

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okafor

This novel is about an author who, after a slew of career disappointments, decides to do something unusual and write something entirely for herself. The resulting book is a war of the machines-style epic, where AI and androids battle for supremacy. It catapults her into the spotlight, threatening to distort its message altogether. It’s being comped to Yellowface and Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, so do with that what you will.

This Love by Lotte Jeffs

I love a book about love and friendship, so I’m excited for This Love, a novel about two queer friends who vow to have a kid together one day and, in the intervening years, chase their dreams, falling apart only to come back together. Another bonus: my editor, Ezra, acquired this one, so I’m betting it’s good.

Vantage Point by Sara Silgar

A Kennedy-esque family from a small town in Maine is shaken up after Teddy's brother decides to run for Senate. This sparks a series of unfortunate events, including the release of a potentially deepfaked video of his sister Clara, which convinces them that the curse is repeating itself.

The Containment: Detroit, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North by Michelle Adams

This book offers some context to the 1974 Supreme Court decision in Milliken v. Bradley, a case that halted the desegregation of schools across the northern states. The ruling continues to reverberate, overturning the decision of federal judge Stephen Roth. At the center of this story is 1970s-era Detroit, a time marked by riots, the Black Power movement, and white flight. I’ll be interested to draw some parallels between now and then.

January 21

Something Rotten by Andrew Lipstein

In Something Rotten, a couple flees New York for Denmark and spends the summer in Denmark. There, the wife, Cecilie, connects with old friends, including her ex-lover, who is diagnosed with a rare and terminal illness. Her husband struggles to integrate into the Danish way of life and simultaneously finds himself enamored with new modes of masculinity. I’ve read this, so more on it soon, but the jacket copy does a decent job of summing it all up.

Dark Laboratory by Tao Leigh Gofde

Climate catastrophe and racism are intimately linked, a truth skillfully laid out in Dark Laboratory. It uses a mix of family history, reporting, and social studies to chart the West’s relationship to the Caribbean and the ways exploitation has shaped its history. Thankfully, Gofde offers hope and solutions, an alternative to an otherwise dystopian path.

Burning Grass by Cyprian Ekwensi

A tiny book, novella length, this is about a nomadic chief cursed by a rival with wanderer’s disease. This takes him further than the boundaries of his tribe, and leads to a great adventure.

The Wickedest by Caleb Femi

Femi, whose first book, Poor made him a poet to watch, is back with The Wickedest. In his latest book, he uses nightlife as a doorway to explore themes of race and class, harnessing the “sweaty, cinematic” energy of the longest-running house party in South London.

January 28

Black in Blues by Imani Perry

In Imani Perry's latest, she explores the role of blue in Black culture, moving seamlessly from the dyed indigo cloths of West Africa to Louis Armstrong to her own experiences with the hue. Everyone I know that's read this is a fan, which I think is a good sign.

FEBRUARY

Reissues of a 1983 Ethiopian classic and Claude McKay’s most popular book and a marriage of convenience.

Feb 04

Oromay by Baalu Girma
Originally published in 1983, Oromay is being translated into English for the first time. It opens with a journalist from the state-run media on assignment in Asmara. His job is to push propaganda for the Red Star campaign, a government effort to end Eritrean insurgence. There, he falls in love with a local woman and questions everything he’s signed up to do. Feels timely!

Mutual Interest by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith

Set at the turn of the 20th century, this novel follows a lavender couple who build a beauty empire. I’ve been reading this slowly and loving the writing. Olivia has such a sharp voice and the novel reads as deeply researched, which also means it’s confident and self-assured. I’m looking forward to picking it back up.

Home to Harlem by Claude McKay

Claude McKay’s most popular book is now a Penguin classic. It’s set at the height of the Harlem Renaissance and told from the perspective of two men: an educated Haitian immigrant and a Black longshoreman from the South who deserts his post in the army. The book explores the multifacetedness of Blackness, both native-born and immigrant, a tension I rarely read about and am excited to explore.

Gliff by Ali Smith

The jacket information on this is sparse, which I take as a sign of the book’s strength. I have a theory that the more famous and talented a writer is, the less they have to explain. This one is about an uncertain near future where boundaries are drawn and redrawn, and it explores how and why we want to make a mark on the world.

Labor’s Partisans by Nelson Lichtenstein and Samir Sonti

As the daughter of a labor union economist, I'm always willing to learn more about this country's labor movement, especially when organized labor is under attack. But back in 1954, the labor movement was at its height, leading to the founding of Dissent magazine, a progressive pro-union publication. Labor's Partisans offers a valuable history and a treasure trove of ideas for how we move forward.

Lion by Sonya Walger

Lion is about a charismatic father and his daughter, who is dragged through his various life phases from polo player to racecar diver to ex-con. The narrative toggles between the narrator’s childhood and present-day when, as a mother, she reconsiders her peripatetic childhood.

Feb 11

Casualties of Truth by Lauren Francis-Sharma

In Casualties of Truth, a chance meeting with a man from Prudence Wright’s past catapults her back to 1996, when she was a law student in South Africa. While there, she spent lots of time at the Truth and Reconciliation hearings—a restorative justice body implemented after the end of apartheid—an experience that shaped her sense of justice. Now, she learns of his real reason for returning, pushing her to rethink her values.

Beta Vulgaris by Margie Sarsfield

I love a speculative novel, so I’m compelled by this book about a couple that sets out for Minnesota to work on a farm in an attempt to cover their Brooklyn rent. But the beets might be sentient—she’s hearing voices from the beet pile—and people start disappearing, leaving our main character, Elise, to confront her past and present.

The Watermark by Sam Mills

In The Watermark, Rachel and Jaime are imprisoned in the work-in-progress novel of a lauded, reclusive author. They move between Victorian Oxford, Manchester, and an AI-dominated near future, the environments shifting their relationship over and over again.

Original Sins by Eve L. Ewing

I recently spoke to someone who said they love books about the system “working exactly as it should,” which feels like an encapsulation of Eve L. Ewing’s latest. In Original Sins, she outlines how schools are designed to further notions of white intellectual superiority and enshrine racial hierarchy. Ewing compellingly argues that these dynamics persist today, and given her track record, I’m inclined to hear her out.

Feb 13

The Two Princes of Mpfumo by Lindsay O’Neill

This is the story of two princes from Mpfumo (modern-day Mozambique) who were supposed to travel to India but were instead sold into slavery in Jamaica. They were able to convince a lawyer to purchase them, free them, and take them to London. Unfortunately, a hurricane killed the lawyer on the way to England, but the princes make it, hoping to go from England back home to Africa. Through their story, we have an interesting account of the slave trade, exploring the tangled web of global trade.

Feb 25

All Our Tomorrows by Amy DeBellis

In a late capitalist landscape, three women in New York—too young to remember life before the iPhone 4—attempt to navigate an increasingly depressing and nihilistic future. Despite this there are glimmers of hope, the novel highlighting the small decisions that keep them from falling apart.

True Failure by Alex Higley

In True Failure, Ben has lost his job but won’t tell his wife Tara. Instead, he spends his days auditioning for a Shark Tank-like reality TV show to pitch his big business idea. Meanwhile, Tara is lying about what her daycare students do all day, and the reality TV show producer is lying about her job. It’s another late capitalist story but with a (believable) absurdist twist.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad

Writer Omar El Akkad braids together the stories of the War on Terror, Ferguson, climate change, Black Lives Matter, and Gaza—his overarching thesis is that there will always be entire groups of people who aren’t treated as human. I spoke to someone about this book recently, and they said, “This feels like what Ta-Nehisi was trying to do,” which feels like an endorsement and a read all at once.

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis

Dr. Nussaibah Younis, an expert on contemporary Iraq, brings her expertise to Fundamentally, a novel about an academic who leads a deradicalization program from ISIS-affiliated brides in refugee camps. While at the camp, she meets Sara, another Londoner, who she singles out as someone she wants to get home. It’s darkly humorous and I’m curious to see where it goes.

The Boyhood of Cain by Michael Amherst

The Boyhood of Cain is about a young, misunderstood boy named Daniel who makes friends with the new boy in school. They fall under the sway of a charismatic art teacher who threatens to set their lives on a perilous path.

Death Takes Me by Cristina Rivera Garza

In Death Takes Me, a professor and detective attempt to solve gender-based violent crimes—though in a twist on the typical narrative, the violence is toward men. I have this one in the queue to read with C, so I’ll report back after I finish.

Boy by Nicole Galland

Set in Elizabethan London, Boy follows Alexander Cooke, an actor lauded for his portrayal of female Shakespearean characters, and his best friend Joan, who has a passion for learning despite her limited opportunities as a woman. The pair catches the attention of philosopher Francis Bacon, which changes the course of their life.

MARCH

In March, a writer gives up her career and decides to marry rich, a man wakes up from a coma, and Bob the Drag Queen releases his debut novel.

March 04

Guatemalan Rhapsody by Jared Lemus

Guatemalan Rhapsody is a taxonomy of modern Guatemala, highlighting a cast of characters in a defining moment of their lives. In one story, four orphaned brothers pretend to be construction workers and then rob anyone who hits the brakes. In another, a character is swept up in a film production until the place’s politics flip on its head. It’s a kaleidoscopic book with sharp writing and feels like the kind of thing you can read a little bit at a time.

See Friendship by Jeremy Gordon

In See Friendship, a culture writer faced with the decline of legacy media decides to start a podcast (real). He focuses on the mysterious and tragic death of his high school best friend and digs into the underlying story. This leads him back to Chicago, where he’s forced to confront his past. It promises to be “funny and poignant”—we’ll see!

The Tokyo Suite by Giovana Madalosso

In her English debut, Brazilian writer Giovana Madalosso tells the story of Maju and Cora, a nanny, and her charge. In the opening scene, Maju abducts Cora, which sets off a series of events. I liked Expats, which came out last year, and The Tokyo Suite seems to exist in the same thematic sphere.

I Leave It Up To You by Jinwoo Chong

After two years in a coma, Jack Jr. emerges from his slumber disoriented. His partner has left him, and his job is gone. He’s forced to return to his New Jersey hometown, where he hasn’t been in 10 years. His parents act like he never left, and he reintegrates into his former life, working in the sushi shop he was set to inherit and fighting with his family. A hallmark of change is engaging with an old place with a new perspective, so I’m excited to dive in.

Universality by Natasha Brown

One night, during an illegal rave, a man is bludgeoned to death with a gold bar. A journalist sets out to solve the murder, finding connections between a banker landlord, a newspaper columnist, and a radical anarchist movement living on a farm. I can’t wait to (hopefully) see this on Apple TV in 18 months.

March 11

Liquid: A Love Story by Mariam Rahmani

A woman decides to give up her academic career and marry rich, which leads to a goal of 100 dates with the hope of getting a marriage proposal. What ensues is a hot girl summer with a slew of suitors, and then suddenly, she’s called home to Tehran and forced to reassess her life choices. I picked this one up during my last trip and can’t wait to dig in. We’re also agent siblings, so that's all the more reason to read.

Counterattacks at Thirty by Won-Pyung Sohn

Counterattacks at Thirty is being billed as The Devil Wears Prada meets The Office, but based on the synopsis, there's some Severance vibes in there, too. A woman who works at an elusive company called The Academy is increasingly irritated at her job. Over time, she recruits other disgruntled coworkers, and they band together to stage small acts of disobedience at work. I’m sold!

March 18

Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa

A woman with a congenital muscle disorder spends her days in a care home, hooked up to a ventilator. While she has physical limitations, she has a rich digital life. She takes online courses, publishes x-rated fanfiction, and trolls people on Twitter. Apparently, it’s very funny, and it’s such a slim book (I peeped it during a recent trip to McNally Jackson) that someone could easily read it in one sitting. Martha—of Martha’s Monthly (one of my favorite books newsletters)—interviewed the author for Books + Bits, which is also worth the read.

Soft Burial by Fang Fang

When Soft Burial came out in China in 2016, it was so controversial it was taken off the shelves. It opens with a nameless protagonist who is pulled out of a river on the brink of death. She has total amnesia, so the story primarily focuses on the life she builds as she heals. Eventually, her life comes back in small snatches, revealing an unspeakable trauma.

O Sinners! By Nicole Cuffy

Nicole Cuffy’s first novel, Dances, is about a superstar ballerina consumed with finding her missing brother. O Sinners!, her latest, a guy who recently lost his father, takes a journalism assignment that brings him to the heart of a cult living in California. There are some similar themes happening across the two works—a journey, investigating a father-child relationship, grief—so I’ll be interested to see how Cuffy’s thematic interest guides the novel.

Early Thirties by Josh Duboff

I love a friend novel, so Josh Duboff’s debut ticks all the boxes. It follows best friends Victor and Zoey who have seen each other through every life stage. It’s also ticking all the pre-pub boxes, with a cool book club nod (Library Science picked it as their 55th read), a book party (increasingly common!) and celebrity co-signs. I bought this one recently, so will eventually report back.

Capital’s Grave by Jodi Dean

Jodi Dean argues that we’re not living in the fall of capitalism but rather a transition into neofedualism (plausible) a system categorized by the many serving the few and declining ownership of assets. Her solution: the servant vanguard, a newly-identified class of service industry workers that she argues is at the forefront of liberation.

March 25

The Colony by Annika Norlin

Already a bestselling book in Sweden, The Colony follows a burnt-out woman who escapes the city and runs into a mysterious group of misfits led by a charismatic leader named Sara. There are lots of questions, like who are these people? And how did they all end up here? And what will happen to the woman who wanders into the woods? I want to know.

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen

This is my most anticipated book of the season. Bob the Drag Queen—of Ru Paul’s Drag Race fame—has written an absurdist novel about Harriet Tubman, who wants to create a hip-hop album about her life and calls on Darnell, a gay producer, to help. It sounds insane but I’m all in, and can’t wait to read it.

Cults Like Us by Jane Borden

Journalist Jane Borden argues that America is the biggest cult of all, which, fair. To do this, she argues that Puritan doomsday beliefs are at the core of the American project, shaping everything from our cultural obsession with influencers to our susceptibility to falling for con men. Sounds interesting!