In his sophomore novel, Wandering Stars, Tommy Orange grapples with cultural inheritance and identity. The novel begins with the 1864 Sand Creek massacre—and traces the descendants of one of the survivors, Jude Star, through generations reaching the present moment. After the massacre, Jude and his children are forced to attend colonial schools, in which white… Continue reading Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Most people are familiar with the concept of searching for life’s purpose, but Kaveh Akbar’s narrator, Cyrus Shams, is more concerned with searching for his death’s purpose. Cyrus is a twenty-something Iranian American, living in Indiana, drifting around a college town while searching for a reason to live. Cyrus is a recovering addict, he spent… Continue reading Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Beautyland by Marie Helene Bertino
In Marie-Helene Bertino’s most recent novel, Beautyland, an extraterrestrial girl is born to a single mother in a working class neighborhood of Philadelphia with one mission—to report on human life to her superiors and save their planet. Adina grows up much like any other human girl: forming friendships, going to school, fighting with her mom—but… Continue reading Beautyland by Marie Helene Bertino
Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao Author Interview
This month I got the chance to chat with author Kyla Zhao about her new book, Valley Verified! I hope you enjoy our conversation, I found Kyla’s thoughts on the intersections of art and tech to be absolutely fascinating, and love the insight into her writing process. I hope you enjoy! About Valley Verified: Imagine… Continue reading Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao Author Interview
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Many reviews for Paul Murray’s 600 page epic The Bee Sting have compared the complex and thoughtful portrait of a family on the brink of ruin to a Jonathan Franzen novel set in the Irish countryside rather than middle America. The comparison is apt, throughout the novel Murray takes on the voice of each member… Continue reading The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Rouge by Mona Awad
Mona Awad’s latest novel, Rouge, is a sort of Mommie Dearest for the beauty-obsessed age. The novel begins with Belle, a shopgirl in Toronto who’s called home to Southern California when her glamorous but complex mother dies after falling into the Pacific Ocean in a strange accident. Belle learns a lot about her mother in… Continue reading Rouge by Mona Awad
Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri
Jhumpa Lahiri has been one of the most celebrated writers in the English language since her 1999 debut, Interpreter of Maladies. After moving to Italy in 2012 she’s continued to write fresh and inventive fiction in Italian as well. Roman Stories is a collection of short fiction that was originally published in Italian and translated… Continue reading Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
Lauren Groff’s latest novel, The Vaster Wilds, is an adventure/quest story that only Groff could write. The novel follows a young nameless girl, born in England and left at a poorhouse, who was brought on as a servant to a wealthy mistress in a great house. Our protagonist eventually embarks on the grueling journey to… Continue reading The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer
Separating the art from the artist is an age old debate, one that has been reignited in recent years after the tidal wave of MeToo revelations that many public figures and artists have used their public profile to victimize with impunity. Even artists whose disturbing misdeeds were known to the public for many years (Michael… Continue reading Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
In her latest novel Yellowface, her first foray outside of the fantasy world, R.F. Kuang has penned a meta-critique of the publishing world and its fetishistic interest in diversity. The novel is narrated by June Hayward, a 20-something writer whose career is floundering after the lackluster performance of her debut novel, whose embittered by seeing… Continue reading Yellowface by R.F. Kuang