In the Light of the Garden, Heather Burch, Lake Union Publishing – Heather Burch stretches the limits of reality in her novel, “In the Light of the Garden,” but still manages to deliver a revitalizing read by adding a little magic and family dynamics.
Livia Lone, Barry Eisler, Thomas and Mercer – In his crime novel titled after the protagonist, “Livia Lone,” Barry Eisler spins a disconcerting plot around people involved in human trafficking and its victims.
Romeo and/or Juliet: A chooseable-path Adventure, Ryan North, Riverhead Books – At first I found Ryan North’s interactive game using Shakespeare’s love story, Romeo and Juliet, a hilarious idea.
Everything I Don’t Remember, Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Atria Books – Award-winning Swedish author Jonas Hassen Khemiri’s novel, “Everything I Don’t Remember,” might be re-titled “a book I don’t want to remember.”
Voices in the Night, Steven Millhauser, Vintage Books – Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser’s collection of disquieting short stories, “Voices in the Night,” are outlandish tales laced with jarring twists, reminiscent of the old “Twilight Zone” television series.
Shakespeare in America, James Shapiro Editor, Library of America – Willa Cather wrote in 1894 that William Shakespeare “belongs” to two nations, America and England, a theme that resonates through “Shakespeare in America,” an anthology that traces Shakespeare and his influences in the United States from 1776 to the present.
The Practical Navigator, Stephen Metcalfe, St. Martins Press – Stephen Metcalfe’s flawlessly crafted novel, “The Practical Navigator,” takes the reader through an emotional, but heartwarming, account of a single parent raising an autistic child.
The Fall of Moscow Station, Mark Henshaw, Touchstone – Mark Henshaw’s experience as a Central Intelligence Agency analyst and member of the CIA’s “Red Cell” think tank offers up informed insight into the inner workings of the spy game between the United States and Russia in his novel, “The Fall of Moscow Station.”
Vonnegut Novels 1987 – 1997, Sidney Offit Editor, Library of America – Kurt Vonnegut’s final three novels, written in the late 1980s and early 1990s and released in a single volume by the Library of America, feature his bold futurist and darkly pessimistic views laced with blunt humor.
Happy People Read and Drink Coffee, Agnés Martin-Lugand, Weinstein Books 2016 Translation — The French novel, “Happy People Read and Drink Coffee,” by Agnés Martin-Lugand, chronicles Diane’s life-journey from extreme suffering after her husband Colin and daughter Clara were killed when a truck crashed into their car, to survival.
