BookBrowse Editorial Review
Porcupines: A Novel
by Fran Fabriczki
(5/20/2026)
In the timeline set in 2001, where Mila convinces Sonia to chaperone her fifth-grade orchestra, she is inspired by the movies Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally. The other timeline takes us back into Sonia's experiences as the daughter of a Hungarian diplomat, showing how her life in America began as she traveled from Hungary at eighteen to visit her older sister, Rina, in Los Angeles. And as the story evolves, we see how Mila's plan forces Sonia to confront the two aspe
BookBrowse Editorial Review
I Am Agatha: A Novel
by Nancy Foley
(4/8/2026)
In her author's note, Foley explains that the novel is loosely inspired by a period in the life of Agnes Martin, a well-known abstract painter who, in 1967, stopped painting and moved from New York City to live a hermit's life in New Mexico. Although her friendship with painter Georgia O'Keeffe and her artistic ambition are mentioned, the story mostly uses the setup of Martin's life to craft a new narrative, focusing mainly on Agatha's relationship with Alice in New Mexico. Agatha is like an oni
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Discipline: A Novel
by Larissa Pham
(2/11/2026)
In Larissa Pham's debut novel, Discipline, we are introduced to Christine, who is at the airport in Chicago, about to embark on a tour promoting her first book. The novel, published by a small press, is a revenge fantasy based on an affair with her former painting professor and mentor, Richard, from ten years earlier, an affair that ended badly and caused her to abandon her painting career. The email shatters her illusion of closure, and she becomes consumed with what he thinks of her boo
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Palaver: A Novel
by Bryan Washington
(1/14/2026)
Palaver offers an immersive view of Tokyo while delving into the theme of parental and child estrangement. It examines how to rediscover someone you once knew, how memory can hinder reconciliation, how new environments can open doors to forgiveness, belonging, and reinvention, and what it means to love the family you're born into and the family you choose. Narrated in third person, the story follows "the mother" and "the son," who remain unnamed, creating a sense of distance while balanci
BookBrowse Editorial Review
A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews
(10/22/2025)
Miriam Toews, author of seven novels including the international bestsellers Women Talking and All My Puny Sorrows, has written directly about her life for the first time in her memoir A Truce That Is Not Peace. The book is Toews' attempt to answer the question, "Why Do I Write?" As a conceit, she invents a fictional event in Mexico City, where writers from around the world are asked to present stories or essays on a committee-chosen topic: why they write. Each section begin
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Dominion: A Novel
by Addie E. Citchens
(9/24/2025)
Dominion is a family drama mainly focused on how Sabre and Manny's actions influence the lives of those around them, especially women. Switching perspectives between Priscilla and Diamond offers a nuanced view that emphasizes the book's core issues. A significant part of the novel, which begins chapters with sermon notes, explores how the church affects the community and how religion plays a major role in Southern American culture. Citchens illustrates the rules, dynamics, and norms that
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Where Are You Really From: Stories
by Elaine Hsieh Chou
(8/27/2025)
Where Are You Really From covers the messiness of desire and the search for identity, companionship, and family—along with the stories we tell ourselves. Chou's narratives stand out due to her remarkable creativity. She weaves in deceptive situations not just for her characters but also for the reader, prompting us to think deeply about what's real and what's imagined. This makes the stories both engaging and unpredictable, leaving you eager to turn page after page to see where they
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Archive of Unknown Universes: A Novel
by Ruben Reyes Jr.
(7/30/2025)
What-ifs are common reflections, but in reality, we never truly see the different possible paths our lives could take. The role of the Defractor, both embraced and challenged by the characters, echoes sentiments about modern technology that are relevant in our world: "At best, it'd be a waste of time and money. At worst, society would suffer, seeking salvation in another distraction from the Anthropocene's failures." It also allows for exploration of questions both personal to the characters and
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Slip: A Novel
by Lucas Schaefer
(6/18/2025)
Terry Tucker's Boxing Gym acts as the central link among the characters and their storylines. The gym draws a diverse array of individuals, including academics, police officers, amateur boxers, high school students, housewives, and trainers, all seeking transformation in the fitting setting of Austin—a city known for its constant evolution. One of my favorite aspects of Schaefer's book is watching how every character's storyline interweaves with the others. This keeps you on your toes, mak
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Are You Happy?: Stories
by Lori Ostlund
(5/21/2025)
Several stories center around family, highlighting complicated dynamics and dysfunction, including "The Gap Year," "Aaron Englund and the Great Great," "Just Another Family," and "Are You Happy?" Some are stronger than others in evoking emotion. "The Gap Year," unique in its exploration of tragedy and loss, showcases how valuable and essential a loving and understanding partnership is, as it can carry you through unimaginable heartbreak. "Clear as Cake" and "The Stalker" give insight into the so
BookBrowse Editorial Review
A Gorgeous Excitement: A Novel
by Cynthia Weiner
(3/12/2025)
Cynthia Weiner successfully transports us to New York City at the time. It seems as if we are living life alongside Nina, watching her navigate feeling like an outsider due to her sexual inexperience, hiding her mom's mental health struggles and her Jewish identity in a predominantly WASP social circle. She senses everyone has figured out belonging and adulthood except for her, and her insecurity and anxieties plague her. Nina is a likable and compelling character for whom you can't help but fee
BookBrowse Editorial Review
We Do Not Part: A Novel
by Han Kang
(2/12/2025)
The prose is a blend of poetic and straightforward, offering appeal to a wide range of readers, but what keeps the story moving forward is the unmasking of realities behind the Jeju uprising. The first part primarily focuses on Kyungha's travels, while the second dives deep into the massacre, and the third attempts to provide some closure as we reckon with what we've learned. Kang doesn't shy away from the painful details of history but still creates a tone that doesn't feel too depressing. This
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Rest of You by Maame Blue
(11/6/2024)
The Rest of You spans three decades. We follow Whitney in present-day London, and her aunts Gloria and Aretha along with their house help, Maame Serwaa, in 1995 Kumasi, Ghana, learning about the family's history of tragedy and grief. Aunt Gloria has filled the role of Whitney's sole guardian since both her parents died. Gloria's youngest sister Tina died giving birth to Whitney, and Gloria has told Whitney that her father died from an unknown illness. But we learn through the POVs of Glor
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Long Island Compromise: A Novel
by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
(8/21/2024)
The themes of wealth and trauma, along with the characters' Jewish identity, are central to this story. The narrator states, "The ghosts of a family's troubled past will play out riotously in the soul and on the body of each member of that family in a myriad of ways." Wealth can protect, but it can also be a hindrance, as we see with the Fletcher family. While their wealth secured Carl's return, it was also the reason he was a target. The adult children each display a laid-back approach to their
