Freeman Smith's Nasparnival™ is a masterful look at the absurdities and contradictions in modern American culture, set in the fictional town of The Omega. The novel is a whirlwind of satire, chaos, and dark humor, offering a critique of societal dynamics, political corruption, and the...

Nicholas’s Story by Peter K. Young is a literary novel that follows Nicholas Carter from a Chicago childhood and his mother’s overdose into a group home and a car theft crew that ends in arrest and three years in juvenile custody. Months in solitary confinement...

Nine Rooms in the House by Dave Ellis begins with John, who moves through silent farmland, keeping animals alive and retracing the path that led from crowded towns to empty fields. His account settles on memories that still press against his present, and those memories...

Mate: A Novel in Twenty Games by Robert Castle provides a unique perspective on marriage through the metaphor of chess. The author takes a creative approach, connecting the strategic moves of chess to the intricate dynamics of a marital relationship. The story is conveyed through...

Song of Belonging by Michelle St. Romain is a mesmerizing novel with two timelines: 2019 and 1934. Alice has just moved into a new apartment in North Berkeley, and peculiar things start happening. First, she stumbles upon her great-grandmother's jewelry box, which she received as a child, and then finds a note at the bottom....

Hearts and Bones by Lawrence D. Bub follows Maya over about a decade of her life. It alternates between her college years in the 1980s and her third year of medical school in the 1990s. During her freshman year, she crosses paths with Peter, a...

In Nothing North of Delmar by Ellen Barker, Novelle and her sister were raised mostly by their mother, as their father was rarely present. Novelle is hardworking and excels at academics. After college, she leaves for graduate studies at Washington University. When she arrives in...

Vanilla Hour by Neer Ya follows Nandini and Anoop, two former college lovers whose lives drift apart but keep crossing over the years. The story begins with Nandini as a young mother in Delhi, struggling with postpartum psychosis, past trauma, and the pressure of raising...

Star of the County Down by Doc Richter is set in post-COVID times. It follows Sam Miller, a Marine Corps veteran, who returns home from service only to find out that his wife has left him, emptying their bank accounts, leaving no contact, and taking...

Tokyo Tangents by Robin S. Hasuki is an inventive and unusually structured novel that threads together small, carefully drawn character moments into a larger, unexpected narrative. Framed through short, interconnected chapters, the book paints Tokyo as both familiar and strange, a place where routine hides...