Beetlebum by Christian Basso beautifully explores the complex relationship between Liam, a young law student from New York, and his late father, Francis. While Liam busily attempts to structure his life, he is also searching for a higher meaning behind his existence. Quite unexpectedly, he...

Bogie & Bemis by Bryn Roar is a middle-grade novel that artfully blends magical realism with heartfelt storytelling. Set across contrasting landscapes—Appalachian Maine and gritty New York City—the book tells the story of Humphrey “Bogie” Balsam, a towering, gentle young man emotionally frozen in childhood,...

Peter Briscoe’s novel Between Memory and Oblivion is a marvelous trip into the world of rare books, libraries’ special collections departments, and book-sellers and buyers. But more than a venture into this fascinating area, it is an argument for preserving rare books and books themselves....

Before We Arrived: Three Families. Seven Goats. One Spinning World by Jodie Pine is a work of literary fiction about three individuals, haunted by loss, who seek solace in unexpected places. Henry Carter, a Black landscape designer, is reeling from a family tragedy and finds...

Boy With Wings by Mark Mustian is a magical, highly imaginative tour de force featuring, as its title suggests, a boy whose unusual birthmark gradually turns into a set of functional wings as he approaches adulthood. As Johnny Cruel drifts through the Depression-Era deep South,...

Barstow Boy: A Love Story by Pete O'Brien is a compelling literary fiction novel that follows Danny Olmstead, a young man haunted by his father’s racist murder and surrounded by the influence of white supremacy. Despite his upbringing, Danny resists embracing racial hatred, but his...

Big Love and War Horse by Shallen Anne Chitwood is a deeply moving story set against the backdrop of the 1942 bombings off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Following the Deacon family during and after the Great Depression, the novel delves into their struggles...

Eight-year-old Billy Dee has to care for his mother, Teri Marie, who struggles with drug addiction. His father, Luther, is in jail somewhere in Georgia. Billy Dee lives in the small town of Mountain Home, Arkansas. His caring neighbor, Ella May, tries to support the...

Broken Landscape: The Trials of Ardis Korwitz by Roger Memmott is a haunting and intricately woven tale set in a poverty-stricken town in southern Utah, where the remnants of the Old West collide with the grim realities of the present. Memmott's narrative is a tale...

In Beautiful and Terrible Things by S.M. Stevens, early in the summer of 2018, Charley's mundane routine is disrupted by encounters with death and a mysterious stranger. Her morning jog is interrupted by the sight of a dead squirrel, triggering reflections on responsibility and mortality....