This list is for the books that require a deep dive and some robust conversation. When you and your book club are selecting your picks for the upcoming year, consider these literary marvels!
The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James (1/23)
With a combination of magical realism and hard-hitting cultural conversation, The Bullet Swallower packs a punch. Antonio Sonoro is a hard man living in 1895. He’s reached the end of his rope and attempts a dangerous heist. When his brother Hugo is killed by Texas Rangers, he is set on a path of vengeance that will cost him his current life, and possible, his soul. Jaime Sonoro is a renowned Mexican actor in 1964, A descendant of Antonio, he discovers his generational history of violence has made him a target. Dealing with issues of race, colonialism and ancestral trauma, this Mexico-set epic will give readers much to discuss.
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The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez (3/5)
Set against the backdrop of the construction of the Panama Canal, The Great Divide tells the story of three people amidst the momentous time in history. Omar works as a digger for the excavation, despite his fathers disapproval of the the foreign endeavor. Ada, a teenage stowaway from Barbados who rushes to Omar’s aid when he collapses. And John, a scientist hoping to eliminate malaria who hires Ada to care for his wife when she falls ill. The three stories set up an epic tale about the rich array of people surrounding one of the most historic human endeavors.
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Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez (3/5)
Told in dual timelines, this novel from New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez, tells the story of Anita and Raquel. Anita was a rising artist in 1985 until she is found dead in New York City. It’s the talk of the town until it isn’t. Then, in 1998, Raquel is an art history student surrounded by privilege including her romantic interest. As she ascends the social ranks she discovers Anita’s story and the striking similarities to her own. As Raquel straddles two worlds, we get flashbacks through Anita’s eyes in a story that explores love, art and a persons ability to make an historical impact.
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James by Percival Everett (3/19)
In this retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Pulitzer Prize finalist Percival Everett lays out the story from the point of view of the enslaved Jim. When Jim discovers he’s about to be sold he decides to hide. Here he meets Huck Finn and thus the adventure begins. Giving the often secondary character agency, Everett shows the heart and mind of the unsung hero in a humorous and observational reimagining of one of America’s leading classics.
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Village Weavers by Myriam J.A. Chancy (4/2)
Gertie and Sisi were childhood best friends, despite being at opposite ends of the social and economic ladder. When a deathbed secret tears them apart, a decades-long story unfolds as they both leave behind their life in Port-au-Prince. As they slowly learn the truth of their past, coming together and falling apart, both women will traverse the realities of class, race and nationality as they reconcile the past.
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The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez (4/2)
Alma Cruz is a writer who doesn’t want to end up like her friend who nearly lost her sanity attempting to craft a novel. So when she inherits land in her native homeland, the Dominican Republic, she decides to literally bury the unused pieces of her drafts in order to lay them to rest. But burying ideas isn’t as easy as burying people. The narratives and characters begin to take on a shape of their own as they defy their author in this story about stories.
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Daughter of a Promise by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg (4/2)
Betsabé Ruiz has taken her first job on Wall Street, the current plan as she saves money in order to live out her dream of becoming a theatre actress. She didn’t expected just how all-consuming the job would be and the forced intimacy that would come from long hours in closed quarters. When she finds friendship and also an unexpected attraction to her boss, her world becomes more complicated. Told in letters to her unborn son, Betsabé story is a modern retelling gof of the legend of Bathsheba and David.
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Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie (4/16)
Thirty years after fatwa was ordered against him, Salman Rushdie reflects on the events of August 12, 2022. Explaining in detail what happened and considering the power of art and words to confront unthinkable violence, the Booker Prize winner reflects on art, love, life and loss. In an extraordinary and affirming deep-dive, he demonstrates the strength to move forward.
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All Fours by Miranda July (5/14)
New York Times bestselling author Miranda July returns with another wry, unexpected take on everyday life. When a semi-famous artist hits the road for a cross-country trip from Los Angeles to New York, thirty-minutes is all it takes for things to turn in an uncharted direction. A half hour after leaving her husband and child she pulls into a motel and throws herself into a total reinvention. In a sexy story about love and a woman’s search for freedom, Miranda July upends expectations in every way.
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California Dreaming by Noa Silver (5/21)
Elena comes from two generations of teachers, so when she relocates to the Bay Area for a placement as an English teacher, it feels like she’s on the path she was meant to follow. Eager to teach poetry and literature to her underprivileged students, she soon becomes disillusioned when she fails to inspire her students. Switching to an education tech startup, she pursues her career during the upheaval of Occupy, #MeToo and the 2016 election as she attempts to come to terms with who she was meant to be and who she actually is.
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Bear by Julia Phillips (6/25)
Sam and Elena are sisters who dream of escaping their life on an island off the coast of Washington. Serving wealthy visitors, they don’t even make enough to get by, let alone get out. When Sam spots a bear swimming the channel and then it turns up by their home, the unexpected visitor sets them on an unlikely path. Sam, terrified, believes it’s a sign to flee. Elena, however, is enchanted by the beast. Exploring themes of sisterhood, the mysteries of animals and the beasts that lurk in us all, this book is a daring tale of myth and bonds.
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