RICH, VIVIDLY DRAWN novel captures the mood and spirit of a tightly knit Black community in 1970. Stunning. A MINUS

ONLY THE STRONG
Agate Press
2015

A DEADLY CONSPIRACY THREATENS 1848 New York City in this richly detailed, breathtaking historical thriller. A MINUS

THE FATAL FLAME (TIMOTHY WILDE SERIES #3)
Penguin Publishing Group
2015

THE STRANGER-THAN-FICTION STORY of how three 20-something stoners became caught up in arms dealing. Chutzpah! B PLUS

ARMS AND THE DUDES : HOW THREE STONERS FROM MIAMI BEACH BECAME THE MOST UNLIKELY GUNRUNNERS IN HISTORY
Simon & Schuster
2015

INDIANAPOLIS GOTHIC CAPTURES some key elements of the genre in a twentieth-century setting, despite missteps. B MINUS

ELIZABETH GREEN
None
2015

KIM GORDON’S MEMOIR is like her music and her art: raw and fearless, yet thoughtful and questioning. Yeah. A MINUS

GIRL IN A BAND
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS
2015

QUIETLY BEAUTIFUL PROSE tells the story of an extraordinary woman leading a relentlessly ordinary life. A MINUS

ACADEMY STREET
Farrar
2015

AN ACTION-PACKED SPACE ADVENTURE finds two US astronauts making first contact with aliens. Rich in detail! SOLID B

WORMHOLE MOON: AN ALIEN CIVILIZATION’S ALLIANCE WITH EARTH
Flask Of Oil LLC
2015

A RISE IN “BODY ANXIETY” over the past few decades, and how it does and doesn’t tie in to health. Thoughtful. SOLID B

BODY OF TRUTH : HOW SCIENCE, HISTORY, AND CULTURE DRIVE OUR OBSESSION WITH WEIGHT–AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT
Da Capo Lifelong Books
2015

CLEVER POSTMODERN NOIR, both a witty homage to the detective canon and a fascinating mystery in its own right. B PLUS

AN EXAGGERATED MURDER
Melville House Publishing
2015

THOROUGHLY ENTERTAINING SPOOF of the “evil genius” villains of spy movies. Sharply written, lots of fun. B PLUS

GLOBAL DOMINATION FOR BEGINNERS
None
2015