JOHN HODGMAN’S GOOFY-SUAVE charm bubbles over in this fine collection of essays on topics both silly and serious. B PLUS

MEDALLION STATUS
Viking
2019

FLORIDA MAN’S WILD RIDE from rags to riches and back again, bedeviled by gators, pythons, feral hogs, and cocaine dealers to boot. Fun, quirky novel. SOLID B

FLORIDA MAN
Wolfpack Publishing
2019

A FRACTURED FAMILY GATHERS for the death of its cruel, shady patriarch. Beautiful, vibrant prose, rich characterizations. A MINUS

ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS
Mariner Books
2019

THOUGHTFUL PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER finds an FBI profiler trying to clear her long-lost brother’s name. SOLID B

SAY YOU LOVE ME (EVA RAE THOMAS MYSTERY BOOK 4)
BUOY MEDIA
2019

EERIE, LYRICAL SCOTTISH novel updates the ancient tale of the selkie in some surprising ways. Lovely prose. B PLUS

SEALSKIN
Europa Editions
2019

COMPLEX, FUNNY FANTASY takes the “secret agents fighting monsters” trope in interesting directions. Lots of action and some great jokes! B PLUS

ENTER THE JANITOR (THE CLEANERS BOOK 1)
Story Strong Press
2019

FIERCE YOUNG WOMEN, a corrupt boarding school, and a teacher disaffected enough to be a catalyst for revolution. Thriller meets comedy of manners in this sharp, timely novel. B PLUS

THE SWALLOWS
Ballantine Books
2019

CRISP, FRESH, DISTINCTIVELY beautiful novel by Jacqueline Woodson breathes new life into the family saga. A MINUS

RED AT THE BONE
Riverhead Books
2019

AN INTERPLANETARY REBELLION shakes Earth’s far-future colonies. Vivid space intrigue with lots of action, strong characterization! B PLUS

THE LAST ERDANE
Louise E. Pascual
2019

ELEGANT, ENIGMATIC NOVEL, almost a prose poem, uses the idea of white as a focus for the story of a writer haunted by her family stories. Beautifully melancholy. B PLUS

THE WHITE BOOK
Hogarth
2019