A FAMILY TREE OF LOVE: evocative, poetic novel traces a pair of lovers’ families up to the moment they find each other. Vivid, unforgettable characters. B PLUS

MONSTER IN THE MIDDLE
Riverhead Books
2021

A PASSIONATE, SOMETIMES WRY novel about a woman’s search for the father she never knew and his homeland is both a powerful story about family and an unflinching object lesson on the long poison of colonialism. A MINUS

SANKOFA
Catapult
2021

SECRET MILITARY EXPERIMENTS give an orphaned, injured teen extraordinary powers, but put her life in jeopardy. High-tech thriller creates a tense web drawn from headlines and conspiracy theories alike. SOLID B

PROJECT EVELYN (STRANGER IN THE CLOUD BOOK 1)
BookBaby
2021

WHY SCIENCE WORKS: an audacious examination of the rise of modern science characterizes it as a “knowledge machine” driven by an exclusive reliance on empirical observation. Fascinating and engagingly written. A MINUS

THE KNOWLEDGE MACHINE
Liveright
2020

BEWITCHING BALLET GOTHIC delves deep into two dancer sisters’ lives, and the lingering bonds and conflicts from their childhood. Nobody does women on the edge like Megan Abbott! B PLUS

THE TURNOUT
G.P. Putnam's Sons
2021

STYLISH, SHARP MYSTERY set in the world of multi-level marketing offers a relatable amateur sleuth and a clever critique of the deceptive lures of “direct sales” organizations. B PLUS

THE DOWNLINE
Independently published
2021

WHEN HUMANS AND NATURE CLASH: Mary Roach’s latest is an entertaining look at wildlife law enforcement, from leopard hunting in the Himalayas to bear patrols in Aspen, Colorado. B PLUS

FUZZ
W. W. Norton & Company
2021

A SPACESHIP’S PSYCHOLOGIST DISCOVERS mysterious dreams among its human crew, and disturbing changes to its android staff as well. Taut science-fiction thriller set on an enigmatic ice planet captures the imagination. B PLUS

WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE
DAW
2021

A NEAR-FUTURE ALIEN INVASION threatens all of humanity. Tense thriller mixes science fiction and prepper apocalypse for a high-energy page turner. B PLUS

ARRIVAL (THE KYRON INVASION BOOK 1)
Anthem Press
2021

A WOMAN NAVIGATES MIDLIFE, menopause, political alienation, her mother’s aging and her daughter’s growing up. Cleverly observed comedy of manners takes on white liberal culture and its discontents. B PLUS

WAYWARD
Knopf
2021