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

DAZZLING SCOTTISH THRILLER with a touch of the classic Gothic shines most in its characterization and psychological suspense. B PLUS

MIRRORLAND
Scribner
2021

CYNICAL, SEXY, SATIRICAL novel set at an international writers’ festival skewers the pretensions of the literary community, but asks bigger questions about meaning and connection as well. B PLUS

MONA
Straus and Giroux
2021

THE NEAR IMPOSSIBILITY OF LOVE, dissected in this pitch-perfect tale of a gay Florida mom who finds it hard to connect with her son, and even harder to connect with herself. Rich in observation and gorgeous prose. B PLUS

WITH TEETH
Riverhead Books
2021

AN ENGLISH COZY WITH DRAGONS, and talking cats, and all sorts of paranormal foes and friends. But also with a marvelous troupe of older lady sleuths somewhere between Agatha Christie and Agatha Raisin. Charming and fun! B PLUS

COMING UP ROSES – A COZY MYSTERY (WITH DRAGONS): A BEAUFORT SCALES MYSTERY, BOOK 6
Kim M. Watt
2021

HILARIOUS AND HEARTBREAKING MEMOIR of a difficult childhood and a complicated family, invigorated by a sharp eye for the everyday details of how a rebellious Gen X childhood played out for a Black girl in a mostly white community. B PLUS

THE UGLY CRY
Viking
2021

HELEN FRANKENTHALER’S EXTRAORDINARY career, captured in microcosm in this deep dive into her first ten years as a professional painter. Mixing art criticism and biography, this generous, engaging look at one of the greats enchants. B PLUS

FIERCE POISE
Penguin Press
2021

SAVAGELY INSIGHTFUL NOVEL about motherhood, daughterhood, and the infinite number of stress points in families blends the structure of a psychological thriller with poetic, almost philosophical prose. B PLUS

THE PUSH
Pamela Dorman Books
2021

CHARMING ROMANTIC MYSTERY finds intrigue in both the silent film industry and 1920s high society. Well crafted plot, engaging writing, memorable characters! B PLUS

THE BARONET UNLEASHED (STELLA HART BOOK 3)
Falstaff Books
2021

MIND, BODY, AND THE ZEITGEIST: the always brilliant Alison Bechdel shines with another autobiographical graphic memoir, this time an exploration of her lifelong love/hate relationship with fitness (and literature, philosophy, daytime TV)… B PLUS

THE SECRET TO SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH
Mariner Books
2021