A DESTROYED EARTH, A MARS haven for the privileged few, and a universal surveillance culture fighting against a ragtag resistance. In the midst of this, a classic noir mystery starring a tough, wiseass cop. Great worldbuilding, great fun. B PLUS

SCORCHED EARTH (THE HALO TRILOGY BOOK 2)
Pumpjack Press
2021

DEVASTATINGLY HONEST, SEARING memoir traces how a Black poet’s life was shaped by racism, homophobia, heartbreak, loneliness, but above all by the impossible demands US society creates around Black masculinity. B PLUS

PUNCH ME UP TO THE GODS
Mariner Books
2021

A CHEROKEE FAMILY SHATTERED by loss draws closer amid the memories of their dead and the power of their history and spiritual tradition. Lovely, dreamlike, wrenching novel. B PLUS

THE REMOVED
Ecco
2021

INTERNET-ENABLED SCAMMING: from the Fyre Festival to “influencer” shenanigans, how hype culture, social media, and the post-truth society are opening new frontiers of grifting. B PLUS

HYPE
Hanover Square Press
2021

HOW A NOW-FORGOTTEN NOVELIST made a bigger mark on the fields of sustainable farming and environmental advocacy. Fascinating bio of Louis Bromfield, who put his fame and fortune to work in service to the land. B PLUS

THE PLANTER OF MODERN LIFE
W. W. Norton & Company
2020

HEARTBREAKING, EXQUISITE NOVEL about a dozen people tied together by love, secrets, and lies. Beautiful characterization and meticulous prose. B PLUS

THE END OF THE DAY
Gallery/Scout Press
2020

A PODCAST, RADIO, AND HER FAMILY’S struggling restaurant: Hana Khan has a lot to handle, even without the new place (and handsome guy) on the block. Charming romance with an engaging setting in Toronto’s South Asian community. B PLUS

HANA KHAN CARRIES ON
Berkley
2021

A LONELY DEATH ON MARS, uncovered after years, and a mysterious stranger with a troubling secret. Well-crafted SF story with elements of both the classic mystery and the modern Western is a compelling read. B PLUS

THE VINES OF MARS: MURDER ON A SMALL COLONIAL PLANET
Prisoner 16670
2020

IN A FULLY PRIVATIZED DYSTOPIA, a gamer streaming virtual kills for her daily water ration discovers big secrets behind the ongoing megacorporation wars destroying her city. Tense, compelling, unsettling thriller. B PLUS

FIREBREAK
Gallery / Saga Press
2021

ELECTRIFYING FANTASY THRILLER, set in a Denver replete with witches, elves, and other supernatural beings, doubles as a moving tale of a family shattered by secrets and betrayals. B PLUS

WHITE TRASH WARLOCK
Blackstone Publishing
2020