A FASCINATING LOOK AT NORTH KOREA’S autocrat Kim Jong Un shines brightest in its interviews with the leader’s former friends and refugees from his regime. B PLUS

THE GREAT SUCCESSOR
PublicAffairs
2019

THE SCIENCE OF AGING, DEMYSTIFIED by an expert journalist in conversation with top researchers in the field (and with people with aging-related illnesses as well). Concise, compelling, accessible. B PLUS

BORROWED TIME
Bloomsbury Sigma
2019

BRILLIANTLY HUMDRUM EXISTENTIAL fable about women with boring jobs and unsatisfying lives, with incisive humor and spot-on observation to add some spice. B PLUS

THE NEW ME
Penguin Books
2019

CHARMING COZY MYSTERY set in a California beach town, where a tea maven and a Tarot reader try to solve the murder of the realtor who ripped them off. Fast pace, lots of fun. B PLUS

STEEPED IN MURDER
misterio press
2019

IN A LAND OF ANCIENT MAGIC, a young woman’s extraordinary powers are tested by deadly strife. Richly imagined high fantasy. B PLUS

SIEGE OF SHADOWS (THE KEEPER CHRONICLES SERIES BOOK 3)
JA Andrews
2019

A DEBUTANTE TURNED DETECTIVE faces a murder at her aunt’s English country house. Smart, polished cozy mystery with plenty of charm. B PLUS

MURDER IN BLACK TIE
McGuffin Ink
2019

A GIRL’S DISAPPEARANCE CHANGES the lives of two families and a small Pennsylvania town in unexpected ways. Offbeat, dreamlike novel a bit reminiscent of Eudora Welty. B PLUS

MARILOU IS EVERYWHERE
Riverhead Books
2019

A QUANTUM COMPUTER MISHAP sends an ordinary man (sometimes woman) into a dreamlike (sometimes nightmarish) set of alternate universes. Cleverly plotted science fiction! B PLUS

LIVES OF E
H. P. Burman
2018

AT THE INTERSECTION OF TOLKIEN AND HARDY, you’ll find this tale of an adventurous boy on a farm in a remote part of England where dragons are said to sleep. Rich, distinctive story. B PLUS

ORMESHADOW
Tordotcom
2019

THE PARADOX OF “GENUINE FAKES”: how forgeries, replicas, and recreations shape our understanding of art, history, and even nature. Engaging and fact-packed! B PLUS

GENUINE FAKES
Bloomsbury Sigma
2019