HIGH-TECH SUPERHEROES BATTLE crime and a corrupt privatized police force in a dystopian near-future Seattle. Sharply plotted thriller is a delight for anyone who loves science fiction and superhero adventures. A MINUS

SUPER-BORG DIES
Tac Anderson
2020

POWERFUL, POETIC NOVEL tells the story of a Black woman’s search for freedom, from her mother’s medical practice to a “Negro college“ to her husband’s home in Haiti. Beautifully evocative of 19th century Black history. A MINUS

LIBERTIE
Algonquin Books
2021

JOY, LOVE, AND HEARTBREAK gorgeously drawn in a powerful, poetic novel. An intimate tale with a strong Black British voice, dazzling characterization, and sharp candor. A MINUS

OPEN WATER
Grove Press
2021

A HAUNTING IN A HAUNTED WORLD: fascinating account of a 1938 psychic investigation that shared London headlines with reports on the growing Nazi threat. As usual, Kate Summerscale brilliantly ties an isolated event to a historical moment. A MINUS

THE HAUNTING OF ALMA FIELDING
Penguin Press
2021

FROM COUCH POTATO TO TRIATHLETE: superstar horror writer Tim Lebbon’s witty personal account of how he got fit in his forties is ridiculously entertaining and surprisingly inspiring. A MINUS

RUN WALK CRAWL: GETTING FIT IN MY FORTIES
Dreaming in Fire
2021

A PRIVATE EYE WITH SECRETS. A woman on the run. An angry doctor with a missing dog. Stylish, tense thriller with West Coast flair and a complex, compelling Black woman as protagonist. Don’t miss this. A MINUS

AND NOW SHE'S GONE
Forge Books
2020

RICH, COMPELLING FANTASY set in a brilliantly imagined world of supernatural battles and young women with deadly secrets. Electrifying action and unforgettable characters. A MINUS

THE GILDED ONES
Delacorte Press
2021

THE TRAGEDY OF THE RWANDAN GENOCIDES brought vividly to life with these spare, eloquent stories from a Tutsi writer now living in France. Breathtaking and profoundly moving. A MINUS

IGIFU
Archipelago
2020

THE HILARIOUS, HEARTBREAKING WORLD of Allie Brosh returns in her second, long-awaited book. Idiot dogs, childhood shenanigans, and strange neighbors abound, along with some lovely and sad meditations on life and death. A MINUS

SOLUTIONS AND OTHER PROBLEMS
Gallery Books
2020

BRILLIANT, BRUTAL SATIRE of the corporate world and how it mangles and misuses Black men’s gifts. Incisive social commentary is also laugh-out-loud funny and, at times, heartbreaking. A MINUS

BLACK BUCK
Mariner Books
2021