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

STRUNG-OUT EXISTENTIAL NOIR detective yarn with a unique mix of the grim and the whimsical: Jonathan Ames’s first foray into mystery is hard to characterize, but holds you riveted. SOLID B

A MAN NAMED DOLL
Mulholland Books
2021

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

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

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

IN A POST-APOCALYPTIC “UNITED STATE”—a totalitarian regime that combines a cult of personality with brutal police surveillance—two women meet and have the chance to change everything. Intriguing ideas, worldbuilding. SOLID B

MARIGOLD
BookBaby
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