ENSLAVED MEN IN LOVE shake a plantation’s life to its roots with their forbidden joy. Glorious parable of beauty and rage, in prose both mystical and devastatingly precise. SOLID A

THE PROPHETS
G.P. Putnam's Sons
2021

A FAMILY OF SPACE RENEGADES—moonshiners, smugglers, scavengers, and rogues—face the fight of their lives against cyborg and android enforcers. High-energy “space Western” with strong characters and fascinating world building. B PLUS

DUSK MOUNTAIN BLUES: A SPACE WESTERN OPERA
Deston Munden
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

A LIFE OF MANY EXILES, from Biafra to Jamaica to the United States, recounted with playful wit and raw candor, and above all, ruthless clarity. Stunning. SOLID A

FLOATING IN A MOST PECULIAR WAY
Mariner Books
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

BLACK WOMEN RESISTING SLAVERY, from Africa to the Caribbean: deeply researched look at enslaved women’s unique roles, from sparking revolt to passing down culture and tradition, draws on a wealth of 18th and 19th century documents. B PLUS

A KICK IN THE BELLY
Verso
2020

CHILDREN ON THE STREETS OF DAKAR, Senegal, begging for their living—and worse. Gentle yet heartbreaking novel draws on these real-life tragedies as the basis for a lovely, mystical tale of family and friendship. B PLUS

NO HEAVEN FOR GOOD BOYS
Random House
2021

ACTION-PACKED SPACE ADVENTURE combines an intergalactic shoot ‘em up with a time travel plot and adds a healthy dose of humor. Lots of fun; first in a series. B PLUS

THE SPACE-TIME CONUNDRUM: A FUNNY SCI-FI SPACE ADVENTURE (CAPTAIN QUASAR BOOK 1)
Aethon Books
2021

A GIRL GROUP’S PAST fame, difficulties, and deep secrets are recalled twenty years later after one of the members dies. Compelling page-turner captures the glitz and glam of the early 2000s pop scene. B PLUS

THE UNRAVELING OF CASSIDY HOLMES
William Morrow Paperbacks
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