BookBrowse Editorial Review
So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color
by Caro De Robertis
(6/18/2025)
So Many Stars shares the personal stories of 20 trans and nonbinary people of color over age 50 who, through their activism, art, and courage, have helped pave the way for the LGBTQ+ community as we know it today. Given the current political backlash against gains in LGBTQ+ rights, with trans rights being targeted in particular, this book is timely and essential. It demonstrates that trans and nonbinary people of color have a long history of fighting for the right to exist and live authen
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Theft: A Novel
by Abdulrazak Gurnah
(3/26/2025)
Theft follows each of these three characters as they come into adulthood. When Karim returns home after university, he and Fauzia fall in love and are soon married. Not long after, Badar is falsely accused of stealing from his employers. Though his innocence is proven, Karim's step-grandfather holds a grudge and insists Badar cannot stay, resulting in Karim and Fauzia inviting him to move in with them. As the three come of age, they grow together and apart in unexpected ways. The story ta
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love
by Julie Sedivy
(11/6/2024)
Linguist Julie Sedivy's new book, Linguaphile: a Life of Language Love, explores the connection between human life and language through a fascinating combination of linguistic science and the author's own life story... As Sedivy points out, language is about connecting people, so it's fitting that the memoir sections of Linguaphile are focused more on the relationships in her life than on specific events. She explores both the good and the bad in her connections with her parents, h
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Season of the Swamp: A Novel
by Yuri Herrera
(10/2/2024)
Benito allows himself to be drawn into the chaos of New Orleans and the lives of the people he meets... A major theme of the novel is the failure or refusal to acknowledge the harm that one perpetrates; this is seen not only in Benito but in minor characters as well, such as the slave trader who insists that, as only the middleman, he is not responsible for the suffering he causes. As the book goes on, Benito repeatedly realizes that, despite his genuine empathy, he has missed the extent of peop
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Night of Baba Yaga by Akira Otani
(7/17/2024)
When Yoriko Shindo gets into a brawl on a busy street in 1970s Tokyo, she has no idea what the repercussions will be. Her fighting catches the attention of the Naiki-kai, a branch of the Japanese organized crime syndicate known as the yakuza, and she is kidnapped. After a failed escape attempt, they give her a choice—die, or work for them as the bodyguard and chauffer of Shoko Naiki, the boss's daughter. Otani's prose is tight and sharp, conveying a great deal with short, blunt sentences.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth
by Zoë Schlanger
(5/15/2024)
The human race is completely dependent on plants. Many people, however, give little thought to plants' importance, often seeing them as closer to inanimate objects than fellow living things. Science journalist Zoë Schlanger challenges that view in her engrossing book The Light Eaters, which explores current knowledge of how plants experience the world around them. Schlanger's book offers an engrossing view into the plant world, focusing not on plants' utility to humans or h
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Painter's Daughters: A Novel
by Emily Howes
(3/20/2024)
Peggy and Molly Gainsborough are sisters and best friends, living an idyllic life in 18th-century Ipswich where they explore the countryside with their artist father. But Molly isn't well—she has episodes of confusion and dissociation, forgetting where she is or what she's doing. The Painter's Daughters follows Peggy's journey to adulthood as she struggles with her fear for and anger at her sister, as well as finding her place in the world. Howes' debut is hard to put down once you'
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Pure Wit: The Revolutionary Life of Margaret Cavendish
by Francesca Peacock
(2/21/2024)
The book delves into Cavendish's philosophical writing, tracking the development of her thinking and apparent confidence in her own theories, and putting them in context for modern readers. Cavendish developed a theory of vitalist materialism, and strongly opposed the theory of mind-body dualism and the existence of a separate spirit world, though she did later clarify that she believed in God. Peacock connects that philosophy, and Cavendish's difficult relationship with the male-dominated intel
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Transient and Strange: Notes on the Science of Life
by Nell Greenfieldboyce
(2/7/2024)
While each essay stands on its own, the collection as a whole becomes something greater, with insights from later pieces connecting with and deepening the reader's understanding of earlier parts. The final essay in particular adds an extra dimension to Greenfieldboyce's relationships with her husband and children. The book deals with painful topics such as miscarriage, sexual assault, and parental death in an open, frank way that ultimately feels poignant but hopeful. It does not shy away from t
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Prince and the Coyote by David Bowles
(11/15/2023)
Acolmiztli was a real historic figure, better known today as Nezahualcoyotl, the name he used as ruler of Tetzcoco. He was a celebrated warrior, architect, and poet, as well as part of the Triple Alliance that became the Aztec Empire. Bowles is wonderful at bringing his perspective to life. The world in which Acolmiztli lives is integral to the book's fast-paced, exciting plot, from the religion that guides him, to the complicated interplay between family and political ties, to the class divide
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works
by Helen Czerski
(10/18/2023)
It's an ambitious book, breaking an incredibly complex global "machine" into parts that the layperson can grasp. Czerski uses a wide variety of examples to illustrate her points and relate the science back to ideas more familiar to readers. While this demonstrates just how connected the ocean is to all aspects of life on Earth, the rapid topic shifts sometimes distract from the main ideas she is describing. Unlike many popular ocean science books, the focus is firmly on physics rather than biolo
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Beyond the Door of No Return: A Novel
by David Diop
(9/20/2023)
Beyond the Door of No Return will resonate with readers drawn to either vivid settings or beautiful language. The book's prose is stunningly written and translated, with descriptions well worth savoring. This is a first-rate historical novel, richly conveying both the wider scope of the 18th-century colonization of Senegal and the individuals struggling to survive and find meaning within it.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Every Rising Sun: A Novel
by Jamila Ahmed
(9/6/2023)
From the beauty of the Caliph's palace to the horror of the Third Crusade, the medieval Islamic world is richly depicted. Ahmed brings to life both the everyday details of 12th-century Persia and the people, places and events that still echo through history, all from a point of view not often seen in Western literature. Every Rising Sun builds on the framework of a beloved classic to create a brilliant new story that captures both the joys and sorrows of womanhood, storyt
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial
by David Lipsky
(8/2/2023)
Lipsky's writing is quick-witted and highly entertaining. He expertly manages the tone—moments of humor balance out the often-grim subject matter without trivializing it. His depiction of the people involved is personal and vivid, full of funny descriptions and insightful commentary. The Parrot and the Igloo is a disturbing breakdown of how anti-science rhetoric gained first a foothold, and then a major following in American politics. Well-researched and captivatingly written, it's
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Book That Wouldn't Burn: The Library Trilogy #1
by Mark Lawrence
(7/12/2023)
Over the course of the book, the characters' stories converge in unexpected ways as they seek answers to the questions surrounding them. The romantic elements complement the mystery well, as do excellent worldbuilding and character development, but for me the book's real draw is the opportunity to explore this extraordinary library through the characters' perspectives and experiences.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Blue Skies: A Novel
by T. C. Boyle
(6/21/2023)
Despite the intensity of the events that take place, this is a book for readers more interested in exploring character than plot. Blue Skies is a family drama set against a backdrop of worldwide calamity. It is horrifying at times, at others darkly comedic. There were moments when I wanted to shout at the characters, and others I wished I could give them a hug. This is not a book for those looking for escapism—the characters, their problems and their failings often feel uncomfortabl
BookBrowse Editorial Review
After the Miracle: The Political Crusades of Helen Keller
by Max Wallace
(5/17/2023)
The book covers a wide swath of history for a single lifetime—from Jim Crow to apartheid, World War I to McCarthy's Red Scare, Helen Keller used her fame to fight for what she believed in. Wallace's writing is nuanced, neither diminishing her accomplishments nor overlooking her missteps, but instead returning Keller to the center of her own life story. After the Miracle is a portrait not of a saint or a miracle, but a woman with strong convictions living in a complicated world. I wo
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer's Guide to the Universe
by Philip Plait Ph.D.
(4/19/2023)
The tone is warm and friendly, and often quite funny. Each chapter includes sections of fictionalized descriptions of what it would be like if the reader could actually visit these alien worlds. These are charming, but also might be considered the weakest part of the book. The descriptions of what the hypothetical "you" is seeing and doing are fascinating, but "your" responses to these experiences start to feel a bit repetitive. Under Alien Skies allows readers to connect with astronomy i
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Essex Dogs: A Novel
by Dan Jones
(3/1/2023)
Dan Jones is an accomplished historian, and that background can be seen in the adept way he brings the 14th century to life. Though the issues they struggle with—war, trauma, and substance abuse, among others—are timeless, the ways in which the characters approach them feel very authentically medieval. When people think of the 14th century, they might imagine majestic kings, noble lords, and the legends that have been passed down about them. Instead, Dan Jones brings to life the stru
BookBrowse Editorial Review
The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz
(2/1/2023)
Newitz has created an incredible setting, bringing to life a planet developed just as much by complex power structures and competing interests as by literal terraforming. The fascinating depth of the worldbuilding never overshadows the plot, and the beautifully written characters feel integral to the setting, shaping it just as it has shaped them. The choices they make don't just change their own lives, but are shown to profoundly alter the lives of generations to come. The Terraformers i
BookBrowse Editorial Review
What We Fed to the Manticore by Talia Lakshmi Kolluri
(11/2/2022)
Perhaps the most compelling part of these stories is how the author has developed the worldviews of the various characters. She brings a feeling not just of their reaction to the current moment, but also of how their species and lives have shaped their understanding of events. Each of the animals has a distinct sense of history and culture. The creation myth of polar bears, the romances of whales and the social customs of sled dogs are all vibrantly brought to life. There is a tradeoff, however.
BookBrowse Editorial Review
Dark Earth: A Novel
by Rebecca Stott
(9/7/2022)
The vividly developed setting underlays every part of the book, giving the story a magical feel. Londinium's decay serves as a counterpoint to the characters' lives, creating a rich juxtaposition between what has been lost to time on a grand scale and what the characters personally have lost. In Dark Earth, Stott tells a deeply personal story set amidst the sweeping tide of history. Moving and thrilling in turns, it is likely to be a favorite of readers who enjoy historical fiction and fa