These are the fiction titles our reviewers liked best this month:
The Eleventh Hour, by Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie spins five short stories humming with verve. Whether it’s a once-celebrated academic awaking to find his own lifeless body, a musical genius balancing her otherworldly talents with the perplexities of love, or language itself sulking at the indignities of a world without “no,” the collection jousts with myriad dilemmas – rivalry, aging, family fissures – alongside creativity, immortality, and possibility. – Erin Douglass
Why We Wrote This
Our reviewers’ picks this month include a collection of powerful short stories by Salman Rushdie and a humorous, touching novel by Craig Thomas. Among nonfiction titles, a memoir by comedian Roy Wood Jr. broadens the idea of a “father figure,” and a history of money unfolds the colorful origins of currency.
Seascraper, by Benjamin Wood
Benjamin Wood’s “Seascraper” is a beautiful, atmospheric tale about a 20-year-old shrimp harvester named Tom who yearns for more out of life. Set in a dreary English seaside town on the day a fascinating stranger visits and rouses Tom’s dreams, the story feels as timeless as its themes. – Heller McAlpin Read our full review here.
The Name on the Wall, by Hervé Le Tellier, translated by Adriana Hunter
Hervé Le Tellier explores the identity of a French resistance fighter whose name is etched on the wall of Le Tellier’s country home. This historical novel with relevance for today plumbs the depths of extremism. It’s a thoughtful, intimate read that ultimately draws the author himself into the story. – Colette Davidson
A Love Story From the End of the World, by Juhea Kim
Juhea Kim’s haunting, poetic prose explores climate change in 10 different fantastic, speculative short stories. Propelled by Kim’s love for humanity and her deep knowledge of nature and wildlife, the book is imaginative and thought-provoking. – Stefanie Milligan
Helm, by Sarah Hall
In Sarah Hall’s great blast of a novel, characters across time and circumstance – scientists, visionaries, loners, and wanderers – face the blustery Cumbrian wind called Helm. Storylines weave, language crackles, and the weather really whips. There are wince-inducing bits, but overall it’s as fresh and surprising as a mountaintop squall. – Erin Douglass
That’s Not How It Happened, by Craig Thomas
In Craig Thomas’ novel, stay-at-home mom Paige has written a memoir about her family raising a son with Down syndrome. When a Hollywood director wants to make a feel-good movie of their lives, much honest reckoning and hilarity ensues. The character of Emmett, their charming son, is wonderful. – Stefanie Milligan
These are the nonfiction titles our reviewers liked best this month:
The Man of Many Fathers, by Roy Wood Jr.
Comedian Roy Wood Jr. looks back at the life lessons taught by men in his life – not all of whom were typical role models. With writing that is honest, pensive, and colorful, the memoir shows Wood’s desire to be a good father to his own son. – Ken Makin Read our Q&A with the author here.
Hostage, by Eli Sharabi
Eli Sharabi, kidnapped from his home on an Israeli kibbutz on Oct. 7, 2023, and held by Hamas for 491 days, has written a searing account of his captivity and his will to survive. He experiences deprivation and loss, but his unshakable love of life inspires. – Barbara Spindel Read our full review here.
Indignity, by Lea Ypi
Lea Ypi powerfully and poignantly reconstructs the life of her grandmother after being surprised by an online comment accusing her grandmother of collaborating with the Fascists and then the Communists in 20th-century Albania. Ypi explores questions related to truth, memory, and dignity against a backdrop of tumultuous geopolitics. – Barbara Spindel
The History of Money, by David McWilliams
Factoids galore pop up in this jaunty account of money’s evolution from grain-based shekels, coins, and credit to taxation, Treasuries, and cryptocurrency. Throughout the book, McWilliams, an Irish former central bank economist, asks smart questions and draws connections. Paper money’s mass acceptance, he notes, was an evolution in money that required an evolution in society: trust among strangers. “Dad book” fans, rejoice. – Erin Douglass
