The Pleasures of 2024
by Tara Campbell
My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson
Lyrical, engrossing, sobering, and mesmerizing. I started this in written format, but switched to audiobook (read by Aja Naomi King) when I had to give the book back. All of the stories are whip-smart, but the eponymous novella is a singular feat. Written from the perspective of a descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, Johnson has put her own singular spin on the apocalypse novel. A masterpiece.
The Angel of Rome by Jess Walter
Audiobook: stories full of Walter's signature wry, winningly sad humor and nostalgia, set in the Pacific Northwest. The title story is enchanting, featuring a larger-than-life actor and an ensemble cast of unlikely fans who wind up working on a Hollywood script.
Blue Skies by TC Boyle
A sobering look ahead in terms of climate change, but with enough humor and human connection to get you through the hard parts. It’s set in (present? near future?) Florida succumbing to flooding, but the focus is on human relationships, denial, and folly. No spoilers, but there's a persistent sense of foreboding about a certain pet, and Boyle teases the tension out expertly.
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
What a delightful journey! Seattle-based Buxton fully inhabits her main character, a feisty and delightfully foul-mouthed crow named S.T. (short for Shit Turd), making us cheer for him and his trusty hound-dog sidekick Dennis. She sends them on incredible adventures through a wonderfully detailed Seattle as only a Cheeto-addicted crow could see it. A love letter to both the grunge and the natural splendor of our fair city.
Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang
Another one I read in a matter of days. A slim novel that still feels full, like a meal that looks small on the plate but is satisfying because of the richness of its ingredients and the care of its preparation. There’s disturbing magic in the juxtaposition of decadence against the disintegration of the world, and tension in the relationships where the main character continually has to question who she can truly trust beyond herself. This is a perfect example of how closed settings can ramp up tension.
The Sasquatch Hunter's Almanac by Sharma Shields
This book is mesmerizing and wonderfully weird. No wonder it won the Washington Book Award! Sasquatch lore expertly interwoven with a multi-generational family drama--truly unique.
And I'm currently re-reading (audio book) Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam Trilogy. Love, betrayal, gene-splicing, and pandemic. What can I say, the woman is a genius, prescient and incisive. She's what I want to be when I grow up.
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