Okorafor is a master of brevity who portrays rich, immersive worlds and characters with spare, head-spinning strokes. In a future Nigeria populated by tribes – many bearing animosities, suspicions, and resentments, as well as advanced technical and digital technologies – lives a woman named AO (for Artificial Organism) who is physically half cyborg. Forced to …
What happens when inner-city kids suddenly awaken with a unique supernatural ability? Will they be able to elevate their people in the social hierarchy, protect each other from power-hungry moguls, and successfully navigate their evolving identities? I don’t know, because this is the beginning of what seems a very intricate plot and very interesting characters. …
We’re only weeks past the announcement of the most recent Booker Prize, something Percival Everett coulda (shoulda?) won for The Trees, and he already has a stellar new novel for us. Dr. No is a serious romp, if such a thing can be imagined (and by Everett it can). A spoof of Ian Fleming-style thrillers …
May the memory of bell hooks (1952-2021) always be preserved. Her work was a tour de force, and this excellent volume is a good a place to start. She was the author who taught me about feminism as an act of revolutionary love, and as a critical mindset for human thriving. This book disrupts patriarchal …
From Amy Wang of The Oregonian/OregonLive, June 3, 2022: For Nanea Woods, books and community have always gone together, and now she’s launching her biggest effort yet to combine the two. Portland’s first Black literary festival, the Freadom Festival, is a tribute to freedom and reading that’s taking place in Portland’s Peninsula Park on Saturday, June …
Janelle Monáe returns to the dystopian cyberpunk world of her Dirty Computer album with The Memory Librarian, a collection of five long stories that further the narrative set forth in the album. While the New Dawn is intent on standardizing and homogenizing the future, a band of gender-nonconforming rebels persist in retaining, remembering, and celebrating the stories of …
A taut legal thriller, this debut novel truly has it all – a devious plot, slick characters, and a riveting pace. Ellice, a corporate attorney, is finally given the upper echelon job she has worked hard to achieve, but only after the sudden death of her boss. Her rise to the top is not without …
If you’re looking for engrossing, high-stakes fantasy, you need this emotionally rich, gorgeously written novel. It’s about about power that winds up being about love, sacrifice, honor, and family— that we choose and are given. Raybearer is absolutely brilliant, gripping, and one-of-a-kind. I couldn’t wait to read more from this author, and luckily the sequel is …
This is a page-turning, easy read that you‘ll be able to devour quickly! It’s a different and unique take on vampire lore and, although it seems as if it was set up to become a series (unfortunately the author died shortly after publication), you can still read it as a stand-alone! I am, however, left …
I cannot say enough good things about this incredible book! It is a beautifully written story that traces the lineage of generational trauma and disenfranchisement along two branches of a single family tree, beginning in 18th century Ghana and concluding in the present day. Each chapter follows a new character, and each character is so …
