Selection by Neil Mukherjee
“A strangely uplifting, exquisitely bittersweet, heart-breaking book.” The New York Times writes: “Of Choice” is the latest novel from the author of “The Lives of Others,” which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Beginning with the story of Ayush, an editorial director at a London publishing house, Choice traverses the globe, exploring ethical dilemmas and the concept of free will together through contemporary concerns of climate change and global poverty. Divided into three distinct but interconnected stories. . Selection: “Brilliant, dark, moral maze-like novels” The Guardian writesthere’s no easy answer. (RL)
Victim by Andrew Boriga
“I wasn’t going to play the victim until the world told me how powerful contrition it was.” This is the memoir of flawed protagonist and Bronx native Javi Perez This is the opening sentence of the novel “Victim,” which was presented as “Victim.” He plays a game of telling tragic stories for his own benefit. Javi quickly turned his identity into a subject, learning that his background as a murdered father, a single and struggling mother, and an incarcerated gangster’s best friend was the perfect route to fame and fortune. They try to gain recognition as criminals by creating and selling stories. writer. This shrewd “Hustle Icarus” new york times book review He says that at the heart of this “vigorous and deeply satisfying debut novel”. southern book reviews “Borriga’s characterization is extraordinary. He brings the reader into Javi’s psyche and lets us experience his constant rationalization, fear of getting caught, and occasional pangs of guilt.” He is praised for his skill in drawing. (lb)
Blessings by Chukwwebka Ibe
Blessings tells the story of the shy protagonist Obyevna’s struggle to fit into a society where homosexuality is criminalized, homophobia is unquestioned, and gender nonconformity is condemned. When he gets into a fight with another boy, his conservative and opinionated father becomes furious and sends him to a strict Christian boarding school. First love and first enmity soon follow as Obyevna grows and learns how the world works.observer described Blessings as a “moving and influential debut novel,” adding, “A literary combination of the particular and the universal, glossy traditional storytelling and style that adds style without scaring the horses. It has achieved a fusion of delicacy. It’s a “sublime youth story” The Guardian says. “Ibe’s writing is thoroughly pruned in a novel of secrecy, silence, and silence.” (Pound)
Percival Everett’s James
Even if you were previously unaware of Everett’s decades-long career, you may have become familiar with him as his acclaimed 2001 novel Erasure was made into the 2023 Oscar-nominated film American Fiction. You will know about. Everett’s latest work is a reimagining of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of enslaved Jim, and while it reflects all the familiar story beats of its inspiration, it’s also a dazzling (and He is creating new works (very humorous). “It’s heart-wrenching, painful, funny, and horrifying. This is multi-layered entertainment.” The Observer writes“A perfect performance until the end.” (RL)
Alexandra Tanner’s worries
Worry’s candid and funny narrator is Jules, a 28-year-old aspiring writer from Florida. After graduating from college and moving to Brooklyn, she works a boring job and spends her free time endlessly scrolling through social media influencers when her troubled sister Poppy shows up in need of a place to live. In the claustrophobic environment of an airless apartment, a brother and sister navigate the battles of adulthood together through regression, internet addiction, and codependency. “A wonderful comic novel that depicts the anxiety of young people.” new york times He explains that “Worry” exposes “adulthood stereotypes, disappointments, disgust, and maladjustment.” washington post notes that the novel “moves along at an Internet-like pace; small microdramas create a sense of movement, but little happens.” Ultimately, the paper said, Worry is “a poignantly funny and highly online novel about sisterhood.” (lb)
—
If you liked this story, Sign up for the Essential List newsletter – Hand-picked features, videos and can’t-miss news delivered to your inbox twice a week.
For more culture coverage from the BBC, follow us on facebook, × and Instagram.