In her debut novel, Patmeena Sabit tells the story of the Sharaf family. They are immigrants from Afghanistan living in northern Virginia. The father, through hard work, has become quite successful, but the family’s life is turned upside down when their “perfect” teenage daughter defies the cultural norms of the Afghan community.

The format of Good People is multiple interviews with friends, neighbors, police, reporters, a realtor and more. With each perspective, the reader is aware of new information, biases and feelings, and with each interview the reader gains a new feel for the Sharafs. Although the beginning of Good People is confusing, what with an innovative structure and lots of foreign names, the reader eventually goes with the flow. For me, Good People was a can’t put down book. It’s a fabulous creative novel with so much to think about.

Skylark is an historical novel told in two alternating time lines. The two main female characters are Aloutte Voland and Sasha Brodsky. Aloutte’s story begins in 1664 in Paris. Her father creates dyes for textiles. and she desperately to as well, but women are not allowed. Sasha’s tale begins in Paris in 1939. She is a very bright Jewish teenager. Both young women eventually must escape to a better, safer life, and they do so by traveling through the underground tunnels of Paris.

It took me awhile to get into both stories, but I’m glad I read Skylark. I especially found Aloutte’s life and the time she was living in interesting. Skylark is not a quick read, but it’s worth reading.

Laura, a forty year old married woman with no children, finally decides to search for her mother who disappeared without a trace thirty years ago. The only clues she has to her mother’s whereabouts is her mother’s paintings of a red house that is located in Brindisi, Italy. Laura’s quest to understand her mother’s past, the reason for her disappearance and what ultimately happened to her, is also, for Laura, a journey towards self-awareness.

If you have not had enough of Holocaust books, I highly recommend The Red House. Part mystery, part historical fiction, Mary Morris’s novel is engrossing and well-written. However, for those who prefer a linear work, The Red House does jump around from Italy during World War II to the present day to Laura’s childhood.

Short listed for the 2025 Man Booker Award, The Rest of Our Lives follows Tom Layward on a cross country road trip. After dropping off his youngest child for her first year at Carnegie Mellon, he continues driving west instead of returning home to his wife in Westchester, New York. Tom’s marriage is falling apart, he has been asked to take a leave of absence from the law school he teaches at, and he has mysterious, serious health issues. The spontaneous ride trip that ultimately ends visiting his son in Los Angeles, helps Tom analyze where his life is headed.

Although Tom is a flawed character, I liked The Rest of Our Lives. I found the characters portrayed realistically and Tom’s problems seemed authentic. If you need closure at the end of a novel, I can’t recommend The Rest of Our Lives. The reader is left wondering what will happen next to Tom and his family.

It is 1997 in Boston. The main character, Casey Peabody, is grieving over her mother’s untimely death. Casey has spent six years writing a novel. When Writers & Lovers begins she is barely making a living working at a popular upscale restaurant. While grieving, worrying about her health and finances and trying to finish her book, Casey must make a decision regarding two men who are in love with her.

Although Writers & Lovers is the prequel to Heart the Lover, both novels are enjoyable read in any order. I read Heart the Lover first and was thoroughly engaged in both works. In both novels Lily King writes about realistic characters with relatable problems, and they are fine reads for women of any age.

Paul Auster’s final book of fiction is partly autobiographical. S.T Baumgarten is in his 70’s, a childless widower, who is a well regarded professor of philosophy at Princeton. Through his daydreams and reminiscences, the reader learns most of the major events in his life as well as those of his parents and his wife’s.

Although Baumgarten is not Auster’s best work, it is a worthwhile read. It is a fine character study and if you are a Paul Auster fan, you will want to read the last novel he wrote. However, if you do not enjoy ambiguous endings, I don’t suggest you read Baumgarten.

Bee Wilson’s work of nonfiction is part memoir, part history lessons and part psychological interpretations. The basic premise is that kitchen “things”-cake pans, cork screws, fine china and melon ballers-can be more than just objects. Many items we find in our kitchens remind us of people, places and events that are important in our lives. Bee Wilson’s discussion of these objects also help us learn about her life and the lives of others.

I was interested in The Heart-Shaped Tin because I have enjoyed reading Bee Wilson’s columns in The Wall Street Journal. They are about food, and like this book, about much more. If you thoroughly enjoy eating and/or cooking, I highly recommend Bee Wilson’s newest work.

In this well documented, well written work of nonfiction, Haley Cohen Gilliland recounts the history of The Abuelas of Argentina along with the history of their country from 1952 to 2023. Argentina was ruled by many dictators during those years, and during those years horrific things happened to thousands of individuals who tried to stop them. One of the many despicable acts was to kidnap pregnant women, torture them and after these women gave birth and their newborns were secretly given to families that supported the regime, they were murdered. The Abuelas, a group of grandmothers whose children were kidnapped and disappeared, was formed to try to find their grandchildren.

Although A Flower Traveled in My Blood is a difficult read because of the subject matter, it is an important read. Among other things, it illustrates how a group with seemingly no power can make a difference through hard work, determination and passion.

Winner of this year’s National Book Award, The True Story of Raja the Gullible is the story of Raja, a gay man living for the most part in Beirut and teaching philosophy at a private, exclusive coed school. When Raja’s mother moves in with him, she causes havoc to his once peaceful and quiet life. Raja’s rendering of his life from 1960-2023 reflects the history of Beirut at that time as well. Blending tragedy and comedy, Alameddine subtly tells a tale of a man, his city and his country.

Rabib Alameddine’s semi autobiographical work is enjoyable, informative, and well-written. It is funny, sad and frightening. But is The True Story of Raja the Gullible the best book of the year? I don’t think so.

The Elements is divided into four sections: water, earth, fire and air. Each section has a main character who is affected by one of these elements. All four characters have been traumatized in one way or another. The four individuals appear tangentially in the three segments where he or she is not the main character.

Although I have enjoyed most of John Boyne’s novels, I cannot recommend The Elements. I felt removed from the characters and their experiences, and perhaps that is why I had a hard time trying to summarize Boyne’s book. Also, I thought the style and the plot of The Elements was slow moving and contrived.