Beneath the Citadel follows a ragtag group of rebels as they attempt to infiltrate the citadel. They believe the government is hiding the reason that citizens of the city keep falling dead and they are determined to uncover the truth. This book is full of diverse characters fighting a corrupt government and has a plot…

Stay With Me is the eloquent debut novel of Nigerian writer Ayobami Adebayo. In a mere 260 pages, this historical fiction must-read not only features romance, sex, and murder, but does so while tackling politics, race, and gender, resulting in a stunning portrayal of life, particularly of marriage, in post-colonial, post-Biafran Nigeria. The novel’s protagonist,…

“The Queen of Hearts” by Kimmery Martin is everything I love in a compelling summer read. It has complex and likable female characters, a smart storyline, a little romance, a bit of a mystery, and it is written in a very smart and humorous voice. A physician herself, Martin’s debut novel is chock full of…

The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After is not a light summer beach read. It is Clemantine Wamariya’s brutal account of her experiences as a refugee who fled the Rwandan massacre as a little girl in 1994 and of how those experiences permeate her new life as a United…

A Cage of Desires by Shuchi Singh Kalra The book tells us the story of Renu a middle-aged house wife who is undergoing existential crisis. Trapped in a loveless marriage, she is torn between her duty and desires. Renu also harbours a dark secret, one that threatens to destroy her marriage if it comes out…

“Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen” is not a book everyone will love. However, this New York Times Bestseller is perfect for word nerds like me. Mary Norris . . . the titular “Comma Queen” . . . worked for The New Yorker Magazine for over thirty years, and her book is…

I recently read An American Marriage, a New York Times Bestseller and Oprah Book Club pick by Tayari Jones, and, immediately upon finishing it, I started searching for another book by Jones. I discovered Silver Sparrow, which I had only briefly heard about on a book podcast I listen to. I think I loved Silver Sparrow even more than…

Paper Reunion: An anthology of Phoenix: A Poet’s Workshop (1976-1986), published by Big Pond Rumours Press showcases the work of writers that were central to the Phoenix poetry workshop. This substantive anthology is edited by Sharon Berg and Julie McNeill and it appeared in 2016. The Paper Reunion includes the work of sixteen writers associated…