Interior Chinatown

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu (2020), 270 pgs. 

Pan out on Chinatown. See the streets bustling with activity, with people performing the roles of their daily life. Zoom in. Close-up on Willis Wu in the background, today playing Generic Asian Man. Willis has always been an extra, an unnamed Asian character on the call sheet, but he longs to become the mystical Kung Fu Guy, the pinnacle of roles here in Chinatown. Casting for Kung Fu Guy is competitive--it is the role Willis sees all his peers aspiring toward--but Willis knows his time is coming soon. As he performs his role in Black and White, the long-running cop show offering bit parts, he meets someone who changes his career trajectory--and his life. Perhaps Willis does not have to play these roles forever. 

This book is masterfully written. The lines between performance and reality are blurred from the start, and the confusion that readers feel in discerning between the two mirrors that of the characters. Charles Yu weaves history and stereotypes and intersectionality all into a narrative somehow through metaphor and plain direct language. Readers cannot ignore the message of the harm in believing in and contributing to the propagation of these "roles" that Asian American people feel they must play in order to make it. Highly, highly recommend

It's Not Her

It's Not Her by Mary Kubica, 352 pages

Courtney thought the family trip to the lake was going just fine until she woke to find her brother and sister-in-law murdered in their cabin. To make things worse, her teenage niece is missing, and her nephew managed to sleep through the whole thing. As Courtney works with local authorities to search for her niece and figure out who killed her relatives, she discovers that things weren't quite as rosy as they seemed, and the list of suspects could include just about everyone.

Interspersed with flashback chapters from the missing niece's point of view, this thriller certainly keeps the reader guessing and the plot zooming along. The problem comes when all the cards are finally on the table and we learn exactly what happened, as the culprits feel a bit random (did the author throw names in a hat and pick someone out? It's possible!). I read this a few weeks ago, and I honestly couldn't remember the particulars until I looked it up. So maybe pass on this one. (Unless you really want to read every book about a missing teenage girl, then sure, add this to your TBR for completion's sake.)

The Storm

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins (2026), 277 pages 

As the title suggests, a storm, plays a prominent role in this ok thriller. Set in St. Medard's Bay, Alabama, it follows the lives of three generations of townspeople who have survived (or not) the frequent hurricanes that hit the area. One in particular saw the death of a well-known politician's son and now a journalist has shown up to investigate what might have actually happened. This is one of those books that feels like it was really written to be a Netflix limited series. The visuals sound amazing, but the actual story is a bit contrived and not super engaging. It was a fine, quick read, but it lacked any real depth.

Mississippi Solo

 

Mississippi Solo: A River Quest by Eddy Harris, 256 pages.

This memoir, published in 1988, follows Harris' solo journey down the Mississippi River in a canoe. Along the way Harris connected not only with the river itself, but with the incredible variety of people who make their home on it. Harris has a real talent for connecting with strangers, and these thoughtful, meaningful connections provide just as much substance to the book as the misadventures of a novice canoeist who had no idea what he was getting himself into. I read this book too slow to attend the book discussion, which is a shame, but I am still so glad I decided to finish it anyways. This is exactly the kind of thing I want in a memoir, and I fully expect to read it again. I'm excited to see how this book converses with Life on the Mississippi, which I am embarrassed to admit I am also behind on. 

How to Hold Someone in Your Heart

How to Hold Someone in Your Heart by Mizuki Tsujimura, 224 pages

Ayumi has the unique ability to reunite a living person with a dead person for just one night, during the full moon. There are very specific rules for this process, but since he inherited the ability from his grandmother, he's connected countless people to their lost loved ones, while still holding down a full-time job as a toy designer. 

This book follows Ayumi through several episodes related to his supernatural ability, as he questions many of the ideas and emotions that helping these people brings up. It's the second book in this series, though it's not necessary to read the first one to enjoy this one. This type of episodic, gentle, introspective Japanese novel is becoming very popular, and this one is an excellent example if you'd like to read one that has more of a solid through-line of plot.

An Artful Dodge

An Artful Dodge by Karen Odden, 368 pages

Kit is a talented thief, able to steal jewels off of the neck of a woman without her noticing, and works in an all-female gang to ply her trade. It's not safe though, and Kit is determined to get herself and her younger sister (who has thankfully found a job in service at an aristocratic home) away from the lifestyle. Unfortunately, vengeful former thief Maggie takes over the gang, and forces Kit to take part in a heist that threatens their lives and freedom.

This is an excellent historical heist, with the perfect blend of action and atmosphere that bring 1870s London and the threat of prison (or being shipped off to the penal colony of Australia) to life. The characters are compelling, the plot is just twisty enough, and I can't say enough good things about this. Highly recommended!

The Correspondent

 

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, 285 pages.

Sybil Van Antwerp has always made her most meaningful connections through writing. She has spent her very full life writing letters to anyone who struck her fancy: loved ones, authors whose work she enjoyed, professional correspondence, and anyone else who cares to write. Much to her displeasure, being in her 70s does not stop life from continuing to change, and even feelings she has kept buried for decades will not lie in peace. 

Despite the crushing popularity of this book, I'm afraid I found it pretty dull. I am usually a big fan of epistolary novels, but I think I would have liked this one better if it had some sort of anchor point, aside from Sybil herself. It did feel very realistic, with correspondence often drying up and not particularly connecting. I did like Sybil, flawed though she was, and the writing itself had a lot of verisimilitude, I only wish there was anything at all in this book that had hooked me. I know many people enjoy this book, but I don't myself understand the hype. 

There Be Dragons Here

 

There Be Dragons Here by S.L. Rowland, 288 pages.

For nearly a century Hilda Flintbreaker journeyed on adventures in every corner of the continent with the adventuring party Stone & Splendor. But for the last several decades, Hilda Rockfall has had a much smaller kind of adventure, marrying and raising children and grandchildren. But when the last of her old adventuring party dies and leaves her with an outlandish request, Hilda is set for one last adventure to spread his ashes on a mountain in dragon territory. Her granddaughter, a war goat, and a dragon broodling all come together to make the adventure of a lifetime. 

This was the coziest, most wholesome book. Unlike some books of that description, it had a solid plot that felt exciting but not necessarily frightening. There was a lot of emotional heft to it, and the novel managed to deal in a meaningful way with grief without feeling heavy. I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it for an emotionally-driven fantasy novel.  

Wisdom Corner

Wisdom Corner by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (2026), 320 pages 

Somehow it missed me (and several others) that this is actually Book 2 in the Virgil Wounded Horse series. So, as I will be doing that shortly - go read Winter Counts first. 

Virgil Wounded Horse is a former enforcer/vigilante for hire on the Rosebud Reservation where he resides. He is trying to shake that lifestyle, but a murder on the Reservation and potential gang activity from the neighboring Pine Ridge Reservation are pulling him back in.  

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It is touted as a thriller, but the pacing does not lend it to that. It more of a slow burn. Weiden does an excellent job of portraying current Native life on a Reservation, but sometimes bogs the story down with too many side-details and historical notes. I find these details very interesting, but others will find them distracting. As always, though, I will forever feel angry for how Native Americans were/are treated on their own land. 

 

The River is Waiting

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb (2025), 466 pages 

This is a tough read. Corby is struggling as a husband and father. He recently lost his job and is sliding into alcohol and drug addiction. Through his own actions, he causes a family catastrophe and ends up in prison. The novel follows his journey through prison, personal reckoning, and family reconciliations. It is a hard, sad story and not the book to read if you aren't in a mentally decent place.