What Should You Read Next? Here Are the Best Reviewed Books of the Week
Featuring Rabih Alameddine, Arundhati Roy, Patrick Ryan, and More
Rabih Alameddine’s The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother), Arundhati Roy’s Mother Mary Comes to Me, and Patrick Ryan’s Buckeye all feature among the best reviewed books of the week.
Brought to you by Book Marks, Lit Hub’s home for book reviews.
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1. Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
(Random House)
5 Rave • 2 Positive
Read an interview with Patrick Ryan here
“Captivating … Omniscient, sweeping, almost defiantly sentimental, Buckeye is a reminder of the deep pleasure of following a cast of characters over their entire lives … Ryan’s wide-angle approach complements his evocative yet tranquil style … The author clearly loves these people, and he makes the safe bet that you will, too.”
–Jess Walter (The New York Times Book Review)
2. The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine
(Grove)
4 Rave • 2 Positive
“[A] blend of humor and cattiness … A perfect match for Alameddine’s edgy charm—an edginess that always leaves room for compassion, which readers will find in abundance in this challenging but exceptional book.”
–Michael Magras (BookPage)
3. Mercy by Joan Silber
(Counterpoint)
5 Rave
Read an interview with Joan Silber here
“If you are interested in friendship and betrayal, pain and relief, the power of sex, the ever-present mixture of love and misunderstanding between generations of a family, the process of coming to terms with one’s past—the characters of Mercy have some stories they would like to tell you.”
–Marion Winik (The Boston Globe)
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1. Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
(Scribner)
7 Rave • 2 Positive • 1 Mixed
“Roy’s stunning, dramatic, funny, far-ranging, and complexly illuminating chronicle portraying two strong-willed women fighting for justice and truth is incandescent in its fury, courage, and love.”
–Donna Seaman (Booklist)
2. Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane by Devoney Looser
(St. Martin’s Press)
3 Rave • 1 Positive • 1 Mixed
“Looser tackles the common notion of Austen as someone nothing much ever happened to … The third part of her book contains some of her most riveting material … Fascinating … While Looser writes from an academic standpoint, her book is accessible and fun, with appeal for both fans of Jane Austen and of history alike.”
–Nancy McCabe (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
3. Our Fragile Freedoms by Eric Foner
(W. W. Norton & Company)
3 Rave • 1 Positive
“Outstanding … The collection demonstrates Foner’s powerful grasp of his subject matter … An ideal collection of essays for students of the history of race and the United States after the Civil War.”
–Russell James (Library Journal)
