There are a lot of quality reads that you should seek out this month. There are some diverse and interesting options heading into spring. Check them out below.
Blackass – A. Igoni Barrett (3/1)
A young Nigerian wakes on the day of a job interview to find out he’s been turned into a white man. It’s extremely Kafka-esque. The satire forces the black man to learn what it means to be white. The man, Furo, adapts to his new life, which also finds him placed into his first-ever job.
High Dive – Jonathan Lee (3/8)
This book follows an assassination attempt in 1984 of the British prime minister. It is told via multiple perspectives. It’s a smaller scaled, – and funnier – version of A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. The story entangles fiction with fact to explore how even the most average person can become engraved in history.
What is Not Yours is Not Yours – Helen Oyeyemi (3/8)
Oyeyemi tends to draw on fairy tales and morphs them into her own realistic, modern plots. Now, she will publish her first collection of stories. The stories are linked with the theme surrounding the idea that keys – both literal and figurative – open doors. The tales span a vast amount of time periods and locations.
The Association of Small Bombs – Karan Mahajan (3/22)
A young boy named Mansoor survives a small bomb explosion in Dehli that kills his two friends. These bombs go off all of the time in 1996, but now Mansoor must live with the aftermath of one hitting so close to home. Years go by and he moves to America, but when he returns to Dehli he becomes mixed up with activists against terrorism.
The Nest – Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (3/22)
A story about a dysfunctional family in New York City. Leo, who was just released from rehab, gets into a car accident that might wipe out his and his sibling’s joint trust fund, which is aptly referred to as “the Nest.” The story follows how family’s must come together and heal themselves even if they’re adamantly against it.
ADAM VITCAVAGE 