Brooks's Reviews

Carlo Rovelli’s new essay collection is an absolute balm for the anxiety of recent years. Informative and hopeful, Rovelli takes the reader through history, literature, and science to show both the interconnectedness of these subjects and of us all. He has always had a gift for relating complex topics in simple prose, and he does the same here. This collection was a joy to read and I eagerly await what he publishes next.  —Brooks

For fans of Annie Dillard and Mary Oliver comes Kerri ní Dochartaigh’s Thin Places. The daughter of a Protestant and a Catholic, Dochartaigh grew up in Ireland during the Troubles and writes of finding solace and healing in the wild landscape and water. Empathetic and poetic in style and intimate in nature, her memoir is unique in its open-faced honesty. This book is definitely one to reflect on.  —Brooks

If Orwell’s 1984 and VanderMeer’s Annihilation had a baby during the Cold War, it would be this book. In an era where three AIs control most global decisions and most humans have digitized their consciousness, the totalitarian Caspian Republic is the last stronghold of “classical” humanity. When complacent bureaucrat Agent Nikolai South is tasked with a high-risk mission, his morals and regrets collide with the interests of the state, in a compelling blend of mystery, politics, ethics, and technology.  —Brooks

This gorgeous visual compendium, assembled from more than 100 tarot decks and 500 years of history, explores the symbolic and esoteric roots of each card. Featuring anonymous artists rarely seen before, modern masters, and today’s most talented illustrators, this book is stunning as well as informative. I love unique and comprehensive books like this, and I can’t wait to add it to my library.—Brooks

The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes is as infuriating as it is fascinating. It chronicles the erased history of Scottish aristocrat Ewan Forbes, a transgender man whose life spanned most of the 20th century and established important legal precent for trans rights. The suppression of his story and the facts of his case by the UK government has inhibited the expansion of trans rights for decades. Now rescued from obscurity, I hope this timely addition to trans history will help secure the still-vulnerable rights of trans people in the courts internationally.—Brooks

In Mordew, Nathan, a young boy living in the slums of a great city besieged by tidal waves and fire birds, has the potential to topple the world order. This archetypal city is ruled over by the Master, a superhuman magician feeding on the body of God kept hidden in his catacombs. This book has the most interesting and macabre fantasy world I’ve read in a long time. Instantly fascinating and absorbing! I’m very excited for the rest of this trilogy. —Brooks

The debut novel of poet A.K. Blakemore, The Manningtree Witches, is utterly unique and hypnotic. This novel is a story of witches, of mothers and daughters, and of the way communities distort stories to their own ends. From the very first line, the lyrical, Middle English style transported me and made me feel acutely the paranoia and passion of the characters. I look forward to seeing what this author does next! —Brooks

Marzano pens an absorbing and complex investigation of trauma, truth, and the stories we tell ourselves. As Marzano-Lesnevitch shifts from her own narrative to that of a decades-old murder, her attention to minor, seemingly insignificant details brings the twining narratives to life. This modern true-crime classic is both furious and compassionate, and everything I didn't know I needed in a book! - Brooks

In 1833, a young Charles Darwin encountered the mysterious and island-bound striated caracaras. Forced to abandon further investigation, he set this mystery aside. In A Most Remarkable Creature, Jonathan Meiburg takes up Darwin’s abandoned torch and brings the reader on a wide-ranging, enlightening journey through the bird’s history and origins. Curious and intelligent, the striated caracaras are fascinating creatures, and I found myself utterly engrossed in their story. — Brooks

I am thrilled with Carlo Rovelli’s new book, Helgoland. In an enjoyable and revelatory blend of biography, history, and science writing, Rovelli takes us from the secluded island in the North Sea where quantum mechanics was born, all the way to the mystery-filled present. This book was a joy to read, and the accessible style kept me turning one page after another. It refreshed my world and reminded me that there’s always something new to discover. — Brooks