Jess's Reviews

Barack Obama’s favorite novelist graces us all once again, this time with Jack, which delves back into the inner lives of the characters Robinson introduced many years ago with Gilead. Jack tells the story of the relationship between ne’er-do-well preacher’s son Jack, and Della, the Black woman he loves, and the complications they face in midcentury America’s racist society. Prepare yourself for the tender, stolid prose that characterizes Robinson’s best work—like a perfectly crafted Arts and Crafts–era table, it’s impossibly elegant in its simplicity. — Jess

Last year, Margaret Atwood’s partner of more than 40 years, Graeme Gibson, died at the age of 85. Her new collection of poetry, Dearly, encompasses the grief, beauty, and pain of that loss, with all the wit and skill that she possesses. Who can strike your heart with more efficiency than Margaret Atwood? You probably already know that she’s a brilliant novelist; after reading this book, I bet she’ll also be among your favorite poets. — Jess

What if I told you that your heart will bloom with the particular fusion of hope and sadness that only the feeling of being seen by a book can produce, when you read Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet? Summer is the end of that quartet, and it incorporates a love for the mail, the cyclical atrocities of internment camps, and the effect that political windbags are having on our children, while somehow also re-instilling faith in the power of human connection. —Jess

This cookbook is the perfect addition to any Italian food lover or vegetarian’s culinary bookshelf. With gorgeous photos, user-friendly formatting, and recipes that somehow manage to be both elegant and easy to make, The Vegetarian Silver Spoon contains everything you could ask of a cookbook. Great for vegetarian and vegan chefs as well as anyone looking to try their hand at the perfect contorno (vegetable side dish). 

It’s all in the title: Susan Choi takes the unreliable narrator to the next level in this book, challenging the reader to suspend all judgment and hang on for the ride. Trust Exercise examines perspective and character in a whole new way, leaving the reader to wonder at the end just what, exactly, they’ve been through. As in life, more questions are generated than answers. A great book to awaken your mind to the possibilities of fiction!

A collection of short stories written throughout Smith’s career, file Grand Union under Reasons We Revere Zadie Smith, Volume I. She is a master storyteller, and all of her skills are on display in these tales that take on love, immigration, motherhood, and racial identity. Each story contains a whole world of characters and places, and your heart will squeeze with the last line of each one. - Jess

Spies, treason, double crossing, triple crossing, and British manners: Who can give us all of this with such edge-of-your-seat excitement the way John le Carré can? Nobody, that’s who. This new novel by the master of espionage stars a British agent examining his loyalties in this confusing time of Brexit, Putin, and Trump. An engrossing read, with mordant, extremely English humor (or, should I say, humour) and a memorable cast of characters. - Jess

I was nervous about this one. Sequels can either be exciting and fulfilling, or a total let down, and I didn’t want to lose any love for the story of Gilead and its people. Thankfully, The Testaments delivers on the promise The Handmaid’s Tale makes. It’s full of all the grace, wit, and feminism we’ve come to expect from Atwood, and on top of that, it's a roaring good story. - Jess