British-Nigerian novelist Tade Thompson’s novella Jackdaw veers between psychological drama, dark comedy, horror, and metafiction. The main character, also known as “Tade Thompson,” is a writer and psychiatrist who has been hired to write a biography of Francis Bacon, a painter. Thompson’s own mind unravels as he tries to analyse Bacon’s life: hallucinations, apparitions (including…
Tag: books
My Education by Susan Choi
My Education by Susan Choi is a witty, intense book that examines obsession, desire, and the intricacies of interpersonal relationships. The book is fundamentally a coming-of-age tale that challenges our understanding of love as well as the ways in which memory rewrites and reinterprets our past. In the early 1990s, Regina Gottlieb, a 21-year-old graduate…
Omar Rising by Aisha Saeed
The follow-up book to Amal Unbound, Omar Rising (released February 1, 2022), centres on Omar, a bright and aspirational scholarship student at Pakistan’s esteemed boys’ boarding school, Ghalib Academy. Image Cover: amazon.com Omar is excited to join the astronomy club and football team when he first arrives, but he soon learns that life is more…
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2019, is a heartbreaking and exquisitely written book that addresses two of America’s most sinister realities: the pervasive brutality of reform schools and the lingering effects of racial injustice. The novel, which draws inspiration from the real-life Dozier School for Boys…
Educated by Tara Westover
More than just a tale of a young woman’s quest for knowledge, Tara Westover’s book – Educated delves deeply into the themes of identity, personal development, and perseverance in the face of hardship. Westover was born into a survivalist household in rural Idaho, far from access to modern healthcare and education. Her father’s strict views…
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman — A Journey of Personal Growth and Connection
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is a moving examination of human growth, resiliency, and the transformational potential of interpersonal relationships. It is much more than a tale of a sullen, reclusive man who is set in his ways. Backman tells a story that reminds readers that personal development frequently occurs in the most…
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro is a subtly devastating book that continues Ishiguro’s long-running examination of memory, longing, and the limits of what it means to be human. It is a combination of science fiction with emotional theme. This 2021 publication, which was Ishiguro’s first book following his 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature…
Space Habitats & Extraterrestrial Offices: The Next Frontier in Sightseeing
In the past, orbiting offices and space habitats were emblems of business aspirations and scientific research. These days, they are becoming architectural wonders and adventure destinations for people seeking a genuinely extraordinary vacation. Astronauts have long been housed in facilities like the International Space Station (ISS), but more recent habitats like Lunar Gateway and Orbital…
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson is a multi-layered, intellectually daring book that combines post-cyberpunk themes, steampunk flair, Victorian sensibilities, and cyberpunk aesthetics. In a near-future world where nanotechnology rules, this 1995 novel, which explores how technology transforms society, education, class, and identity, continues to be a mainstay of speculative fiction. Image Cover: amazon.com The…
El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott
In her most recent thriller, which will be published on July 8, 2025, Megan Abbott returns to the suburbs of Detroit with a gripping, evocative story of treachery, family, and financial despair. The downfall of the auto industry has left three sisters—Harper, Debra, and Pam Bishop—with a complicated divorce, rising medical debt, and a burden…