by Karen Yvonne Hamilton March 30, 2025
As picky about novels as I am, I am astonished to find that I did read TEN good books thus far this year! Since finishing graduate school, I tend to be a bit tired of writing reviews, but you’ll find a few reviews that I wrote here.
If you’re looking for your next good read, I recommend these highly. I include the Goodreads link so you can read more about what the book is about.
10
The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig
“From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love?”
from Goodreads
9
The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold
“This searing YA debut follows two teen girls as they fall in love and fight for survival in an abandoned bookstore, just weeks before another cataclysmic storm threatens to bring about the end of the world. Perfect for fans of Station Eleven and The Last of Us!”
from Goodreads
8
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
A very pleasant read. Moore offers up an intriguing mystery that kept me turning pages and made me reluctant to put down the book.
“When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide. As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances.”
from Goodreads
7
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Rarely do I find two books in a row that pull me in and challenge me. Wild Dark Shore is more than a mystery to solve, more than a romance, more than the average story. It has so many layers that McConaghy weaves magically into a story that leaves you questioning parent/child relationships, grief, madness, and the very salvation of our world.
This is NOT an apocalyptic novel; it is present day, and the demise of our world is a very real threat.
My favorite quote: “Is this how you feel after being swept in on a current? Will you change shape and put down roots? Or carry on in search of somewhere better?”
“A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, the characters must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.”
from Goodreads
6
Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray
Amazing! Moved to my top ten novels page.
It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom’s Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last. As World War II unfolds in the small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.
from Goodreads and Amazon
5
James by Percival Everett
A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view…this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before.
from Goodreads
4
The Words That Remain by Stênio Gardel, Bruna Dantas Lobato (Translation)
This is an oddly written little book. I like odd. Reminiscent of Faulkner and Whitman to me in its disjointed stream of consciousness way. Punctuation is optional. It is often difficult to determine who is speaking as the conversations run together. It took a bit of work, in other words. But I like that because it suggests to me a writer who is writing from a deeply personal space, and I want to get to know him.
This is how our minds work, is it not? Disjointed, passing from past to present to future in an instant and then back again. Like poetry, the words here in this novel are all feeling. Like poetry, the words convey all the feelings that words defy.
The themes of family and how cultural and political climates dictate (try to dictate) who we are. How do you move in such a climate? How do you survive in such a climate? And given our current political climate in the United States, how do you rise above the hate, indivision, and exclusion to carve out a life that is your true life?
Ah, I could go on, but the words stand. They mean something profound, but you will have to leave your insulated world of what passes for normalcy to reach their meaning. I encourage you to do so.
Exploring Brazil’s little-known hinterland as well its urban haunts, this is a sweeping novel of repression, violence, and shame, along with their flip side: survival, endurance, and the ultimate triumph of an unforgettable figure on society’s margins. The Words That Remain explores the universal power of the written word and language, and how they affect all our relationships.
from Goodreads
3
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni
Took me less than 2 days because it was hard to put down. Still crying.
Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” or Sam “Hell” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open—bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.
from Goodreads
2
Isaac’s Song by Daniel Black
It took me two days to read, a sure sign of a worthy novel. “Just assemble the pieces and let the story speak for itself. You don’t need a hero. Or a villain. Just a complete story.” Black did just that. The novel at its core is about identity and how we come (finally) to accept who we are despite what society has taught us to believe is ‘normal.’. There is no one villain, no one hero. Every character is both. We are all doing our best but none of us is perfect.
Black’s novel takes the reader through one man’s journey to reconcile his relationships to parents, friends, partners, community and find out how he fits as his authentic self among them all. The result is a story that should resonate with every single reader as we all have our own ‘baggage’ to unpack.
…a poignant, emotionally exuberant novel about a young queer Black man finding his voice in 1980s Chicago—a novel of family, forgiveness and perseverance…
from Goodreads
1
The Raffle Baby by Ruth Talbot
You know how I frequently lament the formulaic drivel that is so often touted as “Bestseller” or “Best Novel of (insert year)”. Today I finished a book (in less than two days) that blows all those so-called bestsellers out of the water.
This novel was rejected over 85 times by agents and publishers before the author decided to self-publish. THIS is a bestseller. THIS is the best novel that I have read in years. THIS is the novel they should make into a movie.
With precise, breathtaking prose and hints of magical realism, Ruth Talbot tells the tale of three orphans as they crisscross the country in the 1930s, riding the rails, chasing the harvests, and stealing when they must. Their destination is always the same: survival.
from Goodreads
The Raffle Baby by Ruth Talbot does what a novel should do. I could break it down into ‘the formula’ if I was so inclined. But the ‘formula,’ the blueprint, is so well concealed that I would have to put some thought into finding it.
It isn’t a particularly long novel, only 154 pages, but perhaps that is precisely why it is so impactful. The author does not ramble on to make up the requisite 300 pages; she dives right in and pulls the reader from one thought, one event, one thread to the next one without wordy ruminations.
As always, if I need to have a pencil in hand while reading to underline sentences, then I know I am into something worthwhile.
“The most important moment of your life does not declare itself while it is approaching.”
“Is it not true that the landscape of our lives changes depending on the company we keep?”
Thought provoking, stop in your reading and THINK sentences. All interwoven in a compelling story that touches on universal themes like friendship, grief, and courage.
The agents and publishers missed out on this gem. Bless Talbot for having the courage to self-publish. The Raffle Baby has all the makings of a timeless classic.
Other Rivers 
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