“Eurotrash,” by Christian Kracht; translated by Daniel Bowles (W.W. Norton & Co., 2024)
This work of autofiction is a sequel to Kracht’s 1995 debut novel, “Faserland.” It’s a bittersweet tale of a privileged Swiss man, repelled by his family’s German history yet nonchalantly entitled regarding the wealthy, jet-setting lifestyle that that family afforded him. The character Kracht sets off on a sentimental road trip with his demented, aging mother, who is also addicted to both drugs and alcohol. Their trip is punctuated by both tender moments and painful memories, and it serves as Kracht’s parting gift to his mother before checking her into a sanatorium for her final stay. Exactly who is the Eurotrash here? (Longlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2025.) — 2 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“Time Shelter,” by Georgi Gospodinov (W.W. Norton & Company, 2022)
It’s possible that science fiction (or its alter ego, speculative fiction, if a thing can have an ego) is changing, adapting, morphing so quickly nowadays that we can’t keep plots straight. That’s certainly true of this novel set over unknown centuries and leading to unknown consequences. An unidentified protagonist, in alliance with a perhaps supernatural ally named Gaustine (whom we never meet), begins with a laudable goal: to help those suffering from senile dementia and similar conditions to return mentally to former days, to ease their emotions and protect them from the vagaries of society. The condition of the victims of dementia appears so reassuring and pleasurable, a return to reality in other times becomes the favored style of life for many. As numbers of victims and participants escalate, and choices and alternatives avalanche into new scenarios, the narrator realizes a permanent change in the conditions of the passage of time is impossible to maintain if humans are to survive. There are so many possibilities in this novel for futures, it’s a thrill to entertain them. A truly far-reaching story. — 4 stars out of 4, Bonnie McCune, Denver (bonniemccune.com)
“The Eights,” by Joanna Miller (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2025)
Miller follows a fictional group of women, part of the first class of women to be fully matriculated at Oxford University, in 1920-21. The group is nicknamed “The Eights,” for their residence in Corridor Eight. Readers follow their challenges, joys and disappointments, secrets and triumphs. The world was so very different 100 years ago, it’s heartening to be reminded how much progress women have made, instead of only lamenting about how far we have left to go. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver
“Sandwich,” by Catherine Newman (HarperCollins, 2024)
Three generations of a family gather at a small beach house on Cape Cod, with its one bathroom and sparse furnishings. Matriarch Rocky is suffering the many indignities of menopause — hot flashes, extreme mood swings, unfocused anger — as she watches her two grown children shine while she and her elderly parents decline. She is sandwiched between two generations, trying to be there for her young adult children and care for her aging parents. Soon, memories surface of past summers spent here with her toddlers, a time when she was overflowing with love for them but deeply conflicted about whether or not their family should grow. An unexpected pregnancy announcement by her son’s partner triggers grief over painful choices she made alone many years ago, before post-partum depression was openly recognized and when a woman’s right to choose was unquestionably hers to decide. — 3 stars (out of 4); Karen Goldie Hartman, Westminster
“Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us,” by Jennifer Finney Boylan (Celadon, 2025)
A coda to her 2003 memoir, “She’s Not There,” this is a set of themed essays reflecting on the changes of the last 25 years since Boylan’s “coming out” as a transgender woman. Lots to love here: Great writing, poignant memories, gratitude for old friends, hard times, and a truly loving partner. In this time of so much political hatred and misunderstanding about transgender people, Boylan represents hope that in the end, love will prevail. — 3 stars (out of 4); Jo Calhoun, Denver