A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
Atkinson’s astounding book, “Life After Life,” followed Ursula Todd as she lived and died over and over during World War II. “A God in Ruins” is about Ursula’s younger brother, Teddy, and is even more remarkable than “Life After Life,” which doesn’t seem possible — but it’s true! Teddy’s life is not about regeneration, but instead focuses mainly on his life with his restless grown daughter and his time as a bomber pilot. Atkinson creates scenes inside his plane that are so detailed and chilling, you can’t believe she didn’t live through the experience herself. This is her finest work yet.
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
A genius essay/memoir that explores love, literature, and more by one of the best writers in the business. Nelson, author of the amazing “Bluets,” centers her story around her relationship with the artist Harry Dodge (whom she describes as “fluidly gendered”) and unflinchingly recounts the complex nature of queer love, gender identity, and motherhood. Uncompromising in her beliefs, Nelson is sure to gain a cult following and popularity among fans of Susan Sontag.
Girl at War by Sara Novic
Ten-year-old Ana Juric lives with her family in the capital of Croatia in 1991. But when civil war breaks out across Yugoslavia, their lives are altered. Suddenly, food rationing, bomb drills, and sniper fire become commonplace. Fast forward to New York City in 2001. Ana is a student in Manhattan, but, haunted by the events of the war a decade earlier, she returns to Croatia to make peace with the past. “Girl at War” is a deeply affecting debut novel about war and its ugly aftermath, told with great love and wit. (Novic will be at Water Street Bookstore in Exeter on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 p.m.)
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Agnieszka and her family live quiet lives in a small village, where they are protected by The Dragon. But, in return for the safety of their town, once every 10 years, the mysterious Dragon comes to the village and selects a young woman to accompany him back to his castle. Everyone is sure this time he will pick Kasia, Agnieszka’s beautiful best friend, but when Agnieszka herself is chosen, she is torn from all she knows and loves, and must make her way alone in the Dragon’s castle. Fiercely independent, clever, and head strong, she doesn’t take it lying down, but instead rebels against her situation as much as she can. “Uprooted” is a wonderful, enchanting fairy tale, and Agnieszka is a kick-ass heroine for the ages.
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson is so smart that he’s at a whole other level of genius, and “Seveneves” is another brilliant mind-bender, about a race against the end of the world and a group of humans who beat extinction by voyaging into space. Five thousand years later, their progeny embark on a mission to a long forgotten alien planet: Earth. Wildly imaginative, “Seveneves” is a wonderful space thriller that builds off of real situations threatening our planet.