海角大神

These are the fiction titles our reviewers like best this month:

Indian Country,聽by Shobha Rao

Newly married Janavi and Sagar leave their familiar world of Varanasi, India, for a dam-removal project in Montana鈥檚 Cotton River Valley. As the couple struggles to find their cultural bearings, opposition to the project, plus the suspicious drowning of a Native American colleague, deepen old rifts in the community. Shobha Rao weaves an absorbing story of dislocation and memory. 鈥� Erin Douglass

The Last Assignment,聽by Erika Robuck

This historical novel, based on the life of combat photojournalist Georgette 鈥淒ickey鈥� Chapelle, follows her reporting from World War II to the Cuban Revolution to the Vietnam War. Erika Robuck captures the camaraderie of the troops with whom Chapelle was embedded, and the fearlessness with which she lived and died.聽鈥� Stefanie Milligan

The Art of a Lie,聽by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Dubbed 鈥渁 gladiatorial battle of wits鈥� by its author, this twisty comeuppance tale delivers. On one side is shop owner Hannah Cole 鈥� widowed,聽 aggrieved, and currently hiding a very big secret. On the other side is dashing rake William Devereux, lugging lies and dodgy motives of his own. Set in London in 1749, the story discourages easy moralizing about guilt and justice. 鈥� Erin Douglass

The View From Lake Como,聽by Adriana Trigiani

This big-hearted tale of a dutiful Italian American daughter is hilarious. After divorcing her husband, Jess finds herself catapulted to Italy and her uncle鈥檚 marble business and ancestral home. There, she meets an inspiring gold artist. Adriana Trigiani鈥檚 characters and dialogue are a delight. 鈥� Stefanie Milligan

These are the nonfiction titles our reviewers like best this month:

础濒驳辞蝉辫别补办,听by Adam Aleksic

Linguist Adam Aleksic takes readers on a conversational plunge into language change in our algorithm-powered, social media era. He tracks terms as they move from a subculture鈥檚 insider lingo to hot new hashtag to offline slang to verbal ubiquity.聽鈥� Erin Douglass

The Invention of Charlotte Bront毛,聽by Graham Watson

Graham Watson critiques biography itself while exploring the fraught life, creative output, and frenzied eulogizing of 鈥淛ane Eyre鈥� author Charlotte Bront毛. No one comes off great 鈥� not the father, the husband, nor friends such as writer Elizabeth Gaskell, who takes on the herculean task of chronicling 鈥淓ngland鈥檚 great enigma.鈥� It鈥檚 a compelling look at narrative-making. 鈥� Erin Douglass

Ring of Fire,聽by Alexandra Churchill and Nicolai Eberholst

World War I has been called 鈥渢he great seminal catastrophe of the 20th century鈥� by American historian George Kennan. Alexandra Churchill and Nicolai Eberholst, making extensive use of foreign-language sources including letters and diaries, have produced a vivid, insightful, and unsparing account of the war鈥檚 opening days. 鈥� Terry W. Hartle

The Martians,聽by David Baron

Science journalist David Baron鈥檚 captivating book describes the Mars craze of the early 20th century, when it was widely believed that intelligent life existed on the red planet. Well-researched and elegantly written, Baron鈥檚 account illuminates the origins of America鈥檚 continuing fascination with Mars. 鈥� Barbara Spindel

A Flower Traveled in My Blood,聽by Haley Cohen Gilliland

Haley Cohen Gilliland delivers an in-depth account of Argentina鈥檚 fierce legion of activist grandmothers. They were driven to protest 鈥� and investigate 鈥� the disappearances of family members during the military junta鈥檚 terror campaign from 1976 to 1983. The book is rousing, roiling, and awe-inducing. 鈥� Erin Douglass

Tonight in Jungleland,聽by Peter Ames Carlin

It鈥檚 hard to believe that Bruce Springsteen鈥檚 鈥淏orn To Run鈥� 鈥� one of the most acclaimed albums in rock history 鈥� was almost buried by Columbia Records. After disappointing sales of the young musician鈥檚 first two records, executives had planned to drop him. Peter Ames Carlin tells of the album鈥檚 creation, and how it eventually secured Springsteen鈥檚 stardom. 鈥� Joan Gaylord