Booksology This list was inspired by a conversation with my mother about the recent book Riot Post on the SFF world’s backlist titles and the first book on this list. I hope that brings some old titles before your mind, and perhaps even to your TBR.
Cutting for stones by Abraham Elghese
Published: 2010
Born from a secret union between a British surgeon and an Indian nun who died at birth, the twin brothers have only themselves and each other to rely on in the rapidly changing Ethiopia. They share their passion for medicine, but what ultimately tears them apart is their shared love for the same woman. When the past returns, he must rely on the two who betrayed him. He must rely on his father, whom he has never met, and his heart-breaking brother.
The Lost of SakaJewela
Published: 2010
Debra Magpie Arroling imagines what the girl behind the legend of Sakajowela had experienced before she was in Lewis and Clark’s company. It is a tragic tale of tragedy, violence and survival over the merciless tsunami of colonial forces.
Past tense
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Freeney Langton’s Confessions by Sarah Collins
Published: 2019
Frannie Langton knows that Georgian London’s white criminal justice system can be said to believe that once enslaved black women are totally innocent when it turns out that their two employers have been murdered. That doesn’t mean she’s incredibly unworthy to tell because she might have something to them.
How many of these hills are gold by C Pam Zhang
Published: 2020
At the end of the Gold Rush, after his father passed away, two brothers searched for a closure and a final resting spot. Neither can agree with what they owes to their father, or what he deserves, but they are bound by blood and history to find a solution together. Meanwhile, his father’s spirit watches, reminiscing on the complicated path that led two Chinese immigrants to the American West. It is one of the most beautiful and exciting historical fiction novels I have ever read.
Want to read more backlist books?
A backlist book to cure reading slump
Non-fiction backlist gem
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This week we are highlighting our best new poem collection of 2025 (so far)! From deep and personal to powerful politics, many of these collections reflect the zeitgeist and introduce some fresh voices to the poem. Read the excerpt and become an All Access member to unlock the full post.
What about more than a quarter of the journey to 2025 already? I’m ahead of my reading goals, but I still feel very behind at the same time. But I’m packing a lot of poetry, and there are plenty of wonderful, amazing voices that appear. It’s early, but so far, the time to check in some of the best new poem collections of 2025 is totally time.
It’s strange how timely these collections are. Please note that publications move very slowly, so that books released in the first quarter of 2025 were probably completed in late 2023 or early 2024. Therefore, these collections were written in the preliminary stages of last year’s presidential election. Nevertheless, many of these collections feel like a throat response to the world today. A visionary artist is amazing
These collections of poems run a range from deep, personal to powerful politics. Let’s face it, especially when it comes to poetry, these two often do the same anyway. What’s most exciting for me is that of these best new poem collections of 2025, so far, is a fresh voice in the poetic scene. Let’s dig into those collections.
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