Jamie Ducharme
(Holt)
When Ducharmeâs 2019 Time article on Juul came out, it was pretty tough to walk around New York without seeing the vape device. I was excited when I found out that article was to grow into a book, and the story Ducharme offers is a bizarre, somewhat frightening page-turner (and is set to become a docuseries, to boot). âCarliann Rittman, reviews editor
The Atmospherians
(Atria)
A woman named Sasha Marcus is harassed and canceled by menâs rights activists after speaking her mind in response to an internet troll in McElroyâs engrossing novel. Sasha then accepts a new gig helping her failed actor friend start a cult designed for men to purge themselves of toxic masculinity. McElroyâs conceit works on multiple levels, with incisive satire, earnest explorations of male identity, and a gripping plot.
Station
Story
Kanbara Tokiko is a radio personality with a very popular weekly segment where listeners consult her about their problems. However, Tokiko also has a problem of her own – her father Tetsuya who is her only immediate family. Now in his 70s, Tetsuya is a charmer and quite an extraordinary character while strong-willed Tokiko is in her mid 40s and still single. At one point, the interactions between father and daughter were so strained whenever they saw each other that they were on the verge of breaking off ties. However, they now meet from time to time for a meal outside. One day, Tokiko decides to write an essay about her father. To gather materials for this essay, she listens to his recollections of the family each time they meet. However, these are not all pleasant memories – the encounter with her late mother, the loss of his entire fortune and the shadow cast by the other woman … … Tokiko depicts her love and hatred for her father and the two sides of her f