Three Books I'm Reading Now, 7/28/25 Edition

The Books I'm Reading Now

I've been reading several books that surprised me, turning societal norms on their head and exploring unorthodox relationships, futuristic possibilities, and stories within stories that illuminate people's complicated natures.

What are you reading, bookworms?

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01 I'll Be Right Here by Amy Bloom

Gazala must be crafty, humble, and alert to get by as a Jew while World War II envelops Paris. When she emigrates to New York City, she is befriended by two strong young sisters, Anne and Alma, and Gazala's adopted brother Samir joins them in Manhattan.

I'll Be Right Here tracks decades in their lives, including victories, pain, unorthodox choices, and love.

I received a prepublication edition of this title, which was published June 24, courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.

Bloom is also the author of White Houses, which I gave 5 Bossy stars, the heartbreakingly beautiful In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss, Away, Lucky Us, Come to Me: Stories, and A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You: Stories.

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02 Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

Adjunct professor Zelu has just told off a foolish, privileged, antagonistic student (and then told off her boss), so now she's unemployed as well as disabled and overwhelmed by her overly controlling and opinionated family.

At rock bottom, she allows her subconscious to develop a rich imagined world and story completely unlike her stilted literary attempts of the past. The book takes off like a rocket, changing almost everything in her life.

Yet her ties to her parents' home country of Nigeria remain constant, as does her desire for adventure, her unwillingness to compromise, and her disinterest in doing the expected.

Okorafor is also the author of the Binti trilogy, Akata Witch, Noor, Remote Control, and other works.

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03 The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

A mysterious therapy center lies in the California desert, and its services are free, but they're only accessible to those who are desperately sad and who are able to pass a rigorous application process.

The treatment available allows those who are grieving or coping with tragedy to soften their emotions and emerge better able to function without debilitating sorrow, but participating requires traveling to California, consenting to receiving mysterious, purportedly helpful injections while unconscious, and being put to sleep for a matter or weeks or months. The process is controversial and, for some, carries the side effect of losing all emotion around the loss--which can lead to a different level of sadness in itself.

After a canceled flight, a carload of people head on a cross-country journey to the "poppy fields," as the facility is nicknamed, but each has a different goal in reaching their destination, and not everyone is being forthcoming about their reasons for going. One had a rejected application, one is a hopeful participant, one lost a brother after he spent time there...and one is sisters with the CEO and founder of the system.

Erlick is also the author of The Measure.