Shuffling of the Shelves: October Part Two

By Anais Aguilera, Katie Norris, Olivia Paris and Sophie Poirier

Amazon

This month celebrates The Fraud by Zadie Smith which has seen great success since its publication. This is a story that blurs the boundary between truth and fiction, Jamaica and Britain, and what it means to be the “other.”

Another brilliant novel finding success in the charts is Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi. When Aima and Kalu end their relationship, they knew the breakup would not be easy. What Kalu didn’t expect was to be integrated into the city’s corrupt underground existence and face the dangers that lurk in dark corners.

WHSmith

On WHSmith’s bestseller list this month, iconic writers such as Colson Whitehead are rising through the ranks, as well as debut authors such as Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah.

The two time winner of the Pulitzer Prize Colson Whitehead and his novel Crook Manifesto revisit New York City in the seedy light of the 1970s, where crime is rampant and the city is going bankrupt. The novel follows the life of Ray Carney, a previous ex-fence who is looking to stay on the straight and narrow – which becomes difficult when he is asked to return a favour. As we move across time, we see the place Carney calls home disintegrate under the fist of the morally corrupt.

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s debut dystopian novel Chain-Gang All-Stars is also seeing success. The novel is set in a dystopian America, where prisoners in the private prison system are transformed into gladiators to fight for their freedom, with the fights live-streamed for all to see. Thurwar is only a few more matches away from freedom, but her concerns about preserving the humanity of her fellow prisoners leads to defiance against the system. The novel acts as a critical lens on the American prison system, including its links to systemic racism, capitalism and mass incarceration.

Waterstones

Kick off Black History Month with a classic from one of the most renowned literary voices, James Baldwin. Giovanni’s Room was controversial upon its first release in 1956, for many of the same reasons it is beloved today. The novel explores the intersectionalities of class, sexuality and more through the lens of a man living in Paris. As this man, David, becomes entangled with an Italian man, he is forced to confront his identity, alone and in relation to others.

The spirit of another classic is being rekindled and reimagined through Percival Everett’s James. Everett takes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and flips the script, telling the story through the perspective of Jim, the enslaved Black man who accompanies Finn throughout the original novel. In James, Jim is more than a companion but the teller of his own story. He reclaims control of the narrative, imbuing the book with profound nuances previously left unexplored. Everett understands the character to his core, making this a captivating read.

Social Media

Finding a spot on Barack Obama’s book club list is The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. When workers find a skeleton on a site undergoing development, they didn’t know how many secrets would suddenly be upturned. In a community harmoniously occupied by both Jews and African Americans, McBride creates a novel of shared loss and ambition that crosses cultures. 

Noteworthy Author

This issue we have chosen to highlight American author Danzy Senna. Senna caught the public’s attention with her debut novel Caucasia, published in 1998. Caucasia was a highly decorated novel and earned Senna numerous awards, including the American Library Association’s Alex Award. Senna’s further novels include Symptomatic, New People and most recently Coloured Television, published in September 2024. Senna’s novels often include biracial protagonists and approach the unique experience of growing up in America as a biracial person. Her perspective is influenced by her own background, which she describes as Afro-Mexican and Irish-American.