And now for some non-mysteries …

If you are looking for something … different … here are some excellent books, even if they aren’t in the crime or mysterious vein.

  

 

The Little Red Chairs by Edna O’Brien

Back Bay Books, 320 pages, $15.99

Having made the above statement, let me say that this book begins with the arrival of a mysterious stranger in a little town in Ireland. At the age of 85, Edna O’Brien is still amazing. Her tone and style are contemporary, her descriptions flawless, her look at the highs and lows of humanity humbling.

Moonglow by Michael Chabon

Harper, 448 pages, $28.99

While labeled a “novel,” Chabon doesn’t hesitate to name the narrator after himself. The story of the narrator’s grandfather is a fantastical embellishment grounded in some authorial truth. Wondrous writing, startling humor, and a pet-eating snake.

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

Amistad, 192 pages, $22.99

Better known for her children’s and YA books, Woodson has written a superb adult novel, set in the Brooklyn which has provided a background for her before. Four preadolescent girls come together as friends during a turning point in their lives. Lyrical and masterful.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Knopf, 320 pages, $26.95

If you were moved by “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, you will be by this book as well. Colonialism brought immense changes to Africa. “Homegoing” deals with how the trading of human beings into slavery affected two girls/women from one family in a Ghanian tribal community and their descendants.