Good reads

Radha: Wrath of the Maeju

Rishi Amatya

Fantasy Fiction

Radha is the first-of-its-kind fantasy fiction set in Patan. The book is about a young girl who is excited to spend a quiet Saturday in Patan Durbar Square with her brother and uncle. But an earthquake brings her dreams crashing to the ground—along with Patan’s temples and palaces—and unleashes forces that threaten everyone she loves. As the armies of darkness await at the border between the worlds, Radha must find the strength and resolve to do everything it takes to restore the balance. An adventure unlike any before, Radha is the story about how the titular character must overcome her own doubts before she can know what it means to be a god. 

Sweet Bean Paste

Durian Sukegawa

Contemporary | Japan

Sentaro has a criminal record, drinks too much, and his dream of becoming a writer is just a distant memory. He spends his days in a tiny confectionery shop selling pancakes filled with sweet bean paste. But everything is about to change. Into his life comes Tokue, an elderly woman with disfigured hands and a troubled past. Tokue makes the best sweet bean paste Sentaro has ever tasted. She begins to teach him her craft, but as their friendship flourishes, social pressures become impossible to escape and Tokue’s dark secret is revealed, with devastating consequences. Sweet Bean Paste is a moving novel about the burden of the past and the redemptive power of friendship.

Bright Young Women

Jessica Knoll

Thriller | Mystery

January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Tonight is a night of promise, excitement, and desire, but Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home—a decision that unwittingly saves her life. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime that’s captivated public interest for more than four decades.