The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation by Jim Clyburn (Little, Brown and Company). Reviewed by Kitty Kelley. “While this appears to be a staff-written book, it’s been read and annotated by Clyburn, whose 2014 memoir was entitled Blessed Experiences: Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black. A decade later, the congressman still stands ‘Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black’ as he gives to his constituents their magnificent history.”

Happy People Don’t Live Here: A Novel by Amber Sparks (Liveright). Reviewed by Keith Donohue. “The ending — which shamelessly relies on one coincidence after another — provides for a wholly satisfying resolution since we suspended disbelief ages ago. Even unhappy people deserve moments of joy once in a while, perhaps most of all Alice, who earns her keep by building commissioned miniatures and dioramas or selling her own creations to collectors via the internet. I almost googled her to buy my own little world, till I realized there’s no such thing as ghosts, or if there are, they reside (quite properly) in stories.”

Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida by Gilbert King (Flatiron Books). Reviewed by Mariko Hewer. “Shortly after Schofield asks God to ‘let [Scott] know love for the first time in his life ever,’ Scott begins speaking out about his involvement in Michelle’s murder. Although he’s often an unreliable witness (offering, for example, to take responsibility for all homicides committed in 1987 and 1988 as a way to commit suicide by death penalty), much of his testimony is compelling — and almost as riveting as the case’s astonishing conclusion.”

Palaver: A Novel by Bryan Washington (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Reviewed by Ellwood Johnson. “Family tension fuels much of the novel’s drama, including between the son and his homophobic sibling. ‘That’s the worst thing about him,’ says Chris at one point, commenting on the son’s sexuality. ‘Baby boy’s perfect otherwise.’ Every effort at brotherly love, it seems, is met with enmity.”

Planning Miracles: How to Prevent Future Pandemics by Jon Cohen (Knopf). Reviewed by Elizabeth McGowan. “The diligent reader is rewarded, however, in part III, ‘Surveillance.’ It’s here that Cohen embarks on a global tour of bat caves, live-poultry markets, insect-laden rainforests, bird observatories, pangolin rescue centers, and farm shows to delve into how colorful, courageous, and controversial scientists can uplift and undermine one another as they hunt for harmful new pathogens.”

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