Welcome to On Rotation. It’s a running glimpse into what we (the Curators) are reading at the moment. Whether it’s a new release, a hidden gem, or a long-time favourite we’re finally diving into, this space is where we share what’s on our nightstands (or in our tote bags). Consider it your behind-the-scenes pass into our reading lives; candid reactions, and all.

---

Sheri

I’m currently reading The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende for The Indulgent Bibliophile Bookclub. The story follows the Trueba family and so far, it’s giving family drama, political turmoil, and more than a sprinkle of the supernatural. It reads like a Latin American telenovela, but literary, layered, and with such multifaceted characters.

Every page feels like peeling back another layer of the onion and although it took me over 30% to get into the story, I’m well and truly sucked in now. I’m already side-eyeing half the characters, deeply attached to the other half, and fully bracing myself for heartbreak because although this is my first read by Allende, I can already tell she doesn’t do gentle.

 

Esther

My current read is Edge of Here by Kelechi Okafor. It’s a collection of short stories that closely reminds me of Ghostroots, Intruders, and What It Means When A Man Falls From The Sky. The first story, which I’m still reading, centers on two lovers who meet in different lifetimes in a continuous loop.

The narrative style of this story is reminiscent of the one in An Orchestra of Minorities. Readers become ‘honorary watchers’ as the years peel their layers to reveal the truths of the characters. I am intrigued by this story, but I hope the other stories rock my boat harder than this.

 

Tamar

I’m still on my paranormal reading streak, and Witch of the Wolves by Kaylee Archer is turning out to be quite delightful. It’s set in the 1800s and supernatural are hiding among the humans in their different factions. Our FMC, Cordelia, is a witch and her life is turned upside down when she finds out that she is half werewolf.

She is being hunted because a rival pack to her father’s wants her to basically be a broodmare (ewww). Enter our MMC, Bishop, her father’s right hand man and apparent heir. These two get along like oil and water and I am living for it. One thing that I’m really loving about our FMC is that she is smart and levelheaded. She thinks things through and doesn’t make rash decisions. I am really enjoying it.

 

Amyn

I’m back on my campaign to read more historical fiction and thankfully the audio of The Court Dancer by Kyung-sook Shin, translated by my fave, Anton Hur, became available at my library. It’s a heavy read but the narrative style is so ‘breezy’. Still in Korea, I’m enjoying this contemporary novel, The Healing Season of Pottery, by Yeon Somin, translated by Clare Richards. And finally for book club, I’m re-reading The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. It’s better than I remember.

 

Nenye

Your girl is currently juggling four books in true chaotic fashion. I’m deep into Ibis by Justin Haynes, and the atmosphere is rich. In many Caribbean cultures, the ibis is associated with misfortune, particularly because of its eerie, haunting call and the villagers of New Felicity village in Trinidad are experiencing an onslaught of ibis sightings, as well as a series of unfortunate events. Reading Caribbean literature is always a delight, and I’m taking it slow so I have something guaranteed to be delicious while tackling my other reads.

I like to have an audiobook in the mix, so I’ve been listening to Asako Yuzuki’s Butter. It echoes a lot of the themes in Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami. Both explore contemporary womanhood in Japan, digging into the layers of societal pressures, the complexities of personal desires, and how these things shape women’s roles in family and society. There’s a lot of introspection and sharp critique here, and I’m enjoying it.

I’ve also recently started Anxious People by Fredrik Backman as part of my quest to tackle his backlist. As always, it’s progressing swimmingly. It’s sweet, wholesome, and a bit quirky, offering that cosy yet emotionally layered narrative I’ve come to love from Backman. And finally, I’m also reading Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits for book club this month. It’s a hefty one, and I’m definitely still on the last-minute reader train. Hopefully, the journey is so worth it.

 

Joan

I’m currently reading and loving The Farming Of Bones by Edwidge Danticat. I needed something gripping and Edwidge has never failed me.

 

Uchenna

Currently 47% into Hungerstone by Kat Dunn. Gurl, I was promised horror and I’m still waiting for the scary stuff! Cinema Love by Jiaming Tang was a vibe-check pick, and so far, it’s been going fine. Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius is a book club read. My Kindle shows I’m 8% in, and the story flow has been steady so far.

I chose Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson for the Something Bookish 2025 Reading Challenge under A Book Set in a Place That Has Experienced Genocide. I’ve been slowly wrapping up the challenge, and this is one of the last books left. So far, it’s really good. And finally, I’m re-reading The Foghorn Echoes by Danny Ramadan because I love an emotional drenching queer story.

 

Humaira

Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood is a cosy fantasy book perfect for Autumn. Bella Blackthorne gets a notice on her 30th birthday that she needs to come before the witch coven council. Bella must prove her long-neglected powers are still worthy of serving the greater good. To guide her, she’s paired with an eccentric outcast mentor and a charming warlock who appears when she least expects him. Together, they help Bella face a series of challenges that will determine her future before the deadline on Halloween. This book has all the feels and is perfect for the upcoming Autumn season.

All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert is the highly anticipated new work from the bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love. In it, she explores love, loss, and grief with a candour and perspective rarely brought to the conversation. Liz talks of leaving her marriage, realising she has Love and Sex addiction and falling head over heels with her best friend after she finds out about her cancer diagnosis. What follows is a rollercoaster of emotion told in Liz’s frank and raw voice. This book will change the way you think about love, loss and grief and will stay with you for a long time.

 

Tina 

Babel by R. F. Kuang is a long staple on my TBR, when I saw that Rebel Women Lit was reading it as their August pick, I was like finally, I can knock this off. Babel is quite interesting in how it tackles colonialism using education. By transporting young ‘children of empire’ to their renowned tower of knowledge, the British Empire can keep the monopoly they have on land and sea through the power of language, literally. This is quite a long novel and I believe certain parts could have been shortened or just kept to the footnotes as being over a third of the way through, it has become a slog. Do not come here looking for action or a fast-paced plot. This is a discourse on the evils of Empire and has definitely left a bad taste in the mouths of those who cannot or will not accept the absolutely reprehensible actions of their ancestors that still permeate our world today.

I might have cheated with  At the Full and Change of the Moon by Dionne Brand. I listened to the first chapter via audio and fell for how powerful it was. This is one reason why I adore reading fiction written by poets. They infuse their prose with rhythm, feeling and a depth that your average fiction writer just cannot. ATFACOTM follows the generations descended from Marie Ursule who had orchestrated a mass suicide on her master’s slave plantation, but she could not condemn her youngest and it is through her that we follow the change of both the world and the family. I love historical fiction and when it is set in the region where my heart resides, I am going to gobble it up.

From one of the few white male authors I read and enjoy, Tchaikovsky’s Shroud is a science fiction romp through space. I’ve only just started, but this is shaping up to be a very interesting foray into man vs alien and what science can help us achieve. All about farming newly discovered planets, the greed of humanity is on full display as corporate opportunists send teams to delve into the unknown, hoping to secure new elements of wealth. But what happens when the aliens reach back?

Continuing Heremakhonon by Maryse Conde after a hiatus due to the horrible rendering of the text in ebook version and one of two Conde’s I aim to read for WIT month. Veronica is settling in to her new life and job, but is having a hard time reconciling her new love interest and the terror he may be causing the young revolutionaries as they protest the government of their fairly young republic. I love how Conde is never afraid to critique the countries in which she sets her novels as well as making her characters flawed and at times unlikeable, yet she always leaves room for them to grow.

My Most Recent DNF (because I need to rant about it): I read Mia Tsai”s debut Bitter Medicine a couple of years ago and liked it. So, on seeing her most recent release, The Memory Hunters, I decided to give it a go. My interest was further peaked when I read of fungi being integral to the plot of memory diving. I have a Microbiology background, so when I see fantasy using fungi within their world-building, I am there. However, a third of the way in and I only got a vague glimpse of the ritual using the specific mushroom to retrieve memories. Following an encounter with some would be anti-memory agitator, we are shuttled back to the capital and thus ends my enjoyment. What makes up a bulk of the first third is a lot of introductions to the guardians and hunters and how their relationships work.

Now I am all for building characters and showing the political and social strata of the world; but when that gets in the way of what should be the focus of the book, I begin to lose interest. I wanted more memory diving, more unearthing secrets, more confrontations instead of docile acquiescence, more background on the memory black market, more mushroom use (with a name like blood chalice, who wouldn’t?). I wanted more memorying. Relationships and the world engine can be built as we move through the book, getting to see just what memory diving can achieve. When a book seems bent on hampering my enjoyment, I tend to exit stage left. As much as I hate to do that with BIPOC books, for my mental health, I just have to.