Two amazing novels!

As a bookseller, one of the great perks of my job is that I often have access to my favorite writers' books before they are released. The down side of that is having to wait to be able to discuss - and more importantly, sell - the books I really love. So I am thrilled that today is the release date for two of the best novels I read in 2015, Lovecraft Country and The Opposite of Everyone.
Reviews written just after I read the books:

Lovecraft Country

Matt Ruff

Harper

Matt Ruff is one of our most imaginative living writers, and Lovecraft Country is simply amazing. It's the story of two African-American families in the Jim Crow era, dealing with terrors both supernatural and man-made. Ruff is a master at creating clever, sympathetic underdog characters who triumph - mostly - over their enemies, and his sharp wit and brilliant world-building make his books delightful to read while leaving you with plenty of food for thought. I highly recommend Lovecraft Country!

The Opposite of Everyone

Joshilyn Jackson

William Morrow

Have you ever loved a book so much that you finished it and immediately went back to the beginning and read it over again? That's exactly what I did with The Opposite of Everyone. Jackson gives us wonderful characters, with fully human qualities and flaws; her ear for language and dialogue is first-rate; her plots manage to be both surprising and satisfying. The Opposite of Everyone centers around Paula, a self-determined, overachieving divorce attorney who appeared in Someone Else's Love Story. The carefully constructed edifice of Paula's life begins to crumble when she learns that her estranged mother is dying, and the events that unfold - surprising, hilarious, terrifying, and delightful - will keep the reader biting their nails until the last page.