The Good Lord Bird By: James McBride

This account of John Brown and his raid on Harper's Ferry is no dry history!  It is laugh out loud funny, full of brilliant satire, and an amazing amount of heart (without being saccharine)!  Told form the point of view of a young boy, inadvertently kidnapped by Brown whom Brown thinks is a girl, whom he nickname's Onion-ya see how the book is already not a dry historical retelling! Don't tell the funny fool you though, this book will make you re-think everything you know about Brown and the prevailing thoughts and attitudes of the time and area.  Pure Brilliance!

The Inheritance of Loss By: Kiran Desai

Set at the time of Nehru's rise in India, the chaos in the country is reflected in all the characters n the book.  Desai's language is gorgeous.  She creates stunning visual pictures that have context, texture, taste and sound.  Unfortunately, it was an incredible downer.  Horrific circumstances and situations for every single character, with no let up.  It's hard to get into a book when it weighs you down...the beautiful writing is what saved this one for me.

 

The Hills of California By: Jez Butterworth

Butterworth's work is so deep in its simplicity.  The Hills of California  is a story of family, of ambition, of dreams deferred, and oh so much more.  It will stay with you long after you've finished it.

Yellow Face By: David Henry Hwang

What I really love about this piece is the absurdity of it and how the absurdity sneaks up on you.  Written 17 years ago, it is unfortunately, still relevant and the situations in it are infuriatingly still happening!! I do recommend the TCG version because Frank Rich's Foreward puts the piece and its author into their rightful place in the theatrical Pantheon!

 

English By: Sanaz Toossi

I can't rave enough about this play.  A deceptively simple play about a TOEFL test prep class in Iran, but in the end you realize there is nothing simple about.  Poignantly reminding the audience that language is tied to culture is tied to family, is tied to location is tied to self.  At times, funny (in a somewhat uncomfortable, on purpose way), deeply moving and always empathetic, this play is still in the forefront of my mind two years after I saw a production of it, and if you ever get the change to see this piece I highly recommend that you do so! 

The Roommate By: Jen Silverman

Oh, this one did not go where I thought it would!  A story that is awkward, funny, tense and deeply moving all at the same time.  A two hander for women of a certain age, this play is a deep look at aging, family and journey to self.  Really quite extraordinary.

 

Job By: Max Wolf Friedlich

A tense and dark two-hander with a gut punch of an ending. This is a prescient, taut thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you rethink your relationship to your screens!

Watchmen By: Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

Re-read this brilliant novel and it's more than a little scary how the country today is reflect in this novel of  almost 40 years ago!

Othello By: William Shakespeare

I've read most of Shakespeare's play earlier in my life and career. Revisiting Othello because it's on Broadway this season.  Maybe I was in a mood when I read it this go round, but it pissed me off more than usual.  It always focuses on Othello and Iago and the themes of jealousy and pride and Iago's conniving, but can we just give a little mention to the fact that the misogyny is massive in this piece.  The whole play is Iago using Desdemona as a prop, an expendable prop to get what he wants. Her treatment at the hands of men leads ultimately to her death as well as the death of Emilia.  I realize that the 1500's were a little less enlightened about women being actual people and that most of Shakespeare's work is misogynistic as was the time period in which he wrote and wrote about; but this piece is really a little TOO cavalier about it!

Babel By: R. F. Kuang

Wow-what a stunning book. Chock full of heavy topics, handled brilliantly and clearly, all wrapped in an absolutely fantastic story.  This one is fascinating on so many levels.  It covers, etymology, racism, classism, colonialism, business, politics, relationships, xenophobia...the list goes on, and yet it wasn't preachy, it is balanced and you will be riveted.