—Black Diamond Detective Agency by Eddie Campbell.Campbell's “The Fate of the Artist” was one of my favorite books last year, and no one else read it. I'm hoping his highly anticipated (at least in the comic book world) “Black Diamond Detective Agency” does not fall to the same fate.
—God is Dead by Ron Currie, Jr. It has a high concept — what happens to the world after God's death is reported — and so therefore could be disappointing, but here's hoping.
—Easter Everywhere by Darcy Steinke. For an atheist I'm awfully interested in spiritual memoirs. Can't explain it. But my favorite spiritual memoirist from last year (Elizabeth “Eat Pray Love” Gilbert) assures the world from Steinke's cover that it's excellent.
—Be Near Me by Andrew O'Hagan. Anything he writes I will devour.
—Unknown Terrorist by Richard Flanagan. I always meant to read Flanagan's last book.
NBCC board member Jessa Crispin