What We Are Reading in November and December

“The Other Side of Tomorrow” is a poignant, unprecedented middle-grade graphic novel in verse that captures the dangers and hope that come with fleeing North Korea for a brighter future through the lives of two brave children. Shy, resourceful Yunho hopes to reunite with his omma, while fierce, vibrant Myunghee is reaching for dreams that are bigger than anything the regime would allow her to have. The two are strangers until a chance encounter unwittingly intertwines their fates and Myunghee saves Yunho’s life. Together, they face a road plagued by jungle snakes, corrupt soldiers, and the daily fear of discovery and imprisonment, while clinging to hope for freedom. 

Lila, a New York book editor, returns to Kolkata after learning that she has inherited her family’s enormous ancestral home — and the secrets that lie within. Lila is reunited with her mother after a decade of estrangement, plus her extended family members, all of whom still live in the house and resent her sudden inheritance. On top of that, Lila’s first boyfriend wants to reunite, and her occasional lover is suddenly determined to make things serious. Inspired by the author’s own family history and lineage, “The Magnificent Ruins” is a sweeping multigenerational debut that intricately blends familial legacy, cultural silence and confrontation, and personal redemption

This darkly funny novel follows two sisters who are bound by an ancient secret: They were snakes during the Tang Dynasty in China. When Emerald, who lives in New York, experiences a violent encounter,…