Mixing the charm of chick lit with the suspense of a thriller requires a deft hand; in her debut novel, From Bangkok with Despair: (Mis)adventures in D. C., Tichakorn Khroopan Hill is well up to the task. The book follows Joyjira, a Thai reporter trying to make a new life in the US after a nasty breakup back in Bangkok. Joy’s an engaging character, whose breathless love for Hello Kitty and designer shoes is balanced by her practical approach to the challenges of her new life and new job.

The camaraderie (and occasional savage backbiting) of a city newsroom is vividly depicted here, as are perspectives of the Thai community in the US, from restaurant chefs to international students. If there’s fault to find with From Bangkok with Despair, it’s that the book does so much at once: it’s a coming of age story, a Beltway thriller, and a romance. Joy’s distinctive voice and character are strong enough to tie the book together, though, and delightful enough to leave readers wanting more from Tichakorn Khroopan Hill.

A FRESH THAI TWIST on the chick-lit thriller! Charming novel stars a Bangkok reporter new to Washington, DC.

LOVELY, ELEGAIC MEDITATION by Julian Barnes on ballooning, photography, and the death of his beloved wife. B PLUS

LEVELS OF LIFE
Knopf
2013

EERIE TALE FUSES science fiction, horror, and suspense. Riveting, tense, and not for the fainthearted! B PLUS

THE SHINING GIRLS: A NOVEL
Little, Brown & Company
2013

SPOOKY, INTRIGUING JAPANESE noir thriller about a man on the run from his family legacy of evil. Sharp, smart. B PLUS

EVIL AND THE MASK
Soho Crime
2013

THE WARS OF THE ROSES and the women who masterminded their court intrigues and alliances. Fresh perspective! SOLID B

BLOOD SISTERS: THE WOMEN BEHIND THE WARS OF THE ROSES
Basic Books
2013

CANDID, COMPELLING, TOUCHING, often witty memoir of writer Anchee Min’s early years as an immigrant to the US. B PLUS

THE COOKED SEED: A MEMOIR
Bloomsbury USA
2013

THE LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLES of Wall Street, of the Spanish bullring, and of family life, compellingly drawn. B PLUS

THE COOKED SEED: A MEMOIR
Bloomsbury USA
2013

Wall Street and the bull rings of Spain have more in common than most people think. Both spotlight high-stakes struggles in a macho environment where bravery and originality can be greatly rewarded, or can end up in disaster — and both cultures are great settings for drama. Marc Newman’s The Last Matador draws its strength from the juxtaposition of these two worlds, and from the vivid details he captures of each.

The novel follows the fortunes of trader Henry Rothman on Wall Street, and his instant engagement with the bullfights he attends in Spain. Rothman sees the connection between the risks and challenges of his world and that of the corrida, but he recognizes a purer struggle between the toreros and the highly trained bulls they face. Cruelty is certainly a central theme in this novel; though Marc Newman’s portrayals of bulls in combat are neither gory nor salacious, the bullfighting scenes are wrenchingly accurate.

Human cruelty is on show as well, from the fierce egotism of the trading floor to the wounds only a long-married couple can inflict on each other. The novel doesn’t flinch from showing characters at their worst, but the complexity of the characterization saves us from suburban melodrama. The Last Matador is a fascinating read, bridging Hemingway and Cheever in its approach to laying bare a flawed man’s battles.

THE LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLES of Wall Street, of the Spanish bullring, and of family life, compellingly drawn.