TOP SHELF

Recommendations of recent books from the staffs of a rotating list of Bay Area independent bookstores. This week’s list is from Point Reyes Books, 11315 State Route 1, Point Reyes Station. 415-663-1542. www.ptreyesbooks.com.

FICTION

The Marvellous Equations of the Dread, by Marcia Douglas: Subtitled “A Novel in Bass Riddim,” Douglas’ inventive novel spans 300 years of Jamaica’s often bloody history and is full of ghosts, music and redemption.

Confessions of the Fox, by Jordy Rosenberg: A genre- and genderbending tale of a richly imagined 18th century London underworld, full of puzzles and transformations.

Flights, by Olga Tokarczuk; translated by Jennifer Croft: Tokarczuk, winner of the 2018 Man Booker International Prize, pieces together a dazzling set of narratives in this sprawling novel of dislocation and desire.

The Third Hotel, by Laura van den Berg: An unsettling and elegant horror story set in Cuba, “The Third Hotel” cements van den Berg’s place as one of our finest contemporary writers.

NONFICTION AND POETRY

Spying on Whales, by Nick Pyenson: Smithsonian paleobiologist Pyenson dives deep into the murky evolution of whales to tease out how a dog-size creature evolved into some of the largest animals ever to roam the planet in this fascinating account.

Rising: Dispatches From the New American Shore, by Elizabeth Rush: A poetic reckoning with how climate change and sea level rise are already altering American lives and landscapes, Rush’s essay collection looks unflinchingly at our uncertain present and future.

Lo terciario / The Tertiary, by Raquel Salas Rivera: A heady mix of Marx, disaster capitalism and poignant lyricism that reveals the human consequences of neoliberal policies in the developing world.

New Poets of Native Nations, edited by Heid Erdrich: This groundbreaking anthology features 21 indigenous poets first published in the 21 century. “New Poets of Native Nations” is a finely conceived classic in the making.