I enjoy books that exercise the mind, consider a view that is not my own or that had not occurred to me.By coincidence these 2 titles came home with me the same week and both left me with new thoughts.
Writing an engaging story is a talent- being able to write equally well in different genres is a super talent. Gillian Bradshaw may be best known for ancient Roman historical fiction. If you think that sounds dry this is an author to investigate.
The Elixir of Youth is about stem cell research and family connections with a little "just who is the bad guy here?". The main character is an Oxford philosophy graduate. The debates she has with other characters and with herself gave me insight into a certain member of my family.
Ms Bradshaw published her first novel, Hawk of May, before graduating from Cambridge University. She has a style that I hope will flourish for many years. Recurring words in her book reviews are "intelligent storytelling"
Lauren Grodstein, a creative professor at an American university, is a new author for me. A title like An Explanation for Everything is very grand and has to at least explain some thing. In this case "everything" is what Professor Waite believes about creation. This story is creationism versus intelligent design defended by equally passionate characters from both sides. "A rumination on love and loss, faith in reason and faith in the divine." https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lauren-grodstein/explanation-for-everything-grodstein/
