The Rachel Incident
Caroline O'Donoghue
Two broke friends in Cork get tangled up in a married professor's life. Warm, chaotic, and I loved every page.
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The Secret History
Donna Tartt
The Secret History by Donna Tartt is one of the books I’m jealous of other people for getting to read for the first time. In the opening sentence, you learn that a boy has been murdered, and the narrator, Richard, has helped murder him — the mystery, of course, is why. We go back in time, following Richard as he transfers to an elite New England college and becomes fascinated with a tight-knit, charismatic group of friends. The first time I read this book, I was completely carried away by the plot. The second (and third and fourth) times, I’ve been able to appreciate its exploration of beauty, morality, and the allure of belonging.
Sirens & Muses
Antonia Angress
Art school and the New York art world, told through students and a fading painter. Angress is sharp about ambition and money.
Man at the Helm
Nina Stibbe
A comic novel about two kids scheming to find their newly-divorced mother a husband. Wickedly funny.