The Shell Seekers
Rosamunde Pilcher
A big, warm family saga anchored by Penelope and a beloved painting. The kind of sprawling book you sink into for a week.
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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.
A Complicated Kindness
Miriam Toews
A sharp, funny teenage girl chafing against her strict Mennonite town. Toews makes you laugh and ache at once.
Erasure
Percival Everett
A Black novelist, sick of what publishing wants from him, writes a cynical parody that becomes a smash. Furious and very funny. The basis for American Fiction.