Kaitlyn Greenidge
[isbn]
We Love You, Charlie Freeman is a story about a black family, the Freemans, who live with a chimp at the famed Toneybee Institute, in order to teach him sign language. Well, that's what the book is supposed to be about, but there's so very much more to this book than meets the eye. Delving into the Institute's past, the oldest daughter, Charlotte, discovers a history full of scientifically questionable "studies" involving apes and Black... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Michael Bennett, Dave Zirin, Martellus Bennett
[isbn]
Wow, who knew NFL player Michael Bennett was a visionary justice warrior with a worldwide view and the sensibilities for community outreach? He is, and he does, and he has the writing chops to tell us all about it. For a lady who hates sports, this book was so much more than I expected. Bravo, Michael, and keep fighting the good fight!
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Barbara Pym
[isbn]
A quiet study in solitariness, this is the story of four older folks who work together in a government office. They are nearing retirement and are realizing how little meaning they have in their lives. Though they are desperately lonely, their British "stiff upper lip" compels them to keep each other at arm's length. Pym clearly cares deeply for her characters, and this melancholy meditation is poignant and lovely.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Kazuo Ishiguro
[isbn]
A perfect character study, this novel depicts Stevens at the end of his long career as a butler in postwar England. As he reflects on his service, he begins to understand things to which he was once oblivious. What else has he overlooked in his life? Ishiguro absolutely nails this exquisite study of the reckoning of a life.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Peter Mayle
[isbn]
British author Peter Mayle and his wife make real their dream of living in the French countryside when they purchase a 200-year-old stone farmhouse. When Mayle's publisher complains about the lateness of his expected manuscripts, Mayle writes back a detailed account of the trials and indignities he faces with the upkeep of said farmhouse. That letter to his publisher eventually becomes A Year in Provence, and the book is hilarious,... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Paul Murray
[isbn]
Yes, Skippy dies, but what happens next is a perfectly told tale of an Irish boys' school, which is both hilarious and horrible. Here you will find the typical types: the geek, the jock, the drug dealer, the clueless teachers, the clueless administrators, the clueless parents. Murray is a wonderful writer, and he imbues his characters with the quirks, motives, and humanity that make this a stand-out school story. One of my favorite reads of 2010.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Ramiza Shamoun Koya
[isbn]
This is a heartfelt post-9/11 coming-of-age tale from the perspective of an 11-year-old boy — a boy with brown skin and a longing for a connection to the land that birthed his family: India. Amid anti-Muslim grumblings, Omar, his father Mohammed, and his aunt Amina try to manage their lives within the newly harsh focus from their peers, law enforcement, the government, and even family. Examining themes of emotional ties, solitude, tragedy, the... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Ali Shaw
[isbn]
A modern fairy tale, this gorgeously atmospheric island love story is so unique, I've never read anything like it. Visitor Ida is slowly turning to glass and is desperate for a cure; local Midas is also desperate for a cure for Ida. The imagination with which Shaw imbues his story is just so original, it's made me hungry for everything he's ever written.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Cormac McCarthy
[isbn]
It took me two years to steel myself enough to read this book; I knew it was going to be grim and difficult to get through, and it was. But, McCarthy's prose is so elegant, and his story is so heartfelt, it was worth taking his blows to get this stunning story. The residual feelings from reading this 2007 Pulitzer winner will never leave you.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Myla Goldberg
[isbn]
Myla Goldberg delivers a brilliant story of a woman whose life is informed almost completely by her art. Lillian spends every spare minute honing her passion for photography, and is thrilled when she gets her first show in a gallery. When photos Lillian took of her daughter are declared obscene, an arrest, a prison stint, and lawsuit after lawsuit blow Lillian's world apart — dragging her daughter along for the ride. Goldberg digs deep into the... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Lucy Foley
[isbn]
A New Year's Eve weekend at a remote lodge in Scotland is the perfect getaway for Miranda and all her old college friends. When the weather takes a turn and the friends are stuck with no way in or out, tensions flare. Yes, they were friends in college, but were they really? Is it just convenience that has the group getting together once a year? Do they even really like each other? Drinking, drugs, and isolation fan the flames of anger that strain... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Kazuo Ishiguro
[isbn]
One of the creepiest boarding school stories ever, Never Let Me Go follows the lives of Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth through their school years, and into their lives as young adults. Ishiguro's Hailsham school is not exactly what it seems — it's a school, yes, but it has a "higher" purpose. Trying to find answers to the questions that plagued their entire lives, the three begin to investigate the school and the people involved. By turns... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Joan Lindsay, Maile Meloy
[isbn]
An Australian girls' school plans an afternoon picnic at Hanging Rock, but events take an unexpected turn, and life will never be the same. The dreamy atmosphere in this novel translated perfectly to the subsequent film, but read the book first — it's so much lusher, richer, and gorgeous.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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M R Carey
[isbn]
This is the terrific story of Melanie: a young girl caught in a dystopic land, kept in a jail cell, guns pointed at her every day, and all she wants to do is go to school. Don't read anything else about this book — you have to just dive in blind. With an absolutely perfect ending, The Girl With All the Gifts is a straight-up fantastic, fun read!
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Bill Bryson
[isbn]
I can't think of anything more mind-numbingly boring than following the evolution of the English language — but wait, just kidding! — this book is utterly fascinating. It's a satisfying balm for the book geek hiding in my heart. Bryson is a national treasure, and everything he writes is both hilarious and informative. Trust me, you'll never look at English the same way again.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Steven Johnson
[isbn]
Set during the cholera outbreak in 1850s London, Ghost Map is riveting. Dr. Snow is the first medical professional to disregard the "miasma" bad air theory and look for real proof. By making a map of the "ghosts" (those who have succumbed to the disease), Snow begins to see the progression of the disease. Better than tracking a murder suspect, this is one of the best "thrillers" I've ever read.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Tatiana de Rosnay
[isbn]
Set during the occupation of the Vichy government in France during WWII, this is a heartbreaker of a book. When Sarah's family is targeted by the Vel d'Hiv roundup, she locks her little brother in a cupboard to keep him safe and promises she'll come back for him. A beautifully told story, this is one WWII book you will never forget.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Markus Zusak
[isbn]
One of the most effecting WWII books I've ever read, The Book Thief is narrated by the Grim Reaper (who is extremely busy, as it's 1939 in Nazi Germany.) Liesel lives with a foster family and becomes friends with the Jew hidden in her basement. Liesel's life is complicated with danger and scarcity but there is one thing she cannot resist: a book — no matter the consequences. Absolutely stunning, this novel is brilliant, and a must-read... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Jennifer McMahon
[isbn]
Jennifer McMahon hits another one out of the park with her sinister story of a family descended from a witch. Hattie repeatedly warned of impending disasters, and was hung for her foresight. When Nate and Helen buy Hattie's old property at the edge of a bog and begin to build their dream house, the townspeople are less than thrilled. Soon things are disappearing, Helen and Nate are seeing things, warnings are revealed, and evil (?) things are... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Rachel Ingalls and Rivka Galchen
[isbn]
Dorothy is not the least bit prepared to hear the urgent news on the radio: a monster has escaped a research facility in her town. She is definitely unprepared to see the monster walk through her door. A celebration of female sexual liberation, Mrs. Caliban is one of the strangest books I've ever read, but it is so well done, you can't help but root for the monster. One of the oddest love stories out there, it brought out sharp pains of... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Lionel Shriver
[isbn]
A blistering takedown of the American medical system, So Much for That is the story of one family's terminal illness and the financial ramifications thereof. Shep watches his retirement account flush away while trying to keep his wife alive. Shriver's characters are layered, complex and not always likable, but the situation is dire, and the story is riveting. So much for the "American dream."
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Ian McEwan
[isbn]
One of McEwan's stellar character studies, On Chesil Beach is the story of a marriage gone horribly wrong, almost before it's begun. Florence is particularly naive about the mechanics of marriage, and though she and Edward are close friends, they don't communicate about things that are vital. McEwan produces a book that feels like a veiled glimpse into the intimate lives of this couple at the crossroads of romance, desire, and fear.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Ian McEwan
[isbn]
In the blink of an eye, life can drastically change through no doing of your own, and this is precisely what happens to Joe when he and a group of other people try to avert a hot air balloon accident. A study in OCD, this gripping story is based on a real-life case of De Clerambault's syndrome: a homo-erotic obsession with religious overtones. Jed begins to stalk Joe, and his obsession threatens every aspect of Joe's life. Written with a sense of... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau
[isbn]
Ari can't wait for school to be over so he can jettison his family responsibilities and get his band going. But Ari doesn't count on Hector showing up... that changes everything. This is a sweet coming-of-age story of two boys trying to find their way to each other, despite several road blocks. Ganucheau's gorgeous art beautifully illustrates Panetta's story about the way first love overwhelms us, and the way we try to navigate it.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Brit Bennett
[isbn]
A heartbreaking story about shattered people trying to fix themselves by connecting to others, this novel is a stellar debut. The story of a tangled love triangle, a couple of fractured families, the constant pressure from religious authority figures, and three particularly broken souls is partially narrated by a group of aging "church ladies" — the "Mothers" of the title. Not only do they see all, they tell all as well; secrets stand no chance... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Helene Hanff
[isbn]
Hanff, a New York writer, chronicles her relationship with a London bookseller during WWII. It starts off as a request for books, but the friendship that blossoms over the years lasts a lifetime. Full of wonderful book talk, with Hanff's acerbic wit, and the charming — but struggling — booksellers at Mark's & Co., this is must-read for book lovers everywhere.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Alan Bennett
[isbn]
The queen of England stumbles across a mobile library one day while walking her dogs and feels obligated to check out a book. She reads it and realizes she wants to read another, and another. Soon, the queen doesn't want to go to dinners or openings or luncheons; she just wants to read. A completely delightful tale, this tiny story speaks to all of us who are in love with reading.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Alan Bennett
[isbn]
British national treasure Alan Bennett writes a pair of stories about ordinary people, the desires they keep hidden underneath their facades, and the way these intersect in their daily lives. Bennett is charming, smart, witty, and that man seriously knows how to write a brilliant sentence.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Herman Koch
[isbn]
Like the cover foretells, The Dinner is a scorching story of two families entangled in a problem bigger than they can handle. Koch skewers conventions every which way in this blistering takedown of family, politics, and the lengths a parent will go for their child.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Frank Mccourt
[isbn]
Is there another memoir so utterly effecting as Angela's Ashes? McCourt's hilarious yet devastating recounting of his Irish Catholic childhood overwhelmed by poverty is in a league by itself. Exploring themes of alcoholism, religious hypocrisy, parenting done both well and poorly, coming of age, both the annoyance and safety of family, the power of stories, the human capacity for suffering, and a scathing condemnation of poverty, McCourt... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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O E Rolvaag
[isbn]
One of the most overlooked classics, this novel is the gorgeous and harrowing story of the immigrant experience in America. Based partially on family history, Rolvaag imbues his story with poignancy and brilliance.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Ottessa Moshfegh
[isbn]
Ottessa Moshfegh spins out an intricate, layered character study in Death in Her Hand. Vesta is far from a reliable narrator, so her inner monologue about finding a clue to what she believes may be a murder is fraught with conflict, obsfucation, both vague and crystal clear interpretations of data, and the kind of scattered thinking that might indicate dementia. Determined to figure out the murder, Vesta doggedly pursues the cold trail,... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Sara Jaffe
[isbn]
The euphoric highs and the despairing lows of adolescence are explored here in Jaffe's Dryland. Julie tries to negotiate the crushing weight of her superstar brother while sorting out her confused emotions. She needs help to understand her own fogged mind, but the people she relies on only seem to hinder her, and she is caught in the undertow of muddy waters. A Portland-centric coming-of-age story that touches on the city's quirks and... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Chris Ware
[isbn]
Chris Ware has a way of depicting the somber lives most of us live with an aching beauty. Like Building Stories, Rusty Brown is a realistic slice of life, with characters and stories that look like our everyday, day in and day out. Ever the master of the subtle expression, Ware's story is an illuminated map of human emotion, and how he manages to do that with cartoons is anyone's guess, but do it, he does.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Nina Allan
[isbn]
A beautiful, yet painful, read, The Dollmaker tells the story of two unique people trying to find their ways to each other. Set on Cornwall's moors, this moody, compelling story is interwoven with several short stories, each of which packs a powerful punch on their own. Untangling themes of art, longing, misfits, taking chances, and healing from childhood trauma, Nina Allan writes a tale that both tugs at your heart and satisfies your... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Therese Anne Fowler
[isbn]
When the Whitman family moves into the quiet Oak Knoll neighborhood, they have finally achieved ultimate success: home, family, and happiness. But their arrival causes the unraveling of a chain of events, and there is no stopping what is on its way. Narrated by a Greek chorus of neighbors, who see all and know all, they are nonetheless drawn into the vortex that the Whitmans create, and the scene is set for an explosion. Fowler writes a timely... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Elly Griffiths
[isbn]
Elly Griffiths writes a spooky ghost story and a chilling murder mystery tangled into one creepy novel. Set in a school on the moors of rural England, with a haunted mansion and plenty of intrigue, The Stranger Diaries is framed by a sinister horror story, and absolutely every character is hiding something. Peppered throughout with literary references and — surprisingly — some spot-on humor, this is the brilliant gothic/ghost/school... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Aislinn Hunter
[isbn]
The World Before Us is a complex story about the disappearances of a young woman and a small girl into the same forest over 100 years apart. Based partially on an actual event involving Alfred Lord Tennyson, and narrated effectively by a chorus of dead inmates from a long-defunct local lunatic asylum, this novel deftly examines memory, social status, mental illness, self, and human nature. Trying desperately to understand what has... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Dexter Palmer
[isbn]
Dexter Palmer digs up an old gem of a story from 1700s England and puts his particular touch to this tale based on the real-life account of Mary Toft, a wife and field laborer who appeared to give birth to several dead rabbits. Doctors of the era were at first horrified and confused, then wondered if they were witness to a miracle, then later, despite actually delivering rabbit parts from Toft, were doubtful and suspicious. They called in more... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Erin Morgenstern
[isbn]
Erin Morgenstern is the kind of writer who, as she grew up, never lost her childhood sense of wonder. Her sense of joy. Her sense of innocent anticipation. Every page of this book rings with all of that. And more. The Starless Sea is a puzzle, a quest, a mystery. Not one, not two, but three unrequited love stories are tangled up with this fantastical story of bees, underground libraries, seas of honey, owl kings, keys, swords,... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Brian Doyle
[isbn]
I came across a question in a book group on social media the other day: If you were stranded on a desert island, which author's work would you wish you had? The answer bubbled up immediately for me, but I wasn't surprised: Brian Doyle. Has ever a human written such a glorious body of work? His ability to capture the human condition, with the enormous spectrum of emotions we all feel, is almost otherworldly. While you sit in awe of that talent,... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Philip Roth
[isbn]
At a New England college, an elderly classics professor lets slip a comment that is taken for, but not meant as, a racial slur. What happens next changes his life and reveals the carefully hidden past he's taken great pains to conceal. Exploring themes of racism, family, deceit, and shame, this is an amazing book, and it made me fall in love with Roth!
Recommended by Dianah H.
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George Eliot
[isbn]
This perfectly rendered classic tells the tale of a miserly tailor who loses all his money, but gains something much more precious. A great story with moral dilemmas, ironic twists, and insight into human nature at its best and its very worst. Gorgeous.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Kimberly King Parsons
[isbn]
In Black Light, Parsons mines the dingy side of life: the messy, the worn, the dirty. These stories are populated with the poor, the addicted, the liars, the wounded, the cheaters. Parsons deftly strings together this handful of compelling stories out of that muck of darkness. I blasted through this book in an evening, mesmerized by her stark stories, her hapless characters, the muddied insight into pallid lives, the feeble hope for... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Don Dupay
[isbn]
DuPay writes a vintage noir crime story that sheds light on the ugly racism and crookedness of the Portland Police Bureau in the mid-1970s. Long ago fired from the PPB, Frank is now working private investigations when he's hired to find a serial killer who's stalking the black community in North Portland. Raw and dark, with lots of politically incorrect language, DuPay's story is engaging with interesting characters and the tiniest hope of a... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Iain Reid
[isbn]
After being blown away by Iain Reid's Foe, I picked up I'm Thinking of Ending Things — wow, smart move! He's mostly a nonfiction writer, but, man, this guy can write the hell out of fiction. This story starts with Jake and his girlfriend taking a long drive out to the country to have dinner with Jake's parents. She's having doubts about the relationship, but sticking with it for now. So far so good, but hang on... this thing... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Cathy Ulrich
[isbn]
"The thing about being the murdered [fill in the blank] is that you set the plot in motion." With that statement, these tiny bits of flash fiction flesh out the murdered female and how her absence — as opposed to her presence — affects those around her. The importance of a book like this during this particular time in history is not lost on this reader, and Ulrich digs deep to expose and underscore the disposability of women; the way our lives... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Ocean Vuong
[isbn]
Poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel chronicles the coming of age of Vietnamese American Little Dog. His journey to adulthood is complicated by his absent father, mentally ill mother, the PTSD of his grandmother, and the revelations about his grandfather. Working through themes of family, war, immigration, tradition, rebellion, addiction, and abuse, Vuong's stunning prose is so packed with poetic language, it blurs the line between the two. Focusing on... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Patrick Dewitt
[isbn]
Where to start with this strange little book? The Sisters brothers are a pair of killers-for-hire: Charlie, the hard-boiled pragmatist of the pair; Eli, the reluctant, sensitive softy. Assigned their next hit, the pair begins a long and winding journey which leads them in a wildly atypical direction: they befriend their "hit" and events diverge from the normal sordid path. Packed with quirky, dark humor and razor-sharp character studies, The... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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André Aciman
[isbn]
The sequel to Call Me by Your Name is probably one of the most anticipated books in the literary world, and yes, it was worth the wait. The continuation of the story of Elio and Oliver examines the lives they've lived separately for the past 20 years, and it's genius how well Aciman recaptures the essence of these two. Untangling themes of loneliness, love, commitment, and the intangible idea of soul mates, Aciman writes a story that... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Jo Baker
[isbn]
Baker pens a timely story of the female experience today, and it's unpleasant — the experience, not the story. After a violent attack, our nameless narrator can only express that she needs to flee, to get away from the man, the memory. But it's not long before her new situation devolves into something far worse than the attack she fled. Baker lays bare the underlying problem of male/female relationships: women are often seen only in reference to... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Tana French
[isbn]
Tana French scores another bullseye with her standalone novel The Witch Elm, an engrossing story about an Irish family who finds a skull in a tree in their garden. I'm a total sucker for this kind of story; it ticks all of my boxes, and even though I figured out "who did it" about 200 pages in, I could not stop myself from racing through it. A mix of police procedural, family loss, communal living, and functional disability —... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Ruth Ware
[isbn]
Ruth Ware writes another twisty tale for us to devour. This time around there's a surprise letter from an attorney, a will to be read, new family members, and too many secrets to keep quiet. Ware does her typical terrific job of sussing out the motivations and fears of her characters, and her story is flooded with tension. She delivers the goods: a creepy psychological portrait of a family rife with lies and desperation. Delicious!
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Alix Nathan
[isbn]
"Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true." That old adage certainly applies to Alix Nathan's terrific tale of the rampant abuses inherent in the days before ethics committees existed. Rich, intellectual, science-loving Herbert Powyss can have anything he wants, and does, but it's not enough. He devises an experiment wherein a man will live sequestered for seven years in the cellar apartment Powyss has meticulously furnished with books,... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Miriam Toews
[isbn]
Miriam Toews gives us her fictional rendering of the hundreds of real rapes that occurred in the Bolivian Mennonite community between 2005 and 2009. The rapes were attributed to ghost demons, but in actuality, a group of male members of the community sprayed animal anesthesia in the bedroom windows of their intended victims, climbed through the windows, and raped the women and girls. While the crimes have already been committed at the start of... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Ann Patchett
[isbn]
After the death of her husband, a magician named Parsifal, Sabine discovers that he was hiding much more than she thought. She alone knows that Parsifal was gay, but now she finds he had a "long lost" family. The idea of finding a connection to her husband is so tantalizing, Sabine can't resist meeting them. Love, loss, and new beginnings are explored.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Amor Towles
[isbn]
Yes, everything you've heard about A Gentleman in Moscow is true; if I had my way, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov would be my dad. Beginning in 1922, Towles tells the story of a Russian count under house arrest in the Moscow Metropol Hotel, and follows his charmed (yes, really!) life for the next 30 years. The Count is an extraordinary fellow, with charisma, smarts, and kindness in excess, and it's pretty hard not to fall in love with... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Iain Reid
[isbn]
Oh, Iain Reid, what have you done here? What is this, and why can't I stop reading it? Foe is a book that messed me up — it is messed up — but it's also startling and original. Junior and Hen are a married couple, comfortably settled in the countryside, away from everyone. Even though Junior says, "We don't get visitors. Not out here. We never have," they do indeed have a visitor one night, and there begins the bizarre odyssey... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Susan Choi
[isbn]
What an odd story Susan Choi serves up in her latest novel about a performing arts school and its svengali, the theatre teacher. Yes, "theatre"; don't be a dolt and use "theater." Sarah and David have the kind of love story that often occurs in high school, but with the audience of their co-students, and the Machiavellian insertion of Mr. Kingley's interference, it's a disaster. When that bit is established, hold on tight, because this novel goes... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Garth Stein
[isbn]
Denny has dreams of becoming the world's best race car driver, but life seems to get in the way. When Denny's life careens out of control, his adorable mutt Enzo tries to be supportive. Enzo is quite ready to be human, so he deeply feels, and is frustrated by, his absence of thumbs and speech. This is a sweet, poignant, and unique book.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Patrick deWitt
[isbn]
Tapped as a "tragedy of manners," French Exit is a wonderfully dark tale of "rich people problems" held up against a backdrop of human nature. Frances, an aging and not very nice, formerly wealthy widow, and her hapless, directionless, man-child, Malcolm, flee New York to the anonymity of Paris as the end of their finances run out. DeWitt has captured a sort of A. M. Homes-ness here; Frances and Malcolm seem to "acquire" a motley crew of... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Eric Puchner
[isbn]
While Warren Ziller is watching his family's financial security bleed out, his wife, Camille, is making really bad public service movies, and their children are struggling to make a meaningful life of their own, something far, far worse is coming their way. A study in modernity, Model Home provides a template for a life gone impossibly wrong. As distressing as the subject matter is, Puchner's three-dimensional characters make this a... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Colson Whitehead
[isbn]
Colson Whitehead continues to be unafraid to expose the horror of the black experience in America, and to that I say, Amen, Mr. Whitehead. This is the story of a boys' reform school in the South, and the history of torture the boys endured there. Although this is fiction, the school this book is based on did indeed exist and operated as the novel depicts. The story of Elwood Curtis is a study in race relations and utter cruelty, and the... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Kim Barnouin
[isbn]
I only read this book for work: all those customers asking me over and over what the book was about. I thought, It's short, just read it... so I did. But the "bitches" straight talk about veganism struck home with me, and I became a vegan (several years ago now), even though I was always one of those people who said they could never give up cheese. For someone who hates change and greets it kicking and screaming, Barnouin and Freedman... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Marcy Dermansky
[isbn]
Rachel is in love with her writing professor, Becca is recently abandoned by her husband, Khloe wants to requite her unrequited love, Jonathan is unsatisfied with his new living situation, and Zahid just wants someone to take care of him. Dermansky gathers these various characters together and writes a scathing, hilarious commentary skewering modern life. The humor here is pointed and merciless, while the story is off and running — dragging you... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Antoine Laurain, Gallic Books
[isbn]
Antoine Laurain writes another incredibly charming tale, with themes on friendship, miracles, love, and dogs. The four main characters drink a bottle of wine one evening, and then find themselves transported back in time to the year the wine was made, 1954. But, once they've been transported, how on earth will they get back to their own time? Laurain has a writing style that makes you want to cuddle up with his books — they are so sweet. Dive in... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Rene Denfeld
[isbn]
Rene Denfeld, once again, gives us a terrifying, yet gorgeous, story about hope. Naomi, from The Child Finder, is still in search of answers to her childhood, and is drawn to the street kids who feel more like kin to her than anyone else. The wretched homeless explosion in Portland is the setting for a serial killer who feeds dead young girls into the river. Naomi becomes attached to Celia, a 12-year-old girl forced to flee; the threat... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Hely, Steve
[isbn]
A slacker dude decides the best way to get money and women is to write a bestselling novel... which he does. This is a flawless, hilarious satire of the book industry, and anyone who works in it should read this book. Hely is a writer for David Letterman, and it sure shows. Perfect.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Nathacha Appanah
[isbn]
There's something so unique about books that have been translated; the language feels different somehow — quieter, brighter, more lush — and here the translation is carried out elegantly. The Last Brother tells the story of Raj, a nine-year-old boy who lives on an island in the Indian Ocean during WWII. Raj is unaware of the war ravaging most of the world, but he becomes acutely aware of a group of Jewish refugees incarcerated in the... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Jackie Shannon Hollis
[isbn]
There was a time in my life when I thought I would never have children, and I so wish I had This Particular Happiness then. Here, Jackie Shannon Hollis attempts to reconcile herself to the idea of forever living childless, and the result is raw, bittersweet, and painful. Examining every feeling of sorrow, jealousy, need, regret, and pain, she unspools her story like the counselor that she is, always asking why, always digging deeper. Can... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Su Bristow
[isbn]
I'm a giant sucker for a selkie story, and Bristow does a admirable job of fleshing out this old Scottish fairy tale. Donald spies a group of seals removing their skins and transforming into women one night on the strand. He hides one of the skins, and soon he has a bride. Bristow tells a heartbreaking story about family, forgiveness, redemption, and loss; and if selkies aren't real, no matter, Bristow will make you believe. Beautifully done,... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Delia Owens
[isbn]
Wow, what a book! Delia Owens writes the story of a girl abandoned by the entire world, and how she survives. Kya is just seven years old when the last of her family walks away from her forever, but she has a deep love and understanding of the marshland she lives on, and a strength that is enormous. Though she's shunned by most of her community, she makes strong connections with a few people who help her. Owens writes poignantly about loneliness,... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Max Porter
[isbn]
Max Porter pens a slender ode to mourning and loneliness in Grief Is the Thing With Feathers. When Mom dies, Crow comes to meet Dad and the Boys, and he vows to stay until he is no longer needed. Crow is a sort of trickster — a jester, but a gifted wordsmith as well, and he's here to help Dad through his grief. Crow's literary fireworks seem to soothe (or, perhaps, distract) Dad, and a timid bond begins. Porter's Crow reminds me a bit of... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Sanae Ishida
[isbn]
Oh, if only we all had a Ninja Grandma! Little Kunoichi, her baby brother, and her pet bunny go to visit Grandma, who lives in a tree house island that does a secret amazing thing. There are so many fun things to do! But all is not just silly games here; Grandma Ninja has sage advice about the meaning of life, and the gifts we all have inside. Ninja Grandma is the best! Adorable!
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Cai Emmons
[isbn]
When Bronwyn realizes she has the ability to change the atmosphere around her, she feels woefully unqualified for the job. How much can she do, and how far can she go, and what is the purpose of this gift? Following her intuition, she boldly takes on catastrophes, but like a doctor, she understands that she must first do no harm. With an unusual storey, Emmons writes a tale full of science, faith, exploration, and maybe even love.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Max Porter
[isbn]
Porter writes the oddest, yet most compelling, some-sort-of fairy tale, complete with a chorus of villagers Who. Have. Opinions! on everything, a terrifying tree-man who might steal your soul, and a child who lives his life far closer to nature than anyone realizes, or perhaps, anyone else is able. Porter's Grief Is the Thing With Feathers was a book that came blazing in from nowhere, demanding attention, and Lanny is even more... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Ruth Ware
[isbn]
Ruth Ware pens a riveting Gothic ghost story set in the Scottish highlands, giving a nod to Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, and ratcheting up the suspense. Rowan desperately wants the nanny position at Heatherbrae, but when she gets it she's not prepared to care for three small children 24/7. And what is going on with the house? Things keep disappearing and reappearing, there are noises coming from the attic, and what about that... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Gregg Olsen
[isbn]
This is a thrilling account of two British sisters who come to a Pacific Northwest sanitorium to take a "fasting cure." They think they're in for a spa treatment, but they could not be more misinformed. Up against the horrid Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard, the sisters grow weaker as the doctor grows impatient to relieve them of their assets. One of the creepiest things I've ever read!
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Kate Gray
[isbn]
Kate Gray writes a poetry collection that uses the earth, and everything in it, as a medium. Her poems are moody with rain, and fresh with bursting spring. Her body, an island in a river; the moon, the woman she loved; the lives she lived before as a man — these are all ripe and ready for her pen. This is a safe place for women, for girls, for queers, for the damaged, for the lost. Just so gorgeous!
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Naomi Alderman
[isbn]
Naomi Alderman writes a blistering feminist screed that underscores the issues of the power imbalance between the sexes. It's a scathing takedown of the history of men abusing women, but also a glimpse into the ugly possible future of the tables turned. If "absolute power corrupts absolutely" then the dominance of either sex is rife with harm; Alderman is unafraid to spotlight the consequences here, and in so doing, casts an accusatory glance at... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Carl Adamshick
[isbn]
Adamshick writes quiet poetry disguised as an aching love letter to the mother he lost recently. It untangles other losses, too: his innocence, his security, and his view of the benevolent world. Stark and spare, Adamshick's poetry is tightly controlled, yet it is awash with love and sorrow and grace. Beautiful.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Nastashia Minto
[isbn]
Minto flays open her wound for the whole world to see in this stark and searing work that examines every feeling for nuance and meaning. First, there's pain, but with love, healing and redemption can catch fire and explode. Beautiful.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Peter Heller
[isbn]
Peter Heller writes a tale so riveting, it's hard to keep from flying through the pages, but his prose is so beautiful, you want to linger much longer with it. Best friends Jack and Wynn take a trip canoeing, camping, and fishing along the Maskwa River — it's their favorite activity with their favorite person, and it starts out perfectly. But they soon discover a rampant forest fire is racing up behind them, and yet, that is only the beginnings... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Madeline Miller
[isbn]
Yes, I'm a giant mythology fangirl, so I was excited to dive into Circe by Madeline Miller, author of the excellent and unbelievably passionate Song of Achilles. Circe is a lesser goddess, more of a witch really, and although it causes her plenty of trouble, she's more than a little drawn to mortals. Miller has an amazing way of bringing these mythologies to life, and it's kind of funny how human the gods really are.... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Peter Rock
[isbn]
Peter Rock's gorgeous exploration of his young adulthood in Wisconsin in the summer of 1994 is perfectly realized in his autobiographical novel, The Night Swimmers. The narrator strikes up a companionable friendship with a widow who lives up the road from his parents house as they share a love of night swimming. Rock so expertly depicts the confused unease of a young person trying to navigate relationships, it's excruciating in its... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Melissa Duclos
[isbn]
Duclos writes an affecting love story with her debut novel of expats escaping their complicated lives at home and looking for meaning elsewhere. Sasha and Liz both flee to Shanghai, and when they meet, they finally feel connected to something. Their love is sweet, and they're both drunk with it, but there is darkness around which they try to tiptoe. Exploring themes of home, loneliness, identity, relationships, and the ennui of the expat... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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James Hynes
[isbn]
Wow! What an amazing ending! Next is really an interesting book; the ending makes it or breaks it, I think. Kevin is just your average shlub, who can't manage to do anything without being distracted by the women in the immediate vicinity. He's so all up in his head, and it's not really a pretty sight up there. He travels from Ann Arbor to Austin, Texas, for a job interview. But before the interview, Kevin wanders around town following... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Michael Ondaatje
[isbn]
Ondaatje's gorgeous story of postwar Britain is told with just enough information to keep you hanging on. Nathaniel's mother deserts him and his sister to work in the war effort, and that desertion is the through-line that lives inside Nathaniel for the rest of his life. Despite her silence and his frustration with no answers, he is determined to unravel his mother's story. Ondaatje explores themes of abandonment, secrecy, trust, loss, and... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Jen Wang
[isbn]
This gorgeous graphic novel about a prince who's just a little bit different is sweet, thoughtful, and wise. Prince Sebastian has a secret that he keeps at all costs, but when he meets Frances, his life changes dramatically. This is a coming-of-age story which underscores that a "little bit different" is not only just fine, but it's also perfect. Adorable!
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Michael Zadoorian
[isbn]
A sweet tale that looks at illness, aging, and end-of-life choices. Ride along with Ella and John for one last road trip to the end of the line where they decide their own fate. Both touching and funny.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Chloe Benjamin
[isbn]
What if you knew the day of your death? Would it change your life? Wouldn't it change your life? The four Gold siblings visit a fortune teller as young children to learn the dates of their deaths, and it changes everything. The loss of innocent bliss — the unknowing — is gone, and Benjamin does a wonderful job of revealing how that informs their lives. At 28, Benjamin's writing is somehow deeply poignant and heartbreaking; it is heavy with... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Willy Vlautin
[isbn]
Oh, Willy Vlautin, you're breaking my heart with this book! Horace has big dreams of becoming a boxing champion, but in order to achieve that, he must leave the safety and security of the Reese Ranch. The Reeses treated him like a son for years after Horace's mother discards him. But Horace has a long row to hoe; between his bouts of confidence, there lies deep despondency and an aching loneliness. Vlautin is able to flesh out these characters... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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T Greenwood
[isbn]
T. Greenwood's Keeping Lucy tells the story of a woman fighting for her children and her own life. Set perfectly on the cusp of the women's liberation movement, this is a story about women: how they help each other, how they care for each other, how they are the bedrock of family and friendships. Ginny's daughter, Lucy, is born with Down syndrome, and is spirited away to an "Institute for the Feeble-Minded." Conspiring together on this... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Katherine Howe
[isbn]
Connie moves into her grandmother's house to ready it for sale. She stumbles upon an ancient key with a tiny piece of paper rolled up inside it which reads: "Deliverance Dane." The search for the meaning of this phrase leads Connie to witches, hangings, a bit of romance, a little supernatural phenomenon, and an elusive spell book. Katherine Howe is an art historian and her own ancestors include Elizabeth Howe and Elizabeth Proctor, both of whom... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Lisa See
[isbn]
An epic journey from Shanghai to Los Angeles frames this amazing tale from Lisa See. Sisters May and Pearl Chin survive and triumph over stark injustice and unspeakable horror. Complete with family secrets, tragedy, forbidden love, and a long history of female oppression, Shanghai Girls is a journey no one should take, but everyone should read. Stunning.
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Liz Scott
[isbn]
Elizabeth Scott shares the achingly real struggle to understand her childhood and her narcissistic parents in her hilarious/beautiful/wrenching memoir, This Never Happened. Raging narcissism is the foundation of her confused childhood and continues into her acquiescent adulthood; there is no escape. But she works hard to excavate the truth of her life, overturning each insane interaction with her parents, looking for answers, looking for... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Michael Chabon
[isbn]
Chabon uses a memoir-ish format to tell the story about his grandparents' often-turbulent marriage. Or, at least, that's what he says he's doing. Our narrator is Chabon's grandfather, who painstakingly retells the story of his complicated and troubled marriage. Addressing issues of mental illness, the love of science, death, grief, marriage, and the toll on family when one member is mentally ill, Chabon does a wonderful job. His prose is... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Peter Rock
[isbn]
Based on a true story, My Abandonment is the story of a Portland father and his teenage daughter who actually lived for several years in a cave in Forest Park. No one knew they were there, but when their story came to light, there was an outcry among the city's residents on behalf of the family. Peter Rock, a writing professor at Portland's Reed College, tells their story in prose at once spare and graceful, and manages to twist the... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Tom Rachman
[isbn]
This book! Rachman writes a gorgeous, complex, and mesmerizing character study of a man whose life is utterly overshadowed by his artistic parents, particularly his father. Skewering the world of art — both financially and aesthetically — Rachman's flaying is deliciously wicked; that alone could carry this novel, but there's more.
Following Pinch from childhood through young adulthood and into middle age, Rachman manages to capture the repetitive... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Sheri Holman
[isbn]
The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman is one of the most surprising historical fiction books I've ever read. Her ability to recreate 1830s England — with all its nastiness — is simply magical, and the seamless addition of an unlikely medical thriller theme just left me in complete awe of her writing chops. The story also includes one of literature's most astonishing characters: the laser-focused automaton, The Eye (who is, alone, reason... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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