Summerwater by Sarah Moss

Set in a remote Scottish holiday park, Summerwater captures one long, rainy day as a group of vacationers observe one another through cabin windows, unaware of how their quiet tensions will erupt into tragedy. Through a chorus of interior monologues, Sarah Moss explores class, isolation, and our fragile sense of belonging. The writing is taut and poetic, and the sense of unease builds with every page. I chose it because it’s the kind of slim, haunting novel that stays with you. Perfect for readers who loved Olive Kitteridge or Small Things Like These. It left me both chilled and oddly comforted by its recognition of how much we all crave connection.

You can get a copy on Amazon.

Trio by William Boyd

Set in 1968 Brighton, Trio follows a film producer, a novelist, and a glamorous actress, each hiding secrets as they work on a chaotic movie during one of the most turbulent years in modern history. With wit and compassion, Boyd reveals the gap between the public lives we perform and the private selves we hide. I picked this because it’s lively yet introspective—a smart, entertaining escape for readers who love literary fiction with humor and heart. Fans of Julian Barnes or Nick Hornby will adore its balance of nostalgia, irony, and humanity. It made me smile and ache at the same time.

You can get a copy on Amazon.

The Removed by Brandon Hobson

The Removed is a lyrical, deeply spiritual novel about a Cherokee family still reeling from the death of their teenage son fifteen years earlier. When the anniversary of his death approaches, the boundaries between the physical and spiritual worlds begin to blur. Hobson beautifully intertwines grief, myth, and ancestral memory into a story about healing and resilience. I chose it because it feels like a modern elegy—mystical yet grounded in real emotion. Perfect for readers who loved There There or Sing, Unburied, Sing. This one moved me to quiet tears and reminded me of how storytelling itself can be a kind of ceremony.

You can get a copy on Amazon.

We Play Ourselves by Jen Silverman

When playwright Cass becomes the target of a public scandal, she flees New York for Los Angeles, hoping for a fresh start. There, she gets entangled with a filmmaker making a pseudo-documentary about teen girls who box—and when one of them disappears, Cass is forced to confront her own complicity and ambition. We Play Ourselves is sharp, darkly funny, and unflinchingly self-aware—a biting look at fame, envy, and female identity. I picked it because it felt both raw and cathartic, a perfect read for fans of My Year of Rest and Relaxation or The New Me. It made me cringe, laugh, and deeply reflect on how women navigate creative spaces.

You can get a copy on Amazon.

The Delivery by Peter Mendelsund

In an unnamed modern city, an immigrant delivery worker pedals through endless streets, ferrying meals to the privileged while dreaming of a better life. The Delivery blends dystopia, philosophy, and dark humor to explore how language and capitalism shape our humanity. I chose it because it’s unlike anything else—a slim, surreal masterpiece that feels as urgent as it is timeless. For readers who love Severance or The Trial, it’s both cerebral and tender. It made me think about how invisible labor and small acts of survival shape the rhythm of city life.

You can get a copy on Amazon.

Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic

Dark Horses is the powerful and unsettling story of Roan Montgomery, a teenage equestrian prodigy whose Olympic dreams hide a horrifying secret: her abusive father is also her coach. When she begins a relationship with a boy her own age, she finds herself torn between survival and freedom. I chose this one because it’s brutal yet empowering—a story of resilience told with honesty and strength. For readers who appreciated My Dark Vanessa or Room, it’s not an easy read, but it’s unforgettable. It broke my heart, but I couldn’t look away.You can get a copy on Amazon.

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

In Infinite Country, a Colombian family’s dream of a better life in the United States is shattered when the father is deported and the mother must make an impossible choice to protect their children. Told through multiple perspectives and spanning Bogotá to the U.S., it’s a story of migration, sacrifice, and love across borders. I chose it because Patricia Engel captures the immigrant experience with such compassion and clarity. For readers who loved American Dirt or Behold the Dreamers, this book will resonate deeply. It made me grateful for my family and in awe of human endurance.

You can get a copy on Amazon.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

In Klara and the Sun, Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro invites us into a near-future world where artificial friends are purchased to keep children company. Through Klara’s innocent yet perceptive eyes, we question what it means to love, to serve, and to have a soul. I picked it because it’s quietly devastating and profoundly humane—a meditation on empathy and technology. For readers who loved Never Let Me Go or The Circle, it’s the kind of novel you’ll want to reread and discuss. It left me staring out the window afterward, thinking about what makes us truly alive.

You can get a copy on Amazon.