Demon Copperhead
Barbara Kingsolver
Kingsolver reworks David Copperfield into Appalachia and the opioid crisis, and it's devastating. That kid's voice will wreck you.
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★ 5In Memoriam
Alice Winn
A devastating and gorgeous WWI story about two teenage boys who fall in love in the trenches. It will wreck you. If you finished Shuggie Bain, Demon Copperhead, and/or The Heart’s Invisible Furies, and wanted more, this one’s for you.
★ 5A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Dave Eggers
Eggers raising his little brother after both parents die, told with wild, self-aware energy. Funny and gutting.
★ 5Bel Canto
Ann Patchett
Bel Canto by Anne Patchett is, I think, her masterpiece. (And I’ve read all of her books!) The plot sounds like it’s ripped from an airport thriller: An opera singer is performing at a millionaire’s birthday party when terrorists take the entire mansion hostage. But what happens next is anything but predictable, and the prose is gorgeous. I read it every few years and recommend it to all of my friends.