Fates and Furies
Lauren Groff
A marriage told first from his side, then hers — and hers changes everything. Groff's writing is dazzling; the second half is the whole game.
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★ 5Matrix
Lauren Groff
Matrix is a mostly fictional novel about a real person: Marie de France, an orphaned poet and member of the twelfth century royal court who is banished to a nunnery. She’s an incredible protagonist: clever, ambitious, and fiercely independent. Anyone who fell in love with Circe’s dynamism will be captivated by Matrix.
★ 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.
★ 5The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing
Melissa Bank
A linked short story collection following one woman from her preteens to adulthood. Its exploration of love, dating, and ambition is sharp and funny and wonderfully honest; I’ve read it multiple times and always notice something different.