The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1)
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
A boy in postwar Barcelona picks one book from the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and it upends his life. Gothic, bookish, and totally transporting.
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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.
To Die For
Joyce Maynard
A woman who'll do anything for local TV fame, including talk a lovestruck teenager into murder. Maynard makes her chilling and weirdly funny.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Mark Haddon
A boy with a singular way of seeing the world sets out to solve the mystery of a dead dog and turns up much bigger ones. Tender and clever.