This novel sticks to your soul. Amazing debut and lives up to the hype.

You know a book is good when you audibly say, "what?!" at the story's climax.

The women who help Bolick create her own path include Neith Boyce, Maeve Brennan, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Edith Wharton. They certainly paved the way, and Bolick provides a bibliography for those who will dig in and research the "Cult of Single Blessedness" more.

Thoughtful end-of-year gift from one of my students!

Timshel

"The magic is only in what books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us."

This masterful work of nonfiction explores the life of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman whose cells became invaluable to the biomedical research community. Henrietta's story compels readers to investigate the intersection of race, ethics, and medicine.

Words that come to mind when describing James Scott's debut novel: bleak, haunting, compelling. This novel explores justice and retribution, gender roles, grief and loss, and the relationship between parents and their children.

Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark is an absolutely delightful graphic novel! Plum, a whippet mixed with Jack Russell and poodle, shares a year's worth of diary entries that will remind any dog owner of her own pooch's quirks.

Although it can feel somewhat dated at points, this novel still feels relevant as an exploration of depression and mental illness, as well as gender norms/expectations.

Clement is a poet, which certainly shines through in her prose and brings both the landscape of rural Mexico and her characters to life. She creates a portrait of the strength, loyalty, and community of women in rural Mexico in the face of very real violence.

This 1915 collection of poetry compiles the free-verse monologues of former residents of Spoon River...from the grave. Each poem is essentially an epithet that gives us some insight into real thoughts and feelings of each former townsperson.

"I prefer not to."

Carpenter's debut novel, set in 13th-century Bohemia, follows Mouse, a teenager grappling with supernatural gifts that are tied to her mysterious past. Historical fiction with strong fantasy/supernatural elements and draws attention to a somewhat neglected facet of medieval history.

Looking for a fun gift for a friend or family member who enjoys a little Shakespeare but isn't afraid to admit that she listens to Taylor Swift? "Pop Sonnets: Shakespearean Spins on Your Favorite Songs" by Erik Didriksen reimagines 100 pop songs as Shakespearean sonnets.

The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff tells the story of Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe, the first person to undergo gender reassignment surgery. As a piece of historical fiction, Ebershoff does not offer a biography but rather an exploration of identity, marriage, love, and loyalty.

Stoner leaves his poor family farm in 1910 to study agriculture but becomes fascinated with English literature while taking a survey course. He begins his career in academia, eventually becoming a hardworking and dedicated teacher.

The second volume of the graphic memoir picks up as Mr. Lewis attends President Barack Obama's 2009 Inauguration but quickly shifts its focus to the early 1960s when Lewis emerged as a leader in the student movement to desegregate the South.

This is compelling graphic novel that recounts Lewis's childhood, call to ministry, and early work in the Civil Rights Movement. The narrative cleverly weaves these memories with President Barack Obama's Inauguration Day and establishes Lewis's role in shaping US history.

Parmar beautifully captures the voice of Vanessa Bell, a painter, member of the famously bohemian Bloomsbury Group, and, of course, Virginia Woolf's older sister. The novel is bookended by two important letters: one asking for forgiveness and one giving the reply. We experience the story in between.

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing."

Encountering the problem of salvation via the Southern grotesque.

The grim realism of Cooper's narrative is cut with the humor typical of the Southern grotesque, so while some of the individual storylines seem pretty heavy, the story isn't necessarily depressing.

"Conversation's got to have some root in the past, or else you've got to explain every remark you make, an' it wears a person out." Mrs. Todd gave a funny little laugh. "Yes'm, old friends is always best, 'less you catch a new one that's fit to make an old one out of."

McBride provides his reader with an opportunity unique to great literature: the chance to practice empathy and wrestle with truth.

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eludes is then, but that's no matter - tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...And one fine morning - So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

This crime novel is set in New Orleans, and the city itself is certainly central to the plot. Super fun and easy read if you are interested in a short but well-written crime drama.

Fifteen to twenty years after the Georgia Flu has wiped out most of the world's population, survivors begin to rebuild. Among those carving out a space in the new world is a troupe of actors and musicians who travel from town to town performing Shakespeare and Beethoven.