Shark Heart is one of the strangest books, both in form and content, that I have read in a very long time. Yet somehow, I find myself thinking about it often, even weeks after finishing it. 

Absolution is another novel I heard highly recommended by an author in a podcast. Published in 2023, perhaps you missed this gem like I did. It turns out I had read one previous book by McDermott, Charming Billy published in 1998. And, I am so taken with her writing after Absolution, I plan to binge her other seven novels.

Also published in 2023, I may be the last person to The Art Thief readers’ party.  It has certainly appeared on an astonishing number of bestseller lists, and now I understand why. Finkel writes with prose similar to that used in the best crime novels, even though his account is real.  He takes his research and interview materials and skillfully draws the reader into the stories behind the real-life art thefts.

When I spotted a brand new Ruth Ozeki book in an adorable vacation town bookstore, you better believe this beautiful little collection came home with me that very day. A Tale For The Time Being (read review here) and The Book Of Form And Emptiness (read review here) are two of my favorite books of all time, so I was eager to see how Ozeki’s masterful fiction would translate to this shorter form. These thrilling short stories do not disappoint!

Allegra Goodman has been compared to a modern-day Jane Austen because of her skills observing and writing about people in such a genuine way that the reader connects with her characters as though she knows them. Witty yet poignant storylines strike a chord of recognition that draw us into her books.

I love finding random books from library displays, and The Lost Tarot fits that description perfectly. It was exhibited with other books that are set in Toronto, one of which, River Mumma, I reviewed last month. (read review here) The Lost Tarot really only begins with the protagonist in Toronto, and the story includes multiple time periods as well. And despite the word Tarot in the title, the book deals mainly with fine art and how we credit its creators, as well as how a cult is formed and what it takes to break free.