👀 First impressions:Set in a small Irish town during the weeks leading up to Christmas in 1985, Small Things Like These is a spare, luminous novella that speaks volumes in very few words. Claire Keegan, known for her precise and elegant prose, draws inspiration from the true and tragic history of Ireland’s Magdalene laundries, institutions run by the…

👀 First impressions:Lessons in Chemistry was one of the breakout debut novels of recent years, praised for its quirky blend of feminism, science, and satire. Set in 1960s California, it follows Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist navigating a patriarchal scientific world that continuously underestimates her. When her career takes an unexpected turn and she becomes the star…

👀 First impressions:The Frozen River is a historical mystery inspired by a real-life 18th-century midwife and healer named Martha Ballard. Set in 1789 Maine, during a particularly bitter winter, the novel draws on the actual diary entries of Martha, reimagining her as a quietly fierce and morally driven woman navigating the brutal realities of frontier life. When…

👀 First impressions:The cover caught my eye immediately, elegant, soft, and quietly emotional, much like the novel itself. I’d heard comparisons to Little Women and was curious to see how Napolitano would take a classic sisterhood dynamic and ground it in modern emotional realism. ✅ What I Liked:Napolitano’s writing is gentle and graceful, even when dealing with weighty…

👀 First impressions:With a title like Margot’s Got Money Troubles, I was expecting a quirky romp. What I got instead was something far richer: a razor-sharp, emotionally raw, and surprisingly tender exploration of womanhood, ambition, and the chaos of financial desperation. Rufi Thorpe writes with guts and honesty, and Margot is a protagonist you won’t soon forget.…

👀 First impressions:I went into Demon Copperhead expecting something literary and layered, but I was not prepared for how immediately I would fall under the spell of its narrator. From the very first page, Demon’s voice crackles with life, humour, and pain. This is a bold reimagining of David Copperfield, but it stands entirely on its own as a…

👀 First impressions:Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow came highly recommended and with a gorgeous premise: two friends bound by creativity, nostalgia, and the video games they make together. As someone who enjoys character-driven literary fiction with unconventional storytelling, I was excited to see what all the buzz was about. ✅ What I Liked:Gabrielle Zevin’s prose is lovely.…

👀 First impressions:Liane Moriarty always piques my interest with her knack for domestic drama and slow-burning suspense. The premise of Here One Moment, a reunion gone wrong and the secrets it dredges up, sounded like classic Moriarty, and I was eager to dive in. ✅ What I Liked:The initial setup is strong: a tight-knit group of lifelong…

👀 First impressions:The premise caught my eye immediately, an elderly woman forming a bond with a highly intelligent octopus at a small-town aquarium? I was intrigued. I expected something charming and offbeat, but I wasn’t prepared for just how emotionally layered this story would be. ✅ What I Liked:Tova is the heart of this novel. Her…