This month, I found myself gravitating towards quiet, character-driven stories. I often see reviews that say “nothing happens” in these kinds of books, and it’s true that many don’t have big plot twists or dramatic arcs. But for me, that’s kind of the point. I love the way a writer can build emotional resonance out of the small, ordinary moments that make up a lifetime, grounded in a vivid sense of place. Those are the stories that reach into my chest and pull out my heart, in the best possible way. Go As a River by Shelley Read and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan were exactly that for me this month.
That said, I still love a book that keeps me turning pages way past my bedtime and The Favorites, Layne Fargo’s glittering novel of elite ice dancers, delivered.
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My Favorites
Heartwood
Amity Gaige
Heartwood is a lovely literary novel that’s billed as a survival thriller but reads more like a quiet meditation on mothers and daughters, and how those relationships shape us throughout our lives. While one character, Valerie, is lost in the woods and fighting to stay alive, the story focuses less on her physical survival and more on her inner world – in particular, her memories of her mother and the strength she draws from them. Interwoven are the perspectives of two other women involved in her search and rescue, each grappling with their own maternal connections. It’s emotionally resonant, layered, and quietly compelling – right up my alley! Get your copy from Bookshop
Buckeye
Patrick Ryan
A spontaneous kiss between two strangers, Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt, in a small Ohio town on V-E Day in 1945 sets off a ripple effect of choices and consequences that unfold across several decades. While the world is fighting and blowing up, the characters in Buckeye are blowing up their own lives: falling in and out of love, marrying, divorcing, having kids, keeping secrets, telling lies, and dying. Ryan uses ordinary lives and long stretches of time to explore, with restraint, what it means to build and rebuild a life with someone. It’s not a page turner, but it slowly builds to a deep emotional payoff. I highly recommend Buckeye for readers who enjoy introspective, character-driven intergenerational sagas. Get your copy from Bookshop.
Go As a River
Shelley Read
Go as a River is a gorgeous literary novel about a teenage girl whose brief encounter with a strange boy in her small Colorado town alters the course of her life. It’s my favorite kind of story: reflective, set in a vivid landscape, and rich with nature writing that feels alive on the page. The novel shows how an entire life can unfold from one pivotal choice, with quiet but deep character growth. It’s poignant, heart-wrenching, and beautifully written. I loved every page of this book. Get your copy from Bookshop
The Favorites
Layne Fargo
The Favorites dives into the glittering but brutal world of Olympic ice dancing. Ten years after her final performance with partner Heath Rocha, Katerina Shaw revisits their rise and downfall to reclaim her story. The mix of her voice with interviews from coaches, rivals, and journalists makes it feel like a behind-the-scenes documentary. This is a story of ambition, obsession, and a love so consuming it can’t survive the pressure. Everyone here wants to be the best, even if it means betraying the people closest to them. I loved how messy and human it all felt. If you like Daisy Jones & The Six or stories about the darker side of elite sports, this one’s for you. Get your copy from Bookshop
Small Things Like These
Claire Keegan
Small Things Like These is a quiet, powerful story about a small-town Irish man whose discovery in a convent forces him to confront both his past and his conscience. The novel’s slim size hides its emotional force; every word feels deliberate and every sentence is perfectly balanced. Claire Keegan’s precision and restraint give the story enormous depth and resonance. It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after you finish, leaving you both moved and uplifted. No wonder it’s received so much acclaim. Get your copy from Bookshop
The Rest of the Stack
The Woman in Suite 11
Ruth Ware
The Woman in Suite 11 revisits Ruth Ware’s characters from The Woman in Cabin 10, but this follow-up didn’t land for me. Much of the story circles back to Lo’s past trauma and the fallout from events from Cabin 10, which felt a little overdramatic relative to my (admittedly fuzzy) memory of that book. The mystery unfolds through long passages of what-if speculation that felt tedious and slowed the pace. I appreciated seeing Lo again, but I missed the stay-up-late suspense that made The Woman in Cabin 10 so compelling. Get your copy from Bookshop
Atmosphere
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest novel Atmosphere balances the tension of life in Mission Control and on the space shuttle with the vulnerability of falling in love back on Earth. It’s less a space drama than a love story between two women, woven with themes of identity, ambition, domestic expectations, and the loneliness of breaking barriers as NASA’s first female astronauts. I was gripped by the high-stakes space crisis that came early in the book. The momentum slowed down when the book veered into the love story and I wanted to get back to the space action, but I came to realize that the romance actually is the story. The space drama is just a backdrop for the main character’s self-discovery and the novel’s thematic explorations. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I’d gone into it expecting a romance novel, which is essentially what Atmosphere is. Get your copy from Bookshop
A Marriage at Sea
Sophie Elmhirst
A Marriage at Sea takes you into the mind blowing true story of a British couple who sold everything to sail halfway around the world, and ended up stranded at sea after their boat was destroyed by a whale. While their survival story – featuring meals of gruesome fresh catches from the sea and the hopelessness of leaking rafts and far-off ships – is gripping, this book truly is a story about marriage. The narrative goes from the tedium and terror of their days drifting at sea into a more lyrical exploration of their marriage and what kept them together. I found it a bit uneven in that regard, but still a fascinating tale. Get your copy from Bookshop.
Notes on Infinity
Austin Taylor
Notes on Infinity explores the limits of ambition and love when two Harvard chemistry undergrads discover a potentially groundbreaking anti-aging protocol and quit college to start a company to develop it. I wanted to like it, but it didn’t quite work for me. Zoe, the female lead, and the storyline seem lifted straight from the Theranos/Elizabeth Holmes saga. And while the novel aims to explore the challenges women face in science and tech, it ties many of Zoe’s failings to her relationship with her male cofounder Jack instead of giving us a woman who overcomes bias to find success on her own terms. The first half, told from Zoe’s point of view, is strong and plot-driven, but when the narration shifts to Jack, the story starts to lose focus as it attempts to become more literary and introspective. The novel has an exciting premise, but I would have liked to see a little more originality and empathy for its female main character. Get your copy from Bookshop.
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