Honeydew by Edith Pearlman

 

Pearlman writes quiet stories about the blips of tumult¹ . She's been writing short stories -- and only short stories -- for decades, chronicling the lives of earnest blue collar workers and whimsical academics. Most of the stories are set in her native Massachusetts; all of them reveal something tender and universal about everyday life.

 

Fools by Joan Silber

 

Each story in Fools confronts the question: What makes an action foolish, as opposed to brave? And when is it better to be foolish, as opposed to steadfast² in our established beliefs?

 

Single, Carefree, Mellow³ by Katherine Heiny

 

Katherine Heiny writes stories that quietly highlight the dramas of dating life, from teenagehood through adulthood⁴. Heiny writes about both lovers growing estranged⁵ through social media, and young girls learning about the power of their own sexualities, with wry⁶ humor.

 

When I Was a Child I Read Books by Marilynne Robinson

 

Marilynne In When I Was a Child I Read Books, Robinson fluidly contemplates⁷ significance of community and the power of the individual. You don't have to be a religious thinker to find beauty in Robinson's poetic⁸ musings.

 

The Double Life of Liliane by Lily Tuck

 

Lily Tuck's latest novel isn't exactly a memoir⁹, but it sits somewhere between novel and autobiography¹⁰, blurring¹¹ the lines between related memory and imagined possible scenarios¹². Like Tuck, heroine Liliane's parents divorced when she was young, wreaking¹³ personal havoc¹⁴ that mirrored the tragedies unfolding in Europe at the same time.

 

Neverhome by Laird Hunt

 

Hunt tells his story about a woman disguised as a male solider through letters. The story is loosely based on a bundle of letters Hunt stumbled upon written by a real undercover female soldier and is a smart work of historical fiction that encourages contemplation.

 

Infinite Home by Kathleen Alcott

 

Protagonist¹⁵ Edith has built a happy family of her own among her tenants¹⁶ -- until she gets slammed with potential eviction¹⁷ as her mind begins to worsen. The unsteady state of their home and their landlady¹⁸ forges an even closer bond between the housemates in this lyrical meditation¹⁹ on what really makes up a family.

 

Here by Richard McGuire

 

This book is a heartwarming time capsule, and fluid look at the way our interior lives have evolved, and how they've remained the same.

 

The Folded Clock by Heidi Julavits

 

The Folded Clock is a Diary, a collection of musings written offhandedly²⁰ each day by its author. It's been scrubbed of identifying details, but otherwise remains²¹ a deeply personal collection of thoughts about motherhood, language, and what success really means.

 

Can't and Won't by Lydia Davis

 

Davis' stories are quick, dreamy snapshots of a mood or a sentiment, and they take the shape of the idle thoughts that make up most of our days. Davis's spare language is comforting and digestible, but leaves ample room for contemplation and imagination, too.

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