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By WLSGRACE
A living list of favorites curated by @wlsgrace, as seen on the blog Words Like Silver—a list that sometimes changes based on the mood I'm in when I update it. In no particular order.
Tiger Lily
Jodi Lynn Anderson
Paperback
$9.29
$9.99
Bittersweet coming-of-age twist on Peter Pan that makes me cry every time.
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Alice Munro
Paperback
$16.74
$18.00
Alice Munro's collection of short stories elegantly conveys subtle distance in such an effective, powerful way.
Autobiography of Red
Anne Carson
Paperback
$18.60
$20.00
A gorgeous, synesthetic retelling in verse of a little-known monster from Greek myth.
Code Name Verity (Anniversary Edition)
Elizabeth Wein
Paperback
$12.08
$12.99
Not normally into historical fiction, but Code Name Verity is affecting—and has one of the best, voiciest (?) narrators I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
You're Not Listening
Kate Murphy
Paperback
$17.66
$18.99
The single most impactful book reviewed on Words Like Silver that the most of my readers have connected to.
Franny and Zooey
J D Salinger
Paperback
$9.29
$9.99
An intriguing, circular conversation depicted between two siblings experiencing a crisis of belief. What is truly good? Is anything selfless if it makes you feel better?
All the Pretty Horses
Cormac McCarthy
Paperback
$16.74
$18.00
Atmospheric in a rugged Western way that captures the awe of self-sufficiency.
The Wren Hunt
Mary Watson
Hardback
$16.73
$17.99
An underrated, atmospheric Irish fantasy using a clever pattern-based magic system.
Labor of Love
Moira Weigel
Paperback
$18.60
$20.00
Such an illuminating, relevant, and fascinating history of dating, complicated by economic and sociological influences. Lots of gems of info!
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Laini Taylor
Paperback
$13.94
$14.99
A lush, colorful angels-and-demons-style fantasy set in Prague that immerses you like none other.
House of Hollow
Krystal Sutherland
Paperback
$12.08
$12.99
An eerie, folky story about strange sisters forced to confront their years-earlier disappearance as children when the eldest goes missing. Spooky and delicious.
The Scorpio Races
Maggie Stiefvater
Paperback
$12.08
$12.99
Maggie Stiefvater—one of my favorite writers on a line-level and otherwise—at her absolute best.
Shiver (Shiver, Book 1)
Maggie Stiefvater
Paperback
$12.08
$12.99
A chilly, angsty romance based on a version of werewolf myth that's based on shifts occurring due to winter. Stunning.
The Raven Boys (the Raven Cycle, Book 1)
Maggie Stiefvater
Paperback
$12.08
$12.99
Better on audio, but a grounded fantasy that captures human nuance enormously well. And she gets so playful with prose and patterns here in a way that establishes her as a master.
I'll Be There
Holly Goldberg Sloan
Paperback
$11.15
$11.99
A gentle, stirring, emotional coming-of-age about two brothers fighting for survival and how one small town collapses in on that conflict.
The Beginning of Everything
Robyn Schneider
Paperback
$11.15
$11.99
A Gatsby-esque coming-of-age dealing with the unbearable shift in a senior's life after a car accident that ruins his tennis career.
The Memory Illusion
Dr Julia Shaw
Paperback
$20.45
$21.99
Beware: this book will f*ck you up and change how you trust your perception/narrative.
The Long Goodbye
Meghan O'Rourke
Paperback
$15.81
$17.00
The single-best grief book out there (in my opinion) in that it articulates feelings you didn't know you could put into words.
Even in Paradise
Chelsey Philpot
Paperback
$9.29
$9.99
Similarly haunting and Gatsby-esque, with alluring friendships, a singular Northeastern boarding school feel, and subtle emotion.
Be sure to head to the blog for detailed reviews, musings, and connections between them. And book club with me if you read any of these!