LitStack Recs

Thunderstruck & Other Stories, by Elizabeth McCracken Early on in Elizabeth McCracken’s extraordinary story collection, …

Selected Stories, by William Trevor A volume of stories by William Trevor is a reader’s …

The Refugees: Stories, by Viet Thanh Nguyen Fans of The Sympathizer, Nguyen’s debut novel that …

Werewolves in Their Youth: Stories, by Michael Chabon Not all scary stories are for Halloween. …

Life Drawing, by Robin Black “Nobody outside a marriage can understand it,” the narrator of …

Are books, and stories, getting better? That is, are they getting richer, stronger, and more …

Anna May Wong: From Laundryman’s Daughter to Hollywood Legend, by Graham Russell Gao Hodges Don’t …

Jerusalem:  A Cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi Some cookbooks are defined by a …

Out of Place: A Memoir, by Edward Said Edward Said, the prolific author, political activist, …

Blood Will Out, by Walter Kirn In Preston Sturges’  romantic comedy, “The Palm Beach Story,” …

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, by William Finnegan William Finnegan’s 2016 memoir begins with an …

Little Failure: A Memoir, by Gary Shteyngart “In order for me to be born,” Gary …

The Lesson of the Master, by Henry James Colm Tóibín, in his introduction to the …

The Hermit in the Garden: From Imperial Rome to Ornamental Gnome, by Gordon Campbell You …

Blue Nights, by Joan Didion Joan Didion’s books have had a titanic effect on me, …

Cutting Teeth, by Julia Fierro For those who have young children, there’s a lovely innocence …

Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History, by Stephen Jay Gould A …

Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett Of divorce, Nicole Krauss wrote, “One of us held on to …

The Portable Veblen, by Elizabeth McKenzie By way of Anne Lamott, we know the novelist …

Stoner, by John Williams John Williams’ 1965 novel went out of print after selling only …

Central Station by Lavie Tidhar It’s kind of hard to describe Lavie Tidhar’s Locus- nominated, …

Passage to Ararat, by Michael J. Arlen “It’s a dangerous business,” writes Clark Blaise in …

The Oysters of Locmariaquer, by Eleanor Clark Late in Eleanor Clark’s extraordinary book, she tells …

The Empathy Exams: Essays, by Leslie Jamison The Empathy Exams blends memoir, literary, cultural and …

As the summer film season approaches, here are three books—a memoir, a novel, and a …

How to Grow Old Disgracefully: An Autobiography, by Hermione Gingold If you’re a fan of …

Anna May Wong: From Laundryman’s Daughter to Hollywood Legend, by Graham Russell Gao Hodges Don’t …

Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays, by Zadie Smith This collection of essays came about by …

Crash Course: essays from where writing and life collide, by Robin Black The third book …

Life Would be Perfect if I Lived in That House, by Meghan Daum The moral …

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, by William Finnegan William Finnegan’s 2016 memoir begins with an …

Bridge, by Robert Thomas “Welcome to the prayer-strewn pews of my brain,” Alice, the narrator …

The Pink Suit, by Nicole Mary Kelby Few garments have come to define a moment …

Out of Place: A Memoir, by Edward Said Edward Said, the prolific author, political activist, …

Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son, essays by …

The Death of the Heart, by Elizabeth Bowen Dig out your angora muffler and your …

This Boy’s Life: A Memoir, by Tobias Wolff  First published in 1989, Tobias Wolff’s This Boy’s …

These Charming People, stories by Michael Arlen In the period just after World War One, …

Tinkers, by Paul Harding In the novels I love most, the story is ultimately about …

 Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures by Emma Straub Readers captivated by Old Hollywood are sure …

Dreams From My Father, by Barack Obama Stories that center on fathers have a distinct …