dwelling on dreams

"I’m told it snows there even in the summer."

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. Horror. When Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into a stately apartment building with a dark reputation, they hardly expect to find themselves at the center of a Satanic plot to create the Antichrist. Guy is delighted by the hospitality of their eccentric new neighbors, while Rosemary is thrilled that Guy finally feels ready to start a family with her. But they are soon to learn that evil has many faces, and some of them are quite unassuming…

The High House by Jessie Greengrass. Sci fi. In a world wracked by constant storms and flooding as a result of climate change, Francesca, a pragmatic scientist, makes plans for the safety of her children. As a result, her teenaged stepdaughter Caro and young son Pauly are sent to the High House, a fortified safehouse looked after by Grandy and Sally, two locals of a seaside village. While Caro struggles to adjust to her new surroundings and protect Pauly, the weather worsens and the sea draws ever closer.

The Winter Prince by Elizabeth Wein. Fantasy. The eldest son of King Artos of Britain, Medraut is a fearsome warrior and a natural leader. Yet he is a bastard, the product of incest between Artos and his sister Morgause, and thus can never rule. Medraut vows to serve and protect his legitimate half-brother Lleu, heir to the throne, but his loyalty is tested by the schemes of his mother and the scorn of his brother.

Shepherd Avenue by Charles Carillo. Historical fiction. In the aftermath of his mother’s death, ten-year-old Joey is sent to live with his Italian-American grandparents, whom he hasn’t seen in a decade. As Joey struggles to find his place in their working-class Brooklyn neighborhood, he mourns the loss of his mother and struggles to contain his rage towards his father, who has abandoned him to travel America alone.

Joheved by Maggie Anton. Historical fiction. In eleventh-century France, uneasy peace persists between Jews and Christians in the city of Troyes. Joheved, eldest daughter of the scholar Salomen ben Isaac, convinces her father to teach her the Talmud, against the wishes of her conservative mother and the rest of her community. But Joheved’s religious fervor is tested when she is betrothed to Meir, an equally pious young man.

The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Historical fiction. Every summer, the Cazalet family retires to the English countryside; brothers Hugh, Edward, and Rupert, their wives and children, and their parents. Wealthy and idle, the Cazalets should have little to worry about, but it is 1937, and war is drawing nearer, while family secrets begin to accumulate among both the young and old.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri. Fantasy. Imprisoned by her fanatical brother after plotting a coup, Malini is a princess trapped within an abandoned temple, with few allies save for her resourceful maid, Priya. But Priya is not all that she seems- this same temple granted her magical powers as a child, and her abilities could be the spark that ignites revolution against Emperor Chandra.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. Realistic fiction. Consumed by anxiety and depression despite her beauty and wealth, our unnamed narrator decides she will spend and entire year sleeping, with the help of some pills. It's the year 2000 in New York City, and while everyone else seems consumed with excitement for the new century, our narrator is dripping with disdain and contempt for her fellow man. Between her needy best friend and her coldblooded boyfriend, life seems bleak, but it's nothing a drug-induced coma can't fix.

Moderation by Elaine Castillo. Sci fi. Pragmatic and hardworking, Girlie is the perfect content moderator. No amount of gore or obscenity phases her, and providing for her family is all that matters. When she is tapped to work in her company's new virtual reality division, she jumps at the chance, and finds herself spending her days in their VR medieval landscape, where she and her new boss, William, begin an uneasy flirtation, all the while their corporation spirals into unending dystopian maneuvers.

The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sheriff. Historical fiction. In 1930s England, the lower-middle-class Stevens family prepare for their annual trip to the seaside. While most happy in each other's company, the Stevens are all aware that the end of their quiet family life may be approaching as the children reach adulthood, and each of them must consider what the future holds.

The Eights by Joanna Miller. Historical fiction. In the autumn of 1920, Oxford University welcomes its first official class of female students. In Corridor 8, Beatrice, Dora, Marianne, and Otto become fast friends, bonded together by the constant deluge of misogyny and dismissal thrown their way by students and professors. But these women all have their secrets, and their pasts and futures will test their present happiness.

The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal. Thriller. Iris Whittle, an aspiring painter, lives a dreary existence working for a cruel dollmaker in the heart of 1850s London. But her unusual looks- flaming red hair, towering height, and a slight hunchback- will see her chosen as an artist's model, and in the process, attract the attention of a murderer. As Iris begins to break into the world of art and finery, the man stalking her plots her demise, while London prepares for its Great Exhibition of 1851.

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy. Realistic fiction. Waldo is seventeen and already bored with life. She lives in a trailer park with her erratic mother, who is rarely home, works a shitty job, and goes to school surrounded by strangers. The one bright spot in her life is her writing teacher, Mr. Korgy- he may not be handsome or successful, but something about him pulls Waldo in. When Waldo decides to seduce him, both of their lives spiral out of control.

Vixen by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Romance. Violet "Vixen" Tempest, daughter of a wealthy Hampshire squire, is used to getting her way. But her love for her best friend Rorie is tested by his promise to his mother to marry his prim and proper cousin Mabel, and Vixen's freedom is threatened when her father dies and her mother remarries a ruthless, scheming man.

Plum by Andy Anderegg. Realistic fiction. J's suburban household is ruled by her violent, unpredictable father. Her only comfort is her older brother, the primary target of their father's rages. When J's brother vanishes, she is plunged into perilous young adulthood alone, unable to accept that she may never see him again.

The Wishing Pool and Other Stories by Tananarive Due. Horror. In this collection of short stories, an LA bookshop owner is plagued by a troublesome ghost. A teenaged girl receives a strange, alien stone as a gift. A young woman's missing pet unexpectedly returns. A grieving mother takes a job as a housekeeper for a wealthy, mysterious man.

Good Guys by Sharon Bala. Realistic fiction. Children of the World, a struggling nonprofit run by an aging former rockstar, is in desperate need of a boost. Claire, its devoted publicist, is delighted when beloved actress Dallas Hayden offers to do a PR trip for them, but the visit to a small Central American country has unexpected consequences and ends in a violent crime.

Extenuating Circumstances by Joyce Carol Oates. Thriller. In this collection of short stories, a timid young girl decides to stand up to her bullying best friend. A disgraced wife returns home to her disapproving family. A neglected boy witnesses his father take advantage of a homeless teenager. A gambler and a naive young woman journey to Death Valley together.

Polostan by Neal Stephenson. Historical fiction. In America, she's Dawn Rae Bjornbeg, daughter of an anarchist cowgirl, wanted for bank robbery and murder. In Soviet Russia, she's Aurora Maximnova Artemyeva, daughter of a devout Communist, fledgling KGB spy. But no matter where Dawn (or Aurora) goes, trouble follows.

The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin. Historical fiction. Now a bitter old woman cared for by the dismissive and contemptuous apostles of her late son Jesus, Mary refuses to accept his divinity, insisting that he is her son alone, not God's. As she recounts his life, she dreams of a kinder future for both of them.

Brutes by Dizz Tate. Magical realism. A pack of delinquent teenaged girls roam around their Florida resort town, fantasizing about love and fame. But their lives are changed forever when two new girls- cruel bully Mia and eccentric preacher's daughter Sammy- enter their orbit before one of them disappears.

More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova. Realistic fiction. Maddy has always felt like an outcast in her wealthy WASP family, but when she begins her second year of college, her anxiety and depression seem to surge into something far more dangerous. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Maddy struggles to both manage her illness and her dreams of becoming a stand-up comic.

Flint Kill Creek by Joyce Carol Oates. Thriller. In this collection of suspenseful short stories, a couple's walk by a creek turns deadly, a harried father makes a disastrous mistake, an English professor plots her revenger against a rival, a foster child recounts his horrific experiences, and a hapless law student is caught up in a police raid.

Crooks by Lou Berney. Thriller. Ever since small-time mobster Buddy met charming pickpocket Lillian in 1960s Las Vegas, the Mercurios have been a family of criminals, conmen, and thugs. As Buddy and Lillian's children grow into adulthood, their shady exploits will take them across the world and into ever-increasing danger.

A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin. Thriller. Our unnamed narrator is determined to make a fortune without working for it, so he sets his sights on the naive and wealthy Dorothy Kingship. But when Dorothy falls pregnant, they both know her stern father will disown her, leaving the narrator with only one choice: murder.

The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay. Historical fiction. For nearly a century, Harvey Girls were a feature of the American Southwest- waitresses at the famous Harvey House restaurants along the railroads, serving fine dining and 'civilizing the frontier'. In 1926, Charlotte Crowninshield and Billie MacTavish meet during Harvey Girl training- both are hiding dark secrets, and both are eager to leave their pasts behind.

Cluny Brown by Margery Sharp. Historical fiction. Impulsive and naive, Cluny Brown doesn't seem to know her place- she challenges authority, refuses to defer to her social superiors, and is bored of her working-class life in 1930s London. To cure her attitude, her uncle insists she become a maidservant to a wealthy family- but no one is prepared for how Cluny will change all of their lives.

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. Horror. Successful film star Chris MacNeil lives in Washington D.C. with her 11-year-old daughter Regan, preparing to take on her first director's role. Yet the MacNeils' lives are upended when Regan begins acting out in increasingly violent and disturbing ways, forcing them to consult a reluctant exorcist, Father Damien Karras, who has lost his faith in God.

The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage. Realistic fiction. Princess Alexandrina "Lexi" Villiers has always been the Spare of the British royal family, happy to live a quiet life as a doctor in Australia while her twin brother Louis prepares to someday become King of Great Britain. But when news arrives of Louis and her father's sudden deaths in an avalanche, Lexi is forced to return to England and the dysfunctional, scheming family she left behind.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. Historical fiction. Quiet but kind-hearted, Bill Furlong is a coal merchant working to provide for his five daughters in a small Irish town in 1985. But Bill's quiet life is interrupted when he witnesses a horrific act of abuse at a local convent 'reform school'- and is forced to decide whether to keep his head down, or speak up and risk everything.

Among Others by Jo Walton. Fantasy. Mori Phelps-Markova was raised by an evil witch in Wales, but no one believes her. After the sudden death of her identical twin sister, Mori is reunited with her estranged father and sent to a posh boarding school in England, where her bad leg, Welsh accent, and obsession with fantasy novels mark her as a freak. All the while, she must contend with her mother's continuing schemes, and her own grasp of magic.

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. Realistic fiction. Best friend (and ex-girlfriends) Frances and Bobbi are inseparable, despite their differences. While performing stand-up poetry, the two meet Melissa, a renowned photographer, and her husband Nick, an actor. As Bobbi develops a crush on Melissa, Frances develops one on Nick. When the usually reserved and cautious Frances embarks on an affair with Nick, their relationship has unintended consequences for everyone involved. 

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Realistic fiction. Emira doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life, so she spends her time babysitting for Alix, a successful influence. When Emira (who is Black) is accused of kidnapping Alix’s daughter Briar (who is white) while the two are out grocery shopping, the entire incident is filmed by another shopper, Kelley, who happens to be Alix’s ex-boyfriend. While Alix is eager to prove to Emira that she is a progressive employer, and Kelley is eager to start a relationship, Emira must decide what her future looks like. 

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton. Sci fi. Wanda is born in the middle of a hurricane that rips both her tiny Florida town and her dysfunctional family apart. Raised by her widowed father Kirby and her older brother Lucas, Wanda develops strange powers that only appear when she is in water. Meanwhile, America crumbles into both environmental and governmental collapse, and Wanda’s life becomes more and more dangerous. 

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King. Horror. Nine-year-old Trisha MacFarland has recently moved from Boston to Maine after her parents’ messy divorce. While hiking with her bickering mother and brother, Trisha wanders off the trail and becomes lost. As hours turn to days, Trisha is convinced she is being stalked by a supernatural entity- the God of Lost Things. Her only hope is her own intelligence and courage- and visions of her hero, professional baseball player Tom Gordon. 

Farthing by Jo Walton. Mystery. Set in an alternative universe where England and Germany negotiate peace in 1941, England is sliding into a fascist dictatorship targeting Jews, immigrants, and homosexuals. Lucy Kahn returns to her parents’ estate with her Jewish husband David, who is ostracized by his upper-class peers. When a shocking murder occurs, suspicion turns to David, leading Lucy to believe he is being framed. Inspector Peter Carmichael arrives to investigate as the conspiracy grows ever darker. 

Blooms of Darkness by Aharon Appelfeld. Historical fiction. As German troops are slowly pushed out of Ukraine by Soviet forces, a Jewish ghetto is liquidated by Nazis. 11-year-old Hugo is sent to hide with a friend of his mother’s; an erratic prostitute named Marianna. Marianna is generous and loyal, but also predatory, and as Hugo falls in love with her, their circumstances become more and more dangerous. 

Like it's bad when a "tattoo is undulating" (as opposed to... "drawn in a wave like pattern on the skin"?), or when hair is "wet wheat from a late Summer field" (as opposed to "sort of brownish light yellow that dries lighter, but is not actual wheat stalks growing on someone's head but kind of reminiscent of the color and texture"?), or when when ice cream tastes like midnight at the fair" (as opposed to "ice cream flavour bringing back memories of undefined ice cream flavours that are individually popular but always tied to a memory of late evening at the fair ground and probably smelling vaguely like popcorn and sugar"?).