Laura M Recommends
Cadenza is a fictional Italian Renaissance city that Tom Beckerlegge has brought to life on the page. We follow a cast of rowdy, lovable characters who make their way from the printing quarter buzzing with the whirr of printing presses to the towery spires of the city's palazzos. A rollicking love letter to the Renaissance, this book will transport you, make you laugh, and remind you why books are pure magic.
A family traveling west. Migrant children traveling north towards the border. Luiselli weaves those two storylines together into a delicate tapestry. Among the threads are glimmers of Luiselli's other obsessions: sound archives, Apachi histories, names, family dynamics. Reading fiction and characters with rich inner lives, this book is thoughtful, methodical, beautiful, and complex. Read it!
I'm always on the lookout for books that are beautifully written and keep me reading late into the night, because I just have to know what happens next. This book is like BREAKING BAD with an environmentalist twist - drug cartels, bear poachers, and mushroom-induced hallucinations ensue!
Looking for a spy novel that feels utterly realistic? Kate Atkinson brings us a tale of espionage and intrigue that follows one girl's journey from spy in the 1940's to a woman haunted by her past wrongs. An intricate puzzle of a novel - perfect gift for those book-lovers you're not sure how to buy for!
This is far and away the best book I've read all year! We follow Wallace, the only Black student in his biochem grad program, over the course of one weekend as he navigates tense relationships and the racial minefield of academia. Stunning prose that feels expansive and intimate at the same time. 100% a new favorite of all time.
Sapphic Dark Academia? Check. Unreliable Narrator? Check. Spooky, isolated boarding school? Check. Witchcraft and ghosts? Check. Literary pretention? Check. Murder? Check!
This book has it all! If you're looking for a spooky, witchy read you do not want to miss out on this complex, mysterious novel. I devoured it in one sitting! Your new favorite dark academia book has arrived!
If you're in the mood for a dark, gruesome tale for spooky season, look no further than The Death of Jane Lawrence. What begins as a marriage of convenience between Jane and the town doctor quickly morphs into a sinister, gothic horror story about power, magic, desire, and all the ways we can be haunted by the past.
This is a book to read slowly and savor every line. O'Farrell effortlessly brings 1500's England to life, and even though we follow Shakespeare's family, every character feels as human as if they lived today. This tender story of family, grief, and the healing power of art deserves all of its acclaim.
You may know him from his bestseller A Gentleman In Moscow, but Amor Towles got his literary start with this beautiful, subtle novel about a woman finding her place in the upper echelons of 1930's New York. In crisp, sparkling prose this book will transport you into a world of opulence and witty banter before slowly unveiling the cracks in its facade.
This book tracks the slow devastation of climate change, as seen through the eyes of Caroline and her younger brother Pauly, as they escape to their family’s summer house. A beautiful, eerie, and utterly transfixing story about the difficulty of pinpointing the moment when everything changes, shot through with sparkling moments of humanity and joy. This book will haunt you in the best way.
A mythical hunt, a 1920's inspired setting, alchemy, and romance all in one book?? Sign me up! Our two main characters are loner Margaret and earnest Wes, and we follow their quest to enter a yearly competition to kill a magical beast. Allison Saft is the queen of atmosphere, and this book has it in spades. I loved the slow kindling of affection between the two protagonists, and the pitch-perfect balance between magic, humor, and *vibes* – This is a book to savor and be swept away by.
A rich, complex fantasy novel based on Hungarian history and Jewish folklore. It's got story-based magic, an enemies-to-lovers romance, and dark fairy vibes that will keep you enthralled!
English nerds rejoice! This is an accessible and entertaining exploration of Old English vocabulary that ties the language to the lives of the people who used it. This book is full of lively anecdotes and humorous, forgotten words, but it also speaks to who we were and how language has shaped who we are. Read this to fall in love with words again!
In the mood for a creepy summer read? Look no further than Wake the Bones! An atmospheric Southern Gothic with characters you will fall for in all their messy ways and a magical darkness that lurks just out of reach. This book will make you shiver and surprise you with a few genuinely terrifying moments, all while keeping the suspense taut. I didn't want it to end!