Treacle Walker is a multilayered folklorish tale that blends languages and words. Our young hero, Joseph Coppock, lives alone in an old house reading his comic books, collecting birds' eggs, and playing with marbles. The story opens with the titular character, a rag-and-bone man, passing by with his horse and cart. From there a strange and beguiling friendship blooms that is fantastical, imaginative, and delightfully odd.

Clear is set during the 1840s Scottish Clearances, where a poor minister takes a job evicting the last occupant of a remote island. Despite his wife Mary's qualms, John goes, only to be severely injured upon arrival. Ivar, who has lived alone for decades, nurses John back to health. Though they don't share a common language, they develop a fragile connection as John learns to understand Ivar's world.

From the perspective of a crew aloft in space and circling the planet, Orbital offers poignant, meditative moments with beautifully crafted language. If this is your first existential book without a plot, it'll it all the right notes, but I felt like I've been here before.

King’s collection of short stories in Five Tuesdays in Winter offers a variety of themes, characters, and story lengths. She seemed to effortlessly deliver whatever she desired, and easily can be slotted in as the rare Goldilocks collection.

Moss's Ghost Wall explores the connection between past and present, urging us to question our own progress alongside the tangible misconstruing of a misused history.

Companion Piece continues her Smith's Seasonal Quartet project, which artfully explored contemporary issues through lyrical prose and interconnected stories. This novel stands separately from the Quartet but maintains its spirit, offering a hopeful glimpse while still analyzing our changing world.

In 1981 Ireland, a girl is sent to live with foster parents on a farm while her mother gives birth. She finds unexpected affection and starts to flourish in their care. With her unnamed narrator,….