Bookshelf — Leah Worthy

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Big Kiss, Bye-Bye considers intimacy from every angle through the point of view of a writer who moves to a secluded shed in the countryside, away from Xavier, the older man she loves deeply even though she no longer desires him, and away from the rou

Endling is set in Ukraine against the backdrop of the early days of the war. As if the moment were too restless and unresolved to fit into a conventional narrative structure, the novel breaks free of itself, shifting into metafiction that introduces

Seascraper is one of those novels that earns your trust instantly. Wood’s writing is so assured it seems to say, “You’re in good hands.”

Thomas Flett still fishes for shrimp the way his grandfather did, with a cart and horse

As a reader, I care less about a novel’s plot than I do about discovering the motivations and emotions of its characters. As a writer, I tend to focus on these things as well. My plot development usually comes naturally out of character develop

Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont is about a woman who moves to a hotel in London that’s popular among aging residents in their last years of independence. Mrs. Palfrey is a window, and while she’s not estranged from her family, she isn&rsquo

Happiness & Love is hard to put down. It’s a breathless rush of gripping interiority, and the fact that it’s so gripping is incredible considering that it takes place during a single evening, at a dinner party in Manhattan. Its unname

Sometimes, you just need to read The Secret Garden again. Still just as magical as it seemed when I was young, and a good reminder to never outgrow our capacity for wonder.

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Katie Kitamura’s narrator in Audition never feels settled in her roles as an actor or in life, and she’s searching for a sense of a lasting and reliable identity. She questions her reality, her interpretation of events and memories, and t

With less plot than First Love and even more emotional punch, My Phantoms proves how impactful an exploration of one relationship can be. The novel focuses on a mother and daughter, Bridget and Helen. Everything else in their lives fades to the backg

Gwendoline Riley’s prose is straightforward and clean, poetic without needing to be lyrical. When it’s described as “deceptively simple,” it’s because it’s always taking you to a place of emotional resonance, and s

Set in 1950s New Orleans, The House on Coliseum Street is centered around unforgettable, 20-year-old Joan Mitchell. Her sparkling personality and humor reminded me of The Dud Avocado’s Sally Jay Gorce, and her despair, which deepens throughout

In her new story collection, Ayşegül Savaş returns to familiar themes, exploring them with her signature elegance and remarkable ability to combine subtlety with power.

Savaş’s characters often experience displacement, feeling estranged

© 2022 Leah Worthy