Gangster by Lorenzo Carcaterra (Fawcett, $8). This 2001 novel is even better than The Godfather. A story of growing up gangster in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, it’s told like a punch to the gut—in visceral, dramatic terms that pack a wallop all their own. Vividly real to its tiniest NYC detail, and equally authentic in its explorations of the human soul.
Boy Still Missing by John Searles (Perennial, $13). One of the most original mystery/psychological/family stories that I have read in my life. It’s so beautifully written, and the sheer power of the prose will carry you deep into its story—and the human heart.
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Paths of Desire by Dominique Browning (Scribner, $12). A wonderfully lyrical meditation on life, women, and how we create and re-create our homes as our families grow and contract over a lifetime. Girls everywhere will weep, it’s so good.
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