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Bobcat reminds me of early Alice Munro (and early Alice Munro is my idea of short story perfection) but set in American academia rather than rural Ontario. Lee is a master of contemporary realism with a good sense of humor. I love diving into her characters and way of seeing the world

Andrew Solomon is the most life-changing writer I know of. His journalism about psychology and identity is brilliant, poignant, and exacting. Far from the Tree, his latest book, explores families whose children are very different from their parents — due to deafness, autism, physical disability, prodigy, criminality, and other factors. Anyone who valued Solomon's award-winning 2001 book about depression, The Noonday Demon, needs to read Far from the

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When it comes to vegan recipes, Isa Moskowitz is the best. Her first book, Vegan with a Vengeance, is the best of the best. All Moskowitz's books are terrific, but this is the one that I used until it fell

It would be reductive to say this is a weight-loss memoir (excuse the pun). Sure, Wendy McClure joins Weight Watchers and starts a diet blog called Poundy, but the memoir is about her life in a broader sense and is extraordinarily entertaining. Bonus: she reproduces lurid photos from 1970s Weight Watchers

Admit it, you didn't expect Keith to remember much, did you? Well, you were so wrong. His story is off-the-charts awesome, and, taken along with the Stones in Exile documentary, it made my year. Together they are everything I always wanted from my favorite genius

To date, Gimme Refuge is my only staff pick, and I read constantly on a wide variety of subjects. Once you've begun, you won't want to put this book down. Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you took the necessary risks that allow you to be the best, most creative you that you know you can be? Do you love nature? Matt Love takes you on an adventure of self discovery that is nothing less than remarkable. Passionate, honest, humorous, and heartbreaking, you won't want to miss this rock-and-roll ride. Call me the Tumbling