Excuse me while I take a breath…

THE DAUGHTERS IS ON NPR’s LIST OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2015! Also known as the Book Concierge. This is seriously the most fun best-of list I’ve seen (not that I’m biased), and I’m thrilled to be included alongside so many wonderful books.

If you haven’t played around with the app, you should! It’s a great way to get book recommendations, especially *cough* now that you’re probably buying *cough* a lot of books as presents. *meaningful cough* Certainly consider buying The Daughters for literally every person who has ever lived.

In other news, I wrote a blog post for the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, about scheduling art and disliking the word “muse” (but then using it anyway.)

Other books I think you should definitely buy as holiday gifts:

• Both Vivian Apple books, by Katie Coyle, known genius
• See You In the Morning, by Mairead Case, known genius
• Every single Elena Ferrante novel, because who are we kidding here
• Bellweather Rhapsody, by Kate Racculia, known genius
• All My Puny Sorrows, by Miriam Toews, which manages to be both extremely funny and extremely sad
• Ball and/or Reeling Through Life, by Tara Ison, known genius
• Witches of America, by Alex Mar, because it’s peer-over-the-fence creepy and an insightful look at the longing for a spiritual life, both at the same time
• Bobcat, by Rebecca Lee, because each story is a whole world, a whole whole world
• Everything ever written by Marilynne Robinson, known genius
• Any book you truly love or think the recipient will truly love. (Probably with emphasis on the latter, but it can be good to push boundaries.)