I'm ashamed of myself. I've all but given up my primary solace, the reading of novels. I've been doing what you've been doing, I expect. Surfing wildly through the internet, panicking. I'm not going to spew any pablum about the importance of art, but...well...I have always found comfort in books. And now, more than ever, I need comfort.

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
What does it say about me that I identified so completely with Eileen?

Nutshell by Ian McEwan
I would read McEwan's grocery list. But I didn't need to, because he wrote this incredible, weird, delicious book instead.

The Mothers by Brit Bennett
It deserves all of its kudos! Terrific.

The Nix by Nathan Hill
I enjoyed this book very much, but I can't for the life of me remember anything about it now. But that's not the book's fault. It's the fault of the times.

Mischling by Affinity Konar
This book is terrifying and really good.

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
My daughter's absolute favorite book!

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Somehow Mohsin managed even before this horrific election to write exactly the book we would all need to meet.