Small Things Like These

 Small Things Like These
By: Keegan, Claire
Grove Press, 2021. 116 pages. Fiction 

In a small Irish town in 1985, coal merchant and family man, Bill Furlong, while delivering an order to the local convent, makes a discovery that forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.

In the days leading up to Christmas, the main character Bill is weighed down by the monotony and demands of his life. Working hard to provide for his family he wonders what it is all for? The author Keegan writes beautifully as she describes the intricacies of Bill's place in his small Irish community and his relationships with his family. Through moving dialogue, you are placed within his internal struggle and feel the weight of the choices he has to make. This book is perfect for the holidays, as it grounds you in what is really important. Though short, it packs a punch with poignant and lyrical writing. I read it in one sitting and was engrossed by the story. This impactful story will inspire the reader to stand up for the oppressed and to have the courage to do the right thing in the face of opposition.

If you like Small Things Like These, you might also like:

The Deal of a Lifetime

 Atria Books, 2017. 65 pages. Fiction

A holiday novella about a successful businessman contemplating the choices he made in his life and the little girl battling cancer who provides him with the inspiration he needs

Time of the Child

Bloomsbury Publishing. 2024. 287 pages. Fiction

In the Advent season of 1962, Doctor Jack Troy and his daughter Ronnie, long isolated from their small Irish town of Faha, find their lives and their understanding of family and community transformed when a baby is unexpectedly left in their care.

MT

Betting on You

Betting on You

By Lynn Painter 

Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2023. 425 pages. Young Adult 

Seventeen-year-old Bailey isn’t excited to start a new job at a hotel waterpark—especially when she discovers an old acquaintance, Charlie, is a coworker. The two clashed a year earlier during Bailey’s emotional move after her parents’ divorce, and they’re still opposites now. Yet, as they bond over gossiping about guests and coworkers, Bailey finds herself enjoying Charlie’s company. When they make a bet over whether a flirty pair will actually get together, Charlie argues that boys and girls can’t be just friends, while Bailey is determined to prove him wrong. As they track other people’s romances, Charlie hides his growing feelings for Bailey. Fake dating to appease Bailey’s mom only complicates things, blurring the line between pretense and reality. But Charlie is keeping a secret—one that could jeopardize everything before their relationship truly begins. 

First, can I just say how I love the way the book cover depicts Bailey and Charlie’s journey? It’s adorable and very fitting. Like so many YA romances, there are plenty of ups, downs, and please just communicate! moments. Still, I’m a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and fake dating tropes. I breezed through this 400+ page book, probably because it’s so fast-paced and had a lot of wit and banter that kept me chuckling. Bailey and Charlie struggle with the divorce of each of their parents, but find a sense of solace in their shared experiences that brings them closer together. I really loved their journeys individually, together, as well as with their friends and family. I would easily recommend this to someone looking for a nice, YA contemporary romance. 

If you liked Betting on You, you might also like: 

Hot Dog Girl

By Jennifer Dugan 

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2019. 311 pages. Young Adult 

A lovesick teenager schemes to win the heart of her crush at her amusement park summer job, all while dressed as a hot dog. 

The Right Side of Reckless

By Whitney D. Grandison 

Inkyard Press, 2021. 405 pages. Young Adult 

Working at the local community center, Guillermo Lozano meets the one girl who is off limits, and as friendship—and something more—blossoms between them, he decides to break the rules and be a little bit reckless. 

ACS

The Rose Bargain

The Rose Bargain 

By Sasha Peyton Smith 

Harper, 2025. 385 pages. Young Adult 

For four hundred years, England has been under the control of an immortal fae queen who tricked her way onto the throne. To maintain an illusion of benevolence, Queen Mor grants each of her subjects one opportunity to bargain for their deepest desire. As Ivy Benton prepares to make her debut, she knows that not even a deal with the queen could fix what has gone wrong: Her family's social standing is in shambles, her sister is a shadow of her former self, and Ivy's marriage prospects are nonexistent. So, when the queen announces a competition for Prince Bram's hand, Ivy is the first to sign her name in blood. Ivy soon finds herself a surprising front-runner—with the help of an unexpected ally: Prince Bram's brother, the rakish Prince Emmett, who promises to help Ivy win his brother's heart...for a price. 

Someone recommended this book to me, but I can’t remember who, and I’m so glad they did! I really enjoyed this young adult romantasy. Set in 1840s England, it’s a fun blend of fantasy, romance, a dash of battle royale, all wrapped with a bow of court intrigue. It’s fast-paced and suspenseful, which kept me going after I’d been in a pretty solid reading slump. The worst part about reading this book is that it’s the first in a series, and I read it before the next book’s release! Easily recommended by me, The Rose Bargain is a clever, compulsively readable start to a series that knows exactly how to enchant, and how to leave you wanting more. 

If you liked The Rose Bargain, you might also like: 

The Selection 

By Kiera Cass 

HarperTeen, 2012. 327 pages. Young Adult

America Singer is chosen to compete in the Selection--a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illea's prince--but all she really wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her. 

The Cruel Prince 

By Holly Black 

Little, Brown and Company, 2018. 370 pages. Young Adult 

Jude, seventeen and mortal, gets tangled in palace intrigues while trying to win a place in the treacherous High Court of Faerie, where she and her sisters have lived for a decade. 

ACS

Greenteeth

Greenteeth

By Molly O'Neill

New York, 2025. 308 pages. Fantasy.

Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce, Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before. But when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she's worth saving. Temperance doesn't know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor. Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny's lake and Temperance's family, as well as the very soul of Britain.

Greenteeth is a truly stunning tour of Old English and Arthurian legends. At multiple points in the story, I set the book down to google a name or magical item that appeared in the story, only to find myself delving into a rich background of lore and old stories that the author had obviously lovingly drawn inspiration from. (See: Twrch Trwyth the mythic boar, Caval the hunting hound, and Lady Creiddylad the fae queen). And yet, despite the magic and monsters, the core of the story remained shockingly human. It is, fundamentally, a story of family. Of what a mother will do to return to her children, or what atrocities one will commit to earn back the family that they have lost. Temperance and Jenny are a lot alike, including in their flaws, the author allowing both characters to falter and stumble in a way that isn't often seen in stories. If you enjoy Old England mythology, monsters who are empathetic and complex yet still act very much like monsters, and a slow building of family and friendships through a cross-country road trip, this book is for you!

If you like Greenteeth, you might also like:

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries

By Heather Fawcett

New York, 2023. 317 pages. Fantasy.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In

By John Wiswell

DAW Books, 2024. 310 pages. Fantasy.

Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor until her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her. The hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she’s found and nursed back to health by Homily, a warm-hearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. For a time, they are happy as Shesheshen slowly grows closer to this kindly human. However, the hunters are not to be disuaded for long and as the hunt becomes increasingly deadly, Shesheshen must unearth the truth quickly, or soon both of their lives will be at risk.

-MD

Tantrum

Tantrum 

By Moulton, Eve 

G.P Putnam's Sons, 2025. 178 pages. Horror

In this electric horror novella, an exhausted mother thinks her newborn might be a monster. She’s right. Not only was Lucia born with a full set of teeth and a devilish glint in her eye, but she is always hungry. Thea doesn't know whether to be terrified or proud of her rapacious baby girl. But Lucia's rapid growth starts to bring dark memories to the surface. Flashes from Thea's childhood that won't release their hooks from her heart. Lucia wants to eat. Thea might just let her.

Tantrum by Eve Moulton starts off as darkly humorous horror about a mother, Thea, who suspects her infant is evil. As the book unfolds, the true horror is found in the past Thea escaped. This novella explores intergenerational trauma, the shadow self, and childhood abuse through vivid, surreal allegories. Moulton's writing is intimate and visceral that not only entertains, but provokes further examination into how our pasts shape us and how to find power in our rage. Fast paced and engaging, it can be read in one sitting. Fans of literary horror, motherhood narratives, and body horror will find something to love in this book!

TW: Childhood sexual abuse 

If you like Tantrum, you might also like:

Such Sharp Teeth
By Harrison, Rachel

Berkley, 2022. 328 pages. Horror 

When she is attacked by a huge animal, Rory Morris becomes unnaturally strong, changing into someone else -- or something else, and wonders if she is putting those close to her in danger or if embracing the wildness inside of her is the key to acceptance.

Baby Teeth

By Stage, Zoje
St. Martins Press, 2018. 304 pages. Horror

An ailing woman fights to protect her family from her mute daughter's psychologically manipulative schemes, which are complicated by her doting husband's denial about their daughter's true nature.

MT