Reading a Lee Smith short story is like eating a piece of really good pecan pie. After the first couple of bites you have that satisfying feeling of tucking into a great traditional Southern delicacy. After another bite or two it begins to dawn on you that this pie has a lot of bourbon in it. By the time you’ve finished, you are in a completely different place than when you started, but you realize you’ve just had one of the best pieces of pecan pie ever. Reviewed by Tom Campbell

It’s difficult to tell this is a science fiction novel. But this very authentic, observant narrator details her childhood in a boarding school for special children who have been raised as a kind of social experiment in the British countryside. They collect clues, whisper in corners, have love interests and grow up—discovering the truth about themselves and about what it means to be human. The narrative follows three friends Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth through their boarding school upbringing—as we slowly discover the subtle, yet distinct difference between their world and ours. Reviewed by Jaimee Hills

A gem. Small town, Eastern North Carolina, 1963. Race and the power of the status quo, vs. music as a force for change. As always with Clyde, the characters are remarkable and the storytelling superb. This is one of Clyde’s very best, which is saying a lot. Cue up James Brown’s “Live From the Apollo” on your stereo/ipod and settle down for a treat! Reviewed by Tom Campbell

Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries

Pure delight! Inspector Brunetti is a native Venitian; and (unusually for a mystery series) a family man whose wife who teaches classical literature. The mysteries are satisfying, the views of Venice and Italy “from the inside” are fascinating, and the books have a marvelous, fully believable cast of supporting characters. The first book in ths series is Death at La Fenice. Reviewed by Tom Campbell