#183. "The Moviegoer" by Walker Percy

There ain't no city quite like New Orleans. Few authors knew that as well as Walker Percy. In his novel "The Moviegoer," he turns acts as simple as walking down the street into a colorful collage of figures who are trying to make the most of their own eccentric situations. Compared to most novels, the plot is sparse and at times meandering. However, the slice of life nature allows for a deeper introspection that allows for humor to clash with dread in a way that subverts expectations. In the Big Easy, it's fun to see someone who looks to be having a good time but somewhere deep inside is missing an element that could make him more satisfied. 

#182. "American Pastoral" by Philip Roth

Even decades later, it's difficult for America to fully escape the image of its former glory. The protagonist of Philip Roth's "American Pastoral" is the ideal citizen. He did everything right. He was a renowned high school athlete who married the prom queen. Everything was working in his favor, down to his career focusing on assembling gloves. If this were the 1950s, there's a good chance that this would be the picture-perfect vision of a happy life. However, there is one caveat to his image. His daughter is an anarchist who defies the definition of patriotism. Over the couse of a taught little novel, Roth finds the deeper meaning of the American dream and how the image of post-war suburbia isn't what it seems. Somewhere in the happy faces is a reality that's hard to fully explain. By the 1960s, America was at a crossroads, and the youth were ready to fight back. Who will win? Who is right?

#181. "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson

Few authors knew how to write tension as well as Shirley Jackson. There is a level of trust she forms with her readers that causes them to lean forward and read with morbid curiosity the exploits of her characters suffering from their own strange ailments. They are tragic, but more importantly, they are familiar. The motivations are those of everyday dysfunction, and in he case of "The Haunting of Hill House," she outdoes herself by finding the perfect balance between interior and external dread. A visit to a house with an ever-changing layout results in moments of hallucination and fear that escape the melodramatic texture it suggests. By the end, the reader feels as connected to the characters as they are to the building they inhabit, maybe even causing them to question their own floor plan and experience their own optical shenanigans.

#180. "Holly" by Stephen King

For half a century, Stephen King has been considered the master of horror. His novels delve into the darkest recesses of the human imagination to find amusement. But what happens when reality far exceeds the potential for fiction? In "Holly," King finds himself digging into an era of American history that feels stranger than any character he's created. With the pandemic fresh in people's minds, the story follows a murder mystery full of the hallmarks that many readers will know well. There's social distancing, people rebelling against mandates, and just a sense of humanity turning on itself. While it's a story that was met with immediate controversy, there's still plenty of spark left in the old master to present a narrative that may not be among his best, but has a liveliness worthy of his legacy.