Reasons to Live (1985) by Amy Hempel is a collection of short short stories. Hempel's narrative voices offer wry, pithy observations that are both intriguing and disturbing.

Housekeeping (1970), by Marilynne Robinson, is a novel about a family of four women. Robin-son's prose captures the pace of rural life and of her characters' lives and thoughts.

White Noise (1984) by Ron Delillo is a keen, funny satire and reflection on contemporary American life. In it, a blended family makes its way through surreal mutations in environment that characterize an age of malls, multiplexes, media, and technology.