Why am I passionate about this?

When writing about women's lives, it's important to me to get below the surface and question the things that really have an impact on how we live and breathe, how we relate to others as friends or lovers, how we feel guilt, pain, joy, and ecstasy, how we relish triumph and mitigate disaster, how we grow old and hope and think and make our way from start to finish in a turbulent world. I try to tell the truth as a writer and make new discoveries along the way. I’ve published two novels and two collections of short stories, and I’m a reviewer and writer on literature, a teacher too.  


I wrote

Scar Tissue

By Clare Morgan,

Book cover of Scar Tissue

What is my book about?

My book explores how we navigate love, desire, home, and community in an increasingly complex and uncertain world. Each story…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Homesick for Another World: Stories

Clare Morgan Why did I love this book?

This book takes you on a rollercoaster through contemporary lives and dilemmas, moving and inspiring you on the way.

From a young woman teacher with a big alcohol problem and a mess of a relationship through a lonely middle-aged male whose use of sex workers damages his ability to relate to regular women, this is a no-holds-barred exploration of how we live now.

Moshfegh shows us the pain, the humour, the sorrow, and the potential joy, in beautifully written prose with a real edge to it.

By Ottessa Moshfegh,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Homesick for Another World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of 2017

An electrifying first collection from one of the most exciting short story writers of our time

"I can't recall the last time I laughed this hard at a book. Simultaneously, I'm shocked and scandalized. She's brilliant, this young woman."-David Sedaris

Ottessa Moshfegh's debut novel Eileen was one of the literary events of 2015. Garlanded with critical acclaim, it was named a book of the year by The Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle, nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award, short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, and won…


Book cover of The Weather In The Streets

Clare Morgan Why did I love this book?

Love, desire, falling too passionately for a married man, the world may be different from when this book was published in 1936, but the angst, the joy, the terror, and the hard choices remain the same.

An intelligent, capable, charismatic woman falls for a handsome, upper-class man, tantalizingly just out of her social and emotional reach. Will he leave his wife and the easy security of a stable relationship? Will love trump duty? Life-changing decisions reach a climax in the office of a back-street abortionist, where the snare of passion and its potentially destructive consequences are laid bare.

Written in lyrical and episodic prose, this is a truly timeless and memorable read.

By Rosamond Lehmann,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Weather In The Streets as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE BRITISH WRITERS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

'With brilliant dialogue and intense passages of elation and despair, The Weather in the Streets takes you on the rollercoaster of their relationship' ESTHER FREUD, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

'Lehmann legitimised a type of writing that took on deep personal themes' ENGLISH PEN

'The first writer to filter her stories through a woman's feelings & perceptions' ANITA BROOKNER

Taking up where Invitation to the Waltz left off, The Weather in the Streets shows us Olivia Curtis ten years older, a failed marriage behind her, thinner, sadder, and apparently not much wiser.…


Book cover of All the Lovers in the Night

Clare Morgan Why did I love this book?

This pared-back and intense analysis of female isolation in a modern city breaks all the rules of ‘good writing.’ Telling not showing; unrelievedly inward; arguably solipsistic; it charts the descent of a conscientious copywriter into drunken depression. Could an off-beat relationship with a man who seems to care about her, for what she is, possibly haul her back into a functioning life?

In its totally absorbing dramatization of our hopes, desires, disappointments, and perennial insecurities, this book shows our flawed and fragile human selves in remorseless clarity. At the same time, it gives hope in the value of human affection and the kindness of friends.  

By Mieko Kawakami, Sam Bett (translator), David Boyd (translator)

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked All the Lovers in the Night as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From literary sensation and International Booker Prize-shortlisted author Mieko Kawakami, the bestelling author of Breasts and Eggs and Heaven comes All the Lovers in the Night, an extraordinary, deeply moving and insightful story set in contemporary Tokyo.

'A brief, compelling study of alienation and friendship; I binge-read it in one sitting.' - Rebecca F Kuang, bestselling author of Babel

Fuyuko Irie is a freelance proofreader in her thirties. Living alone in an overwhelming city and unable to form meaningful relationships, she has little contact with anyone other than her colleague, Hijiri. But a chance encounter with a man named Mitsutsuka…


Book cover of Fen: Stories

Clare Morgan Why did I love this book?

These short stories lure you in to a world of fantastical distortions and mythical resonances, which make you look differently at women’s lives.

A young girl with an eating disorder turns into an eel; a group of female friends go hunting for male conquests whom they kill and eat to satisfy their appetites. In a world of anarchic desires and obtuse relationships, strange and inexplicable metamorphoses take place. Violence bridges the gap between human and animal, between desire and carnal action.

In candid language not for the faint-hearted, this book probes the potentially dark recesses of the female psyche against a timeless backdrop of rural folklore and magical possibility. 

By Daisy Johnson,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Fen as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the 2017 Edge Hill Short Story Prize.

Daisy Johnson's Fen is a liminal land. Real people live their lives here. They wrestle with familiar instincts, with sex and desire, with everyday routine. But the wild is always close at hand, ready to erupt. This is a place where animals and people commingle and fuse, where curious metamorphoses take place, where myth and dark magic still linger. So here a teenager may starve herself into the shape of an eel. A house might fall in love with a girl. A woman might give birth to a - well what?…


Explore my book 😀

Scar Tissue

By Clare Morgan,

Book cover of Scar Tissue

What is my book about?

My book explores how we navigate love, desire, home, and community in an increasingly complex and uncertain world. Each story questions how meaningful connections can be formed–with yourself, your life, and others. A young girl whose mother is mentally unstable has a relationship with a much older man and learns the cost of it; in the forests of Scandinavia, a woman works through the loss of her children; a man builds his dream home in a Spanish finca and comes to terms with inevitable disappointment; a middle-aged woman seeks surrogacy in a Mumbai clinic, with equivocal outcomes.

This book’s diverse narratives unflinchingly examine the darker aspects of emotional, sexual, and familial relationships but celebrate the joy of being alive in an unfathomable world. 

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Norvel: An American Hero

By Kenneth F. Conklin,

Book cover of Norvel: An American Hero

Kenneth F. Conklin Author Of Norvel: An American Hero

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I am deeply passionate about human resilience. From Louis Zamperini's unwavering spirit in the face of war and captivity to Santiago's quiet determination against nature's harsh realities to Michael Jordan's relentless drive to overcome setbacks, these narratives resonate with me on a profound level. I'm particularly drawn to how these stories explore not just physical resilience but emotional and psychological strength as well. They serve as a powerful reminder that true victory lies not in the outcome but in the unwavering spirit we bring to life's struggles. 

Kenneth's book list on human resilience and remarkable achievements

What is my book about?

This book tells the inspiring story of Norvel Lee, an Olympic gold medalist who overcame tremendous adversity. Born in segregated Virginia, Lee faced racial discrimination, limited education, and a speech impediment. Despite these challenges, he became a Tuskegee Airman, educator, and mentor. The book chronicles Lee's journey from the mountains of Virginia to Olympic glory, showcasing his unwavering determination and resilience.

Readers will be captivated by Lee's courageous fight against Jim Crow laws and his groundbreaking civil rights case. This powerful narrative not only highlights Lee's remarkable achievements but also serves as a testament to the human spirit's capacity to…

Norvel: An American Hero

By Kenneth F. Conklin,

What is this book about?

NORVEL: An American Hero tells the incredible story of Norvel Lee, a man whose unwavering determination and courage allowed him to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness. Born in a time of racial discrimination. Norvel faced numerous challenges early in life. However, he refused to be defeated and used his intelligence and athletic abilities to propel himself towards success. As he grew into a young man, Norvel continued to face adversity but his commitment to his community, country, and family never waivered. His unprecedented achievements in business, sports, and military service makes him a true representation of the American dream. This…


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