Highlights among the year’s novels, short-story collections and works in translation, as selected by the staff of The Washington Post’s Book World.

Some of the most special books are ones that move us and touch our hearts. If you love feel-good books, check out these uplifting spring 2024 releases — including tales of family secrets, life-changing vacations, triumphant comebacks, and more.

It’s safe to say Washington is one of the better-documented cities on Earth. Last year alone, the roster of books set in and around here included headline-snagging national bestsellers (Michael Wolff’s devastating account of the Trump-era capital, which sold 1.7 million copies in three weeks) as well as slightly less buzzy works (George Mason professor Dae Young Kim’s study of how information technology affects the region’s Korean immigrants, which almost certainly did not sell 1.7 million copies).