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Fiction A to Z
March 2026

Recent Releases
The Age of Calamities: Stories
by Senaa Ahmad

These inventive, absurdist short stories explore historical figures in various times and guises (Joan of Arc's ghost in the 1920s, for instance) as odd events occur (such as Anne Boleyn's inability to die, despite Henry VIII's best efforts). Stories include: "Let's Play Dead," "The Napoleons Are Multiplying," and "Choose Your Own Apocalypse." For fans of: offbeat alternate histories; innovative debut story collections.
Lost Lambs
by Madeline Cash

A suburban family is in trouble in this buzzy, funny first novel. Bud and Catherine's relationship is sputtering, while their three girls have their own issues: Abigail, 17, is dating a security guard nicknamed "War Crimes Wes," Louise, 15, has an online boyfriend who encourages her to make bombs, and super-smart Harper, 13, investigates a sketchy local billionaire, who is her dad's employer. Read-alikes: Kevin Wilson's The Family Fang; Paul Murray's The Bee Sting
Family Drama
by Rebecca Fallon

As actress Susan Bliss finds stardom on a soap opera in the 1980s and '90s, she commutes from Massachusetts, where her college professor husband works, to filming in California. This continues even after she becomes a mother, causing tension, and then when her twins are seven, she dies. As they grow into adulthood, artist Sebastian clings to his mother's memory while Viola ignores it, until she falls for her mom's former costar. Try this next: The Dazzling Truth by Helen Cullen.
So Old, So Young
by Grant Ginder

Over the course of 20 years, six college friends find jobs, partners, and challenges as they move in and out of each other's lives. Organized around five get-togethers, the first on New Year's Eve in 2007 New York and the last at a funeral, this character-driven latest from Grant Ginder (The People We Hate at the Wedding) explores change, friendship, and growing older. Read-alikes: Steven Rowley's The Celebrants; Angela Flournoy's The Wilderness.
This Is Not about Us
by Allegra Goodman

This "unsparingly frank, wryly funny" (Kirkus Reviews) linked story collection is narrated by three generations of the Rubenstein family as they navigate 74-year-old Jeanne's death, a feud between her older sisters over apple cake, and various other gatherings for holidays, divorces, a bat mitzvah, and more. Read-alikes: The Family Izquierdo by Ruben Degollado; Underburn by Bill Gaythwaite.
This Book Made Me Think of You
by Libby Page

When her new husband Joe dies of cancer, grief-stricken London book editor Tilly learns from their local bookseller that Joe has arranged for her to receive a book -- along with a note -- every month for a year. As the weeks pass, Tilly becomes friends with struggling bookstore owner Alfie and tries new things with Joe's literary encouragement in this charming read. For fans of: Mikki Brammer's The Collected Regrets of Clover.
Discipline
by Larissa Pham

On a cross-country book tour for her autofictional novel that's based on her bad relationship with her college art professor, Christine ponders life and creativity while talking with strangers and people from her past. Then she hears from the professor, leading her to visit his island home in Maine. Reflective and suspenseful, this debut novel thoughtfully examines art, ambition, and relationships. Try this next: A Big Kiss, Bye-Bye by Claire-Louise Bennett.
All That We Know by Shilo Kino
All That We Know
by Shilo Kino

Meet Mreikura Pohe: she's in love with her best friend, though he's about to abandon her; and she's an accidental activist, though she never asked for the spotlight. Navigating self-diagnosed ADHD and a new relationship while reclaiming her language is no easy feat. But as her platform grows, Mreikura unwittingly becomes a voice for change against the far-reaching consequences of colonization. The question remains: at what personal cost?
The Orchards of Basra: Mansoura Ez-Eldin by Mansoura Ez-Eldin
The Orchards of Basra: Mansoura Ez-Eldin
by Mansoura Ez-Eldin

Hisham lives at home with his impoverished mother in Minya, on the western bank of the Nile. His interests lead him to a mentor, for whom he finds books and manuscripts. Although an apprentice, Hisham shares with his teacher valuable insights into the old texts. While he is given no credit and his work is taken for granted, he is led to discover his own double. Hisham dreams a recurring dream of falling jasmine flowers. Then one night, a man appears in his dream. He knows this man's name, he knows who he is.
A Spring That Did Not Blossom: Palestinian Short Stories by Nejmeh Khalil Habib
A Spring That Did Not Blossom: Palestinian Short Stories
by Nejmeh Khalil Habib

Drawing on cultural and oral history, Nejmeh Khalil Habib's collection of five powerful short stories delves into the lives of ordinary Palestinians trying to find their way through relentless circumstances. Introducing us to characters loosely interconnected by time and place, the stories begin in 1975 with a family living in the Dbayeh refugee camp and end with the Israeli siege of West Beirut in 1982.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Related Programs and Events
Book Clubs at the Library

We host a number of book clubs at our Main and Grand Ave libraries! Come for discussion, community, and finding your next read! Check out our calendar for exact dates and times.
Includes email address ssfpladm@plsinfo.org and website for both SSF Main and Grand Avenue Library