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Fiction A to Z February 2026 |
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The Infamous Gilberts
by Angela Tomaski
The Remains of the Day meets The Royal Tenenbaums in this darkly funny debut novel about a wealthy, eccentric family in decline and the secrets held within the walls of their crumbling country manor. Thornwalk, a once-stately English manor, is on the brink of transformation. Its keys are being handed over to a luxury hotelier who will undertake a complete renovation--but in doing so, what will they erase? Through the keen eyes of an enigmatic neighbor, the reader is taken on a guided tour into rooms filled with secrets and memories, each revealing the story of the five Gilbert siblings. Spanning the eve of World War II to the early 2000s, this contemporary gothic novel weaves a rich tapestry of English country life. As the story unfolds, the reader is drawn into a world where the echoes of an Edwardian idyll clash with the harsh realities of war, neglect, and changing times. The Gilberts' tale is one of great loves, lofty ambitions, and profound loss, and Angela Tomaski's mordantly witty yet loving account is an immersive experience. Reminiscent of the haunting atmospheres in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Infamous Gilberts offers a fresh take on a classic genre, capturing the essence of a troubled but fascinating family.
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Songs for Other People's Weddings
by David Levithan
J is a wedding singer, but it didn't start that way. He wrote a love song for one of his albums that accidentally became an international hit for to-be-wed couples. These days, J talks to couples about all the small, strange things that brought them together-and then he writes and performs an original song at their weddings. But whatever J tries, he can't find the perfect words for his own love with V. Now V is off to New York, helping launch a social media platform that has struck gold. While V's life grows bigger and busier without J in it, he seeks refuge and wisdom in the happy couples he writes for, who all look so unshakably connected. And so, whether through fate or sheer determination, J sets his sights on New York, to see if he can't get V and himself singing in harmony once again. But could it be that the tune of their song changed for good?--
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Just Watch Me
by Lior Torenberg
Fleabag meets Big Swiss in this bold debut about a charismatic misfit who livestreams her life for seven days and nights to raise money to save her comatose sister--a poignant and darkly funny exploration of grief, forgiveness, and redemption. Dell Danvers is barely keeping it together. She's behind on rent for her studio apartment (formerly a walk-in closet), she's being plagued by perpetual stomach pain, and her younger sister, Daisy, is in a coma at a hospital that wants to pull the plug. Freshly unemployed and subsisting on selling plants to trust fund kids, Dell impulsively starts a 24-hour livestream under the username mademoiselle
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The Future Saints
by Ashley Winstead
Following the death of their manager, the band Future Saints is on the brink. That is, until a new music executive is sent to get them back on course--
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All the Little Houses
by May Cobb
May Cobb's most explosive book yet. And trust me, that's saying a lot. --Jeneva RoseNobody does explosive and twisted like May Cobb does it. --Lisa JewellAdults can behave badly too...It's the mid-1980s in the tiny town of Longview, Texas. Nellie Anderson, the beautiful daughter of the Anderson family dynasty, has burst onto the scene. She always gets what she wants. What she can't get for herself... well, that's what her mother is for. Because Charleigh Andersen, blond, beautiful, and ruthlessly cunning, remembers all too well having to claw her way to the top. When she was coming of age on the poor side of East Texas, she was a loser, an outcast, humiliated, and shunned by the in-crowd, whose approval she'd so desperately thirsted for. When a prairie-kissed family moves to town, all trad wife, woodworking dad, wholesome daughter vibes, Charleigh's entire self-made social empire threatens to crumble.Who will be left standing when the dust settles?From the author of The Hunting Wives comes a deliciously wicked new thriller about mean girls, mean moms, and the delicious secrets inside all the little houses.
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| Departure(s) by Julian BarnesStarring a 70-something Booker Prize winner with a fatal illness, Departure(s) is the planned final novel by author Julian Barnes, who shares a name and many similarities with his main character. Exploring art, life, death, and memory while covering the fictional Julian's two matchmaking attempts for the same couple -- once in college and once decades later -- this short but powerful tale is candid and witty. Read-alikes: Paul Auster's Baumgartner; Joshua Ferris' A Calling for Charlie Barnes. |
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| Scavengers by Kathleen BolandAfter losing her New York finance job, lonely Bea Macon visits her estranged free-spirited mom, Christy, who's a member of an internet forum devoted to finding a hidden treasure. With an online boyfriend and a plan, Christy heads to the desert and Bea tags along. This character-driven debut novel explores mother-daughter relationships and has an evocative Utah setting and romantic elements. For a more romance-forward treasure hunting tale, try Christina Lauren's Something Wilder. |
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| Sheer by Vanessa LawrenceIn 2015 New York, 40-something beauty mogul Maxine Thomas has been suspended after a transgression. As she awaits her fate from the board, she ponders her past, including her 1980s childhood in the New Jersey suburbs and growing her business in college and beyond. This compelling tale provides a revealing look at the beauty industry, ambition, and secrets. For fans of: Olivia Wolfgang-Smith's Mutual Interest; Mona Awad's Rouge. |
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| This Is Where the Serpent Lives by Daniyal MueenuddinSpanning decades, this moving, lyrical look at life and social class in modern-day Pakistan follows memorable characters, from orphaned Bayazid, who rises to the position of chauffeur to Hisham, who's the heir to a large estate, to Hisham himself, who attended college in the United States, as well as others connected to these two. "This is a masterpiece," raves Publishers Weekly. Read-alikes: When the Fireflies Dance by Aisha Hassan; Aravind Adiga's novels. |
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| Crux by Gabriel TallentIn California's Mojave Desert, two high school seniors share a tight friendship and a passion for rock climbing, though neither has money for good gear. While Dan dreams of college and his mom sacrifices to pay for it, Tamma wants to be a pro climber but must help her troubled family. For fans of: Allegra Goodman's Sam; suspenseful, richly detailed novels; character-driven stories about friendship. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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