Fiction A to Z December 2025 |
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This Is Not a Ghost Story by AmerieJohn’s House provides all he needs. Surrounded by a vast, beautiful ocean, the House is John’s haven. But then a terrible shadow creature breaks in—and it wants him out. Pushed from the House, John falls into the light… And finds himself in modern-day Los Angeles, the first person to ever come back from the other side. Though he has no memory of his past life, or even how he died, everyone wants to know more about the Black man who has returned from the dead, yet all John wants is to go home. But going home will require, most unfortunately, help. Try this next: Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino. |
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Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Ace AtkinsIt's 1985, and fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett is convinced his mom's new boyfriend is a Russian agent. 'Gary' isn't in the phone book, has an unidentifiable European accent, and keeps a gun in the glove box of his convertible Porsche. Peter thinks Gary only wants to get close to his mom because she works at Scientific Atlanta, a lab with big government contracts. But who is going to believe him? But after another woman who works at the lab is killed, Peter recruits an unlikely pair of allies--a has-been pulp writer named Dennis Hotchner and his drag performer buddy Jackie Demure. Both soon become the target of an unhinged Russian hitman with a serious Phil Collins obsession. Read-alike: Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara.
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Before the oracular gadèt-zafè came to warn his mother she would die, 6-year-old Fidel knew only the everyday mystery of the Guadeloupe around him. The lush greenery, the dusty roads, the sugar cane growing and the neighbors arguing, the push and pull of love and resentment between people who rely on each other--his world is small but full. Until a few moments of violence change his life forever. Orphaned, Fidel returns to his mother's native Dominica and whirls from one relative and reality to another, learning pieces of his own story. For fans of: Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia. |
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| The White Hot by Quiara Alegría HudesA fed-up April Soto abandons the home she shares with her eight-year-old daughter Noelle, her mom, and her abuela. She returns days later to leave Noelle with her dad, who'd broken it off with teenaged April when he found out she was pregnant. Then April leaves for good. Partially told via April's letter to Noelle on her 18th birthday, this thought-provoking debut novel is by a Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. For fans of: Donna Freitas’ Her One Regret; Miranda July’s All Fours. |
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Looking for Tank Man by Ha JinWhen the Chinese premier visits Harvard, international student Pei Lulu encounters a lone woman protesting who will drastically change her understanding of the People's Republic and her own place in the world. For the first time, Lulu learns of the 1989 protest movement and the government's violent response. Determined to find out more, she seeks answers from her family, who share surprising stories of their involvement, and from a formative university course based on powerful firsthand accounts. Readers also enjoyed: Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien.
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| Heart the Lover by Lily KingLike the author’s acclaimed Writers & Lovers (which has ties to this novel), this lyrical story also centers on a love triangle. In a 1980s college literature class, a woman grows close to two best friends, who call her Jordan after a character in The Great Gatsby. She eventually dates one of the men but falls in love with the other. Decades later, they all meet again. Read-alikes: Caroline O’Donoghue’s The Rachel Incident; Marie Rutkoski’s Ordinary Love. |
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You Could Do Damage Too by K. C. MillsIn a world where power and survival intertwine, Nari--a resilient former foster child--finds herself unexpectedly married to Kincaid Akel, a ruthless businessman with a complicated past. What begins as a calculated arrangement transforms into a passionate and dangerous journey of love, loyalty, and survival. Kincaid's fierce devotion to Nari is matched only by his willingness to eliminate anyone threatening her safety. But when the shadows of their past--including Nari's criminal father, Eli Manchester--begin to close in, their marriage is tested in ways neither could have imagined. Sequel to: You Could Do Damage by K. C. Mills.
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| Workhorse by Caroline PalmerIn the early 2000s, editorial assistant Clodagh “Clo” Harmon is determined to move up the ranks at the prestigious New York fashion magazine where she works. But she’s from suburban Philly and her competitors are the children of the rich and famous. Funny, biting, and fast-paced, this richly drawn novel will please fans of fashion-centric novels like Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada and smart looks at upper-class privilege. |
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| Minor Black Figures by Brandon TaylorOne hot New York summer after the worst of COVID, Black painter Wyeth faces a creative block and ponders art and identity as he embraces a project restoring a decades-old work by another Black artist. Then, at a West Village bar, he meets a handsome blond man who’s recently left the seminary. Try this next: Blue Ruin by Hari Kunzru. |
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| Palaver by Bryan WashingtonIn the weeks before Christmas, a mother arrives unannounced in Japan to visit her estranged son, who isn’t happy to see her. They speak infrequently and haven’t seen each other in years, but can they come to an understanding with each other before it’s too late? Readers who appreciate spare yet evocative tales or stories that center gay men and family in all its forms will enjoy Bryan Washington’s novels. For fans of: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. |
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| The Second Chance Cinema by Thea WeissNewly engaged couple Ellie and Drake discover a magical movie theater down a cobblestone alley showing The Story of You. As moments from both of their pasts replay on the big screen, they wrestle with what they learn about each other and revisit their own upsetting secrets in this intriguing debut novel. Read-alike: One Day in December by Josie Silver. |
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Seascraper by Benjamin WoodTwenty-year-old Thomas Flett lives in Longferry, Northern England, working his grandpa's trade as a shanker. He rises early to scrape for shrimp, and spends the afternoon selling his wares, trying to wash away the salt and sea-scum, pining for his neighbor, Joan Wyeth, and playing songs on his guitar. Then a mysterious American arrives in town and enlists Thomas's help in finding a perfect location for his next movie. Though skeptical at first, Thomas learns to trust the stranger, Edgar, and begins to see a different future for himself. But how much of what Edgar claims is true, and how far can his inspiration carry Thomas? Try this next: Strange Flowers by Donal Ryan.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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