Fiction A to Z October 2025 |
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Celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November |
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"A subtle and fascinating portrait of growing up Native"—Percival Everett, author of James This may be the Tigers' last season, and Indigenous student Tommy sees the uncertainty of life in the team's loss; Clinton is trying to avoid gang violence; Floyd is talented yet insecure about being multiracial; and the adults in Tommy's life—his mother; Pete, the Zamboni driver; and elders Maggie and Olga—offer well-intentioned but often misguided support. Try this next: Brothers on Three : a True Story of Family, Resistance, and Hope on a Reservation in Montana by Abe Streep. |
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"A deliciously seductive masterwork." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)In 2008 Argus, North Dakota, where the Red River flows north, Crystal hauls sugar beets every night while her daughter Kismet ponders college even as two boys want to marry her: the wealthy school quarterback and the homeschooled son of a bookstore owner. In lyrical prose, this latest by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author explores love, nature, industrial farming, and rural life. Try these next: Amy Jo Burns' Mercury; Ash Davidson's Damnation Spring. |
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"A thunderclap of a novel—fierce, lyrical, and unrelentingly intimate.”—Morgan Talty, author of Night of the Living RezWhen six-year-old Laurel vanishes, her sister Nadine's haunting visions lead her deep into family history and Indigenous folklore, where uncovering buried truths may be the only way to bring Laurel home and heal generations of unresolved grief. Read-alike: Bad Cree by Jessica Johns. |
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"Taut, timely, and brimming with suspense"—Kirstin Chen, author of CounterfeitHaving moved around a lot, 30-year-old lawyer Mitch Caddo is an outsider at his Wisconsin reservation. But with his old friend Mack up for reelection as tribal president, political fixer Mitch works hard to defeat a nationally known activist, whose young aide is Mack's sister and Mitch's old flame. Jon Hickey, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, debuts with a timely, thought-provoking novel. For fans of: David Heska Wanbli Weiden's Winter Counts. |
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“Truly spooky.” —PeopleAfter a ghost-hunting accident leaves Henry Hotard paralyzed, he returns to his reservation and begins experiencing terrifying visions tied to a Native superstition, forcing him to confront buried trauma and the consequences of breaking sacred taboos. Try this next: White Horse by Erika T. Wurth. |
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Takes on complex and challenging subjects such as grief, loss, love, rage and resistance with a range of confident prose"—Michelle Good, author of Five Little IndiansThe Canadian author of the award-winning The Berry Pickers presents 17 stories that span hundreds of years, feature thought-provoking Indigenous characters, and cover topics such as the arrival of colonists, the evils of Indian residential schools, and the importance of protecting nature. Readers also enjoyed: The Round House by Louise Erdrich. |
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The El by Theodore C. Van Alst “Cool and real as hell.” —Tommy Orange, author of There ThereOn a sweltering day in 1979 Chicago, Indigenous teen Teddy leads younger gang members through rival territories after a violent meeting of“the Nation,” relying on wit, loyalty, and visions from Coyote to survive a perilous journey across the city's El train lines. Read-alike: Young Blood by Sifiso Mzobe. |
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"A mind bending tale of loss and love and the devastating cost of grief. You don't want to miss this!” ―S. A. Cosby, author of All the Sinners Bleed Paranormal investigator Olivia Becente, struggling with her sister's death and her sudden gift to commune with spirits, investigates mysterious deaths at a Denver hotel, uncovering ties to a cult and dark secrets about her sister's hidden life. For fans of: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones. |
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| "Reminded me that the novel is still the best form of virtual reality we have.” —Jenny Odell, author of Saving Time Working as a video content moderator for a social media company, Girlie Delmundo has seen horrific things. Burnt out, she takes a promotion working on a new virtual reality product. While she now can better help her mother financially, she also falls for her new boss and questions the suspicious death of the VR company’s founder. For fans of: Hanna Bervoets' We Had to Remove This Post. |
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| "A banger about rebooting your life"―Minnesota Star TribuneWith her stepson at college and her husband probably cheating on her again, middle-aged Amy Webb focuses on internet videos of Angel, a dog in Tbilisi, Georgia. When Angel goes missing, Amy heads to Eastern Europe to help find him, and maybe herself too. For fans of: complex characters and geopolitical themes; Rebecca Serle's One Italian Summer. |
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| Swedish singer and songwriter J performs at weddings, penning a bespoke song for each couple. But when his girlfriend’s job takes her to New York indefinitely and she pulls away despite his best efforts, he's no longer sure about love or marriage. This moving look at relationships has touches of humor, plus ten songs by Swedish songwriter Jens Lekman. For fans of: Holly Brickley’s Deep Cuts. |
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| "Mesmerizing. A deeply felt and meticulously crafted novel that entrances the reader from the first sentence to its last." —Jason Mott, author of Hell of a BookIn a dystopian future, the only superpower left is the Qin Empire (formerly China), which rules a world where technology allows people to record, store, and transfer memories. Told via interconnected short stories, this thought-provoking, timely tale centers a young man who inherits illegal memories from his mother, which depict interracial couples, dissenters, and more. For fans of: Yoko Ogawa's The Memory Police. |
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"A beautifully wrought tribute to all that inspires us to move.”—Mateo Askaripour, author of Black BuckLayla becomes choreographer-in-residence for Black dancers at Briar House in rural Vermont, temporarily leaving behind Brooklyn, her job, her friends and her husband; helped by a handsome composer, neurotic costume designer, witty communications director and austere program director, she navigates this enormous feat in a very white town. Read-alike: On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton. |
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| "Makes the reader laugh from disquiet, and tear up from being seen.”—Yiyun Li, author of Wednesday’s ChildThis latest offering from Pulitzer Prize finalist Ed Park is an intriguing collection of 16 short stories, some lightly connected to others and four of which are new. Exploring humanity, technology, and literary themes, this book works for readers who enjoy unconventional, witty, and open-ended tales. Try this next: Liberation Day: Stories by George Saunders. |
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| "A sensory feast for readers everywhere.”—Adriana Trigiani, author of The View from Lake ComoAt a crossroads after the end of a relationship and her lack of career progress, 35-year-old Iris is gifted a special perfume by an older French friend. Wearing the scent, she discovers newfound power and multiple love interests, but things don’t always go as planned. Great for book clubs, this novel mixes romance and mystery as it explores friendship, ambition, and self-confidence. For fans of: My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout. |
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| "A sweet confection of a story, filled with heart."—Nikki Erlick, author of The Measure As a lonely child, Chloe makes a yellow origami rose for her new pen pal, whispering details about herself to the paper. When Oliver receives it, he somehow understands. The correspondents grow close as they grow up, until they lose touch. Years later, Chloe leaves flowers across Manhattan, where Oliver finds one in this heartwarming tale enveloped in love, belonging, and magical realism. For fans of: Lynda Cohen Loigman’s The Matchmaker’s Gift. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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