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| Waiting on a Friend by Natalie AdlerRenata has always seen ghosts, though the recent ones have died from a new disease, AIDS. But the one spirit she desperately wants to appear -- her best friend Mark -- doesn't. Then a local East Village business claims it can get rid of paranormal problems, leading Renata and friends to investigate. Touching on love, loss, and community, this surprisingly funny debut is a powerful portrait of friendship and 1984 New York. Try this next: Rasheed Newson's My Government Means to Kill Me. |
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| Homebound by Portia ElanWhat do two genius programmers in 1980s Ohio, a Berkeley scientist in 2086, a sentient robot she creates, and a sea captain in the 2500s all have in common? Homebound, a video game created after a teenager finished the coding started by her beloved late uncle, which goes on to influence humanity for epochs. This buzzy, intricately plotted debut explores grief, love, and loneliness. For fans of: Anthony Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land; Jennifer Egan's The Candy House. |
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| Villa Coco by Andrew Sean GreerA 21-year-old American college grad snags a job cataloging the papers and artifacts of Coco, a vibrant 92-year-old Baronessa, at her rural Italian villa. But it's soon clear that he's really an all-purpose assistant and part of an eccentric, chaotic community, including boar hunters, nuns, a princess, and a handsome guest. Full of warmth and humor, this latest from Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer is a charming summer read. Try this next: Paul Rudnick's What Is Wrong with You? |
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| Elegy in Blue by Mark HelprinAn unnamed 82-year-old narrator revisits his life, from his childhood and his Wall Street career, to his happy marriage and life as a father. Over the years, violence takes loved ones, leaving him alone in an apartment in his beloved Brooklyn, where he contemplates helping others and his own death. Lyrical and complex, this introspective literary tale digs into intriguing questions of mortality and morality. "Expect to see this on many best-of-2026 lists," raves Library Journal. |
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| Sublimation by Isabel J. KimIn this debut novel, emigration creates two copies of a person. The iterations can be reintegrated, or both can exist, one in the home country, one in the new. They can keep in touch, or not. Rose Kang left Korea for the United States at ten, cutting off her other self, Soyoung. Now Rose is back in Korea, and Soyoung wants to meet. Meanwhile, a tech company tries to monetize reintegration. For fans of: Apple TV's Severance. |
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| Alan Opts Out by Courtney MaumAdvertising exec Alan Anderson lives the good life in suburban Connecticut with his wife and two girls. But after he messes up a big presentation, he has an epiphany and decides to opt out of capitalism. His wife wants a pool and isn't happy when Alan moves into their backyard playhouse to live off the land. But instead of shocking the neighbors, Alan's lifestyle might catch on. Try this next: Gabriel Bump's The New Naturals. |
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| Ghalen by Walter MosleyIn 1999, when Jamilah, an advanced medical genetics student, meets Robert, a neurodivergent chef at a vegan restaurant, they fall for each other, marry, and have son Ghalen. But Jamilah gets cancer, leaving the two on their own. Ghalen grows up, becoming a high school valedictorian at 15, but faces hurdles, including racism. For fans of: moving, thought-provoking coming-of-age novels, like Jacqueline Woodson's Red at the Bone and Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead. |
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| Palaces of the Crow by Ray NaylerNeriya, a Lithuanian Jewish girl, befriends local crows, and one leads her to safety in the forest when Germans arrive in 1941. She meets Czeslaw, an underage Polish soldier and Red Army deserter; Kezia, an orphaned Romani girl; and a mute boy. Hiding from soldiers as well as others who might harm them, the four young teens survive a brutal winter thanks to the crows and each other. For fans of: thought-provoking historical novels with a bit of magical realism; acclaimed tales of found family and war. |
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| The Radiant Dark by Alexandra OlivaIn 1980, young new mom Carol Girard struggles in her Adirondacks hometown. But when a flickering light in the sky is believed to be intelligent life communicating from star Ross 128, humanity adapts, and the Girards change too. Carol, fascinated with the discovery, finds like-minded people, while her husband raises their kids alone. This slow-burn novel covers decades, later following Carol's daughter Ro, who becomes an interstellar communication expert. Read-alikes: Meg Charlton's Voyagers; Eliana Ramage's To the Moon and Back. |
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| Returns and Exchanges by Kayla Rae WhitakerWith four young kids and a successful retail store in 1979 Lexington, Kentucky, Fred and Fran have worked hard to achieve the American Dream. But as the years go by, the love that united them diminishes as insecure Fred looks to high-society groups for approval and business-minded Fran develops feelings for store manager Wendy. Meanwhile, their kids have their own dreams and problems. Read-alikes: Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney; The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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