| Mona Acts Out by Mischa BerlinskiOn Thanksgiving, middle-aged Shakespearian actress Mona Zahid, who's mourning her sister, abruptly leaves her family to go for a day-long walk with her dog. She visits her elderly mentor (who's been accused of sexual assault) and ponders her past in this character-driven tale that paints an evocative picture of theater life and New York while spotlighting grief and aging. Read-alike: Claire Thomas's The Performance. |
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| How to Sleep at Night by Elizabeth HarrisWhen his husband, Ethan, says he's running for Congress as a Republican, progressive Gabe isn't sure their marriage will survive. Meanwhile, married mom Nicole begins an affair with her political reporter ex, who's Ethan's sister and Gabe's best friend. This debut novel by a New York Times reporter offers drama aplenty as it explores politics, identity, and ambition. Try this next: Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright. |
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| Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn IveyIn this latest from the acclaimed author of The Snow Child, Birdie raises her precocious six-year-old daughter, Emaleen, and dreams of more freedom and excitement than she gets in her small Alaskan town. After reclusive local Arthur saves Emaleen when she's lost, the trio move to his remote cabin. But Arthur has a secret that could endanger them all. Fans of fairy tale-inspired novels will want to read this suspenseful story. |
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| I'll Come to You by Rebecca KauffmanBeginning in January 1995 and ending in December of the same year, this quietly moving novel with vibrant characters follows the everyday goings-on of several related families as their members navigate new relationships, dating after divorce, pregnancy, dementia, and more. Read-alike: Julie Otsuka's The Swimmers. |
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| Going Home by Tom LamontLondoner Téo Erskine spends lots of weekends back in the suburbs visiting his sick dad, his wealthy best friend, and his crush, who's a single mom to a toddler. When tragedy strikes, the men and the area's new rabbi care for the child in this poignant debut featuring well-developed characters and thoughtfully depicting loss and men's relationships. For a more lighthearted look at unexpectedly caring for kids, try Steven Rowling's The Guncle. |
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| Waiting for the Long Night Moon by Amanda PetersThe 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. "An affecting and wide-ranging collection," raves Publishers Weekly. |
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| The Granddaughter by Bernhard SchlinkAfter his wife dies, elderly Kaspar finds a diary indicating she gave birth to a child before she met him. Kaspar investigates and discovers the lost daughter is a neo-Nazi with a controlling husband and a 14-year-old daughter, Sigrun. Using money to finesse his way into visits with Sigrun, Kaspar shows her the Berlin he loves, gets her the piano lessons she wants, and tries to expand her world view. Try this next: Foster by Claire Keegan. |
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| Gliff by Ali SmithIn a dystopian near-future, two "unverifiable" children befriend a horse and a group of squatters as they try to survive after their mother is taken away by all-powerful authorities. This timely and lyrical latest from an acclaimed Scottish author examines the perils of government surveillance and lack of data privacy as well as the power of language. Read-alike: The Ancients by John Larison. |
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| We Lived on the Horizon by Erika SwylerIn an AI-run walled city, someone murders a powerful member of the Saints, a wealthy group descended from the city's founders. Meanwhile, 60-something Saint Enita creates a body for Nix, the AI she considers family, unaware that the murder signals rumblings of a revolution in this "singularly stunning and stunningly singular" (Kirkus Reviews) novel. Try this next: Gish Jen's The Resisters.
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| Good Dirt by Charmaine WilkersonAfter she's left at the alter by her wealthy white fiancé, Ebby, who's from a well-to-do Black New England family, goes to France to escape the press. She also works on a book about the stoneware jar her enslaved relatives owned, which was destroyed years ago when burglars killed her brother. After the success of Black Cake, author Charmaine Wilkerson serves up another emotionally intense story with multiple viewpoints. |
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