The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Recommended by: Tayari Jones, author of Kin
Genre: Epistolary fiction
Books that let you peek into someone else’s correspondence are irresistible, aren’t they? If you agree, The Correspondent is for you. It follows 73-year-old Sybil Van Antwerp, who writes letters to friends, family and even famous writers as she reflects on the loves and secrets that have shaped her life. As her eyesight begins to fail, those letters become even more important. This is a warm, intimate read for anyone who loves getting deeply attached to a character and slowly discovering what made her who she is.
Transcription by Ben Lerner
Recommended by: Mary H.K. Choi, author of Pool House
Genre: Literary fiction
A missing recording is at the center of this clever, slightly strange novel. When an interview disappears, the people involved have to reconstruct what was said from memory, and naturally, their versions don’t quite match. From there, Lerner plays with memory, language and the question of whether we can ever truly capture what someone else meant. It’s a good choice for readers who like their fiction a little brainy and enjoy finishing a chapter with something to puzzle over.
Misery by Stephen King
Recommended by: Tia Williams, author of The Missed Connection
Genre: Psychological horror
Being a bestselling author sounds pretty great until your biggest fan kidnaps you. That’s exactly what happens to novelist Paul Sheldon after a car accident leaves him injured and recovering in the home of Annie Wilkes, a former nurse who is obsessed with his books. When Annie discovers he has killed off her beloved character Misery, she forces him to write a new story bringing her back. Paul is trapped and completely at her mercy. Williams’s note on this Stephen King classic? “This book raised me.”
Famesick by Lena Dunham
Recommended by: Isaac Fitzgerald, author of American Rambler
Genre: Nonfiction
Remember when Girls suddenly made Lena Dunham one of the most talked-about people in pop culture? Famesick takes you behind that whirlwind, from making the HBO series with Jenni Konner to dealing with fame, internet scrutiny, relationships, health struggles and burnout. Dunham also gets candid about her relationship with Jack Antonoff and the strange experience of having so much of her life play out in public. It’s a great pick for anyone who loves a juicy behind-the-scenes story but wants more honesty than celebrity gloss.
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
Recommended by: Choi
Genre: Dystopian fiction
Before 1984 and The Hunger Games, there was We. D-503 lives in the One State, where people have numbers instead of names and every part of the day is carefully controlled. Then he meets I-330, a rebellious woman who drinks, smokes and has zero interest in following the rules. Suddenly, D-503 starts questioning everything he once believed. This one is for anyone who loves a dystopian world, a dangerous romance and a protagonist who has a very inconvenient awakening.
Worship by Alice Winn
Recommended by: Jenny Jackson, author of The Shampoo Effect
Genre: Historical fiction
Camelot, knights and romance? Tell us more. Worship follows Princess Isode, who expects to marry the knight Palomides until Sir Tristam defeats him in a tournament and changes everything. Tristam has his sights set on joining King Arthur’s Round Table, but war soon throws him and Isode together. There’s danger, court intrigue and plenty of romantic tension. As Jackson puts it, “It’s all about knights at the Round Table, and it’s very romantic.”
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
Recommended by: Fitzgerald
Genre: Science-fiction fantasy
Nothing says cozy quite like an apocalypse, an alien game show and a talking cat. In Dungeon Crawler Carl, Carl survives the destruction of Earth and ends up battling through a deadly dungeon with Princess Donut, his ex-girlfriend’s pampered Persian cat who becomes intelligent after eating a magical biscuit. Their survival is broadcast across the galaxy for entertainment, so every monster fight comes with an audience. It’s wildly weird, genuinely funny and, according to Fitzgerald, one of his current comfort reads.
On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle
Recommended by: Jackson
Genre: Literary and philosophical fiction
Tara Selter is a rare-book dealer who discovers she’s stuck on Nov. 18. Everyone around her moves on to the next day, but Tara keeps waking up on the same date. She can travel and make changes, though, and some of those changes stick. Soon, she’s experimenting with just how much control she has over her strange new existence. Jackson calls this book “Groundhog Day as written by a woman” and says it’s “super cerebral.” She also compares it to the best parts of Canadian novelist Emily St. John Mandel’s work, but “tighter and smaller.”
Self-Help by Lorrie Moore
Recommended by: Choi
Genre: Literary fiction
Dating the wrong person, navigating family drama and making questionable life choices are all fair game in Lorrie Moore’s Self-Help. The collection turns the familiar language of advice books into funny, sharp stories about women dealing with affairs, loneliness and complicated relationships. Moore has a knack for making everyday awkwardness feel hilarious and painfully familiar. Pick this up when you want something smart and funny that you can dip into one story at a time.
The River by Peter Heller
Recommended by: Jackson
Genre: Thriller
Jack and Wynn head into the Canadian wilderness expecting a peaceful canoe trip. Instead, they spot a wildfire and hear a couple arguing somewhere nearby. They can’t see who the strangers are or what’s happening, but they know something is wrong. As the fire moves closer, the friends have to decide whether to keep going or get involved. Jackson considers this novel a “banger,” and it’s an easy pick for anyone who likes beautiful wilderness settings, fast-moving suspense and the creeping feeling that a relaxing vacation has gone very, very wrong.
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
Recommended by: Choi
Genre: Historical fiction
Ireland in 1865 is the setting for this sweeping story about family, land and a country still recovering from the Great Hunger. Surveyor Tomás travels through Ireland with his young son, Liam, mapping the landscape for the British Ordnance Survey while encountering villages emptied by famine and families forced from their homes. Meanwhile, Liam is growing up surrounded by Irish folklore and stories about the land. It’s a strong choice for anyone who wants historical fiction with a big sense of place and a family story at its center.
Never Let Me Go by Kazou Ishiguro
Recommended by: Jackson
Genre: Science fiction
Kathy, Ruth and Tommy grow up together at Hailsham, an English boarding school that seems idyllic until the three friends begin discovering what makes it so different from other schools. As they get older, they learn the disturbing truth about why they were raised there and what their futures hold. Their friendships and romantic entanglements become more complicated as that reality sinks in. Never Let Me Go is perfect for readers who love a quiet story with a devastating secret at its core.
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