Sheridan Recommends

Olga Dies Dreaming, by Xochitl Gonzalez: When Olga and Prieto's mom abandons them to become a Puerto Rican revolutionary, they are raised by their abuelita, their tia, and their community.  As adults, Olga is a wedding planner for Mannhattan's elite, and Prieto is a congressman for the neighborhood in which they were raised. Yet their mother's presence (or lack thereof) continues to make itself known. This was a beautiful novel that kept me up late reading -- a difficult task!

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Erika Recommends

Lost & Found, by Kathryn Schulz: This here is one of the best-written books I have EVER read. In an 18-month span, Kathryn Schulz grieved the passing of her beloved father, and met the woman who would become her wife -- and this book is a meditation on how both losing and finding factor into the experience of life. This is the kind of book that helps a reader make sense of the world in all its beauty and heartbreak, and has the makings of a modern classic. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

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Greg Recommends

Small World, by Jonathan Evison: A train speeds through a snowy night in Oregon. Several people on the train are connected in ways they couldn't possibly imagine. And that's what this fantastic, ambitious, completely immersive novel is about: How weare ALL connected in striving for the Great American Dream. This is a novel you'll get totally lost in -- Evison absolutely nails this!  

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Erika Recommends

Beautiful Country, by Qian Julie Wang: In 1994, when Wang was 7 years old, she and her family moved from China to New York City, and this is the story of their first few years in their new country. Wang works alongside her mother at sweatshops and sushi processing plants, and learns English from books, TV, and her new school. Though these years are marked by poverty, hunger, and the constant fear of being deported, there is so much wonder in Wang's observations -- and some surprising humor, too. This is a truly lovely memoir.

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Chelka Recommends

The Book Of Magic, by Alice Hoffman: Alright, witches! It's time to pull out your battered copy of Practical Magic. Alice Hoffman has completed the Owens family saga, wrapping up a centuries-old curse with spells, love, and family drama. Your favorite characters all make appearances and Hoffman's prose is spot-on.

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Erika Recommends

The War For Gloria, by Atticus Lish:  What a rich and interesting book this is -- occasionally heartbreaking,  sometimes unbearably tense, and often bizarrely funny. Corey is just 15 when his mother is diagnosed with ALS, and he's forced to not only become her caretaker, but to rely on his largely absent (and deeply shady) father for help. Lish is a fascinating writer, as capable of drawing memorable characters and settings (here, suburban Boston) as he is of taking his story in surprising directions. This is WELL WORTH the read.

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Greg Recommends

Godspeed, by Nickolas Butler: This tale of three guys building a house in the mountains of Wyoming on an impossibly tight deadline for mysterious reasons is told with Butler's signature warmth and humanity -- even though it has the DNA of a thriller. No one cares about his characters more than Butler, even when they're flawed. This book continues a theme in Butler's work: A tension between the haves and the have-nots. This is another triumph from a terrific storyteller!

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Melody Recommends

Nightbitch, by Rachel Yoder: Bizarre and disturbingly relatable, NIGHTBITCH follows one mother's evolution from successful artist, to stay-at-home parent, to dog. Yes, our nameless main character believes she is turning into a dog. This fable-like story is a unique and unapologetically brutal examination of the societal pressures of modern motherhood in conflict with the primal (and sometimes feral) instincts that are inside us all. Sink your teeth into this one!

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Erika Recommends

 

The Paper Palace, by Miranda Cowley Heller: This book has everything -- family secrets, a love triangle, and a glorious Cape Cod setting -- that Beach Read dreams are made of. After a lifetime's worth of sexual tension, Elle -- a married mother of three -- sleeps with her childhood best friend, Jonas. And honestly, the question of whether she'll leave her family for Jonas is less compelling than everything that leads her to this point (seriously, SO MUCH happens in this book), and the author's marvelous sense of place. Loved it!

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Sheridan Recommends

The Death of Vivek Oji, by Akwaeke Emezi: There's really something special about this book. It's mysterious. A little dark. It's beautiful. The story of family, identity, life, and death. Vivek was so alive despite what the title suggests. (I cried and that's saying something.)

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Melody Recommends

People We Meet On Vacation, by Emily Henry: After being stuck at home for a year, this book is exactly what I needed. The characters are quirky and likable, and the plot is what you'd expect from a light, summer read.  While this is essentially rom-com, it also explores themes of loneliness and redefining what makes a person happy. Pick this one up for your next vacation!

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Greg Recommends

All Together Now, by Matthew Norman: This endearing, funny, summery novel is about a group of mid-30s friends who gather at a beach mansion for a reunion. But there's a twist! One of them is dying and he happens to be a famous billionaire. Hilarity ensues? Sure, there are drinks and jokes aplenty, but this novel  --  an essential entry into the "dude lit with heart" genre  -- does a wonderful job of examining friendship. 

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Erika Recommends

The Other Black Girl, by Zakiya Dalila Harris: If I keep hearing a book described as "Get Out" meets "The Devil Wears Prada," I'm going to read it...and, sure enough, Harris's debut novel was every bit as smart, cool, and entertaining as I wanted it to be. Nella, an assistant at a publishing house, is the only black employee in her office...until Hazel shows up, and what looks like a normal rivalry turns out to be much, MUCH more. Both a fascinating peek at publishing and a look at what solidarity among black women is supposed to mean. Good luck putting this one down!

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Christy Recommends

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, by Cho Nam-Joo: A runaway bestseller in its native Korea, this is the kind of story that is so specific that it actually becomes universal. I read it in one afternoon.

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Greg Recommends

Early Morning Riser, by Katherine Heiny: If Richard Russo and Sarah Silverman had a book baby, it might look something like this charming, hilarious tale of small town Midwestern life. This novel is about how we find happiness, no matter what hand we're dealt in life. Against all odds, despite unspeakable tragedies, despite hurdles and heartbreak, we do figure out how to be happy. If we're lucky. Sweet, touching, and laugh-out-loud funny!

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Chelka Recommends

Mary Jane, by Jessica Anya Blau: What if Judy Blume wrote "Almost Famous"? You'd end up with Mary Jane! This short, quick read takes place over one summer as a 14-year-old babysitter learns about music, sex, drugs, dysfunctional families, and the value of being seen. It's a little over-the-top, but isn't that what you want in a summer novel? A great diversion!

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Greg Recommends

How I Learned To Hate In Ohio, by David Stuart MacLean: Barry is just your average everyday bookish 14-year-old kid, living with his parents in a quaint college town in rural Ohio. But when a new kid comes to town, it touches off a series of events that forces Barry to confront some very adult issues: racism, sex, infidelity, and more. Harrowing and hilarious, this is one of the most authentic accounts of small town life I've ever read. Absolutely loved it!

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Erika Recommends

The Night Always Comes, by Willy Vlautin: Daaaamn, this book blew me away. Here is a story that is so specific yet illustrates such big, harsh realites about life for so many people in this country. Lynette works multiple jobs and barely gets by, but if she can secure enough money to buy her house, she can secure an actual future for herself, her mom, and her disabled brother. The entire story takes place over two days, as Lynette scrambles to find the money. Everything Vlautin does here -- from his tight plotting to his character development and the sense of urgency he creates -- works beautifully. This book is an absolute knockout.