All recommended fiction titles are sorted vertically into columns on this page by genre, then alphabetically by title.
(Genres in order: General Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction).
The Cat's Table by
In the early 1950s, an eleven-year-old boy in Colombo boards a ship bound for England. At mealtimes he is seated at the "cat's table"--as far from the Captain's Table as can be--with a ragtag group of "insignificant" adults and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. As the ship makes its way across the Indian Ocean, through the Suez Canal, into the Mediterranean, the boys tumble from one adventure to another, bursting all over the place like freed mercury. But there are other diversions as well: one man talks with them about jazz and women, another opens the door to the world of literature. The narrator's elusive, beautiful cousin Emily becomes his confidante, allowing him to see himself "with a distant eye" for the first time, and to feel the first stirring of desire. Another Cat's Table denizen, the shadowy Miss Lasqueti, is perhaps more than what she seems. And very late every night, the boys spy on a shackled prisoner, his crime and his fate a galvanizing mystery that will haunt them forever. As the narrative moves between the decks and holds of the ship and the boy's adult years, it tells a spellbinding story--by turns poignant and electrifying--about the magical, often forbidden, discoveries of childhood and a lifelong journey that begins unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage.
This under-read gem from Michael Ondaatje (author of The English Patient) tells the story of a young boy alone aboard a 1950s cruise liner as he discovers the strange and mysterious world of adults along with a ragtag cast of characters. Hazy, dreamlike, nostalgic, and curious, this tale is never quite nailed down to brilliant effect as the mysteries of the boat and life itself slowly reveal themselves to our adolescent protagonist.
Audience: Adult/General Content
A Discovery of Witches by
Book one of the New York Times bestselling All Souls series, from the author of The Black Bird Oracle. "A wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of Harry Potter and Twilight" (People). Look for the hit series "A Discovery of Witches," now streaming on AMC+, Sundance Now, and Shudder! Deborah Harkness's sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. Harkness has created a universe to rival those of Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Elizabeth Kostova, and she adds a scholar's depth to this riveting tale of magic and suspense. The story continues in book two, Shadow of Night, book three, The Book of Life, and the fourth in the series, Time's Convert.
"A Discovery of Witches" is the thrilling tale of Diana Bishop, a witch who has long ignored her powers after the mysterious death of her parents, and Matthew Clairmont, a vampire on the search for an ancient book detailing the origins of all magical creatures. Matthew and Diana find each other through it all and must stick together to remain safe from a faction of daemons, vampires, and witches hell-bent on keeping the status quo of the supernatural community and tearing them apart. The search for their magical book intensifies as they learn Diana is the key to retrieving it from the archives of Oxford's Bodleian Library.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Book 1 of the All Souls series.
Related media: Adapted into TV series (Season 1, Season 2, Season 3 available on DVD).
The Guncle by
Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits. However, tragedy strikes and Patrick suddenly finds himself taking on the role of primary guardian. Having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled acting career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Soon he realises the level of responsibility and that even being larger than life means you re unfailingly human.
This was so good! I loved the whole thing and read it in just a few days. It's a great story that dives into love, acceptance, grief, and the importance of joy. Patrick is a "retired" sitcom actor hiding from grief in Palm Springs. Sadly, when his best friend and sister-in-law passes away he is forced back into real life to help care for two adorable young children. The story draws the reader in with plenty of laughter to balance the heavy parts. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Book 1 of The Guncle Series.
Just for the Summer by
Instant #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club Pick! This witty, slow-burn rom-com is the "ideal beach read." --Elle Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other's out, and they'll both go on to find the love of their lives. It's a bonkers idea... and it just might work. Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka. It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?
This book was fantastic. I was immediately drawn into the characters and absolutely loved the Easter eggs that tied all of Jimenez's books together. I was rooting for Emma and Justin to make their love story work despite all the trauma and grief they had both experienced. It's such an engaging story for anyone looking to escape for a few hours.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Book 3 of the Part of Your World series.
My Heart Is a Chainsaw by
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel Named a Best Book of 2021 by NPR In her quickly gentrifying rural lake town Jade sees recent events only her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films could have prepared her for in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones. "Some girls just don't know how to die..." Shirley Jackson meets Friday the 13th in My Heart Is a Chainsaw, written by the author of The Only Good Indians Stephen Graham Jones, called "a literary master" by National Book Award winner Tananarive Due and "one of our most talented living writers" by Tommy Orange. Alma Katsu calls My Heart Is a Chainsaw "a homage to slasher films that also manages to defy and transcend genre." On the surface is a story of murder in small-town America. But beneath is its beating heart: a biting critique of American colonialism, Indigenous displacement, and gentrification, and a heartbreaking portrait of a broken young girl who uses horror movies to cope with the horror of her own life. Jade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother, and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies...especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold. Yet, even as Jade drags us into her dark fever dream, a surprising and intimate portrait emerges...a portrait of the scared and traumatized little girl beneath the Jason Voorhees mask: angry, yes, but also a girl who easily cries, fiercely loves, and desperately wants a home. A girl whose feelings are too big for her body. My Heart Is a Chainsaw is her story, her homage to horror and revenge and triumph.
Horror-obsessed teenager Jade Daniels discovers eerie similarities between her small town's recent murders and classic slasher films. As the body count rises, Jade's encyclopedic knowledge of horror movies becomes crucial in uncovering the killer and saving her community. For fans of intense, genre-savvy thrillers.
Audience: Adult/General Content.
Book 1 of The Indian Lake Trilogy.
Available in Large Print and as E-book.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by
"Riveting, heart-wrenching, and full of Old Hollywood glamour, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of the most captivating reads of 2017." --BuzzFeed "The epic adventures Evelyn creates over the course of a lifetime will leave every reader mesmerized. This wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet and her tumultuous Tinseltown journey comes with unexpected twists and the most satisfying of drama." --PopSugar In this entrancing novel "that speaks to the Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in us all" (Kirkus Reviews), a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine. Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways. "Heartbreaking, yet beautiful" (Jamie Blynn, Us Weekly), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is "Tinseltown drama at its finest" (Redbook): a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means--and what it costs--to face the truth.
This novel is great for fans of stories featuring Old Hollywood glam, secret love affairs, and strong lead women characters. It follows the events that take place when aging Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo decides to tell her life story and publish a memoir, but will only do it if Monique Grant, a relatively unknown reporter - is the one to write it for her. As the two get to know each other, more and more secrets from Evelyn's life spill out.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Related media: Loosely connected to Daisy Jones & The Six by the same author.
Available as E-book and CD Audiobook.
The Song of Achilles by
A New York Times Bestseller "At once a scholar's homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art....A book I could not put down." --Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House A thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War from the bestselling author of Circe A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer's enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller's monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction's brightest lights--and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes.
A thoughtful retelling of a classic story, Madeline Miller weaves a new perspective on the story of the Greece’s mythological hero in The Song of Achilles! This story will immerse readers in the human experience of the Trojan War as it explores the backstories and relationship of Achilles and Patroclus. Experience the revival of this legendary story with new insights provided through the point of view of Patroclus who humanizes his demigod counterpart and fills in the missing pieces of their story from beginning to end.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Broken Harbor by
The mesmerizing fourth novel of the Dublin murder squad by New York Times bestselling author Tana French Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy, the brash cop from Tana French's bestselling Faithful Place, plays by the book and plays hard. That's what's made him the Murder squad's top detective--and that's what puts the biggest case of the year into his hands. On one of the half-built, half-abandoned "luxury" developments that litter Ireland, Patrick Spain and his two young children are dead. His wife, Jenny, is in intensive care. At first, Scorcher and his rookie partner, Richie, think it's going to be an easy solve. But too many small things can't be explained. The half dozen baby monitors, their cameras pointing at holes smashed in the Spains' walls. The files erased from the Spains' computer. The story Jenny told her sister about a shadowy intruder who was slipping past all the locks. And Broken Harbor holds memories for Scorcher. Seeing the case on the news sends his sister Dina off the rails again, and she's resurrecting something that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control: what happened to their family one summer at Broken Harbor, back when they were children. With her signature blend of police procedural and psychological thriller, French's new novel goes full throttle with a heinous crime, creating her most complicated detective character and her best book yet.
Detective Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy investigates a brutal family murder in a troubled suburban development, uncovering dark secrets and personal demons along the way. Tana French crafts a gripping psychological thriller that explores the complexities of human nature. A must-read for fans of atmospheric and thought-provoking crime fiction.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Part of French's interconnected Dublin Murder Squad series, but they can be read in any order.
The Thursday Murder Club by
A New York Times bestseller | Soon to be a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg at Amblin Entertainment "Witty, endearing and greatly entertaining." --Wall Street Journal "Don't trust anyone, including the four septuagenarian sleuths in Osman's own laugh-out-loud whodunit." --Parade Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves A female cop with her first big case A brutal murder Welcome to... THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club. When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it's too late?
The Thursday Murder Club is the first in a cozy-mystery series that follows a group of spunky and diverse retirees who meet up weekly to discuss unsolved murders until they are faced with a real one right in their retirement village that needs solving. With short chapters and lots of action, this book is one of those that is hard to put down until you're finished. Great for fans of cozy-mysteries, murder-mysteries and found-family friend groups that stick together no matter what.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Book 1 of the Thursday Murder Club series.
Throne of Glass by
The first book in New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's sweeping fantasy saga - now available in hardcover with a new look to match the series!When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the king's champion and be released from prison.Her name is Celaena Sardothien.The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing she never thought she'd have again: a friend. But something evil dwells in the castle--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.
This book is the start of an action packed series, full of magic, fantasy, and romance. If you're a fan of the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series, or "Fourth Wing" you will love this series.
Audience: Young Adult/Teens
Book 1 of Throne of Glass series.
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