Photo: Amazon (5)
01of 24
Knopf
This enveloping historical drama set in 1850s Monterey centers on Eliza, recently widowed and working as a prostitute. But she’s content; far better to be an independent woman than married to an abusive man. When someone starts killing other prostitutes, she and her best friend, Jean, set out to solve the mystery no lawman seems to care about. Mischievously upending old-fashioned narratives of fallen women, Smiley brings time and place alive.
Buy It:Bookshop.org
02of 24
Mariner Books
Moms were over-worked and under-appreciated even before the pandemic laid bare the need to reevaluate family life. Journalist Grose weaves together history, memoir and interviewswith hundreds of women to persuasively propose a saner future for all.
03of 24
Harper
04of 24
G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Parikh’s debut is a sweeping love story set amid a traveling circus and the horrors of WWII. Young, disabled Lena, the daughter of haunted illusionist Theo, falls in love with another outsider, tortured Jewish refugee Alexandre. As the Nazis encroach, the performers struggle to survive betrayals andheartbreaking loss, all leading to a spinning-plates grand finale with an irresistible message: Finding your true self (and true love) is the greatest wonder of all.
05of 24
St. Martin’s Press
After her marriage collapses, Emily and her “bestie” decide to vacation in an Italian villa known for a gruesome 1974 murder. Flashing between past and present, Hawkins weaves an engrossing tale about betrayal, sisterhood and the power of telling your own story. Captivating!
06of 24
Little A
In sparkling slivers of stories set from the 1960s to the early 2000s, fortune batters a wealthy Black family of Connecticut, whose six children initially seem set for stardom in sports and beyond. A car wreck, a drug bust, illicit passions and long-kept secrets will change all that.
07of 24
The Dial Press
An irresistible coming-of-age portrait of Sam, a young rock climber torn between achieving the better life her financially struggling mom pushes and embracing the reckless freedom of her adored but mostly absent addict dad. But what about what Sam wants for herself? A profound and gorgeously written gem about the tough, tender route Sam must navigate—grappling with friendships, love, insecurities and burgeoning womanhood—to chart her own course.
08of 24
Ecco
Growing up with a disabled middle sister who died young has left siblings Joyce and Lydia Mellishman fragile and distant in adulthood. When both women divorce and move in together, red flags are everywhere. Zigman’s quirky novel confronts the most painful family issues and is equally knowing—and funny—about what brings comfort and grace.
09of 24
Soft Skull
Aretha’s built a great life as a high-profile lawyer when she meets Aaron, an entrepreneur with potential. As their relationship deepens, his preparation-obsessed housemates push Aretha down a darker path. Cauley’s sharp wit tracks Aretha’s descent into survival mode.
10of 24
HarperCollins
11of 24
Amistad
Vividly bringing to life rural 1980s Mississippi, Nkrumah’s fearless debut unfurls the fraught friendship between an unhappy 11-year-old Black girl and a White researcher studying the effects of the civil rights movement—but hiding a nefariouspersonal connection.
12of 24
Counterpoint
This modern coming-of-age tale brims with heart, ambition, drama and a protagonist whose naivete makes him splendidly endearing. Ma thoughtfully navigates family dynamics and firstlove. It’s guaranteed to have you and the aunties laughing and crying along.
13of 24
14of 24
Flatiron Books
15of 24
W. W. Norton & Company
16of 24
Pamela Dorman Books
When Sam mistakenly grabs the wrong bag on her way out of the gym, she sets in motion a delicious comedy that’s an ode to middle-aged women and their friendships. As Sam finds herself tottering into a meeting in Louboutins, just-dumped trophy wife Nisha is locked out of her hotel penthouse with only Sam’s clunky lace-ups. The chambermaid who rescues her is just one of a great supporting cast. Give yourself a treat with the latest from Britain’s queen of women’s fiction.
17of 24
Scribner
18of 24
Ballantine Books
Skin-care-obsessed Audrey Zhou had not been home in more than eight years, until a visit back to rural Illinois with her fiancé, Ben. A Walmart run-in with an old crush pushes Audreyto question her choices and a lifetime of mis- communication— especially with her immigrant parents.
19of 24
Berkley
20of 24
Henry Holt and Co.
When the famous poet on the faculty tells Isabel she’s a brilliant writer, the next step is the couch in his office. Meanwhile, she’s recently accused another student of rape. This evocative, eloquent campus confidential lays out the complications of the Clinton-Lewinsky era just as you might remember them.
21of 24
Harper Perennial
Saddled with a loathsome husband, Victoria finds refuge in reading, but she’s an unreliable narrator of her own life. When she meets a handsome man reading the same book that she is, she imagines he must be her soulmate. A book-club-perfect dark comedy.
22of 24
Viking
23of 24
At 25, Londoner Maddie tries to transform her dutiful life with a new job, her first apartment and a potential boyfriend but finds herself pulled painfully back into her Ghanaian family’s orbit. By turns tender and comic, this portrait of a young woman’s journey to self-understanding is triumphant.
24of 24
Change can feel impossible with kids, a husband anda demanding career. In this charming and highly readable memoir, the author takes a year off and tackles various internships with gusto, proving that sometimes uprooting your entire life is the only way forward.
source: people.com
