REQUIRED READING

The Female Persuasion Meg Wolitzer (f iction, Riverhead Books) Greer Kadetsky has landed a job working for her longtime hero, feminist trailblazer Faith Frank. It’s a dream job for someone getting their professional start, but she struggles with ambition, relationships and the discrepancy between thehe person she believed Faith to be and who she has become. Timely and true, this latest offering from the author of “The Interestings” does not disappoint. Varina Charles Frazier (f iction, Ecco) A new novel from the bestselling author of “Cold Mountain” finds teenage Varina Howell agreeing to marry the much-older Jefferson Davis. He is eventually made president of the Confederacy, placing Varina and their children at the center of a dark moment in history. Women in Sunlight Frances Mayes (f iction, Crown) If you loved “Under the Tuscan Sun,” you’re in luck: “Women in Sunlight” finds three American retired women renting a big house down the road from Kit Raine, an American writer. While all three women have different circumstances, each is saying “yes” to a new chapter of life and an adventure in a foreign country. Lawn Boy Jonathan Evison (f iction, Algonquin Books) Mike Muñoz is a few years out of high school, and he’s just been fired from his job on a landscaping crew. He knows his life needs to change, but he doesn’t seem to be able to get ahead. A novel about a young man and the changing Americanan dream. The Gutsy Girl Handbook Kate White (nonfiction, Grand Central) The former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan and author of 12 murder mysteries is back with a guide to success, with advice on how to become a kickass boss, taking smart risks, how to hustle and more. Given that she managed to writeite eight books during her 14 years as EIC at Cosmo, we’re thinking she knows what she’s talking about. Look Alive Out There Sloane Crosley (nonfiction, MCD) From the author of the hilarious “I Was Told There’d Be Cake” and “How Did You Get This Number” comes a collection of essays about, well, everything. Whether she’s musing about her teenage neighbor and his outrageous noise or playing herself on “Gossip Girl,”rl,” Crosley will leave the reader giggling to themselves throughout.