5 must-read new books
Barbara VanDenburgh pics the hottest reads.
1. “Recursion” by Blake Crouch (Crown, fiction, on sale now)
What it’s about: The author of “Dark Matter” returns with a mind-bending thriller. Neuroscientist Helena Smith and New York City cop Barry Sutton make an unlikely pair, but they’re the world’s only chance of defeating a new scourge known as False Memory Syndrome – a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.
The buzz: “Michael Crichton’s fans won’t want to miss this one,” Publishers Weekly says in a starred review.
2. “Mrs. Everything” by Jennifer Weiner (Atria, fiction, on sale now)
What it’s about: Weiner’s ambitious novel charts the course of two sisters’ lives through modern American history. As kids, Jo is the bookish tomboy and Bethie the feminine good girl. But Vietnam, Woodstock, the women’s liberation movement and life in general change the course of their dreams. Can these two very different women still find their happily ever afters?
The buzz: Kirkus Reviews calls it “an ambitious look at how women’s roles have changed – and stayed the same – over the last 70 years.”
3. “The Paper Wasp” by Lauren Acampora (Grove, fiction, on sale now)
What it’s about: Grown-up Abby remains obsessed with her childhood best friend Elise, who has since become a celebrated Hollywood starlet. When they reconnect at their high school reunion, Abby drops everything to move to L.A. and be with Elise and grows ever more insecure and unstable.
The buzz: “Utterly bizarre and completely bewitching, this twisted, delicious tale will grab you from the first page and hurl you over the edge,” says a starred review in Kirkus Reviews.
4. “Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory” by Raphael Bob-Waksberg (Knopf, fiction, on sale now)
What it’s about: “BoJack Horseman” is one of the best series Netflix has ever produced, thanks to the subversive genius of its creator, BobWaksberg. Now he’s out with a collection of absurd stories about love, told with the same scathingly dark humor and heart fans of his series will recognize.
The buzz: “These stories are at times poignant and triumphantly silly, but always manage to ring true,” Publishers Weekly says.
5. “The Islanders” by Meg Mitchell Moore (William Morrow, fiction, on sale now)
What it’s about: Three lives intersect and change forever one summer on Block Island: Single mom and cafe owner Joy Sousa; disgraced author Anthony Puckett; and Lu Trusdale, an unsatisfied stay-athome mom who’s watching the kids while her surgeon husband works off the island.
The buzz: “Readers looking for an emotional tale will find much to enjoy,” Publishers Weekly says.