Editors’ Picks: General Fiction

A breakthrough novel and the winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, “The Sympathizer” is an incredibly compelling tale of espionage, identity, and love.

This stunning story of a precocious nine-year old boy, who struggles with issues of loss and family, captured the attention of a nation grappling with the aftermath of the attacks on 9/11.

Carmen Maria Machado essentially broke the literary scene with this collection of wonderfully weird and brilliantly crafted short stories. We often discuss genre-bending authors, but Machado bends the genres she tackles — from fantasy to horror to realism to comedy — so far that they seem to create a new shape altogether. From the secret purpose of a green ribbon tightly wound round a woman’s neck, to an artists’ retreat that sparks uncomfortable connections, to a dressmaker who discovers the dresses she sews are filled with ghosts, it’s very hard to pick a single standout from this collection.

This collection of short stories explores the trials of womanhood, from painfully real depictions of violence to metaphorical, fairytale-like vignettes about vulnerability. There’s a deep love and tenderness for all difficult women that shines through each story.

As you might gather from the title, this book contains more than one distinct story, but that’s just the tip of the asymmetrical iceberg. From age, gender, and class to nationality, race, and religion, this assured and allusive debut takes on some of the most significant issues of today even as its concerns remain more timeless than trendy.

This is the story of a small-town curmudgeon named Ove. He is a man of staunch principles, strict routines, and terrible anger. But, of course, beneath Ove’s rough and unfriendly exterior lies a story of true sorrow and loss. More than following one man’s obsession with being the worst, the book explores the comical and heartwarming relationship between Ove and his ill-fated new neighbors.

Jesmyn Ward draws on Toni Morrison, William Faulkner, and Greek myths to play with the classic American road novel, weaving magical realism into the modern, rural South. Ward blurs the lines between the living and ghosts, black and white, and three generations of family. Her lyrical sentences rise together to form a penetrating story that lingers like fog on the Mississippi bayou where the novel is set.

A strange delight that contains everything from thorough explorations of time travel to strong, vulnerable characters. One of few books that continues to completely enthrall children and adults alike.

Begin at the beginning of this wonderfully weird, impressively imaginative, sprawling series by master wordsmith Snicket, whose spellbinding prose captivates readers of all ages.

Quiet implications of deep distress and profound happiness litter this epistolary novel, penned by outsider Charlie, who makes inroads with various cliques to move past cliches. A modernized “The Catcher in the Rye.”

This Newbury Award–winning classic is worth revisiting for its healing powers of imagination in the face of unfathomable tragedy alone.

Decades after its initial publication, this fantasy quartet continues to inspire young women. Strong-willed Alanna won't let her fears or her gender deter her from becoming a knight.

You’ll love this book if you’re a champion of more LGBTQ+ representation in YA and if you generally enjoy quippy teenage wit. Simon’s coming out story is a great blend of lovable teenage hijinks, mystery, and cute romance.

This beautifully offbeat novel deftly entwines a magical Los Angeles (aptly called Shangri-L.A.) with all-too-real issues of adulthood in the ’80s. Its poetic prose is sure to dazzle teen and adult readers alike.

Lives up to the elegance of its cover and mouthful of a title. A visceral reminder of how formative and raw our teenage years are, and the life-altering effects that happen when you meet that one person — your first love.

A whimsical fairytale-turned-reality by the New York Times bestselling author, this introductory novel to the famous “Princess Diaries” series is a fast and fun read.

Part ribald farce, part philosophical commentary, Cervantes’ classic tale of knight errantry reveals new intricacies and evokes deeper laughs with each reading.

This classic coming-of-age story introduces the now-famous arboreal metaphor for socioeconomic diversity, generational differences, and personal development.

James Baldwin said every black American has a “private Bigger Thomas,” the iconic character of Richard Wright’s landmark book, “living in his skull.” Decades later, Wright’s novel about race and poverty in America is as powerful and timely as ever.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning classic speaks to desire and duty like no novel before or since, with an ending that’ll stay with you forever.

This semi-autobiographical account of an improbable love during WWI showcases Hemingway at his finest. The haunting descriptions of destruction, despair, and hope evoke every emotion.

FItzgerald glamorizes a young couple’s tragic downfall with beautiful, lyrical prose in his debut novel, a cautionary tale as extraordinary as “Gatsby.”

Known for its classic beginning, it’s actually the ending of this sweeping serial novel of love and political unrest that will stay with you forever.

This book is as wonderfully weird, subtly funny, and smartly written as its title. A quirky, stylized genre-bending Western filled with dark humor and a bit of gore, it channels old-timey pulp and Cormac McCarthy alike. In the gold-crazed Wild West of 1851, two infamous hitmen brothers, Charlie and Eli Sisters, travel from Oregon City to San Francisco and California’s famed gold fields on a murder-for-hire gig. The more thoughtful brother, Eli, wants to be a better person, and his deadpan narration is both strangely funny and moving. It’ll have you rooting for the hitman.

History buffs rejoice: Gregory’s rich portrait of a previously forgotten aristocrat offers an intimate look at life in Tudor times.

“Train Dreams” doesn’t shy away from the ugliness in America’s history in the West, and the story will break your heart, but it’s also gorgeous and dreamy and haunting in all the best possible ways. Denis Johnson is a legend for a reason, and his lean novella packs a punch. One that will leave you lit up long after you finish it.

Dinah, who makes a brief and brutal appearance in the book of Genesis, has her story fascinatingly fleshed out in Anita this reimagining. Diamant’s take on Dinah has endured and given more visibility into the lives of women during biblical times.

Hilary Mantel’s biggest hit (among a series of historical fiction greats) reexamines the creation of the Church of England by focusing the story on Henry VIII’s right-hand man, Thomas Cromwell. Very little has actually been historically documented about Cromwell’s upbringing, leaving room for Mantel to create yet another captivating and compelling character in the ever-engaging saga of Henry VIII’s life.

Set in post-WWII Europe, “The Alice Network” brings together two women from different generations and backgrounds. With espionage, scandal, redemption, and rage-provoking examples of at least five ‘isms,’ the story has a bingability score equivalent to “Game of Thrones: Season One.” In other words, get ready to stay up all night reading and feel all the feelings.

A story of female friendship that spans from the late 1930s to 2008 and tells a fictionalized account of a little-known history. Young-sook and Mi-ja, two female divers from the Korean island Jeju, have their relationship and much more torn apart by multiple wars, and they struggle to heal through the decades. Meticulously researched.

This road story takes place in the wake of the American Civil War, following a recently released captive young girl as Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd attempts to take her back to her aunt and uncle. Over the traversal of the Texas terrain, a sweet and enduring bond forms between the two.

Experience Imperial Rome through the eyes of its fourth emperor, through his odds-defying ascension to power and beyond. A quintessential, genre-defining work from the great Robert Graves.

Is it any surprise that the master of horror’s first crime novel is a killer? With its noirish cat-and-mouse plot and terrifying sociopath of a killer, this Edgar Award-winner is a new classic in the crime genre.

It begins with a murder: Le Carré beautifully captures devastating loss and the intense hunt for answers in his novel-turned-Academy-Award-winning film.

What’s better than a good, classic whodunit? A whodunit within a whodunit, that’s what. Horowitz’s ability to jump back and forth between classic and modern mystery styles so effortlessly might feel like showboating, if it weren’t so enjoyable. With fine literary writing and a twisty, engrossing tale, “Magpie Murders” is a cut above the competition.

The difference between Mr. Penumbra’s bookstore and a Barnes & Noble is, well, everything. Clay Jannon works the night shift, and soon realizes that, as with most things, he shouldn’t judge the contents of the bookstore by its cover. Follow Clay as he tries to unlock the mysteries of the 24-hour bookstore and the strange cast of characters who pay him a visit every night.

The intensely intimate setting (a luxury cruise ship) ratchets up the fear and paranoia when things go awry. It’s impossible to escape the allure of this modern twist on classic Agatha Christie murder mysteries.

Screenwriter Terry Hayes’ debut novel is a blockbuster thriller that will have you reading for hours on end, perhaps with a bucket of popcorn in hand. A pedal-to-the-metal cat-and-mouse chase around the world.

The “alphabet series,” written by Sue Grafton, is one of the most recognizable long-running mystery stories of all time. It follows the exploits of private eye Kinsey Millhone as she brings down perpetrators of California crimes. Grafton made it all the way to Y (“Y is for Yesterday”) before she passed away from cancer.

Shocking secrets lurk behind every page turn in Peter Swanson’s unputdownable thriller. It’s “Strangers on a Train” meets “Gone Girl” (but with even more sociopaths and a far higher body count).

The fashionista’s “Gone Girl,” with just as much satirical observation about modern femininity but with a lot more pop culture flare. A twisty debut that keeps the “girl” phenomenon in mystery novels going strong.

“Beautiful Disaster” is one of the most prominent books to usher in the age of New Adult Romance. It takes a well-worn formula — good girl and bad guy are hopelessly attracted to each other — and ratchets up the intensity to almost impossible levels for an addicting read.

Shakespearean influence abounds in this Regency-period romance. As the duckling-turned-swan heroine wins her prince’s heart, she’ll win yours, too.

The book that rocketed the duo behind the pen name Christina Lauren to romance superstardom started out, like “Fifty Shades of Grey,” as “Twilight” fanfiction. It’s funny, passionate, and of course, oozing in sex appeal.

This crisply written contemporary romance — the first in a bestselling series — brings together a fiery violinist with a desirous professor. A “Fifty Shades” for the artistically inclined.

Welcome to Area X, an abandoned piece of land where everyone who attempts to study its secrets ends up mentally altered or dead. A strange trilogy that raises so many questions you’ll feverishly flip pages until the end.

Years after her death, the science fiction master continues to draw in new, ardent fans. Inventive and moving, this standout collection of short stories includes the Hugo Award-winning “Bloodchild,” and takes an unflinching look at social, racial, and gender issues through the lens of richly imagined worlds.

Atwood’s dystopian classic isn’t just an argument for women’s rights, but more generally a brilliant commentary on the effects of dehumanization, of putting law above love, and of the dangers of picking sides and uncritically sticking with them in the first place.