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A fabulous tale of love, disillusionment and redemption in 1920s New York. Williams pays homage to the equally dramatic and beautiful opera Der Rosenkavalier, with the glamorous diva Theresa Marshall as her protagonist. Sophie Fortescue, an innocent and wealthy ingenue, is engaged to the aptly nicknamed Ox, Marshall’s playboy brother. But Sophie becomes Theresa’s romantic rival for the affections of her boy toy Octavian Rofrano, a troubled war veteran. Theresa orders Octavian to investigate the mysterious Fortescue family, resulting in shocking secrets being uncovered which force the women to make choices that will affect both families.

For fans of dystopian fiction, this masterpiece is not to be missed! JG Ballard’s vivid depiction of a luxury condominium, populated by London’s cosmopolitan elite, quickly devolving into squalor and savagery will horrify and delight you. Rife with sly humor and brutal imagery, High Rise will linger in the reader’s mind long after the last page is finished.

Hilgers paints a moving portrait of the many challenges new immigrants to the US face as she introduces us to Zhuang Liehong, a brash, outspoken dreamer from Wukan Village in China. His story, as well as those of their fellow immigrant friends and acquaintances, show the reality of navigating a new country as they strive to prosper in America.

A must-read! McIlvain captures the social upheaval and uneasy political climate of the early millennium in The Radicals. Narrated by Eli, a grad student at a prestigious university who is too paralyzed by ennui and fear of the future to finish his thesis. He finds solace in his tennis matches with fellow student Sam Westergard, and in attending ISO meetings. Sam is intrigued with Eli’s Socialist beliefs, and Eli encourages him to learn about the philosophy. Alex, Eli’s ex-girlfriend, is an impassioned leader at these meetings, and has dropped out of college to devote her life to causes such as the Occupy movement. She also influences Sam’s life as he turns from his former Mormon beliefs to follow all that she and Eli believe in. Sadly, their longing for a better world and desire to bring about change takes a twisted path as they embrace an increasingly radical agenda.

Susan Rieger's novel The Heirs is a heady mix of privlege, family, secrets, love and betrayal. Upon the death of patriarch Rupert Falkes, his widow Eleanor and five sons discover that the man they thought they knew so well may have been Vera Wolinski's lover and the father of her two sons. As they move closer to uncovering the truth about Rupert's life, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and face hard truths about their lives. Rieger has been hailed as a latter-day Wharton; I was also reminded of Phillip Roth. She has written a moving story about a family struggling to move on after tragedy.

Blake Crouch's Dark Matter is truly a transcendent novel. It can't be pigeonholed into just a Science Fiction, Mystery or Thriller category, because it has all these elements and more. It's a story about a man's quest to rejoin his family and to find his home and all he took for granted. Some would call Professor Jason Dessen's life a middling one, for a scientist who once had ambitions to unlock the secrets of time and space. But Jason loves his wife Daniela and his son Charlie, and has no regrets, even as his less capable colleague Ryan Holder wins the coveted Pavia Prize. The night of Ryan's triumph is the night Jason's life changes forever. A man wearing a geisha mask abducts him, stripping him and injecting him with a psychotropic drug. He awakes in a radically different reality, scared and confused, and knows he has to find his way back home before time runs out. This is one of the most exciting books I've ever read! Don't miss out!

Tara Clancy will entertain you from start to finish! Her memories take the reader on a journey from her policeman father's post-divorce ramshackle apartment to her stepfather's palatial mansion and on to her feisty Italian-American grandparents urban enclave, and the adventures that follow are genuinely hilarious, unpredictable and as unique as Clancy herself. This outstanding autobiography is heartfelt without being cheesy, sentimental but with a no-bullshit sensibility. A must read for fans and those new to Clancy's work alike!

Han Kang's unforgettable portrait of South Korea during the turbulent 1980s will arrest readers, exposing the dark truth about the Gwangju uprisings and the militant government's brutal treatment of subversives and innocent citizens alike. Her relatable characters struggle to find meaning and closure during these terrible times, just as the country strives to repair the damage wrought upon it by violence and rapid industrialization. Her powerful voice and the truth will not be denied.

David Jahrer's excellent The Witch of Lime Street will bewitch you! It is chock full of actual news articles, photos and gossipy nuggets of information (who knew how handy body cavities could be for faux spirit mediums? Or that Harry Houdini's wife liked to joke that she was so poor when she met her husband that she traded her virginity for an orange?) about the vaudeville stars, Ivy League professors, Nobel Prize winning scientists, world famous authors, titans of Industry, media moguls and socialites who make up the cast of characters. The inevitable showdown between Harry Houdini and Mrs. "Margery" Crandon, assumed spirit medium, builds in tension and excitement with each page. For anyone who loves stories from the Jazz Era, mystical seances, magic, trickery and showmanship, this book will satisfy and edify.

Reminiscent of Irvine Welsh's tales of urban misfits, the characters in The Glorious Heresies are equal parts misunderstood anti-heroes trying their best to navigate harsh realities, and repellent creepers who delight in preying on those weaker than themselves. Filled with quirky colloquialisms and insider information about the country's secretive past (the Magdalene laundries for example), this novel truly immerses and transports the reader to modern-day Ireland. A memorable and disturbing read.

Although The Tea Planter's Wife has been compared to Du Maurier's famous Rebecca, the unpredictable plot and cliffhanger chapters create a world more frightening than Manderly ever was! Dinah Jeffries blends both the beauty of Ceylon's (now Sri Lanka) colorful countryside and the civil unrest of the 1920's into a tale poignant and realistic. Gwen Hooper is a strong heroine who never compromises her sense of compassion. Not to be missed!

Julia Claiborne Johnson has written an elegant, thoughtful novel filled with engaging characters both unique and unforgettable. Alice Whitley travels to LA at the behest of her employer, Isaac Vargas (a publishing exec in NY), to act as assistant to literary genius Mimi Banning and to ensure the completion of her new novel. Also in her charge is Frank, Mimi's young, fashion forward yet socially awkward son. Alice's adventures with the Bannings and their enigmatic (and hot) handyman Xander will keep you entertained, trying to guess what comes next and binge reading to the last page.