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by Anthony Doerr

In All the Light We Cannot See, set in France in 1944, a 16-year-old blind French girl and a 17-year-old German soldier are on different yet converging paths. This is an amazing, masterfully executed tale. Gorgeously written scenes, whether tender or brutal, are told with precision. Characters resonate so true to their being. Read it for the sheer beauty of the words. Read it for the sheer beauty of the story.

–Adrienne

by Jeff VanderMeer

Annihilation is haunting and dreamlike, eerily menacing and appealingly open to interpretation. Immersion in VanderMeer's intriguing and beautifully drawn dystopian world will keep you up at night.

–Jill

by Peter Stark

John Jacob Astor's ill-fated attempt to establish the first commercial settlement on the West Coast resulted in the tragic death of nearly half the expedition. Peter Stark recounts this captivating tale of madness, starvation, and survival under extreme hardship. It reads like a thrilling and harrowing mix of Shackleton's Endurance, the Donner Party, and Custer's Last Stand.

–Shawn

by David Mitchell

With the sweeping global vision and ability to sum up whole eras of time that he's become known for, along with a fascinating dose of fantasy, The Bone Clocks is David Mitchell's most enthralling and illuminating novel yet. Gorgeously written, bracingly intelligent, poignant, and occasionally very funny, The Bone Clocks is one of my favorite novels this year.

–Jill

by Michel Faber

An emotionally atmospheric achievement, I felt as though the author was holding my hand through the entire book. Not only are all of the characters believable, but there is a hopefulness which, despite how fragile and volatile the situations are, threads its way through to the very end.

–Aubrey

by Daniel James Brown

Brown masterfully narrates the tale of the 1936 American Olympic rowing team and their gold medal triumph. He paints a vivid picture of the men in the boat, their world, and their sport. A fascinating glimpse into a bygone era.

–Mary Jo

by Edan Lepucki

This book proves definitively that when Sherman Alexie and Stephen Colbert tell you to read a book, you should probably go ahead and do it. Edan Lepucki creates a world full of morally ambiguous characters who force you to examine the systems of security and trust that we create for ourselves. A disturbingly believable post-apocalyptic novel, California exposes just how vulnerable the bonds of blood, marriage, and friendship can be.

–Lizzy

by Haruki Murakami

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki may be a simple story, but it carries an emotional heft that feels like a throwback to one of Murakami's classic early novels, like Norwegian Wood. His ephemeral and effortless prose flows like a perfectly choreographed dream and will leave you as satisfied as a long afternoon nap.

–Shawn

by Leslie Jamison

Leslie Jamison is a marvel. The essays that make up this collection are wise, uncomfortable, beautiful, humane, and utterly absorbing. They demand an investigation of the reader's own heart. I can't think of another book I've recommended to so many people so fiercely.

–Jill

by Wendy C. Ortiz

In this searingly honest memoir of growing up during the '80s and '90s in Southern California, Ortiz brilliantly narrates her five-year relationship with a teacher 15 years her senior. This is a work of startling incandescence and raw beauty.

–Mary Jo

by Elizabeth Warren

Whether you're a liberal or a conservative, every side needs a champion who can translate complicated ideas into simple language. But the left enjoys more than an extremely capable communicator. Elizabeth Warren's passion is infectious, her determination inspiring, and her integrity above reproach. And with her new memoir, a rallying-cry-for-the-middle-class, she'll only continue to stir things up.

–Martin

by Michael Lewis

Lewis yet again pens an investigative and insightful story of money and finance, proving once more his skill at capturing what defines our era.

–Ted

by Willy Vlautin

In The Free, the shattered dreams of a suicidal vet, a family man without a family, and a helper unable to help collide, and what is left is... hope, humanity, and a whole lot of heart! Vlautin's latest is soulful, uplifting, and, in the end, beautiful.

–Martin

by Marilynne Robinson

With the stunning and beautiful Lila, Robinson revisits her beloved town of Gilead. This time, her focus is on Lila Ames, who in previous novels has been a sort of paragon of calm and dignity. Here we learn of a past that is anything but calm or dignified. Exploring themes of trust, family, rebirth, and love, Lila is an intricate look at the complexities of the heart.

–Dianah

by Amy Bloom

Amy Bloom's hypnotic and gorgeous new novel displays her trademarks — remarkable narrative skill and richly drawn, evocative characters. Iris and Eva, half-sisters creating a family in World War II-era America, will draw you in and not let go.

–Tessa

by Walter Mischel

From an expert psychologist comes an insightful, fresh take on self-control based on studies given to children on delaying gratification. In this wonderfully accessible read, we come to not only understand our impulses but learn how to effectively tackle and reappraise them.

–Aubrey

by Andy Weir

An absolutely riveting adventure about an astronaut stranded on Mars and what he must do to survive. White-knuckle, nail-biting sci-fi adventure at its best. You will never look at a potato the same way after reading this.

–Mary Jo

by Brian Doyle

From the author of Mink River, a jaunty, modernist take on the seafaring yarn, complete with a grizzled boat captain, resident gull, and prose that sparkles and leaps like the ocean waves it travels.

–Rhianna

by Elizabeth Kolbert

With beautiful, luminous prose and incisive reporting, New Yorker Staff Writer Elizabeth Kolbert explores earth's sixth mass extinction. As biodiversity loss continues to accelerate — at the hands of our own species — Kolbert offers a compelling look at extinctions past and present.

–Jeremy

by Naomi Klein

A landmark achievement by Naomi Klein, This Changes Everything is essential reading on the ways climate change creates opportunities for us to reexamine our entire free market system — and will hopefully provoke us into lasting, significant action.

–Josephine

by John Darnielle

It's hard to know what to expect when a songwriter tackles a full-length novel, but Darnielle has created a complex story that lives and breathes on its own merits, while still retaining the moments of razor-sharp intensity that give his lyrics their acclaim.

–Dot

by Teagan White

What do the forest creatures do all year? Teagan White weaves an alphabetical tale with rhyming verse and wistful, whimsical old-fashioned illustrations. It's a sweet way for kids to learn not only the alphabet but the months of the year and the turn of the seasons.

–Naomi

by B. J. Novak

A book without pictures? Boring! Except... "Here is how books work. Everything the words say, the person reading the book has to say." With kooky irreverence and crazy words, The Book with No Pictures surprises as it creates a zany — and downright delightful — shared experience.

–Gigi

by Jeff Kinney

What could be worse than being stuck in a car with the Heffleys on a long road trip? Will Greg survive his parents, Rodrick, and Manny? This ninth book detailing Jeff Kinney's laugh-out-loud adventures will surely make you appreciate your next boring car trip.

–Kim T.

by Ransom Riggs

The sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children follows Jacob and his friends to London, chronicling their unusual adventures along the way. Quirky, entertaining, and well-written, this young adult novel from Ransom Riggs will be as beloved as its predecessor.

–Josephine

by Mo Willems

"I feel clean," the pigeon says. "Maybe YOU need a bath!" Kids and grown-ups alike will laugh out loud at this hilarious tale about a dirty, stinky, stubborn, argumentative, and completely lovable pigeon who will do anything to avoid taking a bath.

–Gigi

by John Skewes

Larry and Pete are back in Portland, touring the town in alphabetical order. A is for Art Museum. P is for Powell's Books. What better way for a Portland kid to practice their ABCs — and learn all about their city at the same time.

–Naomi

by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis

Once more, we return with Prue and Curtis to the weirdly wonderful world of Wildwood. Between these pages awaits lost automaton princes, beret-wearing vegetarian revolutionaries, epic prophecy, and a struggle that threatens the very existence of the Impassable Wilderness and worlds beyond.

–Dot