Jessie Sima
[isbn]
Spencer's New Pet is so much fun! With an old-timey style, thoughtful details, and a super clever story line, it's surprising and suspenseful (yes, really!) and just generally a joy to read.
Recommended by Emily F.
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David R Dow
[isbn]
I went into this book expecting a violent story of revenge — and that would have been fine with me — but instead I got an incredibly tender and affecting portrait of a man failed both by the judicial system and by himself. I loved Rafa despite his flaws (and they're big ones), and that's something I really value in a character.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Samantha Downing
[isbn]
A perfect balm for those of us with domestic thriller fatigue, My Lovely Wife tells the dark and twisty tale of a husband-and-wife team of murderers who think their system is foolproof. But maybe they can't trust each other quite as completely as they think...
Recommended by Emily F.
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Melanie Golding
[isbn]
I'll read just about anything with elements of creepy folklore, so I was all over this contemporary-thriller-meets-modern-fairy-tale. And it met my high hopes — I was fully engaged from the beginning, and sections were downright terrifying.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Jane Harper
[isbn]
Like Harper's previous novels, The Lost Man is full of atmosphere, understated drama, and imperfect characters that work their way into my heart. I love her style of literary suspense, and I always feel lucky to take another trip to Jane Harper's Australia.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Bryn Greenwood
[isbn]
Starting a new Bryn Greenwood book is like the best first date — all butterflies and promise. I fell immediately and hopelessly in love with Zee and Gentry, just like I did with Wavy and Kellen in All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. Greenwood writes characters that I feel in my soul, and I very nearly cannot bear to see them hurt.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Matthew Gray Gubler
[isbn]
I'm totally obsessed with Rumple Buttercup and his underground trash lair and his banana-peel disguise and his BFF made of garbage. This is a story about being a weirdo, and it's also a story about how you might not be as big a weirdo as you think you are.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Kelly Barnhill
[isbn]
The Girl Who Drank the Moon is sweet yet thrilling. There's a misunderstood witch, a cursed (or is it?) village, wise and friendly monsters, and plenty of magic — the perfect recipe for a modern fairy tale.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Attica Locke
[isbn]
Bluebird, Bluebird is a deeply troubling exploration of the penetrating racism that plagues huge swaths of America, and what can be set in motion when people feel backed into a corner by a cultural landscape they no longer recognize. This literary mystery is elegant, frank, and unswerving in its focus.
Recommended by Emily F.
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David Joy
[isbn]
The Line That Held Us is a gorgeous and brutal story of love, violence, and loyalty so fierce it has the power to destroy everything in its path. David Joy has a gift for writing Southern noir, and he can hold his own with Cormac McCarthy, Donald Ray Pollock, Daniel Woodrell, and other gods of grit lit.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Gabriel Tallent
[isbn]
My Absolute Darling is one of the most enchanting books I've read in a long time. The writing is so, so lovely that despite wanting to devour the story, I forced myself to slow down so I wouldn't trip and miss a single word. Like A Little Life and All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, My Absolute Darling is one of those books that makes you hungry for more, even as it rips your guts out.
Recommended by Emily F.
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M R Carey
[isbn]
M. R. Carey's newest novel is one of the most gripping books I've read all year. Like The Girl With All the Gifts and Fellside, Someone Like Me wrapped me tightly in the world of its characters. Fran, Liz, and Zac stole my heart, and I cared what happened to each of them as they fought for their lives in more ways than one.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Laird Hunt
[isbn]
In the House in the Dark of the Woods is a dreamlike, spooky, and disorienting new fairy tale set in colonial New England. With its lyrical prose and the questions it raises about freedom, self, motherhood, and evil, this book fits right in with stories by masters such as the Grimms.
Recommended by Emily F.
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LIV Constantine
[isbn]
In the vein of Big Little Lies and Behind Closed Doors, The Last Mrs. Parrish is smart, twisty, and suspenseful. Daphne is the placid, pampered wife of multi-millionaire Jackson Parrish; Amber is a runaway with a plan to snatch it all away from Daphne. Nothing is what it seems in their world, though, and the characters are about to learn a few painful lessons about greed and cruelty.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Alma Katsu
[isbn]
The story of the Donner Party is one we all think we know. This book twists and tilts the story away from the strictly real, but the characters and setting feel authentic. The thrills are not cheap, the characters are multidimensional, and all in all, the scariest parts of The Hunger are the parts that are true.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Maile Meloy
[isbn]
Maile (MY-lee) Meloy is one of those authors who makes me clutch her book to my chest and sigh over the perfection of a sentence. Do Not Become Alarmed, a sharp but kind portrait of families in crisis, is full of those moments. If you've never read Maile Meloy, start here.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Zoje Stage
[isbn]
Somewhere between Rosemary's Baby and We Need to Talk About Kevin lies Baby Teeth, the story of a mother suffering at the hands of a child her husband believes is an angel. By turns nerve-wracking and darkly funny, Baby Teeth is an escapist journey into the life of a family being eaten alive from the inside.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Peng Shepherd
[isbn]
In Peng Shepherd's The Book of M people all over the world have suddenly lost their shadows, and with that loss begins the gradual disappearance of their memories. Like Station Eleven and The Dog Stars, The Book of M is less about what happened than it is about the people it happened to, and I got very attached to the three primary narrators. At times, the sci-fi aspects are jarring, but this is a poignant and... (read more)
Recommended by Emily F.
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Leila Slimani
[isbn]
This is the book I didn't realize I needed until I found it. Based on a real nanny who was sentenced to life in prison shortly after The Perfect Nanny's publication, this novel is a fascinating profile of a disturbed woman and the couple who wove her inextricably into their life. The Perfect Nanny is menacing and propulsive, and its shock and tension don't rely on a single bit of trickery.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Amelia Gray
[isbn]
The world as written by Amelia Gray is a deeply unsettling place, and I visit it every chance I get. Her stories are both bizarre and relatable, and she is startlingly good at carving out the essence of being human. This collection is like something I imagine Kelly Link or George Saunders might write if you left them alone in the dark for too long.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Marianna Coppo
[isbn]
Petra is one of my new favorite characters (and definitely my favorite sedimentary protagonist)! With the charm of Marcel the Shell and lovely art that reminds me of Carson Ellis, Petra's story of imagination and bravery is sweet, funny, and perfectly adorable.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Dave Cullen
[isbn]
Dave Cullen's examination of the tragic massacre at Columbine High School is heartbreaking (in ways both expected and unexpected) and emotionally difficult to read. But it's more important than ever that we read it anyway. In the two decades since Columbine, we've proven just how much we have to learn about the causes and effects of our rampage violence disease, and this book has something to teach.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Pam Smy
[isbn]
This is a fantastic read for any kid craving something creepy. Like Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick, Thornhill is told in alternating prose and illustrations, which work together to build a sinister tension as we follow two orphans connected across time by loneliness. It's dark and thrilling, and mature middle grade readers will eat it up.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Mira Grant
[isbn]
We all know there are lots of creepy crawlies living deep in the ocean, but in the first book of Mira Grant's latest series, what lurks below is much worse than anglerfish and spider crabs. This book had me hooked at "flesh-eating mermaids," but it delivered more than just novelty. Into the Drowning Deep will suck you in, creep you out, and totally change the way you look at Ariel.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Nick Cutter
[isbn]
Little Heaven is everything I look for in a horror story: tense, engrossing, multi-layered, and just plain scary. In other words, it's exactly what I've come to expect (and crave) from Nick Cutter. Cutter is one of very few writers who can really, deeply creep me out and whose books I love just as much on the second read — which is why he's officially my favorite horror writer. (Please don't tell Stephen King I said that.)
Recommended by Emily F.
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Douglas Todd Jennerich and Kate Berube
[isbn]
My Little Half-Moon is a sweet, funny story with a Shel Silverstein-esque cadence that makes it the perfect story to read over and over (and over and over) at bedtime without ever getting sick of it. And the illustrations are stunning, as anyone who's been following Kate Berube has come to expect. Bold lines, rich colors, quirky details — all perfect. This is a total keeper, and my new go-to gift for little ones (and anyone who... (read more)
Recommended by Emily F.
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Michael Escoffier, Kris Di Giacomo
[isbn]
Not much brings me more joy than picture books about grumpy animals who just want other animals to be quiet and leave them alone. Pair that with the hilarious illustrations in Sleep Tight, Charlie, and I'm guaranteed to love it. As a self-certified expert in the field of grouchy-creature literature, I declare this an important addition to the genre.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Liv Constantine
[isbn]
In the vein of Big Little Lies and Behind Closed Doors, The Last Mrs. Parrish is smart, twisty, and suspenseful. Daphne is the placid, pampered wife of multi-millionaire Jackson Parrish; Amber is a runaway with a plan to snatch it all away from Daphne. Nothing is what it seems in their world, though, and the characters are about to learn a few painful lessons about greed and cruelty.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Sarah Lotz
[isbn]
With The White Road, Sarah Lotz has combined two of my favorite things to read about: mountains and malevolent forces. Simon, a thrill-seeking amateur filmmaker with a taste for the macabre, is left haunted (both figuratively and literally) after an ill-advised caving trip goes terribly wrong. As he struggles to balance his quest for fame with his desire to be a decent person, Simon is pushed into an Everest expedition he's not qualified... (read more)
Recommended by Emily F.
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Robin Roe
[isbn]
A List of Cages is a gut-wrenching story told through the eyes of two boys — one who knows happiness and safety, and one who knows something else entirely. In a lot of ways, this book is like a YA version of Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life (and comparing something to that book is about the biggest compliment I can give). It's a portrait of abuse, yes, but also of friendship, family, and love.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Joe Hill
[isbn]
The Fireman is a super-fun, well-executed novel. It really stands out in a sea of post-apocalyptic fiction (with just the right blend of horror, humor, and heart), and this cast of characters is my favorite of Joe Hill's so far. I couldn't wait to see how it ended, but I didn't want it to be over, and that is a pretty magical feeling.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Roxane Gay
[isbn]
I don't typically read much short fiction, but the cover of Difficult Women was so beautiful, I couldn't resist it. I'm so glad I picked it up. Roxane Gay writes with a dark edge, which I love, but her stories are far from bleak. There's a lot of hope in these stories, no matter what their characters endure emotionally.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Greg Pizzoli
[isbn]
Good Night Owl is absolutely hilarious. The plot is basically "The Tell-Tale Heart" for kids, and it works so well. Little ones will enjoy the vivid illustrations and the relatability of Owl's response to feeling frustrated, and adults will love Pizzoli's signature humor and the finer details of Owl's anxiety. This is one of those picture books you hold onto.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Mindy McGinnis
[isbn]
This book is gritty and devastating and so important. The story follows Alex Craft, who secretly killed her sister's murderer, as she navigates the tricky waters of being a teenage girl — and, consequently, being considered more property than person in ways subtle and not-so-subtle. Mindy McGinnis skewers our predatory culture and collective unwillingness to address sexual assault. I consider this required reading.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Kim Krans
[isbn]
This magical alphabet book by Portland artist Kim Krans has become my go-to gift for new parents because of its cherish-ability, but it's so beautiful that I'd give it to child-free friends too. I wish I could cover my walls in these spectacular watercolor-embellished animals.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Smith Henderson
[isbn]
I've been recommending Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson like crazy since I read it a couple of years ago. It's about a social worker and a survivalist family in 1980s Montana, but it is so relevant, and it's also a beautiful portrait of a man and his daughter. It's phenomenal.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Audrey Niffenegger
[isbn]
This is one of my very favorite books. It's a beautiful love story that's never sappy, and it breaks my heart each time I read it (which I'll keep doing forever). The Time Traveler's Wife is one of those books that make you feel lost without it when it's over.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Grady Hendrix
[isbn]
I picked this up because I read Horrorstör and liked Hendrix's style, but I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Based on Horrorstör, I thought it would be kind of goofy, and even though it could have tilted that way, it's the perfect blend of funny and scary. Hendrix did two things really well with this book: 1) he created a friendship and took us gracefully from its... (read more)
Recommended by Emily F.
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Aspen Matis
[isbn]
Aspen Matis set off on the Pacific Crest Trail at 19 to heal from her rape and the shame she felt afterward, but equally important was discovering that she wasn't the helpless child she grew up believing she was. Those who love the outdoors will enjoy experiencing the PCT through Aspen's eyes, but even if you think you've had your fill of hiking memoirs, read this one for the honesty with which the author tells her story of transformation.
Recommended by Emily F.
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