PEOPLE Picks the Best New Books of the Week

Alice Stern has never strayed far from her New York City roots. She works at the high school she attended and constantly texts her childhood bestie. After passing out drunk on her 40th birthday, she wakes up in her 16-year-old body (think 13 Going on 30, in reverse): Suddenly she can have a do-over with the crush she never forgot and spend more time with her ailing dad. A rollicking trip to 1990s Manhattan combined with a tender — and rare — ode to parental love. — Claire Martin

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Fourteen-year-old Sally Holt is a lonely smartypants who has a crush on her big sister's boyfriend — so the morning the couple take a detour to drop her off at middle school is extra special. Until it turns out to be the end of Sally's world. Based on the author's life, this tale of unimaginable loss is riveting and real. — Marion Winik

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Who murdered Lollie Winans and Julie Williams as they were hiking in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park in 1996? While interviewing hundreds of experts about the gruesome deaths, Miles grew doubtful that the FBI's prime suspect was the killer, coming to her own persuasive, chilling conclusion. A gripping look inside a tragic unsolved case. — Richard Eisenberg

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Life is turbulent in the fictional Massachusetts hamlet of Vigil Harbor during the post-pandemic era, which Glass (Three Junes) imagines as a decade from now. There's a surge in divorces among the yachtclub set, the climate crisis has ravaged the seashore, and the tentacles of global terrorism have infiltrated even this secluded spot. Then two strange visitors arrive in town, adding to the chaos and dredging up secrets from the past. An engrossing, richly drawn and exquisitely told story of small-town residents grappling with the difficulties of changing times. — Claire Martin

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The extraordinary story of how CNN anchor Asher's mom, a Nigerian widow who had survived genocide and famine, made certain that poverty and racism wouldn't stop her kids. By plastering the walls with Black success stories, starting a family book club and insisting on studying, she made her dreams for them become reality. Awe-inspiring. — Caroline Leavitt

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A master wielder of dry British humor, Stibbe (Love, Nina) here chronicles 30 years in the lives of frenemies Susan and Norma — a tangle of sweetness, snubs and secrets from their university days to middle age. There's an LOL moment on almost every page, which makes the pandemic ending astonishingly moving. — Marion Winik

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Crowd-pleaser Trigiani is back with another immersive saga, this time focused on the Cabrelli family, expert gem cutters in a Tuscan town for centuries. As matriarch Matelda recollects the life of her mother, a strong-willed young nurse who was banished from town in the 1940s after crossing the local priest, she reveals secrets and creates a new bond with granddaughter Anina. A celebration of family and a paean to the power of storytelling. — Robin Micheli

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Everything's falling apart: Jane Sullivan's marriage, her sister's band, their cousin's relationship. All are drawn back to the Chicago eatery their grandfather founded. Weaving her story around the restaurant, the Cubs' fortunes and the mood after the 2016 election, Close serves up a treat. — Robin Micheli

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The outrages of motherhood can be timeless or of the moment — and comic fireball Klein offers comfort for both. Post-pregnancy body and homemade Halloween costumes? Toddler superfoods and COVID school closures? Her humor and insights are spot-on. — Marion Winik

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Gaspery-Jacques Roberts is leading a boring life, albeit in a futuristic moon colony, until he lands a job investigating "the possibility that all of reality is a simulation." He becomes a time traveler, encountering ordinary people at extraordinary moments in their lives, centuries away from his own. Or maybe closer than he thinks. Fusing sci-fi and great storytelling, this imaginative novel from the author of Station Eleven explores how technology might control our fate if we abandon compassion. — Anne Leslie

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Comedian Rainbow (yes, his real name) is as clever and camp as you might expect from his deliciously entertaining YouTube videos. His story is also deeply touching, as it chronicles his struggles with a bullying father, an eating disorder and sometimes crippling social anxiety. — Judith Newman

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In order to raise crucial funds for his tiny Italian town, the self-appointed mayor starts a rumor that a star will be filming there — and the lies multiply. A charming farce that highlights the triumph of hope and community in an often unforgiving world. — Robin Micheli

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At the dawn of the 1960s, Elizabeth Zott finds herself the star of Supper at Six, a cooking show that's taken America by storm. But her heart is not in the kitchen — she's a brilliant chemist fired from her lab because she's pregnant and single. Between the outrageous sexism and the bitter misfortune that thwart our heroine at every turn, this may not sound like a comic novel, but it is. Full of charm, energy and hope — and featuring a really great dog — it's one to savor. — Marion Winik

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Advice columnist Wendy Wise's daughters are in crisis — one swindled by a husband, the other stretched thin from helping everyone but herself. Wendy's own life is a mess too. Can she right the family ship? Witty and wise. — Claire Martin

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Bereft and rueful after his mom's death, Morton sat down to write a book. His affecting, funny tribute captures the complexities of the mother-son bond, the crazy-making choices of caretaking and the mixed blessings of small-town life. — Marion Winik

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Playwright and screenwriter Ephron's memoir covers some grim territory: losing a spouse; mourning a cherished sibling (writing partner Nora, who died in 2012); and confronting one's own mortality (in 2017 Ephron was diagnosed with the same cancer that killed her sister). But this endearing read is anything but depressing, thanks to vibrant, witty storytelling, a second chance at love and the hovering hope of a happy ending right out of a movie, like the Ephrons' You've Got Mail. — Mary Pols

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Fleeing domestic violence, a mother and her two daughters move into the ancestral home grandmother Hazel always meant as a refuge. There they navigate real and imaginary boundaries to create a safe space. Spanning 70 years, Memphis lovingly renders all the ways a community can love you back to life. — Deborah Douglas

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When tech mogul Bix Bouton develops "Own Your Unconscious," which allows users to share memories to a collective cloud, the societal implications are profound. Egan brilliantly explores the interconnected lives of those who embrace the technology and those who reject it entirely. Mesmerizing. — Emma Dries

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The four Bennetts are driving home from a field hockey game when they are forced off the road by carjackers. Things quickly turn tragic, then mystifying, as the family is rushed from the hospital into the witness protection program. Fortunately, unassuming court-reporter dad Jason turns out to be both an investigative genius and an action hero. Scottoline just keeps ratcheting up the pressure in what may be her most emotionally intense nail-biter to date. — Marion Winik

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When a romance develops between two teenage boys (one Protestant, one Catholic) in a Glasgow housing project, the danger of discovery is all too real. Like Shuggie Bain, the author's acclaimed debut, this is a raw, tender and generous story of love and survival in tough circumstances. — Helen Rogan

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What's worse than a daughter running off to Paris, going gaga over a handsome fascist and ending up in the news breaking windows during a riot? If it all happens amid her mom's run for New York senator! Ginder is a genius at finding the hilarity — and the heart — in crazy-making family drama. — Marion Winik

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In this riveting true-crime memoir, former PI Krouse reveals how her own childhood abuse led to her role as an investigator in a landmark Title IX sexual-assault case targeting the University of Colorado's win-at-any- cost football program, where recruits often went unpunished for sexual crimes and blame fell on victims. Krouse's fight for justice (there was a $2.85 million settlement from the university in 2007) shows how we can truly enact change — in society and in ourselves. — Caroline Leavitt

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As an end-of-life doula, Nova Huston helps the terminally ill face death. But can she convince 36-year-old musician Mason Shaylor, who wants to die after a career-ending botched surgery, that his life still holds purpose and passion? Grab the tissues. — Lisa Greissinger

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In this circuitous mystery, the lives of a widow with a shadowy past, her charming male tenant, a woman desperate to escape her loveless marriage and a travel writer with anger issues intersect and explode into more than one shocking ending. Delightfully creepy. — Andy Abrahams

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The stuff of Hollywood legend, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier's passionate romance and 20-year marriage were shadowed by the Gone With the Wind star's battle with bipolar disorder. Afraid she would be pronounced mad and institutionalized, both she and Olivier resisted seeking treatment; she was finally given then-crude electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), since mood stabilizers like lithium were not yet available. A haunting, irresistible read. — Marissa Charles

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When singer AnnieLee Keyes arrives in Nashville, she catches the attention of a country legend — even as she's hunted by a threat from her past. A rollicking thriller by two of our greatest storytellers. — Sam Gillette

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An ambitious novel of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth and his family: adoring mom, alcoholic dad and siblings, including a more talented actor brother. Slow-burning and rich, it illuminates America's core contradictions. — Mary Pols

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Island Home is the latest addition to an exclusive chain of resorts helmed by the tyrannical genius Ned Groom, his weak brother Adam and their female lackeys. Its launch weekend is an invitation many would kill for, and it seems some have, as the book opens with news reports of mayhem. Written by a husband-and-wife team under a pseudonym, The Club is a smart, stylish and savage thriller that goes straight for the jugular. — Marion Winik

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Spare and elegiac, this novel-in-stories about seven siblings, set mostly in mid-century Virginia, slowly unravels the secrets around their mother's early death. Kauffman's insight into her characters' hearts reveals the process by which even the deepest hurts are outlived. — Marion Winik

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A lovable whirlwind with very sharp teeth, Fig shatters Humphreys's tranquility but prompts this wise meditation on why dogs make ideal companions for writers. "Isn't it wonderful," she writes, "to relearn what is good in life...  under the guise of teaching the puppy?" — Anne Leslie

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Emma Bigelow is a renowned British marine biologist with a doting husband, a toddler — and some very dark secrets. When she gets cancer, her journalist husband is tasked with composing her obituary, and as he unearths her past, their idyllic life begins to implode. Is he really their daughter's father? What's happening on her frequent work trips? Combining the gripping pace of a psychological thriller with the tenderness and sorrow of a love story gone wrong, this one's a winner. — Claire Martin

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A strange voice mail leads Jess to believe her half brother Ben has gone missing — and she suspects the less-than-friendly neighbors in his building are involved. Can she solve the mystery? Another clever, cliff-hanger-filled thriller from the author of The Guest List. — Sierra Hoeger

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In this eloquent meditation on aging and resilience, journalist Bruni recounts his journey to acceptance after a stroke robbed him of much of his vision in the right eye. Instead of despairing, he sets out to learn how others navigate sight-impaired worlds — and rediscovers the gifts in his own life. — Andy Abrahams

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Fleeing a brutal husband, the author's mother moved with her kids to a squatters' shack, where she began taking in other hapless creatures: abandoned animals. Zaleski vowed to buy a farm one day so her mom could rescue on a grander scale — and Funny Farm was born. The N.J. property now houses 600 ducks, goats, pigs, dogs and horses and draws 100,000 visitors a year. An ebullient memoir and a reminder that the bigger your heart, the greater the rewards. — Caroline Leavitt

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When First Lady Lara Caine asks former White House correspondent Sofie Morse to write her biography, Morse is intrigued. But could what she learns about the Russian-born Caine's complicated life bring down the Presidency? A gripping tale of the Cold War and its legacy. — Lisa Greissinger

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A grieving COVID nurse is "afraid to close her eyes" after her shift.A devoted couple are torn apart by the virus. A father searches for his missing son during lockdown. These compassionate stories explore modern-day loneliness, revealing how much we all need to hear and say, "I love you." — Anne Leslie

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Leanne Hazelton is finally hitting her stride: A new mother living in her new house in Los Angeles, she's about to publish her first book after years of working in retail. But when her best friend, Regina — who'd always been the richer, more successful, better connected of the two — is unsupportive, even spiteful, the knives come out. A witty, wise examination of friendship, class and family, and a hilarious, pitch-perfect send-up of L.A'.s bougie-bohemian class. — Claire Martin

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Journalist Drayton makes a powerful argument: For African Americans, escaping the U.S. and its racial inequities can be an act of self-preservation. In this strong, emotional debut, she explores what led her to leave a New Jersey town for the Caribbean — and stay there. — Lynn Brown

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A small, wise bird named Gail lives inside Owen, dispensing advice — and serving as a metaphor for his queerness. Fearing he'll be turned into a circus sideshow, his mother hides him away until he's a young teen, when he begins to explore his identity. A sublime and surprising coming-of-age novel. —Claire Martin

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Leo, the tyrannical and philandering patriarch of a Chinese American family in Wisconsin, has wreaked havoc in the lives of his three grown sons; his wife, Winnie, has fled to a local Buddhist sanctuary. When Dad is found dead in the freezer at the family's restaurant after a lavish Christmas party, oldest son Dagou, the eatery's chef, gets put on trial for murder. A hilarious mystery that's also a searing take on assimilation and the American dream. — Richard Eisenberg

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The author rose above sexual abuse, alcoholism, homophobia and the velvet handcuffs of corporate success when she climbed Mt. Everest, taking other survivors of trauma with her to the top of the world. You'll finish her incredible story in tears. — Marion Winik

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When Twyla and Roberta grow close in a children's shelter, it doesn't seem to matter that one is Black and the other white. But when they cross paths as adults, race rises to the surface. Written in 1980 and newly republished, Morrison's only short story —which doesn't specify which character is which race — keeps you guessing with every line. — Emma Dries

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In the London suburbs in 1967, Phyllis Fischer puts on lipstick and a party dress and prepares to entertain the son of her husband's old friends. He'll likely be dull, but who cares? She's still the ideal hostess, pleased with her pork terrine and her charming house. The speed at which Phyllis's perfect life unravels is the first of many welcome jolts delivered by this brilliantly observed novel. Is she a train wreck or having an awesome midlife crisis? Maybe both. — Mary Pols

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When their Caribbean-born mom dies, estranged siblings learn she's left a piece of her famous cake for them to share. But first they must confront secrets going back to a 1965 wedding where the groom died and the bride disappeared into the sea. A delicious debut. — Marion Winik

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Born to a wealthy Chilean family, Violeta suffers great loss as economic collapse and a military dictatorship unravel her country. Somehow, despite abuse and the deaths of loved ones, she maintains her fierce spirit. Allende's latest is an immersive saga about a passion-filled life. — Sam Gillette

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A brilliant middle-aged professor finds the lens turned on her open marriage when her husband, the chair of the English department at their liberal arts college in upstate New York, comes under investigation for past affairs with former students. At the same time, her own obsession with Vladimir, a handsome younger novelist newly arrived on campus, sends her on a tantalizing but dangerous path. This is a timely, whip-smart and darkly funny debut. — Sam Gillette

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When Maggie Rowe's husband, formerly a writer on Golden Girls, meets a mother-daughter panhandling team who are also his biggest fans, he and Maggie learn how much trouble you can get into just trying to do the right thing. Especially if, like Maggie, you have mental health issues of your own. Poignant and often hilarious. — Marion Winik

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A sinister mystery unfolds deep in the Wyoming wilderness as Frankie Elkin — a woman dedicated to helping solve cold case — joins a final search for a long-lost hiker. You'll root for Frankie (and for a diligent cadaver dog named Daisy) on every page of this tense, crackling read. — Rennie Dyball

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This riveting crime novel about the disappearance of two women from the Lovely Lady strip club outside Chicago is also a deep dive into the lives of the cops, dancers, children and perps orbiting the case. Rutkoski draws on her personal experience as a dancer, creating a club scene so visceral you practically inhale the cigar smoke. An adrenaline ride filled with grit and compassion. — Ellen Shapiro

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While delayed at JFK, the narrator runs into a college acquaintance, Jeff Cook. Prosperous and polished, Jeff invites him to the first-class lounge for drinks and an intriguing tale of rescuing a drowning man and the moral dilemmas that followed. This slim but enveloping novel flies by. — Mary Pols

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Irish immigrants landing in New York, gold prospectors in the West, Native Americans, escaped slaves and railroad speculators carving up the country — they and their descendants come vividly to life in this epic that seems particularly American in its wide ambition and generosity of spirit. — Helen Rogan

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It's the winter before the pandemic, and Joan, a young Chinese American ICU doctor in Manhattan, has a relentless schedule, a barren apartment and a robot vacuum as her closest companion — all by choice. But when her father in China suddenly dies, her employer insists she take bereavement leave, upending her staid life and forcing her to confront the chasms and cultural dissonance within her immigrant family. Joan is an irresistibly quirky — and strong — character helming a wry, wise and simply spectacular book. — Claire Martin

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Eagerly awaited by fans of A Little Life, Yanagihara's latest is magisterial: three immersive tales, set in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Connecting them is an N.Y.C. brownstone that begins as a wealthy family's home and winds up as a tragic landmark in a future wracked by pandemics and storms. — Marion Winik

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Ready for some drama? This intense story of an Indian-born journalist going home to Mumbai to report on an honor killing — a newlywed whose Hindu brothers killed her Muslim husband and burned her beyond recognition — will infuriate and enlighten you, and melt your heart. — Marion Winik

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Architect Kayla Carter isn't thrilled to be moving in to the North Carolina home she designed with her husband: He died in an accident during its construction, and a mysterious woman has warned they shouldn't have built on the property. Then, as Kayla settles in with her daughter, she learns that violence once filled the nearby woods — and the plot thickens. Alternating between the modern-day South and the civil rights battles of the 1960s, Chamberlain's latest is a twisty, riveting ride. — Lisa Greissinger 

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She may have trouble reading social cues, but Molly Gray knows her station in life — cleaning the rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a "state of perfection." But when she finds a VIP dead in his suite, Molly's eccentricities land her in the cops' crosshairs. A delightful whodunit. — Ellen Shapiro

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Former celeb event planner González opens her debut with a hilarious takedown of "rich person" wedding napkins — and dives into a sprawling dramedy of love, politics, blackmail and real estate featuring a Puerto Rican family in Brooklyn. Lots of fun. — Marion Winik

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Strung out from sleep deprivation and the strains of single-motherhood, Frida Liu runs out for a two-hour errand and leaves her toddler bouncing in an ExerSaucer — alone. This very bad choice thrusts her into a child-services system that's both comically cruel and painfully realistic. Frida is sentenced to an absurd yearlong live-in treatment program with 200 other "wayward" moms forced to practice mothering skills on AI dolls. A surreal, dazzlingly witty tale. — Claire Martin

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Ho's strong debut follows two Taiwanese American besties from grade school through their 30s, flipping through decades to highlight key relationships, crises, nights of drinking and sex. Other people, the world and the girls themselves change, but the friendship between beautiful Fiona and sturdy Jane endures. — Marion Winik

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After London police officer Philomena McCarthy rescues a woman from her brutal cop boyfriend, toxic relationships and police payback rev up — and gutsy, very fallible Phil tries to sort the good guys from the bad. A heart-clutching psychological thriller. — Ellen Shapiro

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Greta Garbo could portray queen, courtesan, spy, Anna Karenina or Camille. But perhaps her greatest role was her own enigmatic self, as revealed in this sparklingly witty bio. Rescued from poverty and brought to Hollywood at 29, the Stockholm native became a sensation, shocking lovers, friends and fans when she retired into isolation in her 30s. Why did she do it? Gottlieb sheds light but can't solve the mystery — which only intensifies her appeal. A must-read. — Caroline Leavitt

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Comedian Tim Conway's daughter had an idyllic childhood, but when his health began to fail, she and his second wife, Charlene, battled over his care (Charlene won, and Kelly only learned of his 2019 death from a friend). An alternately warm and wrenching story of a daughter's devotion. — Andy Abrahams

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After her husband dies, Renu can finally escape their small midwestern town and return to her beloved London. But when her sons Bijan and Akosh come to help her move, secrets and resentments build to the breaking point. A moving saga of identity and reconciliation. — Robin Micheli

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Sonya is a former actress, a young mother and a severe alcoholic. Set in Ireland, this searing tale of her struggles — to look after 4-year-old Tommy while drunk, to attain sobriety, to regain custody of her son after he's taken from her — is a gripping journey into the unquiet mind of an addict. Harding's ability to create tension and terror while illuminating beauty and fierce love makes this an unforgettable portrait of human frailty and strength. — Robin Micheli

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During WWII, heiress Nanée hides Jewish artists at herMarseille villa and helps smuggle them out of France. For the grieving photographer she's fallen in love with, she risks everything — and becomes a true heroine. — Marion Winik

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Wondering what men are like in the absence of women, Lasley immerses herself in the lives of workers on Scotland's offshore oil rigs — and finds herself falling for one. A sharp take on masculinity, class and the intoxicating danger of attraction. — Sam Gillette

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Discovered after her death, Maier's city-street photos made her posthumously famous. But who was she? An astonishing portrait of a troubled woman from an abusive family who worked as a nanny for 40 years — and left the world a treasure trove. — Caroline Leavitt

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