Fiction / Literary Best Sellers

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A scorching portrait of modern America. And yet it also brings a sense of sense of hope, not only because [it] reminds us how powerful a great novel can be, but because of the sense . . . that a universal justice will prevail.”—R. J. Palacio for Time, “25 Books That Capture This American Moment” ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE SUMMER A “spectacular” (Los Angeles Times) novel from the Booker Prize–winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, taking place at the bedside of an oil company CEO in the twilight hours of his life as he is ferried from this world into the next “Vibrant, fiendishly clever . . . Vigil is pure Saunders: the death of empathy, he insists, is greatly exaggerated.”—The Boston Globe Not for the first time, Jill “Doll” Blaine finds herself hurtling toward earth, reconstituting as she falls, right down to her favorite black pumps. She plummets towards her newest charge, yet another soul she must usher into the afterlife, and lands headfirst in the circular drive of his ornate mansion. She has performed this sacred duty 343 times since her own death. Her charges, as a rule, have been greatly comforted in their final moments. But this charge, she soon discovers, isn’t like the others. The powerful K. J. Boone will not be consoled, because he has nothing to regret. He lived a big, bold, epic life, and the world is better for it. Isn’t it? Vigil transports us, careening, through the wild final evening of a complicated man. Visitors begin to arrive (worldly and otherworldly, alive and dead), clamoring for a reckoning. Birds swarm the dying man’s room; a black calf grazes on the love seat; a man from a distant, drought-ravaged village materializes; two oil-business cronies from decades past show up with chilling plans for Boone’s postdeath future. With the wisdom, playfulness, and explosive imagination we’ve come to expect, George Saunders takes on the gravest issues of our time—the menace of corporate greed, the toll of capitalism, the environmental perils of progress—and, in the process, spins a tale that encompasses life and death, good and evil, and the thorny question of absolution.

A Katie Couric Book Club Pick / One of President Obama's '26 Summer Reading List Picks / A Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick / A GoodReads Most Anticipated Book of Summer “Ann Patchett’s new novel is a rare phenomenon in contemporary fiction: a novel both majestic and intimate, original and masterful in its structure, crystalline in its prose, revelatory in its insights, utterly devastating yet ultimately uplifting in its emotional impact. . . . I think it is her best novel yet.” —The Boston Globe The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time. When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again, time falls away; while their relationship was brief, it had a profound impact on them both, and now that they are reunited, they have no intention of ever being separated again. Whistler is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. It’s a story about bravery, memory, the often small yet consequential moments that define our lives, and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for us all. Beautiful in its simplicity, it is ultimately about how love endures, and how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Brynne Weaver comes the second book in the devilishly steamy Seasons of Carnage trilogy where dark romantic comedy meets thrilling suspense—and where love is ripe for ruin. It’s time to reap what you sow. Cape Carnage is blooming with secrets, and they’re ready to harvest. But every time Nolan Rhodes digs one up, another grows in its place. Harper isn’t who he thought she was. Arthur might be more sinister than he first thought. And Sheriff Yates? The man is everywhere he turns. When true crime fanatics descend on the town looking for answers about the death of their leader, Nolan finds himself at the center of a search and rescue operation for missing people he knows are already dead. Cape Carnage teeters on the brink of chaos. And the harder Nolan tries to keep it together, the closer Harper comes to unraveling. Harper Starling has risked everything to bury her trauma in Cape Carnage. But now that Nolan has unearthed her past, her whole life seems ready to break apart. And who can she trust? The enigmatic man she’s falling in love with? He came to kill her. The serial killer mentor she’s vowed to protect? He’s become an unpredictable menace. The woman in the mirror? She might be the most dangerous of all. Loyalties are tested. Bonds are bent to a breaking point. And love? That might be the deadliest trap of all. Harvest Season is a dark romance with mature themes. Please check content warnings at the beginning of the book. Tropes Small-town romance / Fish out of water / Grumpy/Grumpy / Forced proximity / He falls first / Touch her/him and die / Villain x Villain / Brat/brat tamer

**A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim's point of view** When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

A novelist, a warehouse worker, an editorial assistant and a political adviser deal with changes.

A woman struggles with memories of her impoverished and disturbing childhood and its effect on the present as she attempts to reconcile with her mother.

"Ragtime" by E. L. Doctorow is a historical novel set in the early 20th century, capturing the vibrant and tumultuous atmosphere of the United States. The novel weaves together the stories of diverse characters, including historical figures, against the backdrop of societal changes. Doctorow's narrative style combines historical events with imaginative storytelling, creating a rich and compelling tapestry.

Frank and April Wheeler, a beautiful young couple living in 1950s America, see their supposedly perfect life come undone.

The book consists of two interconnected stories, "Franny" and "Zooey," exploring the spiritual and existential struggles of the Glass family, capturing J.D. Salinger's signature themes of alienation and the search for authenticity.

Lolita is the story of a middle-aged man's obsessive love for a twelve-year-old girl. Humbert Humbert is a middle-aged, well-educated European who comes to America to teach. He falls in love with Lolita, his landlady's adolescent daughter, and becomes sexually involved with her

"Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" by J. D. Salinger is a collection of two novellas. The title novella follows the character Seymour Glass's wedding day, exploring themes of family, relationships, and societal expectations. Salinger's writing style and exploration of complex characters contribute to the novellas' enduring significance in American literature.

Set during World War II, Norman Mailer's novel "The Naked and the Dead" follows the experiences of soldiers in the Pacific. The novel explores the impact of war on individuals and the dynamics within the military.

Novel addressing racial discrimination and systemic injustice in America.

Of Time and the River is the second novel in Thomas Wolfe's autobiographical series. The novel chronicles Wolfe's life from his early days as a struggling writer in New York City to his years as a student at Harvard University.

Southern literature novel exploring racial and social issues.

Novel depicting the life and struggles of a modern hero.

Satirical romance novel with themes of desire and societal norms.