Fiction / Satire Best Sellers

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE The “devastatingly moving” (People) first novel from the author of Tenth of December: a moving and original father-son story featuring none other than Abraham Lincoln, as well as an unforgettable cast of supporting characters, living and dead, historical and invented One of The New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century • One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years • One of Paste’s Best Novels of the Decade Named One of the Ten Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post, USA Today, and Maureen Corrigan, NPR • One of Time’s Ten Best Novels of the Year • A New York Times Notable Book • One of O: The Oprah Magazine’s Best Books of the Year February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. “My poor boy, he was too good for this earth,” the president says at the time. “God has called him home.” Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns, alone, to the crypt several times to hold his boy’s body. From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state—called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie’s soul. Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction’s ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end? “A luminous feat of generosity and humanism.”—Colson Whitehead, The New York Times Book Review “A masterpiece.”—Zadie Smith

When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…. Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the town’s council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations? Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, *The Casual Vacancy* is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER *A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: TOP TEN “A spellbinding novel” (People) from the New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Franzen, the author of Crossroads, The Corrections is a comic, tragic epic of worlds colliding: an old-fashioned world of civic virtue and sexual inhibitions, a new world of home surveillance, hands-off parenting, do-it-yourself mental health care, and globalized greed. After almost fifty years as a wife and mother, Enid Lambert is ready to have some fun. Unfortunately, her husband, Alfred, is losing his sanity to Parkinson’s disease, and their children have long since flown the family nest to the catastrophes of their own lives. The oldest, Gary, a once-stable portfolio manager and family man, is trying to convince his wife and himself that, despite certain alarming indicators, he is not clinically depressed. The middle child, Chip, has lost his seemingly secure academic job and is failing spectacularly at his new line of work. And Denise, the youngest, has escaped a disastrous marriage only to pour her youth and beauty down the drain of an affair with a married man—or so her mother fears. Desperate for some pleasure to look forward to, Enid has set her heart on an elusive goal: bringing her family together for one last Christmas at home.

"The Fourth Hand asks an interesting question: "How can anyone identify a dream of the future?" The answer: "Destiny is not imaginable, except in dreams or to those in love."". "While reporting a story from India, a New York television journalist has his left hand eaten by a lion; millions of TV viewers witness the accident. In Boston, a renowned hand surgeon awaits the opportunity to perform the nation's first hand transplant; meanwhile, in the distracting aftermath of an acrimonious divorce, the surgeon is seduced by his housekeeper. A married woman in Wisconsin wants to give the one-handed reporter her husband's left hand - that is, after her husband dies. But the husband is alive, relatively young, and healthy."--BOOK JACKET.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this classic tale for modern times, beloved storyteller John Grisham offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition. The inspiration for the film Christmas with the Kranks, starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty, they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash, they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences—and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined.

"A Man in Full" by Tom Wolfe is a satirical novel that explores themes of race, class, and societal expectations in contemporary Atlanta. The narrative weaves together the stories of various characters, including a real estate developer, a young attorney, and an ex-football star. Wolfe's novel offers a panoramic view of the cultural and economic dynamics of the time.

'Essential reading for adults of all ages . . . the wisest, funniest, most thoughtful thing yet written on the subject of PC' Observer In this bestselling classic, James Finn Garner has rewritten classic stories for more enlightened times; from Snow White's relationship with seven vertically challenged men, Little Red Riding Hood, her grandma and the cross-dressing wolf who set up an alternative household based on mutual respect and cooperation, to the Emperor who was not naked but was endorsing a clothing-optional lifestyle. At last, here is bedtime reading free from prejudice and discrimination of witches, giants, dwarves, goblins and fairies everywhere. For anyone brought up on sexist, racist, sizeist and ethnocentrist reading matter, James Finn Garner's stories have been purged of the influence of an insensitive cultural past to become fables for our times.

"The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie is a novel that blends elements of magical realism with social and political commentary. The book explores themes of religious faith, identity, and the clash between tradition and modernity. The novel's publication sparked controversy and discussions about freedom of expression. "The Satanic Verses" remains a significant work in contemporary literature.

"The Bonfire of the Vanities" by Tom Wolfe is a satirical novel that explores the excesses and social dynamics of 1980s New York City. The story follows a wealthy bond trader, Sherman McCoy, whose life unravels after a car accident in the Bronx. Wolfe's sharp wit and keen observations provide a scathing critique of societal values and class divisions.

"Lake Wobegon Days is about the way our beliefs, desires and fears tail off into abstractions--and get renewed from time to time. . . this book, unfolding Mr. Keillor's full design, is a genuine work of American history." --The New York Times "A comic anatomy of what is small and ordinary and therefore potentially profound and universal in American life...Keillor's strength as a writer is to make the ordinary extraordinary." --Chicago Tribune "Keillor's laughs come dear, not cheap, emerging from shared virtue and good character, from reassuring us of our neighborliness and strength....His true subject is how daily life is shot with grace. Keillor writes a prose that can be turned to laughter, to tears...to compassion or satire, to a hundred effects. He is a brilliant parodist." --San Francisco Chronicle

The fourteenth book in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling series featuring fractured fairy tales for fearless kids! Guess where we are this time? The magic mirror has sent me and my brother, Jonah (plus our puppy, Prince), into the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Fun! There's porridge to taste, chairs to sit on, and beds to nap in. But Goldilocks is in a LOT of trouble, and if we can't help her, we might get stuck here forever! Now we have to: - Skateboard down a mountain - Convince the bear family NOT to eat us - Get one hundred gold coins - Escape the royal jail ...And find the one fairy tale character who can turn straw into gold... Wait... Rumpelstiltskin? What are YOU doing here?!

“[Kurt Vonnegut] has never been more satirically on-target. . . . Nothing is spared.”—People Jailbird takes us into a fractured and comic, pure Vonnegut world of high crimes and misdemeanors in government—and in the heart. This wry tale follows bumbling bureaucrat Walter F. Starbuck from Harvard to the Nixon White House to the penitentiary as Watergate’s least known co-conspirator. But the humor turns dark when Vonnegut shines his spotlight on the cold hearts and calculated greed of the mighty, giving a razor-sharp edge to an unforgettable portrait of power and politics in our times. Praise for Jailbird “[Vonnegut] is our strongest writer . . . the most stubbornly imaginative.”—John Irving “A gem . . . a mature, imaginative novel—possibly the best he has written . . . Jailbird is a guided tour de force of America. Take it!”—Playboy “A profoundly humane comedy . . . Jailbird definitely mounts up on angelic wings—in its speed, in its sparkle, and in its high-flying intent.”—Chicago Tribune Book World “Joyously inventive . . . gleams with the loony magic Vonnegut alone can achieve.”—Cosmopolitan “Vonnegut is our great apocalyptic writer, the closest thing we’ve had to a prophet since . . . Lenny Bruce.”—Chicago Sun-Times “Vonnegut at his impressive best. . . . His imaginative leaps alone . . . are worth the price of admission. . . . His far-reaching metaphysical and cultural concerns . . . are ultimately serious and worth our contemplation.”—The Washington Post

"1876" is a historical novel by Gore Vidal, part of his Narratives of Empire series. The novel explores the events and personalities of the United States during the presidential election year of 1876. Vidal combines historical accuracy with fictional elements, offering a panoramic view of post-Civil War America and the challenges faced by the nation during a pivotal period.

Bob Slocum, an average, middle-aged man with a good job, slowly becomes more and more unhappy with the routine of his life.

"Breakfast of Champions" by Kurt Vonnegut is a satirical science fiction novel that explores themes of free will, individuality, and the consequences of human actions. The story follows Kilgore Trout, a science fiction writer, and Dwayne Hoover, a mentally unstable car dealer, as their paths intersect in a surreal and thought-provoking narrative.

"Portnoy's Complaint" by Philip Roth is a satirical novel that takes the form of a psychoanalytic session, with the protagonist, Alexander Portnoy, confessing his thoughts and desires to his therapist. The novel explores themes of identity, sexuality, and the challenges of navigating societal expectations.

Set in the 1930s, the novel follows the lives of eight Vassar College graduates as they navigate the challenges of adulthood. McCarthy provides a candid portrayal of friendship, love, and the societal expectations faced by women in that era.

The #1 New York Times bestseller from FOX News star of Tucker Carlson Tonight offers “a targeted snipe at the Democrats and Republicans and their elite enablers” (New York Journal of Books) in a funny political commentary on how America’s ruling class has failed everyday Americans. “Informal and often humorous…an entertainingly told narrative of elite malfeasance” (Publishers Weekly), Tucker Carlson’s Ship of Fools tells the truth about the new American elites, a group whose power and wealth has grown beyond imagination even as the rest of the country has withered. The people who run America now barely interact with it. They fly on their own planes, ski on their own mountains, watch sporting events far from the stands in sky boxes. They have total contempt for you. In Ship of Fools, Tucker Carlson offers a blistering critique of our new overlords and answers the all-important question: How do we put the country back on course? Traditional liberals are gone, he writes. The patchouli-scented hand-wringers who worried about whales and defended free speech have been replaced by globalists who hide their hard-edged economic agenda behind the smokescreen of identity politics. They’ll outsource your job while lecturing you about transgender bathrooms. Left and right, Carlson says, are no longer meaningful categories in America. “The rift is between those who benefit from the status quo, and those who don’t.” Our leaders are fools, Carlson concludes, “unaware that they are captains of a sinking ship.” But in the signature and witty style that viewers of Tucker Carlson Tonight enjoy so much, Ship of Fools is “bulging with big and interesting ideas, presented succinctly with wit and precision, each chapter a potential book in itself” (The Washington Times).

The novel tells the story of Adam More, a young man from a wealthy family who is trying to find his place in the world. More is a disillusioned idealist who is critical of the shallowness and hypocrisy of the upper class.

"Don't Go Near the Water" by William Brinkley is a satirical novel set during World War II. The book follows the misadventures of a public relations officer stationed on a Pacific island. Brinkley uses humor to explore the absurdities of war and military bureaucracy.

When shy young heir Patrick is orphaned at the age of ten, the only family he has is his wealthy and eccentric aunt, a New York socialite named Mame. Prone to dramatic costumes, flights of fancy and expensive whims, Mame will raise Patrick the only way she knows how - with humour, mishaps, unforgettable friends and lots of love. From progressive schooling and Mame's search for a husband to her short-lived literary career and the puncturing of some of Patrick's romances, Auntie Mame is the most magnificent and hilarious work of love, style, wit and the life of a modern American.

Frederic Wakeman's novel "The Hucksters" satirizes the world of advertising in post-World War II America. The story follows an advertising executive as he navigates the challenges of the industry and questions its ethical implications.

"So Little Time" by John P. Marquand is a satirical novel that satirizes the upper-class society of New England during World War II. The story revolves around the character George Apley, an affluent Bostonian, and his experiences with family, societal expectations, and the changing dynamics of the time. Marquand's novel offers a witty and critical examination of social conventions.

The unforgettable journey of an American businessman—from his humble origins to his extraordinary successes—and the compromises he made along the way When Willis Wayde first lays eyes on the Harcourt mansion near Clyde, Massachusetts, he is fifteen years old. His father is an engineer at Harcourt Mill, and Willis is awestruck by the family's wealth and power. Seeking guidance from Henry Harcourt, Willis meets Bess, the old man's granddaughter. Their friendship eventually blossoms into love as the elder Harcourt takes the young man under his wing, recognizing in Willis a kindred spirit whose instinct for making money matches his own. Pleased with his good fortune, Willis is nevertheless acutely aware of the great social gulf that separates the Waydes from the Harcourts. Determined to make his own way, he sets out on a path that will take him far beyond New England and the insular, old-money world of Henry and Bess. Then the Depression hits, wiping out the Harcourt family fortune. When he comes back into their life, Willis has the power to rescue the last vestige of the family's prestige: the mill. Torn between his nostalgia for a simpler, more sentimental time and his sharply honed business acumen, Willis must make a fateful decision.

The novel tells the story of Roger Sherman, a young man from a wealthy family who is trying to find his place in the world. Sherman is a disillusioned idealist who is critical of the shallowness and hypocrisy of the upper class.

"Ann Vickers" by Sinclair Lewis is a novel that explores the life of the title character, Ann Vickers, as she navigates societal expectations and challenges related to women's roles, activism, and social reform. Lewis' novel provides a critical commentary on contemporary issues, including gender dynamics and political corruption. The narrative reflects Lewis' satirical and incisive style.

Satirical romance novel with themes of desire and societal norms.

“If John Steinbeck’s mighty Grapes of Wrath is the tragic novel of the Great Depression, then Heaven’s My Destination is its comic masterpiece. —J.D. McClatchy A hilarious tale about goodness in a fallen world, Heaven’s My Destination introduces George Marvin Brush, one of Thornton Wilder's most memorable characters. Brush, a traveling textbook salesman, is a fervent religious convert who is determined to lead a good life. With sad and sometimes hilarious consequences, his travels take him through smoking cars, bawdy houses, banks, and campgrounds from Texas to Illinois—and into the soul of Depression-era America itself. This special edition includes an updated afterword by Wilder’s nephew, Tappan Wilder, with illuminating material about the author and book.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “The book is a visual feast, full of drafts, sketches, and scribbled notebook pages. Every page shows how an idea becomes a finished design.” —Ari Shapiro, All Things Considered From former editor of New York magazine Adam Moss, a collection of illuminating conversations examining the very personal, rigorous, complex, and elusive work of making art What is the work of art? In this guided tour inside the artist’s head, Adam Moss traces the evolution of transcendent novels, paintings, jokes, movies, songs, and more. Weaving conversations with some of the most accomplished artists of our time together with the journal entries, napkin doodles, and sketches that were their tools, Moss breaks down the work—the tortuous paths and artistic decisions—that led to great art. From first glimmers to second thoughts, roads not taken, crises, breakthroughs, on to one triumphant finish after another. Featuring: Kara Walker, Tony Kushner, Roz Chast, Michael Cunningham, Moses Sumney, Sofia Coppola, Stephen Sondheim, Susan Meiselas, Louise Glück, Maria de Los Angeles, Nico Muhly, Thomas Bartlett, Twyla Tharp, John Derian, Barbara Kruger, David Mandel, Gregory Crewdson, Marie Howe, Gay Talese, Cheryl Pope, Samin Nosrat, Joanna Quinn & Les Mills, Wesley Morris, Amy Sillman, Andrew Jarecki, Rostam, Ira Glass, Simphiwe Ndzube, Dean Baquet & Tom Bodkin, Max Porter, Elizabeth Diller, Ian Adelman / Calvin Seibert, Tyler Hobbs, Marc Jacobs, Grady West (Dina Martina), Will Shortz, Sheila Heti, Gerald Lovell, Jody Williams & Rita Sodi, Taylor Mac & Machine Dazzle, David Simon, George Saunders, Suzan-Lori Parks