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This Month’s Best New Literary Fiction
 
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Book cover for Queen Esther by John Irving
A heartwarming, century-spanning novel about found family
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Penned by the legendary author of The World According to Garp and A Prayer for Owen Meany — who “it is impossible to imagine the American literary landscape without” (Time)
  • In this instant New York Times bestseller, Esther, a 14-year-old Jewish orphan in New England, is taken in by a Christian family
  • With a rave review from The New York Times Book Review: “We may need [Irving’s] singular sense of compassion now more than ever… I’m grateful for this book”
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Media mentions for Queen Esther by John IrvingMEDIA MENTIONS:NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Times, The Boston Globe, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Booklist
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Book cover for Palaver by Bryan Washington
A Houston mother arrives uninvited at her estranged son’s doorstep in Tokyo
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Set in the weeks before Christmas, this life-affirming novel explores forgiveness, family, and home
  • A finalist for the 2025 National Book Award hailed as “uniquely beautiful” (Rolling Stone) and “an unshakable triumph” (The Washington Post)
  • “Fiction — no — life is better because Washington is writing” (Ocean Vuong)
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Media mentions for Palaver by Bryan WashingtonMEDIA MENTIONS:The New Yorker, Time Magazine, NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, People, The Washington Post, Elle, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, Rolling Stone, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, BookPage, Electric Literature, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski
Stephen King says he ‘absolutely loved’ and has ‘never read anything like’ this ‘amazing work of fiction’
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • In rugged Utah, two friends set out to save a pair of ponies headed for slaughter
  • “An authentic western epic” (Vulture) highly anticipated by over a dozen publications, including The New York Times Book Review and NPR
  • From “one of the most gifted and versatile writers of our time” (The Washington Post) comes his “first major standalone novel in 25 years” (Library Journal)
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Media mentions for Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z. DanielewskiMEDIA MENTIONS:NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, New Scientist, The Washington Post, Vulture, Parade, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, Paste, Variety, Reactor, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Literary Hub
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Book cover for The Eleventh Hour by Salman Rushdie
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Midnight’s Children delivers another must-read
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • An “inventive and engrossing” story collection (Los Angeles Times) celebrating life in the face of death
  • Features unforgettable characters — from a musical prodigy to a ghostly academic
  • “It’s good to be back in Rushdie’s charming, witty world” (The Times)
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Media mentions for The Eleventh Hour by Salman RushdieMEDIA MENTIONS:The New Yorker, NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, The Economist, Associated Press, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian, The Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Sacrament by Susan Straight
In a California desert town, a group of ICU nurses risks everything as the COVID-19 pandemic surges
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • This “monumentally moving” human drama (People) follows three nurses, each from very different backgrounds, who live out of a trailer park together
  • From a National Book Award finalist called an “essential voice” (The New York Times)
  • “Reader[s will] see and respect and love not only these characters, but the consistently brilliant author who gave them life on the page of this, her finest book” (Los Angeles Times)
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Media mentions for Sacrament by Susan StraightMEDIA MENTIONS:NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, People, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, The Millions, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
This enchanting, multigenerational saga is begging for an on-screen adaptation
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Eniiyi’s family believes she’s the reincarnation of her late cousin — and that she’ll fall victim to the generations-long curse. Can she free herself from a cycle of secrets and pain?
  • November’s Read with Jenna pick has captured the hearts of booklovers everywhere
  • “Sweeping… Our three female protagonists are rich, full characters” (The New York Times)
  • One of Time’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2025
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Media mentions for Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan BraithwaiteMEDIA MENTIONS:TODAY Book Club/Read with Jenna, Book of the Month, Time Magazine, NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, People, The Washington Post, Financial Times, Real Simple, Elle, Vulture, The Guardian, The Times, The Boston Globe, Indie Next List, Library Reads, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage
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Book cover for Lightbreakers by Aja Gabel
Fans of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, your new favorite book is here!
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Has blown away everyone from Rumaan Alam to Kevin Wilson to Rachel Khong, who calls it “as breathtaking as it is mind-bending”
  • Quantum physicist Noah is part of a dangerous experiment in the Texas desert — and he and his wife, Maya, soon discover the dangers of revisiting the past
  • A genre-bending literary gem that will have you see the world anew
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Media mentions for Lightbreakers by Aja GabelMEDIA MENTIONS:Book of the Month, Harper's Bazaar, Real Simple, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, BookPage, Electric Literature, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Like Family by Erin O. White
Rocked by an unexpected death, six friends confront simmering tensions and unfulfilled dreams
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • “Once I entered the world of Like Family, I didn’t want to leave” (Ann Napolitano)
  • Once you curl up with this new release, it will transport you to a quaint small town in upstate New York
  • Glowing reviews from J. Courtney Sullivan, Curtis Sittenfeld, and Steven Rowley, who says the book “feels like a favorite, worn sweater, wrapping you in the exact embrace you get from your favorite novels”
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Media mentions for Like Family by Erin O. WhiteMEDIA MENTIONS:TODAY Show, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, People, Elle, Parade, The Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Literary Hub
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AmazonOther formats and retailers
Book cover for The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
During a historically cold winter, the lives of two couples unravel in this 2025 Booker Prize finalist
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • When two women from neighboring houses meet, a countdown to crisis begins…
  • In this “exquisitely written” novel set in an English countryside village, “every scene is hypnotic” (The Washington Post)
  • “This book is really special,” says Sarah Jessic