Romantic Comedy, by Curtis Sittenfeld

Sally Milz is a writer for a late-night live comedy show, but she’s given up on love and is content with her career success and the occasional hookup. When her friend Danny starts dating an incredibly beautiful and accomplished actor, Sally creates a sketch called the “Danny Horst Rule,” poking fun at the phenomenon of average-looking men dating stunning women. While collaborating on the show with pop music sensation Noah Brewster, Sally wonders if there could be something between them. But in real life, could someone like him ever be interested in someone like her?

Chain-Gang All-Stars, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker star in CAPE, a popular, controversial program where prisoners compete in death matches for freedom in America’s private prison industry. Thurwar’s ultimate prize is her freedom, but as she considers preserving her fellow Links’ humanity, corporate owners protect their status quo with devastating consequences. Chain-Gang All-Stars examines systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration through the eyes of Links, protestors, and CAPE employees. It’s a clear-eyed reckoning of what freedom means in America’s prison system.

The LAst Aninal, by Ramona Ausubel

Jane is a brilliant scientist working on a project to “de-extinct” the woolly mammoth. She’s sent to Siberia to find ancient DNA, but her two daughters, fiery Eve and sweet Vera, are tagging along and causing trouble. When they discover a perfectly preserved baby mammoth, Jane’s status at the lab becomes uncertain. As they travel the globe from Siberia to California to Italy, the novel explores the intersection of gender, motherhood, and science, as well as the power of the human imagination in a changing world. A big-hearted journey full of wonder and discovery, The Last Animal celebrates the importance of family and questions what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated field.

Mastering the Art of French Murder, by Colleen Cambridge

Tabitha Knight, an American staying with her French grandfather, is immersing herself in Parisian life with the help of friend Julia Child. While learning to cook and enjoying the city’s delights, Tabitha stumbles upon a murder.

Shocked when a note with her handwriting is found in the victim’s pocket, she works with Inspector Merveille to find the real killer. From the streets of Montmartre to the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, Tabitha races against time to prove her innocence and solve the mystery.

THE DOUBLE LIFE OF BENSON YU, BY KEVIN CHING

In a Chinatown housing project, Benny lives with his sick grandmother and eccentric neighbor Constantine, who believes he’s a reincarnated samurai. When Benny’s grandmother is hospitalized, he’s taken in by Constantine, and the two form an unlikely bond.

But the narrator of the story, Yu, a comic book creator, is struggling to continue their story and begins to reveal a darker backstory. As Yu confronts his own demons, he risks both his and Benny’s lives.

DIRTY LAUNDRY, BY DISHA BOSE

Ciara Dunphy appears to have a perfect life – a doting husband, well-behaved children, and a beautiful home. However, the reality is less polished than her Instagram feed suggests. Enter Mishti Guha, Ciara’s best friend who craves the ease with which Ciara navigates the world.

There’s also Lauren Doyle, the earth mother, who’s been ostracized by the village for being different. When Ciara is murdered, everyone seems to have something to gain from her death. In this debut novel, Disha Bose explores love and deceit as a group of women desperately trying to preserve themselves.

THE SKIN AND ITS GIRL, SARAH CYPHER

Betty faces a tough choice between following her heart and staying in the only country she knows or perpetuating her family’s cycle of exile. Decades earlier, a stillborn baby’s heart beats, and her skin turns cobalt blue in a Pacific Northwest hospital. At the same time, the Rummani family’s soap factory in Palestine is destroyed in an air strike.

The family matriarch, Aunt Nuha, believes the blue girl embodies their sacred history. Betty returns to Aunt Nuha’s gravestone and finds her answer in translated notebooks revealing her aunt’s life and struggle with sexuality.

TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA, BY BRANDON SANDERSON

Tress leads a simple life on her island home, collecting cups and listening to stories from her friend Charlie. But when a disaster strikes during Charlie’s voyage to find a bride, Tress must leave her home and stow away on a ship to seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea.

The journey takes Tress to pirate-infested waters where danger lurks at every turn. Will she be able to survive and carve out a new life for herself in a world where the slightest mistake could mean certain death? “The Midnight Sea” by Kat Ross is a thrilling adventure story full of danger, magic, and unexpected twists.

THE ONLY SURVIVORS, MEGAN MIRANDA

Ten years after a school service trip turned deadly, a group of survivors comes together annually to commemorate the tragedy. This year, one survivor has distanced herself, but a text with an obituary attached forces her to return to the group. As they gather at their annual meeting place, a storm threatens to strand them.

When the organizer of the reunion disappears, the survivors are left wondering if it’s an accident or something more sinister. With their promise to protect one another, they must confront their past and face the present danger.

THE EARTH TRANSFORMED, BY PETER FRANKOPAN

Frankopan argues that climate change has played a crucial role in shaping human history for centuries, from the fall of civilizations to the rise of empires. He draws on examples such as El Niño causing the collapse of the Moche civilization and volcanic eruptions in Iceland affecting Egypt and the Ottoman empire.

Frankopan explains how climate change has contributed to events like the emergence of the Vikings and regime change in Baghdad.

WONDER BOY: TONY HSIEH, ZAPPOS, AND THE MYTH OF HAPPINESS IN SILICON VALLEY, BY ANGEL AU-YEUNG AND DAVID JEANS

Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos, was known for his success in creating a happy and employee-friendly company culture. He sold Zappos to Amazon for $1.2 billion. Hsieh’s vision for change extended beyond corporate culture, as he moved Zappos headquarters to Las Vegas and funded a campaign to revitalize the city’s downtown area.

However, Hsieh’s issues with mental health and addiction affected his personal relationships and community-revival projects. Journalists Angel Au-Yeung and David Jeans provide a rich portrait of Hsieh’s life through interviews with those who knew him.