'The Wilderness' explores the pitfalls of life and the value of found family

Angela Flournoy's sophomore novel, "The Wilderness," follows five Black women over the course of a 20-year friendship, from young adulthood into middle age. It recently made the longlist for the National Book Award for Fiction.

"All the Way to the River" is an impressive mashup of Elizabeth Gilbert’s candid storytelling, along with poems, drawings, prayers and doodles that she crafted during her partner's death and her own recovery from sex and love addiction.

Beatriz Serrano's new novel, "Discontent," follows the life of a mid-level marketing executive who reflects the ennui of so many disillusioned millennials.

"The Hounding" by Xenobe Purvis is a debut novel set in 18th-century England that explores themes of misinformation, toxic masculinity and mob mentality.

Book critic Suzanne Perez says Lisa Ridzen's debut novel, "When the Cranes Fly South," which was Sweden's Book of the Year in 2024, is a poignant study on aging and end-of-life issues.

Book critic Suzanne Perez says Nick Fuller Googins's sophomore novel, "The Frequency of Living Things," is a well-written exploration of parenting, sisterhood and forgiveness.

KMUW's Suzanne Perez says the new novel by Daniel Kraus, "Angel Down," is a brutal descent onto a World War I battleground.

Much as he does in his adult horror novels, Paul Tremblay masters the atmosphere of creeping dread with his middle-grade debut, "Another." Youngsters who love "Goosebumps" and scary stories around the campfire will want to add this novel to their collections.

Gary Shteyngart's new novel, "Vera, or Faith," tells the story of an anxiety-ridden Korean American girl growing up in a dystopian America.

Sophie Elmhirst's new book, "A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck," tells the harrowing story of a young British couple whose boat sinks on the Pacific Ocean.