New & Recommended Paperback Fiction

Gordon Richards has four wives, 28 children, three houses, a failing business, and a potential mistress, which is a lot for any guy to handle. His world is chaotic, but in the hands of Brady Udall, you can’t help but want to linger there for awhile, to take in the sweeping landscape, the strange fundamentalists, and the secret broken hearts. It’s hilarious and strange, and at times devastatingly familiar. Don’t skip this gem of a novel! —Kat

When you hear the premise of Room, you may cringe. It’s a dark one. The book centers around a 5-year-old and his mother, who have been imprisoned in a man’s backyard for years. But the voice of Jack, the playful, smart protagonist, lifts the story out of darkness and puts it on par with novels like The Lovely Bones. It’s a staggeringly good read, the sort of book you can fall into for hours and hours. —Kat

This whip-smart book skips through time, style, and tone with ease, as a dazzling array of complex characters struggle with who they’ve become, and with the violently changed world they find themselves in. Egan’s writing is subtle but has some pointed things to say about life, change, and humanity in general. Funny, melancholy, and captivating, this is a fresh, vibrant story that thrums with the energy of a finely tuned bass. I loved it. —Flannery

The title is a dead giveaway that this isn’t a happy-ending kind of book. It is, however, the kind of book that proves that sad doesn’t mean bad. In a frightening future where books and the written word are now obsolete, Lenny still loves them. He also wants to live forever. Funny and insightful, this is a heartbreaking look at the importance of emotion and the ties that bind us. —Flannery

In an epic story spanning three generations, and stretching across the sea from Saint Domingue to New Orleans, Zarité is our guide who weaves a story of saints and slave owners, courtesans and mambos, warriors and lovers, in a quest for family, self, love, and always, freedom. To open this book is to immerse yourself in a world under a blazing sun, a world that tastes of cinnamon and rum with an aftertaste of burnt sugar. —Jocelyn

Starting out at the 1936 Olympics in Germany, an American swimmer falls in love with a handsome German, but they are quickly torn apart by the politics of war. This is a beautifully written story with many layers. Possibly one of the best love stories I’ve ever read, and it’s so much more than that. Utterly charming and enjoyable. —Clytia