Staff Fiction Favorites

This book is devastating and perfect. The small moments and mistakes that ruin a family are masterfully examined in Ng's debut novel. Misunderstandings, expectations and misguided priorities strain the relationships of the Lee family to a breaking point. Ng's portrait of this web of decisions and consequences is so delicate and earned it never feels like it's exploiting its reader. - Tori

Lois is lost, consumed by her job, her gastrointestinal distress, and not much else. A chance take-out ad begins a strange journey that involves spicy soup, robot arms, secret underground farmers' markets, San Francisco culinary legends (that are definitely NOT Alice Waters), ancient legends, folk music, and a whole lot of sourdough bread. A perfect (quirky) millennial fable. - Jocelyn

I have been waiting my whole life for a f/f bodice ripper, written by a woman who experiences same-gender attraction. To make it even better, the two main characters are an astronomer and an artist with deep love for plants and natural history! Lady's Guide manages to be fun and evocative; I'd suggest it to romance lovers who are nerds for historical fiction like me. - MJ

This debut sci-fi novel is an engrossing tale of space colonization and alien first contact on a world full of sentient plants. The saga spans 100 years and 6 generations, each with its own unique story. Infusing plants with sentience and agency gives the book an eerie quality that’s hard to shake. Thought-provoking concepts, excellent world-building, and solid character development. - Trey

A darkly humorous, compulsively readable exploration of normativity through the eyes of a content but maladjusted young woman who, despite societal pressures, is simply not wired to conform. Perfect for helping anyone who has ever felt they're not living "the right way" become convinced otherwise. - Ksenia

Former military cadet, survivor, and Don't Ask Don't Tell victim Kate Kane stalks a new criminal High Madame that could only have come out of Gotham in Elegy, one of the best superhero stories I've ever read. Greg Rucka's art is nothing short of beautiful, with breathtaking action sequences and humanizing flash backs, and Williams' story will keep you hooked. - Jocelyn

I was nervous about this one. Sequels can either be exciting and fulfilling, or a total let down, and I didn’t want to lose any love for the story of Gilead and its people. Thankfully, The Testaments delivers on the promise The Handmaid’s Tale makes. It’s full of all the grace, wit, and feminism we’ve come to expect from Atwood, and on top of that, it's a roaring good story. - Jess

The original feminist dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale is a book by one of the most talented writers of our time. Certain truths within it can be painful to read, but there’s also so much beauty in this survival story of a woman who has all of her rights stripped away by a totalitarian, patriarchal regime. A true classic that every American ought to read. - Jess

A nostalgic piece recalling first love and the obsession that ensues, this novel is narrated by an adolescent boy living in the Italian countryside in the 1980s who develops a passionate infatuation with a summer guest. Aciman's prose detailing the confusion and lust that consumes Elio is both captivating and sincere. A coming-of-age story that reminds us of the profundity of desire. - Natalie O.

As someone who also gets hurt a lot, wears a lot of purple, and struggles with depression, I relate to Clint Barton very strongly. He's a regular guy (as regular as an ex-circus performer and Avenger can be) who gets thrown into really ridiculous situations. His hare-brained solutions will keep you hooked from page one. - J Gallo