Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan

Set in an alternative 1980s London in which extremely humanlike robots are available for purchase, this is the tale of Charlie, his love interest Miranda, and his robot-slash-friend Adam. As usual, McEwan’s writing is fantastic—smart, wry, and filled with a creeping menace that keeps you turning the pages in a rush. He tells the story with so many observant and insightful details, his “alternative” world feels like real life—and might actually be real life in the not-very-distant future. The book’s blend of the fantastical, the real, and the just plain weird is perfect for hardcore sci-fi fans as well as readers of literary fiction. - Rico