If you’re anything like us, you’re firmly in denial about the end of the weekend. Put off the inevitable and hunker down with one of these absorbing novels that we haven’t been able to stop thinking about.
STARTUP BY DOREE SHAFRIR
Shafrir’s novel is a sharply observant, funny read about life in the tech scene in Silicon Alley. If you’ve spend any time working at a startup, you’ll love the tech speak and recognize the relentless chase for clicks, users and venture money. The plot is a bit light on substance, though, which makes Startup a breezy, fun read with the staying power of a social media post.
THE STARS ARE FIRE BY ANITA SHREVE
Anita Shreve does it again in The Stars Are Fire, a satisfying read about a woman in Maine trying to support her family after her husband disappears in a massive fire. Shreve is a master storyteller, and The Stars Are Fire unspools beautifully as Grace slowly earns her independence, only to see it threatened when circumstances suddenly change. This one is hard to put down.
OUR SHORT HISTORY BY LAUREN GRODSTEIN
Our Short History by Lauren Grodstein takes on the imaginable: a single mother facing a terminal illness and the prospect of leaving her young son behind. Karen does her best to prepare her son – and herself – for her inevitable death, while navigating fraught waters when her son’s father re-enters her life after 9 years. Grodstein’s book, while sad, is also funny and deeply honest.
THE ARRANGEMENT BY SARAH DUNN
In Sarah Dunn’s capable hands a ho-hum suburban marriage deftly explores what happens when the couple decides to open it up to a third party for six months. The Arrangement is smart, funny and well-written—with familiar relationships and textured characters. A perfect summer read for fans of books about marriage and relationships.
PERFECT LITTLE WORLD BY KEVIN WILSON
Perfect Little World by Kevin Wilson is about the Infinite Family Project, a community of parents who have decided to raise their children together in a group setting run by a researcher and funded by an eccentric billionaire. Wilson explores the complications of such an arrangement, as its inhabitants make some bad decisions but ultimately try to make it work as a family. Perfect Little World is a thoughtful, well-written novel.
