Bond’s gut-punch of a debut centers on Hope House, a Kentucky group home for a motley crew of boys who, in the 1980s, don’t have much of a future ahead of them—most likely prison, living on the streets, or worse. Narrated by a group home member nicknamed AWOL because he runs away so much, the story ... Continue reading »

A woman reflects on the suspicious death of her boarding school classmate in Raphael’s riveting debut. In chapters titled “Before,” 15-year-old Lenny Winter describes her childhood on a houseboat in Port Angeles, Wash., with her mother and stepfather. After her mother’s untimely death, Lenny is acce... Continue reading »

Viel (Listen To Your Sister) skewers the racist stereotype of the “welfare queen” in this delightfully gruesome, larvae-infested tale. In 1974, Lottie Turner makes her way in life through petty welfare fraud and kidnapping very young children on behalf of wealthy clients looking to adopt. H... Continue reading »

Center (The Love Haters) sets this beguiling contemporary aboard a weeklong cruise. Middle school math teacher JoJo Burton has left a string of broken hearts in her wake, most recently when she dumped her fiancé at the altar at the encouragement of her childhood best friend, Cooper Watts. J... Continue reading »

Nothing comes easy for the denizens of Hamilton, Ontario, in these wry, bruising, and mordantly funny stories from Ollmann (Fictional Father). In “Nestled All Snug,” a toppled pile of boxes traps a bookstore employee in a dingy staff bathroom. In “Meat,” a security guard at a meat-packing f... Continue reading »

In her prismatic fourth collection, novelist, memoirist, and poet Alvarez (The Woman I Kept to Myself) spins richly detailed micro-narratives of her childhood in the Dominican Republic in the 1950s, her young adulthood in New York City, and beyond. Vivid scenes include reciting poems for he... Continue reading »

In this tour de force from Brotherton (A Bright and Blinding Sun) and Lee (A Single Light), four friends’ lives change irrevocably when America becomes embroiled in WWII. In 1930s Mobile, Ala., preacher’s son Jimmy Propfield shares an idyllic upbringing with childhood sweetheart Cl... Continue reading »

The emergence of nouvelle cuisine in 1970s France heralded not only a shift in taste but also the rise of the celebrity chef and of cooking as a competitive cultural sport, according to this immersive account from food writer Barr (Ritz and Escoffier). Spurred by the creative freedom of New... Continue reading »

“I discovered food as a bridge to hope,” writes chef Fowles, three-time Chopped champion, in his bold and flavorful debut. In more than 100 recipes, the Kingston native pays homage to his island roots, drawing particular inspiration from his grandmother’s kitchen. The vibrant flavors of Jam... Continue reading »

This sprawling, immersive account from historian Pearsall (Atlantic Families) explores “the effect of the world on the American Revolution” rather than the “too often” emphasized opposite. The book opens with a reflection on colonial militiamen’s powder horns, which were typically carved wi... Continue reading »

A blended family grapples with shifting relationships throughout an expertly crafted and emotionally perceptive graphic novel by Smith (Sea Legs). Kenzie, an avid rock collector with a prominent facial birthmark, and Quinn, a quick-tempered redhead whose favorite pastime is texting her crus... Continue reading »