11 Fiction Books Our Editors Can't Put Down

"This book took my breath away — it’s so exhilarating. Its multiperspective narrative see-saws back and forth in time and intersects in multiple unexpected places. It centers largely around one particular character’s comeback in the music industry but can also be seen as a redemption tale for many of the central characters. Each chapter within the book could stand alone as its own compelling short story. This book won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction in 2011, and it’s simply a masterpiece to me." — Melanie Yates, senior home decor editor

"This book isn’t new, but I discovered it a couple years ago and am so happy I did. A former coworker who now works in book publishing gave it five stars, so I knew that it must be good. The story is so simple, yet so beautiful. It’s about a couple just going through their life together and falling in love. Every part of the story felt real and relatable, and I found myself getting really emotional multiple times while reading. It’s a book you’re going to want to fly through, but my advice is to slow down and cherish each page, because you’re going to want more when it’s over." — Erica Murphy, associate director, SEO

"I love a good thriller, and when this book started out with a chilling murder, I was really excited to keep reading. As I did, I learned that it was more of a moving coming-of-age story than a suspenseful thriller — but I wasn't at all disappointed. It's a multidimensional story that combines romance and mystery into an emotional tale that comes to life with the author's illustrative writing style." — Zarah Kavarana, contributing editor

"The first of two books in Christopher Rice's The Burning Girl series (the second, Blood Echo is also a must-read!), Bone Music combines the suspense of a thriller with the fantasy of a science fiction novel — all packaged in a gripping tale that'll make you want to keep turning pages. 

"There's nothing I hate more than a predictable storyline, so I particularly love that the premise of this book isn't straightforward. You expect the plot to navigate one way, but it changes gradually and deliberately as you keep reading, so you're completely oblivious to the fact that the author has shifted your attention to a different issue by the end of the book." — Zarah Kavarana, contributing editor

"This book blew me away from start to finish. I loved it because it is a familiar story with unfamiliar details. The main characters have to face an unjust justice system, a path to success that is created for them to fail, societal pressures and expectations, classism; all with race sewing each piece of the story together. 

"I think readers will love this book because you think you know what the characters are going to do, what choices they should make — but, at the end of the story, you see that the author created these very real and believable characters that choose a path that is totally unexpected but completely satisfying." — Latifah Miles, parenting contributor 

"I kept hearing about how amazing this book is and finally got around to reading it. Even though it’s in the teen/young adult category, it’s a page-tuner that I loved from start to finish. It’s West African fantasy filled with adventure and heart." — Brian Murray Jr., lifestyle editor  

"This was the first Fredrik Backman novel I read and it certainly won't be the last! While I'm an avid reader, I'll be the first to admit if an author's writing style or the main character doesn't draw me in within the first or second chapter, I heartlessly abandon the book. So trust me when I say you'll be hooked in the first paragraph by Ove, the cranky main character and all his hilarious specificities. Think your grumpy grandfather or your irritable next-door neighbor, and then imagine you can see inside their head and peel back the layers to their memories and resulting personality. I won't give anything away, but as you can imagine he slowly bonds with first his neighbors, then a stray cat, and the rest is history. It's not a grand epic, but it's not meant to be. 

"This slice-of-life story will make you laugh out loud (embarrassing) and cry in public (embarrassing), and it will stay with you long after it's over. I recommend it to friends and family of all reading tastes because it's a simple and beautiful story everyone can take something different away from."  — Kayla Ramsey, photo editor & designer

"If you’re in the mood for a super-haunting satire, check out The Answers. The protagonist, Mary Parsons, is trapped in a dead-end, low-paying job and also suffering from mysterious, painful symptoms. She begins seeking metaphysical treatment from a healer named Ed, and although his treatments are the only thing that seem to quell her pain, they also cost an exorbitant amount of money. 

To help pay for these healing sessions, Mary signs on as part of an experimental project called 'The Girlfriend Experience' and takes on the role of 'Emotional Girlfriend' to an eccentric actor who is studying what happens when the role of a singular girlfriend is divided up among multiple women." — Melanie Yates, senior home decor editor

"I love this book because the author, Chimamandah Ngozi Adichie, uses her own experience as an immigrant to America to create a beautiful tale of a young woman navigating the world of being African in America and what that means. The main character faces issues with the love of her life, being a lonely immigrant trying to survive, trying to make an interracial relationship work beyond the hurdles, understanding that, while she is African, she is seen as a black woman in America and her culture will divide into these much more complicated and nuanced categories. 

"People will love it because there is something for everyone to learn and gain insight on and who doesn’t enjoy a rollercoaster love story with a surprising ending?" — Latifah Miles, parenting contributor 

"Murakami is one of those authors that sounds a tad pretentious to say you love but … have you read any Murakami, man? The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is intimidatingly long in that thin-page-small-font paperback way some books are, but once you start you’ll savor each page. I’m not a science fiction fan normally, but this story mixes a hazy dreamlike fantasy world with a man’s real life search for his disappeared wife. And once you’re done, check out Norwegian Wood for even. more. Murakami!" — Bridget Clegg, art production manager

'The first time I read Hanya Yanagihara’s masterpiece, the story stuck with me for well over a month after I finished. The 832-page book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster  through the lives of four friends, Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcolm. With intense subject matter at times, this book is definitely not for everyone. 

"If the length is a little daunting, I highly recommend the audiobook. Oliver Wyman’s performance is incredible and will give you a whole new connection to the book.' — Brian Murray Jr., lifestyle editor