Summer 2019 Recommended Reading: Fiction

Updated May 10, 2024
M
Milton Academy/Cox Library
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American gods : a novel
Gaiman, Neil,
Paper Book
Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming -- a battle for the very soul of America . . . and they are in its...

Fantasy

An American marriage
Jones, Tayari,
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES AND WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK A 2018 BEST OF THE YEAR SELECTION OF NPR  * TIME  * BUSTLE  * O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE  * THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS  * AMAZON.COM
Women's Prize for Fiction, 2019
The Amityville horror
Anson, Jay,
Paper Book
"A fascinating and frightening book" (Los Angeles Times)--the bestselling true story about a house possessed by evil spirits, haunted by psychic phenomena almost too terrible to describe. In December 1975, the Lutz family moved into their new home on suburban Long Island....

Mystery

And then there were none
Christie, Agatha,
Paper Book
"If you're one of the few who haven't experienced the genius of Agatha Christie, this novel is a stellar starting point." -- DAVID BALDACCI, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author An exclusive authorized edition of the most famous and beloved stories from the Queen of Mystery. ...

Mystery

Apeirogon : a novel
McCann, Colum,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "A quite extraordinary novel. Colum McCann has found the form and voice to tell the most complex of stories, with an unexpected friendship between two men at its powerfully beating heart."--Kamila Shamsie, author of Home Fire  
The bell jar
Plath, Sylvia.
Paper Book
One of The Atlantic's Great American Novels A realistic and emotional novel about a woman battling mental illness and societal pressures written by the iconic American writer Sylvia Plath. "It is this perfectly wrought prose and the freshness of Plath's voice in The Bell Jar that...

Classics

Boxers
Yang, Gene Luen,
Paper Book
Gene Luen Yang writes, and sometimes draws, comic books and graphic novels. As the Library of Congress's fifth National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, he advocates for the importance of reading, especially reading diversely. His graphic novel American Born Chinese, a...

Graphic Novel

Boy Nobody
Zadoff, Allen,
Paper Book
They needed the perfect assassin. Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his...
Mystery
Boyfriend material
Hall, Alexis J.,
Paper Book
"It's a fun, frothy quintessentially British romcom about a certified chaos demon and a stern brunch daddy with a heart of gold faking a relationship."-New York Times bestselling author Talia Hibbert Named a best book of the year by Oprah Magazine,...

Romance

Brown girl dreaming
Woodson, Jacqueline,
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller and National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson, the acclaimed author of Red at the Bone, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.   Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt...

Poetry

Cat's cradle
Vonnegut, Kurt,
Paper Book
"A free-wheeling vehicle . . . an unforgettable ride!"--The New York Times Cat's Cradle is Kurt Vonnegut's satirical commentary on modern man and his madness. An apocalyptic tale of this planet's ultimate fate, it features a midget as the protagonist, a...
Weird Worlds
Code name Verity
Wein, Elizabeth,
Paper Book
Don't miss Elizabeth Wein's stunning new novel, Stateless! The beloved #1 New York Times bestseller, a "fiendishly plotted" (New York Times) "heart-in-your mouth adventure" (Washington Post) that...

Historical Fiction

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time : a novel
Haddon, Mark,
Paper Book
Narrated by a 15-year-old autistic savant obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, this dazzling novel weaves together an old-fashioned mystery, a contemporary coming-of-age story, and a fascinating excursion into a mind incapable of processing emotions.

Mystery

Damsel
Arnold, Elana K.,
Paper Book
*A 2019 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book* A dark, twisted, unforgettable fairy tale from Elana K. Arnold, author of the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: When the king dies, his son the prince...

Printz Honor, 2019

The electric kingdom
Arnold, David,
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller David Arnold's most ambitious novel to date; Station Eleven meets The 5th Wave in a genre-smashing story of survival, hope, and love amid a ravaged earth. When a deadly Fly Flu sweeps the globe, it leaves a shell of the world that...

Science Fiction

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry
Goffney, Joya.
Paper Book
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by debut author Joya Goffney is a story of an overly enthusiastic list maker who is blackmailed into completing a to-do list of all her worst fears. It's a heartfelt, tortured, contemporary YA high school romance. Fans of Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before...

Romance

Gone girl : A novel
Flynn, Gillian,
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The "mercilessly entertaining" (Vanity Fair) instant classic "about the nature of identity and the terrible secrets that can survive and thrive in even the most intimate relationships" (Lev Grossman, Time "One of the Best Books of the...
Mystery
Graceling
Cashore, Kristin,
Paper Book
Discover the Graceling Realm in this unforgettable, award-winning novel from bestselling author Kristin Cashore. A New York Times bestseller * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature Winner * Publishers Weekly, School Library...

Fantasy

The handmaid's tale
Atwood, Margaret,
Paper Book
One of the most powerful and most widely read novels of our time: A gripping vision of our society radically overturned by a theocratic revolution--from "the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction" (The New York Times). * Now an award-winning Hulu series starring Elizabeth...

Weird Worlds

Hawkeye.
Fraction, Matt,
Paper Book
The breakout star of this summer's blockbuster Avengers film, Clint Barton - a.k.a. the self-made hero Hawkeye - fights for justice...and good rooftop BBQs! And with ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he's out to get some downtime from being one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Then, the action...
Superhero
Hell of a book : or the altogether factual, Wholly Bona Fide story of a big dreams, hard luck, American-Made Mad Kid
Mott, Jason,
Paper Book
***2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER*** ***THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER*** Winner of the 2021 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction, Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize Finalist, 2022 Chautauqua Prize Finalist, Willie Morris Award for Southern Writing Shortlist, 2021 Aspen...
The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
Adams, Douglas,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "Extremely funny . . . inspired lunacy . . . [and] over much too soon."--The Washington Post Book World SOON TO BE A HULU SERIES * Now celebrating the pivotal 42nd anniversary of the original radio show on which the...

Science Fiction

Hot British boyfriend
Boyce, Kristy,
Paper Book
This enchanting debut teen romance novel, which follows one girl across the Atlantic in a quest to find adventure, love (preferably with a guy with a cute accent), and maybe even herself, is perfect for fans of Kasie West and Stephanie Perkins. After a horrifying public...

Romance

I, Claudia
McCoy, Mary,
Paper Book
A 2019 Michael L. Printz Honor Book Disaffected teen historian Claudia McCarthy never expected to be in charge of Imperial Day Academy, but by accident, design, or scheme, she is pulled into the tumultuous and high-profile world of the Senate and Honor Council. Suddenly...

Printz Honor, 2019

If the shoe fits
Murphy, Julie,
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy comes the first in a brand-new adult series inspired by the classic fairy tale stories we all know and love, perfect for adult readers who crave contemporary, escapist rom-coms. If the shoe doesn't fit, maybe it's...

Romance

In the time of the butterflies
Alvarez, Julia,
Paper Book
On a deserted mountain road in the Dominican Republic in 1960, three young women from a pious Catholic family were assassinated after visiting their husbands who had been jailed as suspected rebel leaders. The Mirabal sisters, thus martyred, became mythical figures in their country, where they are...

Historical Fiction

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Clarke, Susanna,
Paper Book
In the Hugo-award winning, epic New York Times Bestseller and basis for the BBC miniseries, two men change England's history when they bring magic back into the world. In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared...

Fantasy

Kindred
Butler, Octavia E.,
Paper Book
Selected by The Atlantic as one of THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVELS.  ("You have to read them.") From the New York Times bestselling author of Parable of the Sower and MacArthur "Genius" Grant, Nebula, and Hugo award winner The visionary time-travel classic...

Weird Worlds

Last day on Mars
Emerson, Kevin,
Paper Book
"Last Day on Mars is thrillingly ambitious and imaginative. Like a lovechild of Gravity and The Martian, it's a rousing space opera for any age, meticulously researched and relentlessly paced, that balances action, science, humor, and most importantly, two compelling main...

Science Fiction

The left hand of darkness
Le Guin, Ursula K.,
Paper Book
50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION--WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY DAVID MITCHELL AND A NEW AFTERWORD BY CHARLIE JANE ANDERS Ursula K. Le Guin's groundbreaking work of science fiction--winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards. A lone human ambassador is sent to the icebound planet of...

Science Fiction

Love is a revolution
Watson, Renée,
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Renée Watson comes a love story about love-not only in a romantic relationship but also in how a girl finds herself and falls in love with who she really is. When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an...
Romance
The magicians : a novel
Grossman, Lev,
Paper Book
Lev Grossman's new novel THE BRIGHT SWORD will be on sale July 2024 The New York Times bestselling novel about a young man practicing magic in the real world, now an original series on SYFY "The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to...

Fantasy

Monster
Myers, Walter Dean,
Paper Book
This New York Times bestselling novel from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision...

Mystery

Ms. Marvel.
Wilson, G. Willow,
Paper Book
When the world is about to end, do you still keep fighting? From the moment, Kamala put on her costume, she's been challenged, but nothing has prepared her for this: the Last Days of the Marvel Universe. Fists up, let's do this, Jersey City. Plus a very special guest appearance fans have been...

Superhero

The nightingale
Hannah, Kristin,
Paper Book
A #1 New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and soon to be a major motion picture, this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation. France, 1939 - In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne...

Historical Fiction

Northanger Abbey.
Austen, Jane,
Paper Book
Jane Austen takes a satirical swipe at the gothic novel in this classic book bursting with sly subversive wit. 'Jane Austen is a genius, and Northanger Abbey is hugely underrated' Martin Amis Catherine Morland is a young girl with a very active imagination....
Classics
A PHO love story
Le, Loan,
Paper Book
"Will leave readers swooning." --PopSugar ​When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their...

Romance

The poet X
Acevedo, Elizabeth,
Paper Book
Winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award! Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing New York Times-bestselling novel-in-verse by an award...
Printz Award, 2019
Project Hail Mary : a novel
Weir, Andy,
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING RYAN GOSLING AND DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER LORD AND PHIL MILLER From the author of The Martian, a lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this "propulsive" (Entertainment...

Science Fiction

The promise
Galgut, Damon,
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE On her deathbed, Rachel Swart makes a promise to Salome, the family's Black maid. This promise will divide the family--especially her children: Anton, the golden boy; Astrid, whose beauty is her power; and the youngest,...
Rebecca
Du Maurier, Daphne,
Paper Book
A true classic of suspense in a beautiful new package for a whole new generation of readers.

Thriller

The Sandman.
Gaiman, Neil,
Paper Book
#1NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLER Winner of the 2016Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story Twenty-five years since The Sandman first changed the landscape of modern comics, Neil Gaiman's legendary series is back in a deluxe edition! The...
Graphic Novel
Sea of Tranquility
Mandel, Emily St. John,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The award-winning, best-selling author of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel returns with a novel of art, time travel, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon five hundred years...
Smile
Telgemeier, Raina.
Paper Book
Raina Telgemeier's #1 New York Times bestselling, Eisner Award-winning graphic memoir based on her childhood!Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey...

Graphic Novel

Street love
Myers, Walter Dean,
Paper Book
This story told in free verse is set against a background of street gangs and poverty in Harlem in which seventeen-year-old African American Damien takes a bold step to ensure that he and his new love will not be separated.
Swan : poems and prose poems
Oliver, Mary,
Paper Book
"Joy is not made to be a crumb," writes Mary Oliver, and certainly joy abounds in her new book of poetry and prose poems. Swan, her twentieth volume, shows us that, though we may be "made out of the dust of stars," we are of the world she captures here so vividly: the acorn that hides...

Poetry

The testaments
Atwood, Margaret,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER * WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE * The Testaments is a modern masterpiece, a powerful novel that can be read on its own or as a companion to Margaret Atwood's classic, The Handmaid's Tale. More than fifteen years after the events of...
Man Booker Prize, 2019
The time traveler's wife
Niffenegger, Audrey,
Paper Book
A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair...

Weird Worlds

Tokyo ever after
Jean, Emiko,
Paper Book
Emiko Jean's New York Times bestseller and Reese Book Club Pick Tokyo Ever After is the "refreshing, spot-on" (Booklist, starred review) story of an ordinary Japanese American girl who discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan! Izumi Tanaka...

Romance

Unaccustomed earth
Lahiri, Jhumpa,
Paper Book
From the internationally bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author comes eight dazzling stories--longer and more emotionally complex than any she has yet written--that take readers from Cambridge and Seattle to India and Thailand as they explore the secrets at the heart of family life.
Short Stories
Utopia Avenue : a novel
Mitchell, David
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The long-awaited new novel from the bestselling, prize-winning author of Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks. New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice * "Mitchell's rich imaginative stews bubble with history...
The vanishing half
Bennett, Brit,
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2020 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES * THE WASHINGTON POST * NPR * PEOPLE * TIME MAGAZINE * VANITY FAIR * GLAMOUR New York Times<...
We have always lived in the castle
Jackson, Shirley,
Paper Book
Shirley Jackson's beloved gothic tale of a peculiar girl named Merricat and her family's dark secret Taking readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly...

Mystery

Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West : a novel
Maguire, Gregory,
Paper Book
When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch Where did she come from How did she become so wicked Gregory Maguire has created a fantasy...
Wolf Hall : a novel
Mantel, Hilary,
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR FICTION In inimitable style, Hilary Mantel's New York Times bestselling Wolf Hall is "a darkly brilliant reimagining of life under Henry VIII. . . ....

Historical Fiction


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