TW Best Fiction Books — Spring 2018
New Releases Jan-Apr 2018 personally read by yours truly.
There are many “Best” book lists compiled and curated by editorial teams around the globe. But, what makes ours different is that I have personally read every book here, a herculean effort requiring intense concentration at a pace of a book a night for three consecutive months. How (and why) did I accomplish this? The short answer is Volumetric Reading, which entails reading for four uninterrupted hours between 9pm-1am after my kids go to bed. I do this because I’m tired of recycled curation — bloggers re-curating other curated lists. I also do it to save you from reading a dud. For every book recommended, there were at least three hurled against a wall in frustration. That stack below only yielded four finalists.
I push myself to absorb an incredible amount of literature like the boa digesting an elephant in Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince. I binged like a maniac to create The What’s Best Fiction Books For Spring. Now I will go into hibernation until June before compiling TW’s Fall List. Similar to what appears on our weekly What List, my literary tastes run eclectic from Adiche to Atwood, Egan to Eggers, Franzen to Faulkner, Morrison to Murakami, and Vida to Vonnegut to name a few. I also want to mention that at the wise urging of my civic-minded friend Adam Moore I purchased every book at Book Passage, my local bookstore because it's vital we support independent book stores--the true havens of community and connection. I hope you enjoy reading these selections as much as I did. You can do us a solid by sharing this post far and wide.
Note: This literary feature is supported by the publishers of the very excellent non-fiction book The Myth of The Nice Girl by Fran Hauser but our picks, as always, are 100% tried-and-true editorial.
#1
by Tayari Jones
. Literary snobs ignore the Oprah’s Book Club seal. Tayari Jones is a stunning writer with a unique voice — a Toni Morrison of the 21st Century with a tale that sets the stage for the Black Lives Matter movement.
#2
by Meg Wolitzer
. Feminism, friendship, mentorship, fangirls, and the messy threads of ambition, betrayal, insecurity, and love that knits it all together. An absolutely fantastic read as was her other best seller,
.
#3
by Kristin Hannah.
A coming of age tale of a teen girl who has so much more going for her than her frustratingly flaky parents. Set in the hard scrabble of the Alaskan Wilderness. This book has wide appeal and is a mind vacation that you won’t want to leave. Written by the bestselling author of
, another beloved book. Totally absorbing.
#4
Winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize, Less tells the story of Arthur Less a gay writer going through midlife and pondering his past. Some friends abandoned the book after the first 25 pages but please stay the course. Greer is a beautiful writer with Nabokovian playfulness and command of language. A wonderful journey.
#5
by Matt Haig
. If you enjoy time travel novels or vampire tales that span centuries — you will love this delightful read, which raises a prevalent question we are facing today. If our lifespans become significantly increased how will we make meaning of our lives? It's also being made into a movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch, which is perfect casting. This is a great book to take on a trip.
#6
by Tom Rachman
. Set in Rome, London, and New York from the 1950s to present day the book paints the portrait of a meek boy as he makes his fumbling journey towards middles age, all the while eagerly living in the shadow of his famous father, a cavalier painter with Picasso-fame who selfishly bulldozes his way through life. This richly textured novel probes age-old questions about the meaning and value of art, what it means to be an artist, and the provenance of work.
#7
Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee
is a well wrought, heartbreaking tale of the plight of two sisters one of whom is flamboyant and charismatic but mentally ill, the other reliable and a little drab. It’s a poignant example of how a relentlessly dependent sibling can shape everything and everyone around them much in the way crashing waves can hollow out solid rocks and cliffs on the shore.
#8
The Last Equation of Isaac Severy
by Nova Jacobs
. A mysterious death, a family of famous mathematicians, and a quirky young woman who tries to solve the puzzle of her adopted grandfather’s dying wish. A clever, fun read by a brilliant first-time novelist.
#9
by Chloe Benjamin
. Set in the Lower East Side on Hester Street, a neighborhood where Jewish culture and religion thrived since the turn of the century,
follows the trail of four very different siblings in the 70s onward whose lives take different turns after each child receives dubious news from a fortune teller.
#10
Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala
. The heartbreaking coming of age of a handsome, athletic high school student coming to grips with his sexuality and place in the world while growing up in a tony suburb of Washington, DC with traditional African parents. Iweala brilliantly condenses so much in a slender book.
Gina Pell is the Content Chief and resident binge reader at The What, a clever list for curious people. If you like our picks, you’ll love The What List. Get The What in your inbox.
