“Almost Famous Women”
by Megan Mayhew Bergman
Mayhew Bergman’s second fantastic collection of stories revolves around lesser-known historical women, including Edna St. Vincent Millay’s sister, Oscar Wilde’s niece, and Lord Byron’s illegitimate daughter. Mayhew Bergman takes women whose voices were lost under the roar of their famous relations and gives them a chance to shine for a fierce, hot moment. Also check out her stellar first collection, “Birds of Paradise.”
“The Rabbit Back Literature Society”
by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen
In the little town of Rabbit Back, literature teacher Ella is chosen by children’s author Laura White to become the 10th member of a very exclusive — you guessed it — literature society. But Ella quickly learns that this society comes along with a lot of secrets. Mysterious rituals, a disappearance at a gathering — what has Ella gotten herself into? This darkly funny literary fairy tale is awesome with a capital “FUN.” For fans of “Twin Peaks” and “The Secret History.”
“Sweetland”
by Michael Crummey
It’s only January, but I have a feeling this will be my favorite book of the year. Moses Sweetland is a stubborn old man who recently made himself very unpopular with his neighbors. He lives on an island (also called Sweetland) that the government is trying to buy, but in order for everyone to get the money, everyone must sign the agreement. And Sweetland won’t sell. He’d rather live out his days in his childhood home, fending off change with the ghosts of his past. A powerful novel about the desire to stay where you started.
“The Jaguar’s Children”
by John Vaillant
Héctor is trapped in the back of a truck, with no food, water, or air, abandoned by the coyotes hired to get him across the border into the United States. As time runs out, Héctor explains how he came to be in this horrible situation, and also recounts the story of his grandfather and the jaguar. Will Héctor be found before it’s too late, or will this story be the last he tells? Vaillant, who wrote the fantastic nonfiction book “The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival,” weaves an incredible, intense story about family, storytelling, and survival.
“The Girl on the Train”
by Paula Hawkins
Finally, a book billed as the new “Gone Girl” that actually deserves the title. Rachel is down on her luck: she’s had a bad break-up with her boyfriend, she has started drinking way too much, and things aren’t going well at her job. The only peace she gets is riding the train to and from work, where every day she passes the home of a couple she has named “Jason and Jess.” Rachel imagines they have the perfect life, until one day when the train is passing by, she notices something unusual, and later, “Jess” turns up all over the news. This is a great debut thriller with taut writing and intense twists.