Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
After the accidental death of best-selling author and college friend Athena Liu, struggling novelist June Hayward steals her unpublished manuscript to pass off as her own under a racially ambiguous pen name. After rave reviews and rapid success, June is haunted by what she has done and struggles with the moral dilemma of leaning into her rising fame. How far is she willing to go to keep the charade alive? This satire comments on systemic racial discrimination in the publishing industry and proves to be a thought provoking read.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
In this atmospheric novel, dying writer Vida Winter propositions young bookseller Margaret Lea to write her biography and finally reveal a lifetime full of secrets. Upon hearing sundry outlandish stories about her life, Margaret ventures out into Yorkshire to verify Vida’s claims. As she finds herself in a web of both heartache and romance, she speculates as to why she was chosen to write Vida’s tale. For fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo that enjoy a darker ambiance.
10:04 by Ben Lerner
Set in New York City, the 33-year-old unnamed narrator explores his prospects as he receives a potentially fatal medical diagnosis amid the writing of his second autobiography. While he contemplates life as he knows it, he consents to help a friend conceive a child by being a sperm donor for her. Straight from the NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, be sure to pick up this captivating tale.
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
After meeting through mutual friends in 1920s Chicago, young Hadley Richardson marries the beautiful and brash Ernest Hemmingway. They make for Paris and soon Hemmingway is rising in popularity. With the rising fame, Hadley soon realizes Hemmingway’s troubled relationship with vice. A great read for anyone who enjoys the complex-woman-behind-the-legendary-man genre.