Fall 2023 Picks for Adults

69 Books Found

  • All the Single Ladies

     This thoughtful and comprehensive book traces the history of single women, their impact on the nation, and the joys and difficulties of being single. For those looking for an informative and engaging look at modern society. - Elizabeth Graham, Epiphany

    Cover of All the Single Ladies
  • Big Swiss

    An unexpected queer page-turner in which a sex therapist's transcriptionist falls in love with a patient while living with a weed dealer in a 300-year old house full of bees. For fans of Milk Fed by Melissa Broder and My Education by Susan Choi. — Hal Shrieve, 53rd Street

    Cover of Big Swiss
  • Bonaventure

    This collection may serve the reader as a sort of “mysticism 101,” its major concern being the soul’s preparation for union with God. Bonaventure's thesis that through contemplating God through His Image we enter into our very selves would have a tremendous influence on the poet Dante, as well as other theologians which would follow him. - Andrew Fairweather, Seward Park

    Cover of Bonaventure
  • The Book of the Unnamed Midwife

    A plague decimates humanity, and the survivors are mostly men. A lone doctor walks the earth, trying to bring aid and comfort to the few women left. For those who like The Handmaid's Tale, Children of Men and 28 Days Later. Gripping and disturbing. — Isaiah Pittman, Inwood

    Cover of The Book of the Unnamed Midwife
  • Broadway Butterfly

    Power, greed, corruption...and murder. Read about the crime that gripped New York City in the 1920s and how justice can be difficult and elusive in the city's most mesmerizing case. Perfect for readers who enjoy Marie Benedict and Kate Quinn. - Tabrizia Jones, Pelham Parkway-Van Nest

    Cover of Broadway Butterfly
  • Burn the Negative

    For fans of the Supernatural and Horror. The scariest movie ever made, The Guest House, has a deadly curse - its stars have all died except for child actor Laura.  Now the movie is being remade into a series and the killings continue.  Some projects are better left dead. - Thaddeus Krupo, Sedgwick

    Cover of Burn the Negative
  • Chronicle of a Death Foretold

    In Colombia a young man of Arab descent is murdered because of a false accusation.The whole town is shocked by this crime. This short but deep novel makes you think about collective guilt, accountability and the vulnerability or victimization of ”the other”. - Wilsa Rhuma, SNFL

    Cover of Chronicle of a Death Foretold
  • The Covenant of Water

    Lyrical, expansive, and immersive, this book pulls you into its universe right from the beginning. If you like sweeping family sagas and historical novels, you will treasure journeying into the world that Abraham Verghese brings to life. - Asha Unni, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

    Cover of The Covenant of Water
  • Cursed Bunny

    Newly translated from Korean, these dreamlike stories are a fantastic blend of horror, science fiction, and folklore - with many of them focusing on bodily autonomy. For fans of Carmen Maria Machado and Franz Kafka. - Rachel Kahn, Seward Park

    Cover of Cursed Bunny
  • The Deep Sky

    An absolutely stunning novel with lush prose, a gripping mystery, and a diverse cast of characters. This book is perfect for fans of The Sparrow, and other science fiction with a potent emotional core. — Rae Shevchuk-Hill, Staten Island Bookmobile

    Cover of The Deep Sky
  • Diana: My Graphic Obsession

    A critical glimpse at the exploitation of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her life story. A great non-fiction graphic novel for those who enjoy deep dives into setting the record straight for maligned women of the past. - Rachel Crook, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

    Cover of Diana: My Graphic Obsession
  • Did you hear about Kitty Karr?

    Kitty Karr is a woman who held power in front of and behind the camera of 1950s Hollywood.  A power that enabled her to help others within the community she came from, but if found out , would cause her to lose everything. Similar to “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid  and “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett - Evelyn Williams, Fort Washington

    Cover of Did you hear about Kitty Karr?
  • Distant Star

    A stinging indictment of Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship that took over Chile in 1973, Bolaño’s story is a crucial warning about the cozy relationship between art, spectacle, and authoritarianism. - Julian Rivas, Sedgwick Library

    Cover of Distant Star
  • DOOM Guy: Life in First Person

    John Romero is a legend in the gaming world, and this book is his story. Gamers and even nongamers will appreciate his professional account of his experiences in the industry. For those who are gamers or developers, this is a must-read. — Nicole Celic, Kingsbridge

    Cover of DOOM Guy: Life in First Person
  • Drowning Practice

    A haunting take on the pre-apocalypse genre, Drowning Practice follows Lyd and her young daughter Mott on a surreal road trip across the decaying country. Lyd, carefully hiding Mott from her mysterious father while Mott struggles to write the great American novel before the world ends. - Grace Yamada, Grand Concourse

    Cover of Drowning Practice
  • Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement

    Tracing the life and times of one of the most important activists of the 20th Century, Ransby’s biography of Ella Baker provides critical insight into the events that shaped the direction of the Civil Rights Movement. - Julian Rivas, Sedgwick Library

    Cover of Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement
  • Enchanted to Meet You

    Paranormal romance girlies, rejoice! Meg Cabot is back with a sweet and hilarious enemies-to-lovers story featuring an old curse, a newer curse, a snarky teenage Chosen One, and really awful hail. - Kate Fais, Bloomingdale

    Cover of Enchanted to Meet You
  • Enemies in Love

    The true story of two people who should've been enemies, but enter into a forbidden romance instead. A truly moving story of finding love and connection in a racist world. - Renee Scott, Washington Heights

    Cover of Enemies in Love
  • Fingersmith

    A Victorian tale of mystery and woe that is twists all the way down. Open it up and take the plunge! - Catherine Watson, Tottenville

    Cover of Fingersmith
  • Flipping Boxcars

    Cedric the Entertainer’s first novel about a con man named Babe who likes to take chances rolling the dice. When a scam that seems too good to be true, falls apart, he has to find something better and bigger to put his hopes in.  For fans of Colson Whitehead’s “ Harlem Shuffle”. - Evelyn Williams, Fort Washington

    Cover of Flipping Boxcars
  • Fugitive Telemetry

    The sixth book in The Murderbot Diaries and the hits keep coming! It is amazing that a rogue, security android who is disgusted by humans could be such an endearing protagonist. You don’t have to read all of the books in the series, but why wouldn’t you? - Geoffrey Renaud, City Island

     

    Cover of Fugitive Telemetry
  • Funny Feelings

    Up-and-coming comedian Farley swears that everything is platonic between her and her manager, former comedy star Meyer. However, when a new comedy tour requires the two to start fake dating for publicity, real feelings begin to bubble to the surface. A solid romance between two adults who, despite their witty bantering, only want the best for each other. - Vanessa Carrasco, 67th Street

    Cover of Funny Feelings
  • Gaudy Night

    Harriet Vane attends a reunion at her alma mater, the all-female Shrewsbury College, Oxford. The celebratory mood soon turns sour and Harriet must call in Wimsey to help her investigate. For fans of classic mysteries and dark academia. - Anne Rouyer, Mulberry Street

    Cover of Gaudy Night
  • The Gentle American

    The remarkable story of the US diplomat George Horton and the tumultuous Near East before, during and after the devastation of the cosmopolitan city of Smyrna in the 1920s, set against the backdrop of the crumbling Ottoman Empire.  - Aspasia Katerinis, Battery Park City

    Cover of The Gentle American
  • He Who Drowned the World

    Great for folks looking for an action-packed historical fantasy that features epic battles, endearing characters, and is a tremendous follow-up to Parker-Chan's debut. If you are looking for a grittier Mulan-inspired story, this is for you! - Urmi Rahman, Eastchester

    Cover of He Who Drowned the World
  • A Heart That Works

    Are grief memoirs supposed to be funny? Delaney's book chronicles the birth, illness, and death of his young son, Henry, with deep sadness, anger, tenderness, and, somehow, a sense of humor about it all. - Liz Baldwin, SNFL

    Cover of A Heart That Works
  • Hearthstone

    Set in Tudor England, Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer for the Inns of Court, is summoned by Queen Catharine Parr to help a ward of the Court and the "monstrous wrongs" done against them and that's just for starters! This is an immersive historical mystery that builds slowly and is full of suspense. - Anne Rouyer, Mulberry Street

    Cover of Hearthstone
  • Hello Beautiful

    This compelling story revolves around the lives of William Waters and the Padovano sisters. Written as a touching family saga, the chapters are dated and named after specific characters. This heartwarming novel will leave you wanting more when you reach the ending. - Florence Nicosia, Jerome Park

    Cover of Hello Beautiful
  • A House Between Earth and the Moon

    Hanging above an Earth ravaged by climate change, a galactic billionaire’s retreat gradually falls into chaos. An unsettlingly prescient vision of the world we might inhabit, this is a must-read for lovers of sci-fi and climate fiction. - Kristen Strmel, West New Brighton

    Cover of A House Between Earth and the Moon
  • The Housekeepers

    Downtown Abbey meets Ocean's 11 in this heist novel set in the heart of London's Mayfair neighborhood in 1905. The biggest party of the season is about to host the biggest heist of the new century!  - Anne Rouyer, Mulberry Street

    Cover of The Housekeepers
  • Ikigai: the Japanese secret to a long and happy life

    The book is about traditional Japanese wisdom and ways to lead a happy and fulfilled life. - Wilsa Rhuma, SNFL

    Cover of Ikigai: the Japanese secret to a long and happy life
  • In the Lives of Puppets

    The perfect combination of sci-fi and the classic story of Pinocchio that will have you laughing and crying and wishing you had a group of robot friends with you everywhere you go! - Urmi Rahman, Eastchester

    Cover of In the Lives of Puppets
  • Incomparable

    This inspiring tale of wrestling rockstar entrepreneurs will touch the hearts of many. Brie and Nikki are twins you want to hang out with (if Total Divas and their own show, Total Bellas didn't convince you enough.) — Nicole Celic, Kingsbridge

    Cover of Incomparable
  • Just as You Are

    This enemies-to-lovers retelling of Pride and Prejudice centers Liz, an employee at a failing online lesbian magazine and her new boss, the sexy, uptight Daria. For fans of One Last Stop and Read Between the Lines. - Reuben Gelley Newman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

    Cover of Just as You Are
  • Land of Milk and Honey

    M.F.K. Fisher meets…Jeff VanderMeer? High atop an unnamed Alp with the planet’s only breathable air, an aimless chef is hired to cook lavish meals for a mysterious cabal of plutocrats who've got a taste for weird meats—what could go wrong? - Aidan Flax-Clark, LIVE from NYPL

     

    Cover of Land of Milk and Honey
  • Land of the Dead

     Death is an uncomfortable and rather difficult subject for many, but this book has great illustrations and presents different stories of how death is represented in various literature tales and cultural references. This will please readers who like to read literary stories and its thematic relations.  - Linda Yau, SNFL

    Cover of Land of the Dead
  • The Last Miracle

    Recording his first Major League hit as a 17 year old (!!), Kranepool spent 18 years of his life suiting up for the New York Mets. An endearing memoir from a Flushing, Queens legend, one that fans of baseball, and New York as a whole, will enjoy. — Joe Pascullo, 53rd St

    Cover of The Last Miracle
  • Medusa's Sisters

    A vivid and moving reimagining of the Greek myth of Medusa and the sisters who loved her.  - Aspasia Katerinis, Battery Park City

    Cover of Medusa's Sisters
  • Mister Magic

    This book is masterfully compelling, and a plot-driven chiller with a phenomenal ensemble cast. Perfect for fans of Stephen King's It, and lost-media horror in the vein of SyFy's Channel Zero. — Rae Shevchuk-Hill, Staten Island Bookmobile

    Cover of Mister Magic
  • Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma

    Is it possible to separate the art from the artist? By looking at popular artists of the last century, Dederer tries to offer a third choice - one that acknowledges the importance of both arguments. Because, apparently, we are all monsters. - Geoffrey Renaud, City Island

    Cover of Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma
  • Monstrilio

    In this gothic literary horror, grief and sorrow quite literally take the form of something monstrous and terrifying, yet oddly tender. Both a modern spin on cautionary tales of folklore and a poetic exploration of very human characters. - Joey Leyko Picciotto, Stapleton Library

    Cover of Monstrilio
  • My Dirty Duke

    Violet knows that her father's best friend, the Duke of Ravensthorpe, is the most powerful man in London with a reputation for sin. But nothing can stop Violet from wanting to shed her wallflower ways and fulfill her darkest, most forbidden desires... - Aspasia Katerinis, Battery Park City

    Cover of My Dirty Duke
  • My Happy Marriage. 1

    Miyo is the cast aside daughter in a middle-class family. She ends up engaged to Kiyoka, a man seeking a bride. This is a Cinderella-type story set in an alternate historical Japan. This will appeal to readers who wish to see happy endings for characters that have faced challenges. Readers of the manga Emma, and Snow White with Red Hair may enjoy this title. - Linda Yau, SNFL

    Cover of My Happy Marriage. 1
  • O, Caledonia!

    Many works have been compared to that of Shirley Jackson, this might be the only one that really lives up to the comparison. Barker, like Jackson, has compassion for her misfit characters without protecting them from the tragedies of existing in an unkind world. Not since Stafford's Molly Fawcett has a child's interiority been written so credibly. - Olivia Ascione D'Elia, St. Agnes

    Cover of O, Caledonia!
  • Perfectly Nice Neighbors

    This twisty and socially relevant thriller asks readers a question: how far would you go to keep your family safe? You will rethink moving to the suburbs after picking this one up. For fans of Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty. - Tabrizia Jones, Pelham Parkway-Van Nest

    Cover of Perfectly Nice Neighbors
  • Rameau's nephew, and D'Alembert's dream

    The comic tedium of Diderot's 'Rameau's Nephew' exposes polite convention of pre-revolutionary France as nothing but empty, spiritless convention, an inverted world wherein the scoundrel is the only honest figure, and the philosopher, a fool. Sure to give the reader a laugh, though at risk of a headache. - Andrew Fairweather, Seward Park

    Cover of Rameau's nephew, and D'Alembert's dream
  • Schiller. Volume one, The robbers ; Passion and politics

    This duo of early plays by Schiller includes 'The Robbers,' one of his most beloved, in large part due to the figure of Karl Moor, a sentimental young man who follows the law of his heart only to realize the moral structure of the world depends on a form of Justice greater than his own whim. - Andrew Fairweather, Seward Park

     

    Cover of Schiller. Volume one, The robbers ; Passion and politics
  • Season of Skulls

    If you're a fan of Lovecratian-esque office politics, Regency romances, and heroines who save themselves, you will absolutely love this bananapants genre mash-up by Charles Stross. - Kate Fais, Bloomingdale

    Cover of Season of Skulls
  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

    A captivating story that recounts the life of a famous but reclusive bisexual actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and ends with a surprising twist. It's one of those compelling reads that will stay with you a long time afterwards. -  Florence Nicosia, Jerome Park

    Cover of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
  • A Shot in the Dark

    Elisheva Cohen returns to NYC for art school a decade after getting kicked out of her Orthodox community. Her celebratory, steamy one-night stand at a queer club turns out to be a famous art legend (and her new professor)! - Alex Kohn,  SNFL Teen Center

    Cover of A Shot in the Dark
  • Shubeik Lubeik

    This is a great story on the concept of what happens if wish making was possible in this world. This is a book with three distinct characters with three distinct wishes. There is much philosophical thought considered on the merits of making a wish and what sort of consequences can happen. Other read-alikes for this are graphic novel Eight Billion Genies and novel Before the Coffee Gets Cold. - Linda Yau, SNFL

    Cover of Shubeik Lubeik
  • The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

    When a mysterious, debilitating illness shrinks her world, Tova Bailey finds herself small enough to enter, like Alice, into the tiny wonderworld of a snail she finds living in a potted plant brought to her by a well-wisher. Enchanting, insightful.- Catherine Watson, Tottenville

    Cover of The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
  • The Sound of Light

    In WWII Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt assumes the identity of a shipyard worker, rowing messages to Sweden for the Resistance. His life depends on keeping his secret hidden—a task that proves challenging when he meets American physicist Dr. Else Jensen. - Aspasia Katerinis, Battery Park City

    Cover of The Sound of Light
  • The Summer Hikaru Died

    Hikaru goes missing for 6 months, and when he returns, his best friend Yoshiki needs to get to the bottom of the mystery of why he seems a far cry from his former self. Fans of both boys love manga and psychological horror will be in for a fun ride. — Joe Pascullo, 53rd St

    Cover of The Summer Hikaru Died
  • Sure, I'll Join Your Cult

    If you know Maria Bamford's standup, you know it is absolutely one-of-a-kind. This book is exactly the same: raw, unflinching, heartfelt, radically honest, and blurt-laugh hilarious. It is, in the best way possible, a memoir unlike any other. - Aidan Flax-Clark, LIVE from NYPL

    Cover of Sure, I'll Join Your Cult
  • The Survivalists

    You're probably thinking to yourself, "I could never become a doomsday prepper or a survivalist, that's just not who I am". This book is proof that when pushed into certain corners, yes you could. - Rachel Crook, SNFL

    Cover of The Survivalists
  • Swamp Story

    Do you enjoy stories that have nonsensical plots that make sense in the end? Maybe throw in a fictitious monster, the everglades, and a cast of strange characters with fatal flaws? This rollicking read will leave you laughing. — Colin Vautrinot, Todt Hill-Westerleigh

    Cover of Swamp Story
  • A Thousand Ships

    Goddesses and princesses, warriors and commoners: all come together to give the long unheard women of the Trojan War a voice. Fans of Greek myth won’t want to miss this fresh, uncompromising, and moving take on Homer’s famous epic. - Kristen Strmel, West New Brighton

    Cover of A Thousand Ships
  • To Anyone Who Ever Asks

    Just one listen to “How Sad, How Lovely” by Converse will have you wanting to know everything about the woman behind this singular and haunting voice. A biographical tale of family, artistry, and mystery set in the 1950s NYC music scene. - Isaac Sorrell, Hamilton Grange

    Cover of To Anyone Who Ever Asks
  • Treasure Island!!!

    Join our unnamed narrator for a madcap experiment in boldness (and recklessness, and narcissism) as she adopts the classic novel Treasure Island as her roadmap to life. Laugh-out-loud funny with a strong undercurrent of darkness. - Eliza O'Connor, Harry Belafonte 115th Street

    Cover of Treasure Island!!!
  • Two Wars and a Wedding

    A dramatic coming-of-age story with a dual timeline and a single heroine—a bold and adventuring young woman who finds herself caught up in two very different wars: the Greco-Turkish in 1896 and the Spanish-American in 1898. - Aspasia Katerinis, Battery Park City

    Cover of Two Wars and a Wedding
  • The Unnoticeables

    A unique blend of science fiction and extradimensional horror, featuring a new and different sort of conspiracy against humanity with a whip-smart liquor-and-leather aftertaste. Refreshingly original, punkishly irreverent and slapstick funny. — Isaiah Pittman, Inwood

    Cover of The Unnoticeables
  • Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

    I enjoyed this charming, funny, and heartwarming book. The feisty Vera Wong is a fusion of the quirky Mr. Monk and the shrewd Ms. Marple. If you are looking for a quick read that is light-hearted and engaging, you can’t go wrong with this book! - Asha Unni, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

    Cover of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
  • Vexations

    This National Book Award-longlisted poetry collection cascades through motherhood, climate change, and the strangeness of living in the 21st century in "lush, orchestral text / A procession of violent images culminating in a fact." - Reuben Gelley Newman, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

    Cover of Vexations
  • Victory City

    In 14th century India, a young girl is imbued with divine power and tasked with building a grand city. Equal parts epic and tragic, this centuries-spanning chronicle will stay with you long after the final page. - Kristen Strmel, West New Brighton

    Cover of Victory City
  • What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

    A heartwarming story about a community set in and around a small Tokyo library. Each chapter focuses on a new character and a careful reader will be rewarded by Aoyama's delicately woven story about ordinary people finding meaning in their lives. - Grace Yamada, Grand Concourse

    Cover of What You Are Looking For Is in the Library
  • Where are Your Boys Tonight

    A fantastic deep dive into the explosion of emo and pop-punk music, told by those who lived it. - Alex Kohn, SNFL Teen Center

    Cover of Where are Your Boys Tonight
  • White Cat, Black Dog

    In a world of brunch and airplanes, Link's stories prove that fairy tales can coexist with reality as we know it. Each short story is influenced by a classic fairy tale, and all of them find magic (and often hilarity) in unexpected places. -Rachel Kahn, Seward Park

    Cover of White Cat, Black Dog
  • Y/N

    Stan culture gets a lyrical, surreal send-up from Esther Yi, whose debut tracks an unnamed narrator's intensifying obsession with a K-pop idol. Complex, dream-like, lush yet foreboding - for fans of Mona Awad and Ottessa Moshfegh. - Liz Baldwin, SNFL

    Cover of Y/N