Ten-year caseErin Somers (Simon & Schuster). At the beginning of this intoxicating romance, a married man and a married woman meet at a children's group, where they are united by their dislike for the other member. They soon discover that they have much more in common, including a mutual attraction. Over the next decade, the woman creates a powerful fantasy world in which she and the man meet in hotels and vacation together in Paris and Marrakech. In fact, they both resist acting on their desires and their families become friends (even forming a pandemic group). Nurturing her rich imaginary relationships, the woman reflects: “What was sublime happened next to the ordinary every moment, continuously. But you could not make it stay.”
What a time to be aliveJade Chang (Ecco). In this timely and touching novel, Lola, a poor young woman living in Los Angeles, gains social media fame after delivering a eulogy for her best friend who died in a skateboarding accident. Hoping to achieve financial stability, she decides to capitalize on the online attention her speech receives by becoming a spiritual authority of sorts, spreading the message of “openness and transcendence and finding divinity in everyday life.” She teaches workshops and is celebrated by fans, some of whom have her words tattooed on their bodies. Despite her success, grief-stricken Lola eventually wonders if the messages of universal love that she cynically espouses can serve as a balm for her too.
