Amazon’s Best Books of the Year (So Far)

From the bestselling, prizewinning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, a spellbinding account of a family devastated by the sudden death of their 19-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life which drew him into the dangerous criminal underworld that lies beneath London’s glittering surface.

A traditional American woman, a “tradwife” influencer, suddenly awakens in the brutal reality of 1855 — where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.

It was a great love story, one for the ages. The speed of our beginning and the speed of our ending felt like matching bookends. They both came out of nowhere. He wanted it, he wanted me. And then he didn’t … With unflinching honesty and profound grace, Burden charts a path through heartbreak to show the power of a woman who refuses to give up on love. Strangers is a stunning, deeply moving, compulsively readable memoir heralding the arrival of a thrilling new literary talent.

The award-winning, bestselling author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait returns with a soaring historical novel set in Ireland in the years before and after the Great Hunger. As spellbinding and varied as the landscape that inspired it, Land is, above all, a story of survival, for our times and for all time.

In this story of intense friendship and grit, two down-and-out teens escape their lives and chase a different future through rock-climbing — from the New York Times bestselling author of My Absolute Darling. With a magnificent gift for nature writing and a joyful appreciation for the redemptive power of friendship, Gabriel Tallent gives readers a rollicking, adrenaline-filled, and soul-searching novel about risking everything to change your life.

In this rowdy, frank reflection on illness, fame, sex, and everything in between, the remarkable mind behind the hit series Girls and the bestselling author of Not That Kind of Girl asks whether fulfilling her creative ambitions has been worth the pain.

Five lives. Five stories. Four will live — one will die. Who will it be? In this slow-burn masterpiece of psychological fiction, the choice is all yours. An incredibly original novel that breaks the fourth wall and asks the reader to be judge, jury, and executioner, Five looks at some of the most complicated issues of contemporary life: Motherhood, disability, addiction. Every stranger has a story. And in Ilona Bannister’s skillful hands, five people’s stories come together to create an unforgettable novel.

An epic, decades-spanning love story that blazes through the worlds of acting and comedy and charts a connection unlike any other. Blending unforgettable characters, explosive chemistry and yearning, and profound emotion, Into the Blue is a journey unlike any other — one that asks: What does it mean to diverge from the script to forge your own story?

As Holly takes her morning stroll in the thicket, she comes across a small bird. The bird is alone and trying to find shelter for the winter. And Holly knows exactly what to do to help. Illustrating the transformative role a community can play in caring for its members, The Sweater is a powerful and poignant tale of compassion and acceptance.

A richly illustrated picture book from the author of In a Jar that follows an older sister and her pack of wild, noisy, can’t-sit-still younger siblings on a grand and wondrous adventure. This imaginative and luminous book is a wonderful look at family dynamics, sibling love, and the power of magic.

Hazel discovers an egg while out for a walk in the woods, and much to her surprise — Tip! Tip! Tap! — out pops a baby bird. She names him Herbert, and from then on, he sticks to her like jam on toast. But Hazel likes her routine, and Herbert’s always underfoot. No matter what she’s doing, Hazel simply can’t get a moment’s peace. What’s a fox to do?

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series comes an epic new fantasy set in a world where children bond with a spiritual guide — some promising greatness and glory, while others, destruction and death.