Lex Croucher's foray into dark academia is fantastic, with angst, mature themes, magical adventure, sinister plots, far-reaching repercussions, and a childhood heartbreak that is revisited and revised in heartbreaking, satisfying form. Briar and Sebastian are childhood best friends, but when Sebastian is accepted into the renowned nearby magic school at age 11 and Briar is not, the two have a heartbreaking, fraught split. Briar has always dreamed of attending the Temple Schoo

Kamali's powerful story of enduring friendship spans decades and is shaped by years of political turmoil in Iran. The childhood best friends at the heart of the novel grow apart, then reunite in complicated circumstances. This is wonderful. I feel as though I've been hearing rave reviews of this book for so long, it must have been published five years ago. (It actually came out in August 2025.) Marjan Kamali's The Lion Women of Tehran is historical fiction that begins in 1950

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading the newest novel by the author of The Light Between Oceans, M. L. Stedman's Australia-set A Far-Flung Life; I'm listening to Lauren Okie's play on romance tropes, Tropesick; and I'm listening to David Sedaris's newest book of oddball, edgy, and heartwarming essays, The Land and Its People. What are you reading, bookworms? 01 A Far-Flung Life by M. L. Stedman A Far-Flung Life is an epic family story of generations carving out existence in

Bossy Favorites of the Month I had a solid reading month, including a five-star read by one of my all-time favorite authors. Spoiler alert: that title will also appear in my Bossy Favorite Reads of the Year So Far, a list of six books I'll post next Friday. Meanwhile, here are my six favorite reads of June. I like to post my Greedy Reading Lists on Fridays, and this one is a little early (the month doesn't end until Tuesday, after all) so that I can schedule the aforementione

This is a story about sisters coping with past trauma and resentments trying to find their way back together, with a missing-persons story in the background. The tone of the novel felt difficult for me to settle into, but I appreciated the realistically complicated elements of addiction, abuse, and neurodivergence. “True crime scratches that itch,” she says. “It gives shape to the darkness. It makes the senseless feel—if not understandable, at least real. Like I’m not crazy f

The novel's premise hooked me, and while I was eager to find out whether April and Leo's relationship would survive so many challenges, and I enjoyed the extended family storyline, I wanted to feel more emotionally invested in the high-stakes situations, secrets, and traumas. When April and Leo's house burns down in the middle of the night, they're luckily able to escape safely with their two young children. But as they reel from the loss of their home, the reader learns that

This may be my favorite Ann Patchett novel. It's a story of chosen family, a chance reunion, illuminating and poignant revelations about the past, and unexpected, reimagined relationships and treasured paths forward. In Ann Patchett's newest novel, Daphne and her husband are visiting the Met Museum when they notice an older gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, Daphne's long-lost stepfather, the second of her mother's three husbands and a beloved f

The Books I'm Reading Now It's Green Books time! I'm reading the wonderful Lex Croucher's grown-up magical school tale, The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones; I'm listening to Jessica Guerrieri's story of sisters trying to find their way back to their childhood closeness in the midst of a local woman's disappearance, Both Things Can Be True; and I'm reading Marjan Kamali's story of class, politics, and enduring friendship in Tehran and New York, The Lion Women of Tehran. What are

Great Rom-Com Reads I've been highlighting recently published romantic novels as well as those I've read in the past year, many of which are still highly in demand. If the library waitlists are feeling interminably long, you might want to check out these great novels published a little longer ago--so they'll be easier to check out. If you've read any of these titles, I'd love to hear what you think! Have you read any other rom-com or romantic novels that you loved? 01 Betting

In Strout's newest novel, we meet an irresistible new character in high school history teacher Artie Dam. Only the reader understands Artie's deep loneliness, only we live through his discovery of a shattering secret, and only we witness the life-altering power of his kindness and connections with other characters. This is lovely. In Elizabeth Strout's newest novel, we meet Artie Dam, high school history teacher, father to a grown son, longtime husband to his wife, and friend

Rabid middle-aged fans of the 90s boy band Boy Talk converge on a ship for meet and greets, photo ops, and collective love for their idols. Annie's own trip down memory lane is unexpectedly hedonistic, joyful, and full of chance encounters as she considers her life. Maybe that was nostalgia after all, the music a direct vein to her childhood, the least complicated part of her life. A shortcut to happiness. The American Fantasy ship is headed out on a four-day voyage, and its

The creator of the series Girls explores the details of her years of physical and emotional turmoil, which happened concurrently with her rise to fame. Her pain and the mysterious sources of her frequent agony affected every aspect of her life, and Dunham doesn't shy away from bringing the reader into her inner circle of discomfort, worry, insecurity, and suffering. In her new memoir, the creator of the series Girls explores the years in which she went from an unkown to a wel

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading a favorite author's newest novel featuring the wonderfully wrought character of Artie Dam, Elizabeth Strout's The Things We Never Say; I'm reading Emma Straub's novel about a boy-band's nostalgic voyage with three thousand of their most dedicated fans, American Fantasy; and I'm reading Sarah Damoff's story of a burned home and attempts to pick up the pieces of various relationships and uncovered secrets, The Burning Side. What are you rea

Six Favorite Nonfiction Reads These were my six favorite nonfiction reads from last year: a behind-the-scenes peek into the life of a paramedic; a horrifying look at a cluster of serial killers; the fascinating story of a couple shipwrecked and fighting for survival; a charming glimpse into the world of dog shows; a timely and illuminating book for young people (and those with limited knowledge on the subject, like me) about the Constitution; and a shockingly compelling and p

Jenny Lawson's self-help book is comforting, practical, and frank; while the content may not be revolutionary, her personal approach, humor, and candor are delightful and reassuring. Readers looking for coping tools will also know they are not alone in facing challenges. This is my first Jenny Lawson read. In this gently reassuring self-help book, she explores, as the book cover details, Tips and Tricks That Kept [Her] Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of [Her]self. Her dep

Operation Bounce House is a fast-paced, bizarro, humor-filled science fiction novel featuring robots, AI, videogames, creativity, plenty of trash-talking, and a scrappy fight for a planet. Colonist Oliver is a rancher working alongside his sister, playing in a mediocre band called The Rhythm Mafia with his best friend, and courting his serious girlfriend. Communication and travel between Earth and his planet, New Sonora, should soon be established again, and Oliver and friend

A young man is called back from the overwhelming, limitless city to his rural Scottish hometown, which is ruled by piety and inflexibility. His claustrophobic community and rigid father gradually give way to glimmers of hope for new beginnings and self-actualization. Cal is fresh out of art school, deeply in debt, and desperately poor, staying on acquaintances' couches, cleaning buildings (and being cheated out of most of his modest pay), and dipping in and out of soulless tr

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading the wonderful Ann Patchett's newest novel Whistler, about a reconnected stepfather and stepdaughter who are dear to each other; I'm listening to Lena Dunham's newest memoir about devastating, mysterious illnesses and a punishing work schedule, Famesick; and I'm reading Douglas Stuart's heartbreaking, beautiful novel about a young man returning to his claustrophobic, wondrous hometown in rural Scotland, John of John. What are you reading,

Six Favorite Memoir Reads These were my six favorite memoir reads from last year. If you like to read memoirs, you might also like to check out some of my Bossy memoir reviews, or some of my Greedy Reading Lists of favorites: Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six More Fascinating Memoirs to Explore Six Musicians' Memoirs that Sing Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year Six More Illuminating Memoirs to Lose Yourself In Six Foodie Me

This charming British-set novel takes a fortysomething widow facing empty nesting, hormonal changes, and professional uncertainty and opens up friendship, competition, and a new path forward through a recreational tennis league, new and old friends, a supportive brother, and an old crush. Jules is a fortysomething widow, single mom, and a busy buyer for a chain of lifestyle stores. She's lived next to the local Liverpool tennis club for years but hasn't played since she was a