Something to Talk About …

… under your beach umbrella

ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE

Gail Honeyman

A woman with no filter and minimal social skills learns how to eschew her lonely lifestyle and make real human connections. Reese Witherspoon has snapped up the movie rights for this buzzy, life-affirming novel.

… at the watercooler (or on Slack)

TOUCH

Courtney Maum

In this novel, a world-famous trend forecaster who predicted “the swipe” realizes that, much to her employer’s chagrin, the world is ready to turn away from technology and reconnect person to person.

… at book club

HUNGER

Roxane Gay

The Bad Feminist author’s new memoir explores her relationship with her weight and the trauma of her rape. She calls the brutally honest account “the most difficult writing experience of my life.”

… during graduation parties

WHAT WE LOSE

Zinzi Clemmons

A college student with an American father and a South African mother feels torn between two worlds after her mom dies of cancer. Her soul-searching continues through her early adulthood as she becomes a mother herself.

… during a bridal shower

ONCE AND FOR ALL

Sarah Dessen

The beloved YA author’s latest novel stars a wedding planner’s daughter who is disillusioned by love; her first boyfriend died unexpectedly. But her faith in romance might be restored when a young heartthrob joins the business.

… at a backyard barbecue

THE END OF EDDY

Édouard Louis

Louis has been hailed as the French J.D. Vance, explaining the social forces of working-class France in a post-Brexit world. This autobiographical novel documents the life of a young gay boy trying to fit in in a tough, industrial town in the north of France.