The most recommended new adult books

Who picked these books? Meet our 2,259 experts.

2,259 authors created a book list connected to new adult, and here are their favorite new adult books.
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Book cover of Windfall

Michael Laimo Author Of Missed Connection

From Michael's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Michael's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Michael Laimo Why did Michael love this book?

Interesting concept well executed!

By Wendy Corsi Staub,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Windfall as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this newest suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub, three friends’ lives terrifyingly unravel when they win a billion-dollar lottery jackpot—and one goes missing. Perfect for fans of novels like Taylor Adams’ No Exit and The Club by Ellery Lloyd.

 It was the girls’ weekend they’d never forget.

J.J., Molly, and Leila had once been inseparable, but it’s been a long time since college, and life—not to mention distance—have disrupted the former roommates’ friendship. When the three reunite for a birthday weekend in Las Vegas, the lottery ticket they buy on a whim has the…


Book cover of How to Love Your Daughter

Galina Vromen Author Of How to Love Your Daughter

From Galina's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Galina's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Galina Vromen Why did Galina love this book?

I thought it had great insight into the mother-daughter relationship

By Hila Blum,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked How to Love Your Daughter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE SAPIR PRIZE 2022 'A mesmerising, disquieting tale of family estrangement ... Unforgettable' OBSERVER 'A striking and memorable novel' MEG WOLITZER 'A stone-cold masterwork of psychological tension. Its final pages had me holding my breath' NEW YORK TIMES 'Hila Blum is my new favourite writer' LOUISE KENNEDY ------------------------------------------- What damage do we do in the blindness of love? Thousands of miles from her home, a woman stands on a dark street, peeking through well-lit windows at two little girls. They are the daughters of her only daughter, the grandchildren she's never met. At the centre of this mesmerising…


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Book cover of The Complete Eldercare Planner: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help

The Complete Eldercare Planner By Joy Loverde,

Trusted for more than three decades by family caregivers and professionals alike, this comprehensive and reassuring caregiving guide offers the crucial information you need to look after your elders and plan for the future.

Being a caregiver for aging parents, close friends and family, and other elders in your life…

Book cover of The Shutouts

Ilana Masad Author Of All My Mother's Lovers

From Ilana's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Ilana's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Ilana Masad Why did Ilana love this book?

By Gabrielle Korn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Shutouts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A brilliant queer dystopian novel from the author of Yours for the Taking, following a cast of characters on the margins of a strange and exclusive new society.

The year is 2041, and it's a dangerous time to be a woman driving across the United States alone. Deadly storms and uncontrollable wildfires are pummeling the country while political tensions are rising. But Kelly's on the road anyway; she desperately needs to get back to her daughter, who she left seven years ago for a cause that she's no longer sure she believes in.

Almost 40 years later, another mother, Ava,…


Book cover of The Nordic Beowulf

Rowdy Geirsson Author Of The Impudent Edda

From Rowdy's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Viking enthusiast Norumbegan Swedophile Metalhead Humorist

Rowdy's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Rowdy Geirsson Why did Rowdy love this book?

The book presents a comprehensive overview of 100+ years of existing Beowulf scholarship and looks at that material and the poem itself with a fresh perspective. The conclusions Gräslund reaches are very thought-provoking. Namely, he states that the poem was composed in Scandinavia before being transported to England and that the Geats were from Gotland rather than the more commonly accepted Götaland. The geographic and archaeological evidence he presents struck me as particularly convincing for his argument regarding Gotland. Gräslund's ideas aren't without its critics and are still just a theories, but have taken off like wildfire in Sweden. The Anglophone world has been much slower to generally acknowledge Gräslund's work one way or the other. Whatever anyone thinks, it's a fascinating read.

I read the original Swedish edition; this book is the English translation.

By Bo Gräslund, Martin Naylor (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Nordic Beowulf as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In such a wide-ranging, long-standing, and international field of scholarship as Beowulf, one might imagine that everything would long since have been thoroughly investigated. And yet as far as the absolutely crucial question of the poem’s origins is concerned, that is not the case.

This cross-disciplinary study by Bo Gräslund argues that the material, geographical, historical, social, and ideological framework of Beowulf cannot be the independent literary product of an Old English Christian poet, but was in all essentials created orally in Scandinavia, which was a fertile seedbed for epic poetry.

Through meticulous argument interwoven with an impressive assemblage of…


Book cover of by Alison Knowles: A Retrospective (1960-2022)

Lindsay Kelley Author Of After Eating: Metabolizing the Arts

From my list on metabolism and digestion in the arts.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an artist and writer who works with food and eating. I find inspiration for my practice in my own body processes and in caring for and advocating for my friends and family. When my grandfather lost the ability to swallow, I began to understand the fragility and vulnerability of our gastrointestinal systems. After many years of teaching, making, and writing about food art, I started to wonder about what happens after eating. The books on this list join me in arguing for digestion, metabolism, and defecation as vital cultural processes. These authors have changed how I relate to food, guts, and my body.

Lindsay's book list on metabolism and digestion in the arts

Lindsay Kelley Why did Lindsay love this book?

Alison Knowles made many of my favorite food works. I’m constantly inspired by her practice and how she reminds us that food is an environment.

This must be one of the best catalogues I’ve read, and part of that has to do with the beauty of the book itself. Each unique cover is a makeready press sheet, and the smart essays complement a real sense of the exhibition, including a comprehensive timeline. 

By Karen Moss (editor), Lucia Fabio (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked by Alison Knowles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The first survey of the Fluxus cofounder's prolific avant-garde output, from eight-foot-tall books to make-a-salad performances

The American artist Alison Knowles' (born 1933) groundbreaking experiments-from painting and printmaking to sculpture and installation, sound works, poetry and artist's books-have influenced art and artists for more than 50 years but remain relatively unknown among mainstream audiences. The first comprehensive volume on the artist, By Alison Knowles: A Retrospective presents more than 200 objects that span the entire breadth of her career, from her intermedia works of the 1960s to forms of participatory and relational art in the 2000s.
The accompanying catalog features…


Book cover of The Wind Knows My Name

Joel Bakan Author Of The New Corporation: How "Good" Corporations Are Bad for Democracy

From my list on revealing the inhumanity of authoritarianism and fascism.

Why am I passionate about this?

A decade ago, we could not have imagined a world where democracy would be in existential crisis. Perhaps it’s overly dramatic to think that way – I hope so – but it does seem realistic at this moment. That is why I am so passionate about wanting to defend democracy and the kind of society it makes possible and why I am so drawn to works that express that passion through artful writing and story-telling. With authoritarian and totalitarian regimes dangerously on the rise, books that demonstrate the profound inhumanity and injustice of such regimes and how they extinguish democracy and human rights are needed now more than ever.

Joel's book list on revealing the inhumanity of authoritarianism and fascism

Joel Bakan Why did Joel love this book?

Isabelle Allende is truly one of the great writers of our time, a strong recommendation in itself. What I found particularly thrilling about this book, however, was the way she shed light on how authoritarianism and fascism are disproportionately devasting for the most vulnerable among us – children.

By weaving together narratives about the displacement of and harm to children during the Nazi holocaust and under the brutal immigration policies of President Trump, Allende provokes outrage and inspires compassion.

By Isabel Allende, Frances Riddle (translator),

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Wind Knows My Name as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE POWERFUL AND MOVING NEW NOVEL FROM LITERARY LEGEND ISABEL ALLENDE PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR 'A grand storyteller' - KHALED HOSSEINI 'A new novel by Isabel Allende is always a treat' - DAILY MAIL 'What a joy it must be to come upon Allende for the first time' - COLUM MCCANN No, we're not lost. The wind knows my name. And yours too. Vienna, 1938. Samuel Adler is five years old when his father disappears during Kristallnacht - the night their family loses everything. As her child's safety seems ever harder to guarantee, Samuel's mother secures a spot for him…


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Book cover of Girl of Light

Girl of Light By Elana Gomel,

A girl of Light in a world of darkness.

In Svetlana's country, it’s a felony to break a mirror. Mirrors are conduits of the Voice, the deity worshiped by all who follow Light. The Voice protects humans of MotherLand from the dangers that beset them on all sides: an invading…

Book cover of The Sleeping Car Porter

Gail Nyoka Author Of Voices of the Ancestors: Stories & Lore From Ghana’s Volta Region

From Gail's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Assumption exploder Teller of tales Forest walker Kemeticist Circle dancer

Gail's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Gail Nyoka Why did Gail love this book?

I never met my great-uncle, a sleeping car porter, around the time of the setting of this book. His wife told me that the work had led to his early death.

I was interested to read this book about the life and work of a sleeping car porter. I was not disappointed. I was drawn to the character of Baxter, a man who dreamed of a life outside of the limitations he was presented with. In that, he had something in common with my great-uncle. 

By Suzette Mayr,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Sleeping Car Porter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE 2022 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY TOP 20 LITERARY FICTION BOOKS OF 2022

OPRAH DAILY: BOOKS TO READ BY THE FIRE

THE GLOBE 100: THE BEST BOOKS OF 2022

CBC BOOKS: THE BEST CANADIAN FICTION OF 2022


When a mudslide strands a train, Baxter, a queer Black sleeping car porter, must contend with the perils of white passengers, ghosts, and his secret love affair

The Sleeping Car Porter brings to life an important part of Black history in North America, from the perspective of a queer man living in a culture that renders him invisible in two…


Book cover of The Air Raid Book Club

Patricia McBride Author Of The Picture House Girls

From my list on WW2 saga books.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have written one complete WW2 saga series, Lily Baker, and am currently writing a second series, The Library Girls. I am addicted to reading about the period and can lose hours and hours doing factual research as well. My mother was a Cockney, and I became immersed in her wartime stories, mostly about the fun she had but also about her many struggles. I love stories about strong women overcoming adversity, and during WW2, many showed the world how capable and resilient they were. I have a Master's Degree in Professional Writing and write occasional magazine articles.

Patricia's book list on WW2 saga books

Patricia McBride Why did Patricia love this book?

I loved the way when reading this book, I learned a lot about the Blitz and the problems faced by Londoners, their struggles, and their strengths.

The main character, Gertie, is relatable, and I was keen to find out how she overcomes the trials and tribulations she faces. It is a warm and touching story about Gertie’s love of people and books (she has a bookshop). I loved her positive attitude even when her husband died.

I found it one of those books I couldn’t put down but didn’t want it to end.

By Annie Lyons,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Air Raid Book Club as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A warm and tender tale about the power and healing of friendship and community and the magic of books' - Ruth Hogan

As the bombs began to fall, the book club kept their hopes alive...

The most emotional, uplifting and captivating story of wartime London and the extraordinary power of books to shine a light and draw people together in the darkest of days, inspired by true events.

London, 1938. Bookseller Gertie Bingham is facing difficult times, having just lost her beloved husband, Harry, and with a lingering sadness at never having been able to have a child of her…


Book cover of All Things Move: Learning to Look in the Sistine Chapel

Jeffrey Hantover Author Of The Forenoon Bride

From Jeffrey's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Art lover Italophile Fortunate father Reader

Jeffrey's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Jeffrey Hantover Why did Jeffrey love this book?

I am intrigued by books that move outward from a focus on one object to a larger examination of other subjects.  Jeannie Marshall, a Canadian journalist who has lived for over two decades in Rome, starts with Michelangelo’s masterpiece and moves outward to the city, to the nature of art’s power, and inward to her life and family.

I love the intimacy of her voice and her willingness to take herself as the object of intense examination. As a lover of Rome and all things Italian, I picked up this book from the staff recommendation shelf at my favorite local bookstore.

The pleasure of surprise at finding a new author who is a companionable guide to a work and a city I love.

By Jeannie Marshall,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All Things Move as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A deeply personal search for meaning in Michelangelo's frescoes-and an impassioned defence of the role of art in a fractured age.

What do we hope to get out of seeing a famous piece of art? Jeannie Marshall asked that question of herself when she started visiting the Sistine Chapel frescoes. She wanted to understand their meaning and context-but in the process, she also found what she didn't know she was looking for.

All Things Move: Learning to Look in the Sistine Chapel tells the story of Marshall's relationship with one of our most cherished artworks. Interwoven with the history of…


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Book cover of The Emerald Necklace

The Emerald Necklace By Linda Rosen,

It’s 1969. Women are fighting for equality. Rosalee, an insecure sculptor, and Fran, a best-selling novelist, have their issues. Will their bitter envy of each other and long-held secrets destroy their tenuous friendship? Or will Jill, Rosalee’s granddaughter, and the story behind her emerald necklace bind them together?

A multi-generational…

Book cover of Rebellion: How Antiliberalism Is Tearing America Apart--Again

Martin Pengelly Author Of Brotherhood: When West Point Rugby Went to War

From Martin's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Martin's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Martin Pengelly Why did Martin love this book?

Robert Kagan created headlines of his own before the US election, by resigning from the Washington Post when its owner, Jeff Bezos, declined to offer an endorsement. Kagan should make headlines after the election for his prescience in Rebellion, which was published in February 2024 and outlined precisely the forces that then promised to push Donald Trump back towards the White House. Spoiler alert: Trump won. Read Kagan to understand why.

By Robert Kagan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rebellion as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A chilling and clear-eyed warning about the threats to our democracy posed by the increasing radicalization of the Republican Party, from a leading historian and intellectual

The 2024 election could be the last free election held in a unified America. So warns Robert Kagan in this brilliant and terrifying analysis of the perilous state of democracy in the United States today. If Donald Trump loses the upcoming election, as he did in 2020, but refuses to accept the result, as he also did in the last election, he is likely to call on his millions of followers to repudiate the…


Book cover of Windfall
Book cover of How to Love Your Daughter
Book cover of The Shutouts

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