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Workhorse: A Novel

January 12, 2026

workhorse

Clo Harmon is a 25-year-old assistant at a fashion magazine. She’s a workhorse—eager, bright, hardworking, but with no fashion pedigree. Meaning she will never achieve her dream of being an editor because those jobs only go to the show horses—wealthy, skinny girls with Ivy League degrees and all the right connections.  What’s an ambitious, but unconnected woman to do? In ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: 21st century, fashion, historical fiction, Manhattan

Home of the American Circus

August 21, 2025

american circus

Home of the American Circus begins with Freya’s rent being overdue and her appendix bursting. These two events give her no choice but to leave Maine where she lives and head back to her hometown in New York. And not just the town, but her childhood home which was left to her by her parents. Once there she reunites with her best friend, a troubled musician who is also living ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, childhood, family, literary

Maame by Jessica George

January 30, 2023

maame

Maame is an African word for “woman” and the title of Jessica George’s debut novel, but for young Maddie it feels like a yoke on her shoulders. She lives at home as the part-time caretaker for her father. Her mother manages a hostel she inherited in Ghana and only returns to England intermittently. Her older brother James has his own apartment and says he’ll help, but never ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, debut, London, new adult

The Boys’ Club: A Novel

August 17, 2020

boys

Klasko & Fitch is a massive law firm where the best of the best work, so Alex Vogel is thrilled to be hired there. When she learns the most powerful and lucrative group in the firm is Mergers & Acquisitions, she signs up. She’s energized, not intimidated, because Alex always likes to win. The Boys’ Club is a high-octane debut novel about this first-year associate’s ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, debut, new adult, New York City

Such a Fun Age: A Novel

January 24, 2020

fun age

Emira Tucker is struggling with adulthood. She’s not quite sure what she wants to do. The only job she enjoys is babysitting two-year-old Briar. So, when Briar’s mother calls on a Saturday night asking if Emira can come and get the little girl she says yes. From there things in Such a Fun Age get bad fast. A store security guard decides that Emira has kidnapped Briar, because ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, debut, new adult, Putnam, racism

Queenie: A Novel

January 15, 2020

queenie

Queenie is a 25-year-old British Jamaican woman who’s got her dream job and a strong circle of friends. She’s also separated from her white boyfriend, living in a tiny dump of an apartment with roommates she avoids, and is on the verge of losing her job because she spends so much time at the office dealing with her personal life. She’s the eponymous star of Candice ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: contemporary life, debut, new adult, Scout Press

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