With Daylight Savings Time in full effect today, these early dark evenings call for cozy nooks accompanied by thoroughly engrossing page turners. Our friends over at BookHampton (41 Main St., East Hampton, 631-324-4939) have five fall picks to kick-start your novel-reading pleasure this month. Dig into one; or replace the Netflix and doomscrolling with a commitment to read them all. Your brain will thank you!
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
“If you’ve read Station Eleven and enjoyed it, you’ll appreciate how Emily St. John Mandel blends science and literary fiction by setting her newest novel in the not-so-distant future and crafting parallel versions of the world to come. The story begins at a celebration of the end of curfew in LA in 2031 and runs forward, with critical characters and pivotal moments from that party impacting two worlds that exist side-by-side.” — Laura Mina
The Art of Fighting by Priya Parker
“Priya Parker has followed up her delightful exploration of how we come together, The Art of Gathering, with a new commentary on group life in The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict, an accessible introduction to the often-overlooked role of conflict in our relationships and communities. A wonderful reframing of, and introduction to (group) conflict, Parker offers a framework that breaks conflict into three stages—Tear, Grapple, and Cleave—and invites us to pay closer attention to the ruptures that precede a fight, the needs that animate it, and the choices that shape what comes after.”—Claire Hopkins
Switzy by Emma Cline
“Perfect if you’re looking for a poignant and melancholic read. Switzy offers a unique perspective and really makes you appreciate your life and the people in it.”—Penelope Green
The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff
“A couple is on the verge of divorce when their house goes up in flames, forcing them to face family secrets, thorny histories, and a reckoning on what is worth salvaging. Told from the point of view of both members of the couple and the family matriarch, this story is full of humor, longing, tragedy, and human insight.”—Holly Buchanan
Bonfire and Bliss Bookstore by Britanée Nicole
“As the resident romance reader on staff, I love a book that includes the genre in the storyline. This fall-themed novel is a cozy introduction to contemporary romance with tropes of fake dating, friends-to-lovers, and, of course, all the steam and spice.”—Ashley Boer
