Catch Up on the Best Books of 2016

The Swans of Fifth Avenue is the beguiling story of Truman Capote and his "swans" — 1950s Manhattan socialites he surrounded himself with. You may know the Esquire story that exposed Capote’s friends and their lives, but as imagined by Benjamin, it’s a tale you won’t soon forget.

When 20-something assistant Alice is assigned to watch over literary legend M. M. “Mimi” Banning who is writing a book for the first time in decades, she finds herself in charge of Frank, Mimi’s eccentric 9-year-old son. Be Frank With Me is a funny and wise debut novel about parenthood, family, and what it means to be different.

Three very different people in Manhattan. One week before Thanksgiving weekend. All rambling through life. The Ramblers is a gorgeous novel about three lost souls, bound together by friendship and family.

A time-travel love story than spans from 930 Manhattan to 2031 Seattle with a hip, '90s indie rock soundtrack. Every Anxious Wave is a deeply romantic, wild adventure that you won’t be able to put down.

Helen was under the influence of alcohol when she lost her husband and custody of her son, but then she meets the Havillands, connected philanthropists who take Helen under their wing. They offer her the influence to get back custody of her son, but at what cost? Under the Influence is an un-put-downable story about the ties that bind us to each other.

The Madwoman Upstairs is an impossibly smart and thoroughly original debut about Samantha Whipple, the last remaining descendant of the Brontë sisters. After enrolling at her father’s alma mater, long forgotten objects from her past reappear, sending her on a literary treasure hunt with her handsome but inscrutable professor.

When one sibling’s drunken evening endangers a family’s joint trust fund, affectionately known as “The Nest,” the other three Plumb siblings will need to figure out what to do, now that they can no longer rely on the money they’d planned their lives around. A must-read about family dysfunction and dynamics.

Here’s three things you’ll love about Buxbaum’s YA debut, Tell Me Three Things: 1. It’s a story about starting over again. 2. There’s a mystery afoot that will keep you guessing. 3. Narrator Jessie’s voice is authentic and lovable and you won’t want to let her go after finishing this charming and moving story.

When three very different families get together for a holiday meal, long forgotten memories come to the surface, old grievances play out, and in The Dinner Party, these two generations will learn that the only way to move forward with your future is to let go of your past. A thought-provoking read about family, love, marriage, ambition, and acceptance.

What if you could go back in time and re-live the year that changed your life? In The Year We Turned Forty, three friends get the chance to do just that. Will they make the same mistakes? Or will they do it right the second time?

“There is so much money.” So what will it hurt if assistant Tina Fontana cashes an erroneous check from her billionaire employer? What’s the worst that could happen? The Assistants is a fun joy ride of a novel that is smart and funny.

Joan Fortier is the queen bee of the glamorous social scene in 1950s Houston, and her lifelong best friend, CeCe, is always right there, by her side. But Joan wants more than her little insular world, leaving CeCe to pick up the pieces. The After Party is a gorgeous novel about female friendship.

An atmospheric novel about a young woman who comes to Manhattan and lands a job as a “backwaiter” in a famous downtown restaurant, Sweetbitter is a lush and delicious coming-of-age story that will stay on the palate long after finishing.

Elizabeth, Andrew, and Zoe were all friends in college who now live in the same Brooklyn neighborhood with kids of their own, ready to go to college themselves. Nearing 50, they must all confront truths about themselves, their pasts, and their children. Modern Lovers is a smart, thoughtful read about what it means to really grow up.

There’s a reason Elin Hilderbrand’s books grace every beach bag over the summer. In Here’s To Us, we meet Deacon Thorpe, celebrity bad-boy chef. After his death, his three exes gather in his Nantucket cottage where old memories resurface, new ones are created, and this unlikely family comes together to remember the man they all loved.

When Meryl Becker’s three daughters all become engaged to high-profile men, she has no idea how she’ll plan three weddings — not to mention, pay for them. In The Wedding Sisters, she comes up with the perfect solution: a triple wedding! A delightful read about love, status, and what truly matters.

Penny Sinclair is ready for her empty nest. She’s divorced, and her kids are out of the house. But when her children, parents, and ex-husband all come home needing her help, she realizes that her dream of a downtown Chicago condo may just have to wait. By The Numbers is a funny and touching novel about the sandwich generation.

First Comes Love is the story of two sisters, told in the way that only Emily Giffin can tell a story. Josie and Meredith are not alike in any way, but they do share a family tragedy that continues to reverberate 15 years later. When the anniversary approaches, painful secrets come to the surface, and each sister finds herself at a crossroads.

Emma leaves the city, looking for a slower pace and a chance to start over. When she rents a house from Dominic, a local bartender and handyman, the last thing she expects is to fall in love. But slowly, she finds herself Falling, both with Dominic and his 6-year-old son. Falling is a charming romance about the true meaning of home.

When Clementine gets invited to her best friend Erika’s neighbor’s barbecue, she decides to go. But two months later, she can’t help but wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t. Truly Madly Guilty is an un-put-downable novel that will have you turning the pages, eager to learn what happened that day, and leave you thinking about the nature of friendship, family, and parenthood.

“How far will you go to achieve a dream?” Set in the world of competitive gymnastics, You Will Know Me is a thrill ride of a novel that asks the terrifying question: how well do we really know our own kids?

When three best friends are given the chance to take a magic elixir that will make them drop-dead-supermodel-gorgeous, they take it. But these friends soon learn that “pretty” comes with a high cost. The Regulars is a smart, sexy novel about the nature of how we look and society’s preoccupation with beauty.

Why would anyone shutter a gorgeous Paris apartment, filled with priceless treasures and memories? The Velvet Hours re-imagines the story of what happened to an actual Paris apartment that was abandoned for years at the dawn of World War II. Lush, beautiful, and sexy.

Eleanor Flood would like for things to be different — with her husband, with her son, and with herself. And she plans for that to all start today. But then life intervenes. A must-read novel for anyone who has promised themselves that Today Will Be Different.

A story about the American dream, told from the perspective of a Chinese immigrant who had it all, lost it all, and is embarking on a cross-country road trip to reclaim what was once his. The Wangs vs. The World is a smart, funny, and ultimately moving novel about what it means to be an American.

"All good secrets have a taste before you tell them, and if we'd taken a moment to swish this one around our mouths, we might have noticed the sourness of an unripe secret, plucked too soon, stolen, and passed around before its season." And so begins The Mothers, a gorgeous debut novel about a high school senior who is mourning her mother’s death from suicide and finding solace by spending time with the pastor’s son. Narrated in part by the elders from Church, the novel spans years at a time, and shows how one secret has the power to change lives.

In Jennifer Weiner’s first collection of essays, she talks about marriage, love, divorce, parenthood, career, weight, and everything in between. Hungry Heart is a smart, funny, and relatable book that will make you laugh, cry, and nod your head in recognition.

Jodi Picoult takes on race and discrimination in Small Great Things, a novel about a highly qualified African-American labor and delivery nurse and the white supremacist who refuses to allow her to touch his new baby. When the hospital grants his request, it has life-changing implications for everyone involved. This thoughtful read will have you thinking about it long after finishing the last page.

It’s the most important day of Natasha and Daniel’s lives, for very different reasons. When they cross paths, was it destined to happen? And what does it mean? The Sun Is Also a Star is a truly unforgettable novel about the power of fate, the nature of love, and how we find our place in the universe.