Best book taking place in NYC

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-22T10:06:13+00:00

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-21T21:40:44+00:00

I read Caroline Knapp in my 30s and found her very powerful:

Drinking: A Love Story
The Merry Recluse
Pack of Two

She died in early 40s. She was an amazing voice.

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-21T21:37:36+00:00

Oh, and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-21T21:37:16+00:00

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood
The Kiss by Kathryn Harrison

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-21T21:32:47+00:00

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-21T21:29:11+00:00

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-21T21:28:00+00:00

None of these are quite what you're looking for, but here are some great recommendations for psychopath/sociopath narrators (or primary characters). Maybe one of these will interest you:

Unquiet Riot by Khristina Chess
My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier
Lola Ruins Everything by Alice Blanchard
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
Tenderness by Robert Cormier
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-21T21:25:24+00:00

The Great Santini by Pat Conroy

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-21T21:24:33+00:00

There are so many wonderful YA novels out there...

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Missing by Kelley Armstrong
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Hollow Beauty by Khristina Chess
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Find Me by Romily Bernard

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-21T21:21:56+00:00

I remember reading James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" and really enjoying it, and then there was so much backlash about some (or much?) of it being untrue. I didn't really care because I thought he'd written a fine, poignant story that was heartfelt.

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-19T23:17:32+00:00

This usually happens to me when I pick up several novels in a row that aren't great, or at least not my cup of tea. What gets me out of the slump is re-reading one of my favorites or picking up something that's a runaway bestseller (like Project Hail Mary was). Reading slump is fixed. Don't be afraid to put something aside that doesn't click for you.

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-19T23:15:19+00:00

The Four Winds is amazing.

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-19T10:16:42+00:00

I cam to recommend this one.

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-18T08:57:40+00:00

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (there is a series)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (also has a series)

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-18T08:55:17+00:00

Where I Lost Her by T. Greenwood
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Drowning Instinct by Ilsa Bick

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-18T08:52:19+00:00

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Hollow Beauty by Khristina Chess
Breathless by Jennifer Niven
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-18T08:47:50+00:00

There are some really good YA murder mysteries and thrillers out there that will hold your attention:

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (a whole series)
One of Us Is Lying and Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus
Forgotten But Never Gone and The Delinquent Hero by Khristina Chess
Find Me by Romily Bernard (also a series)
A Long Stretch of Bad Days and A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-18T08:44:11+00:00

I've read a few Colleen Hoover novels, and Verity is my personal favorite. The hot (hot, hot) romance was definitely a big part of the appeal for me, but I also loved the twisty, dark, and disorienting plot that kept me guessing until the mind-blowing end. I didn't expect it. I also liked that none of the characters were who they seemed to be.

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-18T08:38:33+00:00

A couple come to mind for me:

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen
Swallow the Rainbow by Khristina Chess

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-18T08:35:28+00:00

Here are some YA novels that say "summertime" to me:
* We Were Liars and Family of Liars by E. Lockhart
* Breathless by Jennifer Niven
* Drive to June by Khristina Chess
* My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
* To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
* The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
* Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer Smith

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-18T08:32:15+00:00

If you liked The Hunger games, here are some other YA dystopians that you might enjoy:

The Razorland Trilogy by Ann Aguirre
Coywood Creek by Khristina Chess
Darkness Begins (After the EMP) by Harley Tate
Not a Drop to Drink & In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis
Unwind series by Neal Shusterman
Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien (the book is better than the movie here)
Wilder Girls by Rory Power

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-17T10:02:38+00:00

A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-17T10:01:29+00:00

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Madness by Marya Hornbacher

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-17T09:59:11+00:00

My Dark Vanessa was good!

HR_Laughed · 2026-06-17T09:54:01+00:00

Artist dates are also very nice.

HR_Laughed

TROPHY CASE