Fiction Five: Resolutions

This month’s Fiction Five features protagonists who are aching to be discovered and to be seen for who they are. Like many of us who gaze forward at the dawn of a new year, these characters are on a path of self-discovery. If you’re looking for the latest fiction, check out these new novels hitting shelves this January.

The Odds of You by Kate Dramis

Sage Collins knows a thing or two about odds. A year ago she was a data analyst. Then she burned it all down to pursue her dream of becoming an author. One whirlwind bestseller and a struggling second book later Sage isn’t sure she’ll ever write again.

Then an accidental encounter with an irritating passenger on the flight to Comic Con leaves her in an untested position. That passenger is Theo Sharpe, a breakout actor on the cusp of fame. The paparazzi have mistaken Sage for his girlfriend.

Armed with signature British charm and a smile that could tame oceans, Theo wears fame like a well-fit coat. While his fans are too involved in the drama, the pressure to deliver the next bestseller is on, and Sage and Theo both must agree there’s nothing between them. They don't have to acknowledge that saying it doesn't make it true.

When Sage decides to flee to Scotland to clear her head and write her novel she expects to find fresh air and the stillness to think. What she doesn’t expect is for Theo Sharpe to come back into her life and how he may be her greatest miscalculation of all.

"Sensitive and sexy." ― Publishers Weekly

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

For two decades Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America’s favorite family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964 and the Newmans’ perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall as are the Newmans themselves. Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife and Dinah is slowly going numb. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life and rock ‘n roll idol Shep may finally be in real trouble.

When Del, the creative motor behind the show, is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah takes matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman and a family in 1964. Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance?

“I loved Meet the Newmans! The characters jump off the page. I appreciated the subtle feminist twist and the humor. Jennifer is always good but this is one of her best.” ― Judy Blume, #1 New York Times bestselling author

If I Ruled the World by Amy DuBois Barnett

It’s 1999 and Nikki Rose is the only Black editor on the staff of a prestigious fashion magazine she once thought would be her ticket. After being told one too many times by her boss “Black girls don’t sell magazines,” she walks away to take over Sugar, a struggling hip-hop music and lifestyle magazine with untapped potential.

Thrown into an entirely new world of wealth, decadence and debauchery, Nikki has just six months to save Sugar and her dreams. As she pulls all-nighters at the office and parties with the era’s most influential bad boys, Nikki must prove she has what it takes to lead. Her most dangerous challenge is evading Alonzo Griffin, her very married, very powerful ex-boyfriend and former boss. He's determined to destroy both her and Sugar. Nikki leans on a circle of loyal friends and navigates unexpected romances that force her to reckon with what and who she truly wants.

"Funny, sexy, witty, and full of grit, If I Ruled the World is for anyone who’s spent a lifetime climbing a ladder that keeps adding rungs. This fierce, unputdownable, guilty pleasure of a novel steps back into the uniquely fabulous and ruthless New York hustle at the turn of the century, through the eyes of a real Working Girl and industry insider, when the biggest players moving the needle of culture were grinding for recognition in a society that would rather look away. An utterly intoxicating debut."― Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming

Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg

Dell Danvers is barely keeping it together. She’s behind on rent for her studio apartment (formerly a walk-in closet). She’s being plagued by perpetual stomach pain. Plus her younger sister Daisy is in a coma at a hospital that wants to pull the plug. Freshly unemployed and subsisting on selling plants to trust fund kids, Dell impulsively starts a 24-hour livestream to fundraise for private life support for Daisy.

Once Dell discovers she has a talent for eating spicy food, her streaming fame explodes and her pepper consumption escalates from jalapeño to ghost and beyond. Dell is finally good at something. As her behavior becomes riskier and a shadowy troll threatens to expose her dark past, Dell must reckon with what her digital life ignores and what real redemption means.

Narrated in seven taut chapters, one for each day of Dell’s livestream, Just Watch Me is a tragicomedy about the internet economy, a tale about the desire to be watched and the terror of being seen.

“Fans of Melissa Broder, Rufi Thorpe, and Ottessa Moshfegh will laugh, cringe, empathize, and be mesmerized by the spectacle of one woman’s attempt to solve all her financial and emotional problems in the most adventurous, public, and high-stakes way possible. Just Watch Me is addictive and propulsive.” — Emily Gould, author of Friendship

Dandelion Is Dead by Rosie Storey

When Poppy discovers unanswered messages from a charming stranger in her late sister’s dating app, she makes an impulsive choice. She’ll meet him, just once, on what would have been Dandelion’s 40th birthday. It’s exactly the kind of wild adventure her vivacious sister would have pushed her toward.

Jake is ready to find something real. Especially now that his ex-wife’s 20-something boyfriend has moved into their old family home. When he meets the intriguing woman who calls herself Dandelion their connection is undeniable and he can think of little else.

As their relationship deepens Poppy is trapped in a double life she never meant to create. Every moment with Jake feels genuine, electric and totally right despite the fact they’re tangled in deceit. As the lines between grief and love blur, Poppy faces a choice. Does she keep her sister’s memory alive through her lies or risk everything for a chance at her own happiness?

“A funny book about grief, an honest book about lying, and a heartbreaking book about finding love, Dandelion is Dead is captivating, generous, and deeply alive.”— Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street