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The Lies I Tell(cover art from the publisher) The Lies I Tell, by Julie Clark, is a social manipulation thriller. This is exactly the kind of suspense novel I like to read, full of tension and secrets, with no guts or gore.

The Matchmaker's Gift(cover art from the publisher) The Matchmaker's Gift, by Lynda Cohen Loigman, tells the story of a grandmother and granddaughter who share a special ability.

The It Girl(cover art from the publisher) The It Girl, by Ruth Ware, was a one-sitting read for me. I already knew I’d like it going in — I always love Ruth Ware thrillers for twisty, not-gory, page-turning suspense stories like One by One or The Death of Mrs. Westaway. Plus, an Oxford setting with secrets in the friend group? Perfect!

Upgrade(cover art from the publisher) I was excited to get Blake Crouch's new novel Upgrade, because I'd enjoyed both Dark Matter and Recursion. This is another science fiction adventure, based on a thoughtful, futuristic what-if.

The Paris Apartment(cover art from the publisher) The Paris Apartment, by Lucy Foley, was one of my most anticipated reads this year. I tried to get it on NetGalley, but just to be sure, I requested it from all three of my libraries. I already really wanted to read it, because The Hunting Party is one of my favorite suspense stories, and then when I saw it all over bookstagram, I just got more and more excited.

Diary of a Galway Girl(cover art from the publisher) Diary of a Galway Girl, a new novel by Kevin Kelly, tells a romantic story. Bridget Kennedy is ready for a night out with her best friends, when she locks eyes with a stranger, Conor, and changes her whole life. She feels instantly like she's always known him, and as the story unfolds, their bond continues to grow and to surprise. (Also, "Feckin' wind," and "It’s feckin’ freezing, girls!" are amazing opening lines for any romantic heroine. I liked Bridget from the very start of the book!)

Insta-Stalking Readalikes(mine) When it’s done right, I love a thriller with a blend of polished Insta-perfection and offline dysfunction. I’m thinking specifically of the carefully crafted IG alibis in Social Creature, but it’s a really appealing contrast in fiction in general. Two recent reads, Like Me and A Novel Obsession, promised Insta-stalking turning into dangerous obsession in New York City.

Getting Clean with Stevie Green(cover art from the publisher) In Getting Clean With Stevie Green, by Swan Huntley, Stevie Green heads back home to help her mom pack and move. This goes so well that Stevie starts a decluttering business helping other rich people solve their non-problems of too many Vespas filling up their massive garages. It’s the same income bracket of We Could Be Beautiful, by the same author, only with a California style instead of a Manhattan style.

Four Aunties and a Wedding(cover art from the publisher) Jesse Q Sutanto’s newest book, Four Aunties and a Wedding, is the sequel to dark comedy Dial A For Aunties. I can’t imagine this would make any sense without reading Dial A For Aunties. My review is here, but the short summary is that you should go read it and laugh hysterically. When Four Aunties and A Wedding opens, Meddy and Nathan are planning their destination wedding in the UK, but although the aunties do weddings themselves, they want to be guests and not wedding vendors. So they meet with a weirdly symmetrical Indo family who also do weddings, also have misspelled names and punny ads, and, as it turns out, also have a dark secret, and one implausible lie leads to another until chaos ensues at the gorgeous British wedding.

Earth's Final Chapter(mine) Earth’s Final Chapter: Winning Collection 2020 is a collection of four fantasy stories by up-and-coming authors, curated by Endless Ink Press, the publishers of The Last Diaspora,

Disprientation(cover art from the publisher) In Disorientation, by Elaine Hsieh Chou, PhD candidate Ingrid Yang is halfheartedly at work on her dissertation when she stumbles across a weird note in the Xiao-Wen Chou archives. After this discovery, Ingrid pretty much stumbles into everything in this plot, meandering confusedly across campus and into self-discovery.