Caitlin (Katie) Barasch earned her BA from Colorado College and her MFA from New York University. Her work has appeared in more than a dozen publications, including Catapult, Day One, The Forge, and Hobart. A former bookseller,
Caitlin currently teaches creative writing at the Writers Circle. She was born and raised in New York and now lives in Brooklyn. A Novel Obsession is her debut novel.
The Obsessed (2026) Lizzie Buehler "A sharp-witted and offbeat tale of obsession. I felt seen, mocked, and entirely transfixed. With an endearingly neurotic heroine who treats linguistic quirks and cosmic coincidences like holy relics, Buehler explores our frantic attempt to use shared sensibilities as a shortcut to the terrifying pinnacle of being known. It is a brilliant reminder that our obsessions are less about the fixation itself and more about our own secret, unmapped desires. . . . The perfect read for anyone who finds it easier to understand a book than a person."
A Good Person (2026) Kirsten King "An unforgettable read, driven by a delightfully diabolical antiheroine whose antics are both terrifying and impressive. I gulped it down in two delirious sittings, gobsmacked by the twists and turns, and by Lillian's dangerous self-delusion. But be warned: the most terrifying twist might be just how much Lillian reminds you of yourself in your darkest moments."
The Spiral Key (2026) Kelsey Day "The Spiral Key is a pulse-pounding read, a sharply written and disturbingly vivid descent into a nightmarish - yet utterly addictive! - virtual reality. Kelsey Day has crafted a speculative horror novel that also provides an unflinching exploration of shame, regret, and the lengths we go to rewrite the reality of our past. Day forces us to confront the uncomfortable truth: sometimes the most terrifying monsters are the versions of ourselves we try to bury."
Paper Cut (2026) Rachel Taff "Rachel Taff's psychologically astute debut Paper Cut enthralled me with its twisty revelations and immersive storytelling. In tautly written alternating timelines of past and present, Lucy Golden's secrets are carefully unraveled. An utterly fascinating meditation on the perils of fame and the desire to control the story of your life at all costs."
She Used to Be Nice (2025) Alexia LaFata "A harrowing and yet deeply cathartic read. LaFata has crafted a beautiful battle cry: Believe women!"
What It's Like in Words (2024) Eliza Moss "I devoured What It's Like in Words with breathless admiration for Eliza Moss's raw, propulsive story of toxic love and obsession. Enola, our painfully vulnerable heroine, inspired and infuriated me in equal measure as she repeatedly took two steps forward and one step back. I wanted to shake her but also give her a hug, as she reminded me of so many women who struggle to confront terrible truths about people they've chosen to love. The writing-gorgeous, crystalline, tender-is ultimately an ode to the rejuvenating friendship between Enola and her best friend Ruth. If you enjoyed Genevieve Wheeler's Adelaide, Carola Lovering's Tell Me Lies, and the work of writers Dolly Alderton and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, you'll tear through this dark and addictive debut about a woman learning, finally, to value herself."
The Most Famous Girl in the World (2024) Iman Hariri-Kia "With her distinctive voice, Iman Hariri-Kia has forged a zany, explosive romp skewering our cultural obsession with celebrities, influencers, and scammers. It's a fun and fast-paced read with two memorable antiheroines."
Man's Best Friend (2024) Alana B Lytle "Alana Biden Lytle has written a pulse-pounding novel that simmers with growing dread. A juicy indictment of the allure of wealth, power, and privilege."
Who We Are Now (2023) Lauryn Chamberlain "A brilliantly paced coming-of-age novel, Who We Are Now stars four memorable characters who each remind me of someone I know and love. Chamberlain beautifully captures how our relationships, dreams, and priorities shift over time, and is unflinchingly candid when describing the sticky mixture of envy and pride we feel when our friends succeed before us. This book is brimming with heart and wisdom; I'll admit I wept several times during the last few chapters, so don't say I didn't warn you!"
Social Engagement (2023) Avery Carpenter Forrey "In clever, taut prose exploring our obsession with the tiny screens that shape our stories, Social Engagement somehow feels both modern and timeless - in exposing the ugly (yet universal) parts of ourselves we prefer to hide, Forrey reveals the ways in which we try, and try again, to love ourselves - and other people - properly. A thought-provoking debut with an unsettlingly relatable protagonist you'll wish you could include in your group chat."
Search History (2023) Amy Taylor "I squirmed in recognition on nearly every page of this witty, warm, and painfully honest novel. Search History begins as a story of masochistic obsession before slyly transforming into a battle cry for radical self-acceptance."
The Rise and Fall of Ava Arcana (2023) Jennifer Banash "I devoured this suspenseful and perceptive read about the price of fame, the dangerously blurred boundary between envy and admiration, and the tantalizing pull of those who recognize your potential and your desires. Urgently narrated in dual timelines, The Rise and Fall of Ava Arcana introduces us to three unforgettable women: the passionate, dogged Kayla; the dreamy, yearning Ava; the irrepressible, brazen Lexi. I'll be thinking about them for a long time."
Kismet (2023) Becky Chalsen "Narrated over the course of a whirlwind wedding week, Kismet is a heartfelt tribute to the people and places that shape us, an ode to sisterhood and shared history, as well as a thoughtful exploration of a relatable question: did we make the right choice? Are we on the right path?"
Death of a Bookseller (2023) Alice Slater "Written with dark wit and verve, this mischievous novel is clever, entertaining, and unsettling, with a gasp-inducing climax that beautifully (and wickedly) intertwines the two unforgettable anti-heroines. Each sentence is a dagger, sharpened to perfection; Slater's deliciously morbid debut will haunt you."
