Lily King is an American novelist. She studied at the University of North Carolina, and Syracuse University. Her work has appeared in Ploughshares and Glimmer Train. She lived with her family in Maine; they live in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The Last Letters of Sally and Walter (2026) Cammie McGovern "What a dearth of stories we have about love after a certain age, and what a welcome treat is Cammie McGovern's tender and absorbing novel come to fill the void. I loved Walter and Sally and, most surprising to me, I loved their passion for Scrabble. This is a beautiful, hopeful, and exhilarating gem about second chapters, second chances, and fresh beginnings."
The Swan's Nest (2024) Laura McNeal "Laura McNeal is one of my favorite writers and The Swan's Nest is a stunning accomplishment. Assiduously researched, gorgeously brought to life, this literary love story will keep you up all night."
Bad Animals (2024) Sarah Braunstein "Wise, wily, intriguing, and so much fun, Bad Animals mesmerized me. I did not want it to end. This is Braunstein at her very best."
Old Crimes (2024) Jill McCorkle "With her wry humor, deep understanding of human connection and disconnection, and a tremendous sense of fun, Jill McCorkle has given us another dazzling collection of stories."
Do Tell (2023) Lindsay Lynch "In Do Tell Lindsay Lynch takes a glance back at golden-age Hollywood and captures the fizzy magic, the secret lives, and the deep, destructive misogyny within the industry's DNA. This is a wry, entertaining, and incisive debut."
Such Kindness (2023) Andre Dubus III "Such Kindness is magnificent. A profound and compassionate study of how to be human wrapped in a taut survival story. I loved it so much. This is Dubus at his absolute finest."
The Late Americans (2023) Brandon Taylor "Brandon Taylor writes with such precision and perception that reading his work is an immersive experience: you inhabit his characters, you share their nerve endings. The Late Americans is a brilliant and electrifying symphony of a novel. I loved it."
Sam (2023) Allegra Goodman "I've been an Allegra Goodman fan for years, but Sam is hands down my new favorite. I loved this powerful and endearing portrait of a girl who must summon deep within herself the grit and wisdom to grow up."
Flight (2022) Lynn Steger Strong "Lynn Steger Strong is a master of family life, a wise chronicler of economic struggles real and imagined, of dreams versus responsibilities, and of nuances in relationships of all kinds. Arresting and powerful, Flight examines the possibility and pain of fierce love and hope in our time of looming existential threats."
Cat Brushing (2022) Jane Campbell "Cat Brushing is a fierce and fascinating debut. I loved these women who have taken off their gloves to fight life with their bare hands."
Vigil Harbor (2022) Julia Glass "In her new novel, Julia Glass gathers a combustible cast of characters, places them ten years from now, and strikes a match. Fast-paced, immersive, and imaginatively daring, Vigil Harbor is a brave look at our climate perils, our political moment, and our deep dependence on one another."
Half-Blown Rose (2022) Leesa Cross-Smith "By far the most exhilarating and sexy American-in-Paris story I've ever read. Leesa Cross-Smith's Half-Blown Rose is smart, intriguing, and pure delight."
Lucky Turtle (2022) Bill Roorbach "A thrilling, blistering tale of young love and old hate and the steady endurance of both."
Groundskeeping (2022) Lee Cole "Groundskeeping is a smart, funny, exhilarating debut about that time in life when you are clawing your way to a future that feels murky and impossible to reach. Lee Cole takes a hard look at our fraught cultural moment, our divides large and small, with fresh insight and wisdom and tenderness. I truly loved it."
Vladimir (2022) Julia May Jonas "Vladimir is a thrilling debut - smart, sharp, and uber provocative. I devoured it with fascination and awe."
Joan is Okay (2022) Weike Wang "I am staggered by Weike Wang's humor, heart, and brilliance. I loved Joan and I am pressing this book into your hands."
Small Things Like These (2021) Claire Keegan "Small Things Like These is a hypnotic and electrifying Irish tale that transcends country, transcends time. Claire Keegan’s sentences make my heart pound and my knees buckle and I will always read everything she writes."
When Ghosts Come Home (2021) Wiley Cash "Taut, tense, and tender—this novel hits every note. I loved it and devoured it with fury, straight to its blazing end."
The Vietri Project (2021) Nicola DeRobertis-Theye "The Vietri Project is a riveting, shifting quest, an evocative trip to Rome, and a beautiful portrayal of the ways you need to return to the past in order to move forward. A great delight from start to finish."
Landslide (2021) Susan Conley "Susan Conley has knocked it out of the park with Landslide. It is a spectacular tale of hardship and healing told in Conley’s gorgeous, luminous prose. Funny, moving, and deeply insightful, the novel takes such a fresh look at marriage, motherhood, and the wondrous inner lives of teenagers. A truly beautiful and unforgettable love story of a family on the brink."
The Gretchen Question (2020) Jessica Treadway "The Gretchen Question is a powerful and emotional ride with disorienting, satisfying turns and a stunning end. Treadway is masterful."
My Dark Vanessa (2020) Kate Elizabeth Russell "My Dark Vanessa is a harrowing triumph. Complex, smart, and utterly riveting from start to finish, Kate Elizabeth Russell’s debut novel cracks open assumptions and clichés, and delivers a layered, nuanced narrative that is vital for a more thorough understanding of the extent and longevity of the damage wrought by sexual abuse. Be prepared for a pit in your stomach, a lump in your throat, and reading late into the night."
Dear Edward (2020) Ann Napolitano "I loved Dear Edward so, so much. It made me laugh and weep. So many times I had to stop after reading a paragraph to acknowledge the beauty of Ann Napolitano’s writing. In Edward, his friend Shay, and the passengers on the airplane, Napolitano offers unforgettable characters, people you know you will miss after you’ve turned the book’s last page. Magnificent!"
The Last Cruise (2018) Kate Christensen "A smart, fast-paced adventure story, two poignant love stories, and a shrewd and chilling warning to us all. What is not to love about The Last Cruise?"
