Weike Wang is a graduate of Harvard University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry and her doctorate in public health. She received her MFA from Boston University. Her fiction has been published in or is forthcoming from Alaska Quarterly Review, Glimmer Train, The Journal, Ploughshares, Redivider, and SmokeLong Quarterly.
Kitten (2026) Stacey Yu "Abound in wit and restraint, Kitten explores the funny yet unsettling complexities of modern love. . . . A fearless debut!"
New Skin (2026) Sarah Wang "New Skin holds almost all of womanhood: impossible beauty standards, the inverted mother-daughter bond, and an adulthood rooted in the endless negotiation between obligation and shared trauma. This dynamite book is unsparing and darkly funny. It asks why does leaving often mean staying, and why does self-preservation so often become self-destruction?"
Maggie; Or, a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar (2025) Katie Yee "A stand-out and must read debut. This is a poignant exploration of a woman's unraveling, when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected confession. Katie Yee weaves a tale of complex emotions and subtle betrayals, with a keen eye for the intricacies of human relationships and the quiet, often overlooked moments of life. Every paragraph is perfect."
Notes on Infinity (2025) Austin Taylor "Dive into the world of Harvard's brightest minds with Notes on Infinity. This unputdownable campus novel offers an inside look at the intense, high-stakes world of academia, where ambition, brilliance, and pressure collide. Austin Taylor gives a sharp, thoughtful exploration of the pursuit of dreams, of greatness, and the cost of success in an environment that demands nothing less than perfection. For lovers of campus dramas and anyone who has ever wondered what really happens behind Ivy League walls."
Gingko Season (2025) Naomi Xu Elegant "A stunning debut that immerses readers in a vibrant, layered world of introspection and discovery. Following Penelope as she navigates love, identity, and the complexities of city life, the novel masterfully balances poignant observations on relationships with moments of quiet beauty. Xu Elegant's lyrical prose captures the rhythms of daily life, while also exploring deeper themes of belonging and cultural heritage. This is a deeply moving, thought-provoking read that will resonate with anyone who's ever felt adrift and sought meaning in the everyday."
Sky Daddy (2025) Kate Folk "With wit and humor, Kate Folk gives us an unsettling but fascinating look at the complicated ways humans relate to technology."
I See You've Called in Dead (2025) John Kenney "I See You've Called in Dead is a riotously funny, poignantly introspective novel that dives headfirst into the absurdity of existence. Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who gets everything wrong-including accidentally publishing his own death notice. From botched blind dates to philosophical musings about life and death, Bud grapples with love, legacy, and the existential (and satirical) weight of being alive. But seriously . . . read this, it is laugh out loud funny. Perfect for fans of dark, heartfelt comedy."
Hunchback (2025) Saou Ichikawa "This genre-defying novel plunges us into a world that is so surreal and bizarre and captivating. Filled with dark humor and existential dread, this is a wild ride that teeters on the memorable edge of the absurd."
Five-Star Stranger (2024) Kat Tang "A sly, sophisticated, and compulsively readable debut about a person who is paid to be invisible, to be anyone to everyone, and yet inadvertently finds himself. Five-Star Stranger is a satirical comedy that grapples with the modern-day anxieties of the online persona and gig economy, masterfully blended with a poignant, heartwarming story about human connection."
The Stone Home (2024) Crystal Hana Kim "The Stone Home is an absolutely necessary read that shines light on a crucial yet overlooked point in history. Through her luminous talent, perfect prose, and unwavering narrative might, Crystal Hana Kim transforms a difficult historical moment into a moving portrait of generational strife and familial devotion. To what extent will we go to protect the ones we love? To protect the truth? The human heart is fallible yet also miraculous in what it can endure. Here is a book that entwines the stories of many into one collective, beating heart."
Habitations (2024) Sheila Sundar "Masterful storytelling. A sweeping, immersive and utterly perfect debut of a new talent and a fresh perspective on the Indian diaspora. In its multilayered, nuanced way, this novel will teach you about the strength of family, the force of love, the power of hope and the resilience of spirit. In other words, HABITATIONS will take you fearlessly by the hand and remind you of the purpose of living."
Holding Pattern (2023) Jenny Xie "Xie brings her expansive spirit to a healing narrative that wraps, weaves, and folds into you... There is so much heart in these pages, so much wisdom on how we love. This book had me in its orbit, from beginning to end."
Bellies (2023) Nicola Dinan "In growing up, we each have to gain a sense of the world. In these absolutely glowing pages, Tom and Ming make their way. They love and dream in ways that only youth can, but perhaps we all should. Dinan imbues this tale of identity and friendship with generosity, hope and that mighty keen touch of wit."
You Are Here (2023) Karin Lin-Greenberg "This novel is a community and a tour de force account of small town America. How do we survive ourselves and each other? How can we thrive instead of simply co-exist? Lin-Greenberg brings her imperfect yet perfect cast of characters to answer this very question and shows us a way. A magical book, brimming with soul."
Search History (2023) Amy Taylor "Search History delivers a real, emotional, and keenly heartfelt roller coaster. I couldn't help but root for Ana, with her imperfections that are so endearingly perfect. She is all of us in our hilarious misfortunes and unexpected successes. She floats as does every word of this novel."
The Last Animal (2023) Ramona Ausubel "I never thought I would fall in love with a wooly mammoth, but without a doubt I did. Here is an unlikely story of family and tenacity, of existence and striving to exist even if you are told you cannot. The women of this remarkable family astounded me. They are brilliant, kind, and utterly fearless. The prose is gorgeous. Each sentence pulsates with such heart and life."
Sea Change (2023) Gina Chung "There are no limits to what Chung can do. Her prose is so immersively beautiful that at times I felt swept away in a wave, admiring from underwater, her scintillating refractions of light. Chung's debut is a kaleidoscope of originality. She will enchant you."
Commitment (2023) Mona Simpson "A sweeping family epic that took me from one American coast to another, through a difficult but unforgettable time period, and through the growing pains of three remarkable siblings. I was immersed in their world and in Simpson's masterful vision for them. Simpson is so attuned to the family heart and oh dear Walter, Lina, and Donnie, have you forever moved mine."
Your Driver is Waiting (2023) Priya Guns "A ferocious new voice. A fierce and immersive debut. A story that made me rock back and forth with awe. Priya Guns's voice blazes on the page with humor, heart, and a fortitude that is inspiring to behold. There's no doubt who's in the drivers' seat. I was just grateful to be along for the ride."
Portrait of a Thief (2022) Grace D Li "In this slick, dazzling, debut, the stakes are high and the writing elegant. Here's a story that offers not just adventure or a reprieve from the everyday, but big dreams, big hearts, enduring friendships, and the multitudes of identities that can exist within each one of us."
Happy for You (2022) Claire Stanford "A penetrating debut that asks not just what is happiness, but what it means to be whole. A striking exploration of the mind, the computer, of human behavior, animal behavior, and the emotions, from the brightest joys to the deepest sorrows, that connect us all."
Skinship (2021) Yoon Choi "Yoon Choi writes with astounding precision and grace. These stories are filled with unflinching moments, so raw yet so true to life. The American experience is encapsulated here and imbued with a rare freshness. I was enthralled not only by the families, parents, and children of Choi's masterful creation but also by the courage and strength I found on the page."
Swimming Back to Trout River (2021) Linda Rui Feng "A beautiful and haunting story about a family's journey, a child's persistence, a couple's love. We all desire more, don't we? Yet we can't always predict what's on the other side. I felt immersed, taken back to a tumultuous and strange time that was full of inconceivable moments and hidden brightness. Feng writes with unflinching grace. She is exploratory yet precise, a narrative powerhouse. Needless to say, the music is poignant."
Love Like That (2021) Emma Duffy-Comparone "Duffy-Comparone’s collection is intense fun, whip smart and creates a family out of those lovable, eccentric people who are fallible yet so, so self-aware. On each and every page, the voice shines with enviable confidence and verve, demanding to be read. This is a stunning debut that unsettled me in the best possible way."
We Play Ourselves (2021) Jen Silverman "The multitalented Jen Silverman knows what she's doing on the page. Funny, sharp, modern--this is an excellent debut novel. Its bold, edgy, strange heroine has adventures and misadventures, screws up again and again, but somehow won my love. I couldn't put this book down."
Impersonation (2020) Heidi Pitlor "For our heroine Allison, this is her story of survival and endurance in these maddening times. She goes to extraordinary measures for her son and her work, yet the path is not always clear, and far from easy. A gifted storyteller, Pitlor is also not afraid to ask the tough questions. What does it mean to raise good boys? Good people? What does it mean to be a woman, a feminist, a believer in others and, above all, in yourself?"
Members Only (2020) Sameer Pandya "An intense, funny, and absolutely necessary novel about our current times. Accomplished storyteller Pandya has given all of us teachers a compulsive read for the days, the weeks, when we feel unmoored and even a slightly bit crazy."
Braised Pork (2020) An Yu "Yu is a fantastic storyteller. The prose is sly and controlled, yet page after page, I found myself spellbound by a story that does what all writers hope to do, which is to make the familiar unfamiliar."
Convenience Store Woman (2018) Sayaka Murata "Murata creates an original and surreal world in the most unlikely places. Furukura, the convenience store woman, is a strange, complex, gripping protagonist who inadvertently propels her own story forth through a series of subtle actions yet it is through these actions and also the spareness of the author’s prose that we see what a master Murata truly is. This book is not only readable, it is fun, thought provoking and at times outrageous and outrageously funny. It is sure to be a standout of the year."
