Some are new, some are staff favorites, but all are terrific—and you’ll love at least one.
If Oddball Families Make You Smile
The People We Hate at the Wedding, by Grant Ginder ($15, amazon.com).
An estranged family flies en masse to London for a wedding complete with fancy hotels and trendy restaurants. What could possibly go wrong?
If You’re Bummed That Stephen King Doesn’t Have a New Book Out
House of Spies, by Daniel Silva ($17, amazon.com).
Thriller lovers will be riveted by this novel about an international chase to capture the world's most wanted terrorist following a violent attack in London's West End.
If You’re All for a Literary Masterpiece You Can Read in One Sitting
Walks With Men, by Ann Beattie ($7, amazon.com, out June 8).
This transfixing 112-page novella by the acclaimed prose stylist explores a troubled May-December romance.
If You Want a Good Cry (Two Boxes of Tissues, Minimum)
The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying, by Nina Riggs ($14, amazon.com).
This memoir, published posthumously, sets out to answer the question: How do you make your life meaningful when you know your time is limited?
If You’re Looking to Learn Something
Wine. All the Time.: The Casual Guide to Confident Drinking, by Marissa A. Ross ($14, amazon.com).
In this hilarious and unpretentious guide, comedian-turned-wine critic Marissa Ross walks readers through the basics to picking out a great bottle of wine at any budget.
If You’re Happy With a Smart, Grown-Up Romance
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman ($18, amazon.com).
Eleanor, an awkward woman living a perfectly average life begins an unorthodox friendship with the IT guy in her office, who teaches her about love and how to live a life that's more than just fine.
If You Like a Bit of Good Old-Fashioned Schadenfreude
Made for Love, by Alissa Nutting ($18, amazon.com).
A woman moves into a trailer park full of senior citizens with her father in order to escape from her obsessive tech-mogul husband.
If You Wore Out Your Copy of Like Water for Chocolate
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, by Aimee Bender ($7, amazon.com, out June 1).
Fans of magic realism should dig into this tale of a young girl whose mother’s despair is a key ingredient in her desserts.
If You Just Want a Good Laugh While on the Plane
How Did You Get This Number, by Sloane Crosley ($6, amazon.com, out June 15).
In this hilarious collection of essays, Crosley comments drolly on her adventures traveling around the world.
Real Simple Editors Share Their All-Time Vacation Favorites
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon
($8, amazon.com).
“A story about comic-book makers that stands up to the classics.”
Editors’ Pick: No Angel, by Penny Vincenzi
($9, amazon.com).
“First book in a spellbinding saga about London book publishers. OK, maybe that doesn’t sound spellbinding, but it is.”
Editors’ Pick: Out Stealing Horses, by Per Petterson
($10, barnesandnoble.com).
“The father-son relationship in this novel is full of surprises.”
Editors’ Pick: Villages, by John Updike
($14, barnesandnoble.com).
“Intriguing commentary on sexuality in 1970s suburbia.”
Editors’ Pick: Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan
($9, amazon.com).
“A searing fictional exploration of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s extramarital affair.”
Editors’ Pick: Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall
($10, barnesandnoble.com).
“An eye-opening true account of a relatively unknown tribe of superathletes.”
Editors’ Pick: The World Is Flat, by Thomas L. Friedman
($13, barnesandnoble.com).
“How globalization affects our jobs—and even the way we shop.”
Editors’ Pick: What Was She Thinking?, by Zoë Heller
($7, amazon.com).
“This portrait of a twisted relationship amounts to a master class in human emotion.”
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