by Margareṭ Aṭṿud (1997)
Margaret Atwood's The Robber Bride is inspired by "The Robber Bridegroom," a wonderfully grisly tale from the Brothers Grimm in which an evil groom lures three maidens into his lair and devours them, one by one. But in her version, Atwood brilliantly recasts the monster as Zenia, a villainess of demonic proportions, and sets her loose in the lives of three friends, Tony, Charis, and Roz. All three "have lost men, spirit, money, and time to their old college acquaintance, Zenia. At various times, and in various emotional disguises, Zenia has insinuated her way into their lives and practically demolished them. To Tony, who almost lost her husband and jeopardized her academic career, Zenia is 'a lurking enemy commando.' To Roz, who did lose her husband and almost her magazine, Zenia is 'a cold and treacherous bitch.' To Charis, who lost a boyfriend, quarts of vegetable juice and some pet chickens, Zenia is a kind of zombie, maybe 'soulless'" (Lorrie Moore, New York Times Book Review). In love and war, illusion and deceit, Zenia's subterranean malevolence takes us deep into her enemies' pasts.
Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones finds herself unexpectedly pregnant at the eleventh hour. However, her joyful pregnancy is dominated by one crucial but awkward question --who is the father? Could it be honorable, decent, notable human rights lawyer, Mark Darcy? Or, is it charming, witty, and totally despicable, Daniel Cleaver?
Teresa Medeiros
In the tradition of YOU'VE GOT MAIL and SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, two lonely people discover it doesn't take a status update or 140 characters to find true love, just three little words. Bestselling author Abigail Donovan almost won the Pulitzer Prize and did win Oprah's stamp of approval. So why is she spending her days--and nights--hiding in her expensive New York City condo with only her two cats for company? When her publicist drags her into the world of social media, Abby figures she'll meet some 14-year-old living in his mom's basement. But instead she finds Mark Baynard, a sexy and quick-witted English professor traveling the world in search of adventure. Although she tries to resist his charms, Mark begins to shatter Abby's writer's block one wickedly funny encounter at a time. But just when she begins to write--and live--again, Abby discovers Mark is hiding a secret that could change both of their lives forever.
Nicholas Weinstock
For ten long years, Oscar Campbell has done everything from picking up his boss's drycleaning to FedExing her tropical fish. His job as personal assistant to a legendary -- and temperamental -- publisher in New York City has given him more headaches than leg-ups. Yet none of Oscar's experiences has prepared him for his greatest challenge: planning his boss's wedding. Juggling his unappreciated duties as a publishing assistant with those of a pro bono wedding planner, Oscar labors to pull together the event of the year without falling apart in the process. Help arrives in the form of popular wedding columnist Lauren LaRose, with whom Oscar strikes a bargain: his editorial expertise for her nuptial advice. As the two work together to manufacture the romances of others, they will stumble into one of their own.Hilarious and wise, literate and charming, As Long As She Needs Me is a sparkling fable of love and luck in Manhattan.
Lara Vapnyar
Obsessed by Dostoyevsky and the woman who became his muse, Tanya emigrates to New York City from the former Soviet Union and falls in with Mark Schneider, a writer for whom she is determined to be both lover and source of inspiration.