Feature image credit: @tinamariposa

Emma Straub, the New York Times Bestselling author of Modern Lovers and All Adults Here, is quintessential to modern literature, using her witty humor and insightfulness to tell charming stories. Straub’s All Adults Here was the May book pick of Jenna Bush Hager’s book club (@readwithjenna on Instagram) and she shared what to read next. Here are five books Emma Straub recommends you read if you loved All Adults Here.

Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman

Separation Anxiety is about the qualms of being a middle-aged wife and mother. Judy has taken up a habit of carrying her dog in a baby sling, the only comfort in her now unfortunately chaotic life. Her career as a children’s book writer has gone awry, her teenage son seems embarrassed by her, and she can’t seem to divorce her unambitious, stoned husband. A frank and hilarious read that covers family dynamics, much like All Adults Here.

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

We Ride Upon Sticks is a delightfully funny story that combines friendship, femininity and witchcraft, all taking place in the late 80’s. Danvers, Massachusetts is the first ever site to accuse women of being witches, leading up to the trials of 1692. The Danvers High School girls’ field hockey team yearns to make it to state and will try anything, even if that includes tapping into the town’s dark forces. It is a nostalgia trip to the 80’s that exemplifies the mystic power of female friendship. 

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez

A story about the process of grieving, Afterlife follows Antonia Vega, an immigrant writer whose life was stricken by tragedies including the unexpected death of her husband and the disappearance of her sister. Amongst the turbulence of her crisis-ridden life, Antonia finds an undocumented pregnant teen at her doorstep which she takes as a sign from the universe that there is more that the world needs of her. It is an emotionally raw novel that covers crisis and the steps necessary to not get caught up in the brokenness of the world. 

The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg

In this memoir about moving through life’s endeavors, Molly Wizenberg talks about her experience with identity and sexual orientation. Although she lived a smooth-sailing life with her husband and toddler, events pushed her in other directions that made her question all that she was up to this point. Wizenberg talks about her struggle with identity and sexuality, the trials within her family life, and how she navigated through a discovery about herself that flourished into a transformation of self-awareness. 

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

A gothic suspense about a school for the brightest minds, deep in the woods of rural Pennsylvania; Catherine House follows Ines, an ambitious young girl who is achieving her dream of attending Catherine House. Not everything is what it seems on its surface, however, as a tragedy strikes and Ines is forced to dive deeper into the dark secrets that hide beneath the foundation of Catherine House.