Books Set in New York City

25 Recommendations for NYC-Based Reads

From glittering Manhattan penthouses to the global food scene of Queens and Brooklyn brownstones, these 25 novels capture the pulse of the Big Apple across genres, eras, and neighborhoods—proving no city inspires storytellers quite like New York City.

Thrillers

Count My Lies

A GMA Book Club Pick!

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

SOON TO BE A HULU LIMITED SERIES STARRING LINDSAY LOHAN, SHAILENE WOODLEY, AND KIT HARINGTON

“The very definition of a page-turner! This smart, original, twisty story had me gripped from the first to the last page.” —Liane Moriarty, New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies

A read-in-one-night suspense thriller narrated by a compulsive liar whose little white lies allow her to enter into the life and comfort of a wealthy married couple who are harboring much darker secrets themselves. For the millions of us still chasing those gone girls, this is perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Lucy Foley, and Laura Dave.

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Aftertaste

A Novel

“A haunting evocation of pain and pleasure, and the power of food.” —Nigella Lawson

What if you could have one last meal with someone you’ve loved, someone you’ve lost? Combining the magic of Under the Whispering Door with the high-stakes culinary world of SweetbitterAftertaste is an epic love story, a dark comedy, and a synesthetic adventure through food and grief.

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I Need You to Read This

A Novel

This “super creepy” (The Washington Post) and “perfectly plotted whodunnit” (Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author) follows an advice columnist searching for answers about her predecessor’s murder—from the bestselling author of The Golden Spoon.
 

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The Other Black Girl

A Novel

Now a Hulu Original Series

“Riveting, fearless, and vividly original” (Emily St. John Mandel, New York Times bestselling author), this instant New York Times bestseller explores the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.
 

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You

A Novel

NOW A HIT NETFLIX SERIES
NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER

From bestselling author Caroline Kepnes comes a brilliant and terrifying psychological thriller that blurs the line between love and obsession in the age of social media.

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Kill for Me, Kill for You

A Novel

Two ordinary women make a deadly pact to take revenge for each other after being pushed to the brink in this “unguessable and unputdownable” (Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author) psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and Alfred Hitchcock.
 

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The Cloisters

A Novel

In this “sinister, jaw-dropping” (Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary) debut novel from the author of Saltwater, a circle of researchers uncovers a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York’s famed Met Cloisters.
 

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Witness 8

A Novel

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Author of the “unguessable and unputdownable” (Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Kill For Me, Kill for You, the master of psychological thrillers Steve Cavanagh returns.

What if the witness was more twisted than the killer?

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The Coffin Dancer

A Novel

SOON TO BE A MAJOR TELEVISION EVENT FROM NBC, STARRING RUSSELL HORNSBY, ARIELLE KEBBEL, AND MICHAEL IMPERIOLI.

“Lincoln Rhyme is more relentless than ever” (People) and Jeffery Deaver delivers “supercharged tension” (USA TODAY) in this New York Times bestselling suspense masterwork.

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Fiction

Work Nights

A young queer woman finds herself in a love triangle with an unobtainable intern and a quick-tempered musician in this charming debut that combines Big Swiss with The Devil Wears Prada.
 

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Livonia Chow Mein

A Novel

“Abigail Savitch-Lew opens up doors to a Brooklyn world that most of us will never see. She reveals the convergence of cultures that is the real New York to life with flair and grace that make this an utterly enjoyable read.” —James McBride, New York Times bestselling author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

In the vein of Happiness Falls and Family Lore, a gripping story of family history and political upheaval centered around a Chinese family-owned restaurant in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and its impact on the neighborhood’s Jewish and Black residents over the course of a century.

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Hot Desk

A Novel

Younger meets Writers & Lovers in this wise, witty novel about friendship, ambition, and love.
 

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Early Thirties

A Novel

“The year’s best coming-of-age novel is about adults.” —GQ

A hilarious and painfully relatable debut novel about two thirtysomething best friends’ messy search for connection and love in New York, perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle, Gabrielle Zevin, and Dolly Alderton.

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Grace of the Empire State

A Novel

In this “thrilling, heartbreaking” (Annie Lyons, author of The Air Raid Club) debut novel set during the Great Depression in 1930s New York, a daring dancer must take her twin brother’s place as a riveter high atop the in-progress Empire State Building to save her family from ruin.
 

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The Dearly Beloved

A Read with Jenna Pick

“This gentle, gorgeously written book may be one of my favorites ever.” —Jenna Bush Hager (A Today show “Read with Jenna” Book Club Selection!)

This “moving portrait of love and friendship set against a backdrop of social change” (The New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice) traces two married couples whose lives become entangled when the husbands become copastors at a famed New York city congregation in the 1960s.

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Five-Star Stranger

A Novel

An exciting and “inventive” (HuffPost) debut novel about a top-rated man on the Rental Stranger app—a place where users can hire a pretend fiancé, a wingman, or companion of any kind—who finds out who he is by being anyone but himself.
 

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Friends of the Museum

A Novel

Coworkers at a legendary but troubled New York City museum struggle with issues large and small over the course of one extraordinary day in this whip-smart “marvel” (Mona Awad, bestselling author of Bunny) of a novel in the vein of The White Lotus.
 

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The Thirty Names of Night

A Novel

Winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction
Winner of the ALA Stonewall Book Award—Barbara Gittings Literature Award

​​From the award-winning author of The Map of Salt and Stars, a new novel about three generations of Syrian Americans haunted by a mysterious species of bird and the truths they carry close to their hearts—a “vivid exploration of loss, art, queer and trans communities, and the persistence of history. Often tender, always engrossing, The Thirty Names of Night is a feat” (R.O. Kwon, author of The Incendiaries).

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Time and Again

The 50th anniversary edition of the beloved classic that Stephen King has called “THE great time-travel story.” Featuring a brand-new introduction by the New York Times bestselling author of Recursion, Blake Crouch.
 

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My Notorious Life

A Novel

Inspired by a real midwife who became one of the most controversial figures in Victorian New York City, this “action-packed, thought-provoking page-turner” (The New York Times) is an unforgettable tale—a love story and a family saga, featuring a charismatic and passionate woman who became a pioneer for women's rights and changed the lives of countless others.
 

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The Museum of Extraordinary Things

A Novel

The “spellbinding” (People, 4 stars), New York Times bestseller from the author of The Dovekeepers: an extraordinary novel about an electric and impassioned love affair—“an enchanting love story rich with history and a sense of place” (USA TODAY).
 

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Romance

Love and Other Brain Experiments

A Novel

“Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood and other STEM romances.” —Booklist (starred review)

An academic-rivals-to-lovers rom-com set at a New York conference about two neuroscientists who are forced to pretend they’re dating, leading to unexpected chemistry and a heartfelt journey of self-discovery.

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How Freaking Romantic

A Novel

In this sharply funny solo debut, an aspiring lawyer is forced to work alongside the opposing counsel in her best friend’s divorce case, which leads to the biggest irreconcilable difference of all: love.
 

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Emma of 83rd Street

In this witty and romantic debut novel, Jane Austen’s Emma meets the misadventures of Manhattan’s modern dating scene as two lifelong friends discover that, in the search for love, you sometimes don’t have to look any further than your own backyard—perfect for fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary and Clueless.
 

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Triple Sec

A Novel

A jaded bartender is wooed by a charmingly quirky couple in this fresh and sizzling polyamorous rom-com, set in the glamorous world of high-end cocktail bars—from the acclaimed author of the “tender, decadent, and sparklingly funny” (Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author) Chef’s Choice.
 

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Nonfiction

Push the Wall

My Life, Writing, Drawing, and the Art of Storytelling

From the all-time bestselling mind behind Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil300, and Sin City, Push the Wall is part memoir, part master class for budding artists and writers by one of the greatest living creators whose work has influenced pop culture for decades.
 

New York City

A Color-Your-Own Travel Journal

Illustrated by Emma Taylor

Color your way around the world as this travel-journal-meets-coloring-book guides you through the streets of New York City, featuring 30 expertly curated sites to learn about, color, and record whether you’re already there, planning a trip, or dreaming about your next adventure.
 

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