The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Editorial assistant Nella is thrilled when another person of color, Hazel, is hired at Wagner, where Nella has worked at for the past two years. She figures they can bond and hopefully come together to bring more diversity to the publishing house. But soon after Hazel arrives, Nella receives an anonymous note urging her to quit her job, and her co-workers seem to prefer working with Hazel rather than her. What is going on at Wagner? Can Nella really trust Hazel? The Other Black Girl starts out as a novel about working in publishing and the inequalities there, then morphs into something completely different. Book groups will have a lot to discuss.

Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

When bestselling novelist Vivi Howe dies in a hit-and-run accident, she is given the summer to watch over her family from above and use three nudges to "influence outcomes...down below" by Martha, the person assigned to her from the Beyond. However, Vivi's family needs her now more than ever, so how will she choose when to nudge? Her oldest daughter, Willa, is happily married to childhood sweetheart, Rip, but worries about carrying a baby to term, since she's had three miscarriages. Meanwhile, Vivi's other daughter, Carson, is having an affair with a married man and is in a downwards spiral, using pills, drugs and alcohol to get through the day. Her youngest, son, Leo, has just graduated from high school and is trying to extricate himself from his needy girlfriend, Marissa. Golden Girl explores the lives of those Vivi has left behind-Willa, Carson, Leo, Vivi's ex-husband JP, and best friend, Savannah, in addition to recounting Vivi's childhood and life on Nantucket.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Patrick O'Hara finds himself taking care of Maisie and Grant (his niece and nephew) for the summer after their mother passes away and their father, Greg, goes to rehab. Patrick is not keen on the idea, since he's spent the past four years hiding out in his Palm Springs home away from the acting scene in Los Angeles. Patrick was on a very successful sitcom, but retreated from public life after the love of his life, Joe, was killed in a car accident. In The Guncle, Patrick regales Maisie and Grant with his "Guncle Rules" and introduces them to his laid-back, unstructured lifestyle, while the kids' presence helps Patrick to heal. A fun summer read.

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

Gilda is a worrier and cannot stop thinking about death. After seeing a flyer advertising therapy, Gilda finds herself at a local Catholic church. Despite being an atheist and a lesbian, she accepts a position as the receptionist. The person previously in the job, an older woman named Grace, has recently passed away. Gilda soon finds herself impersonating Grace through an email communication with one of Grace's friends, Rosemary, because Gilda can't bear to tell Rosemary that Grace has died. After it appears that Grace might have been murdered, Gilda also attempts to discover who killed Grace. Gilda is a tenderhearted yet fragile protagonist in this interesting debut novel. It will be published next month.