Literary Novels for When You’re Spiraling (A Little)
22 May 2025
Literary Novels for When You’re Spiraling (A Little)
Whether it’s a breakdown, a breakthrough, or both, these six books capture that spinning feeling with raw honesty and masterful form. If you love introspective fiction with a pulse, prepare to get emotionally wrecked—in the best way.
The Mantra of Lucy Watts
by Ann Colbert
Release Date: April 8, 2025
A haunted doctor. Three words that won’t let her go. Drifting through life, Lucy finds unexpected stability in a quiet Kentucky town, with new friends and a hint of love. But when the past calls from Belize, will Lucy finally find peace—or lose everything? The Mantra of Lucy Watts is a witty, moving novel about purpose, connection, and coming home.
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Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride
by Will Leitch
Release Date: May 20, 2025
Lloyd McNeil has just learned he has months to live. He also learns that his twenty years as a beat cop in Atlanta haven’t earned him enough money to take care of his teenage son, Bishop, after he’s gone. But when Lloyd discovers his police benefits will increase exponentially if he dies in the line of duty, he comes up with a plan.
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Run for the Hills
by Kevin Wilson
Release Date: May 13, 2025
Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s been just Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While it’s a bit lonely, she sometimes admits, and a less exciting life than what she imagined for herself, it’s mostly okay. Mostly.
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The Original Daughter
by Stephen King
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Before Arin, Genevieve Yang was an only child. Living with her parents and grandmother in a single-room flat inworking-class Singapore, Genevieve is saddled with an unexpected sibling when Arin appears, the shameful legacy of a grandfather long believed to be dead. As the girls grow closer, they must navigate the intensity of life in a brutally competitive place where the insistence on achievement demands constant sacrifice. The sisters become inextricably bound as they spurn outside friendships, leisure, and any semblance of a social life in pursuit of academic perfection and passage to a better future.
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Yours to Lose (The Boston Hearts Series Book 1)
by Samantha Brinn
Release Date: May 9, 2025
Once upon a time, my whole life stretched out ahead of me, and it was perfect. Then, tragedy struck. Two years later, nothing about my life looks the way I thought it would, and I don’t even know what home is anymore. Until I cross paths with Jo Evans late one night, staring up at the stars. With her signature pink sneakers and smile that could power the world, Jo is sunshine personified. When she ends up in my city for a few months, she insists that we are going to be summer friends and no amount of my grumpy resistance deters her.
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Loving Ladybug, Part Two (HockeyVerse)
by Jane Handler
Release Date: May 1, 2025
It’s not enough that he has a hockey contract and an omega. No, he and his family have decided to go after me because I had the poor judgment to date him. At least I’ve got Clark and Tenzin–and things are heating up between all three of us. Yeah, I might just keep those two forever. Also, the New York Knights are my family and have my back. My past is about to catch up to me, but my ex is the one who should be wary. There’s a good reason why I don’t talk to my family much.
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