I finally moved to New York City in the summer of 2022, after over a decade of pining for, swooning over, and engaging in a full-on unrequited love affair with the city. I fell for New York when I visited at fourteen, during a magical, whirlwind trip I took with my aunt, and promptly spent the next four years trying to figure out how to get there for college. I had to settle for Boston instead—so close yet so far!—but after a series of near-misses, I got here two years ago and I love the city just as much up close as I did from a distance.
True, New York is occasionally maddening. I’ve seen more rats than I ever needed to, paid way too much for a cocktail, and come up with increasingly creative storage solutions in a tiny apartment. But there’s a crackling, irresistible energy to it that makes the city feel like a living being and a sense of possibility that I find intoxicating. In case you can’t tell, I’m one of those transplants who shamelessly romanticizes the city, still wide-eyed with wonder even after two years of living here.
So today I’m sharing an assortment of my favorite New York novels, from Broadway hopefuls to Gilded Age high society to bantering, bickering couples.
The Diviners by Libba Bray
Set in 1920’s New York, this first installment in one of my favorite YA fantasy series follows a group of teenagers with supernatural powers as they try to catch a serial killer. I would strongly recommend not reading this one before bed, or you may not be able to sleep for days. It’s terrifying, thrilling, deeply atmospheric, and deftly balances a sprawling cast of characters with a gripping plot.
Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
I loved seeing New York through the eyes of Clayborn’s protagonist Meg, a shy calligrapher trying to rediscover her creative inspiration. This exquisitely detailed book is lovely in a way that feels true and tender, letting its imperfect protagonists fall for the city and each other at the same time.
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck
One of my favorites from 2023, this When Harry Met Sally reimagining is a shining example of the joys of messy people romance and utterly, delightfully New York. (Complete with Goldbeck’s guide to the city in the back!) Watching Josh and Ari go from enemies to friends to lovers is a reading experience I wish I could have for the first time all over again.
When You Get the Chance and Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
A pair of teen rom-coms that are one of my go-to YA recommendations. When You Get the Chance centers on a Broadway hopeful on a Mamma Mia!-esque quest for her mom, while Tweet Cute revolves around two teenagers waging a Twitter war via their families’ food businesses, but both bubble over with charm and effervescent energy, with deeply lovable protagonists at their center.
The Wicked Pavilion by Dawn Powell
A witty, sharp cult classic set in and around a Greenwich Village restaurant populated by artists, heiresses, and a pair of star-crossed lovers. It’s a wonderful glimpse at a vanished slice of New York that skewers its targets expertly but extends its characters a little bit of grace as well. If you like Powell’s style, I also really enjoyed The Locusts Have No King.
We Could Be So Good and You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian
I’ve talked about this pair of queer mid-century historical romances several times before, because they’re basically perfect, but I have to highlight them here because one of the ways in which they happen to be perfect is their New York-ness. You Should Be So Lucky, in particular, shines in its portrait of the unique kind of loneliness moving to New York can bring and the beauty of slowly making a home in the city.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
A classic coming-of-age story that follows idealistic, bookish Francie Nolan’s heartbreaks and triumphs in the early 20th century. I first read this when I was thirteen and it left an indelible impression on me. Francie, her family, and her neighborhood are so vividly rendered that they leap off the page and I still feel for Francie so, so deeply. A moving, rich feel-everything kind of book.
In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer
A rom-com delight that starts with a subway meet-cute, features an incredibly fun cast of characters, ends with a swoon-worthy grand gesture, and celebrates the city on every single page. I’d particularly recommend this for readers new to the romance genre or anyone still longing for the glory days of 90’s and 2000’s rom-coms.
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
I read Straub’s take on time travel a few weeks after moving here in 2022 and it was the perfect love letter to New York past and present. It’s a love story between a parent and a child that’s funny, wistful, and sometimes wrenching. (Yes, I cried at the end.) It’s also a thoughtful look at adulthood and nostalgia that perfectly articulated so much of what I feel whenever I look back on my high school self.
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Snappy, glamorous, graceful, and more than a little heartbreaking, this historical fiction novel follows secretary Katey Kontent into the upper echelons of 1930’s New York high society. I adored the elegance of Towles’ writing, the complexity of his characters, and his ability to completely transport the reader. My paperback copy has come with me to no less than five apartments and will probably occupy many more.
The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
A warm, beautifully written novel about two couples who are brought together when the men are both asked to take up the minister position at a Greenwich Village church in the 1960's that was one of my favorite backlist reads last year. Wall’s prose overflows with compassion and wonderful imagery but flows gracefully in a way that makes the story feel perfectly paced.
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
This sumptuous story of a tragic love affair in 1870’s New York, and of a man torn between the dictates of society and an all-consuming passion, is a classic that demands to be read and reread. Wharton knew Old New York inside and out and every single detail feels meaningful. It also possesses one of my favorite lines in literature, which I’m not including here because you simply have to experience it for yourself.
Share some of your favorite New York reads in the comments!
Currently reading: Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, a charming, surprising retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story.
Recommendations, miscellany, and tiny bits of joy:
Love Island USA ended this Sunday, after six weeks of what was truly a top-tier season. Production nailed the casting and I’ve especially enjoyed seeing people who aren’t normally Love Island viewers get sucked in.
I went to visit family in Western Massachusetts this weekend and would thoroughly recommend Woodstar Cafe in Northampton if you’re looking for a lunchtime stop.
Feeling a tiny bit less anxiety about the US presidential election? The anxiety’s definitely still present but I’m feeling genuinely excited about Kamala Harris and the possibilities she represents.
SUMMER FRIDAYS was VERY New Yorky! I enjoyed it a lot of that.
another vote for Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk ... and agree with Torrie - we are long overdue for another Cara Wall novel.