Funny Story

#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later. Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love. Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art.

In war-torn Afghanistan, Mariam and Laila, born decades apart, find their lives tragically intertwined. Mariam, a fifteen-year-old forced into marriage with the harsh Rasheed, and Laila, a young woman yearning for love and education, become unlikely allies amidst escalating violence and oppression. As the Taliban seize control, their bond deepens, forging a profound connection that transcends circumstance. In a world of brutality and fear, their resilience shines, revealing the extraordinary power of love and sacrifice. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking saga of unwavering devotion, unexpected heroism, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

In the quiet coastal town of Sowell Bay, a unique friendship blossoms between Tova Sullivan, a widow who finds solace cleaning at the local aquarium, and Marcellus, a remarkably intelligent giant Pacific octopus. Tova has carried the weight of her son Erik's mysterious disappearance for thirty years, finding comfort in routine and solitude.

Marcellus, with his keen observational skills, knows more than he lets on and wouldn't dream of assisting his human captors. However, he recognizes a kindred spirit in Tova and forms an unlikely bond with her. Using his extraordinary intellect, Marcellus unravels the truth about what happened the night Erik vanished.

Now, against the constraints of his captive existence, Marcellus must find a way to communicate the truth to Tova before time runs out, offering her a chance at closure and a future she thought impossible. Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a heartwarming tale of friendship, mystery, and the transformative power of connection, reminding us that hope can emerge from the most unexpected corners.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • #1 AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR 2025 An ENTHRALLING new novel from the NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author of Migrations and Once There Were Wolves "A WILDLY TALENTED writer." ―Emily St. John Mandel “SPELLBINDING...Exceptionally imagined, thoroughly humane.” — Washington Post “Abounds with EVOCATIVE nature writing.” — The New York Times Book Review A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon. Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore. Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again. But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together. A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.