The Most Popular New Fiction of 2019

1. Four Months after Herbert Died

A dark hallway with a shadow of a man in the background — (Shutterstock)

“For all 68 years of his life, being overlooked had been a norm. Finally, it seemed that being overlooked had fallen in his favor.”

2. Marlie’s House

Old, abandoned farmhouse — (Shutterstock)

By Sara Amis

Escaping to the Georgia home she once shared with her parents, a young artist creates a happiness mural. But happiness, like life, won’t last forever.

3. Papa

By Jonathan Vollinger

Young Jack looks to his father for answers about his mother’s strange behavior.

4. Calculus 1

Piece of paper with algebra equations — (Shutterstock)

By John M. Floyd

He was good at math — but some problems aren’t so easily solved.

5. A Sentimental Person

By Kevin Fitton

Years after his wife’s death, a Michigan pastor learns how to play the blues and how to let go.

6. The Mailman

Man handing a package to its owner. — (Shutterstock)

By Jeff Wallach

A technical writer living in Oregon discovers the new mailman is his friend’s dead husband.

7. Cool, Damp Cloth

By Niles Reddick

“At the first light, I … saw a fellow with a cigarette in one hand, cell phone in the other, and his belly steered the old Buick when the light turned green.”