The Council of Dads
By Bruce Feiler
256 pages; William Morrow
Diagnosed with a serious illness, journalist Feiler gathers six of his best friends to be there in their own ways for his daughters.
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Jesus Boy
By Preston L. Allen
364 pages; Akashic
Think African-American Romeo and Juliet, as played out in a devout Christian community.
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Dear Money
By Martha McPhee
352 pages; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
A Pygmalion story about a Master of the Universe who tries to turn a serious novelist into a Wall Street trader.
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Just Let Me Lie Down
By Kristin van Ogtrop
272 pages; Little, Brown
The last word (we hope) on the complicated life of what Real Simple managing editor Van Ogtrop calls a "half-insane working mom."

Thief
By Maureen Gibbon
192 pages; Sarah Crichton/FSG
A writer gets involved with a prisoner in this raw and poetic take on an at-best tricky situation.
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