Eli Rallo
HarperCollins
Eli Rallo, an influencer with more than 1 million followers on TikTok, wrote this collection of essays to help other Gen Z readers struggling to make their way in a world that feels like the opposite of everything they were promised. Rallo, who grew up in New Jersey, shares what it means to be in your 20s and how life is harder than it looks on social media. She also talks about surviving friendship breakups, social media, and knowing when you’ve made the right decision. Her essays also look at her own misadventures and the life lessons that she’s learned along the way. —Jacqueline Mroz
Mike McLaughlin
Mt. Crushmore Records
This 400-page hardcover book by photographer Michael McLaughlin documents the raw passion of the original Asbury Lanes from 2005 to 2015. This vintage bowling alley served as much as a meeting ground for creatives as it did a club, ushering in the rebirth of Asbury. Vivid photos and handwritten accounts of wild shows and more tell this legendary venue’s story. —Jon Coen
Cate Holahan
Thomas & Mercer
Best-selling author Cate Holahan, who lives in Tenafly, tells the fictional story of a wealthy teenager who has been kidnapped and the ways in which her parents, a socialite and an AI-tech CEO, try to find her. Holahan was inspired by her concerns for her teen daughters’ futures, working and living in a world where technology—especially AI—is evolving at lightning speed. —J. Mroz
Patti Smith
Random House
This new memoir by rock icon Patti Smith, author of the National Book Award winner Just Kids, tells the story of her life, including growing up in Deptford Township, where she lived until she was 20 years old. In 1967, she moved to New York City and started her career as a poet/singer/songwriter. “Dancing was a South Jersey pride,” she says in the book of the dances she went to as a teenager. “We were the best dancers, and I was pretty good.” —J. Mroz
Christina Baker Kline and Anne Burt
Thomas & Mercer
This is the first thriller by former Montclair resident Christina Baker Kline (Orphan Train); she cowrote it with longtime friend Anne Burt (also formerly of Montclair). Set in the Adirondack Mountains, it tells the story of Haley Stone, a young woman hoping to rebuild her life with her husband after a series of devastating losses. But soon, secrets begin to surface, and the story becomes a tale of betrayal and survival. —J. Mroz
Barry Morgenstein
Ballast Books
Growing up in Teaneck, Barry Morgenstein wanted to be the next Beatle. When his guitar playing didn’t quite measure up, he turned to immortalizing his musical heroes through the camera, “capturing moments that felt like chords,” he writes in this new collection. Jersey greats Bon Jovi, Steven Van Zandt and Whitney Houston appear alongside B.B. King, David Bowie, Paul McCartney and others. (Sadly, no Bruce!) —Jennifer Finn
Caroline Palmer
Macmillan
What’s an ambitious young editorial assistant to do when she’s determined to catapult herself up the ladder of the world’s most prestigious fashion magazine while competing with colleagues who have a more powerful last name? In her debut novel, Caroline Palmer gives readers an in-depth look at the glamour, grit and greed necessary to break into the fashion-editorial world—terrain Palmer knows well as former Vogue.com editor. — Jaime Bedrin
Ken Jaworowski
Simon & Schuster
From New York Times editor Ken Jaworowski comes a new crime novel about three individuals dealing with secrets, deaths and small-town troubles. For one character, it’s the whereabouts of a missing girl; for another, a debt that threatens her dream career. As obstacles pile up for protagonists Reed, Carla and Liz, the question becomes, what are they all willing to do to get by in an unfair world? —Ben Wasserman
