Women and Art: Fiction that Paints a Portrait  

The unnamed artist at the center of this novel is at a crossroads — she’s meant to embark on a road trip across the country, but she pulls off the road and books a motel 30 minutes into the trip instead. What follows is an electric tale of passion, art, marriage and family. A fever dream of a coming-of-middle-age novel by the celebrated artist and author, Miranda July, this is a reminder of everything we love about her, starting with the questions she asks about how we live and what we value. This is a reawakening and an examination of domestic liberty that readers will fly through.

The author of New Animal returns with Woo Woo, a novel following Sabine, a multi-medium artist getting ready to open a photo exhibition. With the threat of a stalker, a flurry of social media validation and the ghost of Carolee Schneemann, an American visual experimental artist, Ella Baxter blurs the lines between reality and life in this gripping page turner. This portrait of a woman grappling with paranoia and art, the internet and the supernatural is perfect for fans of I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel and Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder. 

While we’ve been obsessed with Rachel Kushner’s latest novel Creation Lake for the past few months, we love revisiting her 2014 publication The Flamethrowers. A whirlwind journey through sex, drugs and rock and roll, this novel follows Reno’s recent move to New York. She’s intent on poring over her favorite things in life while she’s there: art, pleasure, and motorcycles. A novel that feels like exploring NYC and Italy alongside its iconic stars like Patti Smith or Julia Fox through a literary style reminiscent of Joan Didion, you’ll race through this critically acclaimed novel about art, speed and social class.

Inspired by the life and art of Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta, Xochitl Gonzalez’s latest tells the story of Anita de Monte, one of the few students of color at her ivy league university. While studying art history and preparing her final thesis, Anita begins a romantic relationship with a wealthy emerging artist, opening her eyes to questions of race, class, history and legacy in the art world. This is a sharp and rollicking read about the power of art and the lasting legacy of those who make it from the bestselling author of our previous Discover pick, Olga Dies Dreaming.

Bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Lisa Ko tells an unforgettable story of art, friendship and coming-of-age that cuts across decades. Spanning the 1980s to the 2040s, Memory Piece follows the lifelong relationship between three friends, Giselle the performance artist, Jackie the coder, and Ellen the activist. As their friendship evolves and their lives change along with the world around them, the author of The Leavers paints a portrait of life and humanity from the internet’s earliest days to a terrifying, dystopian future. 

Blurring the boundaries between art and life, Claire Messud’s The Woman Upstairs is a stunning tale of a flawed heroine, life’s broken promises, and the lengths we’d go to for fulfillment. When Nora meets her new neighbors, an enigmatic, artistic couple and their adorable son, she falls headfirst for their glamorous way of life — and loses herself in the process. If you’ve ever wondered how the other half lives, The Woman Upstairs is a sharp, illuminating story.