The Middlesteins (Grand Central, $15) is the story of one suburban family’s slow unfurling. Edie Middlestein has sought comfort in food throughout her life, and her health has been declining for years—she’s in the midst of multiple surgeries when her husband, Richard, suddenly leaves her. Every member in the large cast of their children and extended family weighs in with opinions and concerns, and their interventions often deeply affect their own lives. Central to the story is an exploration of the different ways we all come to relate to, rely on, or feel repelled by food. Compulsively readable and downright fun, the book’s accessibility belies the depth and heart of Jami Attenberg’s story: her characters are complex but always endearing, and her insights into the loving yet dysfunctional family are so apt that they’re almost painful.