I Want You to Be Happy

<p><b>Named a Best Book of 2026 So Far by <i>The New Yorker</i><br><br>A tender, witty, and sharp debut novel about the passions and peculiarities of modern love, by "an extraordinarily gifted writer" (Sally Rooney).</b><br><br>Chuck and Joey meet in a bar. He's in his mid-thirties; she's twelve years younger. He long ago abandoned his ambition of being a novelist and now works as a copywriter at a big ad agency. "Lead copywriter," he corrects himself. Joey is living paycheck to paycheck on her barista wages and privately dreams of making it as a poet. They go back to Chuck's luxury flat-a world away from Joey's cramped house-share and the crumbs in her bed. All too soon, Joey is imagining a future between them, while Chuck struggles to move on from a mistake in his recent past. It's amazing how meeting a new person can make you feel so new.<br><br>Vibrant, funny, and excruciatingly true, <i>I Want You to Be Happy</i> is a sharp-eyed tale of two people searching for meaning and connection in modern times-missing the mark, maybe, but still trying.</p>