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Fiction A to Z September 2018
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| Our Homesick Songs by Emma HooperWhat it is: a fable-like tale of a family -- and a community -- torn apart by their circumstances but struggling to remain together.
The setting: a desolate, dwindling fishing village in Newfoundland, Canada, where the Connors are one of the few families left.
Why you might like it: A quiet meditation on loss, sorrow, and hope, this moving tale offers moments of magical realism. |
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| The Line That Held Us by David JoyWhat it is: a bleak Southern noir in which an accidental death sets in motion an inescapable cycle of violence.
Featuring: two poachers, the loyal friend of one, and the savage but dedicated brother (with a dangerous sense of justice) of the other.
For fans of: Michael Farris Smith's Desperation Road, or the desolate Appalachian settings of Ron Rash's novels. |
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| The Incendiaries by R.O. KwonStarring: Three Korean Americans: grieving university student Phoebe, who falls in with an extremist cult; shy Will, a transfer student from a Bible college; and John, a magnetic zealot who claims to have been released from a North Korean prison.
What happens: In the wake of a violent act that leaves five people dead at the hands of John's quasi-religious cult, Phoebe disappears, leaving Will to piece together what happened.
Reviewers say: "an urgent and disarming debut" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Shortest Way Home by Miriam ParkerWhat it's about: In this engaging, character-driven debut, 30-year-old Hannah makes the impulsive decision to quit a promising career in finance in order to help out at a charming Sonoma winery.
Who it's for: Sweet and optimistic while addressing issues of self-discovery and growth, this is a great choice for fans of Jennifer Weiner.
Read this next: Lisa Owen's Not Working, or Kelly Harms' The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay. |
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Where the crawdads sing
by Delia Owens
What it's about: Viewed with suspicion in the aftermath of a tragedy, a beautiful hermit who has survived for years in a marsh becomes targeted by unthinkable forces.
Reviewers say: "Kya makes for an unforgettable heroine. Owens memorably depicts the small-town drama and courtroom theatrics, but perhaps best of all is her vivid portrayal of the singular North Carolina setting." (Publishers Weekly)
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Severance
by Ling Ma
What it's about: A survivor of an apocalyptic plague maintains a blog about a decimated Manhattan before joining a motley group of survivors to search for a place to rebuild, a goal that is complicated by an unscrupulous group leader.
What reviewers say: "Smart, funny, humane, a nd superbly well-written." (Kirkus)
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The Half-life of Everything
by Deborah Carol Gang
What it's about: A fiftysomething, happily married man loses his wife to illness. She's alive but she's gone. He finally starts to wonder: What's a married widower supposed to do? Happiness enters his life again but with complications. Major complications.
Reviewers say: "[Gang's] grounded prose echoes the weight of the family’s hardest decisions, with a style reminiscent of Anne Tyler and Diane Chamberlain. Full of life and love, Gang’s debut novel is heartwarming and genuine." (Booklist)
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Ohio
by Stephen Markley
What it's about: Four former classmates converge on their recession- and opioid-ravaged hometown on a fateful summer night that finds them pursuing respective goals based on haunting memories from their shared past.
Reviewers say: "Markley's novel is alternately disturbing and gorgeous, providing a broad view of the anxieties of a post-9/11 Middle America and the complexities of the humans who navigate them." (Publishers Weekly)
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Winfield, IL 60190
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