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Fiction A to Z October 2019
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Olive, again
by Elizabeth Strout
A sequel to Olive Kitteridge finds Olive struggling to understand herself while bonding with a teen suffering from loss, a woman who gives birth unexpectedly, a nurse harboring a longtime crush and a lawyer who resists an unwanted inheritance.
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| Quichotte by Salman RushdieWhat it is: an homage to Cervantes' classic Don Quixote. Set in the modern day, a middling Indian crime writer invents a delusional traveling salesman who crosses the U.S. in search of the love of a TV talk show host, accompanied by a son who doesn't exist.
Why you might like it: it's a sharply humorous indictment of modern American culture.
Reviewers say: "brilliant" (Publishers Weekly); "dazzling and provocative" (Booklist) |
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Find me
by André Aciman
The author of the worldwide best-seller Call Me by Your Name revisits that novel’s complex and beguiling characters decades after their first meeting. Tour.
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The giver of stars
by Jojo Moyes
Volunteering for Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library in small-town Kentucky, an English bride joins a group of independent women whose commitment to their job transforms the community and their relationships. By the best-selling author of Me Before You. Read by Julia Whelan. Simultaneous.
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| The Boat People by Sharon BalaFeaturing: Sri Lankan immigrant Mahindan, detained and separated from his young son and despairing of a new start in Canada.
Why you might like it: Though Mahindan is a sympathetic character at the outset, his prior actions in Sri Lanka complicate things; law student Priya and judge-advocate Grace are similarly complex characters.
Try this next: Sri Lankan stories, like Anuk Arudpragasam's The Story of a Brief Marriage, or refugee crisis novel Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. |
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| Rich People Problems by Kevin KwanWhat happens: In this 3rd in a trilogy about uber-wealthy Asian families (after Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend), matriarch Shang Su Yi is dying, prompting lots of political maneuverings to win her estate.
Why you might like it: Family drama is especially enjoyable when it involves dis-inheritances, public scandals, palaces, and extremely expensive fashion, travel, and real estate.
Our advice: Start at the beginning of the series to prolong this delectable read. |
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| Other People's Houses by Abbi WaxmanWhat do you do...when you witness a neighbor in a compromising position with a man who's not her husband? That's the question generally un-flusterable mom Frances Bloom must ask herself, raising doubts about her own marital relationship as well as those around her.
Read it for: the flawed, believable characters and enjoyable (if salty) humor.
For fans of: modern middle-class family dramedies, like Laurie Gelman's Class Mom or Maria Semple's Today Will Be Different. |
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| The Best Kind of People by Zoe WhittallWhat happens: A celebrated and much-loved teacher has been accused of attempted rape by several students; over the following months, his family is destroyed by external threats -- and internal doubts.
What reviewers say: "a humane, clear-eyed attempt to explore the ripple effects of sexual crime" (Kirkus Reviews).
Book buzz: Written by Lambda Literary Award-winner Zoe Whittall, The Best Kind of People was shortlisted for Canada's Giller Prize and is reportedly being adapted for film. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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