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Fiction A to Z November 2019
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| All This Could Be Yours by Jami AttenbergWhat happens: After tyrannical patriarch Victor Tuchman is felled by a heart attack, family members dutifully gather at his deathbed.
Why you might like it: Unfolding over the course of only one day, you the reader are privy to the innermost thoughts of the characters, who are inscrutable to each other.
For fans of: contemporary, complex family dramas. |
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| The House of Brides by Jane CockramWhat it is: a Daphne du Maurier-inspired story of a disgraced Australian social media influencer who flees to a British estate with links to her own family's mysterious history.
Why you might like it: The slow-burning suspense, atmospheric setting, and unveiling of family secrets will all appeal to fans of Gothic fiction.
What to read next: Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key. Already read it? Try a Rebecca homage like Lisa Gabriele's The Winters. |
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| A Tall History of Sugar by Curdella ForbesWhat it is: the coming of age and love story of Moshe Fisher, a man whose unusual appearance makes his race uncertain, and his soul mate, dark-skinned Arrienne Christie, as well as Jamaica's struggle for independence.
Why you might like it: With a strong sense of place, a touch of magical realism, lyrical writing, and well-crafted dialogue relayed in Jamaican patois, this is a powerful tale of post-colonial Jamaica.
Reviewers say: "subtle and commanding" (The New York Times). |
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| Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate RacculiaStarring: an eclectic cast of characters, all sent on an inventive treasure hunt across Boston by an unconventional billionaire's final request.
For fans of: literary and pop culture references; ghost stories; inheritance drama; loners; bankers who used to be theater kids; Edgar Allan Poe; cape-wearing gentlemen; scavenger hunts; camp, whimsy, and eccentricity. And, of course, Ellen Raskin's classic kids' book The Westing Game.
Read this next: Ernest Cline's nostalgic, sci-fi scavenger hunt, Ready Player One. |
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| Frankissstein: A Love Story by Jeanette WintersonWhat it is: a retelling of the creation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, featuring Mary as a narrator, as well as a modern-day tale in which a trans doctor falls for a professor working to chain AI to a fusion of body parts.
Why you might like it: Ever questioned what makes us human? If so, this one's for you.
Reviewers say: "slick and funny, often delightfully obscene" (The Washington Post); "beguiling, disturbing, and full of wonders" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Inside the O'Briens by Lisa GenovaStarring: 44-year-old Joe O'Brien, a cop with a recent diagnosis of Huntington's disease, his wife, and their four children, who must decide whether or not to be tested for this incurable hereditary condition.
What happens: As Joe's health worsens, youngest daughter Katie is, at 21, just starting her adult life, and she isn't sure she wants to know what her future holds. How the O'Briens cope is both heart-wrenching and riveting. |
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| Daughters of the Bride by Susan MalleryStarring: Maggie Watson, who's getting married after nearly 25 years as a widow, and her three very different daughters, who all want the best for her.
Why you might like it: Delving into all four women's lives and relationships offers an in-depth picture of the problems they face and the dynamics in their relationships.
For fans of: appealing characters getting a second chance at love, family bonds, and, of course, weddings! |
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| There There by Tommy OrangeWhat it is: the award-winning debut of Cheyenne and Arapaho author Tommy Orange, comprised of vignettes in the lives of 12 different characters as they prepare for the upcoming Big Oakland Powwow in Oakland, California.
Why you might like it: With characters whose motivations run the gamut, this is a wide-ranging, multifaceted portrait of a complex and sometimes only tangentially connected community -- that of urban Native Americans.
Reviewers say: "a new kind of American epic" (The New York Times); "white-hot" (The Washington Post); "kaleidoscopic" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren WeisbergerWhat it is: a gossipy, irreverent tale of image-consultant-to-the-stars Emily Charlton, who teams up with a friend and former lawyer to help an A-list model whose recent DUI arrest may have been a set-up.
Why you might like it: Looking for a snarky read that pokes fun at celebrity culture while also celebrating female friendship? This second Devil Wears Prada spin-off (after Revenge Wears Prada) won't disappoint. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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