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| The Usual Desire to Kill by Camilla BarnesHelping her retired British parents at their ramshackle French country house, 40-something Miranda reports back to her sister that she has the “usual desire to kill" as she deals with their idiosyncrasies and plans for her mom's upcoming surgery. This witty, moving debut by an actor and playwright spotlights adult child-parent relationships, sibling rivalry, and marriage. Try this next: The Birdcatcher by Gayl Jones.
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| Old School Indian by Aaron John CurtisDealing with a mysterious illness, middle-aged Miami bookseller Abe Jacobs returns home to New York's Mohawk reservation. Looking for relief, he sees family, a native healer, and doctors, while pondering his past mental health issues and troubled marriage. Meanwhile, his poet alter ego serves up poems and witty thoughts. Fans of Penobscot author Morgan Talty's Fire Exit should try this "electrifying debut" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Bright Years by Sarah DamoffRyan and Lillian fall for each other in 1979 Fort Worth, Texas. Though both have secrets (Ryan's dad was an abusive alcoholic; teenage Lillian gave a baby up for adoption), they marry and have daughter Jet. But Ryan's own struggles with alcoholism lead to a troubled marriage. Narrated by the three of them, this poignant first novel explores loss and family over four generations and several decades. |
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| The Correspondent by Virginia EvansIn 2012 Maryland, we meet 73-year-old Sybil Van Antwerp, a mother, grandmother, and retired lawyer, who spends time each week writing to family, friends, and authors she admires. Detailing her past, present, future, and favorite books, this moving epistolary tale and accomplished debut covers nearly a decade of an intriguing life. For fans of: Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge; Beth Morrey's The Love Story of Missy Carmichael. |
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| All That Life Can Afford by Emily EverettStudying for her master's degree, broke American in London Anna finds herself enamored by the family of one of her wealthy test prep students. Swept into the world of the glamorous Wilders, she's torn between her ambition and identity, the allure of belonging, and two very different men. Already a Reese's Book Club pick, this lyrical coming-of-age story will please fans of Jane Green's novels and modern Jane Austen retellings. |
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| Rabbit Moon by Jennifer HaighAfter a hit-and-run leaves 22-year-old American expat Lindsey in a coma in Shanghai, her divorced parents go to her, wondering why she isn't living in Beijing like she'd said. Meanwhile, Lindsey's adored 11-year-old sister, who was adopted from China, is at camp, puzzled that Lindsey isn't texting her back. With a strong sense of place, this thoughtful novel moves back and forth in time, examining fractured families and secrets. Try this next: Juli Min's Shanghailanders. |
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| The Names by Florence KnappCora Atkin is off to register her baby's name when nine-year-old Maia suggests they call the baby Bear instead of Gordon, which her father has insisted upon. Cora's pick? Julian. Tracing the results of each choice over 35 years, this thought-provoking novel and Read with Jenna selection presents a complex story about fate, family, and abuse. Read-alike: The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas. |
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| What Is Wrong with You? by Paul RudnickAs a former flight attendant prepares to marry a tech billionaire at his private Maine island, hijinks ensue with the arrival of the guests. They include a 60-something gay editor who just got fired, a sensitivity reader who might be after the groom, and the bride's bodybuilder ex-husband. Fans of eccentric characters and lighthearted stories will want to read this "hilarious farce" (Publishers Weekly). For fans of: Carl Hiaasen. |
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| Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. SmithWith a workaholic father and a mother who only shows up for annual road trips, the four Endicott kids grow extraordinarily close. Now adults and estranged from each other, they reunite at the behest of their Academy Award nominee sister in a small North Dakota town, where they're soon snowed in. Covering numerous years and locations, this moving character-driven novel is full of heart. Read-alike: Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris. |
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| The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean VuongIn a dying Connecticut town, 19-year-old Hai, who struggles with addiction, is on a bridge ready to end it all when Grazina, an elderly Lithuanian widow with dementia, yells at him. Becoming her caretaker in a rundown house by the river, Hai gets work at a fast food place and finds a home there too. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, Ocean Vuong's lyrical second novel is an Oprah Book Club pick. Try these next: Joe Wilkins' The Entire Sky; Julie Otsuka's The Swimmers. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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