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| Census by Jesse BallWhat it's about: The widowed father of young man with Down syndrome is dying -- and must figure out how to provide for his son after his death.
Why you might like it: Consider this a non-traditional road novel; the unnamed narrator takes a long-postponed cross-country trip with his son, paid for by his role as census-taker for a mysterious governmental agency.
What reviewers say: "strange and wonderful" (LitHub); "an understated feat" (The Washington Post). |
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| Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue HalpernWhat it's about: A trio of oddballs finds a home of sorts in the Carnegie library of a declining industrial town in New Hampshire.
Why you might like it: Authentic characters, unexpected and evolving relationships, and multiple narrators keep the story moving forward.
For fans of: other book-oriented novels with quirky characters, like Felicity Hayes-McCoy's The Library at the Edge of the World or Rebecca Makkai's The Borrower. |
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| Speak No Evil by Uzodinma IwealaWhat it's about: Star athlete Niru is bound for the Ivy League...until his loving but traditional Nigerian parents discover that he's gay. The repercussions are violent and far-reaching.
Why you should read it: Cross-generational misunderstandings, as well as cross-cultural complications, are sensitively portrayed. Niru is a complex young man trying to come to terms with being a young gay black man.
Is it for you? Readers who prefer happy endings will want to look elsewhere. |
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| Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha RaoStarring: motherless Poornima and penniless Savitha, whose deep friendship sustains them in their rural Indian town.
What it's about: Separated by acts of cruelty and abuse, the two young women must navigate the world alone, each searching for the other.
Why you might like it: Narrated in the girls' alternating voices, this debut novel offers a vivid portrayal of contemporary India, as well as a devastating exploration of gender inequalities and human trafficking. |
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The Arctic & the Antarctic
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| Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-DaltonStarring: astronomer Augustine, seemingly stranded at the top of the world, and astronaut Sully, whose voyage to Jupiter is coming to an end.
What happens: Both unable to contact anyone else on Earth (are they all dead? Have radio transmitters been silenced?), the two scientists must come to terms with their future in a dark and silent world.
Why you might like it: This leisurely paced, unusual take on a post-apocalyptic novel is quietly moving. |
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| The Sunlit Night by Rebecca DinersteinDid you know? The sun never sets if you're above the Arctic Circle in summer, as both 21-year-old Frances and 17-year-old Yasha learn when they arrive in remote Lofoten, Norway. She's there to take up residency in an artists' colony; he's there to bury his father.
Why you might like it: With a cast of quirky supporting characters, poetic language, and vivid descriptions of the harsh and melancholy landscape, this not-quite-romance offers an intriguing portrait of family, uncertainty, and loss. |
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| I Am Radar by Reif LarsenWhat it is: a sprawling novel that involves a black boy named Radar born inexplicably to white parents and a secretive group of physicist puppeteers who stage experimental performances in the world's war zones.
You might also like: Kevin Wilson's The Family Fang, another character-centered tale with performance artists in starring roles.
Where does the Arctic come in? Radar meets the puppeteers in northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle. |
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| Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria SempleWhat it's about: Eighth-grader Bee Branch has been promised a trip to Antarctica by her parents, tech guru Elgin Branch and architect Bernadette Fox. Until Bernadette -- whose creative genius is outstripped only by her social anxiety and agoraphobia -- disappears.
Why you might like it: A compilation of emails, faxes, official documents, and letters forms the basis of this delightful, charming, witty novel. |
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| South Pole Station by Ashley ShelbyStarring: floundering but talented painter Cooper Gosling, who gets to spend a year at an artists' colony in Antarctica, where she is drawn into the complex social and political dynamics of the isolated station.
Why you might like it: This humorous, inventive debut novel combines science, art, and the politics of climate change -- with plenty of quirky characters to drum up complications.
For fans of: oddball workplace comedies, exotic locations, and complex social situations. For a warmer setting, try T.C. Boyle's The Terranauts. |
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| Sun at Midnight by Rosie ThomasWhat it is: a story of self-discovery in a beautiful but unforgiving environment.
Starring: geologist Alice Peel, who seeks change after ending a relationship. And James Rooker, a man trying to outrun his past.
Read it for: the claustrophobic nature of a small research station, the developing relationship between Alice and James, and above all, the descriptions of Antarctica.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Plainville Public Library plainvillepubliclibrary.org/ 198 South Street Plainville, Massachusetts 02762 (508) 695-1784
Library Hours: Monday 10-8pm, Tuesday 10-5pm, Wednesday 10-8pm, Thursday 10-2pm, Friday 1-5pm and Saturday 10-2pm.
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