Fiction A to Z
January 2021
Recent Releases
The Push: a novel
by Ashley Audrain

A devoted mother with a painful past gradually realizes that something is very wrong with her daughter, a fear that is complicated by her husband’s dismissive views and the birth of a healthy son.
The Fortunate Ones
by Ed Tarkington

Exposed to the privileges and depravity of wealth when his mother’s connections gain him entry into an elite Nashville boarding school, Charlie faces a difficult choice years later while supporting a friend’s morally questionable political campaign.
Neighbors: a novel
by Danielle Steel

Opening her home to neighbors in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, a reclusive woman inadvertently triggers events that reveal secrets, divide relationships and forge new bonds among strangers. 
The Liar's Dictionary: a novel
by Eley Williams

Tasked with identifying false entries in an encyclopedic dictionary before it is digitized, a young intern questioning her sexuality and place in the world uncovers the laugh-out-loud mountweazels of a disaffected Victorian lexicographer.
2020 Debuts
The Girl with the Louding Voice
by Abi Daré

Starring: Adunni, a 14-year-old rural Nigerian girl who longs for an education in a place where girls are meant to marry young and serve their husbands.

What happens: When Adunni flees her marriage and escapes to Lagos, she finds more degradation and abuse, but is just as determined to find her way.

For fans of: compelling, hopeful stories about fearless young women, like Shobha Rao's Girls Burn Brighter. 
Crooked Hallelujah
by Kelli Jo Ford

What it is: the first collection of stories by Plimpton Prize-winning Cherokee writer Kelli Jo Ford that traces four generations of Cherokee women as they navigate cultural dynamics, disappointing men, and their relationships with each other.

Want a taste? "She’s survived a lifetime of these miracles, which trace back to Daddy emptying the bank account and leaving her with three girls and half an art education degree to pay the bills." 

Reviewers say: "a stunner" (Publishers Weekly); "riveting" (Booklist).  
Tiny Imperfections
by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

Featuring: Josie Bordelon, former model and now the head of admissions at a tony private school in San Francisco. 

What happens: With pushy parents to contend with at work (it's admission season), Josie's also got tension at home stemming from her daughter's impending high school graduation and their clashing ideas for her future.

Why you might like it: Though there's a romantic sub-plot, the focus of this charming, humorous debut is on the family bond between Josie, her aunt, and her daughter. And don't miss the snarky commentary on competitive West Coast high achievers. 
 
All My Mother's Lovers
by Ilana Masad

What happens: Maggie's mother, Iris, dies unexpectedly, putting an abrupt end to their complicated relationship, which was strained by Iris' discomfort with Maggie's sexuality. 

And then: Maggie delivers five sealed letters to men from her mother's past, learning more than she ever thought possible about her mother, her parents' marriage, and herself. 

For fans of: road-trip novels and stories of self-discovery.  
The Cactus League
by Emily Nemens

At the plate: star left-fielder Jason Goodyear, who's at his peak but is spiraling out of control.

What happens: Narrated by an unnamed sportswriter, we follow along as the 2011 spring training season in Scottsdale, AZ unfolds -- and the cast is full with players, owners, trainers, wives, girlfriends, and assorted fans and hangers-on, all with their own flaws and fallibilities.

Reviewers say: "Like the best sportswriting, this bighearted, finely observed novel is about far more than the game" (Kirkus Reviews).
Sharks in the Time of Saviors
by Kawai Strong Washburn

Then: As a child, Nainoa fell overboard and was retrieved and returned by a pack of sharks, entering local Hawaiian lore.

Now: Nainoa is a paramedic in Oregon, his sister and brother similarly scattered. After he fails to save a young mother and her child, Nainoa returns to Hawaii and disappears.

Why you might like it: Covering 14 years and narrated in alternating sections by four of the five members of Nainoa's Filipino Hawaiian family, this lush debut tinged with magical realism explores the difficulties of modern Hawaiian life.  
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Comsewogue Public Library
170 Terryville Road
Port Jefferson Station, New York 11776
(631) 928-1212
www.cplib.org