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Fiction A to Z February 2021
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| Black Buck by Mateo AskaripourWhat it is: A debut novel with a biting take on racism in corporate America and the story of a man who may have found success at the expense of his sense of self.
Starring: Darren, a college graduate who takes a job at a cult-like NYC startup. The longer he stays and the greater his success, the more the corporate excesses push him toward helping other young Black people succeed in America's sales force.
Why you might like it: Styled like a self-help manual, this provocative satire exposes a lot of hypocrisy and prejudice and speaks to the current moment in American history. |
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A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself
by Peter Ho Davies
What it's about: A family grapples with the decision to terminate a pregnancy after receiving catastrophic test results and must deal with questions that reverberate down the years.
Reviewers say: A heartbreaking, soul-baring novel about the repercussions of choice that "will strike a resonant chord with parents everywhere" (starred Kirkus).
What to read next: Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo or The Mothers by Brit Bennett.
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Girls With Bright Futures
by Tracy Dobmeier
Three mothers: Alicia is a tech giant, wealthy beyond compare. Kelly is a stay-at-home mother and Stanford legacy. Maren is single, broke, and out of place among the rich and elite.
What it's about: Locked in competition for a single admittance into Stanford, the mothers of three prep-school students confront their worst nightmares and doubts about each other’s true characters.
For fans of: Suspenseful fiction writers such as Ruth Ware, Liv Constantine, or Sarah Vaughan.
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The Death of Vivek Oji
by Akwaeke Emezi
What it's about: The mysterious death of young Nigerian Vivek Oji; friendship and family loyalty; gender identity; and deeply rooted transphobia.
Read it for: The many narrative perspectives, the description of middle-class Nigeria and the generational contrast in beliefs, the elegant writing style, and the raw depiction of grief.
Reviewers say: "There's just no way to finish this powerful novel and not feel more deeply than ever the ghastly consequences of intolerance" (The Washington Post).
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| Before the Ruins by Victoria GoslingThe set up: Four best friends become five with the arrival of a mysterious stranger in their tiny English town. But their group fractures, and decades later, one member has disappeared.
What happens: Ringleader Andy sets out to find her oldest pal, with whom things have long been strained. In so doing, she uncovers long-hidden secrets.
For fans of: Atmospheric, menacing tales like Donna Tartt's The Secret History or Elisabeth Thomas' Catherine House. |
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| The Center of Everything by Jamie HarrisonStarring: Montana restaurant owner Polly, who is beset by migraines and memory problems (including painful flashbacks from her childhood) after a head injury. The troubling disappearance of her children's babysitter adds an additional stressor.
What it is: Set in the present (the 4th of July weekend in 2002) and the past (a family reunion in 1968), this family drama of mental illness and loss is told by an unwittingly unreliable narrator.
For fans of: Slow-burning, character-driven novels. |
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Aria
by Nazanine Hozar
What it's about: Abandoned as an infant in a corrupt and divided Iran, Aria is raised by three mother figures of disparate class levels and temperaments before becoming a mother herself against a backdrop of the 1979 revolution.
Read it for: Compelling and dramatic historical fiction; well-developed and culturally-diverse characters.
For fans of: Exit West by Mohsin Hamid or And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini.
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The Ocean House: Stories
by Mary-Beth Hughes
What's inside: Stories from an array of characters from a complicated Jersey Shore family with troubling secrets from the past.
Starring: Faith, a self-made business consultant; Cece, Fath's daughter and a force to be reckoned with; Irene, Faith's mother, who is in the the early stages of dementia.
Who's it for: Fans of heartwrenching, lyrical stories with well-crafted dialogue.
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The Kindest Lie
by Nancy Johnson
Starring: Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man; Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection.
What it's about: Needing to reconnect with the baby she gave up for adoption years earlier, Ruth uncovers devastating family secrets while her bond with Midnight scandalizes her racially torn community.
Who will like it: Fans of thought-provoking, well-developed characters will enjoy this debut novel.
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Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything
by Kristin Bair O'Keeffe
What happens: After discovering her husband has been cheating on her with a local dog walker, Agatha Arch decides to do whatever she must to to build a better life.
But...Agatha finds herself face-to-face with everything that frightens her... and that's a loooooong list.
Who will like it: Fans of quirky characters, sardonic humor and titles such as Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple or Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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