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Fiction A to Z October 2021 |
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| Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne AllenWhat happens: Thirty-something Tabitha has reached a stage in life where she must choose between her ambitions and her desire for children; guided by her two closest friends, she confronts challenging components in her life -- and within herself.
Read it for: a sympathetic protagonist whose struggle between vulnerability and ambition poses insightful perspectives on femininity, race, and family ties. |
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| L.A. Weather by María Amparo EscandónWhat happens: Amidst the burning heat of a drought, the Alvardo family is drawn together under one roof. Close quarters soon reveal layers of betrayal and deception that bring their relationships to a boil.
Read it for: telenovela-levels of high drama, a strong sense of place, and a surprisingly heartwarming tone overall.
Try this next: What a Happy Family by Saumya Dave, the story of a tightly knit East Indian family living in Atlanta, Georgia, and plagued by its own secrets. Family tensions run similarly high. |
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| Several People Are Typing by Calvin KasulkeThe setup: PR firm employee Gerald boosts his productivity after his consciousness is uploaded into his company's internal Slack channels. As his reality becomes more absurd, Gerald enlists a co-worker's help to escape -- and to find out what exactly has happened to his body.
Reviewers say: "In this gloriously inventive debut, Kasulke has constructed a funny, tender, and compelling novel that consists entirely of messages on the workplace app Slack" (Booklist).
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| Sorrowland by Rivers SolomonWhat it's about: Fifteen-year-old Vern, a young Black woman fleeing the confines of a religious compound where she has grown up, takes refuge in the nearby forest. There she gives birth to twins -- and her fierce desire to protect them knows no bounds, earthly or otherwise.
Who it's for: fans of speculative fiction with diverse characters and touches of magical realism that turn the sinister dial all the way up.
Try this next: Megan Giddings' Lakewood, another own voices mash-up of speculative fiction, horror, and magical realism.
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The Lost Village
by Camilla Sten
Obsessed with the vanishing residents of an old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt and her crew set up camp and are soon plagued by strange events that makes them realize they are not alone.
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Lurkers
by Sandi Tan
The director of the Shirkers documentary presents the story of a wary Los Angeles community of immigrants, lovers and predators who find their daily realities upended by a suicide, a drama teacher with boundary issues and a lonely gay novelist.
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The Good Sister
by Sally Hepworth
Twin sisters who are polar opposites but who are harboring a deep, dark secret about their sociopathic mother must face the consequences of both her actions and their own when one tries to start a family.
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Invisible Girl
by Lisa Jewell
Suspended from work amid allegations of sexual misconduct, a virgin geography teacher is targeted by a sinister predator upon joining an online support group for the involuntarily celibate, before a therapist neighbor’s distraught patient goes missing.
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Pandemic
by Robin Cook
When a heart-transplant recipient abruptly dies under suspicious circumstances, veteran medical examiner Jack Stapleton follows leads to a gene-editing biotechnology and the unethical requirements of a megalomaniacal businessman.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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