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Happy & You Know Itby Laura HankinWhat happens: Claire Martin's band has just shot to stardom – without her. Desperate for work, she accepts a job as a musician at a playgroup for Park Avenue infants. To her surprise, she finds herself drawn into the group of ultra-wealthy moms. But wait!: These women are not what their Momstagram accounts would make them seem. The more she gets to know these women, the more secrets Claire unearths. Read it if: you enjoy sharp satire – and the twists and turns of domestic drama. |
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The Vanishing Half
by
Brit Bennett
Featuring: twin sisters Stella and Desiree, who last saw each other as teenagers when they fled the Louisiana hometown where their father had been lynched.
Over the years: Stella has built a life for herself in which everyone, including her husband, believes her to be white; Desiree is the mother of a daughter so dark-skinned the hometown gossips stare.
Why you should read it: Spanning decades (from the 1940s to the 1990s), this is a compassionately drawn tale of family, colorism, and identity.
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Last Tang Standing
by
Lauren Ho
The problem(s): At 33, Andrea Tang is a successful lawyer in Singapore. But her lack of a husband disappoints her family. Handsome Eric might do...but she can't stop thinking about her irritating office mate, Suresh. And since he's not Chinese, her family definitely won't approve.
Why you might like it: Love the enemies-to-lovers theme of Sally Thorne's The Hating Game? Enjoy stories of professional women fighting society's expectations? You'll get both -- plus a Crazy Rich Asians-esque portrait of a Malaysian Chinese family in Singapore.
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Broken People by Sam Lansky What it's about: an L.A. writer (also named Sam) who visits a Portland shaman and, under the influence of ayahuasca, comes to grips with his past, especially his poor treatment of the men in his life.
Why you might like it: messy relationships and choices later regretted are things most readers have experienced; they're portrayed here with humor and compassion.
About the author: Sam Lansky has also written a memoir about his own struggles with addiction as a teen, The Gilded Razor. | | The Sight of You by Holly Miller Starring: Joel, whose literally prophetic dreams about loved ones has him swearing off new relationships; and Callie, the barista he can't resist.
What happens: Soon enough, Joel and Callie have fallen in love, but when Joel dreams of her death, will they be able to handle the knowledge?
Why you might like it: Alternating perspectives puts readers in both Joel and Callie's shoes in what is ultimately both a sad and uplifting tale. | |
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What Nora knew
by
Linda Yellin
Using the comedies of Nora Ephron as her guidebook, 39-year-old divorced columnist Molly tries to navigate the world of romance in the bustling heart of New York City. Original.
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What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons Starring: Thandi, the U.S.-raised daughter of a mixed-race mother from South Africa and an African American father.
What it's about: The death of Thandi's mother propels the novel -- in a life shaped by not-belonging, the loss of her mother threatens to overwhelm Thandi as she deals with an unplanned pregnancy.
Why you might like it: This collage-like debut features short chapters punctuated by photographs and other ephemera, and Thandi's family, at home and in post-apartheid Johannesburg, offers a nuanced exploration of race and privilege. | | What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell Who it's about: a lonely American professor in Bulgaria, drawn by need into an unstable relationship with a young hustler named Mitko -- until his violence leaves the professor scared for his life.
What happens: Years pass, and Mitko reappears once more, forcing the professor to come to terms with his past -- both with Mitko and with his own difficult childhood.
What reviewers say: "A luminous, searing exploration of desire, alienation, and the powerful tattoo of the past" (Kirkus Reviews). | |
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What to do about the Solomons
by
Bethany Ball
A humorous multigenerational family saga set in Israel, New York and Los Angeles explores the secrets and gossip-filled lives of a kibbutz community near Jerusalem. A first novel.
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What Happens in Paradise
by
Elin Hilderbrand
What happens: In this engaging novel (a follow-up to Winter in Paradise), Irene Steel faces up to her late husband's double life, and finds herself returning to St. John -- perhaps for good.
Why you might like it: As in the best escapist fiction featuring wealthy families, the beach (and accompanying Steel villa) is beautiful, secrets are around every corner, and there are romantic entanglements aplenty.
What you need to know: the 3rd in the series, Troubles in Paradise, is coming this October.
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What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi What it is: a "beguiling" (Booklist) collection of stories that read like modern fairy tales or folklore: there are echoes of Pinocchio in "Is Your Blood as Red as This?"; "Dornicka and the St. Martin's Day Goose" is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.
Why you might like it: Along with striking imagery and surreal occurrences, a theme of locks and keys winds throughout the loosely connected stories, which offer a diverse array of characters, each seeking something they may never be able to find. | |
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What we become : a novel
by
Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Describes the powerful and ongoing secret love affair between Mecha, a gorgeous high-society woman, and Max, a masterful and elegant thief who has both Spanish spies and the KGB on his trail during their nearly 40 year relationship.
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What Was Mine
by
Helen Klein Ross
Twenty-one years ago: Lucy stole a baby and passed her off as adopted. Now, 21-year-old Mia has discovered the truth of her origins and is refusing to speak to Lucy, who has fled to avoid prosecution.
But: Lucy was a kind and loving mom; Mia finds herself torn, even as she reaches out to her birth mother -- it's not that easy to step into a new role as "Natalie," daughter of Marilyn.
Why you might like it: Multiple perspectives round out a thoughtful story of family, love, and loss.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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| Demarest Free Public Library |
| 90 Hardenburgh Ave. |
| Demarest, New Jersey 07627 |
| (201) 768-8714 |
demarestlibrary.org
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