Fiction A to Z
December 2020
Recent Releases
The Office of Historical Corrections: A Novella and Stories
by Danielle Evans

What it is: a collection of seven stories that examine race, grief, relationships, and womanhood in the U.S.

Why you might like it: Infused with a deep understanding of U.S. history, these character-driven stories employ sharp, compelling writing and incisive, and sometimes witty commentary.

Reviewers say: "delectably readable, propulsive accounts of loss and fear and redemption that twist with O. Henry-level glee" (Entertainment Weekly).
The Orchard
by David Hopen

Featuring: 17-year-old Ari, who's much happier at his "modern conservative" Orthodox Jewish school in Florida than he had been at the ultraconservative one in Brooklyn, in part thanks to a welcoming circle of popular students led by the charismatic and unstable Evan.

What happens: Encouraged by his friends to try risky behaviors and to explore less traditional religious thought, Ari is pulled beyond his comfort zone in all aspects of life. 

For fans of: coming-of-age stories; Jewish literature; the envelope-pushing characters of dark academia novels like Donna Tartt's The Secret History.  
The Thirty Names of Night
by Zeyn Joukhadar

Introducing: three generations of Syrian Americans -- a 20-something trans man (Nadir, who is unnamed and misgendered at first), his late mother, and a long missing Syrian artist, Laila Z. -- linked by their love of birds.

What it's about: the search for identity and belonging in an unwelcoming world. 

Why you might like it: Syrian American and trans himself, author Zeyn Joukhadar richly captures New York's Little Syria over the decades through the alternating perspectives of Laila Z. and Nadir.
To Be a Man: Stories
by Nicole Krauss

What it is: a short story collection about the relationships between men and women at all stages of life, and how the characters' Jewish identities informs those relationships.

Don't miss: "Future Emergencies," which is alarmingly of-the-moment; "I Am Asleep But My Heart Is Awake," in which a daughter inherits her father's apartment, only to find it inhabited. 

Why you might like it: Nicole Krauss' straightforward writing style is highly detailed and addresses weighty topics. 
Too Much Lip
by Melissa Lucashenko

Featuring: queer First Nations Australian Kerry Salter, who travels back to her home in Bundjalung country in New South Wales on a stolen Harley when she hears that her grandfather has fallen sick.

What it's about: the needs of family and the effects of colonization: despite her intention to stay only briefly, Kerry is drawn into a family fight to prevent their spiritual home from being used to house a jail.

About the author: Melissa Lucashenko, who won the 2019 Miles Franklin Award for this book, is of Bundjalung and European heritage and is an advocate for prisoners' rights. 
A Weekend Away
Laura & Emma
by Kate Greathead

Introducing: privileged, inconstant Laura, a woman who drifts through life supported by her wealthy family, and her spirited daughter, Emma, the result of a weekend fling (of sorts).

Why you might like it: From the 1980s to the mid-nineties, this leisurely paced debut offers complex, unique characters and evocative descriptions of Manhattan.

For fans of: quiet, character-driven novels that center on mother/daughter relationships, like Elizabeth Strout's My Name is Lucy Barton. 
It's Not All Downhill from Here
by Terry McMillan

The weekend: As a way to celebrate her 68th birthday, Loretha and Carl Curry spend the weekend at a Palm Springs resort, only for Carl to suffer a fatal heart attack.

What happens next: Loretha must contend with her own health issues as she relies on her closest friends -- who are facing their own problems -- as she grieves.

Read it for:
the longstanding friendships among a well-drawn group of mature Black women.
The Altruists
by Andrew Ridker

Featuring: broke professor Arthur Alter and his two grown kids, who inherited their mother's fortune.

What happens: Hoping they'll bail him out, Arthur invites underemployed Maggie and shut-in Ethan home for the weekend, only to find that things don't quite go to plan.

Why you might like it: With its imperfect protagonists, this debut will appeal to fans of Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You or Cynthia D'aprix's Sweeney's The Nest.  
Chances Are...
by Richard Russo

What it's about: Three long-time friends come together for a weekend on Martha’s Vineyard, where they puzzle out what happened to the fourth of their group, a beautiful young woman each had been in love with, and who disappeared 40 years previously.

Why you might like it: As usual, author Richard Russo effectively captures male friendships; a touch of suspense as secrets are revealed may surprise and engage fans.   
The House of Broken Angels
by Luis Alberto Urrea

What it's about: the weekend-long gathering in honor of Miguel Angel de la Cruz, whose mother upstages what is sure to be his last birthday by dying herself.

Why you might like it: The stories and memories of the members of the sprawling Mexican-American family abound, resulting in a novel that is "knowing and intimate, funny and tragic at once" (Kirkus Reviews). 

Want a taste? "He winked at her. Only Big Angel could wink and denote wisdom."
Upcoming Book Clubs
Mind Readers
Wednesday, January 6, 2021 at 5 p.m. 

Mind Readers is a new virtual book club for adults that has no assigned titles. To further FCPL's #WeKnowBooks theme, we invite patrons to attend and share what they have read recently. At FCPL we know our patrons read a lot, and Mind Readers provides an opportunity for everyone to discuss what they've been reading without the pressure of reading a specific book.
We meet the first Wednesday of the month at 5:00 p.m. via GoToMeeting.
Participation in Mind Readers is limited to 30 people. We want to ensure that everyone will have a chance to talk about the books they've read recently.
Registration will close on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. FCPL will email you with the GoToMeeting code for the book club after registration closes.

Please register to receive the GoToMeeting link.

 

 
The Switch
by Beth O'Leary

Ready for an adventure in the months after her husband of 60 years departs, a woman from a picture-postcard Yorkshire village offers to swap places with her burned-out adult granddaughter to pursue romance in bustling London.

Novel Diversions
January 13, 2021 at 10 a.m. 

Please register to receive the GoToMeeting link. 
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane 
by Lisa See

This novel explores the lives of a Chinese mother and her daughter, who has been adopted by an American couple, tracing the very different cultural factors that compel them to consume a rare native tea that has shaped their family's destiny for generations.

Overbooked 
Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 10 a.m.
Please register to receive the GoToMeeting link. 
Girls Like Us
by Cristina Alger

Investigating a string of grisly murders on Long Island, an FBI agent is horrified to discover that the primary suspect is her own late father, a former homicide detective. 

Book Sleuths
Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 2 p.m.
Please register to receive the GoToMeeting link. 
Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Forsyth County Public Library | #WeKnowBooks