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Good Dirt: A novel
by Charmaine Wilkerson
Ebony Freeman was ten when her brother was killed in their home. Ebby saw the masked intruders before they shot 15-year-old Baz, simultaneously causing the destruction of a family heirloom stoneware jar. In this sweeping generational story of trauma and resilience, Ebby and her family confront the truth of the past and must decide how to shape their future, guided by the jar, its history, and the secret inscription it carries. - Booklist
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| All That Life Can Afford by Emily EverettStudying for her master's degree, broke American in London Anna finds herself enamored by the family of one of her wealthy test prep students. Swept into the world of the glamorous Wilders, she's torn between her ambition and identity, the allure of belonging, and two very different men. Already a Reese's Book Club pick, this lyrical coming-of-age story will please fans of Jane Green's novels and modern Jane Austen retellings. |
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| Rabbit Moon by Jennifer HaighAfter a hit-and-run leaves 22-year-old American expat Lindsey in a coma in Shanghai, her divorced parents go to her, wondering why she isn't living in Beijing like she'd said. Meanwhile, Lindsey's adored 11-year-old sister, who was adopted from China, is at camp, puzzled that Lindsey isn't texting her back. With a strong sense of place, this thoughtful novel moves back and forth in time, examining fractured families and secrets. Try this next: Juli Min's Shanghailanders. |
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| The Names by Florence KnappCora Atkin is off to register her baby's name when nine-year-old Maia suggests they call the baby Bear instead of Gordon, which her father has insisted upon. Cora's pick? Julian. Tracing the results of each choice over 35 years, this thought-provoking novel and Read with Jenna selection presents a complex story about fate, family, and abuse. Read-alike: The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas. |
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| What Is Wrong with You? by Paul RudnickAs a former flight attendant prepares to marry a tech billionaire at his private Maine island, hijinks ensue with the arrival of the guests. They include a 60-something gay editor who just got fired, a sensitivity reader who might be after the groom, and the bride's bodybuilder ex-husband. Fans of eccentric characters and lighthearted stories will want to read this "hilarious farce" (Publishers Weekly). For fans of: Carl Hiaasen. |
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The Persians: A novel
by Sanam Mahloudji
Before the Islamic Revolution, the Valiats were one of the most important families in Iran. Twenty-seven years after fleeing to the U.S., Shirin clings to this status, while her niece Bita secretly scoffs that "this was America and nobody cared." Debut novelist Mahloudji deftly shifts among the perspectives of her characters in this irreverent yet deeply felt story of an immigrant family grappling with their past. Recommended for fans of Crazy Rich Asians and Tehrangeles. -adapted from Booklist
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| Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. SmithWith a workaholic father and a mother who only shows up for annual road trips, the four Endicott kids grow extraordinarily close. Now adults and estranged from each other, they reunite at the behest of their Academy Award nominee sister in a small North Dakota town, where they're soon snowed in. Covering numerous years and locations, this moving character-driven novel is full of heart. Read-alike: Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris. |
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| The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean VuongIn a dying Connecticut town, 19-year-old Hai, who struggles with addiction, is on a bridge ready to end it all when Grazina, an elderly Lithuanian widow with dementia, yells at him. Becoming her caretaker in a rundown house by the river, Hai gets work at a fast food place and finds a home there too. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, Ocean Vuong's lyrical second novel is an Oprah Book Club pick. Try these next: Joe Wilkins' The Entire Sky; Julie Otsuka's The Swimmers. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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