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| The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih AlameddineMoving back and forth in time while covering COVID-19, Lebanon’s civil war (1975-1990), and more, this funny, moving examination of family and fortitude centers on Raja, a gay philosophy teacher and writer who lives with his elderly mother in Beirut. A National Book Award finalist, this accomplished novel will please fans of Ocean Vuong’s The Emperor of Gladness. |
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Circle of days : a novel
by Ken Follett
As drought and tension grip the Great Plain, a gifted flint miner and a visionary priestess unite to build a monumental stone circle, but escalating tribal conflicts and brutal violence threaten their civilization and their shared ambition. 750,000 first printing.
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| The Book of Guilt by Catherine ChidgeyIn the alternate world rendered here, World War II ended in 1943 with a peace treaty. Now it's 1979, and 13-year-old triplet boys are the only children left in a regimented English orphanage. Nearby, a 13-year-old girl grows up with parents but isn't allowed outside. Narrated by one of the boys, the girl, and a governmental official, this is a slow-burn, thought-provoking story that book clubs will appreciate. For another dystopian literary tale focused on children, try Ali Smith's Gliff. |
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| The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran DesaiWhile her relatives in India worry about her, Vermont college student Sonia fights loneliness by dating a famous artist, though his affection is costly. Meanwhile, ambitious Manhattan journalist Sunny hasn't told his widowed mother in India that he has a white girlfriend. Then Sonia and Sunny meet in this sweeping saga, a “masterpiece” (Kirkus Reviews) that examines identity, art, love, and belonging. For fans of: Real Americans by Rachel Khong; Dry Spells by Archana Maniar. |
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Crooks : a family story
by Lou Berney
"From award-winning author Lou Berney comes an electrifying new novel that follows a uniquely American crime family on an unforgettable journey across four decades. You've never met a family like the Mercurios. They say the American dream is going farther in life than your parents ever did. But how does that work if your parents are criminals? For Buddy, a low-level mob wise guy, and Lillian, a charming pickpocket, the criminal underworld is the only life they've ever known. When they're forced to flee the glittering Babylon of Las Vegas, they end up opening a club in Oklahoma City-a town that quickly feels like a gold mine of fresh marks and easy new money. Along for the ride are their five children, all of them raised into the family business of crime-until the day comes when they each have a chance to make their own way in the world, even if they can never completely escape the family's long, dark shadow. Jeremy, the family's Golden Boy, will throw himself into the glittering excesses of a drug-fueledHollywood in the roaring 1980s. Tallulah, the daredevil, will find herself in the deadly Wild West of post-communist Moscow. Ray, the dope, the dumb muscle since he was a kid, wants nothing more than to put down his gun, but following orders is all he's ever known. Alice, the genius who renounced her life of crime long ago, now sees her white-shoe law firm being blackmailed and must tap into old skills to save both the company and her own life. And Piggy, a civilian always on the outside looking in on his crime family, desperate to be part of the gang. Crooks is an epic novel about a truly unforgettable crime family-and their lives across forty years of corruption, each Mercurio living with the weight of a dark legacy that ultimately threatens to destroythe whole family"
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| Vianne by Joanne HarrisSet six years prior to the events in the bestselling Chocolat, this charming prequel finds a pregnant Vianne, who has recently scattered her mother's ashes in New York, working in a bistro in in Marseille, France, and discovering the magic of chocolate. But she has secrets and choices to make in this sweet blend of literary fiction and magical realism. Try this next: Erin Palmisano's The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna. |
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The Devil Is a Southpaw
by Brandon Hobson
Haunted by jealousy and past trauma, Milton Muleborn recounts his volatile friendship with gifted Cherokee artist Matthew Echota, blending dark humor, unreliable memory, and surreal reflections on their shared time in a brutal juvenile detention center and the enduring scars it left behind.
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| To the Moon and Back by Eliana RamageAfter her mom leaves her abusive father, Steph Harper and her younger sister grow up in Oklahoma’s Cherokee Nation, where Steph dreams of space. She eventually goes to college, finds a girlfriend, and is chosen for astronaut training. But her goals strain her ties with her family in this stirring debut by a Cherokee author that’s perfect for book clubs. For fans of: Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Atmosphere. |
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| Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron RindoIn a small Wisconsin town, an unwed Amish woman dies giving birth to a son without naming his father. Raised by family members, the kind-hearted boy grows over eight feet tall and finds success in athletics, which takes him into the wider world. Narrated by his grandmother, a veterinarian, a bar owner, and a football coach, this moving story has “unforgettable characters…[and] is a must-read” (Kirkus Reviews). For fans of: fantastical, lyrical coming-of-age novels. |
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| Boy from the North Country by Sam SussmanWhen his mother calls to tell him she has cancer, Evan Klausner returns to New York's Hudson Valley. His mom shares stories of her life, including her time in 1970s Manhattan and a relationship with Bob Dylan, and as her condition worsens, Evan questions who his father is and embraces his dying mother. This buzzy autobiographical debut novel offers a stirring examination of a poignant mother-son relationship. Try this next: Palaver by Bryan Washington. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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