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| When You Read This by Mary AdkinsWhat it is: an epistolary novel comprised primarily of emails and blog posts.
Why you might like it: Poignant (it centers on the death of 33-year-old Iris), hopeful (will Iris' boss and her sister find comfort in each other?), and humorous (intern Carl is...a bit much), this debut offers quirky characters and a fun format.
Want a taste? "I thanked him for his honesty, because that's what you do when someone bothers to point out they're being honest." |
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| Here and Now and Then by Mike ChenStarring: time-traveling special agent Kin Stewart, stranded in the 1990s.
What happens: Stuck in the past, Kin eventually makes a life for himself, so it's a shock when, 18 years later, he's "rescued" -- and forced to give up everything, including his daughter, whose life (as a timeline "error") is suddenly in danger.
Why you might like it: A quick pace, a fair amount of humor, and the brain-bending rules of time travel make for a "smart, fun, and affectionate" debut (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa GrayWhat it's about: Two sisters, each struggling with their own personal problems, step up when their oldest sister and her husband face jail time.
Why you might like it: A closely knit group of strong female characters stand out in this family drama, which stars an African American family in a mostly white Michigan town.
For fans of: Brit Bennett's The Mothers; Tayari Jones' An American Marriage; Caroline Leavitt's Cruel Beautiful World. |
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| Lost Children Archive by Valeria LuiselliWhat happens: An educational road trip to the U.S.-Mexico border turns harrowing when the children of the unnamed narrators disappear into the desert.
Book buzz: With immigration a hot topic, this complex novel is timely. Author Valeria Luiselli illuminates the devastating plight of migrants by mixing Apache history, contemporary stories of immigrant families separated at the border, and ephemera such as poems, photos, and scraps of music. |
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| The Heart's Invisible Furies by John BoyneStarring: Cyril Avery, born in 1945 to an unmarried teenager and adopted by a wealthy if rather eccentric Dublin couple.
What happens: Every seven years, we get to peek into Cyril's life as he comes to terms with his homosexuality in a violently repressive Ireland, flees his home country, and falls in love.
Why you might like it: With richly drawn characters, plausibly life-altering choices, and an absorbing, often humorous writing style, The Heart's Invisible Furies may well appeal to fans of John Irving's work (it is, in fact, dedicated to him). |
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| The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoyFeaturing: unhappy bookmobile driver Hanna-Mariah Casey, who's so eager to move out of her mother's home that she tackles renovating an old family cabin, with unexpected results.
Read it for: quirky characters, a growing sense of community, and Ireland's scenic west coast (Finfarran might not actually exist, but it sure feels real).
For fans of: the equally prickly protagonist of Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. |
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| The Love Object: Selected Stories by Edna O'BrienWhat it is: More than 30 stories, collected together for the first time and representing decades of author Edna O'Brien's psychologically powerful work.
Why you might like it: first-person narratives from strong female characters make the stories come alive.
Don't miss: "Irish Revel," "The Love Object," "The Widow," "A Rose in the Heart of New York." |
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| This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'FarrellWhat it is: a wide-ranging, globe-trotting, timeline-jumping, narrator-switching tale of relationships -- fraught or strong, romantic, or familial.
Read it for: a vast web of realistically flawed characters; complex relationships; the heady role of fate.
Reviewers say: "sheer reading pleasure" (The Washington Post); "juicy and cool" (Kirkus Reviews) |
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Needle Arts League
Thursdays, March 21 & 28, 5:30 pm
Library Meeting Room
The Needle Arts League of Michigan City promotes all forms of needle arts. Membership is open to anyone interested in needle arts such as crochet, needlepoint, cross stitch, crewel, tatting and other hand stitching. All skill levels and ages are welcome. An exchange of skills and materials is encouraged. For information, call 219-873-3049.
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Bookmarks: Becoming by Michelle Obama
Friday, March 22, 2:00 pm
Library Meeting Room
Pat Klewer will review Becoming by Michelle Obama. Becoming is the autobiographical memoir of former United States First Lady Michelle Obama published in 2018. Described by the author as a deeply personal experience, the book talks about her roots and how she found her voice, as well as her time in the White House, her public health campaign, and her role as a mother. This program will be offered at the Westchester Township Museum in Chesterton on Thursday, March 21st at 2:00pm.
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Chicago Cellar Boys in Concert
Sunday, March 24, 2:00 pm
Library Meeting Room
Join us for a lively concert by the Chicago Cellar Boys! Formed in 2017, the five-piece band specializes in the jazz and hot dance music of the 1920s and 30s. Comprised of multi-instrumentalist Andy Schumm, reedman John Otto, pianist and vocalist Paul Asaro, banjoist and guitarist John Donatowicz, and tubist and bassist Dave Bock, the band can be heard every Sunday from 8 to 11pm at the Honky Tonk BBQ in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.
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Great Decisions
Monday, March 25, 6:30 pm
Library Meeting Room
The foreign policy discussion program Great Decisions returns to the library for its 21st season. The discussion topic this session is Nationalism in Europe. For more information, call 873-3049. Reading material is available at the Circulation desk.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Michigan City Public Library 100 E. 4th Street Michigan City, Indiana 46360 219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
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