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Fiction A to Z January 2020
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The Warehouse
by Rob Hart
The setting: a near future world destroyed by climate change, in which nearly all aspects of life are controlled by a massive global corporation called Cloud.
What happens: Two Cloud employees discover that all is not as it seems behind the closed doors of the near-monopoly.
For fans of: Dave Eggers' The Circle, of course, as well as Netflix's Black Mirror, but also totalitarian classics like George Orwell's 1984.
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| Meg and Jo by Virginia KantraWhat it is: a modern-day adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, in which independent Jo balances restaurant work and romance and Meg is a stay-at-home mom.
What remains the same: Though their challenges are contemporary, the sisters' core characteristics remain the same. Fans of the classic novel -- or of family-centric stories in general -- will enjoy this reboot.
Pick it up if: you enjoyed the recent movie version -- or missed it in theaters. |
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Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson
What it's about: Lillian has agreed to watch her friend Madison's stepchildren for the summer. Twist: they burst into flames when upset.
What happens: Lillian, whose life has stalled ever since she was kicked out of school, has no experience with children. And yet she starts to love these two unloved kids.
Why you might like it: Flawed, quirky characters and offbeat humor make this a wry, engaging read.
Book buzz: Nothing to See Here was selected for the Today show's book club.
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Focus on: The Debuts of 2019 |
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Mostly Dead Things
by Kristen Arnett
Starring: Jessa-Lynn Morton, who, after her father's suicide, runs her family's (failing) taxidermy business and helps raise her niece and nephew (she's in love with their mother, who's abandoned them all).
Why you might like it: Mostly Dead Things balances the Morton family's suffering with "only in Florida" weirdness; sharp dialogue and descriptive language make for a vivid read.
Why you might not like it: If you're squeamish, the visceral descriptions may be too much for you.
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A Particular Kind of Black Man
by Tope Folarin
What it's about: Small-town Utah is an uneasy fit for Tunde Akinola’s family, especially for his Nigeria-born parents. Though Tunde speaks English with a Midwestern accent, he can’t escape the children who rub his skin and ask why the black won’t come off. As he struggles to fit in and find his place in the world, he finds little solace from his parents who are grappling with their own issues.
Why you might like it: Sweeping, stirring, and perspective-shifting, A Particular Kind of Black Man is an exploration of the meaning of memory, manhood, home, and identity as seen through the eyes of a first-generation Nigerian-American.
About the author: Nigerian-American writer Folarin is a Rhodes Scholar and winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing.
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| The Red Address Book by Sofia LundbergWhat it is: a lifetime's worth of stories, all prompted by a handwritten address book owned by 96-year-old Stockholm resident Doris.
Why you might like it: Spanning multiple historical settings from Paris in the 1930s to Stockholm today, this sweet and sentimental novel offers a tale of star-crossed lovers and a strong grandmother-granddaughter connection.
For fans of: the novels of Fredrik Backman or Nina George. |
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| We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos RuffinWhat happens: Tired of experiencing nearly constant racism in the near-future American South, the unnamed black narrator is desperate to protect his biracial son from the same fate: he's considering an experimental plastic surgery to make his son appear white.
Why you should read it: The seemingly absurd situations the narrator experiences highlight the structural racism of this dystopian future...which is simply a forecast of the world today.
Reviewers say: "rakishly funny and distressingly up-to-the-minute" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| A People's History of Heaven by Mathangi SubramanianWhat it is: The story of five best friends in a Bangalore slum, who together with their independent mothers and their community fight to save their homes from being bulldozed to build a mall.
Who they are: Already marginalized by their poverty and gender, these five friends are of different religions, backgrounds, and sexual identities, but they share the same tenacious spirit.
About the author: This is YA author Mathangi Subramanian's first novel for adults. |
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| The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara ZgheibStarring: French former ballerina Anna Roux, who enters an American treatment facility to get help for a life-threatening eating disorder.
Why you might like it: Poetically written, this moving debut captures the challenges of disordered eating as it depicts the friendships that form among the young women at 17 Swann Street.
About the author: Yara Zgheib is herself in recovery from anorexia. |
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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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