"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Scottish writer
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| A Window Opens: A Novel by Elisabeth EganAlice Pearse is pretty happy with her part-time work as a book editor, which balances well with a busy family life yet still leaves time to socialize with friends. But when the need for a full-time job arises, she joins a challenging, frenetic office environment that combines the energy of a start-up with the size (and philosophy) of a corporate behemoth like Amazon. Frequent bookish references to characters such as Pippi Longstocking and to the publishing industry in general make this an appealing choice for book lovers, while working moms will recognize the challenges of balancing professional careers with the constant, unexpected demands of children, spouses, and aging parents. |
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| The Fall of Princes: A Novel by Robert GoolrickOn Wall Street in the 1980s, money was everywhere, and while it was easy to find massive success, it was just as easy to flame out spectacularly. In this semi-autobiographical novel, our narrator walks readers through his profligate, hedonistic life as a hotshot trader, in which alcohol, cocaine, and expensive prostitutes were plentiful. An abrupt end to this lifestyle comes with a hard lesson learned. Fans of novels that expose the highs and lows of the financial industry in the 1980s (like Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities) will enjoy this titillating but ultimately redemptive story. |
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| Best Boy: A Novel by Eli GottliebTodd Aaron was diagnosed with severe autism several decades ago, and has been living more or less happily in a care facility ever since. But threatening changes in his environment upset him enough to provoke a disastrous decision to run away. Readers who remember the similar characters of the author's debut novel, The Boy Who Went Away, will particularly enjoy this sympathetic portrait of a high-functioning autistic adult, but familiarity with that book is not necessary to appreciate this "deeply moving" (Library Journal) story. |
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| Fortune Smiles: Stories by Adam JohnsonThis short story collection by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Adam Johnson features only six items, but they're full-fledged doozies that demand careful reading. Despite differences in plot and setting (like Silicon Valley and North Korea), what they all have in common are realistic characters enduring tragic events and challenges. Taken together, they give the impression that these stories could very well be about real people (one, "Interesting Facts," has some similarities to Johnson's own life). |
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| Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan StradalBoth foodies and those who love to satirize foodie culture should flock to this charming debut novel (more accurately, it's a collection of chronological short stories all told from different perspectives but each connected to one Eva Thorvald). Eva, orphaned young and raised by family members who don't share her innate love of flavor, eventually becomes a star chef, but her course there is pretty crooked. Each story, as told by different people who cross her path, illuminates the influences that directed her towards cooking stardom. Think Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteredge, but with a lot more quirky humor. |
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| Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. AndersonDetermined to find Old Australia, a mythic place "where things haven't changed and Australia is like it used to be," duck-billed platypus Albert escapes his safe-but-humdrum existence at the Adelaide Zoo and heads for the Outback. Unfortunately, as a semi-aquatic mammal carrying only a discarded plastic water bottle, he's ill-equipped for what he finds there: frontier towns abandoned by humans and occupied by dingos, bandicoots, kangaroos, and Tasmanian devils who'd kill him without a second thought. Nevertheless, with the help of some unlikely allies, including Jack, a pyromaniac wombat, and T.J., an American raccoon who took a wrong turn somewhere along the way, Albert experiences the adventure of a lifetime in this gunslinging, Western-tinged yet uniquely Antipodean fantasy. |
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| Lost & Found: A Novel by Brooke DavisNot long after her father's death, seven-year-old Milly's mother abandons her too, in a department store in Perth. A widowed nursing home escapee helps get her home, where her grief-stricken recluse of a neighbor takes charge...by taking Milly on a road trip across Australia in search of her mother. Mixing whimsical details with an exploration of loss, this meditative, thoughtful debut novel is narrated by the three quirky, appealing characters who have been left behind by loved ones. |
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| The Lion Is In: A Novel by Delia EphronBaltimore-based best friends Lana and Tracee have something in common with the middle-aged stranger they pick up on the side of the road: they're all trying to escape difficult personal lives. They end up stuck farther down the road in a tiny North Carolina town when Lana's car gets damaged. Needing money to make repairs, the three women start waitressing at a diner called The Lion, whose central attraction is an actual caged lion named Marcel. Directly or indirectly, Marcel eventually provides each of the women something to hope for in this upbeat, considerably more life-affirming version of Thelma and Louise. |
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| Schroder: A Novel by Amity Gaige"Eric Kennedy" was the creation of 14-year-old East German immigrant Erik Schroder, who Americanized himself to fit in better. Now an adult, he awaits trial after taking his six-year-old daughter on an unsanctioned road trip during a custody battle with his ex-wife. This novel, which takes the form of an introspective, apologetic letter from Eric to his ex, surveys his childhood, his failed marriage, and his experiences as a father -- and his conflicted feelings about it all. "With its psychological acuity, emotional complexity and topical subject matter, it deserves all the success it can find," says The Washington Post. |
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| One Plus One by Jojo MoyesJess's daughter Tanzie is a genius at math, and the only thing holding her back from a place at a prestigious school is the lack of money to send her there. Winning a math competition in Scotland could solve the problem, but they have no way to get there from their home in southern England. Which is where Ed Nicholls comes in. Rich, and trying to avoid both personal and professional problems, he offers to drive them all to Scotland. Their offbeat journey offers plenty of drama and amusement, as well as a bit of unexpected romance. Jojo Moyes fans should also look out for the sequel to Me Before You, called After You, out this month. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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