|
|
|
|
| Good Intentions by Kasim AliIntroducing: Nur, the eldest son of first-generation Pakistani immigrants. Although born and raised in Britain, Nur is expected to adhere to their conservative beliefs about race, class, and marriage.
Enter Yasmina... the highly intelligent, ambitious Black British journalist who captivates Nur at first glance (and whose race and Muslim faith guarantee his parents' disapproval).
What's next? Intensifying angst forces characters (and readers) to wonder if "good intentions" matter when the outcome is hurtful. |
|
|
|
Love Marriage: A Novel
by Monica Ali
What it's about: In training to be a doctor, and engaged to upper-class Joe Sangster, whose formidable mother is a famous feminist, 26-year-old Yasmin Ghorami, as the wedding quickly approaches, finds her relationship upended by misunderstandings, infidelities, long-buried-secrets and the truth about her parents supposed “love marriage.”
Reviewers say: "Though the book treats its characters with affection, the racial dynamics are conveyed with real, heart-rending bite. A keen look at London life, relationships (especially interracial ones)..." (Kirkus).
|
|
| Seeking Fortune Elsewhere by Sindya BhanooWhat it is: a story collection, loosely connecting the lives of characters from India's many diverse regions. Their choices ripple across generations, geographical boundaries, and hidden places of the heart.
Who you'll meet: Sympathetic, flawed, and memorable characters who discover that leaving the past behind provides "freedom and hope for the future... rather than crushing their spirit and individuality" (Publishers Weekly).
What to read next? Skinship by Yoon Choi. |
|
| The Selfless Act of Breathing by J.J. BolaWhat it's about: British teacher Michael Kabongo -- whose Congolese mother emigrated to the UK -- is terminally burnt out. He quits his job, pulls his savings, and heads to America.
The twist: His plan is to commit suicide once his funds run out. For better or worse, he gets sidetracked along the way.
Critics say: "Chronicling someone's emotional deterioration [is] a tricky affair... Bola acquits himself beautifully; his prose is sensitive and powerful" (Kirkus Reviews). |
|
| Don't Know Tough by Eli CranorThe game plan: The Christian head coach of a small-town Arkansas team and his family try to help Billy, the team's star running back, whose abusive home life begins to manifest as dangerous aggression on the field.
Foul play: When the cruel boyfriend of Billy's mother is found murdered, Billy is naturally the main suspect. Did he do it -- or is this already troubled teen being sold short?
For fans of: coming-of-age stories with an edgy mystery twist. |
|
| The Last Suspicious Holdout by Ladee HubbardInspired in part by... the author's life as a New Orleans native, this short story collection describes a Southern Black community plagued by inequities at the turn of the 21st century.
Critics say: the collection is a "panorama of Black lives," treating topics from gentrification to the "heroic efforts of even the poorest community residents to retain grace, decorum, and some autonomy over their surroundings" (Kirkus Reviews).
If you like this: Don't miss out on Hubbard's earlier full-length novels, The Talented Ribkins and The Rib King. |
|
| The Apartment on Calle Uruguay by Zachary LazarWhat it's about: Christopher, an artist devasted by his girlfriend's sudden death and dismayed by post-Obama American politics, retreats to New York. He finds new love with Ana, a Venezuelan refugee with family living in exile in Mexico.
It's complicated: The novel brilliantly works through layers of love (familial and romantic), identity after immigration (although Israeli-born, Christopher came to America as a very young child), and the purpose of art.
Read it for: "a stream of consciousness tour de force" (Booklist). |
|
| True Biz by Sara NóvicWhat happens: After a failed cochlear implant, highschooler Charlie gains confidence at a residential school for the deaf; fellow student Austin copes with the birth of a hearing sibling; February, the headmistress, battles bureaucracy and the prospect of a failing marriage.
Critics say: Publishers Weekly praises this own voices novel as an "electrifying narrative" and an "unforgettable homage to resilience."
What to read next? Deaf Republic, a collection of poetry by Ilya Kaminsky. If poetry isn't your thing, try Jessica White's Hearing Maud or William Hazelgrove's My Best Year. |
|
| The Wise Women by Gina SorellIntroducing: Wendy Wise, aging advice columnist, and her adult daughters Barb and Clementine, both with financial and relationship issues that converge in a hot mess.
What happens: Wendy swoops in to sort out the girls' problems. In reality, the trio's dysfunctional mother-daughter and sibling relationships need sorting first.
Read it for: quirky, likable characters; sticky family dynamics handled in a lighthearted tone; a strong sense of place (New York City's outer boroughs). |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|