| Friday black by Nana Kwame Adjei-BrenyahWhat it is: a complex, compelling debut story collection that tackles hot-button issues (from Black Friday shopping to racism and hate crimes) in unexpected ways.
Accolades so far: author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah received the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 honor; authors George Saunders and Colson Whitehead are fans; Friday Black has been long-listed for the 2019 Carnegie Medal for Excellence.
For fans of: Nafissa Thompson-Spires' Heads of the Colored People. |
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| Virgil Wander by Leif EngerWhat it's about: the rebirth (of sorts) of middle-aged Midwesterner Virgil Wander, who barely survived the accident that submerged his car in Lake Superior.
Don't miss: Virgil's interactions with Rune, a Norwegian looking for the son he never knew about (and who disappeared ten years previously); his regaining of the language skills he lost in the accident.
For fans of: the characters and depressed industrial towns of Richard Russo's novels. |
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| Bitter orange by Claire FullerStarring: anxious, lonely Frances; her unexpected neighbours for the summer, the hedonistic Peter and Cara; and a dilapidated, decaying English country house.
Why you might like it: Though much of the action takes place during one hot summer in 1969, the events are narrated after 20 years have passed, creating an aura of uncertainty and tension.
Read it for: a vivid, lush atmosphere; a sympathetic if potentially unreliable narrator; a twisty, explosive plot. |
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Foe: A novel
by Iain Reid
"A taut, psychological mind-bender from the bestselling author of I'm Thinking of Ending Things. We don't get visitors. Not out here. We never have. In Iain Reid's second haunting, philosophical puzzle of a novel, set in the near-future, Junior and Henrietta live a comfortable, solitary life on their farm, far from the city lights, but in close quarters with each other. One day, a stranger from the city arrives with alarming news: Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm...very far away. The most unusual part? Arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won't have a chance to miss him, because she won't be left alone--not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company. Told in Reid's sharp and evocative style, Foe examines the nature of domestic relationships, self-determination, and what it means to be (or not to be) a person. An eerily entrancing page-turner, it churns with unease and suspense from the first words to its shocking finale"
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| The shape of the ruins by Juan Gabriel VásquezWhat it is: an absorbing, immersive, and complex tale of political conspiracy and obsession (in which the narrator shares a name with the author).
Read it for: an introduction to 20th-century Colombian history, a host of photographs and other artifacts, and an array of stories within stories.
What reviewers say: "sweeping and magisterial" (Washington Post). |
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The last romantics
by Tara Conklin
When the renowned poet Fiona Skinner is asked about the inspiration behind her iconic work, The Love Poem, she tells her audience a story about her family and a betrayal that reverberates through time. It begins in a big yellow house with a funeral, an iron poker, and a brief variation forever known as the Pause: a free and feral summer in a middle-class Connecticut town. Caught between the predictable life they once led and an uncertain future that stretches before them, the Skinner siblings--fierce Renee, sensitive Caroline, golden boy Joe and watchful Fiona--emerge from the Pause staunchly loyal and deeply connected. Two decades later, the siblings find themselves once again confronted with a family crisis that tests the strength of these bonds and forces them to question the life choices they've made and ask what, exactly, they will do for love. A sweeping yet intimate epic about one American family, The Last Romantics is an unforgettable exploration of the ties that bind us together, the responsibilities we embrace and the duties we resent, and how we can lose--and sometimes rescue--the ones we love. A novel that pierces the heart and lingers in the mind, it is also a beautiful meditation on the power of stories--how they navigate us through difficult times, help us understand the past, and point the way toward our future.
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Sweet fruit, sour land
by Rebecca Ley
When a wealthy client visits Mathilde's dressmaking shop, she finds herself drawn into the only surviving circle of luxury left in a barren London. Attending parties offers a welcome escape from life governed by ration cards and a strictly enforced child policy. Here she meets enigmatic government minister, George, and piano-playing Jaminder, with whom an intense friendship blossoms. As their relationship grows stronger, George's grip on Mathilde tightens, as she tries to discover where the illicit food is coming from, where women disappear to, and what price she must pay to avoid bringing a child into a cruel, ever-changing world.
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The boatbuilder
by Daniel Gumbiner
At 28 years old, Eli "Berg" Koenigsberg has never encountered a challenge he couldn't push through, until a head injury leaves him with lingering headaches and a weakness for opiates. Berg moves to a remote Northern California town, seeking space and time to recover, but soon finds himself breaking into homes in search of pills. Addled by addiction and chronic pain, Berg meets Alejandro, a reclusive, master boatbuilder, and begins to see a path forward. Alejandro offers Berg honest labour, but more than this, he offers him a new approach to his suffering, a template for survival amid intense pain. Nurtured by his friendship with Alejandro and aided, too, by the comradeship of many in Talinas, Berg begins to return to himself. Written in gleaming prose, this is a story about resilience, community, and what it takes to win back your soul. | |
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Eat, Drink, and Be Merry (Or Not)
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| The last days of Café Leila by Donia BijanWhat it's about: Reeling from a broken marriage, expat Noor returns to her native Iran for the first time in decades, with her rebellious teenage daughter in tow. There, she finds a changed Tehran and a father in ill health.
Read it for: strong family ties, mouthwatering Persian cuisine, and multiple perspectives on Iran's recent history.
Author alert: Donia Bijan is also a successful chef whose memoir is called Maman's Homesick Pie. |
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| Number one Chinese restaurant by Lillian LiWhat happens: After its hardworking owner dies, the future of the Beijing Duck House is unclear as various family members (and long-time employees) bicker about its prospects.
Read it for: the behind-the-scenes insight into a bustling, family-owned Chinese restaurant; the interplay of Chinese tradition and American capitalism; canny nine-fingered Uncle Pang. |
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| Women in sunlight by Frances MayesWhat it's about: For Camille, Susan, and Julia, traditional retirement communities hold no appeal; on a bit of a whim the four near-strangers decide to rent a Tuscan home for a year, where they meet a younger American expat and become fast friends.
Why you might like it: an upbeat, engaging novel, Women in Sunlight features lushly described settings and meals -- bringing Tuscany's best to your living room. |
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| The recipe box: A novel with recipes by Viola ShipmanWhat it's about: Sam is a recent culinary school graduate whose career goes up in smoke when her volatile boss pushes her too far. Seeking refuge at her family's Michigan farm, she reconnects with her roots with the help of the family recipe box.
For fans of: delectable, sweet cookies, confections and pies; The Great British Bake Off; heartwarming, sentimental novels starring strong female characters who come to understand the value of family ties. |
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| Sourdough by Robin SloanStarring: solitary software engineer Lois, whose primary social contact is with her food delivery service.
What happens: When Lois is gifted a strange and seemingly semi-sentient sourdough starter, her life changes in unexpected ways.
Why you might like it: Both a parody of and a paean to food-centric novels (and Silicon Valley start-ups), Sourdough teems with humour and quirky characters. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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