Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/31/2012
ISBN-13: 9780316097772
ISBN-10: 0316097772

In this realistically creepy, atmospheric novel, Sutton Grove High School and the girls who vie for supremacy on its cheerleading squad could be anywhere in the U.S. All is fine (if sometimes a bit vicious and petty) with them until new coach Colette French comes to town and upends the status quo, dethroning team captain Beth and giving preferential treatment to her best friend Addy, threatening the girls' friendship. When a local man is found dead, the cheerleading squad, along with their enviably cool coach, is drawn into the investigation. A "gut-churning tale of revenge, power, desire, and friendship" (Publishers Weekly), this one's for fans of Donna Tartt's equally disturbing The Secret History.

Publisher: Doubleday
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/07/2012
ISBN-13: 9780385536189
ISBN-10: 0385536186

When it comes to creating algorithms that improve matches between singles looking for love, Sam Elling is a victim of his own success. Although his creation helps Sam finds his own soul mate, it also threatens his employer's business -- and results in his termination. Out of work, he develops a program based on previously sent emails that allows his new love, Meredith, to "correspond" with her recently deceased grandmother. This soon mushrooms into a commercial success (RePose), but it also provokes moral and ethical quandaries and opposition from religious groups and, eventually, forces half of the new couple to question whether RePose is a blessing or a curse when it comes to letting go of loved ones.

Publisher: Grand Central
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/07/2012
ISBN-13: 9781455511310
ISBN-10: 1455511315

Frustrated and unhappy after the loss of his job at Lehman Brothers in 2008, Bruno Boylan decides to visit Ireland in search of his family's roots, about which he knows little. Nevertheless, he manages to arrange a meeting with a distant cousin, with whom he quickly falls in love (although she's not impressed by this brash American -- at least at first). But their happy romance is soon tested by tragedy. If you're mourning the death of author Maeve Binchy, you'll want to pick this up -- though you might want to grab a box of tissues, too. 

Publisher: Riverhead Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/02/2012
ISBN-13: 9781594488252
ISBN-10: 1594488258

The ten short stories that make up this debut collection all take place in Nevada, from the glittering streets and shady back alleys of Las Vegas to the rural towns on the other side of the mountains to the trails blazed by gold diggers in 1849. Reimagining the mythology of the American West, author Claire Watkins puts her protagonists through hardship and violence, whether it's a small-town girl getting into trouble -- and encouraging her friend to do the same -- in Las Vegas or a foreigner's experiences at a brothel. These characters may be "prickly as barbed wire" (Kirkus Reviews), but they're also fully human, and their stories will resonate with fans of Joan Didion or Annie Proulx.

Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/05/2010
ISBN-13: 9780670021611
ISBN-10: 067002161X

Bill Warrington is a retired salesman, a widower, and a recently diagnosed Alzheimer's sufferer. His relationships with his children are fraught -- one son is a wanderer, the other estranged; his daughter is a single mother struggling to raise a pigheaded 14-year-old, April. But Bill has vowed to repair these relationships by kidnapping April, driving to California, and leaving clues intended to force his children to overcome mutual distrust and work together. The first part of the plan comes together beautifully, but Bill's increasing mental troubles mean that his grand plan may in fact depend on April, who may be out of her depth. A road trip that delicately balances humor, regrets, and redemption, this debut shouldn't be missed.

Publisher: Riverhead Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/14/2010
ISBN-13: 9781594487705
ISBN-10: 1594487707

Comprised of the chronicles of two physical journeys -- the original undertaken by two Ethiopian immigrants to the U.S. and retraced, 30 years later, by their emotionally numb son -- this tale of immigration and the consequences of imperfect communication will appeal to readers interested in the psychological toll taken by immigrating to a new country and culture. Though How to Read the Air centers on Ethiopian immigrants in Illinois and their Americanized son, those enamored of it may also like The Namesake, a similarly literary novel that details the challenges facing an Indian family that has immigrated to Massachusetts.

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Publisher: Gallery Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/03/2011
ISBN-13: 9781439170618
ISBN-10: 1439170614

Luz Avila's beloved grandmother Esperanza has just died; the two of them had been planning to drive from Milwaukee to Esperanza's native Mexico to be in her hometown by the time the monarch butterflies stop there on their annual migration. To honor Esperanza, Luz takes off alone in a rusted-out old VW, ashes in a box in the back. But her destination-oriented road trip turns into an important journey in which unplanned stops in Chicago and Kansas teach her valuable lessons and give her new friends. Great for mother/daughter book clubs and for readers who enjoy women's fiction.

Publisher: Dutton
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/30/2011
ISBN-13: 9780525952220
ISBN-10: 0525952225

Mary Kay, Beth, Carol, and Lynne had bonded during PTA meetings and over martinis, but when Lynne dies, the remaining three find that she'd kept a huge secret from them -- and had left instructions for them to correct her mistakes in a way she never could. Each of the women is battling her own crisis -- an ailing father, a disintegrating marriage -- but they all find that the opportunity for a midlife road trip on behalf of their friend is just what they need to cure what ails them. Pick this one up if you enjoy tales of friendship and life-changing journeys.

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/19/2009
ISBN-13: 9780316025270
ISBN-10: 0316025275

In recent years, the tiny Mexican village of Tres Camarones has been losing its men to the lure of good jobs in the U.S. Inspired by the film The Magnificent Seven, beautiful 19-year-old Nayeli decides to leave her home for "el Norte," where she plans to find and ultimately bring home seven men to repopulate and protect Tres Camarones. With encouragement from the women left behind and accompanied by three friends, Nayeli marches north (making it across the border on the second attempt), where she finds far more than she'd been looking for...

Publisher: Mira Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/29/2011
ISBN-13: 9780778329961
ISBN-10: 0778329968

Here's another novel sure to appeal to close-knit mother/daughter pairs (tangential pun somewhat intended). Linda Davis is the owner of a local fabric shop that celebrates commemorative quilts; her daughter Molly will soon be off to college. But before she starts her new life, they decide to share one last adventure by driving cross-country together -- and while Molly drives, Linda reminisces...and creates a very special quilt for Molly's dorm room. Contemplative on the subjects of parenthood, empty nests, marriage, and dreams, this character-driven novel is a "classic tale of growing up and moving on" (Library Journal).

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