|
|
Must-Read Books December 2023 |
|
|
|
|
| Courting Samira by Amal AwadIn this "funny, charming" (Booklist) novel set in Sydney, Australia, 27-year-old Palestinian Muslim magazine editor Samira Abdel-Aziz resists familial pressure to marry as she finds herself in a love triangle with new acquaintance Menem and childhood friend Hakeem. Read-alikes: Uzma Jalaluddin's Much Ado About Nada; Sara Jafari's The Mismatch; Ayisha Malik's Sofia Khan is Not Obliged. |
|
| Day by Michael CunninghamPulitzer Prize winner Michael Cunningham's long-awaited new novel takes place on the same day (April 5) in three different years (2019, 2020, and 2021) as a married Brooklyn duo, their two kids, and the couple's two brothers navigate endings, beginnings, the pandemic, and more. Read-alikes: Daniel Mason's North Woods; Paul Murray's The Bee Sting; Gary Shteyngart's Our Country Friends. |
|
| The Reformatory by Tananarive DueSet in Jim Crow-era Florida and inspired by real events, this disturbing historical horror novel chronicles the hardships faced by young Black boys at an abusive reform school haunted by monsters both human and supernatural. For fans of: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead; When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen. |
|
| The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard KadreyA ragtag group of characters fight off grotesque cosmic monsters in New York City's underground in this compelling urban fantasy, the first in the Carrion City duology. For fans of: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin; Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder. |
|
| The Frozen River by Ariel LawhonIn 1789 Maine, a man accused of rape is found frozen in the river while his partner, a judge, has disappeared. Midwife Martha Ballard (who's based on a real person) investigates it all in this intricate tale that combines history, mystery, and courtroom suspense. Read-alikes: Sam Thomas' Midwife mysteries; Eleanor Kuhns' Will Rees mysteries; Eliot Pattison's Bone Rattler mysteries. |
|
| The Berry Pickers by Amanda PetersWhile a Mi'kmaq family from Novia Scotia picks blueberries in 1962 Maine, four-year-old Ruthie goes missing. Her disappearance reverberates for decades, as seen in the narration of Joe, Ruthie's brother who never gets over the loss, and Norma, a lonely only child with a connection to Ruthie. Read-alikes: A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power; Stealing by Margaret Verble. |
|
| Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex, and Politics Collided by Scott EymanBestselling biographer and film historian Scott Eyman (Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise) offers fresh insights on actor Charlie Chaplin's post-World War II exile from the United States, during which the FBI's investigations into his sexual and political life tarnished his legendary film career. Read-alike: Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life by James Curtis. |
|
|
|
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman...
by Timothy Egan
What it's about: In 1920s Indiana, Ku Klux Klan leader and presidential hopeful D.C. Stephenson exerted a terrifying control over the state and local governments -- until he kidnapped, raped, and murdered his one-time employee, a young woman named Madge Oberholtzer. What happened next: Oberholtzer's courageous deathbed testimony led to Stephenson's murder conviction and effectively ended Klan influence in Indiana politics.
|
|
|
|
A Living Remedy: A Memoir
by Nicole Chung
What it is: author Nicole Chung's moving follow-up to her award-winning debut memoir All You Can Ever Know, which chronicled her experiences as a transracial Korean adoptee. What it's about: Chung's grief after losing her parents in quick succession prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Book buzz: Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by The Washington Post, The New York Times, and more, Chung's latest offers "an important record of the emotional cost of the pandemic" (Kirkus Reviews).
|
|
| Check & Mate by Ali HazelwoodMallory Greenleaf’s unexpected win against the chess world champion “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer reignites her love for the game that cost her family everything. Are Mallory and Nolan a perfect match? Fans of author Ali Hazelwood’s popular adult rom-coms will flock to her swoony YA debut. |
|
|
|
All My Rage
by Sabaa Tahir
Starring: estranged best friends Noor and Salahudin, both 18, both Pakistani American, both grappling with grief, racism, family obligations, and fear of being stuck in small-town poverty.
What happens: Circumstances spin out of control as Sal tries to save his family's motel and Noor plans her escape to college, pushing both authentic characters to their limits.
Book buzz: this "complex, electrifying" (Booklist) story is the first realistic fiction book from Sabaa Tahir, author of popular An Ember in the Ashes fantasy series.
|
|
|
|
An Arrow to the Moon
by Emily X.R. Pan
Star-crossed lovers: When Hunter Yee transfers to Fairbridge High, Luna Chang catches his eye. They're drawn to each other, even after discovering their families' feud.
What happens: Hunter and Luna's secret relationship prompts mysterious fireflies to follow Luna and an ominous crack to split the earth. Understanding these developments and ending the feud requires turning to Chinese lore.
Read it for: the lyrical, contemporary reimagining of the tale of Houyi and Chang'e, with shades of Romeo and Juliet.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|