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Are We There Yet?
by Kathleen West
What it is: a funny, often-relatable tale of motherhood and adolescent angst narrated by a handful of mothers, children, and grandparents.
The crux of the matter: Alice's life is not going well at home or at work, and the combination of 7th-grade drama and poor decision-making on social media throws her friendships with other mothers into a tailspin.
For fans of: the comedic takes on suburban angst in Laurie Gelman's Class Mom.
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| Caul Baby by Morgan JerkinsStarring: three generations of Melancons, a Harlem family of healers who sell their caul only to wealthy white families while ignoring their Black neighbors. Until, that is, a child they're raising as their own starts looking into her own past.
Read it for: the consequences of Harlem's gentrification over 20 years; the intergenerational links among two Black families; the questions of belonging and identity; the touches of magical realism.
Read this next: The Revisioners by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton. |
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| The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez QuadeWhat it is: the tale of three generations of the Padilla family, whose matriarch is dying, whose first son is an ambitionless alcoholic, whose pregnant teen is both strong and frail.
Read it for: the depictions of faith and religion, New Mexico's rich culture and traditions, and the Mexican-American family at the heart of it all.
What you need to know: The Five Wounds is the July pick for Roxane Gay's Audacious Book Club; it's an expansion of a short story from author Kristin Valdez Quade's collection Night of the Fiestas. |
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| Gold Diggers by Sanjena SathianStarring: Indian American Neeraj "Neil" Narayan, who has never felt anything more than average at his high-achieving high school in Hammond Creek, Georgia.
But wait! Neil's neighbor, who's into alchemy, has learned that if you eat their gold jewelry, you can absorb the potential of gifted individuals. So of course that's what Neil begins to do.
Then what happens? Well, you'll have to read it for yourself, but in this layered coming-of-age story, comedy and tragedy go hand in hand. |
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What's Mine and Yours
by Naima Coster
What it is: a multi-generational family drama set in the Piedmont area of North Carolina between 1992 and 2018.
Read it for: a racially diverse cast of well-developed characters whose lives intersect over 30 years; a sweeping tale of two families grappling with race and racism.
For fans of: Mary Beth Keane's Ask Again, Yes, Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half, and Therese Fowler's A Good Neighborhood.
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| This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-SmithWhat happens: When recently divorced therapist Tallie Clark spots a man standing on the wrong side of a bridge railing, she stops her car and convinces him to join her for coffee instead of jumping.
Then what? The two spend a weekend together, sharing their troubles...but not their heart-wrenching secrets.
Why you might like it: Alternating between the two characters' perspectives, this moving tale is both intense and humorous, and eloquently portrays both hopelessness and hope. |
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| Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle LimStarring: Chinese American Vanessa Yu, who's inherited the ability to prophesy the future, just like her talented aunt, who runs a tea shop in Paris.
What happens: After one too many tragic predictions, Vanessa flees to Paris and her aunt Evelyn, to learn how to control -- and perhaps accept -- the gift she considers a curse.
For fans of: Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, Yaffa Santos' A Taste of Sage. |
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| The Peacock Emporium by Jojo MoyesWhat happens: Searching for a place to belong, Suzanna Fairley-Hume opens the Peacock Emporium, a coffee and curiosities shop in her small British hometown, making connections with the town's residents that help her to take control of her life.
For fans of: relationship-oriented novels in which new friendships lead to new opportunities for growth and self-fulfillment -- and a happy ending. |
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| The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa SeeWhat it's about: the bond between mothers and daughters; China's centuries-old tea business; international and trans-racial adoptions.
Starring: Haley, given to a Chinese orphanage with only a cake of rare tea to point to her origins and adopted by white Americans; her birth mother Li-Yan, who's deeply involved in the Yunnan Province tea market and who narrates much of this absorbing tale.
Read this next: Meng Jin's Little Gods. |
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| Ghosting: A Love Story by Tash SkiltonWhat it's about: As ghostwriters for rival online dating services (and competitors for the best table at the local coffee shop both frequent), Miles Ibrahim and Zoey Abot help tongue-tied lonely hearts express their true feelings. Flirtation-by-proxy ensues when their respective clients begin dating.
About the author: Tash Skilton is the pairing of authors Sarah Skilton (Fame Adjacent) and Sarvenaz Tash (Virtually Yours).
For fans of: You've Got Mail and other classic '90s rom coms. |
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YOGA FOR YOUR WELL-BEING: FREE OUTDOOR CLASS
Thursday, May 20, 3:30 p.m.
Walkertown Branch Library
Come to a free one-hour Yoga session for adults and enjoy the health benefits of gentle Yoga exercise.
Bring your exercise mat, a small blanket or a beach towel. This class will be held outdoor, on our grassy, well-maintained lawn. We hope for good weather. The instructor is Lisa Kushner, the owner of the "Yoga Path" studio in Kernersville, NC. For all levels of fitness.
Please call the library at 336-703-2990 or email at walkertownlibrary@gmail.com to register. Of course, we would maintain proper safety precautions such as social distancing and wearing masks.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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