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Fiction A to Z January 2018
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"Imagine leaving home without your shoes." - from A Hundred Small Lessons by Ashley Hay
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| Immortal Life: A Soon to Be True Story by Stanley BingIn the dystopian near future, Earth's richest man wants to live forever, and doesn't care who might get hurt in his quest for immortality. A chilling, funny satire about the digital age, you might enjoy this book if you were a fan of Mr. Robot and Black Mirror. Stanley Bing, the nom de plume for Gil Schwartz, Chief Communications Officer for CBS - creates a dystopian view of wealth, health and immortality in this biting, lighthearted book. Recommended for readers that enjoyed Artemis by Andy Weir and The Circle by Dave Eggers.
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| The Wake Up by Catherine Ryan Hyde40 year old cattle rancher Aiden Delacorte suddenly begins experiencing the physical and emotional pain of animals, a big problem for a man who makes his living from them.
The complex characters in this heartwarming novel struggle with the "dark recesses of human emotions" (Kirkus Reviews), finding solace in each other, family, and budding romance. |
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| The Ice House: A Novel by Laura Lee SmithFacing the ruin of his business as well as surgery for a potentially malignant brain tumor, Johnny MacKinnon decides that now is the best time to track down his estranged son, a recovering heroin addict with no marketable skills who is now raising a young daughter alone. Set in Florida and Scotland, this engaging novel features flawed but likable characters, a sense of urgency, and humor. Pick this up if you like introspective family dramas told from multiple perspectives, such as Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere. |
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| A Hundred Small Lessons: A Novel by Ashley Hay Lucy and Ben are new parents who have just moved from Sydney to Brisbane. Lucy is interested in learning about the house's former owner, elderly Elsie Gormley, who lived there all her married life and decades more after her husband died. Elsie’s children have moved her to a nearby nursing home—and sold the house to Lucy and Ben—but Elsie's memory still takes her home in her mind. |
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| The Confusion of Languages by Siobhan FallonMargaret and Cass are American military wives in Jordan, where political unrest is fomenting in the wake of Arab Spring. Cass is sponsoring Margaret at the U.S. embassy but the two women have very different ways of looking at their roles in a foreign land. Complex characters and rich detail fill this novel. |
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| Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi LaditanAshley Keller is no Pinterest-perfect mom; she's simply trying to make it through the day. In her desire to be better at the whole mothering thing, she joins a parenting boot camp, with less than desirable results. Author Bunmi Laditan's razor-sharp wit first found its audience with the parenting blog The Honest Toddler; this is her first novel. |
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Gather the Daughters: A Novel by Jennie MelamedMelamed, a psychiatric nurse practitioner by trade, writes a haunting dystopia of young girls in an island society and their coming of age under rigid patriarchal law. "Fearsome, vivid, and raw: Melamed’s work describes a world of indoctrination and revolt." (Kirkus) Readers might also enjoy other dark, dystopian tales of repressed women fighting back, like Australian author Charlotte Wood's The Natural Way of Things. Gather the Daughters has also been described as a combination of Lois Lowry's The Giver and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.
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| The Impossible Fortress: A Novel by Jason RekulakSet in the late 1980s, this debut stars 14-year-old Billy and three of his friends; all they want is a copy of Playboy. At least, that's all Billy wants until he meets a girl who shares his interest in computer programming and gaming.
As with Ernest Cline's Ready Player One, if you came of age in the '80s, you'll love the references in this pop culture-infused tale. If you didn't, the irreverent humor and increasingly silly antics that Billy and his friends get involved in offer an entertaining, light-hearted read. |
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| A Kind of Freedom: A Novel by Margaret Wilkerson SextonThis sweeping, heart-wrenching debut explores the legacy of racial inequality in the American South. It's 1944 and Evelyn, a middle class black girl, is studying to be a nurse in segregated New Orleans. It is the 1980s and Jackie, Evelyn's daughter, tries to cope with the crack epidemic. T.C., Evelyn's grandson, lives in housing projects while New Orleans recovers from Hurricane Katrina. The story of three generations of a New Orleans African American family unfolds with skill and timeliness.
Longlisted for the National Book Award and selected as a New York Times Notable Book, A Kind of Freedom was also a favorite of author Tayari Jones (look for her newest, An American Marriage, in February). |
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Read Along with Us! Book Clubs @ HPL
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HPL Readers Online Book Club Currently Reading: The Leavers by Lisa Ko. Join us on Goodreads! More information on our blogpost.
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Collier Book Club
Thursday, January 18, 1PM
Collier Regional Library
Join us for a discussion of Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon.
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Looscan Book Lovers Thursday, January 18, 2 PM Looscan Neighborhood Library Join us for a discussion of The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict.
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Not Your Mama's Book Club Thursday, January 18, 6 PM Bracewell Neighborhood Library Join us for a discussion of Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.
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Mystery on the Boulevard Saturday, January 20, 2PM Heights Neighborhood Library Join us for a discussion of Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz.
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Kendall Book Club
Tuesday, January 23, 1 PM
Kroger at 1520 Eldridge, Houston, TX 77077
Join us at our alternative Kendall Book Club site to discuss Woman Who Walked in Sunshine by Alexander McCall Smith.
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Kendall Mystery Book Club
Thursday, February 1, 1 PM
Kroger at 1520 Eldridge, Houston, TX 77077
Join us at our alternate Kendall Neighborhood Library Mystery Book Club site to discuss Home by Harlan Coben.
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Sci Fi Club Saturday, February 3, 2PM Heights Neighborhood Library Join us for a discussion of Artemis by Andy Weir.
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Heights Library Readers Group
Monday, February 5, 6:15PM
Heights Neighborhood Library
Join us for a discussion of The Lowlands by Jhumpa Lahiri.
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Morris Frank Express Book Club Wednesday, February 7, 10:30AM Morris Frank Express Library Join us for a discussion of Stand the Storm by Breena Clarke.
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Classic Literature Book Club Tuesday, February 13, Noon Central Library Join us for a discussion of Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons.
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