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| Census by Jesse BallThe widowed father of young man with Down syndrome is dying -- and must figure out how to provide for his son after his death.
Our unnamed narrator takes a long-postponed cross-country trip with his son, paid for by his role as census-taker for a mysterious governmental agency. This philosophical and simply written book was called "an understated feat" (The Washington Post). |
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| A trio of oddballs find a home, of sorts, in the library of a declining industrial town in New Hampshire. Authentic characters, unexpected and evolving relationships, and multiple narrators keep the story moving forward.
You might enjoy this light read if you liked other book-oriented novels with quirky characters, like Felicity Hayes-McCoy's The Library at the Edge of the World or Rebecca Makkai's The Borrower. |
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| Speak No Evil by Uzodinma IwealaStar athlete Niru is bound for the Ivy League...until his loving but traditional Nigerian parents discover that he's gay. The repercussions are violent and far-reaching. Cross-generational misunderstandings, as well as cross-cultural complications, are sensitively portrayed. Readers who prefer happy endings will want to look elsewhere. |
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| Motherless Poornima and penniless Savitha are sustained by their deep friendship in their rural Indian town. Separated by acts of cruelty and abuse, the two young women must navigate the world alone, each searching for the other.
Narrated in the girls' alternating voices, this debut novel offers a vivid portrayal of contemporary India, as well as a devastating exploration of gender inequalities and human trafficking. |
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The Arctic & the Antarctic
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| Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-DaltonAstronomer Augustine is seemingly stranded in the Arctic. Sully, whose voyage to Jupiter is coming to an end. Both scientists are faced with sudden radio silence from Earth. Is everyone back home dead? Have their radio transmitters been silenced?
This leisurely paced, unusual take on a post-apocalyptic novel is quietly moving. |
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| The Sunlit Night by Rebecca DinersteinThe sun never sets if you're above the Arctic Circle in summer, as both 21-year-old Frances and 17-year-old Yasha learn when they arrive in remote Lofoten, Norway. She's there to take up residency in an artists' colony; he's there to bury his father.
With a cast of quirky supporting characters, poetic language, and vivid descriptions of the harsh and melancholy landscape, this not-quite-romance offers an intriguing portrait of family, uncertainty, and loss. |
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| I Am Radar by Reif LarsenRadar is a black child born inexplicably to white parents and a secretive group of physicist puppeteers who stage experimental performances in the world's war zones. Radar meets the puppeteers in northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle. You might enjoy this title if you liked Wilson's The Family Fang, another character-centered tale with performance artists in starring roles. |
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| Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria SempleEighth-grader Bee Branch has been promised a trip to Antarctica by her parents, tech guru Elgin Branch and architect Bernadette Fox. Until Bernadette -- whose creative genius is outstripped only by her social anxiety and agoraphobia -- disappears.
A compilation of emails, faxes, official documents, and letters forms the basis of this delightful, charming, witty novel. Read this title if you missed it in 2012, when it was much buzzed about. |
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| South Pole Station by Ashley ShelbyFloundering but talented painter Cooper Gosling gets to spend a year at an artists' colony in Antarctica, where she is drawn into the complex social and political dynamics of the isolated station.
This humorous, inventive debut novel combines science, art, and the politics of climate change -- with plenty of quirky characters to drum up complications.
Read this if you like oddball workplace comedies, exotic locations, and complex social situations. For a warmer setting, try T.C. Boyle's The Terranauts. |
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| Geologist Alice Peel, who seeks change after ending a relationship. James Rooker is a man trying to outrun his past. They find love against the stunning backdrop of Antarctica.
Read this romance and check out the the movie, shot in 2016.
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Read Along with Us! Book Clubs @ HPL
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HPL Reads Online Book Club
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Not Your Mama's Book Club Bracewell Neighborhood Library April 19, 6 PM - 7:45 PM
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Classic Literature Book Club Central Library May 8, 12 PM - 1 PM Do your reading tendencies lean toward the classics? If you enjoy reading and discussing classic literature, please join us for a discussion of Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness.
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Eleven Blowout Books Central Library May 10, 12 PM - 1 PM Join us to learn more about green themes including the environmental, social and economic approaches to sustainability. Held the second Thursday of the month at Noon; Led by Steve Stelzer, Program Director, Houston Green Building Resource Center.
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Heights Library Readers Group Heights Neighborhood Library
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Heights Great Books Heights Neighborhood Library April 12, 2PM - 4 PM Join the Heights Great Books Council for a discussion on The Iliad by Homer.
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SciFi Book Club Heights Neighborhood Library May 5, 2:00 - 3:30 PM Join us for a lively discussion on The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch.
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Looscan Book Lovers Looscan Neighborhood Library April 19, 2 PM - 3:30 PM Join us in a lively book discussion for adults! We will be discussing Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.
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Meyer Mystery Book Club Meyer Neighborhood Library April 19, 1 PM - 2 PM Join us for a lively book discussion at the Meyer Mystery Book Club, hosted by Frank. This month, we will be reading Paradise Valley, by C.J. Box.
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