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Fiction A to ZOctober 2014
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"No one ever acted on these impulses, despite their daily, sometimes hourly contractions. Instead we met in conference rooms to discuss the issues of the day." ~ from Joshua Ferris' Then We Came to the End
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New and Recently Released!
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| Keep Your Friends Close by Paula DalyPublished in the U.K. earlier this year, this absorbing novel tells the story of Natty Wainwright, who returns home to England after a short trip abroad to care for her daughter. Once back, she finds that her husband has been seduced by an old friend, Eve, who'd agreed to "help out" during Natty's absence. Providing both Natty and Eve's points of view, this psychologically taut and suspenseful read offers rising tension as Natty's "perfect" life falls apart in front of her. It seems her life wasn't so perfect after all, and decades-old secrets lie at the bottom of Eve's plot to replace Natty entirely. "Fiendishly addictive," says The Guardian. |
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| The Bone Clocks: A Novel by David MitchellBeginning in 1984 and moving in linear fashion through the years before ending in the 2040s, this complex, layered novel interweaves several different narratives to tell the story of a secret war between those who would steal souls and those who try to stop them. But it's also the story of Holly Sykes, who belongs to neither of these groups but whose life is nevertheless bound up in them. An expansive, globe-trotting book that takes on themes of aging, youth, and death, The Bone Clocks also features characters who have appeared in author David Mitchell's other books and incorporates genres from absolute realism to heady fantasy. |
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| Fives and Twenty-Fives by Michael PitreWhen you're in a Marine platoon dispatched to repair roads in Iraq, fives and twenty-fives are important -- they mark the distance, in meters, at which roadside bombs can kill. In this debut novel, written by an Iraq War veteran, we hear the stories of the platoon leader, who feels isolated by his rank; the medic, unraveled by the deaths of friends; and their Iraqi interpreter, who both loves and hates what America represents. Fives and Twenty-Fives jumps back and forth between their time in Iraq and their present in the U.S. (or Tunisia, in the case of the asylum-seeking interpreter), and movingly captures the horrors of war and the difficulties of returning to civilian life. |
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| Five Days Left by Julie Lawson TimmerMara Nichols is terminally ill, and the disease is progressing rapidly; rather than let it rob her of every function, she's determined to end her life (unbeknownst to her husband and daughter). She's given herself five days to say goodbye. Scott Coffman also has five days -- he's about to lose his much-loved foster son to the boy's biological mother, who's been in jail. Though they've never met in person, Mara and Scott are close, thanks to an online forum; though their situations are different, debut author Julie Timmer adroitly captures their shared difficulty -- of how and when to say goodbye. You'll want to have a box of tissues available before embarking on this heart-wrenching journey. |
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Nora Webster
by Colm Tóibín
From one of contemporary literature’s bestselling, critically acclaimed and beloved authors, a magnificent new novel set in Ireland, about a fiercely compelling young widow and mother of four, navigating grief and fear, struggling for hope. Struggling with grief and financial hardships after the death of her beloved husband, widow Nora struggles to support her four children and clings to secrecy in the intrusive community of her childhood before finding her voice. Nora Webster is a masterpiece in character study by a writer at the zenith of his career, “beautiful and daring” (The New York Times Book Review) and able to “sneak up on readers and capture their imaginations” (USA TODAY).
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| The Gift: A Novel by Cecelia AhernFans of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (or the movie It's a Wonderful Life) will enjoy this holiday tale, which stars ambitious workaholic Lou Suffern, whose family always comes second to his career. After a chance encounter with Gabe, a young -- and highly observant -- homeless man, Lou gets Gabe a job in his company's mailroom, hoping to utilize Gabe's sharp eyes for his own purposes. Soon, however, Gabe starts making pointed comments about the way Lou treats his family...and eventually has an even more direct impact on the way that Lou lives his life. This "winning tale of magic and redemption" (Publishers Weekly) is just the thing to prepare for the upcoming holiday season. |
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| Then We Came to the End: A Novel by Joshua FerrisAs downsizing continues to decrease their numbers, the remaining copywriters and designers at a once-successful advertising company spend their time gossiping about who's next (or whose anxiety is getting the best of them), competing for the best left-behind office furniture (chairs are particularly sought-after), and relishing secret romances, elaborate pranks, and frequent coffee breaks. They have only one real project -- a mysterious pro-bono ad campaign that may or may not have to do with their boss' illness. Quirky and often absurd, this debut novel perfectly captures office life during stressful times. |
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| Terms & Conditions: A Novel* by Robert GlancyFrank -- a lawyer who specializes in the sort of fine print found in contracts, the kind that nobody reads -- is suffering from memory loss following a serious car accident. But despite help from friends and family, he's beginning to doubt their honesty, since what they tell him doesn't jibe with what he feels or the memories he's gradually recovering. Rife with the footnotes that his career prepared him for, Frank's story takes the form of a contract -- it may not sound funny, but Terms & Conditions is inventive and memorable, full of dark, wry humor. |
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| Truth in Advertising by John KenneyThough successful at his job in advertising, Fin Dolan is nevertheless a bit lost, struggling with encroaching middle age and a broken engagement. He'd planned on spending Christmas in Mexico (alone), but the universe (and his boss) has other plans for him. Laboring under an emergency work assignment (a Super Bowl commercial for biodegradable diapers), Fin learns that his estranged, abusive father has landed in the hospital, and no other family member wants to help. Having stumbled through life until now, Fin begins to reevaluate the choices he's made, making for "a surprisingly funny novel about an adult American male finally becoming a man" (Library Journal). |
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Chambermaid : a novel
by Saira Rao
Sheila Raj is a recent graduate of a top-ten law school with dreams of working for the ACLU, but law school did not prepare her for the power-hungry sociopath, Judge Helga Friedman, who greets her on her first day. While her beleaguered colleagues begin quitting their jobs, Sheila is assigned to a high-profile death penalty case and suddenly realizes that she has to survive the year as Friedman's chambermaid. With Chambermaid , debut novelist Saira Rao breaks the code of silence surrounding the clerkship and boldly takes us into the mysterious world of the third branch of US government, where the leaders are not elected and can never be fired. With its biting wit and laugh-out-loud humor, this novel will change everything you think you know about how great lawyers, and great judges, are made.
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Read Along with Us! Book Clubs @ HPL
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Not Your Mama's Book Club
Thursday, October 23,
6:00 pm
Bracewell Neighborhood Library, Conference Room
Join us in October as we explore and discuss The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. Everyone is welcome. Come and see how awesome it is to share in the experience of a book.
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Kendall Book Club
Tuesday, October 28,
1:00 pm
Kendall Neighborhood Library, 1st Floor Meeting Room
Do you enjoy reading and discussing books? If so, please join us for a lively discussion of: Persuasion by Jane Austen . 1st Floor Meeting Room.
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Park Place Book Club
Saturday, November 1,
2:00 pm
Park Place Regional Library, Conference Room
Do you enjoy reading and discussing Urban books? If so, please join us for a lively discussion of Big Girls Do Cry by Carl Weber.
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Book It! Book Club
Saturday, November 1,
2:00 pm
Oak Forest Neighborhood Library, Meeting Room
Do you enjoy discussing books with like-minded individuals? Our book club selections focus on best sellers, popular fiction, and recommendations. November's selection is Someone by Alice McDermott.
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Roaring 20s/30s Book Club
Wednesday, November 5,
6:30 pm
Heights Neighborhood Library, Meeting Room
A book club with reading selections geared for young adults, ages 25 to 35. November selection: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.
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Kendall Mystery Book Club
Thursday, November 6,
1:00 pm
Kendall Neighborhood Library, 1st Floor Meeting Room
Join us for a lively discussion of our monthly mystery book selection. This month's book: The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie.
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Montrose Great Books Group
Thursday, November 6,
6:00 pm
Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library, Meeting Room
Do your reading tendencies lean toward works of great literature? If so, please join this lively discussion group, presented in partnership with the Houston Great Books Council.
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Acres Homes Neighborhood Library Book Club
Saturday, November 8,
1:00 pm
Shepard-Acres Homes Neighborhood Library
Do you enjoy discussing books with like-minded individuals? Our book club selections focus on best sellers, popular fiction, and recommendations. November's selection is Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan.
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Heights Great Books Group
Saturday, November 8,
2:00 pm
Heights Neighborhood Library, Meeting Room
Do your reading tendencies lean toward works of great literature? If so, please join this lively discussion group, presented in partnership with the Houston Great Books Council. November selection: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte.
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Mystery Book Club
Thursday, November 13,
1:00 pm
Walter Neighborhood Library, Meeting Room
Do you enjoy discussing books with like-minded individuals? Join us for alternating book clubs at your neighborhood library.This month's selection is The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith.
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Mystery on the Boulevard
Saturday, November 15,
2:00 pm
Heights Meeting Room
Discuss a mystery with other readers. Book for the following month is announced at the meeting. November selection: The Long Way Home by Louise Penny.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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