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Fiction A to Z February 2021
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| Before the Ruins by Victoria GoslingThe set up: Four best friends become five with the arrival of a mysterious stranger in their tiny English town. But their group fractures and, decades later, one member has disappeared.
What happens: Ringleader Andy sets out to find her oldest pal, with whom things have long been strained. In so doing, she uncovers long-hidden secrets.
For fans of: atmospheric, menacing tales like Donna Tartt's The Secret History or Elisabeth Thomas' Catherine House. |
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| Detransition, Baby by Torrey PetersWhat happens: Trans woman Reese, her detransitioned ex Ames and his cisgender lover (and boss) Katrina build an unconventional family in response to an unplanned pregnancy.
Read it for: loving, engaging, and relatably complicated characters; abundant wit; and the understanding that there are many ways to build a family.
About the author: Torrey Peters is herself a trans woman; this "smart, funny, and bighearted" novel (Kirkus Reviews) is her full-length debut after three novellas. |
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| The Liar's Dictionary by Eley WilliamsWhat it is: a tale of two parallel stories, both set in the offices of a dictionary publisher. In the 19th century, a lexicographer adds made-up words to the New Encyclopaedic Dictionary; in the modern day, an intern is tasked with finding them.
Why you might like it: Puns and wordplay make this a linguistic delight, while the romantic adventures in both eras humanize it.
Reviewers say: "A sweet and diverting story, witty and sincere" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House
by Cherie Jones
In Baxter's Beach, Barbados, Lala's grandmother Wilma tells the story of the one-armed sister. It's a cautionary tale about what happens to girls who disobey their mothers and go into the Baxter's Tunnels.
When she's grown, Lala lives on the beach with her husband, Adan.
A gunshot no one was meant to witness. A new mother whose baby is found lifeless on the beach. A woman torn between two worlds and incapacitated by grief. And two men driven into the Tunnels by desperation and greed who attempt a crime that will risk their freedom -- and their lives.
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Tropic of Stupid
by Tim Dorsey
Devoted Floridaphile Serge Storms is a lover of history, so he’s decided to investigate his own using one of those DNA services from late-night TV.
But as the old saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far . . .
Serge is thrilled to discover he may be related to a notorious serial killer who’s terrorized the state for twenty years and never been caught. Which one of his newfound relatives will be the one to help him hunt down this deranged maniac?
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Two White Queens and the One-eyed Jack
by Heidi Von Palleske
From the shores of Lake Ontario to the hustle of Berlin, from the art of oculary to punk opera, this is a story of dark secrets, suppressed desires, forgiveness, and love.
On a hot June day in 1965, two six-year-old boys, Gareth and Jack, compete to see who can climb higher up a tree. When Jack falls and loses his eye on a thorn bush, the accident sets off a series of events that will bind the boys together for the rest of their lives.
When the best friends meet albino twins Clara and Blanca, a shared fate unfolds. With Gareth and Jack's help, the twins are able to reclaim their lives and leave their nightmarish past behind them.
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| The Awkward Black Man: Stories by Walter MosleyWhat it is: a collection of 17 short stories that portray the wide variety of American life, all starring Black men, many of them over 50, narrating their own stories.
Don't miss: "The Good News Is," in which a man's insecurity about his weight gives way to a serious illness. It's the first in the book and once you've read it, you'll be hooked on award-winning author Walter Mosley's insight and slice-of life perspective. |
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| The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha PhilyawWhat it is: nine stories exploring the secret lives of the Black women and girls who can't get everything they need from attending church.
Don't miss: "Peach Cobbler," in which a daughter comes to terms with her mother's long-ago affair with their pastor.
Reviewers say: "cheeky, insightful, and irresistible" (Ms. Magazine); "full of lived-in humanity, warmth, and compassion" (Pittsburgh Current).
For fans of: Danielle Evans' The Office of Historical Corrections; anything by Toni Morrison. |
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Lot: Stories
by Bryan Washington
What it is: a short story collection that explores the lives of Houston's working class inhabitants; many of the stories share a narrator in an unnamed Afro-Latino teenager who's beginning to realize he's gay.
Reviewers say: Debut short story writer Bryan Washington is "dynamic writer with a sharp eye for character, voice, and setting" (Publishers Weekly).
Keep an eye out for: Washington's next book, Memorial, will reportedly be published later this year.
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| In the Valley: Stories and a Novella Based on Serena by Ron RashWhat it is: ten tales set in North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains and spanning a century and a half, from the Civil War to the modern era.
Don't miss: "Sad Man in the Sky," in which an ex-con finds a creative way to show his love for the children he helped raise.
Who should you read next? Rick Bragg, Jesmyn Ward, Tom Franklin, and Wiley Cash all write atmospheric stories set in the South. |
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| Verge: Stories by Lidia YuknavitchWhat it is: 20 short stories which, in their surrealism and darkness, may appeal to horror readers.
Don't miss: "Street Walker," which holds many surprises; the deeply cynical cop in "A Woman Refusing;" and the 160 or so words that make up "Two Girls."
Reviewers say: "Disturbing and delightful all at once" (BookRiot).
Is it for you? The collection's intimate approach to trauma and violence may make for difficult reading for some. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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