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Fiction A to Z December 2020 |
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| The Office of Historical Corrections: A Novella and Stories by Danielle EvansWhat it is: a collection of seven stories that examine race, grief, relationships, and womanhood in the U.S., after 2010's Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self.
Why you might like it: Infused with a deep understanding of U.S. history, these character-driven stories employ sharp, compelling writing and incisive and sometimes witty commentary.
Reviewers say: "delectably readable, propulsive accounts of loss and fear and redemption that twist with O. Henry-level glee" (Entertainment Weekly). |
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| The Orchard by David HopenFeaturing: 17-year-old Ari, who's much happier at his "modern conservative" Orthodox Jewish school in Florida than he had been at the ultraconservative one in Brooklyn, in part thanks to a welcoming circle of popular students led by the charismatic and unstable Evan.
What happens: Encouraged by his friends to try risky behaviors and to explore less traditional religious thought, Ari is pulled beyond his comfort zone in all aspects of life.
For fans of: coming-of-age stories; Jewish literature; the envelope-pushing characters of dark academia novels like Donna Tartt's A Secret History. |
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| The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn JoukhadarIntroducing: three generations of Syrian Americans -- a 20-something trans man (Nadir, who is unnamed and misgendered at first), his late mother, and a long missing Syrian artist, Laila Z. -- linked by their love of birds.
What it's about: the search for identity and belonging in an unwelcoming world.
Why you might like it: Syrian American and trans himself, author Zeyn Joukhadar richly captures New York's Little Syria over the decades through the alternating perspectives of Laila Z. and Nadir. |
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| To Be a Man: Stories by Nicole KraussWhat it is: a short story collection about the relationships between men and women at all stages of life, and how the characters' Jewish identities informs those relationships.
Don't miss: "Future Emergencies," which is alarmingly of-the-moment; "I Am Asleep But My Heart Is Awake," in which a daughter inherits her father's apartment, only to find it inhabited.
Why you might like it: Nicole Krauss' straightforward writing style is highly detailed and addresses weighty topics. |
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| It's Not All Downhill from Here by Terry McMillanThe weekend: As a way to celebrate her 68th birthday, Loretha and Carl Curry spend the weekend at a Palm Springs resort, only for Carl to suffer a fatal heart attack.
What happens next: Loretha must contend with her own health issues as she relies on her closest friends -- who are facing their own problems -- as she grieves.
Read it for: the longstanding friendships among a well-drawn group of mature Black women. |
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| Chances Are... by Richard RussoWhat it's about: Three long-time friends come together for a weekend on Martha’s Vineyard, where they puzzle out what happened to the fourth of their group, a beautiful young woman each had been in love with, and who disappeared 40 years previously.
Why you might like it: As usual, author Richard Russo effectively captures male friendships; a touch of suspense as secrets are revealed may surprise and engage fans. |
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| The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto UrreaWhat it's about: the weekend-long gathering in honor of Miguel Angel de la Cruz, whose mother upstages what is sure to be his last birthday by dying herself.
Why you might like it: The stories and memories of the members of the sprawling Mexican-American family abound, resulting in a novel that is "knowing and intimate, funny and tragic at once" (Kirkus Reviews).
Want a taste? "He winked at her. Only Big Angel could wink and denote wisdom." |
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The Weekend
by Charlotte Wood
Gathering to help renovate a late friend's memory-filled home, Jude, Wendy and Adele ponder a collective lifetime of loves, grievances, disappointments and successes over the course of a transformative weekend.
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The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals
by Becky Mandelbaum
The award-winning author of Bad Kansas traces an emotionally charged weekend at an animal sanctuary in Western Kansas, where personal and community bonds are tested in the wake of an estranged daughter's homecoming.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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