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Fiction A to Z December 2018
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| Evening in Paradise: More Stories by Lucia BerlinAbout the author: Lucia Berlin died in 2004 at age 68; it wasn't until her first posthumous collection was published in 2015 (A Manual for Cleaning Women) that she became known to a wider audience.
The collection: could be considered semi-autobiographical, given some similarities in locations (Lucia lived all over the American Southwest and in Latin America) and themes (homesickness, for one).
Reviewers say: "No dead author is more alive on the page than Berlin: funny, dark, and so in love with the world" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| A Ladder to the Sky by John BoyneStarring: ruthless, manipulative Maurice Swift, who furthers his own literary career at the considerable expense of others.
Read it for: a fast-paced story, an insider's dark view of the publishing world, completely unsavory characters, and layers upon layers of plotting.
For fans of: the classic film All About Eve or Patricia Highsmith's popular novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. |
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| My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan BraithwaiteStarring: hardworking, practical Korede, and her beautiful sister Ayoola, who seems to have made a habit of killing her boyfriends.
What it's about: Korede is the one who ends up having to dispose of the bodies and keep her sister out of jail. But when the handsome doctor who Korede has fallen in love with notices Ayoola and asks for her number, Korede faces a dilemma.
Why you might like it: This darkly funny debut captures complex family relationships and the crowded streets of Lagos, Nigeria, with equal skill. |
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| One Day in December by Josie SilverWhat it's about: A fleeting encounter at a London bus stop has Laurie pining for a stranger -- who, a year later, shows up on the arm of her best friend.
What happens next: It's a case of terrible timing, and for ten years, Laurie and Jack repress their feelings for each other. While there's eventually a happy ending, the journey there is far from smooth.
For fans of: Love Actually, When Harry Met Sally, and other charming romantic comedies. |
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| Family Trust by Kathy WangFeaturing: terminally ill patriarch Stanley Huang, and his prospective heirs, who wonder how much he's really worth while considering their own failures and successes as second-generation Taiwanese Americans.
What it's about: While debut author Kathy Wang pokes fun at Silicon Valley culture, this is a novel about family relationships, aging, and class privilege.
Is it for you? Fans of Cynthia D'aprix Sweeney's The Nest will find much to appreciate. |
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Prague spring
by Simon Mawer
Two Oxford backpackers confront the realities of Alexander Dubcek's socialist philosophies in turbulent 1960s Czechoslovakia, while a British diplomat stationed in Prague connects with the youth scene in the face of a gathering Red Army. Original.
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Dracul
by Dacre Stoker
A prequel to Dracula, based on original author notes and co-written by a family descendant, reveals the iconic vampire's origin story, the early years of Bram Stoker and the tale of the enigmatic woman who connected them
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The piranhas : the boy bosses of Naples
by Roberto Saviano
Nicholas, a member of one of Naples' mafia-run child gangs, aspires to be more than just a lacky, but he soon finds his ambition getting him into trouble. By the best-selling author of Gomorrah
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Love is blind : the rapture of Brodie Moncur
by William Boyd
Accompanying a famed pianist on a tour from Paris to Saint Petersburg, a brilliant but haunted piano tuner risks everything to pursue a Russian soprano with ties to his employer. By the award-winning author of A Good Man in Africa
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America is not the heart
by Elaine Castillo
Hero arrives in the United States from the Philippines to stay with her uncle Pol, who has offered her a fresh start and a promise not to ask about her past during the violent political history of their home country.
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The splendor before the dark : a novel of the Emperor Nero
by Margaret George
When a fire engulfs ancient Rome, Nero Augustus is targeted with suspicion about his complicity, forcing him to navigate a web of false friends and spies to save the empire, in a follow-up to The Confessions of a Young Nero
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Wolves of Eden : a novel
by Kevin McCarthy
While a post-Civil War military lieutenant and his long-suffering orderly navigate violence in their search for a band of killers, two war-weary Irish immigrants are swept into a coalition of Native American tribes fighting American expansion.
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The last sword maker
by Brian A Nelson
Responding to rumors of a disease outbreak, an American spy discovers thousands dead in Tibet as the result of a Chinese weapons test based on genetic traits in the first novel in a new techno-thriller series.
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Focus on: Unreliable Narrators
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| Three Things About Elsie by Joanna CannonStarring: 84-year-old Florence Claybourne, who, after a fall, awaits rescue at the Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly.
What happens: While she waits, Florence reflects on the passage of time, on her longtime friend Elsie and the secret they share, and on a man Florence thought was dead -- the murderer of Elsie's sister -- who seems to have joined Cherry Tree. But how is that possible?
Read it for: stubborn Florence, a fair bit of suspense, and the friendships that develop between residents at the home. |
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| Nutshell by Ian McEwanIn a nutshell (sorry, couldn't resist!): Imagine a crime of passion based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, narrated by a fetus. Yup, you read that right -- Whitbread Award-winning Ian McEwan has written an interpretation of the classic tragedy with a wholly unique narrator.
Disaster looms: How can an unborn baby prevent the murder of his father at the hands of his mother and uncle?
Read it for: the moments of wit (our narrator has paid attention as his mother listens to her educational podcasts). |
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| The Reason You're Alive by Matthew QuickStarring: Vietnam veteran David Granger, who believes his brain tumor was caused by Agent Orange, no matter what the doctors say.
What happens: A widower with an estranged son, cranky and suspicious David relates the story of his life, and attempts to right a long-ago wrong.
Is it for you? David's indelicate opinions and strong language won't be for everyone, but this cantankerous old man's honesty and introspection is unforgettable. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Patchogue-Medford Library 54-60 East Main Street Patchogue, New York 11772 (631) 654-4700www.pmlib.org/ |
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