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Fiction A to Z August 2020
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Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan What it is: a dishy, escapist read that brings E.M. Forster's A Room with a View to the modern era, complete with snobby Mayflower descendants, gauche new-money families, and all the lavish luxury (this time in Capri and the Hamptons) that author Kevin Kwan (of Crazy Rich Asians fame) is known for.
Want a taste? "We're going to start small at first and offer an Ayurvedic juice bar, qigong, puppy yoga, breath work meditation, and maybe some sound healing."
| | Pew by Catherine Lacey Introducing: racially ambiguous, genderless, mute, and of unknown age, Pew is named by where they were found -- sleeping in a church.
What happens: Pew's muteness encourages the townspeople to share their stories; a reluctant confidante, Pew's own thoughts are communicated to readers alone. But fear of the unknown is strong, and soon the town's generosity turns to suspicion and mistrust.
Read it: to understand the pitfalls of human society and the dangers of insularity. | | The Round House by Louise Erdrich What it's about: In North Dakota, the summer in 1988, 13-year-old Joe Coutts' mother, a tribal enrollment specialist on the Ojibwe reservation, is viciously attacked. Traumatized, she retreats to her bed, unwilling to identify her attacker. Frustrated with the official investigation's glacial pace, Joe sets out to find his mother's assailant and deliver justice.
Why you might like it: Imbued not only with Ojibwe culture and beliefs but also with Christian ideas and the philosophy of Star Trek: The Next Generation (Joe and his friends are hooked on the show), this is a thoughtful, perceptive take on the aftermath of a violent crime. | | Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes What it's about: For Camille, Susan, and Julia, traditional retirement communities hold no appeal; on something of a whim the four near-strangers decide to rent a Tuscan home for a year, where they meet a younger American expat and become fast friends.
Why you might like it: An upbeat, engaging novel, Women in Sunlight features lushly described settings and meals -- and brings Tuscany's best to your living room. | | Augustown by Kei Miller What it is: the recounting of Jamaica's complex history, framed by the ruthless cutting of a boy's 'locs in 1982, and the story his great aunt tells him of Alexander Bedward, a preacher who predated Rastafarianism and likewise got cut down by a repressive authority.
Why you might like it: Vivid writing elicits a strong sense of Jamaica, as does the author's use of dialect (he's Jamaican himself).
Reviewers say: Both the community and the individuals who form it are "sharp [and] sensitive" (Kirkus Reviews). | |
Contact your librarian for more great books!
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