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Fiction A to Z February 2021
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| Black Buck by Mateo AskaripourWhat it is: a debut novel with a biting take on racism in corporate America and the story of a man who may have found success at the expense of his sense of self.
Starring: Darren, a college graduate who takes a job at a cult-like NYC startup. The longer he stays and the greater his success, the more the corporate excesses push him toward helping other young Black people succeed in America's sales force.
Why you might like it: styled like a self-help manual, this provocative satire exposes a lot of hypocrisy and prejudice and speaks to the current moment in American history. |
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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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Germania : A Novel of Nazi Berlin by Harald GilbersWhat it is: the heart-pounding story of Jewish detective Richard Oppenheimer as he hunts for a serial killer through war-torn Nazi Berlin in Germania. All of the victims are linked to the Nazi party. But according to one eyewitness account, the perpetrator is not an opponent of Hitler's regime, but rather a loyal Nazi.
More to the story: Oppenheimer is not just concerned with catching the killer and helping others survive, but also his own survival. Worst of all, solving this case is what will certainly put him in the most jeopardy. With no other choice but to further his investigation, he feverishly searches for answers, and a way out of this dangerous game
Reviewers say:"[A] stellar debut...Gilbers makes Oppenheimer’s fears, and the moral compromises he makes, palpable. Philip Kerr fans will want to check this out." -Publishers Weekly
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Empire of Wild
by Cherie Dimaline
What happens: A year after her husband Victor disappears following an argument, Joan Beausoleil encounters him at a tent revival, calling himself Reverend Wolff (and denying any knowledge of Victor).
But... Is it really him? A Canadian Métis elder believes he's been possessed by a rogarou; Joan comes to agree and determines to track the half-man, half-wolf creature and save her husband.
Read it for: suspenseful, haunting descriptions; immersion into the stories of the Métis Nation in Canada (the author is a member); an understanding of the threat the Métis are under by those who desire their land.
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Mother Land by Leah FranquiWhat happens: When Rachel Meyer, a thirty-something foodie from New York, agrees to move to Mumbai with her Indian-born husband, Dhruv, she knows some culture shock is inevitable. Blessed with a curious mind and an independent spirit, Rachel is determined to learn her way around the hot, noisy, seemingly infinite metropolis she now calls home.But: Rachel's sense of adventure is sorely tested when her mother-in-law, Swati, suddenly arrives from Kolkata announcing she's left her husband of more than forty years and moving in with them. Reviewers say: “Unexpected...funny and relatable...[A] tender tale of two women who are lost and alone, but who eventually become allies and each other’s biggest champions.” -BookPage
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#OwnVoices for Black History Month
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Coyotes of Carthage
by Steven Wright
What it is: a dark (and darkly humorous) tale of political and financial skulduggery in a small South Carolina town.
What happens: Dispatched to rural Carthage County, SC, by his elite Washington, D.C. firm, black political consultant Andre Ross is determined that nothing is going to stop him from separating the county from its assets by manipulating an upcoming election, no matter how torn about it he is.
Read it if: you enjoy the television show Scandal or are intrigued by "dark money" campaigns.
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The Vanishing Half
by Brit Bennett
Featuring: twin sisters Stella and Desiree, who last saw each other as teenagers when they fled the Louisiana hometown where their father had been lynched.
Over the years: Stella has built a life for herself in which everyone, including her husband, believes her to be white; Desiree is the mother of a daughter so dark-skinned the hometown gossips stare.
Why you should read it: Spanning decades (from the 1940s to the 1990s), this is a compassionately drawn tale of family, colorism, and identity.
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It's Not All Downhill from Here
by Terry McMillan
The 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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The Girl with the Louding Voice
by Abi Daré
Starring: Adunni, a 14-year-old rural Nigerian girl who longs for an education in a place where girls are meant to marry young and serve their husbands.
What happens: When Adunni flees her marriage and escapes to Lagos, she finds more degradation and abuse, but is just as determined to find her way.
For fans of: compelling, hopeful stories about fearless young women, like Shobha Rao's Girls Burn Brighter.
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Everywhere You Don't Belong
by Gabriel Bump
What it's about: the coming of age of young Claude McKay Love, raised by his civil rights activist grandmother and her gay best friend on Chicago's South Side.
Why you might like it: Told in short vignettes and very much focused on themes of racial injustice, this debut offers sharp humor, clever dialogue, and a relatable protagonist in awkward, uncomfortable Claude.
Reviewers say: Debut author Gabriel Bump "delivers a singular sense of growing up black that will resonate with readers" (Library Journal).
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The Turner House
by Angela Flournoy
Where it's set: The Turner family has owned their home on Detroit's East Side for more than 50 years, but their historically Black, working-class neighborhood has deteriorated badly and it may be time to let go of the now empty house.
What it's about: focusing on three of the 13 Turner siblings, this engaging family saga traces both family and social history, incorporating a family ghost and flashbacks of their late father's early years in Detroit after the Great Migration.
For fans of: the sweep of history found in Ayana Mathis' The Twelve Tribes of Hattie; the importance of home in Naima Coster's Halsey Street and Ann Patchett's The Dutch House.
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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