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"He was free and unencumbered. Which was to say alone and unemployed." ~ from Tim Winton's Eyrie
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New and Recently Released!
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| Above the East China Sea by Sarah BirdThis melancholy, moving novel tells the stories of two young girls living in Okinawa, Japan, nearly 70 years apart. In 1945, 15-year-old Tamiko's life has been devastated by American and Japanese soldiers alike. In the current day, military brat Luz mourns her sister, who recently died in Afghanistan. An unexpected discovery leads Luz (whose grandmother is from Okinawa) on a search for her own family history -- which turns out to be connected to Tamiko's fate. A combination of well-researched historical details and the author's psychological acuity, along with a hint of mystery, creates an appealing story of loss and the legacy of war. |
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| Fourth of July Creek: A Novel by Smith HendersonWith his own home life in shambles (he's separated from his wife and daughter and estranged from his father), Pete Snow pours his energies into his job as a social worker in poverty-stricken rural Montana. But his latest charge, a nearly feral 11-year-old who appears to be the son of a disturbed survivalist, is different. Not only does Pete find it hard to help the boy, the case gets him involved in a manhunt after the F.B.I. shows interest in his father. Dramatic and gritty, with strong descriptions of the rough Montana landscape, this debut novel will appeal to fans of Peter Heller. |
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| The Vacationers by Emma StraubSet during a two-week vacation in sunny Mallorca, this sharp, funny novel centers on the Post family and their guests, all of whom share the work of narrating what happens over those two weeks -- and the secrets they're all keeping. In structure it's reminiscent of other vacation-set domestic dramas -- Jane Smiley's Ten Days in the Hills, Madeleine Wickham's Sleeping Arrangements, Mark Haddon's The Red House -- and as with those examples the characters are realistic and their individual challenges aborbing; The Vacationers is "a lot of fun to read and has plenty of insight into the marital bond and the human condition" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Eyrie: A Novel by Tim WintonMiddle-aged Tom Keely is self-destructing in the wake of a career-ending scandal and a failed marriage. But the appearance of a neighbor -- a woman he knew in better days -- and her odd but intelligent grandson may turn out to be the rescue he needs, for they're doing worse than he is. Set in a dingy apartment tower in Freemantle, Australia, this precisely written tale is dark yet hopeful, complex yet suspenseful; it tackles questions of class, corruption, and politics. An ambiguous ending and a narrative structure that is more character study than plot-oriented means that you'll be reading this more for Australian author Tim Winton's electric writing style than for the story. |
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| Incendiary by Chris CleaveOn July 7th, 2005, terrorists detonated four bombs during London's rush hour; that same day, this debut novel -- about a deadly bombing in London -- was published in the U.K. It takes the form of a letter to Osama bin Laden, written by a working-class woman who lost her husband and children in the attack. Her voice -- a stream-of-consciousness style with little regard for punctuation, heavy on East End slang -- and graphic depictions of violence make for a compelling if not easy read. Though there's humor, the letter-writer's grief, and the other emotions that overwhelm her, are the focal point of a novel that takes a stunning tragedy and makes it personal. |
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| I've Got Your Number: A Novel by Sophie KinsellaAfter a fire drill separates her from both her engagement ring and her mobile phone, panicked bride-to-be Poppy Wyatt finds a phone lying in a trash can. Finders keepers, claims Poppy -- although businessman Sam Roxton begs to differ. Despite the fact that his ex-assistant threw it out when she quit, it's still company property. But Poppy begs Sam to let her hang on to the phone until she finds her ring, explaining that her fiancé's snooty parents will be furious if they find out that she's lost a family heirloom. When he agrees, Poppy can't help but intervene in Sam's life, starting by softening his curt (some might say "rude") style of communication with cheerful, emoticon-filled texts and e-mails; meanwhile Sam has some suggestions of his own. Their text-based communication soon links them in ways they never expected. |
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| Sister: A Novel by Rosamund LuptonBeatrice is devastated when she learns that her sister, Tess, has been found dead -- and that Tess' death, unbelievably, has been ruled a suicide. Though she has a full, successful life in the U.S., Bee begins to take over Tess' life in London, starting with Tess's job and apartment, as she looks for a killer she knows must exist. As Bee's search goes on (she relates it, poignantly, in the form of a letter to Tess), the twists in the tale multiply -- Tess had been pregnant, though spurned by her married lover; she'd been in a clinical trial to cure her unborn baby of cystic fibrosis; and she may have had at least one stalker. Both a compelling tale of sisterly bonds and an eerie, suspenseful story that unfolds over the course of the book, Sister was a bestseller in the U.K. |
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| Attachments by Rainbow RowellLincoln's job is to monitor the email communications between coworkers at the newspaper he works for; Beth and Jennifer are best friends who, despite the newspaper's email policy, spend much of their time chatting and confiding via email. While reading their correspondence, Lincoln unexpectedly gets hooked on their daily dramas and falls for Beth. Set in 1999-2000, when email was still relatively new, this leisurely paced novel offers both charm and humor. Fans should keep an eye out for author Rainbow Rowell's latest, Landline, published this month! |
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| Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria SempleAs a reward for her academic achievements, eighth-grader Bee Branch has been promised a trip to Antarctica (Bee's choice) by her parents, tech guru Elgin Branch and architect Bernadette Fox. However, Bee's dream soon becomes a nightmare when Bernadette -- whose creative genius is outstripped only by her social anxiety and agoraphobia -- disappears. Bee's efforts to recover her mother involve the compilation of the emails, faxes, official documents, and letters that form the basis of this delightful, charming, witty novel. |
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| Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel by Gary ShteyngartIn a near future in which American society is failing, the Chinese yuan is the world currency, and instant everything is the norm (including ratings for sex appeal, personality, and financial worth), Lenny Abramov is over the hill at 39 -- and considered odd for still reading books. He's fallen for the reluctant Eunice Park, who texts and emails, while Lenny writes lengthy diary entries; these two styles of narration alternate throughout this bleak, funny, satirical book. The future that award-winning author Gary Shteyngart envisions here is "devilishly hilarious, soul-shriveling, and all-too plausible," says Booklist. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Prince George's County Memorial Library System 6532 Adelphi Rd. Hyattsville, Maryland 20782 301-699-3500http://www.pgcmls.info/ |
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