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Fiction A to Z September 2021
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| The Reading List by Sara Nisha AdamsStarring: Widower Mukesh, who takes up reading as a way to feel closer to his late wife; teenager Aleisha, who finds a reading list hidden in a book while working, reluctantly, at the library.
What happens: After a rough start, Aleisha and Mukesh form an unexpected connection each desperately needs as they deal with their own separate challenges.
Read it for: Copious literary references, a sincerely felt love of reading, and wonderfully realized characters. |
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Silent Winds, Dry Seas
by Vinod Busjeet
The setting: Mauritius, a small multiracial island in the Indian Ocean,
What happens: Vishnu Bhushan, a young descendant of Indian indentured laborers, battles to experience the world beyond, and cultural, political and familial turmoil that hold on to him.
Read it for: A compelling coming-of-age story and well-developed characters;
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| Feral Creatures by Kira Jane BuxtonWhat it is: The sequel to the cheeky post-apocalyptic Hollow Kingdom, starring S.T., the foul-mouthed crow with a heart of gold.
What happens: For 13 years, S.T. has been caring for the last surviving human, Dee. Called by the prophet Onida, they return to Seattle to confront the monstrosity that humankind has become.
Read it for: Humor, tension, unique characters, and, through S.T. and Dee, "an intriguing look at the relationship between parents and the children who don’t conform to their expectations" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Ramadan Ramsey
by Louis Edwards
What it is: An adventure-filled journey filled that takes him from NOLA to Egypt, Istanbul and finally Syria.
What happens: When Ramadan Ramsey, the son of a ninth generation New Orleans African American and a Syrian refugee, turns 17, he sets off to find the father he has never known.
What else to try: Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson or The Other Americans by Laila Lalami.
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| What Strange Paradise by Omar El AkkadWhat it's about: Nine-year-old Amir, a Syrian refugee who is the only survivor of a harrowing boat trip to the Greek island of Kos and who provides a portrait of the global refugee crisis through his eyes.
Why you might like it: This heart-wrenching coming-of-age story provides compelling suspense with an urgent examination of humanity in crisis.
Reviewers say: "incisive" (Kirkus Reviews); "heartbreaking" (Booklist). |
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| The King of Infinite Space by Lyndsay FayeWhat it is: A dramatic and complex reboot of Shakespeare's Hamlet, with a generous sprinkling of both mystery and fantasy.
What happens: After his theater bigwig father dies mysteriously and his uncle marries his mother, Ben Dane, his best friend Horatio Patel, and his artist ex-fiancé Lia search for the truth.
Read it for: Other characters from Shakespeare's plays (including three potentially magical sisters); Ophelia finally getting a chance to shine; author Lyndsay Faye's skill with mash-ups. |
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The Bookseller's Secret: A Novel of Nancy Mitford and WWII
by Michelle Gable
Starring: Nancy Mitford—a bookseller, spy, author and aristocrat during World War II
What happens: In the present day, a struggling American writer searches for a lost manuscript written by Mitford and finds a surprising link between the past and present.
For fans of: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict or The Typewriter's Tale by Michiel Heyns.
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| The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne JeffersWhat it is: The multigenerational saga of modern-day Ailey Pearl Garfield and her ancestors: Creeks, enslaved Africans, and their Scottish owners.
What happens: Ailey, the daughter of an accomplished doctor and a strict schoolteacher, begins to search out her family’s past and preserve their piece of American history.
For fans of: Maisy Card's These Ghosts Are Family, Namwali Serpell's The Old Drift, Kevin Powers' A Shout in the Ruins. |
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Once There Were Wolves
by Charlotte McConaghy
Starring: Inti Flynn, who leads a team of biologists tasked with reintroducing fourteen gray wolves into the remote Scottish Highlands and her twin sister Aggie, unmade by the terrible secrets that drove the sisters out of Alaska.
What happens: When a farmer is mauled to death, Inti Flynn knows where the town will lay blame and makes a reckless decision to protect the wolves no matter what the cost.
What else to try: The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall or The Survivors by Jane Harper
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Breathe
by Joyce Carol Oates
What it is: "A work of psychological terror grounded in marital love." --Booklist
What happens: After her husband comes down with a mysterious illness, Michaela contemplates widowhood at age 37 and refuses to surrender her love.
Read it for: A richly detailed, heartwrenching story dealing with loss and grief.
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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