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Fiction A to Z September 2024 |
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| Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-AknerThis witty and insightful novel takes place 40 years after wealthy Carl Fletcher was kidnapped. His wife paid the $250,000 ransom and he survived, but no one in the family has dealt with their trauma, and now their money is running out. Read-alikes: What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez; This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper; Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson. |
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| The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee; translated by Sandy Joosun LeePenny gets a sought-after job at Dallergut Dream Department Store and begins work at the front desk, helping slumbering customers find the dreams they need. This whimsical and cozy Korean bestseller offers a well-drawn world with a cast of colorful characters. Read-alikes: Hwang Bo-Reum's Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop; Hisashi Kashiwai's The Kamogawa Food Detectives. |
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| Black Butterflies by Priscilla MorrisIn 1992, rumors of war fly in cosmopolitan Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. While her husband and mother go to England, 55-year-old artist Zora stays, convinced it'll all end quickly. But as the siege of her city drags on for years, Zora must connect with others to survive. Published in the United Kingdom in 2022, this immersive debut was inspired by the author's family. Read-alikes: Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo; Stef Penney's The Beasts of Paris. |
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| All This & More by Peng ShepherdRecently divorced middle-aged mom Marsh thinks it's too late to live the life she'd once imagined, from having a high-flying career to traveling the world. But then she's selected for a reality show where quantum technology allows contestants to revise their pasts...though there just might be a glitch in the process. For fans of: Choose Your Own Adventure-style books; Holly Gramazio's The Husbands. |
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| The Horse by Willy VlautinLiving alone on an old Nevada mining claim, 67-year-old former touring musician Al Ward reads old magazines, writes songs, and waits for time to pass. After a sickly horse appears outside his shack, he has a decision to make: put it out of its misery or walk 30 miles through the snow for help. He walks, pondering his life, love, songwriting, and music in this spare, beautiful novel. Read-alikes: The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry; As Good as Gone by Larry Watson.
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| The Coin by Yasmin ZaherA wealthy, fashionable young Palestinian woman new to the United States teaches at a private New York City middle school for underprivileged boys using unorthodox methods, starts a Birkin bag pyramid scheme, and becomes obsessed with cleanliness as she slowly unravels in this "brilliant" (Booklist) debut. For fans of: propulsive stories with unforgettable narrative voices. |
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If you like: Elizabeth Strout
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| Roman Stories by Jhumpa LahiriCentering on the city of Rome, this thoughtful collection of nine lyrical short stories explores the lives and relationships of a wide variety of individuals. Roman Stories was composed in Italian by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri and translated into English by Lahiri and her editor. For fans of: quietly beautiful tales; stories "filled with intelligence and sorrow" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Commonwealth by Ann PatchettIt's at the Southern California christening for baby Franny Keating that the implosion of two nuclear families begins with a kiss. When the dust clears, Franny and her sister have four new stepsiblings with whom they are forced to spend long summers in Virginia. Over the decades, a fatal bee sting, long-held secrets, and a bestselling novel threaten hard-won bonds. For fans of: complex family tales, like those by Elizabeth Strout and Celeste Ng. |
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| Gilead by Marilynne RobinsonIn 1956 Gilead, Iowa, 70-something Reverend John Ames approaches the time of his death and writes a letter to his son chronicling family history that stretches back to the Civil War and reveals family secrets. For fans of: lyrical novels portraying the intimate thoughts of characters who have complicated, often difficult lives within their small communities. |
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| The Covenant of Water by Abraham VergheseSet in Kerala, India from 1900 to 1977, this atmospheric saga follows a family of Saint Thomas Christians (a local Christian community present in the region since late antiquity) that loses at least one member by drowning each generation, as well as an orphaned Scot, who becomes a physician and makes his way to Colonial India. For fans of: emotionally powerful novels peopled with carefully drawn, three-dimensional figures. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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