[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Fiction A to Z July 2010
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:51:02 -0700
Fiction A to Z July 2010
"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving."
~ Lao Tzu (6th century B.C.), philosopher of ancient China
New and Recently Released!
Neighborhood Watch - by Cammie McGovern
Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/10/2010
ISBN-13: 9780670022038
ISBN-10: 0670022039
Distrust. Paranoia. Deception. These are the hallmarks of life for newly
exonerated suburban librarian Betsy Treading, who has returned to her hometown
determined to salvage her life and clear any lingering suspicion by discovering
who really killed her neighbor, Linda Sue Nelson, 12 years ago. Unsurprisingly,
it's not easy to gain the townspeople's trust, and even Betsy's one loyal
friend on Juniper Lane seems to have secrets to hide. The tension ratchets up
as Betsy delves deeper into the web of connections, secrets, and lies that ties
suburban neighbors together, and fans of literary suspense "will be rewarded"
(Publishers Weekly) by the twists this story takes.
A Visit from the Goon Squad - by Jennifer Egan
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/08/2010
ISBN-13: 9780307592835
ISBN-10: 0307592839
Leaping back and forth through time from 1970s San Francisco to the early 2020s
in Manhattan and focusing on a broad cast of characters, this unusual novel
centers (sort of) on music producer Bennie Salazar and his assistant, Sasha.
But there's also Alex (Sasha's so-so date for an evening), Scotty (Bennie's
former band mate), and a host of others who serve to emphasize the connections
between people even as time marches ever onward. Booklist calls this a
"hilarious,
melancholy, enrapturing, unnerving, and piercingly beautiful mosaic of a
novel," and you'll likely agree if you're interested in experimental writing
that
tackles a recognizable subject--growing up and growing old.
First Chapter
Beautiful María of My Soul: Or the True Story of María García y Cifuentes, the
Lady Behind a Famous Song - by Oscar Hijuelos
Publisher: Hyperion
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/01/2010
ISBN-13: 9781401323349
ISBN-10: 1401323340
In this half-sequel/half-retelling of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author's The
Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, María García, the inspiration for the Mambo
Kings' biggest hit, reminisces about her days and nights in Havana, offering a
different perspective on the story told in Mambo Kings. From the beautiful
Cuban countryside to Havana's bright lights, Maria's doomed love affair with
Mambo King Nestor Castillo fills this book with passion and informs her entire
life story. It may not matter which order you read the two novels in, but you
should definitely make sure to follow the reading of one with a reading of
the other.
First Chapter
Backseat Saints - by Joshilyn Jackson
Publisher: Grand Central
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/08/2010
ISBN-13: 9780446582346
ISBN-10: 0446582344
Beginning with the unforgettable line "It was an airport gypsy who told me that
I had to kill my husband," Backseat Saints follows Rose Mae Lolley (also
known as Ro Grandee) as she flees her violent husband, searches for a former
sweetheart, and tries to build a better life for herself. Those of you who
have read Gods in Alabama might remember her part there, but Rose Mae has this
novel all to herself, and while she's far from perfect, she's working her
way toward a brighter future despite all the obstacles thrown in her way. If
you love Southern fiction, Southern women, or tales of second chances, you
won't want to miss Rosa Mae's adventures.
Stay - by Allie Larkin
Publisher: Dutton
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/10/2010
ISBN-13: 9780525951711
ISBN-10: 0525951717
After she watches the man she's always been in love with marry her best friend,
Savannah Leone takes to the bottle and the television. The next morning,
she learns that she has apparently purchased a puppy on the Internet. The
"puppy," however, turns out to be a highly trained 100-pound German shepherd
police dog. The vet she takes him to...well, he turns out to be rather
handsome--and single. But lest you think this is "just" another girl-meets-boy
story,
don't forget about that newly married couple, whose demands on Savannah's time
might cause some problems. Equally, Savannah's painful awareness of class
differences adds tension. Fans of chick-lit (or of dogs!) will eat it up.
Focus on: Travel
The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet - by Reif Larsen
Publisher: Penguin Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 05/05/2009
ISBN-13: 9781594202179
ISBN-10: 1594202176
T.S. Spivet's fans at the Smithsonian Institution consider him a cartography
genius--in fact, they've awarded him a prestigious prize they'd like him to
accept in person, complete with a keynote speech for the celebration. What they
don't know is that he's only 12 years old. But he's nevertheless determined
to get from his parents' Montana ranch to D.C., and so he hops a train to begin
his crossing of America. Along the way this precocious boy muses on everything
from his impending fame to the garbage found on city streets and comes across
some equally wide-ranging travelers. Cleverly illustrated, annotated, and
printed, this debut is one of a kind.
Amigoland: A Novel - by Oscar Casares
Publisher: Little, Brown
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 08/10/2009
ISBN-13: 9780316159692
ISBN-10: 0316159697
Don Celestino has not spoken to his grumpy older brother, Don Fidencio, in
years, ever since...well, it's not quite clear what started off the
estrangement.
At any rate, prompted by his lovely housekeeper (and much younger love),
Socorro, Celestino frees Fidencio from the terrible nursing home his daughter
and son-in-law have placed him in, and the two aging, bickering men (and
hopeful Socorro) take off on a journey to Mexico, where they hope to investigate
the old family legend at the heart of their dispute. This well-written debut
takes on relationships and life in a border town with equal skill; Kirkus
Reviews calls it "knowing, touching and true."
Dear American Airlines - by Jonathan Miles
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 04/29/2008
ISBN-13: 9780547054018
ISBN-10: 0547054017
Stuck at Chicago's O'Hare airport on his way to the wedding of his estranged
daughter, 53-year-old Bennie Ford starts writing a letter of complaint to the
airline that stranded him. It rapidly turns into a missive that addresses far
more than his failed travel plans--from his drinking problem to his troubled
mother to his doomed career, Bennie has a lot to be unhappy about. But in the
course of the night, through his writings and his conversations with fellow
stranded passengers, Bennie finds that despite all his regrets, there is hope
for the future.
First Chapter
Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict - by Laurie Viera Rigler
Publisher: Dutton
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/25/2009
ISBN-13: 9780525950769
ISBN-10: 0525950761
Here's a different sort of travel book--in the sequel to Confessions of a Jane
Austen Addict, 19th-century Jane Mansfield awakens in the body of modern-day
Los Angeleno Courtney Stone and must learn to navigate the strange cultural
mores of this alien civilization. And while Jane relishes some aspects of the
21st century (her newfound privacy and independence, for example), she must
also deal with exceedingly liberal social practices and confusing modern
technologies--as
well as handle Courtney's demanding job, seductive ex-fiancé, and solicitous
(and handsome) friend Wes. Full of humorous details, this novel, like its
predecessor, is perfect for fellow Austen addicts.
Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet - by Xinran
Publisher: Nan A. Talese/Doubleday
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 07/19/2005
ISBN-13: 9780385515481
ISBN-10: 0385515480
In this fictionalized account of a true story, newly married Chinese doctor Shu
Wen goes to Tibet in 1958 to find out what happened to her husband, reportedly
killed while posted there by the People's Liberation Army. After bearing much
hardship as a lone female doctor, she is separated from her own Army unit;
rather than attempt to return home, however, she continues to seek her husband,
and is taken in by a nomadic Tibetan family. Her time in Tibet opens her
eyes to a different way of life, and while eventually she does return to China,
it is to a China much changed from the one she remembers. Readers will
be captivated by this portrayal of China and Tibet--and undying devotion.
First Chapter
The Leisure Seeker - by Michael Zadoorian
Publisher: William Morrow
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 02/01/2009
ISBN-13: 9780061671784
ISBN-10: 0061671789
At 80-something, Ella Robina is dying. Rather than spend her last moments in
treatment for terminal cancer, she kidnaps her husband and takes off in their
RV for one last grand adventure down Route 66 to Disneyland. Naturally, her
kids (and her doctors) demand that she return home to Detroit, especially since
her husband, John, has Alzheimer's. But Ella knows what she wants, and as the
two navigate their way down the road, they share memories of their life together
(interspersed with Ella's ever-feisty one-liners). "Joyous, painful, funny,
moving, tragic, mysterious, and not to be missed," says Booklist.
First Chapter
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