Blue Nights by Joan Didion. I'm a recent convert to the memoir genre, and I wasn't sure that this one was going to do it for me. But as you might already suspect if you're a fan, Didion writes with such quiet grace and insight that you can't help but be engaged. If you've lost someone near and dear (and who among us hasn't), this book will be both familiar and a companion in grief. (Jenn)
Long, Last, Happy by Barry Hannah. Barry Hannah passed away unexpectedly in March of 2010, but he left behind an impressive canon of novels and short stories from his nearly forty-year career. Long, Last, Happy is a best-of collection of previously released short stories, and also includes four new unreleased short stories. His fiery prose rings of truth, honesty, humor and anger. A great introduction to the second king of Mississippi literature. (Cree)
Among Righteous Men by Matthew Shaer. Shaer uses the dramatic events in a yeshiva dormitory, and following fallout and legal battle, as a springboard for this look into the Hasidic community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The lineage of the Hasidic rabbis and how Crown Heights came to figure into the story of the Hasidic Jews of New York is a curious piece of the fabric of our city. (Simone)
Among Others by Jo Walton. This is most perfect book for those of us who grew up reading. If you remember the sinking feeling of being caught reading under the desk in class, it's for you. But in addition to being a love letter to books, it's smart and has a good amount of magic without being annoying and is just really good. Especially great for all the sci-fi buffs out there. (Stephanie)
Crimes in Southern Indiana by Frank Bill. When debut author Frank Bill was asked what advice he had for other aspiring writers, he said: "Write what you dig, not what you think people want." Apparently, Frank Bill digs gritty hardboiled crime fiction, with a modern pulpy edge to it as well. His first collection of short stories takes you on a tour of the desperate side of American society today. Recommended for fans of Jim Thompson, Daniel Woodrell and even Chuck Palahniuk. Tremendously powerful debut! (Cree)
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr. I've been a fan of Zarr's work since Story of a Girl, and she's only getting better. Goth-punk-girl Jill has to deal with her mother's craziest new idea--adopting a baby. To add insult to injury, the mother, a seemingly-vapid teen named Mandy, is going to come to live with them until the delivery. What couldn't go wrong? ( Jenn)
Thinking, Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman. This is a book that you can really only read slowly, not fast at all, but it will change the way you think about your thinking, and also the way you think about how you think about your thinking. We all know that's it's easier to judge other people's actions than to step back and examine our own, but this book gets at the heart of why, what to do about it, and many other mental quandries. (Stephanie)
What Animals Really Like by Fiona Robinson. If pigeons coo, you'd expect that cows like to moo, right? Wrong. They like to dig. The animal kingdom is sick and tired of your tedious expectations of their desires and they have chosen this book as a place to draw a line in the sand. Very fun to read out loud. Perhaps more fun for readers than listeners, even. You will have the sillies for the rest of the day. (Adrian)
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