Monthly Archives: January 2017

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

30 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by in Drama, Fiction

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It took the author 20 years to educate herself to write about this topic.  With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn’t offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game. Much to discuss for book clubs!

“[Picoult] offers a thought-provoking examination of racism in America today, both overt and subtle. Her many readers will find much to discuss in the pages of this topical, moving book.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Small Great Things is the most important novel Jodi Picoult has ever written. . . . It will challenge her readers . . . [and] expand our cultural conversation about race and prejudice.”—The Washington Post

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A Deadly Affection by Cuyler Overholt

23 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction, mystery

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“Genevieve Summerford is a heroine with brains, compassion, and grit. A psychiatrist during a time women were supposed to be wives and mothers, she not only practices medicine, but also protects secrets, and solves murders. A riveting period puzzler, filled with history, mystery, and romance.” – Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series

“I had to put my life on hold until I’d finished it. What a satisfying finish…and what a smooth, complex, enlightening, riveting journey. A Deadly Affection is masterfully crafted, a delightful combination of suspense and romance. I cannot wait for Overholt’s next novel.” – Historical Novels Review

“This superb debut reflects the author’s impeccable research with its portrait of turn-of-the-century New York City. Discussion questions at the end focusing on women’s rights make this a solid book club choice.
” – Library Journal, Starred Review 

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Nutshell by Ian McEwan

18 Wednesday Jan 2017

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I call it (with tongue in cheek) Hamlet Redux….a funny, engaging tale of murder, intrigue, deceit, and political commentary told (in incredibly graceful prose) from the viewpoint of a nine month old fetus.  McEwan is truly a 21rst century Shakespeare.

“With Nutshell, Ian McEwan has performed an incongruous magic trick … A smart, funny and utterly captivating novel … A small tour de force that showcases all of Mr. McEwan’s narrative gifts of precision, authority and control, plus a new, Tom Stoppard-like delight in the sly gymnastics that words can perform.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“As an example of point of view, you can look no farther than these gorgeous pages, which not only prove that brevity is the soul of wit but also offer the reader a voice both distinctive and engaging … The reader [will be] speeding through every page, each one rife with wordplay, social commentary, hilarity, and suspense … Hats off to Ian McEwan.”—Mameve Medwed, Boston Globe

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The Children by Ann Leary

11 Wednesday Jan 2017

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With remarkable wit and insight, Ann Leary pulls back the curtain on one blended family, as they are forced to grapple with the assets and liabilities – both material and psychological – left behind by their wonderfully flawed patriarch.  Told from the perspective of the reclusive 29 year old daughter who has a secret life on the Internet.

“In this deeply satisfying novel about how unknowable people can be, intrigue builds with glass shards of dark humor toward an ending that is far from comic.” ―Kirkus, starred review

“Ann Leary’s latest novel, The Children, delivers the same page-turning story telling and complexity of characters as her last book, The Good House…As always, Leary makes dysfunction, pathology and even tragedy completely compelling.” ―The Huffington Post

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How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran

04 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Comedy, Fiction, Humor

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A teenage girl living in England is desperate to become a music writer, even if it means she finds herself in some unusual and embarrassing situations. This is a really funny, sometimes profane, and surprisingly poignant novel.

“The earnestness with which Johanna goes about constructing a new persona gives the novel an almost irresistible verve, and the reader continues to root for her even during the most embarrassing episodes.” (The New Yorker)

“A smart, splendid, laugh-out-loud-funny novel.” (Boston Globe)

“Vivid and full of truths…. There’s a point in midlife, when you’re already built, as it were, when the average coming-of-age story starts to feel completely uninteresting. But Moran is so lively, dazzlingly insightful and fun that “How to Build a Girl” transcends any age restrictions.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

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