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Category Archives: Fiction

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

09 Friday May 2025

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in England, Fiction, meaning of life

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friendship, human-animal relationships, loneliness, mice, widows

This is a very sweet story about friendship and finding a new way out of loneliness.

“Sipsworth is a love story about a woman and a mouse. Reason suggests that such a relationship couldn’t possibly work, and yet I found myself pulling for this unlikely duo on every page. Simon Van Booy’s characters are loaded with charm, resilience, and the deep desire for connection that all mammals share. I loved it.”—Ann Patchett

“A memorable story about serendipity—and what can happen when we keep our hearts open to surprise.”—Christian Science Monitor

“Whimsical, beautifully detailed, and filled with heart, Sipsworth is a slim, sparkling jewel of a novel.”—Christina Baker Kline

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Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

30 Wednesday Apr 2025

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Fiction, Science fiction, United States

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authorship, fame, families, movement disorders, Nigerian Americans, Robots in literature, Science fiction, women with disabilities

Nnedi Okorafor is a prolific science fiction author whose books often incorporate her Nigerian heritage. This was my first time reading her, and I can see why she is an acclaimed, award-winning writer. Death of the Author is the story of Zelu, who achieves success after publishing a novel about robots (a book we also read throughout this story). Unable to walk from a childhood fall, Zelu begins to incorporate futuristic technology into her own life. A hard book to describe, but well worth the read! 

“There’s more vivid imagination in a page of Nnedi Okorafor’s work than in whole volumes.” — Ursula K. Le Guin

“Okorafor’s book bounces between the novel (about the writer) and the novel-within-the novel (about the robots), and the result is an ambitious blend of genres.” — NPR

“Nnedi Okorafor is so ferociously talented that we are starting to see she cannot be boxed into any category or genre. Her new novel, Death of the Author, is a deeply felt dazzle. A blaze. It is true deep to the bones.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of The House of Broken Angels

“A captivating Möbius strip of literary SF.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“[Her work is] irresistible to readers. Her nearly two dozen works of fiction have earned Okorafor a slew of honors—four Hugos, a Nebula, a World Fantasy Award. And a new generation of American storytellers who explicitly use their African heritage, history and mythology to inspire their work have followed in her wake, including Tomi Adeyemi, Ayana Gray, Jordan Ifueko and Namina Forna. . . . Connection is the heartbeat of Okorafor’s work.” — New York Times, 12 African Artists Leading a Culture Renaissance Around the World

“Okorafor explores what it means to be human. . . . All-out Okorafor – her best yet.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Death of the Author explores . . . conservationism, Africanfuturism, and what a world without humans could look like. The focus on the near future and the issues that Zelu faces give the postapocalyptic Rusted Robots a greater urgency. Her desire to live life on her own terms will engage readers who love to watch protagonists grow. Highly recommended for fans of Octavia Butler, Nicky Drayden, and Tade Thompson. . . . [Okarofor’s] latest book-within-a-book will attract genre and literary fiction fans alike.” — Booklist(starred review)

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Going Home by Ted Lamont

14 Monday Apr 2025

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in England, Fiction, Humor

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death, families, fatherhood, Jews, London (England), toddlers

Not often do we find a book that nails male friendship…..spot on….and so funny!  

“Going Home is a sparkling, funny, bighearted story of family and what happens when three men—all of whom are completely ill-suited for fatherhood—take charge of a toddler following an unexpected loss” –  Amazon

“A trio of unlikely British men are tasked with unexpected fatherhood duties in the care of a delightfully inquisitive 4-year-old named Joel. The novel’s unforgettable characters and emphasis on caregiving and friendship spread a poignant and joyful message.”—The Christian Science Monitor

“There is so much to love about this book, foremost the poignantly, sometimes painfully detailed portrait of 30-something guys….Joel himself—his way of speaking, his tantrums, his predilections, his memory—is one of the most vivid fictional children since Jack in Room….Their synagogue has a new rabbi, a woman named Sibyl Challis, who is also the best rabbi character in recent memory….A great premise, a great story, but most of all, great characters.”—Kirkus (starred review)

“Funny and poignant, bittersweet and moving…. Going Home made me cry on more than one occasion, and laugh out loud many more times. It’s a terrific reminder that what binds us to our loved ones isn’t blood but the care we take to keep them close, and our ability to show up for them when we screw it up on the first go-round.”—Isaac Fitzgerald, The New York Times

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Isola: a Novel by Allegra Goodman

26 Wednesday Mar 2025

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in action, adventure, Biographical fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Travel

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Biographical fiction, castaways, historical fiction, islands, ocean travel, orphans, Robinsonades, survival

In 1500s France, orphaned Marguerite is dependent on her guardian, who forces her to travel with him to New France (Canada). When she develops a relationship with another young man on their ship, her guardian abandons them on an uninhabited island as punishment. An intense, powerful novel about the strength of women, based on a true story.

“A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history, Isola is an immersive journey through the eyes of Marguerite de la Rocque, who redefines what makes one a woman of worth and what the difference is between having a life and truly living.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Goodman writes with fluid beauty, deep empathy, and an emotional undertow that pulls you in and holds you from the first page to the last.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Goodman’s lush and enthralling castaway tale of betrayal and love, suffering and strength is magnificent in its beauty, mystery, fury, and redemption.”—Booklist, starred review

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Time of the Child by Niall Williams

05 Wednesday Mar 2025

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Fiction, Historical Fiction

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Christmas stories, fathers and daughters, foundlings, historical fiction, Ireland, small villages

A rare jewel of a read.   “From the author of This Is Happiness, a compassionate, life-affirming novel about the Christmas season that transforms the small Irish town of Faha” – Amazon

“Although invisible to Church and State, it was women who knitted the country together, and in Faha, on Sunday morning after Mass, you could see the needles.” (Highlighted by 295 Kindle readers)

:Regret is a fruit of age. The longer you live the more you know its sour taste.”(Highlighted by 277 Kindle readers)

“To mask despair against God, he chose an old tactic: retain a semblance of order, and in this way meet the greatest challenge of life, which is always nothing more nor less than how to get through another day.” (Highlighted by 267 Kindle readers)

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Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined by David F Walker, Marcus Kwame Anderson

28 Friday Feb 2025

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in adventure, Fiction, Graphic novel, Travel, United States

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comics (Graphic works), fugitive slaves, graphic novels, historical novels, Huckleberry Finn (Fictitious character), male friendship, race relations, runaway children

A BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, School Library Journal, Library Journal

So wonderful – I absolutely loved and highly recommend this graphic novel which is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

“A thought-provoking, profoundly moving adventure story. Not to be missed.”—Library Journal, starred review

“The book is an action-packed page-turner, with dastardly villains, narrow escapes, and a twist at the end that sheds a new light on the entire story.”—School Library Journal

“A vital reconsideration of an American classic.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

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The Wedding People by Alison Espach

22 Saturday Feb 2025

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Fiction, Humor, United States

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brides, female friendship, grief, Newport (R.I.), serendipity, weddings

At a low point in her life, Phoebe books a trip to a beautiful Newport resort she’s always wanted to visit. When she arrives, she learns that every other guest at the hotel is there for a wedding, including a very strong-willed bride who convinces Phoebe to join in. This book was much more thoughtful than the title and cover made it seem, though funny as well, and I loved the writing and characters.

“Witty dialogue is just a bonus in this engrossing read centering on complex women making life-changing decisions. Recommend to readers who enjoy Sally Rooney, Curtis Sittenfeld, or Elizabeth Berg.”―Library Journal (starred review)

“The Wedding People is so much more than a funny story (though it is very funny). Espach has penned a keenly observed novel about depression, love, the ways women make themselves small, and how one woman got over it. Fully realized and completely memorable.”―Booklist (starred review)

“A collision of diametrically opposed life events and general drama, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Maggie Shipstead’s Seating Arrangements. . . . Espach has an eye for the full gamut of emotions that go hand in hand with lifelong commitment, from humor to self-involvement to pathos.”―Elisabeth Egan, The New York Times Book Review

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Annie Bot: a Novel by Sierra Greer

14 Friday Feb 2025

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Fiction, Future, romance, United States

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androids, artificial intelligence, autonomy (Psychology), emotions, human-robot interaction, man-woman relationships, psychology, robots

Annie is an expensive, lifelike robot purchased by Doug to act as his “girlfriend.” The more she learns and develops, the more conflicted she feels about her identity. As AI expands, this thought-provoking novel asks questions about what the future may hold.

Named a Best Book of the Year by Scientific American, Harper’s Bazaar and NPR. Named a Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of the Year by the Washington Post and Elle. Nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in Science Fiction…..For fans of Never Let Me Go and My Dark Vanessa, a powerful, provocative novel about the relationship between a female robot and her human owner, exploring questions of intimacy, power, autonomy, and control.  (Amazon)

“This nuanced novel provides a fascinating look into a future we may never wish for.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Searing…dazzling…a coming-of-age thriller, a sexbot bildungsroman page-turner, a book that I excitedly described to anyone who would listen while I was reading it.” — Scientific American

“A brilliant and enraging exploration of ownership and love, and the way our creations have of growing far beyond us. Sierra Greer raises questions as current and pressing as our present-day anxieties about AI, and as ageless and enormous as the territory of Mary Shelley, about what constitutes humanity and what we owe to each other. Annie is a glorious creation– and self-creation– and I will never forget her, or this sharp and astonishing book.” — Clare Beams, author of The Illness Lesson

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Orbital: a Novel (2024 Booker Prize Winner) by Samantha Harvey

05 Wednesday Feb 2025

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Fiction, meaning of life, Science fiction, Travel

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astronauts, space, space flights, space stations

Wondrous – like no other book I ever read. 207 pages. Can’t get it out of my mind now that I closed the last page.

“Harvey takes readers on board a cramped space station with six members of an international mission as they rotate the earth 16 times in 24 hours. Through their eyes, we watch typhoons grow in the Pacific, packs of noodles float in zero gravity, and continents whir by. A meditative novel that reveals our changing planet with a new urgency, and its inhabitants with a new and profound love.” —Oprah Daily, A Best Book of the Year

“Orbital is as beautiful as it is profound. It’s not a long book, but I made the final chapters last for weeks because I didn’t want the book to end.” —Emily St. John Mandel, author of Sea of Tranquility

“A short novel of cosmic proportions.”—Financial Times, A Best Book of the Year

“Coming from five different countries, the space travelers represent a microcosm of humanity. This is a beautifully written, deeply thoughtful meditation on planet Earth and our place in it.”—Library Journal, Starred Review“

Luminous and profound, Orbital is hard to put down and even harder to forget.” —Booklist, Starred Review

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The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

25 Saturday Jan 2025

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in England, Fiction, Historical Fiction

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France, Great Britain, secret service, spy stories, underground movements, World War 1939-1945

This novel follows a group of siblings growing up in an English estate near the sea as World War II approaches, where each sibling will play an important role. I loved the writing and characters in this family saga.

“Gorgeous . . . Delightful . . . Absolute aces . . . Reading it is like plunging into a tub of clotted cream while (or whilst) enrobed in silk eau-de-Nil beach pajamas . . . Quinn’s imagination and adventuresome spirit are a pleasure to behold, boding more commanding work to come.” —The New York Times

“Dazzling and imaginative . . . Peacetime whimsy gracefully segues into scenes of unbearable tension and heart-wrenching suspense . . . Combining elements of I Capture the Castle, Brideshead Revisited, and Charlotte Gray, this is a reading experience to be long cherished.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)

“Destined to become a classic . . . Elegantly written and totally immersive, this is escapism fiction at its very best . . . Quinn’s debut is a wonder.” —Daily Mail

“In an astonishing debut, Quinn creates an enchanting world and a cast of thoroughly endearing characters whom readers will be sorry to leave behind . . . A genre-bending delight.” —Booklist (starred)

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