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The Life of Objects by Susanna Moore
Sometimes historical fiction transports you so completely into a time and place you look up wondering where you are—and sometimes, especially with war novels, you regret that submersion. This book is...
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By the Iowa Sea by Joe Blair
Perfect For: That cousin who climbs the highest switch-back trail, risks lightening strikes, runs out of trail mix, jumps over a snake, and does it all for the sake of the view. Memoirs can do two...
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A Day at the Beach by Geoffrey Wolff
yes The Bronte sisters may have found their literary sibling match in the writing of the Wolff brothers. I have long been a fan of Tobias Wolff (This Boys Life), but knew little about his older...
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My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
yes My Beloved World begins with a bang—not a figurative, smoldering metaphor, but a tense fight from which the reader and young Sonia are not sheltered. Unlike the writing of most lawyers, who err on...
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The Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala
yes This is not an easy read in terms of subject matter, but readers who appreciated Joan Didion’s Year of Magical Thinking will instantly recognize the strength and determination of Sonali...
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A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
yes Ozeki’s mesmerizing novel centers around a random connection between a 16-year-old girl (Nao) in Japan and a writer (Ruth) living on the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Ruth discovers a battered...
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The All of It by Jeannette Haien
yes Ann Patchett found an old musty copy of this out-of-print novel in a used bookstore and after reading it, worked her prowess to bring it back to print. Oh, what a gift she has given us. Jeannette...
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The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos
yes A wonderful debut novel full of wit, engrossing characters, and emotional truth. Following our protagonist Harry from a childhood defined by being struck by lightning while being bullied, through...
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Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
yes The power and charm of this debut novel is hard to describe. The compact length makes it possible to devour it in one sitting. Oddly, the heroine of the novel is never named, and we know her...
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The Secret of Raven Point by Jennifer Vanderbes
yes I have been in awe of Jennifer Vanderbes since the publication years ago of one of my favorite novels ever: Easter Island. So when I saw that she had another novel coming out, I greeted it with...
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