Fiction
1. One of the Boys by Daniel Magariel
(6 Rave, 2 Positive)
“…a gorgeously tight tale swelling with wisdom about the self-destructive longing for paternal approval and the devastating consequences of clinging to rotten models of masculinity … Magariel’s gripping and heartfelt debut is a blunt reminder that the boldest assertion of manhood is not violence stemming from fear. It is tenderness stemming from compassion.”
–Antonio Ruiz-Camacho (The New York Times Book Review)
Read an excerpt from One of the Boys here
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2. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
(7 Rave, 2 Mixed)
“Arriving as it does at a time of geopolitical uncertainty, Roy’s novel will be the unmissable literary read of the summer. With its insights into human nature, its memorable characters and its luscious prose, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is well worth the 20-year wait.”
–Sarah Begley (TIME)
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3. The Long Drop by Denise Mina
(5 Rave, 1 Positive, 1 Mixed)
“With one plotline continually hopscotching over the other, Mina manages to keep two narratives going at once: the farcical account of Watt and Manuel’s binge and the sober courtroom drama of dueling life-or-death stories when Manuel faces a jury. Despite the novel’s final reassurance that it’s ‘just a story. Just a creepy story about a serial killer,’ this one feels painfully real.”
–Marilyn Stasio (The New York Times Book Review)
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4. G-Man by Stephen Hunter
(4 Rave, 1 Positive, 1 Mixed)
“Jumping seamlessly between past and present, Hunter re-creates the fascinating Depression-era story of how bank robbers became populist heroes, offering in the process a truly compelling character in Charles, a man burdened not only by his inflexible sense of honor but also by a secret residing deep in his soul.”
–Bill Ott (Booklist)
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5. The Gift by Barbara Browning
(4 Rave)
“Through this addictive, brainy and vibrant novel, which straddles nonfiction and fiction, Browning celebrates an unabashed passion for art and togetherness in a world muddled by assumed intimacy and inherent skepticism.”
–Lauren LeBlanc (The Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Read an excerpt from The Gift here
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Non Fiction
1. Theft By FindingL Diaries (1977-2002) by David Sedaris
(4 Rave, 5 Positive)
“No one escapes Bloat, but many survive it. Maybe not with the grace, whining, hilarity and eye-rolling that Sedaris does. But through all 25 years of Theft by Finding, Sedaris’s developing voice is the lifeline that pulls him through the murk.”
–Patton Oswalt (The New York Times Book Review)
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2. Al Franken, Giant of the Senate by Al Franken
(3 Rave, 1 Positive, 1 Mixed)
“Al Franken’s political memoir does what so many outsider politicians have failed to do: It demystifies politics while making a surprisingly strong—and surprisingly moving—case on behalf of political engagement.”
–Alex Shephard (The New Republic)
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3. Otis Redding: An Unfinished Life by Jonathan Gould
(3 Rave, 2 Positive, 1 Pan)
“Rich with meticulously recounted contextual details along with critical insights, Gould’s book balances the historical with the musical to trace the evolution of a great American talent”
–Maura K. Johnson (The Boston Globe)
Read an excerpt from Otis Redding: An Unfinished Life here
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4. Aliens, Ed. by Jim Al-Khalili
(2 Rave, 3 Positive, 1 Mixed)
“… a brilliantly sharp collection of short essays … Aliens doesn’t shy away from the complexity of trying to find out whether extraterrestrial life exists, or its mirror conundrum of how life on Earth began, or indeed the difficulty of what is meant by ‘life’ in the first place, when we only have the one model by which to test it.”
–Nicola Davis (The Guardian)
Read an excerpt for Aliens: The World’s Leading Scientists on the Search for Extraterrestrial Life here
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5. The Ambulance Drivers by James McGrath Morris
(1 Rave, 4 Positive)
“James McGrath Morris’ revealing tome about the intertwining lives and friendship of writers John Dos Passos and Ernest Hemingway is a learned study in 20th century literary bravado.”
–Ryan J. Prado (The News & Review)
Read an excerpt from The Ambulance Drivers here
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