Good Reads & Views

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Fiction

What it’s about: Washington Black is born into slavery and transcends it over the course of this lyrical, globe-encompassing novel. When Wash becomes the assistant to a scientific-minded adventurer, his life is transformed as he develops his artistic talent. But when the two escape Barbados to explore the world, they’re pursued by a slave owner who perceives Wash to be a runaway.

Why you should read it: While there’s world travel and suspense in this novel, the spotlight is really on Wash’s rich emotional life. If you enjoy literary novels about characters discovering their true gifts, while connecting with others and experiencing the pain of betrayal, this historical novel is for you.

Reviewers say: Publishers Weekly says, “Crafted in supple, nuanced prose, Edugyan’s novel is both searing and beautiful.”

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Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
Fiction

What it's about: Bookseller and blogger Malcolm is contacted by the FBI, seeking his help. Years ago he created a list of literature's most perfect murders, and now someone seems to be using Malcolm's list as a playbook for unsolved killings. Twists and turns galore, and if you actually figure out the killer early on (I did not), then kudos to you.

Reviewers say: "Swanson will keep most readers guessing until the end. Classic whodunit fans will be in heaven" (Publishers Weekly); "The perfect gift for well-read mystery mavens who complain that they don't write them like they used to" (Kirkus).

Author Notes: Swanson is the author of six novels including The Kind Worth Killing for which he won the New England Society Book Award and Her Every Fear, which was an NPR book of the year.

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The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Fiction

Who it’s for: Readers who enjoy rich historical details, fully fleshed characters, and luminous, vibrant storytelling that’s firmly set in a different time and place. 

What it’s about: Thomas is a factory night watchman and Council leader who heads a fight against Native dispossession by Congress—an attempt to force his people away from their homes and into the city. Meanwhile, his 19-year-old niece Patrice (Pixie) searches for her older sister Vera, who has disappeared into the dark backstreets of Minneapolis. When Pixie fails at her mission, she joins forces with Thomas to travel to Washington, D.C. to save her family’s way of life.

The story behind the story: Much of the narrative is based on the life of Erdrich’s grandfather, a Chippewa Council leader who traveled to Washington to speak against the 1953 Native Termination Act.

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The Lies that Bind by Emily Giffin
Fiction  

Reviewers say: “Giffin [has a] trademark ability to capture the complexities of human emotions while telling a rip-roaring tale” (The Washington Post).

You might also like: The Girl Before by J. P. Delaney or The Wife Between by Greer Hendricks

About the Author: Emily Giffin is the author of nine bestselling novels. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.

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Murder Past Due by Miranda James
Fiction

What it's about: Charlie Harris, librarian, and his lovable cat, Diesel, put aside their quiet life to find who murdered a famous author before the wrong person is arrested. The trouble is, it seems every last one of Charlie's friends and coworkers had a score to settle with the novelist.

Why you might like it: If you like cozy mysteries or Southern settings, give this series opener a try.

Reviewers say: "Sympathetic characters, including the intuitive Diesel; a lovingly described home life with his faithful housekeeper...all add to the appeal, as do the details of library work and academic life in small-town Mississippi" (Booklist).

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Miss Iceland by Auður A. Ólafsdóttir 
Fiction 

What it’s about: Moving to 1960s Reykjavik to pursue her literary ambitions, an aspiring novelist moves in with her gay childhood friend only to be confronted by a male-dominated literary community that does not believe women belong in the art world.

Reviewers say: “In this excellent introduction to her work, Ólafsdóttir creates a world where either escape or hiding one's true nature are the only choices” (Library Journal); “This winning tale of friendship and self-fulfillment will inspire readers” (Publishers Weekly). 

Want a taste? “I, the undersigned, Hekla Gottskálksdóttir, hereby resign from my job as a serving girl at Hotel Borg. The reason for my resignation is the indecent behaviour of the hotel’s male customers who have been harassing me both at work and in my private life.” 

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Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Fiction

What it’s about: The focus of this raw and powerful novel is a working-class family in Thatcher-era Glasgow, featuring young Hugh “Shuggie” Bain, a boy struggling with poverty, a dysfunctional family, and his own sexual identity. Shuggie’s father is a philanderer who abandons his family, and his older siblings escape to lives of their own, leaving Shuggie to cope with Agnes, his alcoholic mother who is both his burden and his idol. And despite his best efforts to be normal, he doesn’t fit in—the neighbors think he is “no right” and he doesn’t understand why.

Want a taste? No matter how far she falls, Agnes keeps her pride and maintains her appearance: “Every day with the make-up on and her hair done, she climbed out of her grave and held her head high. When she had disgraced herself with drink, she got up the next day, put on her best coat, and faced the world. When her belly was empty and her weans were hungry, she did her hair and let the world think otherwise.”

Why you might like it: This tender coming of age story is centered on its compassionate portrayal of troubled characters and is packed with emotional truths. Vibrant details—sights, smells, and sounds—provide a slice of life on Glasgow streets and make every sentence a pleasure to read. It is both a tragedy and a survival story, as Shuggie eventually discovers his strength and takes charge of his life. It is a real journey to follow the rise and fall of this family’s hopes, but it is ultimately an uplifting story of resilience. Winner of the 2020 Booker Prize.

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Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
Fiction

Reviewers Say:  "If you love Jennifer Weiner, you’ll love this one. And if you’re a newbie, start here" (Kirkus Reviews).

About the Author: Jennifer Weiner is the bestselling author of seventeen books. She is a graduate of Princeton University and a contributor to the New York Times Opinion section. She lives with her family in Philadelphia.

You might also like: Starting Now by Debbie Macomber or The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand     

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The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Fiction

What it's about: Set in 1950s USA, a huge meteorite strikes off the East Coast, obliterating Washington DC and upsetting the climate. The International Space Coalition is created to get as many people off Earth as possible before it becomes uninhabitable.  But Dr. Elma York, a pilot and a "computer" for the ISC, can't help but notice only men are being selected to be astronauts. After an appearance on a children's show to explain rocketry, Elma finds herself dubbed the Lady Astronaut by the press. Now if only she can convince the ISC to take women seriously.

Reviewers say: "Readers will thrill to the story of this ‘lady astronaut’ and eagerly anticipate the promised sequels" (Publishers Weekly);  "A fast-forward thrill ride, Hugo Award winner Kowal's exciting alternate history...highlights the space race and the sexism of the time" (Library Journal).

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Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann
Fiction

What it’s about: Tyll Ulenspiegel, a vagabond and jester from the 17th century, embarks on a journey of discovery as he travels through history in this novel of magical realism.

Want a taste? " He has never been elsewhere. And although several people who have been elsewhere before have told him that it’s exactly the same there as here, he can’t stop wondering where you would end up if you just kept going on and on, not merely to the next village, but farther and farther still."

Reviewers say: “Located somewhere between German romanticism and modernism, superstition and science, history and high fantasy, this is a rapturous and adventuresome novel of ideas that, like Tyll's roaming sideshow, must be experienced to be believed” (Publishers Weekly).

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