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The Matrix by Lauren Groff
Prior to her latest novel, Matrix (2021), Lauren Groff was best know for her previous book, Fates and Furies, the story of a marriage set over the course of recent decades, a favorite book of President Barack Obama in 2016, a New York Ti
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
Trespasses (2022) is an impressive debut novel by Louise Kennedy, set in the 1970s during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell
So Long, See You Tomorrow (1980) was published in the 1980's, when author William Maxwell was 71 years old.
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
As soon as I heard that The Marriage Portrait(2022), a new novel by Maggie O'Farrell, was to be added to our library collection, I added my name to the Hold List.
Exit West
In an unnamed city, Nadia and Saeed meet and fall in love. As a civil war erupts around them, they flee their homeland. Author Mohsin Hamid uses doors as a way to transport people from one destination to the next, infusing the novel with a hint of magical realism. Exit West (2017) is a contemporary bittersweet love story and a war story from the refugee perspective.
Teen Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a #1 New York Times bestseller, won the Goodreads Choice Award and was Amazon’s #1 Young Adult novel of 2014. But does this book live up to its hype? In my opinion it does.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
After I finished this brief (160 pages), unexpected, quirky gem of the book, I didn't have the words to describe it. Long after I finished Convenience Store Woman (2018) by Sayaka Murata, I kept thinking about it. This offbeat, moving story follows 36-year-old Keiko, who has spent half her life working at a convenience store. She’s content with her life.
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
Crossroads (2021) is the first novel I’ve read by Jonathan Franzen, an author who made a big splash when his first novel, The Corrections, was released, just over twenty years ago now. Franzen has gone on to write other popular novels (with single word titles), including Freedom and Purity, along with multiple essay collections.
Tin Man by Sarah Winman
Tin Man (2018) is a slim volume packed full with beauty and emotion. It's a story about love - young love, first love, friendship, hidden love, lost love and all the heartbreak that ensues. It's a coming-of-age story of two young boys who find solace in each other after the loss of and rejection from their parents. It's a bittersweet study of loneliness, grief and acceptance.
Mercy Street by Jennifer Haigh
With her latest book, Mercy Street (2022), novelist Jennifer Haigh explores the nua
The Cat Who Saved Books
After his grandfather's death, a young man must prove how deep his love of books really is when a strange cat asks for his help to save books that are being abused. As the young man journeys with the cat, he not only finds the courage to stand up to the adversaries that bar his path, but also to start living life again.
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Thanks to WPL’s Fiction Book Group, I was able to read Maggie O’Farrell's most recent novel,