What We Are Reading
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley (audio)
"Featuring Clare Pooley’s now trademark diverse intergenerational cast led by one no nonsense and indomitable character, this book had me snorting with laughter—something which I suppose is also a Clare Pooley trademark feature, since I’ve done it with all three of her books. This one is about a group of people who band together to save their community center in the Hammersmith district of London. Amongst the quirky characters are a clever dog, an adorable baby and her struggling teen dad, a kleptomaniac, and a guerrilla yarn bomber, Yarnsy, who specializes in the risqué. As with her other books all of the shenanigans are simultaneously over the top and delightfully heartwarming. If you need something funny, uplifting and satisfying and appreciate dry British humor, look no further than Pooley. Her books are an absolute treat, as is the narration of Clare Corbett who nails the dry tone and gives each character a distinctive voice. It’s an absolutely perfect pick me up!"
What's Hot This Month
Check out some new great fall debuts from our shelves.
Featured Title
Model Home by Rivers Solomon
The three Maxwell siblings stay far away from the lily-white gated enclave they grew up in, but after the deaths of their parents they are forced to return to a home that for them, contained many horrors—both real and supernatural. Now they must reckon with their past and investigate a tragedy that may not be what it seems. This is a remarkable reimagination of the haunted-house story that is about race and class, trauma, and grief and one queer family fighting for the right to live in contemporary America. A good choice for fans of Tananarive Due, Matt Ruff or Stephen Graham Jones.
New and Upcoming Titles
The fall brings some really great nonfiction titles such as
Book & Dagger by Elyse Graham which tells the story of the professors, librarians and historians who were recruited from academia to become OSS spies during World War II.
The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi by Wright Thompson, offers a relevatory account of the murder of Emmett Till, with a focus on the community where it happened. And
The Message is the return of Ta-Nehisi Coates, a collection of interconnected essays that examine how the stories we tell—or don’t tell—shape our realities.
The fiction shelves will be filled with plenty of big name authors, but don’t miss quiet debuts such as
Pearly Everlasting by Tammy Armstrong about a girl and a bear raised as brother and sister in a remote logging camp during the Great Depression or
The Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. It’s the story about impact of mental illness on two sisters over the course of two decades.
For More Reading Suggestions: