Synopsis:
An Indian-American immigrant named after a Russian writer struggles to find his place in the world.
Review:
I know the month is only 2 days young, but The Namesake might be my favorite read of October. Sprawling and intimate, Gogol Ganguli’s story riveted me in a way that I wish Zadie Smith’s White Teeth had. [...]

Popularity: 15% [?]

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Synopsis:
Hired to be an au pair to a schizophrenic man, a Swedish girl watches as interfamilial tensions come to a boiling point, with deadly results.
Review:
Barbara Vine (the alter ego of best-selling crime novelist Ruth Rendell) has carved out a niche as deft portrayer of tightly interwoven groups of people who are all set to go [...]

Popularity: 36% [?]

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Synopsis:
A biography of Shirley Jackson, author of the short story “The Lottery,” and one of my favorite authors.
Review:
I was inspired to read this thanks to an email I got from Chaucerian Girl. She expressed an appreciation for Private Demons, Judy Oppenheimer’s biography of the woman I believe to be one of the greatest American [...]

Popularity: 17% [?]

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Synopsis:
On the eve of the sale of the family’s multimillion dollar business, black sheep Alban makes his way home where he will have to confront the truth about his mother’s death and the love that lingers for his cousin Sophie.
Review:
I was intrigued by the plot of The Steep Approach to Garbadale, hinging as it does [...]

Popularity: 22% [?]

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Synopsis:
After a teenage girl’s abusive father is released early from prison, she fears that she will be victimized again.
Review:
I hold Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak to be the perfect YA “problem novel.” These novels take a teen in jeopardy facing off against a social issue, and show how the protagonist overcomes the situation. In [...]

Popularity: 21% [?]

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I’m very excited to report that Andras Visky’s one-woman play Juliet is now available for purchase. I had the tremendous pleasure of seeing this play earlier this spring, and was blown away by it.
Popularity: 23% [?]

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Popularity: 23% [?]

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Synopsis:
Accused of murdering her family’s benefactor, a teenage girl caught in the legal system explains what led to her arrest and indictment.
Review:
Author Shannon Cowan has done a remarkable job researching the Canadian legal system viz. young adults around the time that Tin Angel takes place (late 1960s). However, the emotional component of the story [...]

Popularity: 30% [?]

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Synopsis:
The death of Brian Martin’s father by suicide prompted him to reflect on his own spiritual journey and battle with depression.
Popularity: 22% [?]

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Popularity: 22% [?]

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Synopsis:
When a schedule-obsessed overachiever ends up in Southeast Asia with the grandmother she’s never met before, she’s forced to challenge her own assumptions and maybe even take a risk or two.
Popularity: 22% [?]

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Popularity: 22% [?]

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Synopsis:
When mentally challenged Perry wins the lottery, he’s got to learn who to trust–without the help of his recently deceased Gram, who always helped him find the right way in life.
Popularity: 16% [?]

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Popularity: 16% [?]

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