Manhattan Beachby Jennfier Egan
goodreads // amazon // library
Manhattan Beach opens in Brooklyn during the Great Depression. Anna Kerrigan, nearly twelve years old, accompanies her father to the house of a man who, she gleans, is crucial to the survival of her father and her family. Anna observes the uniformed servants, the lavishing of toys on the children, and some secret pact between her father and Dexter Styles. Years later, her father has disappeared and the country is at war. Anna works at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where women are allowed to hold jobs that had always belonged to men. She becomes the first female diver, the most dangerous and exclusive of occupations, repairing the ships that will help America win the war. She is the sole provider for her mother, a farm girl who had a brief and glamorous career as a Ziegfield folly, and her lovely, severely disabled sister. At a night club, she chances to meet Styles, the man she visited with her father before he vanished, and she begins to understand the complexity of her father’s life. Mesmerizing, hauntingly beautiful, with the pace and atmosphere of a noir thriller and a wealth of detail about organized crime, the merchant marine and the clash of classes in New York, Egan’s first historical novel is a masterpiece, a deft, startling, intimate exploration of a transformative moment in the lives of women and men, America, and the world. (goodreads.com)
Why I'm Intrigued - I am a huge sucker for both historical fiction and family dramas so there are a lot of buzz words for me in this synopsis! I am super curious about her father's relationship with this man, why her father is missing, etc. I already feel invested in finding out the answers to these questions lol. Also, I think a story about a woman holding a job previously only available to men, sounds like an interesting dynamic to follow. I have read a Jennifer Egan book in the past, but it was pre blogging and I do not remember very much about the writing style. Hope to pick this one up soon!
The 57 Bus
by Dashka Slater
goodreads // amazon // library
One teenager in a skirt. One teenager with a lighter. One moment that changes both of their lives forever. If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight. (goodreads.com)
Why I'm Intrigued - I am very interested in the true story that this book will explore- I do not think I was aware of it before reading the synopsis of this book, and I am sure there are a lot of interesting details that will be shared within the book. I do not personally know that much about hate crime legislation, nor agender issues and "The 57 Bus" seems like it will have a lot to offer in informing me about each of these topics. I also love reading debut books, which this is for Dashka Slater.
Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
goodreads // amazon // library
It's Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew's elder daughter--who is usually off saving the world--will be joining them at Weyfield Hall, their aging country estate. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. Having just returned from treating an epidemic abroad, she's been told she must stay in quarantine for a week...and so too should her family. For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity--and even decent Wi-Fi--and forced into each other's orbits. Younger, unabashedly frivolous daughter Phoebe is fixated on her upcoming wedding, while Olivia deals with the culture shock of being immersed in first-world problems. As Andrew sequesters himself in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and remembering his glory days as a war correspondent, Emma hides a secret that will turn the whole family upside down. In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who's about to arrive... ( goodreads.com)
Why I'm Intrigued - Huge sucker for family dramas over here, so the synopsis of this book definitely has some buzz words for me. Also, I am really interested to see if the author can pull of a fairly large part of the plot - why would the daughter endanger her family by exposing them to whatever she is being quarantined for? And how does she get home without also causing a great number of other people to need to be quarantined?
Odd Child Out
by Gilly MacMillam
Best friends Noah Sandler and Abdi Mahad have always been inseparable. But when Noah is found floating unconscious in Bristol's Feeder Canal, Abdi can't--or won't--tell anyone what happened. Just back from a mandatory leave following his last case, Detective Jim Clemo is now assigned to look into this unfortunate accident. But tragedy strikes and what looked like the simple case of a prank gone wrong soon ignites into a public battle. Noah is British. Abdi is a Somali refugee. And social tensions have been rising rapidly in Bristol. Against this background of fear and fury two families fight for their sons and for the truth. Neither of them know how far they will have to go, what demons they will have to face, what pain they will have to suffer. Because the truth hurts. ( goodreads.com)
Why I'm Intrigued - More family drama with some social/racial tensions thrown into the mix! Sign me up! I also like that this stories sounds like it will be told from multiple perspectives, which is a fun thriller narrative choice. The synopsis also has me asking a lot of questions that I want answered - the first of course being, what happened to his friend, but also why won't Abdi say what happened?! Part of the description sounds like it was a prank that went wrong, and then later it sounds like things might be a little darker than they initially seem. Definitely a good book to check out!
Strange Weather
by Joe Hill
goodreads // amazon // library
“Snapshot” is the disturbing story of a Silicon Valley adolescent who finds himself threatened by “The Phoenician,” a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories, snap by snap. A young man takes to the skies to experience his first parachute jump. . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero’s island of roiling vapor that seems animated by a mind of its own in “Aloft.” On a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails—splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. “Rain” explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads out across the country and around the world. In “Loaded,” a mall security guard in a coastal Florida town courageously stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun rights movement. But under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. When an out-of-control summer blaze approaches the town, he will reach for the gun again and embark on one last day of reckoning.
“Snapshot” is the disturbing story of a Silicon Valley adolescent who finds himself threatened by “The Phoenician,” a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories, snap by snap. A young man takes to the skies to experience his first parachute jump. . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero’s island of roiling vapor that seems animated by a mind of its own in “Aloft.” On a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails—splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. “Rain” explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads out across the country and around the world. In “Loaded,” a mall security guard in a coastal Florida town courageously stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun rights movement. But under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. When an out-of-control summer blaze approaches the town, he will reach for the gun again and embark on one last day of reckoning.
Why I'm Intrigued - I've been interested in reading a book by Joe Hill for quite a while, but his books are super duper long- like close to 1,000 pages - yikes! I think this book would give me a good opportunity to get a peek at his writing style, and a full story, without committing to an extremely large novel. Plus these short stories sound like a really good spooky read for Halloween fun!
The Stolen Marriageby Diane Chamberlain
goodreads // amazon // library
In 1944, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly ends her engagement to the love of her life when she marries a mysterious stranger and moves to Hickory, North Carolina, a small town struggling with racial tension and the hardships imposed by World War II. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows no interest in making love. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out. The people of Hickory love and respect Henry and see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain, especially after one of the town’s prominent citizens dies in a terrible accident and Tess is blamed. Tess suspects people are talking about her, plotting behind her back, and following her as she walks around town. What does everyone know about Henry that she does not? Feeling alone and adrift, Tess turns to the one person who seems to understand her, a local medium who gives her hope but seems to know more than he’s letting on. When a sudden polio epidemic strikes the town, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital. Tess, who has a nursing degree, bucks Henry’s wishes and begins to work at the hospital, finding meaning in nursing the young victims. Yet at home, Henry’s actions grow more alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle her husband’s mysterious behavior and save her own life?
Why I'm Intrigued - Yay for historical fiction, which I am almost always in the mood for during the Fall months. I am super intrigued by Tess and her decision to marry a man that she barely knows - how does the author pull this off, and is it pulled off well? Also, what are her husbands new secrets and why does everyone in town respect him despite his odd manner? Only one way to find out!
Turtles All The Way Down
by John Green
goodreads // amazon // library
Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship. (goodreads.com)
Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship. (goodreads.com)
Why I'm Intrigued - Last but *absolutely* not least is the book I am most excited for this year, much less this month! I can not wait to read John Green newest book and I will shout my support for him from the rooftops. I unapologetically love *all* of his books and his writing style - CAN NOT WAIT. This "girl about library" will be taking a break momentarily from her library patronage to purchase this book at her local bookstore the morning of its release, because ain't nobody got time to wait for the mail man!
Those are the books I am most excited for this October! What books are you most excited to read this October?! Let me know below in the comments! Also, check out this video below where I chat about these books and squeal with excitements!
Seven Days of Us is high on my TBR - I love family dramas!
ReplyDelete