Fiction Stars!

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Six forthcoming works of fiction have received several starred reviews. Make sure to clear some space on your library’s shelves!

LILLIAN BOXFISH TAKES A WALK by Kathleen Rooney — 3 stars!
“Inspired by Margaret Fishback, poet and Macy’s ad-writing phenom of the 1930s, Rooney imagines an extraordinary walk through the streets of New York City on the last night of 1984, one that triggers a flood of memories for fictional ad woman Lillian Boxfish. Elegantly written, Rooney creates a glorious paean to a distant literary life and time—and an unabashed celebration of human connections that bridge the past and future.” — Publishers Weekly, boxed & starred review

“Poet and novelist Rooney found sublime inspiration, thanks to a librarian friend, in real-life ad writer and poet Margaret Fishback. Rooney’s delectably theatrical fictionalization is laced with strands of tart poetry and emulates the dark sparkle of Dorothy Parker, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Truman Capote. Effervescent with verve, wit, and heart, Rooney’s nimble novel celebrates insouciance, creativity, chance, and valor.” — Booklist, starred review

“Rooney takes us on a delightful stroll with a colorful character, inspired by the life of poet and ad woman Margaret Fishback, sprinkling just the right details and arch bons mots appropriate to Lillian’s reputation as a woman of words.”Library Journal, starred review

MARLENA by Julie Buntin — 3 stars!
“In Buntin’s vivid debut, Cath, now a New York City public librarian in her thirties, tells the story of the friendship that changed her forever. Though Cath tells her story in flashbacks, Buntin’s prose is emotional and immediate, and the interior lives she draws of young women and obsessive best friends are Ferrante-esque.”
Booklist, starred review

“In her impressive debut novel, Buntin displays a remarkable control of tone and narrative arc. Buntin is particularly sensitive to the misery of adolescent angst, and Cat’s growing happiness in Marlena’s friendship runs like an electric wire through the narrative. The novel is poignant and unforgettable, a sustained eulogy for Marlena’s ‘glow… that lives in lost things, that sets apart the gone forever.’”
Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Sensitive and smart and arrestingly beautiful, debut novelist Buntin’s tale of the friendship between two girls in the woods of Northern Michigan makes coming-of-age stories feel both urgent and new. Devastating; as unforgettable as it is gorgeous.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

TRANSIT by Rachel Cusk
“Cusk’s outstanding latest, the second in a trilogy, works as both a companion piece to the superb OUTLINE and as an independent narrative, following Faye, a writer and teacher, who moves to London with her two young sons after a divorce. As always, Cusk’s ear for language and dialogue is sharp; her characters speak about universal ideas, such as anxiety and lust. This marvelous novel continues the author’s vivid exploration of the human condition.” — Publishers Weekly, boxed & starred review

“With the sparest prose, Cusk has again created an expertly crafted portrait in this distinctive novel about the fear and hope that accompany change, and one woman’s quest to conquer them. A masterful second installment to a promising trilogy.”
Booklist, starred review

DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS by Bernard Minier
“French author Minier once again displays a rare gift for raising goose bumps in his intricate third thriller featuring Commandant Martin Servaz. Minier sustains a high degree of tension throughout, while making his characters’ reactions to extreme stress plausible.” Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This is not your ordinary stalker thriller. Each of the characters either greatly deceives the reader or manages to rise to a challenge unexpectedly. It is a brilliant aria da capo, set appropriately to an operatic soundtrack, with a surprising and thoroughly satisfying conclusion. Perfect for fans of Martin Walker’s Bruno Courrèges series.” — Booklist, starred review

I LIKED MY LIFE by Abby Fabiaschi
“Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, this hard-to-put-down, engrossing debut will have readers wondering until the very end. It examines life and death, despair and faith, parenthood and marriage, the choices we make, and, most of all, love—making it a perfect choice for book clubs.” — Library Journal, starred review

“Readers will be enveloped by the emotional impact of Fabiaschi’s writing. Warm and hopeful, this marvelous debut stands next to novels from Catherine McKenzie and Carolyn Parkhurst in taking the reader on the emotional rides that define marriage and family.” — Booklist, starred review

THE CLAIRVOYANTS by Karen Brown
“A master of intrigue, Brown has crafted a haunting mystery that will relentlessly push readers until the very end.” Booklist, starred review

“[An] arresting, unsettling, and beautiful tale. Brown enchants and haunts by making the reader question every voice, every truth.”Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 

 

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