Ashland Books@Noon November 2018 Picks

1) americanah

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Author

Notes

Kristin found this a super readable "ripped from the headlines" title that had a surprisingly strong message about sexual violence that came out at the end.

Formats:

Book, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle

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FINALIST FOR THE 2018 NEW ENGLAND BOOK AWARD
"Both timelessly beautiful and unbelievably timely."—Chris Bohjalian, New York Times bestselling author of Midwives and The Flight Attendant
A captivating novel of family, fame, and religion that tells the story of the seventeen-year-old daughter of an evangelical preacher, star of the family's hit reality show, and the secret pregnancy that threatens to blow their...

3) Born a crime: stories from a South African childhood

Author

Noah, Trevor

Series

Audible Studios on BrillianceAudio

Notes

Since we'd digressed to movies, Kristin mentioned that Lupita N'yongo was also attached to Trevor Noah's Born a Crime movie. I've linked the audio book here because it's the best way to experience this moving memoir! The link to the IMDb page is listed below as well.

Formats:

Book, Audiobook CD, eBook, Kindle

Description

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Noah's path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother, at the time such a union was punishable by five years in prison. As he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist, his mother is determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. With an incisive...

4) Dear Mrs. Bird

Author

Pearce, A. J

Series

Emmeline Lake chronicles volume 1

Notes

Pat was not a fan. She found the title evocative of a cover of a title she'd loved (Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, linked below) and was disappointed that it didn't meet her high expectations. We talked a little bit about the "new adult" genre (featuring twenty-somethings in the lead role) which are sometimes hard to relate to for our group (largely comprised of middle-age and up individuals...tho all are welcome!) First novels (like this one) can sometimes be a mixed bag as well!

Formats:

Book, Large Print - Hardback

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"London, 1940. Emmeline Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent suddenly seem achievable. But the job turns out to be working as a typist for the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down....

5) Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine

Author

Honeyman, Gail

Series

Thorndike Press large print basic

Notes

Many in the group HAD loved this title, however. <3

Formats:

Audiobook CD, Book - Hardback, Book - Paperback, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle, Large Print - Hardback

Description

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""Move over, Ove (in Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove)--there's a new curmudgeon to love." --Booklist (starred review). "Eleanor Oliphant is a truly original literary creation: funny, touching, and unpredictable. Her journey out of dark shadows is absolutely gripping."--Jojo Moyes, #1New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You. "Deft, compassionate and deeply moving -- Honeyman's debut will have you rooting for Eleanor with every turning...

6) Natural causes: an epidemic of wellness, the certainty of dying, and killing ourselves to live longer

Author

Ehrenreich, Barbara

Notes

Wendy loved this book so much that after she read the copy she checked out from the library, she purchased her own. This is a very readable book about medical testing and our cultural need to go to excessive lengths to maintain our health.

Formats:

Book, Audiobook CD, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle

Description

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Barbara Ehrenreich explores how we are killing ourselves to live longer, not better. She describes how we over-prepare and worry way too much about what is inevitable. One by one, Ehrenreich topples the shibboleths that guide our attempts to live a long, healthy life, from the importance of preventive medical screenings to the concepts of wellness and mindfulness, from dietary fads to fitness culture. We tend to believe we have agency over our bodies,...

7) The rise and fall of D.O.D.O

Author

Stephenson, Neal

Series

D.O.D.O volume 1

Notes

Kristin mentioned that she was reading and loving a super-weird title. This is that book. Super funny haha...but also funny strange.

Formats:

Book, Audiobook CD, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle

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"Boston, present day. A young man from a shadowy government agency shows up at an Ivy League university and offers an eminent professor a lot of money to study a trove of recently discovered old documents. The only condition: the professor must sign an NDA that would preclude him from publishing his findings, should they be significant. The professor refuses and tells the young man to get lost. On his way out, he bumps into a young woman--a low-on-the-totem-pole...

8) The sea runners

Author

Doig, Ivan

Notes

Bonnie had read this as a part of a book group. Based on true events, the Pacific Northwest setting and the true adventure were both great.

Formats:

Book, eBook

Description

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In this timeless survival story, four indentured servants escape their Russian Alaska work camp in a stolen canoe, only to face a harrowing journey down the Pacific Northwest coast. Battling unrelenting high seas and fierce weather from New Archangel, Alaska, to Astoria, Oregon, the men struggle to avoid hostile Tlingit Indians, to fend off starvation and exhaustion, and to endure their own doubt and distrust. Based on an actual incident in 1853,

...

9) Sharp objects: a novel

Author

Flynn, Gillian

Notes

Nina loved this book. She felt that Flynn's background as a journalist led to top notch writing without plot holes. Lots of twists and turns in this one!

Formats:

Book, Book - Paperback, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle

Description

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NOW AN HBO® LIMITED SERIES STARRING AMY ADAMS, NOMINATED FOR EIGHT EMMY AWARDS, INCLUDING OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF GONE GIRL

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille...

10) Started early, took my dog: a novel

Author

Atkinson, Kate

Series

Jackson Brodie mysteries volume 4

Notes

Rad was not a fan, even though he typically loves Atkinson's work...so we used the opportunity to talk about the fact that she has a new book out this year, linked below.

Formats:

Book - Hardback, eBook, Kindle, Large Print - Hardback

Description

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Tracy Waterhouse leads a quiet, ordered life as a retired police detective — a life that takes a surprising turn when she encounters Kelly Cross, a habitual offender, dragging a young child through town. Both appear miserable and better off without each other — or so decides Tracy, in a snap decision that surprises herself as much as Kelly. Suddenly burdened with a small child, Tracy soon learns her parental inexperience is actually the least...

11) A terrible country: a novel

Author

Gessen, Keith

Notes

Last but not least, our friend Ahna submitted the following remotely: The author born and lived early childhood in Russia, grew up in the U.S. and then returned to 2lst century Russia and sees this remembered land with new eyes: trading off responsibilities to caretake his aging grandmother with this brother; eking out an existence by long distance computer academics (?) and finding a hockey team and location that will ‘allow’ him to become part of the sport. Meanwhile we see Russia as it is today through the eyes of a naive, adventurous, social nerd (truly the good, the bad, the ugly) and then allows (even encourages) himself to get hauled away to prison for becoming involved in a leftist, outspoken political group. He talks; and he talks freely to prison guards and even gets published and then…..well, you’ll just have to read the book. He’s a engaging storyteller who will take you way behind the curtain of what Russia allows tourists to see. * * * you will jostled from complacency with the chapter on how to fix Grandma’ plumbing. It’ a gem.

Formats:

Book, eBook, Kindle

Description

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""A cause for celebration: big-hearted, witty, warm, compulsively readable, earnest, funny, full of that kind of joyful sadness I associate with Russia and its writers." --George Saunders, Man Booker Prize-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo. A literary triumph about Russia, family, love, and loyalty--the first novel in ten years from a founding editor of n+1 and author of All the Sad Young Literary Men. When Andrei Kaplan's older brother Dima...

12) Thinking in pictures: and other reports from my life with autism

Author

Grandin, Temple

Notes

Bill read this Temple Grandin memoir and found it fascinating. Living with ASD is not an easy life, but she found ways to leverage her unique abilities and then describe the experience to others.

Formats:

Book, Book - Paperback

13) Too sane for this world: a film about adult autism

Notes

This is a documentary about numerous adults living with ASD. Temple Grandin is one of the adults featured.

Description

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Explored are the challenges, gifts, and unique perspective of twelve adults on the autism spectrum. Discussed are the many problems facing the autism community, from bullying to marginalization. The difficulties and experiences that have shaped these twelve individuals should serve as an inspiration to anyone who marches to the beat of a different drummer.

14) Unsheltered: a novel

Author

Kingsolver, Barbara

Notes

Both Pat and Bonnie had much love for this newest title by Kingsolver. While they both suggested that this might not be the best entry-point to Kingsolver's work, they found the multiple POV/time periods compelling as well as the representation of actual historical individuals and strong teenaged female characters. Kingsolver does have a political bias, which comes through in this novel. It is unlikely that it will change a conservative's mind nor will it be a comfortable read for one. However, for the right reader, a great read!

Formats:

Book, Audiobook CD, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle, Large Print - Hardback

Description

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New York Times Bestseller • Named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, O: The Oprah Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek

"Kingsolver brilliantly captures both the price of profound change and how it can pave the way not only for future generations, but also for a radiant, unexpected expansion of the

...

15) War of the encyclopaedists: a novel

Author

Robinson, Christopher Gerald

Notes

An example of a "new adult" title that Bill had read and not loved.

16) The Witch Elm: a novel

Author

French, Tana

Notes

Rad has brought numerous Tana French Dublin Murder Squad titles to the group in the past, so we talked briefly about this new Tana French book.

Formats:

Book, Audiobook CD, eAudiobook, eBook, Kindle

Description

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"A brilliant new work of suspense from "the most important crime novelist to emerge in the past 10 years." (Washington Post) From the writer who "inspires cultic devotion in readers" (The New Yorker) and has been called "incandescent" by Stephen King, "absolutely mesmerizing" by Gillian Flynn, and "unputdownable" (People), comes a gripping new novel that turns a crime story inside out. Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who's dodged a scrape at work...