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Beasts of New York (Jon Evans)
Jon Evans' Beasts of New York, a children's book for adults (his words, not ours), centres around the imagined survival of urban wildlife of New York City. If you're not sold on the concept yet, you will be, after just a page or two of this excellent novel which follows the inner-city adventures of Patch, a New York squirrel, and his fellow woodland creatures. Based on its furry protagonist, Beasts of New York's captivating story line and themes of survival, friendship, danger, betrayal, redemption and loss make it definitely adult fare. You'll likely never look at Central Park, or any park, the same again.
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The Sorcerer's Apprentices (Lisa Abend)
A hard day on the dock (with all that lotion applying and cooling off) will seem like a cakewalk after reading The Sorcerer's Apprentices: A Season in the Kitchen at Ferran Adria's elBulli. The book is a thorough and detailed account of the unpaid apprentice chefs at Spain's elBulli, one of the most celebrated restaurants in the world. Named the top restaurant out of 50 other global challengers for a record five times, elBulli will close permanently in July 2011, and while a visit may no longer be possible, a literary taste via the book still is.
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The Three Weissmanns of Westport (Cathleen Schine)
We owe Jane Austen a debt of gratitude. Not just for lovely little girls named Emma or Elizabeth, but for inspiring novelists like Cathleen Schine, one of the few authors who have managed to honour Austen's style in our modern times. Schine has translated the premise and structure of Austen's themes of class struggle and changing social, marital and financial status in her entertaining novel, The Three Weissmann's of Westport. Miranda, a successful literary agent; Annie, a divorced librarian; and Betty, their 75-year-old mother are the three Weissmann's who relocate from Manhattan to Westport, Connecticut as they go through the stages of divorce and suddenly constrained financial circumstances. By turns funny and wrenching, it is an easy, well-written and captivating read.
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State of Wonder (Ann Patchett)
A summer sojourn in the jungle could be as simple as a trip to the untamed backyard (for some). Once we get there, weeding will likely take a backseat to reading as we delve into Ann Patchett's latest novel, State of Wonder. Patchett's heroine, Marina, is sent to investigate the death of a fellow researcher who had been looking into an Amazonian tribe that apparently has reproductive eternal youth. As if eternal youth isn't enough to keep you engaged, Mariana's adventures, her uncertain romantic relationship, and the twists and turns she encounters on her jungle adventure will keep you engrossed.
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Before I Go to Sleep (S.J. Watson)
There are days we'd all like to wake up somewhere else (Four Seasons suite anyone?), but imagine waking every morning next to a total stranger in your bed, not knowing where you are, who you are, or even whose face is looking back at you in the mirror. Having to re-learn how to use a cell phone, trust total strangers who say they are your doctor, your husband, your friend. This is the compelling and thrilling premise to S.J. Watson's Before I Go To Sleep, a truly suspenseful novel that keeps you guessing and changing your mind as to who Chrissy, the amnesiac we're rooting for, should trust.
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Turn of Mind (Alice LaPlante)
Memory loss is the centre of Alice LaPlante's first, and critically acclaimed, novel to be released in early July. Turn of Mind takes us through the fragmenting mind of Jennifer White, a doctor, who struggles with early signs of Alzheimer's and dementia. She is horrified when her best friend is brutally murdered and disfigured, and she is suddenly implicated in the crime, but can't remember for certain if she was involved. As she struggles to remember her role, if any, in the death, the story becomes enthralling and heart-racing.
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Then Came You (Jennifer Weiner)
Leave your troubles and tribulations behind, and get immersed in Jennifer Weiner's soon-to-be-released novel, Then Came You. The book follows four women as they make, or are forced to make choices related to all aspects of fertility; infertility, surrogacy, egg donorship, and parental rights. Weiner's female leads are strong, witty, relatable (mostly) and the story is often poignant and laugh-out-loud funny.
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Learning to Swim (Sara J. Henry)
Sara Henry's debut novel, Learning to Swim, starts with a literal splash—Troy Chance rescues someone, or something, she witnesses being dropped off the side of a cruise ship and the story takes off from there, keeping us invested throughout. The fast-paced plot, captivating characters (including a seven year-old boy), and the relationships that develop along the way reveal an athletic main character who is undaunted, loyal and lovable. Henry is an assured writer who will undoubtedly attract a wide following with this first book.
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The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine (Alina Bronsky)
If spending parts of your vacation with a mother or mother-in-law (who can occasionally get on your nerves) is dampening your enthusiasm for a summer getaway, you'll likely end up feeling all warm and fuzzy for them by the end of The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine. Aliana Bronsky's eccentric and darkly acerbic novel is about Rosa Achmetowna, a Soviet mother-from-hell who, after failing to conjure up a remedy to rid her 17 year-old daughter of a pregnancy, falls instantly in love with her new granddaughter, leading to even greater discord in the family. Hilarious, shrewd and tragic, the dysfunction in the Achmetowna family may help you escape, or appreciate your own (slightly crazy) family this summer.