BEA Book Loot
Kicking butt and finding books at BEA.
“The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner” by Alan Sillitoe
Sillitoe’s short stories keenly chronicle the lives of ordinary working-class men and boys.
“Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In her latest novel, Adichie talks about race head-on, through her character’s blog posts and dinner-party soliloquies.
“Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” by Maria Semple
A devoted daughter searches for her eccentric mother in this inventive, sidesplittingly funny novel.
“The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Remains of the Day is a fascinating study of unreliable narration, as well as an exploration of duty and responsibility.
“An Untamed State” by Roxane Gay
If you offer yourself up to the experience of reading An Untamed State, you will be rewarded.
“Across the River and Into the Trees” by Ernest Hemingway
This story is really about two relationships in the Colonel’s life: with his 19 year old girlfriend Renata, and with his own past.
“The Time Traveler’s Boyfriend” by Annabelle Costa
Do you like the idea of The Time Traveler’s Wife as chick lit? Then you’ll love this book.
“The Frangipani Hotel” by Violet Kupersmith
Gabriel Garcia Marquez annoys me. There, I said it. His is the most prominent name in magical realism, and his work had me convinced that I was not a fan of the genre. I inevitably grew weary of what seems like cutesy or convenient inventions put it place to further the narrative or tickle the reader. I want to know if a story is based in the world that I know or if it is fantastical. Go big or go home; don’t settle for ambiguous magical realism, I always thought.
“The Sense of Touch” by Ron Parsons
The Sense of Touch, a collection of short stories by Ron Parsons, examines the lives of Midwesterners—the struggles and compromises, the joy and grief—set against larger-than-life landscapes.
“Be With Me” by J. Lynn
The past few months haven’t been easy for Teresa Hamilton. After she tore her ACL, she had to put her ballet career on hold…
“Wait for You” by J. Lynn
Going to college is stressful for pretty much everyone, but for Avery, there is a whole new level of fear. Now, away from home, she can’t explain why she hates going to parties and why she’s never dated a boy—hell, never even been alone in a car with one before…
“Cairo In White” by Kelly Ann Jacobson
Eighteen-year-old Zahra has been climbing over the wall to Jamila’s house and sneaking into her girlfriend’s room for years, but that night was different…
“We” by Michael Landweber
Ben was 42 when he reached to scrub an old stain from the ceiling of his apartment and lost his balance. When he opened his eyes, he was 7 again. He had traveled back in time to the days before his sister’s rape tore their family apart.
“A Snug Life Somewhere” by Jan Shapin
Penny Joe Copper, the daughter of a shingle weaver more interested in labor movements than in putting food on the table, is determined to make a “snug life somewhere” for herself. In this pursuit, she moves to Seattle, where her younger brother is attending college. But a few months later, when her brother is killed in a labor demonstration, Penny finds herself the face of grief—propelled into the spotlight by no small degree by the slick, fast-talking Gabe Rabinowitz.
