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American Pastoral by Philip Roth
A wonderfully written tale of tragedy, this work explores the nearly horrific dynamics of one New Jersey family.
~ Cary, Reader's Advisory
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
One of the early novels to explore the emptiness of the burgeoning American middle class. Lewis's satire is a call to avoid the trap of a meaningless life and to achieve a greater self-awareness.
~ Kevin, Reader's Advisory
The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino
A young eighteenth-century Italian baron defies the expectations of his family by choosing to live the rest of his life in the trees. Adventure, love, and even a meeting with Napoleon all fill out the rich existence of a man who goes to extremes to craft a life of his own.
~ Kevin, Reader's Advisory
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
A classic novel of low rent living, New Orleans-style. Ignatius J. Reilly fancies himself as a knight on his own personal quest while living a decidedly average routine amid the streets, bars, and hot dog carts of seemingly 1950's era New Orleans.
~ Kevin, Reader's Advisory
The Correctionsby Jonathan Franzen
A dense novel exploring one quirky, dysfunctional family’s efforts to resolve both personal and familial conflicts.
~ Cary, Reader's Advisory
A Disorder Peculiar to the Country by Ken Kalfus
This ambitious novel tackles a host of serious issues, including the war within a Brooklyn Heights family and the war that begins with 9/11. In the hands of such a skilled writer, the book transcends the macabre subject matter and becomes an honest, beautiful portrayal of the inadequacies of humankind.
~ Summer, Reader's Advisory
Firmin by Sam Savage
No other adult fiction has had a protagonist quite like Firmin. Firmin is a highly intelligent (and wll-read!) rat living abovea bookstore in 1960s Boston. Firmin is a hopeless romantic and has, at times, been so overcome by the great classics of literature, that he cannot stop himself from devouring them, literally. It is a wonderful, darkly comic read with an unforgettable narrator.
~ Summer, Reader's Advisory
The Hard to Catch Mercy by William P. Baldwin
The need to retrieve two of his family's cows leads a young South Carolina boy on his own personal odyssey in 1916.
~ Kevin, Reader's Advisory
High Fidelity by Nicky Hornby
A hilarious novel centered around a London record shop owner’s obsession with relationships and, more importantly, his compulsive obsession with all things rock and roll.
~ Cary, Reader's Advisory
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
A cynic and a man wrongly condemned to death come together and achieve a measure of growth and salvation in this tale that is far more than a prison story.
~ Kevin, Reader's Advisory
Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut
Vonnegut deftly shows why those who take on antithetical roles for the greater good should be careful that they do not end up becoming that which they despise.
~ Kevin, Reader's Advisory
Paint It Black by Janet Fitch
A look at how survivors cope with suicide. Fitch handles the topic without the least bit of sentimentality. Warning: This book will make you want to smoke cigarettes and drink heavily just to give the characters some company.
~ Summer, Reader's Advisory
The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
When Rose Clinton arrives at the St. Elizabeth's home for unwed mothers, she appears to have much in common with the other young, pregnant girls. The difference, however, is that she is full of secrets, including the fact that she is married. This multi-generational novel is a fascinating study of the complexities of love.
~ Summer, Reader's Advisory
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
The trials of a rural Minnesota family's faith and morality lead to a redemptive, mystical, and unexpected ending in this well-crafted debut novel.
~ Kevin, Reader's Advisory
Porgy by DuBose Heyward
The premier novel of Charleston's African-American underclass and the everyday struggle to cultivate love and normalcy from the most hard scrabble of existences.
~ Kevin, Reader's Advisory
Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
The beginning of the twentieth century in America is unveiled through the lives of one elite family and their interactions with the most notable figures of the Golden Age.
~ Kevin, Reader's Advisory
Refresh, Refresh: Stories by Benjamin Percy
Following his debut collection, The Language of Elk, Percy crafts a powerful collection of short stories set in Oregon. His skilled storytelling and his gift of characterization make him one of the most unique and dynamic of contemporary writers.
~ Summer, Reader's Advisory
Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard
A page turning must read for fans of darkly comic crime novels, Leonard presents colorful, sleazy characters and complex capers.
~ Cary, Reader's Advisory
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway’s classic tale of expatriates cavorting in Europe. Simply put, a masterpiece.
~ Cary, Reader's Advisory
Three O' Clock Dinner by Josephine Pinckney
A grand view into the lives of the Charleston elite. A great insight into what creates the "South of Broad" mentality by an author who lived among the elite during the 1940's twilight of the Charleston upper class's greatness.
~ Kevin, Reader's Advisory
Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
Perhaps better known for its extreme and vulgar content, this semiautobiographical novel is a celebration of the author’s own exploits and mindset.
~ Cary, Reader's Advisory
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
Both tragic and funny, these stories are simply too riveting to put down. A must for any short story aficionado!
~ Cary, Reader's Advisory
When the Messenger Is Hot: Stories by Elizabeth Crane
The stories in this collection are refreshing for their offbeat characters and Crane's unique writing style. Crane proves the adage that only before one has mastered the rules of writing can one break them.
~ Summer, Reader's Advisory
The Wishbones by Tom Perotta
Characters hit mid-life crises before even growing up. A page-turner regardless of the complex issues addressed.
~ Cary, Reader's Advisory
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