New adult fiction

Here’s what’s new in Adult Fiction at Peter White Public Library

Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg

This debut novel from author Bill Clegg is an emotional story of people connected through tragedy, coping with loss. The night before her daughter’s wedding, June Reid loses everyone she loves in a tragic accident; her daughter, her daughter’s fiancé, her ex-husband, and her lover Luke all perish in the blink of an eye. Left with only the memories of her family and completely unsure of her final destination, June gets in her car and leaves her life in Connecticut behind. As more characters are introduced we discover they have also been touched by the same tragedy. Told from multiple points of view, Clegg does a fantastic job of demonstrating how terribly complex human relationships are while exposing the truths about the lives of June and the many people she encounters on her road to a new life.

Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread by Chuck Palahniuk

His stories have girt, they’re a little bit filthy, and they always have you questioning your sanity half-way through. If you’re a fan of Chuck Palahniuk you’ll likely be a fan of Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread, a collection of 21 of his most poignant short fictions. Be warned however, these really are stories that you can’t unread and there may even be one or two you won’t be able to finish.

The Great Glass Sea by Josh Weil

The Great Glass Sea is a wild, dystopian epic of brotherly love set in an alternative future-Russia. After the Death of their father, twins Yarik and Dima, are sent to live on the farm of their uncle. As young men, the brothers find themselves working on Oranzheria, a large acres-wide sea of glass – the largest greenhouse in the world whose relentless growth is destroying the surrounding countryside and all that it represents.

Though it is not easy, life for the brothers is mostly good and uncomplicated, until a chance encounter with the reigning oligarch turns everything sideways. The twins’ deep, fraternal love is increasingly at odds with the unnerving forces of conformity and development, and each must choose where their loyalties lie.

Holy Cow by David Duchovny

Holy Cow is a smart and irreverent allegory about friendship, religion and humanity as seen through the eyes of a cow named Elsie Q. After learning what an industrial meat farm is, Elsie realizes that if she doesn’t escape soon she’ll be turned into ground beef patties just like her mother. So what’s her plan? Obviously her only viable solution is to travel to India, where cows are worshiped rather than slaughtered. Several other animals on the farm – Joe the pig, who refers to himself as Shalom, and a anorexic turkey called Tom - find out about Elsie's plan and decide to join her pilgrimage to escape their equally terrifying fates on the farm. These absurd animals don human disguises, practice walking on two legs and make their way to the airport.  

A sidesplitting piece of writing, this story pokes fun at just about everything and stretches the imagination to it’ silliest limits, making it a fun read for just about anyone.

The Jaguar’s Children by John Vaillant

The Jaguar’s Children is tense from beginning to end, likely due to the constant feeling of claustrophobia you’ll experience while reading. John Vaillant’s latest suspense novel focuses on the tremendous dangers of illegally crossing the border between the United States and Mexico. Hector and his friend Caesar, along with 13 other illegal immigrants from Oaxaca, are hidden in an empty water truck, risking their lives for their chance at freedom. But when the truck breaks down, the 'coyotes' seemingly abandon the group sealed in the tank for four days with little food and water. Using the cellphone of his unconscious friend, Hector attempts to reach the American number he finds in the phone but he has no way of knowing if his messages are getting through as the situation inside the tank becomes more desperate.

By Dominic M. Davis, Administrative Assistant