Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Maria Semple

This satire of the politically correct Microsoft set who now populate Seattle is clever, witty, and wonderfully entertaining. In addition to her keen eye for the comical, Semple’s story-telling is partly about the strains that modern day life places on relationships, especially those between parents and children. Mostly, though, her book is just a really fun read.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel By Maria Semple Cover Image
$39.00
ISBN: 9780316204279
Availability: Not On Our Shelves—Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Little, Brown and Company - August 14th, 2012

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel By Maria Semple Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780316204262
Availability: In Stock—Click for Locations
Published: Back Bay Books - April 2nd, 2013

The Smart One - Jennifer Close

The term “boomerang generation” is common fodder for New York Times trend pieces, but in The Smart One (Knopf, $24.95), the first novel by local author Jennifer Close, the Coffey family, with its trio of grown children, is anything but common. Claire, the middle sister, has just cancelled her wedding and left her life in New York City.  Martha, a registered nurse and the eldest of the siblings, has been home for seven years, working at J. Crew.  Their mother, Weezy, oversees the family while keeping a secret from her husband and her children.  Adding to the mix is the return home after college of Max, the youngest, with his intimidatingly beautiful girlfriend and secrets of his own.  Close tells the Coffeys’ story with pathos, just as she did those of the Girls in White Dresses, her earlier story collection.  A talented writer, Close imbues her characters with humor and insight, sometimes hard-earned.

The Smart One (Vintage Contemporaries) By Jennifer Close Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780307743701
Availability: Not On Our Shelves—Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Vintage - July 16th, 2013

The Middlesteins - Jami Attenberg

The Middlesteins (Grand Central, $15) is the story of one suburban family’s slow unfurling. Edie Middlestein has sought comfort in food throughout her life, and her health has been declining for years—she’s in the midst of multiple surgeries when her husband, Richard, suddenly leaves her. Every member in the large cast of their children and extended family weighs in with opinions and concerns, and their interventions often deeply affect their own lives. Central to the story is an exploration of the different ways we all come to relate to, rely on, or feel repelled by food. Compulsively readable and downright fun, the book’s accessibility belies the depth and heart of Jami Attenberg’s story: her characters are complex but always endearing, and her insights into the loving yet dysfunctional family are so apt that they’re almost painful.
The Middlesteins: A Novel By Jami Attenberg Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781455507207
Availability: Not On Our Shelves—Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Grand Central Publishing - June 4th, 2013

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