Carole Barrowman is back with some picks for Spring. Any of these would be great for a book club.
Here are Carole's latest pics and a description of each.
1. The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka (Knopf)
As viewers may know, a swimming pool is my happy place, so I was drawn to this book immediately. It’s about a group of lap swimmers whose lives are altered when a crack appears in the bottom of their local pool. The story has a fable-like quality to its style, especially when it becomes obvious that the crack is also a metaphor for the loss of memory and dementia. This is a wonderful novel (even if you don’t have permanent goggle marks around your eyes).
2. The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier & translated by Adriana Hunter (Other Press)
This book almost defies definition. Almost. I’ll try. It’s paced like a thriller with an exciting sci-fi element at its core (I’m not giving it away and I recommend not reading the book’s cover blurbs either). It’s also a love story and a meditation on what makes us human. It’s about a group of characters whose lives intersect in a terrifying and wonderous way. How’d I do?
3. The Verifiers by Jane Pek (Vintage)
Want to make sure the gorgeous date you met online is really a heart surgeon who loves children and pets? Donates regularly to worthy causes and bakes the best cookies. Claudia Lin will find out for you. Claudia is single, gutsy (she cycles in New York), and a really funny narrator (you’ll want to read aloud lots of her words). This is a wonderfully entertaining mystery to lighten up your book club.
4. Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge (Algonquin)
Out in paperback this month, Libertie is the story of Libertie Sampson, the only daughter of the only Black female doctor in Brooklyn during and after the Civil War (the character is based on the life of one of the first black female doctors in the US). Libertie’s mother has Libertie’s life planned out for her. Libertie will become a doctor and practice with her mother. Libertie, though, wants something different. I read this gorgeously detailed, epic story in one sitting. I may re-read it in another. This is a perfect book club read.