The Financial Lives of the Poets, by Jess Walter

“Feckless financial reporter Matt Prior has lost his job, is six days away from losing his house, and suspects his wife is courting an affair. Walter will have you pulling for Prior and his screwy, shady, last-chance scheme for solvency. A laugh-out-loud serio-comic masterpiece!”—Ranae Burdette, Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bainbridge Island, WA

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress A Memoir of Going Home, by Rhoda Janzen

“Poet Rhoda Janzen has an intriguingly honest and witty way with language, and a personality and unique story to match. This insightful memoir is simultaneously humorous and touching.”—Kerry Hartwick, The Velveteen Rabbit Bookshop, Fort Atkinson, WI
 

Lit A Memoir, by Mary Karr

“Once you’ve read Mary Karr’s The Liar’s Club, how can you not read her latest to find out how it turns out? This fine American writer continues her journey through college, marriage, and young motherhood, offering her hard-won experience in recovery from depression and alcoholism.” —Andy Lillich, University of Oregon Bookstore, Eugene, OR

Invisible by Paul Auster 

“Invisible, set in New York, Paris, and the Caribbean from 1967 to 2007, is narrated by three different voices, and Auster—like a fine painter—uses each paragraph to create color, shadow, and, finally, a vibrant texture that will stay firmly in the mind of the reader.”—Peter Marsh, Briggs Carriage Bookstore, Brandon, VT

A Friend of the Family, by Lauren

“The story of Pete Dizinoff, a successful suburban doctor, and his son, Alec, whom Pete dotes on, takes a decidedly Shakespearean turn in a story about the lengths to which a father will go to protect his child. This brilliant literary thriller will leave readers emotionally rent, as the protagonist’s life collapses while he reaches out for what matters most to him.”—Mary Cotton, Newtonville Books, Newton, MA

Beloved on the Earth 150 Poems of Grief and Gratitude, by Jim Perlman, Deborah Cooper, Mara Hart, and Pamela Mittlefehldt (eds.) 

“Beloved on the Earth is the best book on the subject that I’ve come across. Full of warming and wise poems, this is a collection that will help readers find comfort and solace.”—Linda Grana, Lafayette Book Store, Lafayette, CA

Americans in Space, by Mary E. Mitchell 

“Suddenly widowed, high school counselor Kate Cavanaugh struggles to pull herself, her children, and the unwieldy and immensely likable kids she counsels together. Americans in Space will speak to all readers, especially to parents of teens.”—Banna Rubinow, The River’s End Bookstore, Oswego, NY

Last Night in Twisted River, by John Irving 

“Daniel’s life takes some wicked-bad twists starting at the tender age of 12, when, mistaking his father’s lover for a bear, he accidentally kills the woman with a cast iron skillet. His unfortunate mistake lands him and his father on the lam from the woman’s boyfriend, who has a taste for revenge. John Irving creates marvelously quirky, memorable characters, and, like all his books, Last Night in Twisted River is full of razor-sharp wit and beautiful writing.” —Deon Stonehouse, Sunriver Books, Sunriver, OR

The Evolution of Shadows, by Jason Quinn Malott

“Five years after Gray Banick, a news photographer, disappeared from war-torn Sarajevo three friends meet to try and discover what happened to him. This is a story of love strong enough to endure the ravages of war and time.” —Sue Richardson, Maine Coast Book Shop, Damariscotta, ME

Chronic City, by Jonathan Lethem  “A story of Manhattan as a city of falsehoods plays out in the friendship of a former child star and a polemicist with a mishmash of psychological problems. The characters are brilliantly developed, the plot is intricate but engaging, and Lethem pulls no punches.” —Conrad Silverberg, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI