September 23, 2022
New Fiction
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas – Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well-paid job to focus on her secret career as a romance writer, only to enter a creative slump. Then, the ceiling of her New York apartment literally crumbles on her. She heads to her best friend Lina’s empty apartment, not knowing that Lina has already lent the studio to her cousin Lucas, who Rosie has been stalking – for lack of a better word- on Instagram. To Rosie’s surprise, Lucas offers to let her stay with him, at least until she can find some affordable temporary housing. Soon, Rosie discovers that Lucas is intent on coming to her rescue like a Spanish knight in shining armor. Only this one strolls around the place in a towel, has a distracting grin, an irresistible accent, and comes with a set of mad cooking skills. And when Lucas learns of Rosie’s writer’s block, he proposes an outrageous idea to bring back her literary muse and meet her deadline: he’ll take her on a series of experimental dates meant to jump-start her romantic inspiration. Rosie has nothing to lose. Her silly online crush is totally under control-but Lucas’s stay in New York has an expiration date, and six weeks may not be enough time for either her or her deadline.
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles – and if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two. But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan. At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media say that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it used to. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever. In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season.
New Non-Fiction
10 Days that Shaped Modern Canada by Aaron W. Hughes – Revisiting ten notable days from recent history, Aaron W. Hughes invites readers to think about the tensions, events and personalities that make Canada distinct. These indelible dates interweave to offer an account of the political, social, cultural, and demographic forces that have shaped the modern nation. The diverse episodes include the enactment of the War Measures Act, hockey’s Summit Series, the patriation of the Constitution, the Multiculturalism Act, the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre, victories for gay rights, Quebec’s second referendum on secession, The Tragically Hip’s farewell concert, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and ongoing Black equality struggles. Each day represents a window on contemporary Canada, jumpstarting reflection and conversation about who we are as a nation and how we got here.
Diana, William, and Harry by James Patterson & Chris Mooney – From the moments William and Harry are born into the House of Windsor, they become their young mother’s whole world. I’ve got two very healthy, strong boys, I realize how incredibly lucky I am, Diana reminds herself every morning. But even the Princess of Wales wonders, Am I a good mother? Diana is faced with a seemingly impossible challenge: one son destined to be king of England and another determined to find his own way. She teaches them to honor royal tradition, even while daring to break it. “Sometimes I’d like a time machine…,” Diana says as William and Harry grow up, never imagining they would have less than a lifetime together. Even after she’s gone, her sons follow their mother’s lead – and her heart. As the years pass, and William and Harry grow into adulthood and form families of their own, they carry on Diana’s name, her likeness, and her incomparable spirit.