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Jamesby Percival Everett
We know the story of Huckleberry Finn, but this time we see the world through Jim’s eyes.
When Jim learns he is being separated from his family, he decides to secure his own future by escaping to Jackson Island. It is around this time that his paths cross with those of Huckleberry Finn. Knowing that they are both fleeing something terrible, the two decide to join forces to find freedom in one of the free states.
Most of the details of the story are the same, but readers learn that Jim was a man who could articulate his thoughts well and had a deep heart, which he gave to a little boy whose own father chose violence over love.
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This year there is always: About basketball and Ascension Day by Hanif Abdurraqib
Growing up in Ohio in the 90s, Hanif Abdurraqib saw basketball greats like Lebron James perfect their skills and what happens when some people don’t fulfill their dreams of playing basketball.
From his admiration for the sport, Abdurraqib dedicated his life to deciphering its art and history. He even began to study how society’s expectations and ideas about success shape the game, along with the compelling history often found in basketball.
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All those who were gone are here: The United States, Central America and the emergence of a crisis by Jonathan Blitzer
Everyone who is gone is here examines the journey many take when they reach the U.S.-Mexico border. The migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have their own reasons for leaving their homes. From persecution to poverty, these reasons are enough to give them the courage to travel to a country they don’t know. But that doesn’t mean everyone will succeed.
Unfortunately, the reason they leave their homeland is not something they themselves have done. Corruption is an ancient phenomenon and does not always originate from the countries the migrants called home.
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Reading Genesis by Marilyn Robinson
Although the book of Genesis is often praised as the beginning of dialogue with God, some believe there is much more to discover in the book of Genesis than we thought. Reading Genesis decodes the first book of the Bible by examining how many people actually wrote it and whether or not this should be taken at face value.
Marilynne even includes the complete King James Version of Genesis in her work to help readers understand what makes this book such a revered book of the Bible.
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Headshot by Rita Bullwinkle
Headshot reveals the lives of eight teenagers determined to become the best boxer. They’ve all given up something to compete in Reno, Nevada, but their ambition is too great to feel crushed by their sacrifices.
As the girls compete against each other, they get to know each other and themselves through a series of competitions to find out who is truly the best.
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The God of the Forest by Liz Moore
When the daughter of a wealthy family disappears from a camp, everyone tries to find out what happened. Unfortunately, it sounds all too familiar, because the daughter’s brother has also disappeared and has not been found.
No one can explain what’s going on until a little detective work brings to light strange things about the Van Laar family. Even though they own the summer camp, their practices seem unsavory, which means there’s a lot more to it than anyone realizes.
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Beautiful days by Zach Williams
Beautiful days is designed to ask readers a question: How would you spend your days if you knew you were running out of time for a variety of reasons? From a couple who sees themselves age while their child stays as is to a human-like figure, each character’s journey takes them on an adventure that makes them question how they spend their days.
There are moments when reality is sweeter than we imagined, but it can also reveal our deepest fears. No matter how the cards fall, we must decide how we will react in different situations.
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Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Cyrus Shams is still grieving for his mother when he begins to take stock of his family’s life. From his father’s profession to his uncle’s familiarity with death, he begins to realize that perhaps there was something different about his mother. This difference is so shocking that he questions everything he thought he knew about her and the martyrs who obsess him.
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Souvenir by Lisa Ko
Giselle Chin, Jackie Ong and Ellen Ng share a commonality as teenagers in the early 1980s. They bond over their idiosyncrasies and spend many days dreaming of their future selves. These dreams are bright and limitless, but their adult lives take a different turn.
Giselle is successful, but her social circle seems worlds away. Jackie is worried about how tightly capitalism is clinging to the free world of programming. And Ellen? She is confronted with gentrification in New York, among other things.
As they try to make sense of their adult lives, their friendship develops into something much deeper.
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The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The Ministry of Time reads like an alternate timeline of Shutter Island without a mental breakdown occurring.
It’s about an officer who is tasked with helping expat 1847 adjust to life in the modern world. 1847, also known as Commander Graham Gore, is slowly making great progress and even starts to make friends with some of the other expats in the program they’re on. This pleases the officer, but she can’t help but feel attracted to 1847 – something that is strictly forbidden.
But the ministry is hiding something, and this could fundamentally change the structure of time, not just for expats, but for everyone.
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When the clock broke: fraudsters, conspiracy theorists, and how America collapsed in the early 1990s by John Ganz
The 1990s were to bring great changes to the United States. External threats had been eliminated and it seemed as if the United States would finally earn its title as the greatest country. But tensions were simmering on American soil.
Political writer John Ganz looks back at pivotal moments in history—survivalist stories and the rise of Rush Limbaugh—to show how they shaped the current climate we live in. He even goes The Recession and conversations about issues like race became the focus of everyone’s conversations.
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Of boys and men: Why the modern man has problems, why it is important and what can be done about it by Richard V. Reeves
There has been a social change that has left boys and men stranded. They have financial, social, educational and many other problems.
Journalist Richard Reeves wrote Of boys and men: Why the modern man has problems, why it is important and what can be done about it as a way to break down the complexities of young life becoming a man. Unfortunately, he believes that certain institutions have failed boys and men by refusing to change their ideology.
Rather than writing from a “woe is me” perspective, Reeves explains how boys and men can rewrite their own stories to navigate a world that would rather see them complacent.
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The Great Sea: Imperial Ambitions, First Contact and the Fateful Last Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides
The Great Sea: Imperial Ambitions, First Contact and the Fateful Last Voyage of Captain James Cook describes how one man’s secrets cost him his life. Although James Cook was praised as a clever and harmonious captain, his true intentions became apparent over the course of his expeditions.
His first voyage put him on an unfair pedestal because he gave others the impression that he was traveling and discovering new things as an enlightened person. However, his last voyage revealed the secret orders he had received because of the way he treated the people around him. He did not hesitate to hit others if he felt they were stealing or were inferior to him, as shown by his treatment of the crew and the natives.
This novel shows how he marked his own grave by taking readers from the beginning of his journey to his gruesome end.
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Job offers by Adelle Waldman
A morning shift worker keeping a popular New York store running smoothly is working grueling shifts that barely pay the bills. Things are so bad that they have to multi-job to make ends meet, but their narcissistic boss couldn’t care less.
That’s why this seemingly disparate group feels a glimmer of hope when he decides to leave the shop. For them, the open leadership position means that one of them could potentially put themselves in a better situation. They know they’re competent, but they have to remember to work together so that one of them can truly get out of the hole they’re in.
Former President Barack Obama’s Favorite Books in 2023
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