Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
#literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, domestic fiction, family drama, feminist literature, fiction humor, literary fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury #literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, domestic fiction, family drama, feminist literature, fiction humor, literary fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Bonnie Garmus has created characters that mock convention. Elizabeth Zott defies authority, not on principal, but on practicality. She sees the world through safety goggles while her male counterparts just wish she’d put on the rose-colored glasses, form-fitting Donna-Reed dress, and sell the canned soup on Supper at Six. But everything in Elizabeth’s world boils down to science – including making her coffee at home with a Bunsen burner and turning her home kitchen into a lab. You’ll fall in love with her dog, Six-Thirty, one of the most astute and intelligent four-legged narrators in fiction today; Mad, her precocious daughter, who reads Nabokov at the age of five, and interrupts show and tell to ask her kindergarten teacher how she can join the Freedom Fighters in Nashville; and her friend and neighbor Harriet, whom after watching Elizabeth stand up to injustice, finds the courage to leave her alcoholic and abusive husband.

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The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
Action adventure, character driven fiction, historical, historical fiction, sense of place, Sense of Place Fiction Lin Salisbury Action adventure, character driven fiction, historical, historical fiction, sense of place, Sense of Place Fiction Lin Salisbury

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett

Ken Follett is the massively successful author of 36 books – selling over 178 million copies worldwide. He writes thrillers and mysteries but his most popular books are the Pillars of the Earth Trilogy. That first book, PILLARS OF THE EARTH, was published in 1989 was about the building of a medieval cathedral. It was number one on best-seller lists everywhere and turned into a major television series in 2010. Full disclosure: I have not read the trilogy – HOWEVER, I did just read the prequel to the Pillars of the Earth that came out in September 2021: THE EVENING AND THE MORNING. The prequel is set in the Dark Ages, which may explain my following comments.

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Groundskeeping by Lee Cole
#literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, literary fiction, sense of place, Sense of Place Fiction, Southern Fiction Lin Salisbury #literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, literary fiction, sense of place, Sense of Place Fiction, Southern Fiction Lin Salisbury

Groundskeeping by Lee Cole

GROUNDSKEEPING is about that messy time in young adulthood when you are deciding what to pack up from your old life to bring into your new life. Cole’s writing belies that of a debut novelist. His characters are complicated and nuanced; their relationships are messy and there are no easy answers. Just like in real life.

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The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
#literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, family drama, feminist literature, historical fiction, immigrant experience, literary fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury #literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, family drama, feminist literature, historical fiction, immigrant experience, literary fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

From the award-winning author of WHEN THE EMPEROR WAS DIVINE and THE BHUDDA IN THE ATTIC, comes a slim, powerhouse of a novel about loss of identity. In shifting points of view, Julie Otsuka gives us an intuitive look at what it means to lose someone you love to dementia. Brilliant, reflective, compressed, nuanced, empathetic, and global yet intimate, THE SWIMMERS tells the story of a group of obsessed recreational swimmers and what happens to them when a crack appears at the bottom of their local pool.

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The Leopard is Loose by Stephen Harrigan
#literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, historical fiction, literary fiction, sense of place, Sense of Place Fiction Lin Salisbury #literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, historical fiction, literary fiction, sense of place, Sense of Place Fiction Lin Salisbury

The Leopard is Loose by Stephen Harrigan

In Stephen Harrigan’s big-hearted coming-of-age novel, LEOPARD IS LOOSE, five-year-old Grady’s tranquil world is upended when a leopard escapes from the nearby zoo. It’s 1952 and Grady and his 7-year-old brother Danny live with their widowed mother, Bethie, in a two-bedroom backyard apartment across a small patch of yard from her parents and siblings. For most of Grady’s life, the family compound has created a sanctuary where they could each heal from the devastating trauma of the war.

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The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
#literarynovel, #native voices, Black Lives Matter, character driven fiction, domestic fiction, family drama, literary fiction, Minnesota Fiction, Minnesota interest, Native American Authors, Native Voices, political fiction, race, sense of place, social justice Lin Salisbury #literarynovel, #native voices, Black Lives Matter, character driven fiction, domestic fiction, family drama, literary fiction, Minnesota Fiction, Minnesota interest, Native American Authors, Native Voices, political fiction, race, sense of place, social justice Lin Salisbury

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

Erdrich has written another masterpiece. THE SENTENCE is a compelling read that serves as a time capsule. Maybe one day we will look back and remember the Summer of 2020 – not just as a period of loss and trauma – but as the antidote to it. E.B. White famously wrote that a writer must not only reflect and interpret the world but must also sound the alarm. THE SENTENCE does just that.

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Reeling by Sarah Stonich
character driven fiction, domestic fiction, family drama, fiction humor, literary fiction, Minnesota Fiction, Minnesota interest, Sense of Place Fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury character driven fiction, domestic fiction, family drama, fiction humor, literary fiction, Minnesota Fiction, Minnesota interest, Sense of Place Fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury

Reeling by Sarah Stonich

Stonich has a gift for revealing vulnerability in the most unlikely places. RayAnne’s first interview in New Zealand is with Ellie Mann, a tough-talking, tuna trawler captain who puts her to work throwing bait out the back of the boat. Donning a helmet with a visor to protect her from the fish frenzy that follows, RayAnne feels an unfamiliar squeamishness at reaching into a pail of live bait.

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Pencilvania by Stephanie Watson, Illustrated by Sofia Moore
Action adventure, character driven fiction, coming of age, family drama, fantasy, Middle Grade Fiction, Minnesota interest, Young Adult Fiction Lin Salisbury Action adventure, character driven fiction, coming of age, family drama, fantasy, Middle Grade Fiction, Minnesota interest, Young Adult Fiction Lin Salisbury

Pencilvania by Stephanie Watson, Illustrated by Sofia Moore

Watson has a keen understanding of childhood grief. Her shimmering descriptions of Zora’s artful world and the animals that inhabit it are brought to life by Moore’s illustrations. Zora’s pain is palpable and may be overwhelming for sensitive readers, but her fierce devotion to her sister Frankie, coupled with her courage in the face of grief, will inspire young artists and encourage readers who have faced similar losses and challenges. The message of the power of love and art to heal the brokenhearted will transcend all generations.

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Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
#literarynovel, Black Lives Matter, character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, feminist literature, historical fiction, literary fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury #literarynovel, Black Lives Matter, character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, feminist literature, historical fiction, literary fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

RED AT THE BONE is a compact novel of trauma and recovery, and all the messiness in between.

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A Play for the End of the World by Jai Chakrabarti
#literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, Global politics, historical fiction, Holocaust Literature, immigrant experience, literary fiction Lin Salisbury #literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, Global politics, historical fiction, Holocaust Literature, immigrant experience, literary fiction Lin Salisbury

A Play for the End of the World by Jai Chakrabarti

Chakrabarti has a keen sense of timing – oscillating the storyline backward and forward to reveal Jaryk’s motivation, his heart-wrenching past, and his fear of moving into a future as a sole survivor of the orphanage where his story began.

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The Guide by Peter Heller
Action adventure, character driven fiction, Eco/Action Adventure, literary fiction, Nature, nature writing, Sense of Place Fiction Lin Salisbury Action adventure, character driven fiction, Eco/Action Adventure, literary fiction, Nature, nature writing, Sense of Place Fiction Lin Salisbury

The Guide by Peter Heller

Peter Heller, best-selling author of THE RIVER is back with a gripping eco-action adventure, THE GUIDE, featuring protagonist Jack from his previous novel. Jack comes to Kingfisher Lodge as a fishing guide to recover from a recent loss. The lodge is nestled in a canyon on a pristine river and serves an elite clientele. Jack is assigned to guide Alison, a famous singer who knows how to cast a line. But soon after his arrival, he realizes that there is more going on at the lodge than fishing.

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Waterfall by Mary Casaova
character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, feminist literature, historical fiction, midwestern fiction, Minnesota Fiction, Minnesota interest, women's issues, Young Adult Fiction Lin Salisbury character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, feminist literature, historical fiction, midwestern fiction, Minnesota Fiction, Minnesota interest, women's issues, Young Adult Fiction Lin Salisbury

Waterfall by Mary Casaova

Mary Casanova shines a dim light upon the early treatment of mental illness, the infantilization of women in the early twentieth century, and drug addiction in the privileged class. Though heavy subjects, the novel treats all these things with a light hand, so readers who prefer their historical fiction to be unburdened by the darker aspects of the early twentieth century, should still find WATERFALL appealing. The story of resilience and resistance as told through Trinity’s experience may also appeal to teen readers.

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The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
#literarynovel, character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, historical fiction, Sense of Place Fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury #literarynovel, character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, historical fiction, Sense of Place Fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

It’s hard to write about the Dust Bowl without tipping over into melodrama, and at times it felt as if the only thing moving the story forward was the next disaster. The relationships between the women in THE FOUR WINDS kept me invested. Elsa is a bit of a sad-sack, but her daughter Loreda is fierce and as she ages, she challenges Elsa to overcome her fears.

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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
character driven fiction, coming of age, historical fiction, literary fiction, magical realism, women's issues Lin Salisbury character driven fiction, coming of age, historical fiction, literary fiction, magical realism, women's issues Lin Salisbury

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

One of the things I struggled with was the pacing; at times, the narrative dragged. And, because Addie never enjoys real intimacy in most of her relationships, some of the characters lacked depth; they read like character sketches and weren’t fully formed within the pages of the story. I would have liked to see more of Addie in the key historical moments the author only touches on – the French Revolution and World War II for instance. Instead of focusing so entirely on Addie’s love life, a plot that wends her through America’s turbulent 60’s or the Velvet Revolution or any number of culturally significant moments in history would have been more interesting to me.

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Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen
character driven fiction, fiction humor, Global politics, mystery, political fiction, sense of place Lin Salisbury character driven fiction, fiction humor, Global politics, mystery, political fiction, sense of place Lin Salisbury

Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen

Carl Hiaasen has a long career as a journalist and his fiction has often reflected his concern about climate change and invasive species in Florida, but he coats his commentary with a huge dusting of comedy. Hiaasen’s books seem to pick the easy targets – cultural and social commentary on the outrageous extravagances of the twenty first century – whether that be reality television, politics, or overdevelopment and its impact on our environment – it is a truth to be acknowledged that you can’t make this stuff up. But yet, Hiaasen does. Mocking cultural icons and putting an air hose to the absurd— the President has a tanning bed tester instead of a taste tester, for example – Hiaasen knows how to make us laugh, so that we won’t cry.

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Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
#literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, feminist literature, historical fiction, literary fiction, Sense of Place Fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury #literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, coming of age, domestic fiction, family drama, feminist literature, historical fiction, literary fiction, Sense of Place Fiction, women's issues Lin Salisbury

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

THE GREAT CIRCLE is a big book – not just because it is nearly 600 pages long – but because of the breadth of the subject matter – art, aviation, prohibition, noncomformity, war, isolation, connection – and the period it spans 1909-2014 – give or take a few decade gaps. There will be So. Much. To. Discuss. with your book group! Maggie Shipstead has a keen understanding of longing and what it means to be human.

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The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
#literarynovel, character driven fiction, coming of age, family drama, feminist literature, Sense of Place Fiction, Southern Fiction, women's issues #literarynovel, character driven fiction, coming of age, family drama, feminist literature, Sense of Place Fiction, Southern Fiction, women's issues

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The choices Stella and Desiree make, and the outcomes of those choices, reveal the ugly inventions of race and sex and class in America. Hobbled by those definitions, Bennett’s characters push and pull against them. Stella sacrifices family and true connection for a false identity. Desiree surrenders to her identity and sacrifices her dreams.

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Early Morning Riser
#literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, domestic fiction, family drama, fiction humor, women's issues #literarynovel, author interview, character driven fiction, domestic fiction, family drama, fiction humor, women's issues

Early Morning Riser

I cannot recommend EARLY MORNING RISER enough. EARLY MORNING RISER brims with love and hope and humor. Heiny redefines family in this enchanting novel and I felt my heart lifted from the heaviness of the past year. Her characters are complex and quirky – they’re your mother, your brother, or your neighbor – they are just like all those complicated people you encounter on a daily basis. Whether you live in a small town, or your village of people is in a big city, you’ll recognize them and after reading EARLY MORNING RISER, you’ll find the things that may have previously annoyed you, endearing. Heiny is like that – through her lens, you’ll see things differently.

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