Families in the Aftermath of Tragedy

Did you enjoy the new book The Night Strangers by Chris Bohaljian?  For other stories about families in the aftermath of tragedy, Shelf Awareness recommends the following three books. Tess of the D'Urbervilles is a work of classic literature in which the lower-class Tess becomes the victim of her father's desire to rise in society.  In the fictional Red Hook Road, the accidental death of a newlywed couplebrings out the simmering class tensions in a Maine resort town.  Finally, A Rip In Heaven is the true story of the author's brother and two female cousins who were raped, pushed off a bridge, and left for dead.  Got any other suggestions for this topic?  Share them by commenting!

Debut Novel: The Postmortal by Drew Magary

In this darkly funny dystopia by noted humorist and sports blogger Drew Magary, a scientist looking for the gene for red hair accidentally stumbles upon the gene that suspends aging, unleashing worldwide social upheaval.  Russia uses postmortal soldiers for conquest, while China, ever fearful of overpopulation, bans the treatment and starts branding its citizens with their birthdates.  Told mostly in the form of journal entries by the eternally 29-year-old main character (a Manhattan attorney who becomes postmortal through black market treatments), this first-time novelist also includes satirically imaginative newspaper clippings, religious pamphlets, and even medical bulletins to round out his debut novel.  The Postmortal comes out today, August 30th; be the first to check it out!  Click here to read a full review from the book newsletter Shelf Awareness.

Top Ten Book Club Picks

Looking for some discussion-worthy titles?  Here are the top ten book club picks from the over 30,000 book discussion groups registered at bookmovement.com, as reported here in the Shelf Awareness newsletter:

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (with the movie now out in theaters, this is no surprise)
2. Room by Emma Donoghue (the absolutely chilling book trailer sums it up best)

3. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (staff pick of the month for August 2011)

4. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (a true story of medical ethics in stem cell research)

5. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (this has been one of the library's most popular books for years, and will probably become more in-demand as the release date of the planned movie draws nearer)

7. Little Bee by Chris Cleave

8. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

9. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

10. Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok (the moving story of a Chinese immigrant family who sacrifices a great deal to live the American dream) 

State of Wonder & Further Reading

In Ann Patchett's new book State of Wonder, pharmaceutical research scientiest Dr. Marina Singh must go to Brazil in search of her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who has disappeared in the Amazon while working on an extremely valuable new drug. Readers join Marisa in this adventure-packed new novel as she sets off into the dangerous jungle in search of not only Dr. Swenson, but also answers to troubling questions about Marisa's friend's death, the state of company's future, and Marisa's own past.

Read State of Wonder already and couldn't get enough? Shelf Awareness also recommends Rachel King's The Sound of Butterflies for readers interested in Manaus, the Brazilian town where most of State of Wonder takes place. In this fictional murder mystery, readers can learn more about the early days of Manaus, which was built on the spoils of the rubber barons, who also funded the jewel box opera house that Patchett writes about in State of Wonder.