April 2020 Adult Top 10 Picks

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  1. The Subtweet
    by Vivek Shraya Canada
    ECW Press
    Apr 07, 2020
    FICTION / Literary
    Lexile measure 930L
    Paperback / softback
    The Subtweet
    by Vivek Shraya Canada
    ECW Press
    Apr 07, 2020
    FICTION / Literary
    Lexile measure 930L
    Paperback / softback

    2021 Dublin Literary Award Finalist
    2021 Lambda Literary Awards Finalist for Transgender Fiction
    2020 Toronto Book Awards Finalist

    The Subtweet is affecting, unnerving, empowering, and often truly LOL.” — Foreword Reviews, starred review

    “A beautifully crafted novel about race, music, and social media.” — Booklist

    Includes an exclusive free soundtrack

    Celebrated multidisciplinary artist Vivek Shraya’s second novel is a no-holds-barred examination of the music industry, social media, and making art in the modern era, shining a light on the promise and peril of being seen.

    Indie musician Neela Devaki has built a career writing the songs she wants to hear but nobody else is singing. When one of Neela’s songs is covered by internet artist RUK-MINI and becomes a viral sensation, the two musicians meet and a transformative friendship begins. But before long, the systemic pressures that pit women against one another begin to bear down on Neela and RUK-MINI, stirring up self-doubt and jealousy. With a single tweet, their friendship implodes, a career is destroyed, and the two women find themselves at the centre of an internet firestorm.

    View this title on BNC CataList
  2. Redhead by the Side of the Road
    by Anne Tyler
    Bond Street Books
    Apr 07, 2020
    FICTION / Literary
    Hardback
    Redhead by the Side of the Road
    by Anne Tyler
    Bond Street Books
    Apr 07, 2020
    FICTION / Literary
    Hardback
    From the beloved and bestselling Anne Tyler, a sparkling new novel about misperception, second chances and the sometimes elusive power of human connection.

    Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. A self-employed tech expert, superintendent of his Baltimore apartment building, cautious to a fault behind the steering wheel, he seems content leading a steady, circumscribed life. But one day his routines are blown apart when his woman friend (he refuses to call anyone in her late thirties a "girlfriend") tells him she's facing eviction, and a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son. These surprises, and the ways they throw Micah's meticulously organized life off-kilter, risk changing him forever. An intimate look into the heart and mind of a man who finds those around him just out of reach, and a funny, joyful, deeply compassionate story about seeing the world through new eyes, Redhead by the Side of the Road is a triumph, filled with Anne Tyler's signature wit and gimlet-eyed observation.
    View this title on BNC CataList
  3. Little Secrets
    by Jennifer Hillier Canada
    Minotaur Books
    Apr 21, 2020
    FICTION / Thrillers / Crime
    Hardback
    Little Secrets
    by Jennifer Hillier Canada
    Minotaur Books
    Apr 21, 2020
    FICTION / Thrillers / Crime
    Hardback

    National Bestseller!

    "Unflinching and unforgettable. Little Secrets has everything you want in a thriller" —Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Lock Every Door


    Overwhelmed by tragedy, a woman desperately tries to save her marriage in award-winning author Jennifer Hillier's Little Secrets, a riveting novel of psychological suspense.


    All it takes to unravel a life is one little secret...

    Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken.

    A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.

    Permanently.

    View this title on BNC CataList
  4. The Book of Longings
    by Sue Monk Kidd
    Viking
    Apr 21, 2020
    FICTION / Women
    Hardback
    The Book of Longings
    by Sue Monk Kidd
    Viking
    Apr 21, 2020
    FICTION / Women
    Hardback
    “An extraordinary novel . . . a triumph of insight and storytelling.” —Associated Press

    A true masterpiece.” —Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed

    An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings


    In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything.

    Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome's occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history.

    Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers.
    View this title on BNC CataList
  5. Forest Green
    by Kate Pullinger Canada
    Doubleday Canada
    Aug 25, 2020
    FICTION / Literary
    Hardback
    Forest Green
    by Kate Pullinger Canada
    Doubleday Canada
    Aug 25, 2020
    FICTION / Literary
    Hardback
    For readers of Elizabeth Strout and Anne Tyler, a powerful, heartrending novel about a man on the run from himself, by Governor General's Award-winning author Kate Pullinger.

    On a rain-soaked Vancouver sidewalk in 1995, a homeless man fights for breath. Forest Green is the story of how he ended up there.

    Arthur Lunn is a golden boy who spends long summer days roaming the hills and swimming in the lakes of the Okanagan Valley. But the Great Depression is destroying lives, even in Art's remote and bucolic hometown. Soon, Art finds himself caught up in a battle between the town and the vagrants flowing through it, and before long the tension reaches a boiling point.

    A catastrophe follows--and changes everything. The trauma from this event shapes and haunts Art's life moving forward, from his experiences as a soldier in World War II to his reckless, nomadic working days in logging camps across British Columbia to his turbulent relationship with his one great love--a woman he cannot believe he deserves.

    Painful, poignant, yet full of hope, Forest Green explores how trauma can warp our lives while love can help us to mend.
    View this title on BNC CataList
  6. Chosen Ones
    by Veronica Roth
    William Morrow
    Apr 07, 2020
    Hardback
    Chosen Ones
    by Veronica Roth
    William Morrow
    Apr 07, 2020
    Hardback

    A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    A Best Book of April from Time, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Fortune, Business Insider, Marie Claire, PopSugar, PureWow, Tor.com, Huffington Post, BookRiot, Literary Hub, Buzzfeed, Amazon’s Editors’ Pick, Apple Books, IndieNext, LibraryReads

    "A stunning thriller/fantasy/sci-fi chimera like nothing I've read before." — Blake Crouch

    "A hugely imagined, twisty, turning tale that leads through the labyrinths of magic and war to the center of the heart." — Diana Gabaldon

    The masterful first novel for adults from the mega-selling author of the Divergent franchise

    Fifteen years ago, five ordinary teenagers were singled out by a prophecy to take down an impossibly powerful entity wreaking havoc across North America. He was known as the Dark One, and his weapon of choice—catastrophic events known as Drains—leveled cities and claimed thousands of lives. Chosen Ones, as the teens were known, gave everything they had to defeat him.

    After the Dark One fell, the world went back to normal . . . for everyone but them. After all, what do you do when you’re the most famous people on Earth, your only education was in magical destruction, and your purpose in life is now fulfilled?

    Of the five, Sloane has had the hardest time adjusting. Everyone else blames the PTSD—and her huge attitude problem—but really, she’s hiding secrets from them . . . secrets that keep her tied to the past and alienate her from the only four people in the world who understand her.

    On the tenth anniversary of the Dark One’s defeat, something unthinkable happens: one of the Chosen Ones dies. When the others gather for the funeral, they discover the Dark One’s ultimate goal was much bigger than they, the government, or even prophecy could have foretold—bigger than the world itself.

    And this time, fighting back might take more than Sloane has to give.

    View this title on BNC CataList
  7. How to Pronounce Knife
    by Souvankham Thammavongsa Canada
    McClelland & Stewart
    Apr 07, 2020
    FICTION / Short Stories
    Paperback / softback
    How to Pronounce Knife
    by Souvankham Thammavongsa Canada
    McClelland & Stewart
    Apr 07, 2020
    FICTION / Short Stories
    Paperback / softback
    WINNER OF THE 2020 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE
    WINNER OF THE 2021 TRILLIUM BOOK AWARD
    FINALIST FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD, the PEN AMERICA OPEN BOOK AWARD, and the DANUTA GLEED AWARD
    #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER

    Named one of Time's Must-Read Books of 2020, and featuring stories that have appeared in Harper's, Granta, The Atlantic, and The Paris Review, this revelatory book of fiction from O. Henry Award winner Souvankham Thammavongsa establishes her as an essential new voice in Canadian and world literature. Told with compassion and wry humour, these stories honour characters struggling to find their bearings far from home, even as they do the necessary "grunt work of the world."


    A young man painting nails at the local salon. A woman plucking feathers at a chicken processing plant. A father who packs furniture to move into homes he'll never afford. A housewife learning English from daytime soap operas. In her stunning Giller Prize-winning debut book of fiction, Souvankham Thammavongsa focuses on characters struggling to make a living, illuminating their hopes, disappointments, love affairs, acts of defiance, and above all their pursuit of a place to make their own. In spare, intimate prose charged with emotional power and a sly wit, she paints an indelible portrait of watchful children, wounded men, and restless women caught between cultures, languages, and values. As one of Thammavongsa's characters says, "All we wanted was to live." And in these stories, they do—brightly, ferociously, unforgettably.

    A daughter becomes an unwilling accomplice in her mother's growing infatuation with country singer Randy Travis. A former boxer finds a chance at redemption while working at his sister's nail salon. A school bus driver must grapple with how much he's willing to give up in order to belong. And in the title story, a young girl's unconditional love for her father transcends language.

    Tender, uncompromising, and fiercely alive, How to Pronounce Knife establishes Souvankham Thammavongsa as one of the most important voices of her generation.
    View this title on BNC CataList
  8. A Bad Day for Sunshine
    by Darynda Jones
    St. Martin's Press
    Apr 07, 2020
    FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
    Hardback
    A Bad Day for Sunshine
    by Darynda Jones
    St. Martin's Press
    Apr 07, 2020
    FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
    Hardback

    New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones is back with the first novel in the brand-new snarky, sassy, wickedly fun Sunshine Vicram seriesA Bad Day for Sunshine!

    "Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun."New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

    "A Bad Day For Sunshine is a great day for the rest of us."
    New York Times bestselling author Lee Child

    Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

    Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee—and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff—thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her—and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter’s new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.

    But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshal. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty—and find the kidnapper who's terrorizing her beloved hometown—without falling head over high heels in love...or worse?

    View this title on BNC CataList
  9. A Match Made for Murder
    by Iona Whishaw Canada
    TouchWood Editions
    Apr 28, 2020
    FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Historical
    Paperback / softback
    A Match Made for Murder
    by Iona Whishaw Canada
    TouchWood Editions
    Apr 28, 2020
    FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Historical
    Paperback / softback

    Winner of the 2021 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award

    "An intriguing mix of character, plot, time, and place. Highly recommended." —Ian Hamilton, author of the bestselling Ava Lee novels

    Lane and Darling's Arizona honeymoon is interrupted by gunshots in the newest installment in a series Kirkus Reviews calls "relentlessly exciting."

    It's November, and Lane and Darling have escaped the chilly autumn in the Kootenays for a honeymoon at the posh and romantic Santa Cruz Inn in sunny Tucson, Arizona. But despite her very best intentions to relax, soon after their arrival Lane's plans to spend the holiday poolside with a good mystery are interrupted by gunfire. One of the hotel's wealthy guests has been shot point blank and Lane is second on the scene.

    Though Lane and Darling attempt to distance themselves from the investigation, the longer they stay at the Santa Cruz Inn, the deeper they are drawn into a web of suspects and bystanders, and a collection of seemingly perfect marriages fraught with jealousy and violence. The situation threatens first their honeymoon and then their lives when Lane puts herself directly in the sights of local criminals who will stop at nothing to get what they want.

    Back in Nelson, Sergeant Ames has been left in charge of the department during Darling's absence. As he investigates a case of vandalism at the Van Eyck garage, it seems to lead directly to the death of the suspected vandal himself. Working with Constable Terrell, the new recruit, to piece together what happened in this strange and unsettling murder, Ames finds his romantic interest in mechanic Tina Van Eyck creates complications that are more than awkward; they could be deadly.

    Fans of Maisie Dobbs and the Kopp sisters will delight in the latest Lane Winslow, a study of matrimony and mirage in the American Southwest.

    View this title on BNC CataList
  10. A Thousand Moons
    by Sebastian Barry
    Viking
    Apr 21, 2020
    FICTION / Literary
    Hardback
    A Thousand Moons
    by Sebastian Barry
    Viking
    Apr 21, 2020
    FICTION / Literary
    Hardback
    “A brave and moving novel [that] has a tender empathy with the natural world.” —Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books

    From the two-time Booker Prize finalist author of Days Without End comes a dazzling companion novel about memory and identity, set in Tennessee in the aftermath of the Civil War


    Winona Cole, an orphaned child of the Lakota Indians, finds herself growing up in an unconventional household on a farm in west Tennessee. Raised by her adoptive parents John Cole and Thomas McNulty, whose story Barry told in his acclaimed previous novel Days Without End, she forges a life for herself beyond the violence and dispossession of her past.

    Tennessee is a state still riven by the bitter legacy of the Civil War, and the fragile harmony of her family is soon threatened by a further traumatic event, one which Winona struggles to confront, let alone understand. Exquisitely written, A Thousand Moons is a stirring, poignant story of love and redemption, of one woman's journey and her determination to write her own future.
    View this title on BNC CataList

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