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Welcome to Cary Reads!
Check out the books that we're enjoying! (And some that we're not.)
Looking for some book suggestions? Use our "What's Next?" form and staff will recommend 4-5 titles for you to enjoy.
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Houses with a Story by Seiji Yoshida
If you loved arranging dollhouse furniture as a kid or pouring over floor plans for dorm room selection in college, you will adore immersing yourself in the different architectural designs created in this incredibly unique work of art. I would happily watch a Studio Ghibli production based in any of the worlds imagined in this book.
Children's Nonfiction
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Have You Eaten Yet? Stories from Chinese Restaurants Around the World / 吃飯沒? :探訪全球中餐館, 關
於移民、飲食與文化認同的故事 by Cheuk Kwan/關卓中著; 張茂芸譯
“Have you eaten yet?” It’s a greeting that you hear worldwide among those with Chinese heritage, a
colloquial Chinese greeting, just like “How are you?” More than a casual social greeting, the question
conveys to me a sense of familiarity with culture, history, tradition, and home.
Family-run Chinese restaurants are global icons of immigration, community and good food. The author
travelled to sixteen Chinese restaurants on five continents, from Canada to Israel, Turkey, South Africa, Argentina, Madagascar, and India, and shared his fascinating insight into each region—how the Chinese diaspora has impacted the cuisine and how the Chinese have been impacted by the region—weaving in history as well as delicious descriptions of how Chinese food has adapted itself to its environment. I was moved by the story that almost the entire town has shown up for a 40-year Chinese chef’s funeral at a town in Canada to express their final farewell. If who we are is a product of what we eat, then the invention of Chinese restaurants as a worldwide phenomenon that spanned every continent has shaped all overseas Chinese.
Adult Nonfiction (Available in English and Chinese)
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Dou zi zhi ma cha / 豆子芝麻茶 by Benfen Yang / 杨本芬
The first time I heard of the author was when she published her first book at the age of 80. This book is the fourth book she wrote when she was 83. This is a short book. You can finish it within 2-3 hours when you are on the commute, on vacation, or just staying at home. This is a book in which the elder author slowly recalls and says goodbye to the important persons in her life: her mother, brother, classmate and colleague. When we are young, our perception of time is fragmented, and we only look forward forever - as if time is infinite, the world is forever young, all people will live forever in this way, and happiness is not far away in the future. Only when we reach a certain age and are knocked and beaten by the years can we have a systematic understanding of time and its cruelty. However, the people we meet nourish our souls and warm our hearts.
Adult World Languages Fiction (available in Chinese)
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Nicole
I am thrilled to discover a significant increase of translated books now available,for readers of all ages. (Evidenced by the first six of my books)
Here are some of the titles I have thoroughly enjoyed for their philosophical approach to life, well developed/colourful characters, yet simplicity in storytelling.
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Brownstone by Samuel Teer and Mar Julia
Almudena is mixed race yet knows nothing about her Dad and her Guatemalan heritage; horrified at first to be deposited in Brooklyn to spend a summer with him, navigate language barriers and the residents of his Latin American neighbourhood, ultimately they find connection working side by side to fix up an old brownstone, redefine family, and what it means to belolng. A heartwarming, funny, poignant read.
Teen Graphic Novel
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The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
Beautifully detailed story of a decades long friendship set against the backdrop of Iran's 1953 Coup and 1979 Revolution. Kamali does an excellent job at detailing the warts and all aspects of life long friendships that readers will relate to, even those who did not live through such extraordinary circumstances. There is a strong sense of place and time and I dare anyone to read this without a tissue nearby.
As with her last book, I do want to warn readers not to read this if you're hungry. The descriptions of food made my mouth water. (I do seem to gravitate towards books that do that!)
Marjan Kamali was the guest at the last Cary Library Foundation Literary Cafe. You can check out the program on the library's YouTube Channel.
Adult Fiction
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The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
This fantasy historical novel is so compelling. The setting of Spain during the Inquisition makes for a fascinating and horrifying backdrop to the fantastical elements. Luiza is such a well drawn protagonist and the side characters are equally as rich.
And, I know one should never judge a book by its cover (or rather right inside its cover) but the endpapers for the handover are gorgeous.
Adult Fantasy
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Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore
Ezra, the scion of funeral home owners, has been seeing ghosts ever since he first saw his grandfather. As a result, he has a very complicated relationship with his family's line of business.
I adored this book! This book is full of love and is, at times, quite funny while still being such a thoughtful and realistic take on grief. It's incredibly well grounded, considering the fantastical premise of Ezra seeing ghosts. (I would venture to say that this book is a good gateway to anyone who isn't sure if they want to read fantasy. Just enough to satisfy fans of supernatural premises but not too much to take away from those who prefer more realistic fiction.)
It was also wonderful to read a book featuring a Trans and Jewish protagonist that exudes so much joy (in spite of the lingering presence of death in the background). The relationship between Ezra and his siblings is lovely and so supportive. One of my favorite sibling teams in fiction in a long time.
Adult Fiction/Fantasy
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Frieren (Soso no Frieren) by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
For those that want to venture into the realm of manga, and usually enjoy heartwarming adventures found in fantasy storylines, this series may be for you! It is easy to speed through the 10+ volumes that are currently released in English, yet the story and its characters have a great amount of depth that you get to explore with each published volume. As someone who reads a lot of manga, this is a series I regularly check up on to see if there are any new releases.
Teen Manga
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Sketchy by Makihirochi
Speaking of manga, this is a newer translated series that highlights the movement of skateboarding in Japan! As someone who is trying to begin new hobbies later in life, I can really relate to Ako, the main character, when she discovers that skateboarding can be done by anyone at any time in their lives. Throughout her introduction to the sport, she is able to find a community that does not mind going against the status quo (which she has felt trapped by since her high school days), and her studying of this new world allows her to branch out from the monotony of her current lifestyle. This series also shines a light on real-life skaters in Japan, specifically women, who have been trailblazers in the sport in spite of many obstacles of conventionality. In a way, the reader gets to learn a lot about the field right alongside Ako!
Adult Graphic Novel/Manga
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The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
If you cannot wait for the chill of winter (i.e. Me), then this book will make you feel cold to the bone. Taking place in rural Russia, from a time long ago, the local folklore comes to life as the figures of Frost and night begin to create chaos, all due to Vasilisa's being born. She is a very unique character who may not find immediate warmth from her fellow townspeople, but she makes sure to keep the hidden creatures who help their town satisfied. When darkness starts to descend onto the town and threatens the balance that has always been in place, you become enthralled by Vasya's story as she gradually discovers what her role is in the stories she was told as a girl. Once she does, it was hard to keep myself from racing to the end of this book to see how it all comes to fruition.
Adult Fiction
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If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury by Geraldine DeRuiter
You might have already seen one of DeRuiter's viral pieces online--her baffling meal at a highly rated avant-garde restaurant, or her reaction to Mario Batali's apology cinnamon rolls--but there's much more to enjoy in her new essay collection. She's both hilarious and sharp as a chef's knife as she shares stories from her time navigating the world of food, still very much a boy's club.
Adult Nonfiction
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Borderline: The Biography of a Personality Disorder by Alexander Kriss
The story of Kriss's sessions with one fascinating patient provide the through-line in his portrait of a diagnosis that has become associated with "difficult", "hysterical" women and girls. How does a mental health diagnosis come to be, and how do we come to accept certain treatments? Kriss argues compellingly that the borders between "sanity" and mental illness are far more nebulous than we think, and the history of Borderline Personality Disorder shows the limitations of our current approach to treating the mind.
Adult Nonfiction
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Solutions for the Problem of Bodies in Space by Catherine Barnett
My favorite poetry collection of the year by a long shot. Barnett is brilliant, funny, and rigorous in her thinking through each poem. Spending time with this collection feels like having a conversation with your cleverest friend, who is erudite but never pretentious, who is instead eager to share her dazzling breadth of knowledge and her frank dedication to truth with her interlocutors.
Adult Poetry
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Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima
The central conceit of this collection of interconnected short stories is the nameless protagonist's, known to us as "the writer", long-standing relationship with the devil, after having slept with the devil one Halloween night in 1999. I thought the strongest stories in Craft were the ones that most embraced being stories about an artist making art, although I'm unsure how I feel about the more meta ones. This one didn't quite live up to my highest hopes for it, but it's very possible I'm just not quite the right reader for it. I would still say it's definitely worth a read.
Adult Short Stories
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Yr Dead by Sam Sax
Yr Dead takes place the moment its protagonist, Ezra, lights themselves on fire as an act of protest, and follows the story of their life in flash-fiction vignettes. Don't be deceived by the form: Yr Dead is very much a novel, and the brilliance of its form frees it from getting bogged down in the missteps usually endemic to poets' first novels. The writing is searingly gorgeous, and the story kept me reading almost nonstop. Yr Dead is very much a celebration of everything it means to be alive in the world today, specifically alive as a young nonbinary Jewish person, in spite of ostensibly telling the story of their death. Yr Dead is a triumph.
Adult Fiction
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Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry
Lois Lowry is the master of high quality middle grade books and her newest is no exception. A beautiful story of multigenerational friendship.
Children's Fiction
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Mid-Air by Alicia Williams
Williams' debut novel Genesis Begins Again won multiple awards and her sophomore novel is just as stunning and powerful.
Between Fiction
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Tryouts by Sarah Sax
The second installment in the Brinkley Yearbook graphic novels is even better than the first!
Children's Graphic Novel
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The Yellow Bus by Loren Long
It is still early, but if this one doesn't get a Caldecott nod in January - I will be SHOCKED! The artwork is stunning.
Children's Picture Book
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The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills
Perhaps the best book I've read this year! In dual timelines, we see teenage Zenya devote herself as a warrior to her mecha god and become increasingly radicalized only to also follow her twenty six years later as she is cast out in disgrace. This is an author to watch who crafts a nuanced tale touching upon religion, loyalty, and atonement within a fast moving plot.
Adult Science Fiction
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The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard
Odile lives in the Valley. To the west is the same valley but twenty years in the past, to the right, the same valley twenty years in the future. Debut author Howard spins an intriguing and imaginative tale that is a fresh take upon time travel and free will.
Adult Fiction
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Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
This comic and unusual book has the unusual premise of two friends deciding to use Athenians prisoners to stage a production of the Medea during the Peloponnesian War. At turns hilarious and heart-breaking.
Adult Fiction
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Brightwood Code by Monica Hesse
Monica Hesse delivers another young adult hit, this time shining a light upon the female switchboard operators of the first World War.
Teen Fiction
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American Daughters by Piper Huguley
A brilliant examination of two complex, enterprising, and courageous women and their friendship in a time of America's coming of age, socially, economically, politically and diplomatically. I recommend it highly.
Adult Fiction
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