New Fiction on the Shelves at Booth Library

One day last week on the way to check out some books on the second floor of the C.H. Booth library, I noticed a novel I had just read on top of the display shelves holding new fiction,  The House of Tomorrow (Putnam Adult, March 2010) by Peter Bognanni.

It made me smile, because I loved the book, even though it was one of those titles that I thought could go either way.  The publisher's summary illustrates my uncertainty:

Sebastian Prendergast lives in a geodesic dome with his eccentric grandmother, who homeschooled him in the teachings of futurist philosopher R. Buckminster Fuller. But when his grandmother has a stroke, Sebastian is forced to leave the dome and make his own way in town.

Jared Whitcomb is a chain-smoking sixteen-year-old heart-transplant recipient who befriends Sebastian, and begins to teach him about all the things he has been missing, including grape soda, girls, and Sid Vicious. Wholly original, The House of Tomorrow is the story of a young man's self-discovery, a dying woman's last wish, and a band of misfits trying desperately to be heard.

Homeschooling grandmas?  Futurist philosophers?  And most incongruently in my own reading preferences – the punk rock of Sid Vicious? 

But I ended up reading it in spite of those red flags, because I usually enjoy reading coming-of-age stories, or any novel or memoir that examines a step towards self-awareness.  Novels featuring misfits can also be endearing, and it is here that The House of Tomorrow shines.  Both Sebastian and Jared are delightful:  Sebastian so much a misfit that he doesn't even realize his differences, and Jared that perfect mix of Holden Caulfield swagger and typical teen insecurity.

This novel made me smile, and if you enjoy any of the themes above, I recommend that you pick it up.  Since it features teen characters, it will appeal to older teens as well.  It is published as an adult title, but it is not as explicit as most of the Young Adult novels geared towards older teens.   

I found out about another fiction title that was just added to the collection at Booth library in my e-mail inbox. Wowbrary is a service that the library is using to let people know about new acquisitions.  Patrons can sign up to receive the weekly email alerts by clicking on the Wowbrary link in the services section on the sidebar on the Booth Library website.

In contrast to the atypical title above,  The Postmistress (Amy Einhorn Books, February 2010) is the kind of novel that I expect to see gracing the shelves of C.H. Booth library.  It's a novel set during World War II in London and the coast of New Hampshire.  I'm not generally a fan of historical fiction, but World War II is a setting that usually interests me, and in that respect, this one did not disappoint.

Author Sarah Blake delivers a mediocre story that is redeemed through quirky and extraordinary characters.  Iris is the postmistress, yet shakes things up both personally by pursuing Harry when most have written her off as an old maid, and professionally when her involvement with Emma, the doctor's wife, causes her to reevaluate the importance of rigid rule enforcement as far as delivery of the mail goes.

Frankie is a radio news reporter who meets Emma's husband in London and holds answers that Iris and Emma seek about his whereabouts.

Though The Postmistress might be the kind of book that you generally reach for, if you are at adventurous in your reading picks, I recommend that you give The House of Tomorrow a try as well.