The most fascinating book discussions are often sparked by storytelling from fresh voices. Meet three thought-provoking titles newly added to the 2020 Book Discussion collection. These are hand-picked reads ideal for personal enrichment or for group conversation. Check out part one and part two and watch for additional announcements each week!

A Kind of Freedom by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

issue-oriented, heartwrenching, hopeful
for fans of Yaa Gyasi, Jesmyn Ward, and Tayari Jones

From Evelyn, who falls in love beneath her station during WWII, to Jackie, a young mother grappling with her absentee husband’s addiction, to T.C., who makes heartbreaking choices in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, three generations of a single family explore the legacy of racial disparity in New Orleans. 

National Book Award Longlist
New York Times Notable Book
BCALA First Novelist Award

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

darkly humorous, tense, exquisitely crafted
for fans of Mona Awad, Lauren Groff, and Don DeLillo

Realizing that her beautiful, beloved younger sister has murdered yet another boyfriend, an embittered Nigerian woman works to direct suspicion away from the family, until a handsome doctor she fancies asks for her sister’s number.

LibraryReads Favorite
Anthony Award: Best First Novel
Winner of the 2019 Tournament of Books

Halsey Street by Naima Coster

family saga, candid, complex characters, strong sense of place 
for fans of Angela Flournoy, Jacqueline Woodson, and Brit Bennett

When Penelope, who has given up her dream of being an artist, moves into the attic apartment of the affluent Harpers, she thinks she’s found a semblance of family—and maybe even love. But her world is upended again when she receives a postcard from her estranged mother asking for reconciliation.

Library Journal Best Books
Kirkus Prize for Fiction Finalist
VCU Cabell First Novelist Award Longlist