Happy New Year! May 2023 be a fantastic year for you in every way! If reading more debut novels by newly published authors is one of your 2023 New Year's resolutions, then I have a couple book titles for you. Though one book is written by an American and the other by a British author, both books have a lot to say about unlikely friendships.

 

Cover ArtThe Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum

"I found this an enjoyable, informative, and quick read.  I like to choose reading material that will give me some insight into a community or culture I know little about. This book did not disappoint! I was surprised by the joviality amongst the young boys (though I really should not have been) and immediately enamored by novel's young protagonist. This book is classified as Young Adult, but I think it will appeal to a larger audience."

Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn't changed that much. He's got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren't happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once, but that's not Hoodie's problem. That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O'Leary--who happens to be the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to keep Hoodie's community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when Tregaron is struck by a series of anti-Semitic crimes that quickly escalate to deadly violence. As his community turns on him for siding with the enemy, Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he's ever known. Isaac Blum delivers a wry, witty debut novel about a deeply important and timely subject, in a story of hatred and betrayal--and the friendships we find in the most unexpected places.
Find The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen in the library catalog Here
Read more about the author Here

 
 
 

Cover ArtThe One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

"Have you ever read a book and thought, 'This book would make a terrific movie?' That's exactly how I felt about this book, and then I found out, it is being made into a movie!  The characters in this novel will stay with me for a long time. Warning: you might need a box of Kleenex."

Seventeen-year-old Lenni Pettersson lives on the Terminal Ward at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital. Though the teenager has been told she's dying, she still has plenty of living to do. Joining the hospital's arts and crafts class, she meets the magnificent Margot, an 83-year-old, purple-pajama-wearing, fruitcake-eating rebel, who transforms Lenni in ways she never imagined. As their friendship blooms, a world of stories opens for these unlikely companions who, between them, have been alive for one hundred years. Though their days are dwindling, both are determined to leave their mark on the world. With the help of Lenni's doting palliative care nurse and Father Arthur, the hospital's patient chaplain, Lenni and Margot devise a plan to create one hundred paintings showcasing the stories of the century they have lived--stories of love and loss, of courage and kindness, of unexpected tenderness and pure joy. Though the end is near, life isn't quite done with these unforgettable women just yet. Delightfully funny and bittersweet, heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot reminds us of the preciousness of life as it considers the legacy we choose to leave, how we influence the lives of others even after we're gone, and the wonder of a friendship that transcends time.
Find The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Montana Library2Go/Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here
 
Have you read a fantastic book you'd like to recommend?  Drop by the library and tell us about it.  Or leave a comment above.