We sent out a survey to learn about you and what’s been keeping you going. This is the first of a blog
post series presenting our results.
Stay tuned for most posts about residency life. For now, enjoy a nice scroll through our IMP member-
suggested shows and books.
What should I be binge watching?
Sorted by IMDB rating (out of 10). IMDB description provided.
Stranger Things (8.8) When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief and his friends must
confront terrifying supernatural forces in order to get him back.
The West Wing (8.8) Inside the lives of staffers in the West Wing of the White House.
Marvelous Ms. Maisel (2 votes) (8.7) A housewife in the 1960s decides to become a stand-up comic.
WestWorld (8.7) Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in
which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.
Outlander (8.4) An English combat nurse from 1945 is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743.
Poldark (8.3) Ross Poldark returns home after American Revolutionary War and rebuilds his life with a
new business venture, making new enemies and finding a new love where he least expects it.
Schitt’s Creek (3 votes) (8.3) When rich video-store magnate Johnny Rose and his family suddenly find
themselves broke, they are forced to leave their pampered lives to regroup in Schitt's Creek.
The Witcher (8.3) Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where
people often prove more wicked than beasts.
Cheer (8.2) Follows the cheerleaders of Navarro College as they prepare for the biggest moment of their
lives.
The Walking Dead (8.2) Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins,
and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.
Altered Carbon (8.1) Set in a future where consciousness is digitized and stored, a prisoner returns to life
in a new body and must solve a mind-bending murder to win his freedom.
Gilmore Girls (8.1) A dramedy centering around the relationship between a thirty something single
mother and her teen daughter living in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.
You (7.8) A dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man goes to extreme measures to insert
himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by.
New Girl (7.7) After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with
three single men. Although they find her behavior very unusual, the men support her - most of the time.
Gray’s Anatomy (7.6) A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns
and their supervisors.
Madam Secretary (7.6) A political drama which looks into the life of the Secretary of State as she tries to
balance work with family.
The Masked Singer (6.3) A singing competition guessing game based on Korean format King of Mask
Singer. 12 celebrity performers wear costumes to conceal identities. One singer is eliminated each week
and unmasked. Small hints are given for the viewer guess along.
Love is Blind (6.0) Singles who want to be loved for who they are, rather than what they look like, have
signed up for a less conventional approach to modern dating.
Every Real Housewives franchise (4.8) A reality series that follows some of the most affluent women in
the country as they enjoy the lavish lifestyle that only Beverly Hills can provide. (Synopsis and rating
from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
What should I be binge reading?
Sorted by GoodReads rating (out of 5). Google Books description provided.
Harry Potter (series) (4.74) Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with
a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Just Mercy (4.63) Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a
legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly
condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system.
One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a
notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political
machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.
Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a
moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in
the pursuit of true justice.
The Nightingale (2 votes) (4.57) The Nightingale is a novel, written by Kristin Hannah and published in
2015. It tells the story of two sisters in France during World War II, and their struggle to survive and
resist the German occupation of France.
Becoming (4.56) In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama
invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on
the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work,
to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she
describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has
lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply
personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose
story inspires us to do the same.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (series) (4.52) Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother
gave her. One for every boy she ever loved. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and
say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day
her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
Where the Crawdads Sing (4.49) For years, rumors of the Marsh Girl have haunted Barkley Cove, a
quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead,
the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say.
Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding
friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and
loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a
new life--until the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the
natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens
reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the
beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
Born a Crime: Stories from South African Childhood (4.46) Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid
South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a
white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years
in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years
of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a
government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s
tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and
embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (4.38) One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her
Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the
quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and
khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be
anything but. As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients; lives -- a self-absorbed Hollywood
producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her
life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the
wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing
to Wendell. With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and
patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope
between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and
change.
Scythe (series) (4.36) Scythe is a 2016 young-adult novel by Neal Shusterman and is the first in the Arc of
a Scythe series. It is set in the far future, where death by natural causes has been virtually eliminated
thanks to advances in technology, and an advanced computer system known as the "Thunderhead"e
controls society.
Small Great Things (4.34) Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with
more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only
to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white
supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies
with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the
nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene? Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a
result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but
gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning
strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her
family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward,
Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their
whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.
Shelter in Place (4.24) It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends
waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Mothers and children
shopped together, and the manager at video game store tended to customers. Then the shooters
arrived. The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for
those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. In the years that followed, one would
dedicate himself to a law enforcement career. Another would close herself off, trying to bury the
memory of huddling in a ladies room, helplessly clutching her cell phone--until she finally found a way
to pour her emotions into her art. But one person wasn't satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at
the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that
another conspirator is lying in wait--and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.
Katherine (4.19) Katherine is an epic novel of a love affair that changed history that of Katherine
Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the ancestors of most of the British royal family. Set in
the vibrant fourteenth century of Chaucer and the Black Death, the story features knights fighting in
battle, serfs struggling in poverty, and the magnificent Plantagenets Edward III, the Black Prince, and
Richard II who rule despotically over a court rotten with intrigue. Within this era of danger and romance,
John of Gaunt, the king s son, falls passionately in love with the already-married Katherine. Their affair
persists through decades of war, adultery, murder, loneliness, and redemption. Anya Seton's vivid
rendering of the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Lancaster makes Katherine an unmistakable classic.
My Lady Jane (4.09) Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger and caught up in
an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that's the least of Jane's problems.
She's about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.
Silent Patient (4.08) Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-
demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of
London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion
shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal
to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery
that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and
she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic
unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the
opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she
shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that
threatens to consume him....
What Alice Forgot (4.08) Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first
child. So imagine Alice's surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym)
and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over--she's getting
divorced, she has three kids, and she's actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost
decade, and find out whether it's possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out
why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she's become one of those super skinny moms with
really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and
whether it's possible to start over...
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things (4.07) As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust
people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to
raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with
the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one
night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual
friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold. By the time
Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and
debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavys family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful
to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. A powerful novel you won’t soon forget,
Bryn Greenwoods All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love.
Middlesex (4.00) Spanning eight decades and chronicling the wild ride of a Greek-American family
through the vicissitudes of the twentieth century, Jeffrey Eugenides’ witty, exuberant novel on one level
tells a traditional story about three generations of a fantastic, absurd, lovable immigrant family --
blessed and cursed with generous doses of tragedy and high comedy. But there’s a provocative twist.
Cal, the narrator -- also Callie -- is a hermaphrodite. And the explanation for this takes us spooling back
in time, through a breathtaking review of the twentieth century, to 1922, when the Turks sacked Smyrna
and Callie’s grandparents fled for their lives. Back to a tiny village in Asia Minor where two lovers, and
one rare genetic mutation, set our narrator’s life in motion.
Three Women (3.70) In suburban Indiana we meet Lina, a homemaker and mother of two whose
marriage, after a decade, has lost its passion. Starved for affection, Lina battles daily panic attacks and,
after reconnecting with an old flame through social media, embarks on an affair that quickly becomes
all-consuming. In North Dakota we meet Maggie, a seventeen-year-old high school student who
allegedly has a clandestine physical relationship with her handsome, married English teacher; the
ensuing criminal trial will turn their quiet community upside down. Finally, in an exclusive enclave of the
Northeast, we meet Sloane—a gorgeous, successful, and refined restaurant owner—who is happily
married to a man who likes to watch her have sex with other men and women.
post series presenting our results.
Stay tuned for most posts about residency life. For now, enjoy a nice scroll through our IMP member-
suggested shows and books.
What should I be binge watching?
Sorted by IMDB rating (out of 10). IMDB description provided.
Stranger Things (8.8) When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief and his friends must
confront terrifying supernatural forces in order to get him back.
The West Wing (8.8) Inside the lives of staffers in the West Wing of the White House.
Marvelous Ms. Maisel (2 votes) (8.7) A housewife in the 1960s decides to become a stand-up comic.
WestWorld (8.7) Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in
which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.
Outlander (8.4) An English combat nurse from 1945 is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743.
Poldark (8.3) Ross Poldark returns home after American Revolutionary War and rebuilds his life with a
new business venture, making new enemies and finding a new love where he least expects it.
Schitt’s Creek (3 votes) (8.3) When rich video-store magnate Johnny Rose and his family suddenly find
themselves broke, they are forced to leave their pampered lives to regroup in Schitt's Creek.
The Witcher (8.3) Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where
people often prove more wicked than beasts.
Cheer (8.2) Follows the cheerleaders of Navarro College as they prepare for the biggest moment of their
lives.
The Walking Dead (8.2) Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins,
and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.
Altered Carbon (8.1) Set in a future where consciousness is digitized and stored, a prisoner returns to life
in a new body and must solve a mind-bending murder to win his freedom.
Gilmore Girls (8.1) A dramedy centering around the relationship between a thirty something single
mother and her teen daughter living in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.
You (7.8) A dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man goes to extreme measures to insert
himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by.
New Girl (7.7) After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with
three single men. Although they find her behavior very unusual, the men support her - most of the time.
Gray’s Anatomy (7.6) A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns
and their supervisors.
Madam Secretary (7.6) A political drama which looks into the life of the Secretary of State as she tries to
balance work with family.
The Masked Singer (6.3) A singing competition guessing game based on Korean format King of Mask
Singer. 12 celebrity performers wear costumes to conceal identities. One singer is eliminated each week
and unmasked. Small hints are given for the viewer guess along.
Love is Blind (6.0) Singles who want to be loved for who they are, rather than what they look like, have
signed up for a less conventional approach to modern dating.
Every Real Housewives franchise (4.8) A reality series that follows some of the most affluent women in
the country as they enjoy the lavish lifestyle that only Beverly Hills can provide. (Synopsis and rating
from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
What should I be binge reading?
Sorted by GoodReads rating (out of 5). Google Books description provided.
Harry Potter (series) (4.74) Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with
a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Just Mercy (4.63) Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a
legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly
condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system.
One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a
notorious murder he insisted he didn’t commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political
machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever.
Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a
moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in
the pursuit of true justice.
The Nightingale (2 votes) (4.57) The Nightingale is a novel, written by Kristin Hannah and published in
2015. It tells the story of two sisters in France during World War II, and their struggle to survive and
resist the German occupation of France.
Becoming (4.56) In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama
invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on
the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work,
to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she
describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has
lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply
personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose
story inspires us to do the same.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (series) (4.52) Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother
gave her. One for every boy she ever loved. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and
say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day
her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
Where the Crawdads Sing (4.49) For years, rumors of the Marsh Girl have haunted Barkley Cove, a
quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead,
the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say.
Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding
friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and
loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a
new life--until the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the
natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens
reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the
beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
Born a Crime: Stories from South African Childhood (4.46) Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid
South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a
white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years
in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years
of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a
government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s
tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and
embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (4.38) One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her
Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the
quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and
khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be
anything but. As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients; lives -- a self-absorbed Hollywood
producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her
life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the
wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing
to Wendell. With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and
patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope
between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and
change.
Scythe (series) (4.36) Scythe is a 2016 young-adult novel by Neal Shusterman and is the first in the Arc of
a Scythe series. It is set in the far future, where death by natural causes has been virtually eliminated
thanks to advances in technology, and an advanced computer system known as the "Thunderhead"e
controls society.
Small Great Things (4.34) Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with
more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only
to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white
supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies
with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the
nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene? Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a
result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but
gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning
strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her
family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward,
Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their
whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.
Shelter in Place (4.24) It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends
waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Mothers and children
shopped together, and the manager at video game store tended to customers. Then the shooters
arrived. The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for
those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. In the years that followed, one would
dedicate himself to a law enforcement career. Another would close herself off, trying to bury the
memory of huddling in a ladies room, helplessly clutching her cell phone--until she finally found a way
to pour her emotions into her art. But one person wasn't satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at
the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that
another conspirator is lying in wait--and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.
Katherine (4.19) Katherine is an epic novel of a love affair that changed history that of Katherine
Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the ancestors of most of the British royal family. Set in
the vibrant fourteenth century of Chaucer and the Black Death, the story features knights fighting in
battle, serfs struggling in poverty, and the magnificent Plantagenets Edward III, the Black Prince, and
Richard II who rule despotically over a court rotten with intrigue. Within this era of danger and romance,
John of Gaunt, the king s son, falls passionately in love with the already-married Katherine. Their affair
persists through decades of war, adultery, murder, loneliness, and redemption. Anya Seton's vivid
rendering of the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Lancaster makes Katherine an unmistakable classic.
My Lady Jane (4.09) Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger and caught up in
an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that's the least of Jane's problems.
She's about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.
Silent Patient (4.08) Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-
demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of
London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion
shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia’s refusal
to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery
that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and
she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic
unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the
opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she
shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that
threatens to consume him....
What Alice Forgot (4.08) Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first
child. So imagine Alice's surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym)
and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over--she's getting
divorced, she has three kids, and she's actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost
decade, and find out whether it's possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out
why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she's become one of those super skinny moms with
really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and
whether it's possible to start over...
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things (4.07) As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust
people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to
raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with
the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one
night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual
friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold. By the time
Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and
debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavys family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful
to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. A powerful novel you won’t soon forget,
Bryn Greenwoods All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love.
Middlesex (4.00) Spanning eight decades and chronicling the wild ride of a Greek-American family
through the vicissitudes of the twentieth century, Jeffrey Eugenides’ witty, exuberant novel on one level
tells a traditional story about three generations of a fantastic, absurd, lovable immigrant family --
blessed and cursed with generous doses of tragedy and high comedy. But there’s a provocative twist.
Cal, the narrator -- also Callie -- is a hermaphrodite. And the explanation for this takes us spooling back
in time, through a breathtaking review of the twentieth century, to 1922, when the Turks sacked Smyrna
and Callie’s grandparents fled for their lives. Back to a tiny village in Asia Minor where two lovers, and
one rare genetic mutation, set our narrator’s life in motion.
Three Women (3.70) In suburban Indiana we meet Lina, a homemaker and mother of two whose
marriage, after a decade, has lost its passion. Starved for affection, Lina battles daily panic attacks and,
after reconnecting with an old flame through social media, embarks on an affair that quickly becomes
all-consuming. In North Dakota we meet Maggie, a seventeen-year-old high school student who
allegedly has a clandestine physical relationship with her handsome, married English teacher; the
ensuing criminal trial will turn their quiet community upside down. Finally, in an exclusive enclave of the
Northeast, we meet Sloane—a gorgeous, successful, and refined restaurant owner—who is happily
married to a man who likes to watch her have sex with other men and women.
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