msjamgochian'sinfinitebooklist

Russian-born, self-loathing, recent college graduate (of an expensive Midwestern college), twenty-five year old nerd Vladimir Girshkin lives with his parents in Manhattan. He works at the Emma Lazarus Immigrant Absorption Society, a thoroughly useless and low-paying station. Balding, sticky, pudgy Vladimir dreams of fame and fortune, and when a Russian client's shady offer leads him to money, status, and mafia work in Prague (the 'Paris of the 90s') for a man called The Groundhog, the hilarious absurdity begins. I have a weakness for dark comedy, but if you only have time to read one of Shteyngart's books, make it Super Sad True Love Story , his latest and more tightly-woven work. Click here for the NY Times review of Mr. Shteyngart's debut novel.

Reading HBB restored a bit of the faith I had recently lost in the Man Booker prize (it was shortlisted for the prize in 2011). A sweeping historical account of one man's journey from Baltimore to the wannabe jazz bars of 1930 Berlin to the streets of Nazi-occupied Paris and back again, fifty years later. This is the perfect read for anyone obsessed with Paris, jazz, or WWII. Give it to someone who enjoys all three and they will remember you for life. Click here for a full review . Grade 11+

Pure poetry, The Listeners is a painfully realistic, gut-wrenching, and, lyrically written story of grief and forgiveness set in the Pacific Northwest, shifting between modern-day and the 1990s. Quinn defines herself with two tragedies: the break-up of her semi-successful band after a violent accident, and the sudden and equally violent childhood loss of her younger sister. Now in her early thirties, Quinn is the quintessential self-loathing guilt-ridden survivor, and she spares herself nary an ounce of sadomasochistic punishment. Click here for a full review . Give this to readers that like dark poetry (or just dark)and fans of The Talk Funny Girl. Grade 10+

Another sublime entry in the young adult coming-of-age-during-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it genre, TAOM stands out in part due to its original disaster scenario: the earth's rotation is slowing, resulting in erratic days and nights, changes in gravity, and a host of other unexpected changes. The Slowing is dramatic but not necessarily catastrophic. Julia and her parents learn to deal with two o'clock in the morning sunsets and fewer supplies, but the emotional strain takes its toll on their interpersonal relationships as their traditional family life breaks down. Julia is a likable heroine and teens will relate to both her romance with a neighborhood boy and the loss of her best childhood friend. Give this one to fans of Susan Beth Pfeffer's Last Survivor's series and Joelle Anthony's Restoring Harmony , and don't miss the extras (including a reading guide)Ms. Thompson Walker's website . Grade 8+

Wow! Booklist loved this book: "Meno has constructed a snow-flake delicate inquiry into alienation and longing. Illustrated with drawings and photographs and shaped by tender empathy, buoyant imagination, and bittersweet wit, this wistful, provocative, off-kilter love story affirms the bonds forged by art and story." So did Flavorwire: "A lithe, winking take on the boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl cliché, Meno’s newest novel is like Perks of Being a Wallflower for the 20-something set — and just like that iconic novel of creatives-in-crisis, this one is quirky, clever, and full of bitten tongues and youthful dreaming. Add bicycles, fingerless gloves, and one of the most twee art projects we could have ever imagined, and you’ve got a charming and unpretentious hipster love story destined to be the next cult classic." I liked it, too. Give it to fans of Truffaut and Zoey Deschanel, or older teens who like John Green and are ready for something artier and meatier. Gra...