HOT PICKS 2005!... Or BOOKS WITH AN ATTITUDE!...
Discover the best books with attitude from 2005! This curated hot picks list features standout fiction and biographies, including Nick Hornby's *A Long Way Down* and John Irving's *Until I Find You*. Dive into edgy, unforgettable reads from Lydia Millet to Jennifer Saginor—perfect for fans of bold, character-driven stories.
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Oh Pure and Radiant Heart
by Lydia Millet
Oh Pure and Radiant Heart plucks the three scientists who were key to the invention of the atom bomb—Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard and Enrico Fermi—as they watch history's first mushroom cloud rise over the desert on July 16th, 1945...and places them down in modern-day Santa Fe. One by one, the scientists are spotted by a shy librarian who becomes convinced of their authenticity. Entranced, bewildered, overwhelmed by their significance as historical markers on the one hand, and their peculiar personalities on the other, she, to the dismay of her husband, devotes herself to them. Soon the scientists acquire a sugar daddy—a young pothead millionaire from Tokyo who bankrolls them. Heroes to some, lunatics or con artists to others, the scientists finally become messianic religious figureheads to fanatics, who believe Oppenheimer to be the Second Coming. As the ever-growing convoy traverses the country in a fleet of RV's on a pilgrimage to the UN, the scientists wrestle with the legacy of their invention and their growing celebrity, while Ann and her husband struggle with the strain on their marriage, a personal journey married to a history of thermonuclear weapons.
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The Losers' Club
by Richard Perez
WHAT IS LOVE? In the game of love, there are winners and losers. In THE LOSERS' CLUB, Richard Perez tries to answer the eternal question. Set in downtown New York City, THE LOSERS' CLUB tells the story of Martin Sierra, an unlucky writer addicted to the personals. His journey brings us into the East Village, pre-9/11-and in contact with Nikki, his dream woman, who remains unattainable romantically yet becomes his friend and confidant during his illuminating misadventures. Populated with characters and surprises few will ever forget, this energetic, comic novel is as much about a generation (we won't say "X") as it is about a specific time and place.
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Until I Find You
by John Irving
Chronicles the life and times of actor Jack Burns, whose unique bond with his mother, Alice, a Toronto tattoo artist, and their search for his missing father, William, shapes his relationships with women and his Hollywood career.
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The Traveler
by John Twelve Hawks
Their lives shaped by their father's role as a Traveler, an elite prophet able to attain pure enlightenment, Gabriel and Michael Corrigan become a target of the Tabulas, a ruthless cadre seeking world domination.
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Playground
by Jennifer Saginor
The daughter of Hugh Hefner's personal physician, Saginor was six when she visited the Mansion for the first time. It became her fantasy escape from the rules of her parents and structure of school. More than a peek into a sex-infused world, this is a candid exploration of a complex, confused, dysfunctional family set against the backdrop of the ultimate playground.
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Carnivore Diet
by Julia Slavin
With this story of a politician's wife who is desperately trying to hold her family together, Slavin has unleashed a hilarious and disturbing tale where the reach of fantasy is as long as the arm of the federal government. "Haunting and inventive."--"Harper's Bazaar."
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Lord Vishnu's Love Handles
by Will Clarke
Psychically-gifted but tragically-shallow Travis Anderson milks his premonitions only to acquire an upper-middle-class lifestyle without having to make an effort. But recent visions threaten his yuppie contentment.