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Is there anything better than getting to revisit your favorite characters? In Henry, Himself Stewart O’Nan takes us back to the Maxwell family (the much-loved protagonists of Emily Alone and Wish You Were Here) to paint a wry, warmhearted portrait of an American original–a man who believes he's reached a dead end only to discover life is full of surprises. Whatever order you read them in, O’Nan’s novels will make you fall in love with the Maxwells.

A post shared by Viking Books (@vikingbooks) on May 1, 2019 at 2:40pm PDT

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Hello Friday and hello #bookmail! Thanks to @vikingbooks for sending along these gifted copies, both of which are on sale now. Check out the synopses below and let me know if either of them are on your list! They both sound great, but I'm really intrigued by Henry, Himself – it reminds me a bit of When All is Said, which is (so far) one of my favorite books of the year.⁣ ⁣ Henry, Himself by Stewart O'Nana⁣ Soldier, son, lover, husband, breadwinner, churchgoer, Henry Maxwell has spent his whole life trying to live with honor. A native Pittsburgher and engineer, he’s always believed in logic, sacrifice, and hard work. Now, seventy-five and retired, he feels the world has passed him by. It’s 1998, the American century is ending, and nothing is simple anymore. His children are distant, their unhappiness a mystery. Only his wife Emily and dog Rufus stand by him. Once so confident, as Henry’s strength and memory desert him, he weighs his dreams against his regrets and is left with questions he can’t answer: Is he a good man? Has he done right by the people he loves? And with time running out, what, realistically, can he hope for? ⁣ ⁣ A Wonderful Stroke of Luck by Anne Beattie⁣ As a member of the Honor Society at one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the country, Ben falls under the tutelage of Pierre LaVerdere, a brilliant, enigmatic teacher who instructs his charges on how to discuss current events, how to think about art and literature, and how to form opinions for themselves. Ben develops close friendships with LaVerdere's other disciples, and as the years go by the legacy of their teacher and his words remain strong. As Ben moves on, first to college and then New York City, he comes to feel the pace of his life accelerating, his relationships a jumble, and his career plans in a constant state of flux. After his father dies, a move upstate offers only temporary respite from his anxieties about work and romance and when LaVerdere returns to Ben's life, everything Ben once thought he knew about the man–and about himself–is called into question.

A post shared by Carrie | Boston Book Fanatic (@bostonbookfanatic) on Apr 19, 2019 at 6:46am PDT

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Thank you so much to @vikingbooks #partner for sending these two my way! I have been wanting to read Henry, Himself for awhile and I’m so excited to have a copy!⁣ . Henry, Himself: A member of the greatest generation looks back on the loves and losses of his past and comes to treasure the present anew in this poignant and thoughtful new novel from a modern master…⁣ . A Wonderful Stroke of Luck: A razor-sharp, deeply felt new novel–the twenty-first book by Ann Beattie–about the complicated relationship between a charismatic teacher and his students, and the secrets we keep from those we love..⁣ . Do you have either of these new releases on your list?

A post shared by L I N D S A Y • nerdybooknurse (@nerdybooknurse) on Apr 13, 2019 at 7:35am PDT

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#partner | Thank you so much to all of those tagged for the gifted copies in this stack! ••• Are you a mood reader or do you plan out what books you will read? I am unequivocally a mood reader. I used to try to plan out my TBR at the beginning of each month but the next thing I would know, it was time to plan out the next month and the stack of books I had planned to read were still sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be picked up 😂. I’ve let go of the idea of planning out exactly what I will read each month but I do typically have a stack of monthly hopefuls! This helps me keep track of ARCs and books that I still need to read. All of the books in this stack are unread but it won’t be hard to pick one from this stack to read even as a mood reader. There is some great variety here! And it helps that I’m looking forward to reading them all 😁

A post shared by Brooke (@brookesbooksandbrews) on Apr 16, 2019 at 2:14pm PDT

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Pyrex loves my recent #bookmail and so do I! Thank you to the tagged publishers for my free books. .(A wonderful Stroke of Luck and Henry, Himself are both from Viking) .. . I’ve recently started The Editor and so far I’m really enjoying it! What are the books you are going into the weekend reading? . .. #bookstagram #bookstack #catandbooks #booksandcats #stackofbooks #newbooks #2019releases #2019books #readingismagic #booksaremagic #blackcatsrule #blackcatsrock #readabook #readmore #somanybooks #readerofinstagram #booksofig #readallday #readerforlife #ilovebooks #henryhimself #theeditor #awonderfulstrokeofluck

A post shared by Ashley (@literallyloveliterary) on Apr 18, 2019 at 3:14am PDT