Quick Pick: February 19, 2016

A Doubter’s Almanac by Ethan Canin

Canin’s first novel in seven years is cause for celebration! This is a fantastic multigenerational novel about a family of geniuses who discover the sometimes painful costs of living with brilliance. Having big brains may help people solve math problems and understand science, but when it comes to human interactions and love, the Andret family has a harder time understanding how they work. Milo, the patriarch, is an s.o.b. and his son, Hans, a self-made billionaire at twenty, is doomed to follow in his footsteps unless he turns his life around. I am a sucker for big, rich, dysfunctional family sagas, and this one is just what I needed. (Also, it definitely has one of the best covers of 2016!)

Backlist bump: Handling Sin by Michael Malone