Book cover of Billy Phelan's Greatest Game

Book description

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ironweed explores the seedy underbelly of a Depression-era town in the second novel in the Albany cycle

Billy Phelan, a slightly tarnished poker player, pool hustler, and small-time bookie, moves throuh the lurid nighttime glare of Albany, New York. A resourceful man full of Irish…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Billy Phelan's Greatest Game as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Forget about "Ironweed," this is Kennedy's best book: Nothing short of a literary miracle, a contender for The Great American novel.

All the titular games, including the central kidnapping, drive the narrative, but this book is really about fathers and sons, guilt and expiation: very Irish, very Catholic, very on the hustle, very tough guy. The wordplay is often delicious, as is the laugh out loud humor.

As close to a forgotten masterpiece as you'll ever find.

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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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