Staff pick - Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington

I like to browse the new fiction and new nonfiction shelves for what looks good to me. I generally like realistic contemporary fiction. I grabbed this title a few weeks ago and it’s a good one. It’s a coming of age story about 14 year old Alice, whose father is deployed to Iraq. You can’t help liking Alice, but even more striking are the caring characters in this novel who are there for her, from her loyal male friend (who wants to be more than a friend) to Gram, who six years ago opened the town’s one and only café. It’s very real, and my eyes filled a few times as I read it. This is an adult novel, but would be suitable for teens also. - Pat