The subject of dysfunctional families is a cliche in literature, but with rich and diverse possibilities, when done right it can be a joy to read. THE LONELY POLYGAMIST taps into that realm with originality and empathy. I’ve been waiting for more from Brady Udall ever since reading his first novel, THE MIRACLE LIFE OF EDGAR MINT, back in 2001. Udall has finally returned and his success with this one makes the nine-year span between books understandable and well worth the wait. The story’s protagonist is Golden Richards, a southern Utah polygamist who juggles four wives, 28 children, a diaper-wearing dog, church duties, and a construction contracting business that has recently begun building a brothel in Nevada. When it seems things can’t possibly get more complicated, an overwhelmed Golden begins to fall for another woman. This book is less about the odd lifestyle of polygamy and more about the trials of a keeping a family (any family) together and, hopefully, happy. Udall’s greatest gift as a writer is his ability to create alternately heartbreaking and hilarious scenes with compassion for his characters as they search for meaning and acceptance. In THE LONELY POLYGAMIST he continues to succeed in grand fashion. Read an excerpt here To be released May 3. (Hardcover, 26.95) Recommended by Judd.

A random murder is the catalyst to jump into New York City’s Lower East Side in Richard Price’s LUSH LIFE. The neighborhood in question is illustrated as a place of conflict between the young, hip, and mainly white artistic crowd with the socially marginalized rainbow of poor, project-bound immigrants and tragic youth.

My favorite thing about this book are the fully fleshed characters — many are very well rounded, with noble qualities, flaws, and fears fully exposed. The dialogue is organic and pure pleasure to read. Price effectively constrains the reader to the life of those without power. Many of the important decisions in the story are made by powerful names whose characters are never revealed. The reader, like the story’s characters (detectives, criminals, waiters, the victim’s family) receive information only as it trickles down from the top. LUSH LIFE succeeds in slowly unraveling a case while keeping true to the way most of us must live -– in the shadows of the decisions made by those with the power and position to do so. (Paperback, $15.00) Recommended by Judd.

DeLillo chronicles life in the United States during the Cold War. The story weaves through forty-plus years of lives private and public (including J. Edgar Hoover and Lenny Bruce), illustrating the fears brought by both the world at large (random violence, nuclear tensions) and through personal choices (relationships, art) in the lives of its myriad of characters. From baseball to the art world to poverty-strangled neighborhoods to hyperbolized TV news, DeLillo captures many different viewpoints of what it is to be an American living in uncertainty. UNDERWORLD is rewarding not only because of its successful realization of the mammoth scope it undertakes, but more so because DeLillo has crafted every paragraph into a showcase of how language can edify how we relate to the world. The book is a pure pleasure to experience. ($17.95, paperback).  Judd recommends

This is one of the most satisfying, involving books I’ve ever read. What’s it about? Well – entertainment, addiction, the commercialization of culture, family relationships, tennis, overconsumption, undercover agents, conspiracies, and wheelchair-bound Quebec-ian separatist assassins. It is an overstuffed, hyper-analyzed, hyperbolized view of an alternate reality United States that is also alarmingly conceivable. It is about finding a way to function in modern society, whether it is from the point of view of student-athlete prodigies, recovering addicts, grieving family members, or disillusioned political idealists.

Wallace had an uncanny ability to truly empathize with any walk of life. His style is his own in both inventiveness and plot dissemination. The endnotes may seem crazy and pretentious at first, but they become important to the story’s rhythm and flow.

As soon as I finished I had the urge to pick it up and start it again. This is a great book take into hibernation with you during wintertime.

For those with love of language, intricately detailed characters, humorous observations and dialogue, and ambitious scope.  (Paperback, $17.99) Recommended by Judd