#agent ampersand

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"Makkai's most recent novel, The Great Believers, landed on everyone's radar last year (rightfully so!), but if you're looking for more of her brilliant writing in a smaller size format (my attention span these days has been lacking), try Music for Wartime. I remember reading these stories when they were first published and being blown away by her writing, and I knew she'd be one to keep watching for." —Agent Ampersand, Washington DC

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The Agents’ #FridayReads, April Fools' edition… The Spies get spied! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander. (F, 30s, short hair, big earrings, almost missed her stop) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ American Housewife, Helen Ellis (F, 30s, blanket scarf wrapped around neck, ready to flip to next pg, Red SB) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Grunt, Mary Roach (F, 30s, long hair with turquoise streaks, brown Doc Martens, High Sierra backpack, Q train) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Blameless, Gail Carriger (F, 20s, blue scarf, Strand tote, chortling aloud, 6 train) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ M Train, Patti Smith (F, 30s, short black hair, baby asleep in carrier, walking laps, Maple Park) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Folded Clock, Heidi Julavits (F, 30s, khaki jacket, lots of dark curly hair, writing in the margins, Greenpoint waterfront) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Elon Musk, Ashlee Vance (F, 20s, long dark hair, flouncy blue sundress, Penguin tote bag, steps of the Met) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quiet, Susan Cain (F, 30s, (F, 30s, tall, furrowed brow, playing with hair, F train) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts (F, 50s, purple boots, big black purse, 6 train) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ruins (X-Files Book 4), Kevin J. Anderson (F, 20s, glasses, "No Prob-Llama" tote bag, smirking, Red Line) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Caped Crusade, Glen Wheldon. (F, 20s, denim jacket with iron-on patches, M86.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We Love You, Charlie Freeman, Kaitlyn Greenidge (F, 20s, sunglasses, using pencil as bookmark, South Station) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oreo, Fran Ross (F, 20s, black hair, black eyeliner, gold nail polish, Hamilton hat, G train) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Gathering of Shadows, V.E. Schwab (F, 20s, brown hair, coffee in one hand book in the other, Brown Line) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jazz, Toni Morrison (F, 20s, long brown hair, making copious margin notes; 65 bus ib) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff (F, 30s, running attire, messy ponytail, duffle bag, looking tired, A train) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead (F, 20s, brown hair, colorful ikat scarf, huge black purse, Brooklyn Kolache Co) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Flamethowers, Rachel Kushner (F, 20s, adjusting glasses, nose ring, blue messenger, 33rd St Path)