Spring fever doesn't usually propel people into bookstores, but this season is one time to make an exception. Whether you prefer to read about people near (say, your suburban neighborhood or the next one over, as depicted by Tom Perrotta) or far (on another continent in another time, courtesy of Zakes Mda), we've found fiction to scratch your readerly itch. The end of winter also makes an excellent time to sink into a good, if not exactly old-fashioned, tale of redemption despite impossible odds, and two small presses have allowed Stephen Elliott to provide just that. So before you head out to shop for new lawn chairs or sandals, put one or two of these new titles on your list, too.
Our first pick: A young man miraculously survives the loss of his parents, a brutal group home and an abusive girlfriend with his soul intact
