Talk Totes
Discussion starter kits for your book group
Calling All Book Clubs!
We know how difficult it is to choose a book for your next book group meeting, and to find enough copies for all the members of your group.
So we've made it easier for you by collecting discussible books and putting all the copies in a canvas bag.
We've also included discussion questions and information about each author in a folder for each collection.
How can I get a Talk Tote?
Once your book discussion group has decided on a title, you may request the title by searching for "talk tote" in PamCat, our online library catalog.
It will be helpful if your group is flexible about which month you will use the Talk Tote, in case another group has already reserved it. However, once we agree on a date, the Tote will be reserved for your group.
Each Talk Tote Includes:
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Multiple copies of the same title
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Author biographical information
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Reviews
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Discussion questions
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Helpful hints on facilitating a group discussion
Checking out a Talk Tote:
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Talk Totes may be checked out for eight weeks to library cardholders.
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No more than one Talk Tote at a time may be checked out to an individual.
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Talk Totes may be renewed once if there are no holds.
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Talk Totes must be returned to a branch library circulation desk. Do not put Talk Totes in book drop boxes.
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Talk Totes are checked out to one person. Members of the group should get their copies from that member of their group.
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The individual who checks out the Talk Tote is responsible for the return of the complete Talk Tote, including the bag, the books, and the binder.
What if a Book Is Lost?
If your group happens to lose a book, we ask that you replace it with another copy of the book, new or secondhand that is clean and readable.
How Can My Book Group Help?
You can help us build our Talk Totes collection by donating copies of books your group has read. This will be a great way for area groups to share not just the titles of what they've read and enjoyed, but the books themselves. Drop off copies of your discussion books at any Pamunkey Regional Library. Be sure to mention that they are for the Talk Totes.
Thanks for your help!
Talk Tote Titles
Titles are listed alphabetically by author's last name. More titles coming soon! (list updated 2/1/12)
Ackerman, Diane
The Zookeeper's Wife: a war story
Jan Zabinski, the innovative director of the Warsaw Zoo, and Antonina, his
empathic wife, lived joyfully on the zoo grounds during the 1930s with their
young son, Ryszard (Polish for lynx), and a menagerie of animals needing special
attention. ...Resourceful and courageous, the Zabinskis turned the decimated zoo
into a refuge and saved the lives of several hundred imperiled Jews. Ackerman
has written many stellar works, ...but this is the book she was born to write.
...Ackerman’s affecting telling of the heroic Zabinskis’ dramatic story
illuminates the profound connection between humankind and nature, and celebrates
life’s beauty, mystery, and tenacity. Booklist Reviews. /* Starred Review */
Allen, Sarah Addison
Garden Spells
It’s refreshing to find a Southern novel that doesn’t depend on folksy humor or
stereotypes but instead on the imaginative use of magical realism. Just buy it,
read it, and recommend it to others. Library Journal, starred review
Allison, Jay, editor
This I Believe
National Public Radio listeners have been moved to tears by the personal essays
that constitute the series This I Believe. Created in 1951 with Edward Murrow as
host, the sometimes funny, often profound, and always compelling series has been
revived, according to host Jay Allison, because, once again, "matters of belief
divide our country and the world." Oral historian Studs Terkel kicks things off,
and 80 personal credos follow. Essays from the original series are interleaved
with contemporary essays … to create a resounding chorus. …Appendixes offer
guidelines and resources because the urge to write such declarations is
contagious, and schools and libraries have been coordinating This I Believe
programs, which we believe is a righteous endeavor. Copyright 2006 Booklist
Reviews
Anderson, Joan
A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman
Curling up with this autobiography will refresh readers' souls and adjust their
attitudes. With their two sons grown and married, Anderson and her husband
decided to take a "vacation" from their long marriage. Her husband moved on to a
new job hundreds of miles away, while Anderson cocooned herself in her rusting
Volvo and drove to her family's cottage on Cape Cod. …Anderson's story reminds
readers not to overlook their personal needs when providing for family members.
Library Journal Reviews 1999.
Anthony, Lawrence
The elephant whisperer : my life with the herd in the African wild
Anthony, conservationist and author (Babylon's Ark, 2007), owns a wildlife
reserve in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A former hunting
preserve, rumored to be part of the legendary Shaka's exclusive hunting
territory, it has become a game reserve with a lodge for ecotourists. …When he
was offered a herd from another game reserve Anthony accepted wholeheartedly,
despite the fact that these elephants were known escape artists. The story of
how Anthony saved his elephants by making friends with them, reversing their
negative perceptions of humans and earning their trust, is both heartwarming and
heartening. …This life with elephants is a real winner. Copyright 2009 Booklist
Reviews.
Atkinson, Kate
Case Histories
"Atkinson turns her deft hand to the hard-boiled
detective genre and wreaks wonderful havoc. Cambridge P. I. and Francophile
Jackson Brodie serves as the link among three interwoven tales. Red herrings
abound as Jackson plows through the sad cases of a missing toddler, a young
woman brutally killed while temping at her father's law firm, and an overwrought
mother driven to ax murder." Library Journal Review
Atwood, Margaret
Alias Grace
"In 1843, at the age of 16, Grace Marks, a recent Irish émigré to Canada, was
sentenced to life in prison as an accomplice in the murder of her employer,
Thomas Kinnear, and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. The teen confessed to the
crime early and later claimed no memory of the events. She was arrested in
upstate New York, having run from her employer's house with the handyman, who
was hanged for the crimes. Atwood became interested in the case, a true story,
and added the involvement of Dr. Simon Jordan. …Atwood may be playing a game
with her readers, but it is one in which many will willingly participate for the
fun and mystery while learning about life in colonial Canada." Copyright 1998
School Library Journal Reviews
Barbery, Muriel
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
"The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a beautifully written novel, translated from
the French, with unforgettable characters, Renee, a concierge with a rich inner
life, and Paloma, a surprisingly talented young girl. Read it and get a reality
check on who we are beneath our images of age, class, and occupation." -- Jane
Jacobs, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA September 2008 Indie Notables
Barclay, Linwood
No Time for Goodbye
"… Toronto Star columnist Barclay pens a stand-alone thriller that carries his
signature blend of humor and suspense. Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge wakes up
one morning to find her entire family gone. Twenty-five years later, their
unexplained disappearance still haunts her. She agrees to appear on the
reenactment show Deadline, hoping the TV exposure might provide her with some
answers… Despite a few implausible plot turns, this fast-paced read is bound to
please, offering an especially intriguing premise and plenty of irreverent
humor." Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews.
Bard, Elizabeth
Lunch in Paris: a love story with recipes
"Could one lunch in Paris change the course of your life? Find out as you read
what happened to Elizabeth Bard after her lunch in Paris. You won't be able to
put this book down unless you're headed to the kitchen to cook one of her
wonderful recipes." Beth Carpenter, The Country Books
Beasley, Nancy
Izzy's Fire
...(T)ells the harrowing yet hope-filled true story of five Lithuanian Jewish
families during the Holocaust who escaped Kovno Ghetto and were ultimately
hidden (and saved) by a Catholic farm family. ...Beasley draws from personal
interviews, research and numerous memoirs, including extensive memoirs from
Israel "Izzy" Ipson, who helped his family escape from Kovno Ghetto, one of the
most notorious killing fields for Jews in Lithuania.
Beckerman, Ilene
Love, Loss and What I Wore
This captivating little pictorial autobiography for adults, a life told through
clothes, features Beckerman's brightly colored drawings of the vestments she
wore at different times in her life, accompanied by diary-like entries. … her
minimalist self-portrait is a wry commentary on the pressures women constantly
face to look good. Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information. Publishers’
Weekly
Bernstein, Harry
The Invisible Wall
The writer is 95. This memoir is his first book. And it is a groundbreaking
story of family secrets and forbidden love told in plain, beautiful prose
through the eyes of a young Jewish boy, Harry, growing up in an English
working-class neighborhood near Manchester on the eve of World War I. On one
side of the street are the Jews; on the other side are the Christians. There is
no violent hostility like the pogroms that drove Harry's parents from Eastern
Europe, but an invisible wall keeps the two sides totally separate. "The one
thing the two sides have in common is poverty." And prejudice. Then Harry's
gifted older sister, Lily, falls in love with brilliant Arthur from the other
side. …A great book for discussion groups--and not just for Jews. Copyright 2006
Booklist Reviews.
Biss, Eula
Notes from No Man's Land
Expository writing should always be this compelling, provocative, and
intelligent. Biss explores race in America through multiple lenses, examining
common issues through uncommon situations and events. She flawlessly weaves
present-day experiences with historical research to create 13 essays that
combine narrative appeal with fascinating facts. … (M)any will take pleasure in
seeing the world through a unique and refreshing perspective. School Library
Journal
Bradley, Alan
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
An 11-year-old solving a dastardly murder in the English countryside in 1950
wouldn't seem to be everyone's cup of tea. But Flavia Sabina de Luce is no
ordinary child: she's already an accomplished chemist, …and relentless in
defending those she loves. When she spies on her father arguing heatedly with a
strange man late at night and the next morning finds that man buried in the
cucumber patch, she sets out, riding her bicycle named Gladys, to make sense of
it all. … Winner of the Debut Dagger Award, this is a fresh, engaging first
novel with appeal for cozy lovers and well beyond. Library Journal
Braselton, Jeanne
A False Sense of Well Being
"This debut novel by a Georgia writer comes with
much-deserved praise from authors such as Kaye Gibbons, Anne Rivers Siddons, and
Lee Smith. After 11 years of marriage and four miscarriages, Jessie Maddox is
puzzled by thoughts and dreams of her husband Turner's death. Why would she want
her kind (if somewhat boring) husband dead?" Library Journal Review: /*
Starred Review */
Brooks, Geraldine
Nine parts of desire : the hidden world of Islamic women
Having spent six years covering the Middle East for the Wall Street Journal,
Brooks presents an exploration of the daily life of Muslim women and the often
contradictory forces that shape their lives. (Jan.) Copyright 1995 Cahners
Business Information. Publishers’ Weekly
Brooks, Geraldine
The People of the Book
"Hanna Heath, an Australian book conservationist, is thrilled to be chosen to
work on the rare illuminated Haggadah created in Spain in the Middle Ages. The
book had been protected in a museum in Sarajevo until 1994, when it was rescued
from certain plunder during the Bosnian conflict and hidden in a bank vault by a
Muslim librarian. …The author uses these artifacts to weave a thrilling tale of
the unusual creation of the Haggadah in Seville in 1480 and its dangerous
journey to Tarragona, Venice, Vienna, and finally Sarajevo. …Inspired by the
true story of the Sarajevo Haggadah, Brooks has imagined a thrilling mystery and
a history that has deep ramifications in our own time." – School Library Journal,
2008.
Brown, Carrie
The Rope Walk
In this latest from Brown, ten-year-old Alice MacCauley enjoys an idyllic if
motherless childhood in quaint Grange, VT, surrounded by five adoring, much
older brothers and gently guided through life by Archie, her professor father.
Alice's self-contained curiosity meets its match when Thelonius Swann, also ten,
joins their household for the summer while his family struggles with
debilitating crises. …It takes a masterly touch to make believable Alice's
maturity and her unfiltered forthrightness when telling her story. Brown's
exquisite word paintings of the details of childhood are tone-perfect and
utterly irresistible. Highly recommended. Library Journal 2007
Brown, Rachel Manija
All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: an American Misfit in India
"Rachel Manija Brown's memoir of leaving California at age seven with her parents to live in an ashram in India is a funny, tragic, unforgettable book." --Janet Brown, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA from Book Sense Picks and Notables
Buckley, Christopher
Supreme Courtship
Once again, Buckley returns to his pet theme: the vanity and perfidy of the
capital's ruling elite. And once again he delivers serious insights along with
antics…part of Buckley's charm is that he seems to wink every time he sends off
a groaner. But at his best he is very, very funny. The novel's main courtroom
set piece—Cartwright's handling of her first oral argument—succeeds not only as
comedy but also as an effective parody of a singular and sometimes bizarre
ritual. New York Times, September 5, 2008
Chabon, Michael
Gentlemen of the Road
"Once again, something entirely different from one of the country's most
respected writers. A swashbuckling, plot-twisting, soul-searching good time.""
--Joe Foster, Maria's Bookshop, Durango, CO from BookSense Picks and Notable
Preview."
Chevalier, Tracy
Burning Bright
Late 17th-century London comes alive in this latest offering from Chevalier
(Girl with a Pearl Earring). After a tragic death in the family, the Kellaways
are persuaded by a traveling circus owner to move to the bustling city, where
they discover that they live next door to the famous William Blake: printer,
poet, and political radical. … (T)he French Revolution has made everyone
jittery, and the family is soon caught up in the excitement and uncertainty of
political unrest; they also face economic hardship, struggling daily to earn
enough to stay together. Chevalier's vivid descriptions and unusual mix of
characters make this story an easy pleasure to read. Library Journal, 2007.
Chevalier, Tracy
Remarkable Creatures
"This is one of those delightful historical novels that casts a warm light on a
forgotten byway of the past. … [Mary] gets the full recognition due her in
Chevalier’s novel, a rich and appealing portrait of her and that other
‘remarkable creature,’ Elizabeth Philpot." Minneapolis StarTribune, 2010
Cleve, Chris
Little Bee
Book clubs in search of the next Kite Runner need look no further than this
astonishing, flawless novel about what happens when ordinary, mundane Western
lives are thrown into stark contrast against the terrifying realities of
war-torn Africa. … Best-selling author Cleave (Incendiary) effortlessly moves
between alternating viewpoints with lucid, poignant prose and the occasional
lighter note. A tension-filled dramatic ending and plenty of moral dilemmas add
up to a satisfying, emotional read. Library Journal 2008
Conroy, Pat
South of Broad
"After far too long an absence, Pat Conroy has returned with an epic tale of
friendship that survives school integration, the AIDS epidemic, Hurricane Hugo,
and horrific family pasts and secrets. You'll fall in love with Charleston,
South Carolina, through the words and life of Leo King as he resolves to right
his own life while reaching across racial and class lines to create lifelong
bonds with an unlikely band of high school seniors." Nancy Drott. Blue Willow
Bookstore, Houston TX
Conway, Jill Ker
The Road from Coorain
"Engrossing memoir of an unorthodox girlhood in
Australia by Conway, a historian who in 1975 became the first woman president of
Smith College. Conway was born at Coorain, a sheep ranch on Australia's western
plains. Her mother...was often disoriented by the isolation and harshness of the
landscape, but young Jill discovered profound satisfaction in 'the annihilation
of the self, subsumed into the vast emptiness of nature.'" Kirkus Reviews
Coomer, Joe
It's one hectic day in the lives of 12 antique dealers on sleepy Worth Row. When a severe storm blows in, everyone on the row comes face-to-face with life-altering revelations and decisions. Coomer packs this fast-paced novel with a variety of quirky characters, but no one takes center stage. Still, the small glimpses into each of their lives are enough to make each one stand out. Booklist Review
Corrigan, Kelly
The Middle Place
Newspaper columnist Corrigan was a happily married mother of two young daughters
when she discovered a cancerous lump in her breast. She was still undergoing
treatment when she learned that her beloved father, who'd already survived
prostate cancer, now had bladder cancer. Corrigan's story could have been
unbearably depressing had she not made it clear from the start that she came
from sturdy stock. Growing up, she loved hearing her father boom out his morning
"HELLO WORLD" dialogue with the universe, so his kids would feel like the world
wasn't just a "safe place" but was "even rooting for you." …Those learning to
accept their own adulthood might find strength and humor in Corrigan's feisty
memoir. (Jan.) Publishers’ Weekly 2007
Cunningham, Michael
The Hours
It would be impossible to read the entrancing prologue to The Hours by Michael
Cunningham and not keep going. The novel, awarded both the Pulitzer Prize for
fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1999, begins with an evocation of Virginia
Woolf's suicide, then jumps to the contemporary era, where two women seek to
escape their varied bonds through Woolf's writing. BookPage Reviews, December
2002
Davidson, Diane Mott
Double Shot
New York Times bestselling author Diane Mott Davidson has taken readers by storm
with clever mysteries filled with tantalizing plots and mouthwatering recipes.
In her twelfth novel -- her tastiest tale yet -- the ingenious storyteller whips
up a rich soufflé of murder and mischief. From the publisher.
Davidson, Diane Mott
Fatally Flaky
Verdict: In her 15th culinary series title, Davidson yet again concocts another
excellent recipe-stuffed mystery. The familiar characters, good pacing, and
puzzling mystery will make cozy fans hungry for more. Library Journal
Deutermann, Peter
The Cat Dancers
The beginning of P.T. Deutermann's The Cat Dancers is one of the most gripping
openers in recent memory. Suspended from a thin nylon rope several hundred feet
above the ground, a daredevil photographer swings toward the face of a cliff,
intent on taking face-to-face pictures of a North Carolina mountain lion in its
lair. For folks with a fear of heights or wild animals, this is the stuff of
which nightmares are made. Meanwhile, a couple of bungling slackers are in the
process of ripping off a convenience store when things start to go to hell in a
handbasket… Intricately, these disparate storylines are woven together, offering
one of the most original and intense mysteries of the year. BookPage Reviews
Dillard, Annie
The Maytrees
"Every so often, a novel comes along that
describes a relationship with such thoroughness that you almost feel better
about love. Maybe, just maybe, it's a worthy use of our time alive. Annie
Dillard's The Maytrees is such a novel…. An exquisite book." - The Los
Angeles Times Book Review
Dillard, Annie
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
"Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is the story of a
dramatic year in Virginia's Blue Ridge valley. Annie Dillard sets out to see
what she can see. What she sees are astonishing incidents of 'mystery, death,
beauty, violence.'"
Donoghue, Emma
Room
"Room is like no other book I have ever read. This emotionally powerful story of
young Jack and his mother who are held in captivity for seven years is both a
heart-wrenching testament to the power of the love between a mother and child
and a riveting story of overcoming horrible circumstances. Emma Donohue has
written one of those rare books that you will remember reading your entire life,
as you will be altered by the experience." Lanora Hurle, Next Chapter Bookstore,
Mequon, WI
Ebershoff, David
The 19th Wife
"The 19th Wife brilliantly combines two stories: one, historical fiction about
Ann Eliza Young, who defies her church and husband, Brigham Young, the other a
modern-day murder mystery set in Utah. Ebershoff adroitly gives the reader an
understanding of a world of faith and love most of us cannot comprehend, and he
writes stunningly, with great depth and feeling for his characters."-- Jane
Dawson, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA
Egan, Jennifer
A Visit from the Goon Squad
"In her latest work, Egan presents a number of the kind of idiosyncrasies we
tend to avoid, only in this collection of expertly layered stories, the flawed
characters enrapture and entwine themselves in the reader's imagination. Egan's
novel is a fresh form, the function of which merely hints at our own human
imperfections and allows readers to forgive not just the characters in this
collection, but themselves as well." Brette Weinkel, Greenlight Bookstore,
Brooklyn, NY
Ferris, Joshua
Then We Came to the End
In this wildly funny debut from former ad man Ferris, a group of copywriters and
designers at a Chicago ad agency face layoffs at the end of the '90s boom. …
Ferris has the downward-spiraling office down cold, and his use of the narrative
"we" brilliantly conveys the collective fear, pettiness, idiocy and also
humanity of high-level office drones as anxiety rises to a fever pitch. … At
once delightfully freakish and entirely credible, Ferris's cast makes a real
impression. Publishers’ Weekly January 2007
Follett, Ken
Pillars of the Earth
A spellbinding epic set in twelfth-century
England, this novel tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout
and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has
known... of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect... of the beautiful,
elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame... and of a struggle between good
and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.
Ford, Jamie
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
"Fifth-grade scholarship students and best friends Henry and Keiko are the only
Asians in their Seattle elementary school in 1942. Henry is Chinese, Keiko is
Japanese, and Pearl Harbor has made all Asians even those who are American born
targets for abuse. ...When Keiko's family is sent to an internment camp in
Idaho, Henry vows to wait for her. … The result is a vivid picture of a
confusing and critical time in American history. Recommended for all fiction
collections." Joanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Lib., Providence
Library Journal October 2008
Fowler, Earlene
Tumbling Blocks
With the imminent arrival of her mother-in-law, unfinished Christmas shopping
and unexpected dog-sitting responsibilities, Benni Harper, amateur sleuth and
folk art museum curator in San Celina, Calif., has enough on her hands even
before she looks into a suspicious death in Fowler's delightful 13th entry in
her Agatha Awardwinning series …Benni delves into the secrets of the town's
elite with her usual flair, unraveling a plot that is as dangerous as the bulls
on her father's ranch and as cozy as the quilts she reveres. Publishers’ Weekly,
March 2007
Gilbert, Elizabeth
Eat, Pray, Love: one woman's search for everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia
"Eat, Pray, Love has it all. Many stories of soul-searching come with a know-it-all narrative voice that makes it hard for me to keep turning pages, mainly because I don't know it all and get tired of reading about people who do. By contrast, Gilbert shares her tale in a voice rich with gentleness and hope, with a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor." --Andrea Avantaggio, Maria's Bookshop, Durango, CO from Book Sense 2007-2008 Reading Group Picks
Gilchrist, Ellen
Sarah Conley
National Book Award winner Gilchrist has blessed her followers with another
entertaining work of fiction. It presents a complex cast not the least of these
being the central character for whom the novel is named. At fifty something,
Sarah is a high-powered editor at Time magazine and a successful novelist.
...Gilchrist leads readers between past and present in Sarah's life and explores
the marked differences between her dynamic, stressful, urban existence in both
New York City and Paris and the possibility of a suburban albeit more
emotionally complex life in Nashville. For general fiction collections.
Copyright 1998 Library Journal Reviews
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins
Herland
Gilman situates the world of Herland on a "spur" of land "up where the maps had
to be made," where the all-female inhabitants have been able to create a utopia
because of the absence of men. The story is narrated by a male, Vandyck
Jennings, one of three stereotypically under-evolved American men who stumble
into this no man's land, each with his own predictable reaction to a community
that neither needs nor desires a masculine intrusion. From St. James Guide to
Science Fiction Writers, 4th edition, 1996.
Glass, Julia
The Whole World Over
"If we are really lucky, a novel will resonate
with our minds and, possibly, even with our souls--and, if we are really lucky,
with the entirety of the human condition. This is such a book, a fiercely
character-driven novel…Julia Glass has created characters you will have no
choice but to fall in love with as they gracefully intertwine with tension,
strength and fallibility." Calvin Crosby, Books, Inc, San Francisco, CA from
Book Sense Picks and Notables Preview.
Gloss, Molly
The Jump-off Creek
Set in the high mountain country of Oregon during the 1890s, this first novel is
a quiet, unsparing portrait of pioneer life, recounted simply and without
romanticism. Drawing on pioneer diaries, journals and hand-me-down stories of
her own ancestors, Gloss displays a deep awareness not only of the brutal
hardships of frontier life, but also of the moral codes and emotional
attachments of the people who settled there. Publishers' Weekly 1989
Godwin, Peter
When a crocodile eats the sun : a memoir of
Africa
When journalist Godwin …learns that his father is gravely ill, he flies home to
Zimbabwe. Against the odds, his father makes a full recovery, and Godwin seizes
the opportunity to get to know both his father and his country better. …Godwin
is as enraptured by his father's history--and its effect on his own sense of
identity--as he is by tumultuous Zimbabwean politics. Godwin seamlessly blends a
journalistic quest to get at the heart of the problems plaguing his home country
with a family memoir in this absorbing, powerful book. Copyright 2007 Booklist
Reviews.
Gruen, Sara
Water for Elephants
"Water for Elephants has heart-wrenching subplots
and is peopled with characters that will live on in readers' memories -- and it
brings an early 20th-century circus to life. But this novel is about so much
more than a circus: It is the story of Jacob, Marlena, and Rosie the elephant.
And ultimately, it is the story of the power of love, friendship, and kindness.
It's a poignant, engrossing novel with a wonderfully satisfying conclusion."
--Judy Mathys, Family Book Shop, Deland, FL from Book Sense 2007-2008 Reading
Group Picks
Gudenkaug, Heather
Weight of Silence
"The Weight of Silence is a suspenseful story of two girls who go missing that
will have you turning pages late into the night, but, beyond this, it is a
heartrending story of emotional ties told with gently lyrical language that
belies brutal truths." -- Beth Simpson, Cornerstone Books, Salem, MA Indie Next
List
Haddon, Mark
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
The fifteen-year-old narrator of this ostensible murder mystery is even more
emotionally remote than the typical crime-fiction shamus: he is autistic, prone
to fall silent for weeks at a time and unable to imagine the interior lives of
others. This might seem a serious handicap for a detective, but when Christopher
stumbles on the dead body of his neighbor's poodle, impaled by a pitchfork, he
decides to investigate. Christopher understands dogs, whose moods are as
circumscribed as his own ("happy, sad, cross and concentrating"), but he's deaf
to the nuances of people, and doesn't realize until too late that the clues
point toward his own house and a more devastating mystery. This original and
affecting novel is a triumph of empathy; whether describing Christopher's
favorite dream (of a virus depopulating the planet) or his vision of the
universe collapsing in a thunder of stars, the author makes his hero's severely
limited world a thrilling place to be. Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker
Hall, Ron
Same Kind of Different as Me
A modern-day slave and an international art dealer are bound together by a dying
woman's faith. Will Ron, the art dealer, be able to embrace Denver, who's been
homeless for almost 20 years? Will Denver learn to trust a white man? There's
pain and laughter, doubt and tears, and in the end a triumphant story. From the
publisher
Harris, Joanne
The Girl with No Shadow
Harris revisits characters from 1999's bestselling Chocolat in this
equally delectable modern fairy tale. More than four years have passed since
Vianne Rocher pitted her enchanted chocolate confections against the local
clergy's interpretation of Lent in smalltown France… Harris again structures the
narrative (told in alternate chapters by Zozie, Yanne and Anouk) around a
liturgical season (in this case Advent). Harris gives fans much to savor in this
multilayered novel, from the descriptions (including Yanne's mouthwatering
chocolate confections, Zozie's whimsical footwear and Anouk's artistic efforts)
to the novel's classic, enduring theme of good vs. evil and the difficulty of
telling the difference. Publishers Weekly 2008
Hart, Carolyn
Sugarplum Dead: A Death on Demand Mystery
In this 12th Death on Demand adventure, Anthony and Agatha award-winner Hart
uses a couple of reliable mystery devices to serve up a story as entertaining as
any in this deservedly popular series. …Hart, who's also the author of the
Henrie O series (Death in Paradise, etc.), knits a tidy plot… The insider view
of the mystery bookstore world remains a special draw. Publishers Weekly
Hegland, Jean
Into the Forest
"A story of two sisters who increasingly must rely on their own resources and
the increasing wild landscape that surrounds them. The energy from industrial
society begins to dwindle away and the girl's natural instincts must take over.
A coming-of-age novel with great depth and dimension."-Julie Schmuckie,
Hawley-Cooke Booksellers, Louisville, KY from Booksense January /February 2001
Hicks, Robert
The Widow of the South
After the Civil War, as the graves of 1500 Confederate soldiers were about to be
plowed over, Carrie McGavock had the bodies disinterred and reburied in her
backyard. Thirty years later, she's tending her private cemetery when the
soldier she fell for during the bloody Battle of Franklin returns. Nashville
music publisher Hicks fictionalizes a true story. Library Journal
Hirsi Ali, Ayaan
Infidel
Hirsi Ali, internationally acclaimed for her book The Caged Virgin (2006)
and her film depicting the oppression of Muslim women, which cost the life of
her colleague Theo van Gogh, now offers a compelling memoir of her life. …She
writes poignantly of growing up in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya in a strict
Muslim family. … Her rising political prominence and outspokenness have made her
a target of Islamic extremists. Hirsi Ali's spirited recollections and defense
of women's rights to independence and self-expression are inspiring to women of
all cultures. Booklist Reviews.
Hoeg, Peter
Smilla's Sense of Snow
"A compelling and suspenseful adventure about a
solitary 37-year-old Greenlander, an unemployed glaciologist who lives in
Copenhagen. The story begins when her six-year-old neighbor falls from a
snow-covered roof. Her investigation takes her from shipyards, corporate
headquarters, and the dark back streets of the Danish capital to a secretive
voyage along the icy Greenland coast. It's a rare thriller that has such a
strong, fascinating female protagonist, but this book also excels in story and
characterization." School Library Journal Review
Hoffman, Beth
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt
"Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is a story quilted with the patterns of vibrant
characters whose lives become intricately connected to the emotional healing of
12-year- old CeeCee. Beth Hoffman's first novel is a tribute to the strength of
women who have survived tragedy and loss to become beacons for others who suffer
from emotional scars. I couldn't put it down, and book group members will be
richer for having read CeeCee's story." -- Nancy Baker, The Blue Marble, Fort
Thomas, KY
Horan, Ellen
31 Bond Street
"This engaging mystery of 1850s NewYork explores the death of prominent dentist
and businessman Harvey Burdell and the subsequent trial of his housemistress
Emma Cunningham. Based on actual events, Horan creates an inventive and
compelling story that will keep you turning pages to the last." -- Meaghan
Beasley, Island Bookstore, Corolla, NC
Horan, Nancy
Loving Frank
"Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress faced insurmountable obstacles in creating
a life together. Seeing their love through the eyes of this talented, educated,
and strong 'other woman' is a revelation when set against the simmering
suffragette movement of the era, and it raises questions still being argued
today." --Candy Purdom, Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL from Booksense
August 2007
Horn, Dara
The World to Come
"In this imaginative, multilayered novel, Dara Horn handles themes of betrayal,
trust, and memory with both luminous prose and sensitivity. Sympathetic
characters fill stories within stories surrounding the theft of a Chagall
painting, as she traces its history while also predicting its future. I loved it
and think readers and book clubs will too." --Hester Jeswald, Sarasota News &
Books, Sarasota, FL from Booksense January 2006
Horowitz, Tony
A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World
*Starred Review* Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Horwitz has presented what
could be described as a guide for those who are historically ignorant of the
"lost century" between the first voyage of Columbus and the establishment of
Jamestown in 1607. …In this informative, whimsical, and thoroughly enjoyable
account, Horwitz describes the exploits of various explorers and conquistadores
and enriches the stories with his own experiences when visiting some of the
lands they "discovered." …As always, Horwitz writes in a breezy, engaging style,
so this combination of popular history and travelogue will be ideal for general
readers. Booklist Reviews, April, 2008.
Hosseini, Khaled
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Raised in poverty by her unwed epileptic mother and married off early by the
rich, elegant father who has always kept her at arm's length, Mariam would seem
to have little in common with well-educated and comfortably raised young Laila.
Yet their lives intertwine dramatically in this affecting new novel from the
author of The Kite Runner… Hosseini deftly sketches the history of his native
land in the late 20th century while also delivering a sensitive and utterly
persuasive dual portrait. His writing is simple and unadorned, but his story is
heartbreaking. Highly recommended. Library Journal 2007
Hurston, Zora Neale
Their Eyes Were Watching God
One of the most inportant works of twentieth century American literature, Zora
Neale Hurston's beloved 1937 classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is an
enduring love story sparkling with wit, beauty and heartfelt wisdom. …(I)t is
the story of fair-skinned, fiercely independent Janie Crawford... from the book
flap.
Irving, John
A Prayer for Owen Meany
"A wondrous novel…ultimately beguiling in its
soulful account of a remarkable friendship…Irving's ability to create
idiosyncratic characters and put them through weirdly ridiculous yet realistic
paces has never been in finer fettle. Humor partnered with compassion, wisdom
with absurdity, leave the reader both mirthful and tearful." Booklist
Ishiguro, Kazuo
The Remains of the Day
Greeted with high praise in England, …Ishiguro's third novel is a tour de
force-- both a compelling psychological study and a portrait of a vanished
social order. Stevens, an elderly butler who has spent 30 years in the service
of Lord Darlington, …(and) belatedly realizes that he has wasted his life in
blind service to a foolish man and that he has never discovered ``the key to
human warmth.'' While it is not likely to provoke the same shocks of recognition
as it did in Britain, this insightful, often humorous and moving novel should
significantly enhance Ishiguro's reputation here. Copyright 1989 Cahners
Business Information. Publishers’ Weekly
Jin, Ha
A Free Life
"This is another excellent story by Ha Jin, who
immediately draws you into the lives of the Wu family -- father Nan, mother
Pingping, and son Taotao -- immigrants from China now in the U.S. The
experiences that Nan goes through make him re-evaluate his life, which, in turn,
opens readers to a wonderful, introspective read." --Bobbi Brewer, Maine Coast
Book Shop, Damariscotta, ME from Book Sense Picks and Notables
Kelly, Jacqueline
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
"Intrigued by the different grasshoppers in her backyard, 11-year-old Calpurnia
Virginia Tate finds herself suddenly enthralled by the natural world -- a
fascination that unexpectedly leads to a new bond with her famously reclusive
grandfather. Voracious in her newfound love of science, Callie launches herself
on a summer of exploration, which leads to many new discoveries, not least of
which is what it means to be a girl in love with science in Texas in 1899." --
Meghan Dietsche Goel, Book People, Austin, TX
Kimball, Kristin
The Dirty Life: a Memoir of Farming, Food and Love
"Kristin was very much a city girl until a writing assignment brought her to
Mark's small plot of land, where he was growing food to feed many families. It
was love at first sight, at least for the farming. Falling for Mark didn't take
too much time after that. …This is a fascinating story of what love of the land
and the desire to feed people can do for individuals and communities, and the
potential impact that could have on a global scale." -- Jackie Blem, Tattered
Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO
Kingsolver, Barbara
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
"This account of Kingsolver's and her family's attempt to eat only locally grown food is incredibly thought-provoking, asking you to examine where your food really comes from and what it really costs in terms of environmental effects, transportation, and people's livelihoods. There are lots of suggested actions people can take, and the whole thing is hysterically funny." --Kate Reynolds, Colgate Bookstore, Hamilton, NY from Book Sense Picks and Notables
Lagnado, Lucette
The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the
New World
Bittersweet memoir unveils a nearly forgotten era of Jewish-Muslim affinity in
the streets of Egypt's capital."The Jews of Aleppo were a breed apart," writes
Wall Street Journal reporter Lagnado of her father's origins, "intensely Jewish,
intensely Arab." The author documents her almost fairy-tale upbringing in a
Syrian family that fled to Egypt at the turn of the 20th century. …Nostalgic but
objectively tempered portrait of a family at the heart of social & cultural
upheaval. Kirkus Reviews 2007
Lamb, Wally
I Know This Much Is True
Wally Lamb is one of those rare contemporary writers who can produce a 900-page
book that defies readers to put it down...stunning...powerful...The book is so
effectively structured that the reader can easily fall into its pages, becoming
a part of it, in the way that a powerful play lures its audience into its
setting and story line...A rich literary tapestry that is an affirmation of
life. Dallas Morning News, 1998
Lansens, Lori
The Girls
"I believe that the best writing these days is
coming out of Canada, and Lori Lansens is another one of the great ones. The
Girls is as interesting a book as I've ever read about love and the many forms
it takes. These girls, conjoined twins, are thoroughly lovable and are presented
without a sappy note. I feel Rose and Ruby are part of my life." --Paul Ingram,
Prairie Lights Books, Iowa City, IA Book Sense Picks
Lee, Harper
To Kill a Mockingbird
"In 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer
prize, ... but not even thirty years of Civil Rights laws or the gentrification
of ante-bellum estates render this book an anachronism. Harper Lee combines two
of the most common themes of Southern writing - a child's recollection of life
among eccentrics in a small town seemingly untouched by the twentieth century
and the glaring injustice of racial prejudice - to create a contemporary
American classic." 500 Great Books by Women
Lehane, Dennis
Mystic River
… Lehane once again proves himself nonpareil in writing about the dark side of
the human character. Sean Devine, Jimmy Marcus, and Dave Boyle are childhood
friends until Dave's abduction by, and subsequent escape from, a couple of child
molesters. Twenty-five years later, having grown apart, they are thrown together
again by the murder of Jimmy's daughter, Katie. … The investigation forces each
man to face his past and to examine the paths they have followed since the
fateful day when Dave was abducted. What separates Lehane's work from standard
noir fare is his ability to endow his characters with such complexity that the
reader may understand their actions, even while not necessarily agreeing with
them. Library Journal
Lende, Heather
If You Lived Here, I Would Know Your Name
Wife, mother, and obituary writer Lende lives in Haines, Alaska (pop. 2,500), a
town without a stoplight, hospital, or home mail delivery. Haines has been
called "the real Northern Exposure and the town is certainly full of colorful
characters... The author has a real gift for eulogy; she knows that every life
contains something to admire, honor, or illuminate. And the people are Haines:
by the time the profiles are finished, the reader has a good idea of what it's
like to live among the varied citizens (and the moose, sea lions, and bears) of
Haines, in the shadow of a glacier. Lende's quiet voice resonates long after the
book is finished. Booklist Reviews 2005
Mantel, Hilary
Wolf Hall
“In Wolf Hall, Mantel offers a new view of the reign of Henry VIII from inside
the head of Thomas Cromwell as he ponders ways to increase the size of Henry's
exchequer and aid the king's efforts to get Anne Boleyn into his bed through the
sanctity of marriage. Mantel exposes Cromwell's thoughts as he frets over his
family, his friends, and even his enemies. This is a brilliant novel that
encapsulates the Tudor era in the lush, evocative prose.” —Kathy Ashton, The
King's English, Salt Lake City, UT
McCall Smith, Alexander
Portuguese Irregular Verbs
In this novella, Smith introduces a new character, Dr. Moriz-Maria von Igelfeld,
a professor of romance philology whose most noted (and only) book is Portuguese
Irregular Verbs. … This delightful head-in-the-clouds professor will enthrall
the author's many fans. Recommended for most popular fiction collections Library
Journal, January 2005
Mortenson, Greg
Three cups of tea
Some failures lead to phenomenal successes, and this American nurse's
unsuccessful attempt to climb K2, the world's second tallest mountain, is one of
them. Dangerously ill when he finished his climb in 1993, Mortenson was
sheltered for seven weeks by the small Pakistani village of Korphe; in return,
he promised to build the impoverished town's first school, a project that grew
into the Central Asia Institute, which has since constructed more than 50
schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. …Captivating and suspenseful,
with engrossing accounts of both hostilities and unlikely friendships, this book
will win many readers' hearts. Publishers Weekly Review Starred Review
Morton, Kate
The Forgotten Garden
After her highly successful debut, The House at Riverton, Morton once
again creates an intricate family puzzle spanning generations. From the
Victorian era to the present day, Morton follows her striking characters in
richly distinctive backgrounds. Strongly recommended for readers who enjoy
intergenerational family sagas. Library Journal Express Reviews 2009
Naslund, Sena Jeter
Ahab's Wife
Una, named by her mother after the personification of Truth in Spenser's Faerie Queene, is so vividly portrayed that she seems more real than fictional... A questioning woman, before she ever met the legendary Captain Ahab, she was a defiant daughter, a lover of literature, an accomplished seamstress, a seafaring adventurer (disguised as a boy aboard a whaling ship), survivor of a horrific shipwreck, and a spiritual seeker. This narrative, written in Una's voice, captures the exciting and pivotal times of mid-nineteenth-century New England... It is part adventure, part love story... A complex and sophisticated book, brilliantly written, beautifully illustrated. Booklist Reviews
Neely, Barbara
Blanche on the Lam
Blanche is a feisty, African-American maid on the run from the local Sheriff for
writing bad checks. Hard-working and honest, she wrote the checks to make ends
meet after some of her employers "forgot" to pay her. Needing to hide out for a
while, she takes a job cooking and caring for Miz Grace and her family at their
summer home in Hokeysville, North Carolina. Blanche finds herself in the middle
of a murder mystery involving a group of odd characters, each of whom may be
trying to kill the others to claim the family fortune. …Blanche is an endearing
character with a rich and colorful approach to life. She is funny, real, loud
and totally down to earth. Inger Upchurch, Memphis Public Library.
Nemirowsky, Irene
Suite Francaise
"Celebrated in pre-WWII France for her
bestselling fiction, the Jewish Russian-born Némirovsky was shipped to Auschwitz
in the summer of 1942, months after this long-lost masterwork was composed.
Némirovsky, a convert to Catholicism, began a planned five-novel cycle as Nazi
forces overran northern France in 1940. This gripping "suite," collecting the
first two unpolished but wondrously literary sections of a work cut short, have
surfaced more than six decades after her death. In a workbook entry penned just
weeks before her arrest, Némirovsky noted that her goal was to describe "daily
life, the emotional life and especially the comedy it provides." This heroic
work does just that, by focusing--with compassion and clarity--on individual
human dramas." Publishers' Weekly
Newmark, Elle
The Book of Unholy Mischief
"The Book of Unholy Mischief is a delicious thriller set in Venice in 1498.
Luciano is a street kid -- using his wits and his friends to survive until a
master chef literally plucks him from the street and takes him to live in the
doge's kitchen. There, Luciano learns about food, life, and integrity -- and
also about a mysterious book. The quest for the book and surviving its impact
bring chills and thrills in this fantastic novel." The Indie Next LIst
Niffenegger, Audrey
The Time Traveler's Wife
On the surface, Henry and Clare Detamble are a normal couple living in Chicago's
Lincoln Park neighborhood. Henry works at the Newberry Library and Clare creates
abstract paper art, but the cruel reality is that Henry is a prisoner of time.
It sweeps him back and forth at its leisure, from the present to the past, with
no regard for where he is or what he is doing. It drops him naked and vulnerable
into another decade, wearing an age-appropriate face. In fact, it's not unusual
for Henry to run into the other Henry and help him out of a jam. Sound unusual?
Imagine Clare Detamble's astonishment at seeing Henry dropped stark naked into
her parents' meadow when she was only six. Though, of course, until she came of
age, Henry was always the perfect gentleman and gave young Clare nothing but his
friendship as he dropped in and out of her life. Elsa Gaztambide Copyright ©
American Library Association. Booklist 2003
Oates, Joyce Carol
The Falls: A Novel
"Oates' unflinching dramatization of the
insidious aftereffects of a horrific crime neatly exposes the underside of
family loyalty, dissects the hatred victims attract, and reminds readers that
the real power resides in the survivor, not the attacker." Booklist
Reviews
Parkin, Gail
Baking Cakes in Kigali
"Meet Angel Tungaraza, whose specialty is baking the perfect cake for any
special occasion. Through Angel we meet various characters in her Rwandan
community and learn of their challenges, culture, and history. Angel is part
counselor, part matchmaker, mentor, and enforcer. Through her, Parkin portrays
the strength of so many women whose lives have been marked by war, genocide,
AIDS, genital mutilation, and more. These serious subjects are interwoven with
hilarity, compassion, and humor. The book is a multi-layered cake, with surprise
fillings between each sweet layer." -- Gayle Wingerter, Inklings Bookshop,
Yakima, WA
Peterson, Holly
The Manny
"Jamie Whitfield, 36, lives on Park Avenue with her three children and her mostly absent high-powered attorney husband, Phillip, and works part-time as a producer for a prime-time news program. She hires Peter Bailey... to plug the household's gaps and be a father figure to nine-year-old Dylan... Jamie's co-workers are more realistically portrayed than her shallow friends, but even Jamie's children come alive when they root for mom's success." Publishers Weekly
Petterson, Per
Out Stealing Horses
In this quiet but compelling novel, Trond Sander, a widower nearing seventy,
moves to a bare house in remote eastern Norway, seeking the life of quiet
contemplation that he has always longed for. ... Trond’s recollections center on
a single afternoon, when he and Jon set out to take some horses from a nearby
farm; what began as an exhilarating adventure ended abruptly and traumatically
in an act of unexpected cruelty. Petterson’s spare and deliberate prose has
astonishing force, and the narrative gains further power from the artful
interplay of Trond’s childhood and adult perspectives. Loss is conveyed with all
the intensity of a boy’s perception, but acquires new resonance in the brooding
consciousness of the older man. Copyright © 2007 The New Yorker
Picoult, Jodi
My Sister's Keeper
Expect to be kept up all night by Picoult's latest novel, but it's much more
than a page-turner; it's a fascinating character study framed by a complex,
gripping story. Thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald walks into the office of
lawyer Campbell Alexander and announces she wants to sue her parents for the
rights to her own body... Campbell is a jaded young man who nevertheless decides
to take her case pro bono. Anna's parents are shocked when they learn of her
lawsuit, and her mother, a former civil defense attorney, decides to represent
them. Anna refuses to budge on her position despite the fact that she clearly
loves her sister and longs for her family's happiness. ...Picoult's novel grabs
the reader from the first page and never lets go. This is a beautiful,
heartbreaking, controversial, and honest book. Booklist Reviews 2004
Pilcher, Rosamunde
Winter Solstice
In this much anticipated new novel by Pilcher, a master at depicting English
life, the characters range from those in the twilight of their days to those
just starting out..... Pilcher has crafted a charming and thoughtful book rich
in engaging characters that makes the ordinary seem extraordinary and warms the
heart like a good cup of tea. Booklist
Preston, Douglas J.
The Monster of Florence
Best-selling suspense writer Douglas Preston stumbled onto the case of a
lifetime when he moved to Florence on a lark in 2000. He befriended Mario Spezi,
a renowned journalist for La Nazione who always wore a jaunty fedora and had a
Gauloise cigarette dangling from his lips. Over endless rounds of espresso,
Spezi told Preston about the Monster of Florence, a serial killer suspected of
14 murders who had stalked the Tuscan hills since 1974 pouncing on young lovers
in their cars, killing them, then carving out the woman's privates. Spezi,
always the first with scoop, became known as the ''Monstrologer.'' Together, the
men believed they could unmask the culprit. Entertainment Weekly, June 10, 2008
Rash, Ron
Burning Bright: stories
"Ron Rash is a writer of quiet and stunning beauty... The stories in BURNING
BRIGHT are beautiful. Each story is luminescent, deeply communicative of
Appalachia and perfectly framed with sentences both lyrical and grounded."
-Huffington Post
Roach, Mary
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
The New Yorker dubbed Roach "the funniest science writer in the country." OK,
maybe there's not a lot of competition. …Of course, she chooses good subjects:
cadavers in Stiff (2003), ghosts in Spook (2005), and now a genuinely fertile
topic in Bonk. As Roach points out, scientists studying sex are often treated
with disdain, as though there is something inherently suspicious about the
enterprise. …To stay on the ethical side of human-subjects experimentation,
Roach offers herself as research subject several times, resulting in some of her
best writing. Booklist Reviews, 2008. *Starred Review*
de Rosnay, Tatiana
Sarah's Key
"Sarah's Key is told from both the perspective of an 10-year-old girl whose
family is rounded up during the Vel D'Hiv in France in 1942 and an American who
presently lives in Paris. The heartbreak is real, the love is true, and the need
to find out how their two lives are connected made this one of my absolute
favorites!" Sarah Galvin, The Bookstore Plus, Lake Placid, NY
Roth, Philip
The Human Stain
With the help of his alter ego, Nathan Zuckerman, Roth continues the inquiry
into the state of the American soul during the second half of the
twentieth-century. Fueled by the story of his magnetic hero, Coleman Silk, it
roars, with heart-revving velocity, through a literary landscape that embraces
the politics of race and sex, the Vietnam War, and the absurdity of extreme
political correctness, the dumbing down of the academy, and President Clinton's
impeachment. … As Roth unfurls his hero's galvanizing tale, he protests the
tyranny of prejudice and propriety, recognizes the "terrifyingly provisional
nature of everything," and shakes his head in sorrow and wonder over the
"inevitably stained creatures that we are." -- Donna Seaman Booklist
Ruiz Zafon, Carlos
The Shadow of the Wind
Call it the "book book" genre: this international sensation …has books and
storytelling--and a single, physical book--at its heart. In post-World War II
Barcelona, young Daniel is taken by his bookseller father to the Cemetery of
Forgotten Books, a massive sanctuary where books are guarded from oblivion. Told
to choose one book to protect, he selects The Shadow of the Wind, by Julian
Carax. … Part detective story, part boy's adventure, part romance, fantasy, and
gothic horror, the intricate plot is urged on by extravagant foreshadowing and
nail-nibbling tension. This is rich, lavish storytelling, very much in the
tradition of Ross King's Ex Libris. Booklist Reviews, March, 2004.
Russell, Karen
Swamplandia!
Located in the Florida Everglades, the Swamplandia island theme park is also
home to the Bigtrees, a family of alligator wrestlers. When the mom and star of
the show dies, the Bigtree way of life unravels. Dad heads to the mainland to
find investors, while his three teenagers are left to deal with their losses.
…Karen Russell's sentences are so beautiful and original, they will leave you
breathless! Michael Keefe, Annie Bloom's Books, Portland, OR
Samet, Elizabeth D.
"As a teacher of literature at West Point, Samet has prepared cadets for war by conveying a wisdom not found in technical manuals for laser-guided munitions. But exploring the military meaning of Homer and Milton, Shakespeare and Hemingway, has changed both Samet and her students. In this deeply introspective memoir, readers trace the transformations. Readers thus glimpse the tensions surrounding the revolutionary gender-integration of the military, as Samet struggles to reinterpret the literature of masculine valor. A valuable bridge between literature and military life. Booklist Reviews."
See, Lisa
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
"This haunting, beautiful, and ineffably sad tale of longing so intense as to be
taken beyond the grave, is written in See’s characteristically strong prose. …
It is an extraordinary novel, simply breathtaking." Baltimore Sun, July 2005
Shaara, Michael
The Killer Angels
A gripping novel about the four days of the battle of Gettysburg, The Killer
Angels is alive with noble figures and moves through its fated courses in a
prose both simple and epic. Happily, a leading character is Colonel Joshua
Chamberlain, a young professor of rhetoric from Maine, who speaks to his men
with a power that Mark Antony might envy. …A strong, spirited, bloody book,
equal to its subject. (Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 1974)
Shaffer, Mary Ann
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie
Society
The German occupation of the Channel Islands, recalled in letters between a
London reporter and an eccentric gaggle of Guernsey islanders. This debut by an
"aunt-niece" authorial team presents itself as cozy fiction about comfortably
quirky people in a bucolic setting, but it quickly evinces far more serious, and
ambitious, intent. The engrossing subject matter and lively writing make this a
sure winner. Kirkus Reviews 2008
Shields, Charles J.
Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee
"Readers have been waiting decades for this
respectful, in-depth look at the author of the most widely read American novel
of the 20th century. Six hundred interviews, years of research, and Shields'
straightforward writing have brought us the biography of the year." --Jake
Reiss, The Alabama Booksmith, Birmingham, AL Book Sense Picks & Notables
Preview
Sidhwa, Bapsi
The narrator of Sidwha's timely novel about the violent 1947 partition of India is the extremely observant Lenny Sethi, whose family belongs to the Parsee community in Lahore. As a child, a polio victim and a member of a minority, she is the perfect witness... to the historic upheaval. Sidwha tempers Lenny's hyper-awareness, however, by capturing the whole range of her fears and joys as her innocence becomes another casualty of the violence among Moslems, Sikhs and Hindus. ...She is alternately thrilled and frightened by the events she dutifully records, and so, in the end, is the reader. Publishers' Weekly
Simonson, Helen
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
“In a comedy of manners that would make Jane Austen proud, a retired general and
a widowed Pakistani woman meet and court in an out-of-the-way English village.
There is wit here, and cleverness, and a host of clear-eyed, stiff-lipped,
curmudgeonly joys. Fans of British humor and storytelling must acquire this
wryly funny love story.” —Mark Bradshaw, Watermark Books, Wichita, KS
Skloot, Rebecca
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
"One of the most graceful and moving nonfiction books I’ve read in a very long
time…'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'…floods over you like a narrative dam
break, as if someone had managed to distill and purify the more addictive
qualities of 'Erin Brockovich,' 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' and
'The Andromeda Strain.'…it feels like the book Ms. Skloot was born to write. It
signals the arrival of a raw but quite real talent.”—Dwight Garner, The New York
Times
Soskice, Janet Martin
The sisters of Sinai : how two lady adventurers discovered the hidden Gospels
“We compliment some non-fiction books by saying they read like novels, but The
Sisters of Sinai reads better than a novel. Filled with tales of derring-do,
arcane knowledge, persistence in the face of extraordinary odds, and the
acquiring of and preservation of priceless knowledge, The Sisters of Sinai does
what the best books do—makes you want to know much more.” —The Daily Herald
(Utah)
Spencer, Irene
Shattered dreams : my life as a polygamist's wife
…(T)his autobiography offers the compelling voice of a contemporary plural
wife's experiences. Daughter of a second wife, Spencer was raised strictly in
"the Principle" as it was lived secretly and illegally by fringe communities of
Mormon "fundamentalists" groups that split off from the LDS Church when it
abandoned polygamy more than a century ago. … Spencer's writing is lively and
full of engaging dialogue, and her life is nothing short of astonishing… Her
story will be emotional and shocking, but many readers will resonate with the
universal question the memoir raises: how to reconcile inherited religious
beliefs when they grate against social norms and the deepest desires of the
heart. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information. Publishers’ Weekly
Stein, Garth
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Enzo the dog feels sure that his next life will be spent in a man's body. In
preparation, he closely studies human behavior, and it's from Enzo's observant
point of view that Stein writes his moving third novel. …(R)eaders will
nonetheless delight in Enzo's wild, original voice; his aching insights into the
limitations and joys of the canine and human worlds; and his infinite capacity
for love. A natural choice for book clubs, this should inspire steady demand.
Booklist Reviews 2008
Stockett, Kathryn
The Help
"We've been telling our customers who are members of book groups to read this
story of race-ridden, 1960s Jackson, Mississippi. Unforgettable characters live
out a story that makes you rage against intolerance as you step into the lives
of three Southern women who are committed to creating change." -- Gail Wetta,
Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL Indie Booksellers Fall '09/Winter '10
Reading Group List
Stott, Rebecca
Ghostwalk
"If moments in time become entangled in the same way that photons become entangled, then there might be strange connections between the past and the present." Stott...explores one of these entanglements. It begins when a Cambridge historian, Elizabeth Vogelsang, is found dead in the river Cam, just as she was about to finish her unconventional study of Isaac Newton's infatuation with alchemy. ...Can a series of Cambridge murders in the present, all apparently connected to Cameron's scientific research, be linked to a similar series of deaths in the seventeenth century that opened the door for Newton to win a professorship? This daring novel works on multiple levels: as thriller, as love story, as ghost story, as historical speculation.
Strout, Elizabeth
Olive Kitteridge
“The book discussion we had about Elizabeth Strout's Pulitzer Prize-winning
novel about Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher in a little town in Maine,
was one of the best we ever had. The reading group members were incredibly
passionate about their love of the book and their love (and hatred) of Olive. We
laughed and cried, and one member called us afterward and asked what we were
going to read to get us that riled up again!” -- Deb McDonald, Garden District
Book Shop, New Orleans, LA Indie Next List
Swanson, James L.
Manhunt : the twelve-day chase for Lincoln's killer
One of the more kinetic renderings of the Lincoln assassination, Swanson's
synthesis of the sources is bound to be a cover-to-cover reading hit with
history lovers. …After the scenes of Booth's assault, theatrically calculated to
ensure his notoriety whether he eluded capture or not, Swanson relates how he
and accomplice David Herold bluffed their way out of Washington and linked up
with rebel sympathizers. Artfully arranging Booth's flight with the frantic
federal dragnet that sought him, Swanson so tensely dramatizes the chase,
capture, and killing of Booth that serious shelf-life awaits his account of the
assassination. Copyright 2006 Booklist Reviews.
Sykes, Bryan
The Seven Daughters of Eve
From Eve, the earliest known hominid, discovered in Africa, geneticist Sykes
traces a genetic linkage to seven prehistoric European women. A gifted writer,
he conveys the excitement and drama of his discovery of strands of DNA that
passed unbroken through the maternal line. …Sykes is keenly aware of the
professional and human significance of scientific inquiry and discovery, as well
as of the woeful history of the use of genetics by racist theories--awareness
that adds to this exciting contribution to showing that all humans share a
common ancestry. Booklist Reviews, June 2001
Theroux, Paul
Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: on the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar
Realizing that many travel writers never retrace their steps, Theroux decides to
travel as he did in his landmark book The Great Railway Bazaar (1975): east,
across Europe and Asia, by train. Taking detours due to political unrest Iran
refuses a visa, and Afghanistan seems risky he still manages a reasonable
approximation: Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam,
Japan, and, finally, back across Russia, on the Trans-Siberian Express. … A
wonderful book infused with the insights of maturity, this succeeds on many
levels while also doing what the best travel writing can't help but do: make the
reader want to hit the road. Moreover, it's a reminder that in this age of
increasingly homogenous urban centers and easy air travel, those who really want
to discern national differences should stay on the ground. Copyright 2008
Booklist Reviews. Starred Review
Thom, James Alexander
Red Heart
Having already produced one novel about a white woman captured by the Shawnee,
popular historical novelist Thom (Follow the River) uses an actual captivity
narrative as the inspiration for an ambitious, epic novel based on the
well-known true-life story of Frances Slocum. The five-year-old daughter of a
Pennsylvania Quaker family, Slocum was kidnapped by Delaware Indians in 1778 and
adopted by an Indian woman who raised the child as her own. …Thom's research is
exhaustive, his eye for detail impressive. The scope of his tale will draw in
readers undaunted by his natural expansiveness. Copyright 1998 Publishers Weekly
Reviews
Thomas, Abigail
A Three Dog Life
"Abigail Thomas' memoir recounts life after her
husband sustains a traumatic brain injury. Her story is the pain and joy of the
human condition distilled in a small volume. She weaves a new cloth of love from
what was and what is. A truly memorable read." --Donna Bucholz, Mostly Books,
Gig Harbor, WA from Book Sense Picks and Notables Preview
Thorton, Sarah
Seven Days in the Art World
"Each chapter in Thornton's new book is a separate essay about a particular
aspect of the art world, and a day spent there. We are shown both the sincerely
creative and the unbelievably pretentious, the front-page headliners and the
little-known people behind the scenes. What a great idea for a book!" -- Anne
Wilde, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, Mequon, WI January 2009 Indie Notables
Trigiani, Adriana
Very Valentine
Anyone who’s ever read an Adriana Trigiani book—oh, who are we kidding? No one
ever reads just one of Trigiani’s wonderfully quirky tales. Once you pick up the
first, you are hooked by her all-too-human characters and their sprawling
families. So let us rephrase: Anyone who’s ever devoured Trigiani’s books knows
what you’re going to get—a lot of fun delivered with a lot of heart. …Trigiani
fills her pages with snappy dialogue and luscious descriptions of both the
Italian food her characters love and their surroundings, whether it’s New York
or the island of Capri. Reading Very Valentine is like tucking into a plate of
homemade manicotti: irresistible and delicious. Bookpage
Trollope, Anthony
The Way We Live Now
In 1872 novelist Anthony Trollope returned to England from abroad and was
appalled by the greed loose in the land. His scolding rebuke was his longest and
arguably best novel, The Way We Live Now.
Troost, J. Maarten
Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific
With The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Maarten Troost has delivered one of the most
original, rip-roaringly funny travelogues in years — one that will leave you
thankful for staples of American civilization such as coffee, regular showers,
and tabloid news, and that will provide the ultimate vicarious adventure.
Publisher's blurb
Tyler, Anne
Saint Maybe
All is well with the Bedloe's Baltimore family until Danny, the eldest son,
announces his engagement to Lucy, a woman he has known for only two weeks and
who is the mother of two small children, Agatha and Thomas. The suicides of
first Danny and then Lucy are unexplained, and all but destroy the Bedloe
family. While only a college freshman, Ian, Danny's younger brother, returns
home to raise the orphaned children and to search for his own salvation through
the Church of the Second Chance. Tyler's remarkable novel pulls at the heart
strings and jogs the memories of forgotten youth. Ian's story is neither action
packed nor fast moving, but each page will be eagerly anticipated. School
Library Journal 1991
Uruburu, Paula
American Eve
(This is the) scandalous story of America's first supermodel, sex goddess, and
modern celebrity, Evelyn Nesbit, the temptress at the center of Stanford White's
famous murder, whose iconic life story reflected all the paradoxes of America's
Gilded Age. The story of Evelyn Nesbit is one of glamour, money, romance, sex,
madness, and murder, and Paula Uruburu weaves all of these elements into an
elegant narrative that reads like the best fiction — only it's all true.
American Eve goes far beyond just literary biography; it paints a picture of
America as it crossed from the Victorian era into the modern, foreshadowing so
much of our contemporary culture today. Publisher’s blurb
Valdes-Rodirguez, Alisa
Playing with Boys
Three very different Latina women vow to bring Los Angeles to its collective
knees in this funny, guilty pleasure of a novel, which bears some resemblance to
its author's previous hit, The Dirty Girls Social Club. …Complications abound,
of course-there's Olivia's cheating husband, Marcella's disdain for men in
general and a Cuban rap star who seems determined to break Alexis's heart-but so
do the laughs. There's Alexis's middle-aged white ex-boyfriend who thinks he's a
teenage gangsta, Marcella's latent-goth suitor and the good ol' hard-drinking,
beer-gutted, coke-addled Mexican boys of Los Chimpances del Norte. …(T)his is a
funny, heartfelt piece of escapism, Latina-style. Agent, Leslie Daniels
Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Verghese, A.
Cutting for Stone
"A masterpiece. . . . Not a word is wasted in this larger-than-life saga. . . . Verghese expertly weaves the threads of numerous story lines into one cohesive
opus. The writing is graceful, the characters compassionate and the story full
of nuggets of wisdom." San Francisco Chronicle
Vreeland, Susan
Luncheon of the Boating Party
"Imagining the banks of the Seine in the thick of
la vie moderne, Vreeland tracks Auguste Renoir as he conceives, plans and
paints the 1880 masterpiece that gives her vivid fourth novel its title... On
July 20, the daughter of a resort innkeeper close to Paris suggests that Auguste
paint from the restaurant's terrace... Auguste and his friends only have two
months to catch the light he wants and fend off charges that he and his fellow
Impressionists see the world "through rose-colored glasses." Vreeland achieves a
detailed and surprising group portrait, individualized and immediate."
Publishers Weekly
Waldman, Ayelet
Bad mother: a chronicle of maternal crimes, minor calamities, and occasional
moments of grace
"In her funny, brutally honest, and brave prose, Waldman tackles the many
challenges of motherhood in the modern era, offering encouragement to all bad
mommies out there who recognize the impossibility of having and doing it all
gracefully and without error. How is a self-aware, thoughtful, intelligent
feminist to raise children well in a culture that vilifies nearly every choice
available (or unavailable) to her? A provocative, entertaining read for moms
with moxie." —Libby Cowles, Maria's Bookshop, Durango, CO
Walls, Jeannette
The Glass Castle
"You will not be able to put this great memoir
down. This account of Walls' finding herself, and defining herself, within the
bizarre framework of her family is a beautiful story written without blame, just
pure love. A rich, honest, and funny saga that is full of very real characters
-- a loving tribute to family." -- Andra Tracy, Out Word Bound, Indianapolis, IN
from Book Sense Picks and Notables
Warner, William
Beautiful swimmers: watermen, crabs, and the Chesapeake Bay
William W. Warner's book on blue crabs is called Beautiful Swimmers and
beautiful is the word for it. Other words are elegant, moving, informative and
provocative….His book so meticulously researched and gracefully written, is a
small work of art and a large joy for the reader. Jonathan Yardley for Sports
Illustrated.
Waters, Sarah
Affinity
Her first, Tipping the Velvet, was good; her second is just terrific.
Moody, haunting, and haunted (it's about love among Victorian spiritualists),
Affinity is two parts Wilkie Collins, with whose The Woman in White it shares an
obsession with prisons, madness, journal-keeping, and elaborate, carefully
engineered deceits; and just a dash of Jeanette Winterson for up-to-the-minute
lesbian-historical-fiction flavor. ("He, she--you ought to know that in the
spheres there are no differences like that.") The New Yorker
Waugh, Evelyn
Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited, The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder,
is a novel by the English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. Waugh
wrote that the novel "deals with what is theologically termed 'the operation of
Grace', that is to say, the unmerited and unilateral act of love by which God
continually calls souls to Himself". This is achieved by an examination of the
Catholic aristocratic Marchmain family, as seen by the narrator, Charles Ryder.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brideshead_Revisited
Wells, Ken
Meely LaBauve
Fifteen-year-old Emile "Meely" LaBauve is something of a 20th-century Huck Finn.
He lives in a ramshackle house on Louisiana's Catahoula Bayou with his
often-absent alligator-hunter father, fishing and exploring and only attending
school when he feels like it (his father has asserted that school never did him
any good). …Wall Street Journal writer Wells has cooked up a zestful gumbo of a
first novel, a rich and raucous coming-of-age tale redolent with the flavor of
the bayou. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information. Library Journal
Woodward, Hobson
A Brave Vessel
In this well-written and expertly paced work of popular scholarship, Woodward…
tells the story of William Strachey, an aspiring poet whose chronicle of a
disastrous sea voyage and its aftermath had a profound influence on
Shakespeare's The Tempest. …The heart of the book is Woodward's recreation of
Strachey's viewing of The Tempest, which affords the author the opportunity to
catalogue the narrative and linguistic parallels between the Sea Venture's
travails and the play-fascinating fodder for the committed Shakespearean source
hunter. Publishers’ Weekly, May 2009
Young, William P.
The Shack
"Four years after his daughter is abducted and evidence of her murder is found
in an abandoned shack, Mackenzie Allen Philips returns to the shack in response
to a note claiming to be from God, and has a life-changing experience." -from
the back of the book
Young-Stone, Michele
The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors
Young-Stone tells parallel stories that hurdle storm after storm headlong into
one another. ... [She] is a very fine writer who has created a host of endearing
losers... What she does best is portray the incredulousness of the unlucky.
Publishers Weekly
Zola
Nana
"This rather risque novel--for 1880 that
is--tells the story of ruthless protagonist Nana's rise from the gutter to the
height of Parisian society. The book's heavy allusion to sexual favors caused it
to be denounced as pornography upon publication, which, of course, made it a big
hit." Library Journal Review
Zusak, Markus
The Book Thief
When Death tells a story, you pay attention. Liesel Meminger is a young girl
growing up outside of Munich in Nazi Germany, and Death tells her story as "an
attempt—a flying jump of an attempt—to prove to me that you, and your human
existence, are worth it." When her foster father helps her learn to read and she
discovers the power of words, Liesel begins stealing books from Nazi book
burnings and the mayor's wife's library. … This big, expansive novel is a
leisurely working out of fate, of seemingly chance encounters and events that
ultimately touch, like dominoes as they collide. The writing is elegant,
philosophical and moving. Even at its length, it's a work to read slowly and
savor. Beautiful and important. Kirkus Reviews
