October

Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2)by Laini Taylor
Laini Taylor is one of the very best YA fantasy writers of today, and I use the YA category cautiously as her writing is so gorgeous, so lyrical, so evocative that her books could occupy adult fiction shelves as well. The first one in this series, Strange the Dreamer, has over 30,00 reviews on Goodreads with an average of 4.3 stars...and that's in just a year and a half. Seriously, she is that good. In the second book, Taylor outdoes herself again. In this world of heroic characters illustrated through warriors, mothers, gods, and monsters, one sees every human emotion. Lazlo, the scholarly orphan with deep secrets, is back once again, as he searches for the answer to who he is. Sarai, the goddess of dreams and nightmares, is one of the most beautiful, as well as the most heartbreaking characters in fantasy today. Using these two characters, Taylor shows us a creation of worlds, of wrenching decisions, of love lost and re-found, and of towering heroism. And if you typically say, "I don't read fantasy," as I used to, I would challenge you to try this series; I suspect you would fall madly in love with this world of beauty just as I have.

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
Best-selling author Picoult has taken on many controversial issues: school shooter, transplants amongst family members, hidden Nazis, suicide, racism, etc. Using a unique timeline, the plot involves an abortion clinic shooting, unspooling backwards, beginning at the conclusion of the standoff and ending with the first hour of the terror. Each chapter is one hour, as we see into the minds of each occupant of the clinic during that hour: the traveling doctor, the nurse, the aunt with a young niece, the swat team cop who is the niece's father, the anti-abortion protester as well as a young woman having an abortion, the retired college professor, and the shooter himself. One might think repetition would occur, but instead it forces the reader to look at his/her own prejudices and assumptions. This is a powerful story, that shows that emotions run deep around the issues of choice. We see that one's past provokes action in one's today, that both right and wrong answers exist, that finding the grey area is the only way to open one's ears and listen, and that the past can give us many of the answers for the way forward. This would be a provocative bookclub choice, on whichever side of the issue one lands.

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
After a decade away, the author of the classic Peace Like a River is back with a beautiful story of life in the hard luck town of Greenstone on the shores of Lake Superior. The story begins with Virgil Wander flying off the cliff in his old Pontiac, suffering a traumatic brain injury and needing his eclectic group of friends to heal him in every way: the Finnish man in search of his son; the widow and her son caught in a constant loop of uncertainty; the hermit-like wealthy son, steeped in ugliness; the mayor trying to lift her town back into relevance; the handyman who searches for meaning and purpose; the hardscrabble family who battles poverty and a big fish. Virgil is the axis they all spin around as the heart of this community is revealed. Enger's new book will grip your heart and make you smile as it engulfs you in this kite-flying, stolen-movie-watching, endearing crowd.

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
I have read all the books written by this best-selling Australian writer and she has yet to disappoint me. Once again, she has created a story full of historical tidbits, gothic ghosts, and page-turning mystery. The nexus of this story is a house, Birchwood Manor, built on the bend of the river, protected by a Fairie Queen and an ancient promise. Through this house marches a plethora of complex characters: the Magenta brotherhood, fans of the Romantic Age, lovers of beautiful women, painting, and intrigue; Elodie, the daughter of a famous cellist, an archivist due to marry soon but who is pulled into the mystery surrounding the manor; James, a detective looking for a diamond, with heartbreak in his past; Leonard, a former WWI soldier suffering from PTSD, whose research adds to the mystery surrounding a murder; Lucy, the young girl who defies convention and is obsessed with the science of the world; Tip, a young boy whose family escapes the London Blitz; and most important, Birdie, the clockmaker's daughter whose life and stories binds them all together. Be forewarned: this author always writes very long books, but they are un-put-downable.

The Lies We Told by Camilla Way
This is a taut, well-constructed thriller that is sure to be a hit this fall. Told in two different viewpoints and time periods, the connection between the two stories takes quite some time to figure out. One side of the story focuses on Beth and Doug, an English family living in a small village twenty years ago, raising a daughter who shows every characteristic of a sociopath. Some deep, dark secrets exist in this family and the author spins them out slowly. The other story is of Clara and her missing boyfriend Luke, as she and Luke's best friend do their own detective work to figure out what happened in today's world. Luke's family has some pretty mysterious secrets of their own, particularly considering their first child disappeared years ago as well. I had a hard time putting this book down, yet was a tad disappointed in the ending and ultimately not all that surprised. The do-it-yourself detective work was also a bit unrealistic for me but perhaps I am being too picky? Close to a 4-Star for me, but missing just a couple pieces. This is a great vacation read if you love a good thriller. Thanks to Net Galley for a free book in exchange for an honest review.

The Fallen Architect by Charles Belfoure
I loved Belfoure's first book, The Paris Architect, as did thousands of other readers. I really liked his second book, House of Thieves, but his latest was just 'meh' for me. The story begins with an architect being released from five years of prison for manslaughter following the collapse of a balcony at his newly-built London theater. As Layton attempts to rebuild his life and forge a new identity, he also becomes enmeshed in the search for the true culprits of the tragedy. My problem with this book was the weak characterization; I never felt deeply drawn to any of them, the main characters or the minor ones, though I did kinda like some of the quirky theater folks and the love interest was kind of a badass. The second half was decidedly better, but I would have liked richer more complex development of the main players.