Winter Reading 3.0

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
It is hard to describe this book.  On the surface, it is a memoir written by a 36 year old neurosurgeon, who has just finished his residency, yet faces stage-four lung cancer.  This is the story not only of his past, but of his two years spent with cancer.  And I deliberately say 'spent,' not 'battle' as Paul Kalanithi chooses to make his life, and his death, meaningful.  He knows from the inception that his cancer is not curable, that it is indeed a death sentence.  As he searches for meaning in his days, he writes honestly, poignantly, poetically about philosophical choices, his career, his wife, his childhood, his new baby girl.  After reading the rave review in the New York Times, I knew this book was something special.  So for one afternoon, everything was turned off in my house and I enveloped myself in the quietness of Paul's book.  With a preface by Abraham Verghese (The Tennis Partner, Cutting for Stone), I knew my heart was in for a pummeling.  This is a breathtaking book, written by a man with a golden pen who fully embraces what life is, and what it is not.  Having bought two copies, one to keep and one to loan out, this is another life-changing book in the steps of Atul Gwande's Being Mortal.  It is a reminder that like all organisms, we all will die...the question is how do we face our death with dignity, with clear eyes, without bitterness or regret.  Kalanithi is a spectacular guide for the final journey.

A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
A companion book to Atkinson's huge hit, Life After Life, this book follows the story of Ursula's brother, Teddy, and his 'ordinary' life he lives after surviving WWII.  In her first book, we see Ursula's life as one different chance after another, discovering what her life would have been like if X happened, or what it would have been like if Y happened, etc.  It was a very unique, complex plot design that I thoroughly enjoyed.  How many of us have not thought about what our life would have been if we had only taken that job, turned the corner at that junction, or chosen to take that plane ride?  All of life's choices lead us down a specific path, and our lives touch people that might not have been touched without us present.   She continues that idea with Teddy, a British schoolboy whose aunt writes famous children's books about him, flies over 30 ops as a RAF bomber, marries his childhood sweetheart, and raises a difficult child.  The 'ordinariness' of his life is belied by the author's plotting, the constant question of 'what if?'  While at times I felt the book was too long at 465 pages, the ending is literally one of the most unique, creative, thought-provoking finishes I have read in quite some time.  This is a worthy companion to Life After Life -  if you read and enjoyed that one, I suspect you will appreciate her latest effort.

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
You know those 'kids' books that read like 'adult' books...yep, this is one of them.  Reminiscent for me of The Book Thief, this is a beautifully written, creative, thought-provoking Newberry Honor Book of 2016.  Long (well over 500 pages), it reads quickly as it is written for middle readers. However, the themes and characters are rich and complex.  It begins with a fairy tale, a story of three sisters trapped in the woods, waiting to save a person's life so they can resume their life in the castle.  Hence, the stories of the three children (yes, like all good fairy tales, the magic number three is important).  First we meet Friedrich, a young musical genius in Germany, who must battle the Nazis and their murderous ways, as well as somehow save his family.  A special harmonica becomes the conduit which ties together the subsequent characters.  As the harmonica wings its way to America, we are left wondering about Friedrich's survival.  Next, two young orphaned brothers, Mike and Frank, struggle in the American depression, and count on this special harmonica to buy them a new life.  Again, at the 'end' of their story, we wonder...will the boys be adopted or will they be put on the streets?  Last, we meet little Ivy, a Mexican migrant worker in 1942 California, whose relationship with the Japanese family at the farm becomes pivotal in her future.  Author Munoz-Ryan, whose book Esperanza Rising won many awards, is a beautiful writer, who in the end ties together the fairy tale, the children, and the harmonica in a magical way.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as would anyone of the age of ten through ninety.

The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende
If you have never read a book by Isabel Allende, you really should; she is a beautiful, lyrical writer who understands the emotions that lie deep under the surface.  Once again, in her latest best-selling book, Allende creates a story full of not only complex characters, but their intricately complex relationships with one another.  The main character is Alma Belasco, a Jewish orphan from war-torn Poland who comes to San Francisco to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin, Nathaniel.  Alma is a complicated woman; on one hand she is loyal, loving, and thoughtful, yet she is also often selfish, manipulative, and elitist.  As an elderly woman, she resides in Lark House where she tells her life story to Irina, a refugee from Belarus with a dark history of her own.  Alma receives gardenias in the mail each week, and occasionally slips away for weekend assignations.  Irina and Seth, Alma's grandson, begin to investigate and discover a secret life of Alma and Ichimei, her Japanese Lover.  The story sweeps us to many places:  WWII Poland and England, the relocation camps of the Japanese-Americans, Boston's world of art, and the high-society of San Francisco.  However, the most important aspect of this book is not the setting or the plot - it is the relationships, the complex nature of who we love, and the ultimate destiny of those associations.  It is a beautiful tale, told by an icon of the literary world.

The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak
One of my favorite authors of the past decade, Shafak has been a controversial figure in the Turkish literary world, exiled after her first novel, The Bastard of Istanbul, a novel of family dysfunction in Istanbul as well as their history with Armenia,  and creating more controversy with Honor, a tale of Turkey and immigration to England, along with the issue of 'honor' killing.  She is a brilliant writer, who writes searingly and honestly on the issues of sexism, race, and historical context in today's world.  Her latest book is a distinct departure from her modern tales, taking us back to the 1500's and the time of Suleiman the Magnificent.  That century was the last 'hurrah' for the dominance of the Ottoman Empire and we see the last gasps through the eyes of Jahan, an apprentice for Sinan, the architect who created the skyline of Istanbul that can still be seen today.  Jahan is not only a gifted builder, he is also the mahout (caregiver) for the white elephant who comes to live in the sultan's menageries.  Intrigue, love, murder, deception...you name it, it is in this book.  I found the narrative and setting to be fascinating, a slice of Eastern history of which I was quite unaware.  If you are planning any trip to Turkey in the near future, this would be a great book to read to get you prepared for the history and architecture of this fascinating land.

A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton
This book has been a slow-growing hit over the last year, as people slowly discover the beautiful writing of debut author Jackie Copleton. Having spent three years teaching in Japan, this is where Copleton sets her initial story, in the naval-shipyards and red-light district of Nagasaki, a city of infamy, death and destruction in WWII.  Amaratsu, the narrator of the story, lives alone in her Pennsylvania home, an elderly woman seeing only more years of loneliness and alcohol ahead of her.  Yet when a 46 year old badly burned Japanese man knocks on her door to tell her he is her grandson, Hideo, presumed dead in the atomic bombing of their city, Ama is swept back to the decades of her life in Japan.  We see her emotional relationship with her daughter Yuko, a secret love affair that changes many lives, the bonds of grandparents and grandchild, and most of all, the effects of 'pikadon' (bright light + boom) to the world of Nagasaki.  Lyrical and emotional, I found this book draped in sadness, with so many questionable decisions, but also a complexity of relationships that I found breathtaking.  It is hard to find redemption in a world destroyed by an atomic bomb, or to see any value in a nationalistic war fought by ordinary people; Copleton does a magnificent job of taking us into this world and letting us see the aftermath of destruction, both physically and emotionally.

Winter Reading 2.0

In the Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
This dark, psychological mystery takes the reader to a remote house in the English countryside, to a 'hen' party for Clare, the bride-to-be, and a who-dunnit that is difficult to put down.  Told through the eyes of Nora, who has been invited to Clare's hen after not seeing her for ten years, we travel to the past as well as the present, as Nora tries to remember the incidences of the weekend, from the hospital bed where she currently resides.  The cast of characters is quirky and interesting:  Nora, an introverted twenty-six year old crime writer, with a difficult past; Nina, the brash and bold surgeon, old friend to Nora; Tom, the only male at the 'hen,' actor friend of the groom; Flo, current best friend of the bride, mentally unstable; and Clare, the bride and Nora's childhood best friend.  As the story unfolds, we see Nora and Clare's friendship from its inception, as well as the different characters as they walk into the girls' lives. The pieces of the puzzle slowly come together, and we, along with Nora, continuously wonder who is behind the Machiavellian plot unfolding at what should have been a wild girls' weekend.  On many of the 2015 'best of' lists, this mystery was a page turner.

Midnight Sun by Jo Nesbo
This Norwegian mystery writer has been one of my favorites, since first picking up one of his Harry Hole series.  The man knows how to create a taut mystery with dark, intriguing characters.  His latest is a stand-alone book, and shorter than most of his crime mysteries.  It does, however, focus on another complex character, who names himself Ulf.  Ulf has landed in a small, northern Norwegian town where the sun never sets and an obscure Christian sect shares the town with some lawless pagans.  Ulf is running from his past as a drug dealer and would-be assassin.  As he begins to share the townspeoples' lives, Ulf begins to dream of a future. However, the question throughout the book is whether his past will allow him to live another day.  While it is not as good as Harry (what is?), it is a solid mystery with some good twists and turns.





When Books Went To War:  The Stories that Helped Us Win World War II by Molly Guptill Manning

Have you ever heard of the Victory Drive for Books?  Or how about ASE's? Or true 'pocket' magazines?  Nope...me neither.  This non-fiction book opens the window on a little-known book drive during WWII, that explains why so many people of the Greatest Generation were, and are, obsessive readers.  In a very well-researched book, Manning shows us the beginning of the 20th century, with a small program for WWI books that did not make it past Armistice Day.  However, when the boys began to be drafted for the European theater in 1941, the powers that be realized that sitting in camps was not only boring, but was debilitating to the fighting morale.  Thus was born a new movement for books.  Prior to this drive, paperbacks were fairly rare, but a small 3x5 book could fit in a soldier's pocket.  These books were read in foxholes, waiting for the enemy to arrive; they were passed from hand to hand, popular titles having the most value; and men most dearly loved the books, like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, that reminded them of the simple lives they left at home.  If you have a relative of this generation, or a librarian in your family, or you just love American history, this is the book for you.

After the Wind:  1996 Everest Tragedy - One Survivor's Story by Lou Kasischke
Into Thin Air is the one Jon Krakauer book I never read, the tale of the tragic loss of twelve lives on Mt. Everest in 1996.  Therefore, when a fellow book seller asked me to read this book to see what I thought, I figured it would be 'meh' in comparison to Krakauer's award winner.  Yep, I was wrong.  I spent an entire day on the couch, voraciously reading this gripping tale.  Kasischke (called Louk by team members) is a fifty-something year old man, addicted to mountaineering his entire life.  He joins what he thinks is the perfect team to summit Everest, but as the time draws near, personnel changes and a young reporter from Outside magazine is added (that would be Krakauer).  Despite Louk's apprehensions, he forges ahead to Nepal and the climb of a lifetime.  Embedded in the gripping tale of life and death, however, is also the story of Louk's relationship with his wife, Sandy and his deep faith.  Their love transcends continents and provides the support Louk needs to return home; it is the perfect balance to an otherwise tragic tale.  Told in first person, from journal accounts written right after the disaster, Louk is not a professional writer - he's just a normal guy who had an extraordinary experience.  I loved this book and will not readily forget this real-life adventure.

Best Boy by Eli Gottlieb

Many of us have read stories of young developmentally challenged children and their struggles in life and school, such as Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, Story of Beautiful Girl, and Be Frank With Me.  Gottlieb's story is a different take, showcasing what happens when a parent tries, and fails, to help their child and this small boy lives the last forty years of his life in a residential home for delayed adults.  Todd is a heartbreakingly lovely man, who so desperately misses his long-dead mother and just wants to return to his childhood home.  He is complacent and settled in his decades-long residence, until Martine, a new woman moves in and disrupts his idea of what is 'normal.' Running away, foregoing his meds, picking fights becomes Todd's new normal.  We visit his past and see the abusive father, his bullying brother, and the deep love of his mother in a time period that understood little of autism, anxiety, and developmental delays.  This is a story I will not soon forget.


Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Yep, another YA book.  If you like fantasy, dragons (both magical and wicked), strong female leads, and a mystery thrown in, you will love Seraphina.  She is a musical prodigy living in the capital city of a fantasy world inhabited by both humans and dragons.  However, when the dragons are in the human city, they have to take their human form, thanks to a forty-year old treaty that ended the human vs. dragon war.  These dragon/humans are known for their analytical, unemotional minds, not allowed by their own kind to feel love for another.  However, Seraphina has a deep dark secret to hide, one that is not just frowned upon by both humans and dragons, but would cause her to be ostracized by society.  Trapped in her mother's secret past, which was embedded in her brain at birth, and pulled into the mystery surrounding the death of the heir to the throne, Seraphina is a spectacular new heroine.  If my girls were a bit younger, I would be shoving this book at them to see what a strong, smart, courageous young woman is capable of accomplishing.  This is a exciting read!

New Books on the Horizon

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Pulitzer-prize winning author Elizabeth Strout (Olive Kittredge, The Burgess Boys) is back with her latest book and it is a sure winner, especially if you are looking for a book club choice that will illicit the most conversation.  I only wish Strout had started writing years ago, so that we would have a plethora of choices from her; she is that talented.  Her writing is sparse, unadorned with wasteful adjectives and descriptive phrases.  Strout ensures her characters communicate clearly, and disconcertingly, always seem to be speaking straight into the reader's own mind. The main protagonist, Lucy Barton, is a writer herself who looks back on a time she spent in the hospital when her estranged mother comes to visit.  The mother then stays for five straight days, never sleeping and never leaving Lucy's side,  implying a close bond, but it is far more complicated than that.  As our narrator relates their conversations, Lucy also pops in and out of time in her own life and her own complex relationships with friends, husband, and daughters.  This is a stark look at Lucy's life, both past and present and is a compulsively readable novel.  I love that Strout stops the story at page 191, sticking to the sparseness of Lucy's Midwestern roots and her own writing style.  It is another masterpiece by one of my favorite authors; a book club would be enriched through the reading and discussion of this novel. (Published Jan. 5, 2016)


Eleanor by Jason Gurley
I first picked this book up due its fascinating cover, as well as the plot focus on twins, a deadly combination.  I had no idea the fantastical world Gurley would create.  As he pulls us through different decades, we meet Eleanor, a tragically sad woman living on the coast of Oregon with an older husband and a small daughter.  Next, we meet Esme and Eleanor, six year old twins destined for tragedy.  Yet, as Eleanor begins her teen years, she is violently pulled into another dimension of time, where trapped souls attempt to rewrite history.  I know - sounds weird - but it is magical, imaginative, and utterly engrossing.  As Eleanor tries to heal her family and avert past tragedies, we see the memories of the past, we enter their dreamworld, and we ultimately see the redemption that lies ahead.  I read this book obsessively, and loved the back story of how it came to print.  (Gurley had been writing this book for fifteen years, and Powell's, the huge independent bookstore in Portland, OR, was entranced with it and pushed hard to get it widely published after first publishing it independently).  I hope that more people discover this new author; he writes beautifully, creatively, and powerfully. (Published Jan 12, 2016)

Free Men by Katy Simpson Smith
The latest book by best-selling author of The Story of Land and Sea, I was not originally 'all in' for this one; as much as I love historical fiction, post-revolutionary war is not usually my thing. It takes place in 1788, colonial times in the south, focusing on the manhunt for three fugitives following a vicious murder and robbery.  However, once I became engrossed in the four main characters - their lives, their pasts, their motivations and sorrows - I continuously read to the final page.  Le Clerc, the Frenchman who hunts the three suspects, is an amateur sociologist, so we see much of life through his eyes.  As the three men begin to tell their story, we also start to see Smith's thematic motif, constantly questioning what freedom truly is to each individual.  Bob, the escaped slave, chooses to leave behind a wife and two daughters to seek his freedom; Cat, a white man wrapped so deeply in sorrow and tragedy that freedom for him means an absence of relationships; and Istillicha, the Creek native who seeks freedom through revenge and a return of his family's honor.  Beautifully written, this would give a book club many thought-provoking questions to discuss. (Published Feb. 16, 2016)

Be Frank with Me by Julia Johnson
This book is a delightful mix of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Wonder, and The Rosie Project.  Yet, Julia Johnson has created her own unique story with a fresh new voice in her debut novel.  In other words, I LOVED this book!  It begins with Alice, the young computer-geeky, plain girl who travels to Los Angeles to corral the recluse writer to finish her next great American novel. Sent by her aged publishing boss, Alice has no idea what is in store for her in the ritzy Bel-Air mansion, where not only M.M. Banning resides after writing her one-hit wonder, but also Frank, her nine-year old son.  Frank...where do I begin?  First, he dresses odd, as in top hat and tails when the occasion demands, or perhaps aviator cap and googles? Maybe safari gear?  He has specific rules:  Only Frank touches Frank's things, don't touch him unless asked, he only drives in taxis with his mother, etc.  He knows every minute detail of every old movie ever made.  He also has no friends, is bullied at school, and is a wretchedly sad child dying for his mother's attention. In other words, Frank is complicated.  This book is a roller coaster of a fabulous ride; the worst part is when you turn the last page.  Do not miss this book. (Published Feb. 2, 2016)

The Widow by Fiona Barton
Haven't we all wondered about the wives of the serial killers, once they are caught?  How did she not know?  What attracted her to that man and kept her in the marriage? Did she ever suspect?  Why did she stay?  In Fiona Barton's debut novel (previous job was reporter for British newspapers), these questions are answered.  The story begins with Glen Taylor's death, smushed by stepping in front of a bus (yes, cliche but rather darkly humorous).  The press jumps all over the widow, Jean Taylor, as the couple has been in the news for years, with Glen suspected of a child's kidnapping and disappearance. Barton moves seamless between time periods, as we get to know Jean, the widow.  We see Jean's insecurities, her emotional outbursts, her vulnerability, as well as her own pathology.  The supporting cast is a strong one as well: a nosy reporter pulled between doing what is right and her job as a media vulture; the police detective who is obsessed with the case of Baby Bella and in constant trouble with his superiors about his inability to let it go; and of course, Glen, the strange husband who bounces between bullying his wife and groveling to his own parents.  This is a tightly drawn mystery that will keep you reading until the final chapter.  (Published Feb. 16, 2016)

Best of 2015

After reading 137 books this year, it was not easy to narrow it down but it sure was fun looking back over an amazing list of great reads.  (Since I loved so many, a list of 'Honorable Mentions' can be found at the end:)**** indicates my #1 favorite

FICTION:  Tie (I know - cheating - but so many good books are in the world)
Fates and Furies by Lauren Goff
Provoking story of a complicated marriage across the decades

My Grandmother Told Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Frederick Backman
Delightful, funny, heart-warming story of a young girl, discovering who her grandmother used to be

MYSTERY
Syndrome E by Franck Thilliez
A schizophrenic detective and a young ingenue chase a  murderer across three continents

HISTORICAL FICTION
Circling the Sun by Paula McClain
Horse trainer and pioneer for women in aviation, this is the story of Beryl Markham as a young woman in Africa

NON-FICTION
Being Mortal by Atul Gwande
A story of how we age, how we handle illness, and how we die with dignity

**YOUNG ADULT**
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Two twins, separated by tragedy and youth and dreams and depression and love...this was my favorite book of the year

FANTASY
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Ocean's Eleven meets Game of Thrones (lite) - six complex characters in a fantastical Amsterdam, trying to pull off the crime of the century

SCIENCE FICTION
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
The moon blows up and the earth will soon be destroyed - this is the epic tale of how seven women save the human race. Unforgettable.

Honorable Mention books:  A Man Called Ove, The Family: Three Journeys into the Heart of the Twentieth Century, Orhan's Inheritance, The Lake House, The Paris Architect, I am Pilgrim, Child 44, Wolf by Wolf, Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, Carry the Sky

Winter Reading

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
If you liked the Game of Thrones series, or Tolkien, or even Harry Potter et al., this is the book for you.  All the rage with the high schoolers, it is a YA book with nothing 'young' about it.  I like to call it Game of Thrones lite - minimal sex and violence, but complex characters and thrilling, page-turner plot line.  Set in a dark fictional Amsterdam-ish city called Ketterdam, the reader can recognize old Europe and the many wars fought there, though the names of the places and enemies have been 'fantasized.' It will take you about 40 pages to sort out the main characters and issues, but be patient - it is so worth it.  The six thieves, drawn together to pull off the heist of the century in the Fjiordian prison (think Finland) called the Ice Castle, each have their own traumatic back story, slowly played out by the author throughout the book:  Kaz, head honcho of the Dregs, a gang of thieves, raised in the slums and tested by fire; Inej, the Wraith, a former sex slave and current spy for Kaz; Nina, a Grisha heartrender (ie. witch-of-sorts); Matthias, former Fjiordian hunter of Grisha; Jesper, a gambling addict and eagle eye sharpshooter, as well as a smartmouth; and Wylan, son of a rich man with secrets and hidden talents.  This book is HOT out there in the book world, amongst both teens and adults - scores 4.5 stars on numerous websites - and for good reason.  It is an obsessively good read that I wanted to go on and on and on.  I felt like I did when I read HP #7.  I cannot recommend this exciting, magical book enough.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

I had such high hopes for this book - written by a woman of color, it had great potential as a teachable novel in high school, or at the least, good entertainment.  I am, however, torn in my opinions of it.  First, the plot line:  a Mexican family moves to Delaware, seeking a better education for their daughter who has a traumatic brain injury.  Along the way, they meet a Panamanian-American family with two sons, one of whom falls in love with the daughter, Maribel.  The story is interspersed with stories of other Latino immigrants, weaving a rich tapestry of the story of new Americans, their struggles, their victories, their frustrations.  My problem had more to do with the teenage love story.  The boy, Major, falls for Maribel due to her physical beauty, and while he is kind to her, I did not find his treatment of her brain-damaged behavior to be of the best intentions.  That bothered me, yet it would provide a book club with some rich discussion fodder.  Henriquez does a great job of showcasing the struggles of immigrant Latino families, which is commendable and much-needed in our literature today, particularly in our schools.  Some gratuitous sex/language may make it difficult to get it by some school boards though.


The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)
An adult mystery book by the author of the Harry Potter series...really??? I had avoided this for years, feeling a bit miffed by Harry's creator, as if she was betraying him.  Silly yes, and now that I have read the first in this mystery series, stupid as well.  Rowling/Galbraith can write, we all know that, and here she proves that she can spin a good whodunit.  Cormoran Strike, the main character and London-based private eye, is an Afghanistan war veteran who has a prosthetic leg, a lot of demons, and a world-famous, rocker father who deserted him years ago.  In other words, he is 'complicated.' In this book , we meet his potential new secretary, Robin, who is clutzy, curious, and rather slyly brilliant at her job.  While on the brink of poverty, with no clients to be had, they pick up the case of an internationally famous model who has supposedly killed herself by jumping off her balcony.  Rowling does a spectacularly intricate job of building the suspense, creating intriguing side characters and suspects, and rolling out the whodunit.  I was hooked from the beginning, and surprised by the culprit in the end.  This would be a great PBS series, and I definitely plan to read her second.  If you have a mystery reader in your household, this is a great book.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
A gorgeously written, multiple award-winning novel by first time Seattle writer, this YA book is what I would call 'realistic fantasy.'  In other words, you need to suspend belief at times, as we enter the magical world of some complicated female characters.  The narrator is Ava Lavender, a young woman who was born with wings.  Yes, I said wings - and these wings are symbolic, complex, and ultimately redemptive so just roll with it.  As she unwinds her story, Ava returns to the past and her grandmother, an immigrant from France, with numerous siblings whose deaths are fantastical, and tragic.  The move to Seattle brings with it a pregnancy, and Ava's mother is born.  A patisserie where emotions are baked into the pastries, a deserted love pined over for decades, a loyal handyman, and a creepy religious zealot next door...all these ideas are woven into an incredible, beautiful, heart-wrenching story.  This is a beautifully written fairytale of a book that is well worth a rainy afternoon of reading.  I suspect Leslye Walton will become one of our next great YA authors.

November Reading 2.0

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

We have become well-educated in the facts of this world war: Nazi invasion of Poland, the aerial war over Britain, death camps, Pearl Harbor, D-Day, ultimate victory by Allies.  However...what if Germany won?  What if they invaded Britain in 1940 and denied us a staging platform for D-Day?  What if they set up Eastern Europe as their breeding farms for more Nazi babies and more killing centers?  What if Japan opened an Eastern front on the Soviets and ran the table through Eastern Asia?  Yikes...a different history, which is Ryan Graudin's premise in this book.  Her protagonist is young Yael, a child previously used for experimentation in a camp.  Due to the chemical recomposition of her body, Yael can shape-shift, meaning whoever's face she sees, Yael can become that woman.  With this kind of skill, she becomes an important tool for the resistance, embarking on the race of her life.  Disguised as the previous victor of the propaganda-filled motorcycle road race from Germania to Tokyo, Yael must endure the dirty tricks from her fellow competitors, the over-protectiveness of her twin brother, and the confusing relationship with another German victor.  This is a roller-coaster of a ride, not to be missed. And yes, it is listed as a YA book, but only because main character is eighteen. These authors are typically highly creative, articulate, and create complex characters and plots.  I find they are not so wordy about building the scenery, which is just fine by me:) Young Adult is a whole new wonderful world - come explore it with me.

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer
Yessiree...another YA book so, if you're shopping for any teenagers this holiday season, or you just want a really good book to read, keep reading this review:)  Wolitzer's (The Interestings)first foray into young adult has been a huge hit, particularly with high school girls.  She has created an intriguing premise around which her characters evolve.  The main character, Jam (short for Jamaica), narrates the tale of her life, beginning with the present as she begins her new high school life in a boarding school for 'fragile, damaged, traumatized' children.  When Jam receives her schedule, she has been placed, with four other students, into an English class titled "Special Topics."  Mrs. Q, in her last semester before she retires, has chosen to read only Sylvia Plath this year, hence the title of the book "Belzhar," ie. Plath's semi-autobiographical novel titled "Bell Jar."  As the story unfolds, we see the magic of the journals given to them by Mrs. Q, as each student relates the reason why they have come to this school.  We also see the way each teenager works their way through personal trauma, and finds their way back to life.  As a former English literature teacher, I love the connection with Sylvia Plath and the ways literature can change and shape one's life.  It is a gripping story that will keep anyone turning the pages until the very end.

Rosemary:  The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson

Unless you lived under a rock for the last eighty years, we have all read, heard, and watched the lives of the Kennedys.  However, as Rose and Joseph Kennedy showed off their children to the cameras and portrayed a 'perfect' family life, it was not what it seemed.  Their oldest daughter, Rosemary, as many of us know now, was mentally disabled.  She was slow to develop motor skills, struggled mightily in the academic skills needed to progress in school, and caused social 'scenes' that disturbed her parents, and at times her siblings.  To read about their treatment of Rosemary, knowing what we now do about delayed children, it is truly a heartbreaking read.  Many of us had heard over the last few decades of the lobotomy performed on Rosemary as a young woman, but the reasons that led her father to this life-destroying decision, are both baffling and infuriating.  The pictures in the book are beautiful and intriguing, as is the story that reveals the hidden life of the oldest Kennedy girl.

The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro
For anyone who read The Art Forger back in 2012, Shapiro is back with her second book and it is just as enticing as the first.  Perhaps it is my own personal desire to better understand the world of art in which my youngest daughter is engulfed, as she pursues a graduate degree in museum studies.  In Shapiro's latest novel, she continues to teach me about the American abstract art movement, involving big guns like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Lee Krasner.  Through a dual narrative, focusing on Alizee Benoit, a fictional young artist in 1939 New York, and her grand-niece, Dani, who is researching provenance of a painting in 2015, Shapiro plays out a mystery of passion for both art and humanity, danger, and a country on the brink of war. Alizee and her soon-to-be-famous artist friends are forging new ideas in art.  At the same time, Alizee has family trapped in France as Hitler invades, and we watch as Alizee fights the government to get visas and to allow more refugees into our country.  We see the rampant anti-semitism, reminiscent of what is happening today towards refugees of the current wars in the Middle East.  Yes, I am being political and showing my personal feelings...but Shapiro deftly displays the history of this ongoing issue and shows the desperation and emotions surrounding the plight of the pre-WWII refugees.  I could not stop reading this book, obsessed with seeing how this mysterious and fascinating story played out.

The Harvest Man by Alex Grecian
In case you think I've gone 'soft,' don't worry - I still read dark, creepy murder mysteries.  And in case you have forgotten our friend Alex Grecian whose first novel, The Yard, was a gothic, scary tale of Jack, as in 'the Ripper,' and the murder squad of Scotland yard, his latest effort is outstanding. His second book, The Dark Country, was meh...as in so-so.  His third book, The Devil's Workshop, was getting back to the brilliance of his first.  Now, The Harvest Man?  Grecian has hit a grand slam with his fourth book, easily the best of the bunch.  The intriguing characters continue to be fleshed out by Grecian: Detective Day, whose obsession with finding Jack is juxtaposed with his fears for his family's safety; Nevil Hammersmith, a now shield-less private eye whose dogged curiosity serves him well; Dr. Kingsley, the pathologist who is a pioneer in forensics; and of course, the Harvest Man, who keeps carving up innocent young couples in London.  Is he mentally deranged or is it a play for Jack's admiration? As the detectives of Scotland Yard hunt down this vicious killer, their past comes back to haunt them.  This is a gripping mystery, well-written and engrossing through the final chapter.  If you read Grecian's first, it is time to go back to the well - it is worth it. If you have not read any, pick one up on a dreary, rainy PNW afternoon, make yourself a nice cup of tea, and travel to Victorian England for some entertainment.

November Reading

The Family:  Three Journeys into the Heart of the Twentieth Century by David Laskin
I spent some time shelving history books at Village Books the other day and had made room for this one, but did not think anything else of it.  Yet, when a good friend told me she was engrossed in it, I took another look.  I am so glad I did.  Starting with Diary of Anne Frank as a young girl, I have read countless accounts of the Holocaust, both fiction and non-fiction, as well as teaching Elie Wiesel's Night and having a survivor speak to my students.  There is something about the human spirit during this terrible time in history that grips my soul and keeps me searching for answers to an unanswerable question of how this could have occurred.  David Laskin's story of his own family is a one of the best in my memory.  It covers the three strands of his Russian Jewish family, with one staying in Russia/Poland/Lithuania, while the two other strands strike out to America and Palestine.  A gripping tale of the beginning of Israel, as well as the trials of an Orthodox Jew in turn-of-the-century New York City, this book also delves deeply into the life of the Eastern European shtetls - their lives both before and during WWII.  I was fascinated with Laskin's aunt, Ida Rosenthal, the founder of Maidenform as well as the young cousins who built a farm in the deserts of Israel and watched a new nation raise its flag.  I also, however, cried many tears as people I had come to love were swallowed up in the tragedy of the conflagration in Eastern Europe.  This book added another piece to my ever-growing knowledge of Jewish history - I highly recommend it to anyone who likes history, who is interested in the Holocaust, and more importantly, who just wants to get smarter and broaden their knowledge of other cultures and time periods.  This book is a winner.

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
Poor Ted.  Or should I say poor rich Ted? His beautiful wife, Miranda, is screwing their contractor and he's not happy about it.  Enter Lily, beautiful young woman also stuck at the Boston airport and seemingly interested in poor Ted.  After hearing his tale of woe, Lily explains her life philosophy...some people just aren't worthy of life, and in fact, they are sometimes worth killing.  Hmmm...interesting seat mate on an airplane, but Ted buys it.  Thus, the story unfolds.  We see Ted and Miranda's marriage through Ted's eyes, and then Miranda's.  We hear of Lily's childhood with a wacky artist mother and a disinterested famous writer for a father.  We begin to understand the sociopathic tendencies of beautiful young Lily, as she deals with some unsavory men in her life in a rather 'permanent' manner.  This deadly black widow pulls numerous unsuspecting men into her web, and as a reader, I admittedly began to chuckle a bit at the mens' gullibility when it comes to a gorgeous woman smiling at them, or even drawing a finger across their hand, knowing what was in store for them next.  This is a solid psychological thriller, with some thoughtful twists and turns, especially in the end.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
If you like historical fiction, WWII pilots and Nazis, and some daring women spies, then this is the book for you.  While it is labeled YA, I'm not entirely sure why; the main characters are adults, the writing level is pretty high, and it's an average length book.  Perhaps it's the publishers way of getting teens to learn more about history? Regardless, Elizabeth Wein has written a page-turner of a story.  It begins with the main character behind bars in a Nazi prison, being interrogated and tortured for information on her assignment.  She then proceeds to write down her story, telling us how she became a spy.  There's a unique twist, however, in the telling of the story and if I tell you it...HUGE spoiler.  Let's just say this book will keep you reading until the last Nazi dies.

Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian

When I read Chris Bohjalian's masterpiece on the Armenian holocaust (The Sandcastle Girls),  I was shocked and dismayed by how much I did not know about this time period.  Ohanesian's latest book adds even more depth to my knowledge and is a fascinating read.  The story begins with Orhan, a young Turkish man, who returns to his small village for his grandfather's funeral, and more importantly, for the reading of his will.  Pleased to inherit the business, but bewildered as to why the family home is left to an old woman in Arizona, Orhan sets off on his quest to find not only this woman, but his familial history.  We meet Seda, the old woman who was once young, in love, wealthy, and educated...and we see the way unbridled hatred turns her family life to dust.  As the pages turn back time, the Armenian holocaust unfolds in Anatolia, and it brings into focus Orhan's own inner turmoil.  This is a heart-wrenching tale, but has great heart and redemption in the end. I am forever horrified and perplexed as to how the world turned its face away from this terrible tragedy that killed over a million people. This was an absolute five-star book for me, well deserving of the critical praise and award nominations it has received.

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica
The second book by Mary Kubica (first was The Good Girls - also quite good) is another successful thriller and psychological drama.  The story is told through a compelling mix of characters' voices: Heidi, the bleeding heart social worker who wants to save every stray cat and starving child; Chris, Heidi's permanently stressed and over-worked financier husband, who has a heart the size of the Grinch, but also some common sense; and Willow, the young teenage runaway, with a screaming baby, blood on her shirt, and a secretive past.  Heidi, in all of her wisdom, sees Willow and the baby in the pouring rain of the train platform and decides..."hmmm, I can save her life - let's bring her home and let her live with my husband and my twelve-year-old daughter."  Yep - trouble ensues.  However, it is not as predictable as you might suspect.  While Willow has some skeletons in her closet, Heidi and Chris have got some bones rattling as well.  This is definitely a page-turner that will keep you entertained on these cold and rainy Pacific Northwest nights.


Cinder by Marissa Meyers
If you've got middle-school or high-schoolers and are looking for entertainment, keep reading.  All of you adults - go away.  This is the first book in The Lunar Chronicles and has been a HUGE hit with our young folks.  It is a creative take on the Cinderella story, taking place far in the future when the world has been through the fourth World War, yet life is not all that terrible, like in the normal post-apocalyptic genre.  For once, the nations of the world all get along for the most part; it's the Lunars, humans who populated the Moon long ago, who are the problem. Of course, the lovely little dose of an incurable plague in the world hasn't helped matters either.  However, Cinder, the cyborg (mostly human, with a few bionic parts - and yes, of course her foot is mechanical, and yes, of course she leaves it at the ball - cmon, you know the story) is the heroine with heart, a sense of family and honor, who has the capability of saving the world.  This is a great first story in the series that has no bad language, little to no violence, no sex (unless you count a fairly innocent kiss by the prince), and is well-written.