Spring Books 2.0

The Heart by Maylis de Kerangal
A breakthrough hit in France by a debut author, this book is provocative, thoughtful, and written in a such a unique writing style that it is at first disconcerting.  Translated in an authentic manner from the author's style, the reader is faced with second-person point of view.  As in, the writer speaks directly to us, placing us in the room during highly charged, emotional moments, almost as if the 'fly on the wall.'  The book begins with 19 year old Simon Limbres as he and his friends leave his home at dawn in order to catch the perfect wave at the nearby shore in France.  Just hours later, after a horrific car accident, we are personally entangled in all the decisions that come with a child who is brain dead: the devastated parents, the responsibilities of the medical team members, Simon's friends, and the recipient of Simon's precious heart.  Over the space of just 24 hours, this author is able to ensnare our emotions like nothing I have ever experienced.  I read frantically, voraciously, feeling each character's emotions as if I was there.  Not an easy book to experience; if you're looking for redemption in the end, this one is complicated.  But it is definitely a book I will not forget easily and would be an incredible book club choice with a plethora of hotly charged topics to discuss.

Evicted:  Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
Round two in unforgettable books, this was one of the more disheartening books I have read in quite some time. Brilliantly written and deeply researched, Matthew Desmond spends years with eight families in the heart of Milwaukee's poverty stricken neighborhoods, as they struggle with eviction, shady landlords, literal slum lords, drug addiction, job searches, and the type of devastating poverty that most people like to pretend does not exist in America.  Desmond, with brutal honestly, shows us a side of Milwaukee and humanity that is often difficult to understand, but he does so with compassion and truth.  He was able to tape many conversations and be a part of a world often denied to researchers; it is an impressive thesis on the state of housing in America for the disenfranchised.  Desmond pulls no punches and chooses to show his subjects in all their fallibility, not romanticizing their life choices (which at times are beyond questionable), yet also not condemning them.  It is admirable.  Desmond shows us the toll eviction takes, the unbearably high cost of housing in the slums, and the vicious cycle that is nearly impossible to break, generation after generation.  Not an uplifting book, to be sure, but one that will provide you with an education that is well worth the depression.

Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde
This was the heartwarming, feel-good book I had to pick up after finishing Evicted; it did not disappoint.  August Schroeder is a high school science teacher, who is increasingly burnt out on his job, surviving each school year by dreaming of his summer road trip in his motor home.  Yet this summer begins with a devastating dilemma - pay out all of his savings to fix his broken engine and punt on the trip to Yellowstone OR take the mechanic's offer of a free repair, that of course comes with strings.  The 'strings' being his two young sons, seven year old Henry and eleven year old Seth, who need a home for the summer while dad spends a few months as the guest of the county jail.  And since this is a 'heartwarming' story, of course August takes the boys along for the tour of a lifetime, seeing Yosemite, Bryce Canyon, Zion, the Grand Canyon, and ultimately the final destination of Yellowstone.  As the trip unfolds, we see the urgency of August's quest, the way nature can heal wounds, and the burgeoning relationship August forms with two small, utterly delightful young boys.  Yep, this warmed by heart, kept me turning pages, and ended with a smile. Well worth it:)

The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
This book is getting a lot of buzz out in the book-blogging world, and it is well-deserved.  Guskin takes what could have been an 'ordinary' story - that of one mother whose son disappeared years ago, another mother whose son has psychological issues that cause alienation - and twists it around to help us see that perhaps there are other forces at work here.  Janie's son Noah refuses baths, sobs for his other mother to come save him, and has horrifying nightmares about drowning.  Diagnosed at age four with schizophrenia, Janie instead turns to a psychologist who rejected a promising Harvard career as a psychiatrist and instead began to research past lives of children.  A laughing stock in the medical world, this doctor is looking for an American child to validate his research.  Guskin brings up the many questions as she intersperses the fictional story with scholarly accounts of young children, mainly in Asia, who have been reunited with their previous families.  Questions such as...does religious have a place in medicine, does reincarnation exist, do young children have a special window into their past lives, and if so, how does one meld this belief with other religious beliefs?  As the two mothers try to make their way through grief, they must also attempt to find answers to these questions.  It is a fascinatingly different take on a mystery, as well as what a parent would do to heal a child.

Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon
If you read The Wife, the Maid, and The Mistress (great book on a true-life 1920's era murder), this is Lawhon's second outing in the world of historical mystery.  This time around, she takes the world-famous story of the zeppelin, the Hindenburg (who hasn't seen the famous 1938 video of it burning to the ground in just 34 seconds?), and semi-fictionalizes the crossing from Berlin to New Jersey.  I say 'semi' as the author actually did extensive research on the real passenger list and uses these facts to people her story.  The names have not changed, nor their reason for being on the airship, nor their eventual fate - some lived, some died.  However, Lawhon obviously creates the relationships, the dialogue, the rivalries, the espionage, and the eventual reason for the explosion.  Told through the eyes of the "reporter," the "navigator," the "flight attendant,"  the mysterious "American," and the "cabin boy," we readers see the strings that ultimately leave to the final devastation.  It is a fascinating look at history, as well as just a darn good story.

The Nine:  Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin
With everything going on today in the world of SCOTUS, I figured this would be a good book to become a more educated person on how the United Stated Supreme Court actually works, as well as the complex humans who inhabit that world.  I was right - I infinitely know more about the workings of the court, the nomination process, and of course all the dirty little secrets, relationships, maneuvering, etc. that I ever wanted to know.  Toobin's book was published in 2008, so it does not have the Obama court choices in the book, but it does a stellar job of setting up the previous 25 years to see how the direction of the court was orchestrated.  Starting with the selection of Sanda Day O'Connor, we see her slow walk to the left, as she became disheartened by the Bush presidency as well as how politicized the court became.  Toobin outlines the selection of Ginsburg, Breyer, Kennedy, as well as the newer spots filled by Roberts and Alioto. He also goes into great detail about cases I knew little of, and I came to realize how much these cases affect our lives today as well as the current political atmosphere today.  Admittedly, I find the legal world fascinating, as well as many of the justices so this book is right in my wheelhouse.  If you're a legal junkie, like history, want to become better informed, this is a well-written, intriguing book.

Early Spring Books

Two If By Sea by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Jacquelyn Mitchard (Deep End of the Ocean) is back with another beautifully written novel, once again focusing on the intricacies of family.  Frank Mercy, an injured and retired policeman, survives a devastating tsunami on Christmas Day on an Australian beach, but loses his wife and unborn child.  However, the next day when searching for survivors, Frank pulls a small boy from a sinking van, as the boy’s brother tells Frank that Ian is ‘important,’ before being swept away in the flood.  As Frank begins a new life, full of secrets and lies as he spirits the boy back to America with him, we begin to see how important Ian is, as well as the extraordinary gifts he has, gifts that some people will do anything to obtain.  Frank’s job as a horse trainer brings him into contact with intriguing characters, as well as showing the deep bonds of the owner and animals. This is a rich story, filled with deep love, sorrow, and ultimate redemption as Frank Mercy finds his way back to life. (March 15, 2016)



Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
I have read so many WWII books, books on the Jewish holocaust, books of war and trauma, I honestly wondered...is there a story I have not read yet on this subject?  The answer is in this book... yes, I had one more left to read, the story of Ravensbruck and the horrific experimentation done on so many young women.  Kelly uses three narrators to tell her story: Kasia, the young Polish girl, swept up in the resistance, who's mother and sister are taken with her to the prison camp; Herta, a young German doctor, desperate for money, who chooses to work at a new 'summer camp'; and Caroline Herriday, a real-life New York socialite who works tirelessly for war victim, particularly when she hears the fate of the Ravensbruck 'rabbits'.  It was an interesting point of view, to look at the German doctor's immoral acts, justified in her own mind to survive and flourish in a world of war, juxtaposed with the heroism of the girls. The story is heart-wrenching at times, moving between the horrors of painful and debilitating surgery in Poland, to the heartlessness of the German doctors, to the struggles at the French consulate to get help and aid to refugees.  Author Martha Kelly first heard the story of Carolyn Herriday when touring the famous gardens at Herriday's Connecticut home, and realized few people know the story of the 'lapins' (rabbit in French); these girls were horribly disfigured, and then ignored by history, until Carolyn came along to help them reclaim their lives, even in communist Poland.  It is an engrossing story about some remarkable and heroic women. (April 5, 2016)

Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederick Backman
When I saw this lovely new book by my favorite Swedish author, just sitting there on the ARC table (advanced reader copy), I felt my fingers tingle.  After laughing and crying and cheering for the characters in his first two books, A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You a Story, I was ready to dive back into Frederick Backman's words.  He goes back to a minor character from his Grandmother book, the crotchety old neighbor of little Elsa.  However, Britt-Marie is now separated from her skeezy husband and the book begins with her harassment of the girl at the Unemployment office.  Britt-Marie is lacking in social skills, cleans obsessively, and has not a clue how to be her own person.  However, a new 'job' at a rec center in a small dying town in Sweden changes everything for Britt-Marie.  The list of unique characters is a long one:  'Somebody,' the wheelchair-bound pizzeria owner; Banks, the blind woman with bitter memories; Sven, the lonely policeman who takes 'courses' on pottery and cooking; and most importantly, the football players: Vega, Omar, and older brother Sami, who have been abandoned by their parents; Pirate, whose father is in prison; Psycho, who is a more loyal friend than perhaps his name allows, and Max, who's father hides a secret.  This is a story of healing a woman stuck for too long in the past, who has never given herself permission to 'jump,' and who has a Grinch-sized heart.  You will laugh, cry, and cheer for Britt-Marie...guaranteed. (May 2016)

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
Joe Talbert has a complex life: an autistic eighteen year old brother, who needs more than Joe can give; an alcoholic mother who pops in and out of the county jail, demanding bail money from her 'college' boy; the mysterious girl next door who wants nothing to do with Joe; and the English class assignment to write a biography on an interesting person.  Thus enters Carl Iverson, a relationship that will change Joe Talbert forever.  You see, Carl is dying of pancreatic cancer, residing in a nursing home with 24 hour care.  The nurses, however, are not that kind to Carl, considering he spent the last 30 years of his life in the Minnesota state prison for raping and killing a 14 year old girl.  As Carl details his dying declaration, Joe begins to realize that this Vietnam war vet, tortured-soul of a man may be much more than a homicidal killer.  Memories of his grandfather's death wend its way through Joe's memory, forcing him to confront the redemption he so badly seeks.  This is much more than solving the mystery of a young girl's death; it is about the idea of what makes a family, how our past impacts today, and how we find hope in life we once thought was 'buried.'  This was a truly fantastic read - you won't be sorry you read it.

The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer
(I think someone told mystery/thriller writers to always put "Girl" in the title, and it's a guaranteed hit - not a bad idea, considering the past couple years - but a little originality is not a bad thing).  Now...on to the book, which was quite good, regardless of the repetitive title.  Beth, a young newly-divorced mother in England, is a typical, constantly-worried, over-protective woman when it comes to parenting her eight year old daughter.  Therefore what happens?  Of course, said daughter disappears.  However, the twist comes in as the other narrating voice in the story is Carmel, the daughter herself.  As we see Beth go through the early hours, days, weeks, and then years of Carmel's disappearance, we also see Carmel's new life, as well as her rather 'unique' talent.  Kate Hamer, a debut author hailing from Wales, is deft at building suspense and laying down clues to for both the reader, as well as for Carmel's mother.  This is a solid first effort, well worth the read.



Pax by Sarah Pennypacker
If you have a middle-reader (ie. Grade 4-6), keep reading...Pax is the latest hot new hit in the world of children's literature, and it is well-deserved.  Reminiscent of Where the Red Fern Grows, the story of Pax, the stalwart young fox and his boy Peter will keep you riveted to each page.  As a war comes to Peter's homeland, Peters if forced to release his fox to the wilderness as his father deposits Peter at his grandparent's farm.  Having raised him from infancy, Peter cannot get Pax's face out of his memory, and is compelled to return to the 'scene of the crime' and rescue his beloved pet.  The story is thus told through both Pax and Peter.  We see the dangers of Pax's new life, the friends he makes, as well as the enemies, and the heart Pax shows to survive; we also see Peter's determination to do what is right for Pax, the people who both aid and deter Peter, and the rawness of his love for the little fox.  Often teary and tense, this is a beautiful magical tale of deep and abiding love, and the courage to do what is right.  Highly recommend:)

Vacation Reading

Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt
Eighteen years ago, Wayne and Kelly Maines got a call from a cousin, telling them that she needed a good couple to adopt the twins she was carrying.  After years of infertility, the answer was a resounding "Yes!"  The complete reconstruction of their concept of what it is to be a family, and what it is to be a specific gender, takes place over the next years of their lives.  Author Amy Nutt does a spectacular job of staying out of the story, telling the narrative as an objective observer, and beginning each new section with physiological and psychological research into gender identity.  As the Maines' story unfolds, we see an ex-military, conservative father grapple with the ideas of what makes a boy a boy, and vice versa.  We see bullying in the school that erupts in a fight taken all the way to the state legislature.  We see friends who rally around Wyatt, who becomes Nicole, and we hear from his brother, Jonas, who says he has always known he had a sister and not a brother.  And we see their mother Kelly, who fights for the civil rights of her daughter, and teaches not only her husband, but her community, of what it means to become who one was born to be.  This is an inspirational, thoughtful book full of so much healthy learning - definitely a five star read.

The Good Goodbye  by Carla Buckley
I loved Buckley's previous novel, The Things that Keep Us Here, the far-too-real tale of a worldwide bird flu pandemic, a precursor to Station Eleven that I actually found more realistic.  The Good Goodbye is a worthy follow up.  It is a story of two families that send that daughters off to college, thinking they know everything about their lives...but do they?  Do any of us know what happens in the world of the constantly connected, tuned in, tech-savvy teens?  We see these two families at the hospital bedsides of their daughters/cousins after a terrible dormitory fire, and as Buckley takes us in and out of the past, we begin to piece together the puzzle of how their girls got to this place.  The parents are not altogether lovable, each with some unpleasant sides to them, as well as some redeeming qualities.  These are complex folks and I was constantly wondering who done what?? This is a great beach book - fast reading, gripping story, and a mystery that keeps you guessing to the end.  Solid effort by a good author.  It's getting a lot of buzz out in the publishing world - could be a nice little hit for Buckley.

The  Banks of Certain Rivers by Jon Harrison

A debut novel by new writer Jon Harrison, I am sad that this book has stayed on the periphery of the publishing world.  It is a fantastic read:  well-written with a complex story line that is both familiar yet new; richly drawn characters that you both want to cheer for and choke at times; and a fresh, honest voice that looks deeply into family relationships and how we deal with the 'ordinary' tragedies of life.  Teacher/administrator Neil Kazanzakis had it all - his childhood sweetheart as his wife, a job coaching cross country and teaching at a small port town on Lake Michigan, and a close relationship with his fourteen year old son.  Fast forward four years and his wife is in a permanent vegetative state, Neil is being accused of physically abusing a student, and his secret affair with a nurse is about to be put on public display.  Yup, it sounds like a big soap opera...but it does not read that way.  As we watch the student's story unfold, we slowly see the trap set for Neil by YouTube and public perception.  We feel his son's pain as he visits his mother weekly, and we watch Neil's relationships unravel one by one, as he desperately tries to hang on to his life.  To paraphrase one reviewer on this book, "I would not change a thing about this story."  I felt the same way.  The story was masterfully told; I hope that others discover this jewel of a book.

The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer
Belinda Bauer is a very popular British writer with a string of thriller/mysteries set in England.  After reading just one book, I am a fan.  The plot begins in a small town outside London, in a mechanic's garage where Anna Buck sits daily, cleaning the footsteps frozen in the cement of the garage...the last known trace of her five-year-old son who went missing four months ago.  In the depths of crippling depression, Anna decides to consult a psychic, coincidentally the same psychic who failed miserably to help Detective Marvel find Edie, a missing freckled-faced twelve year old girl.  As the stories begin to tangle themselves together, not only do the characters begin to question the presence of the 'shut eye,' the ability to see beyond what is known, but so do we the readers. Questions revolve around everyone:  Is Anna insane or can she see into the beyond? Does Detective Marvel have the ability to solve the case, or is he just a misogynistic ass? Can Anna's husband see past her problems and find his boy?  This mystery will keep you guessing until the end, guaranteed.


Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

This was one of those books that 'everyone' was reading, so of course who wants to be a lemming and follow that crowd?  Perhaps they were right, however - it's a darn good read!  The best part of the book is the main character, Ani FaNelli - geez, just look at that name again - it's priceless.  And so is Ani (aka TiFFani) - she is what I would call a 'piece of work.' Currently engaged to a wealthy scion of New York society, employed as a 'sex' writer at a brainless fashion magazine, and permanently committed to starving herself to death to fit into a size two, Ani is a character you can easily hate.  However, she's also wickedly funny, brutally honest in her self-reflection, and has a few interesting ghosts in her past.  In fact, she has a whole closet-full in her past.  As Ani prepares for both her wedding, and a big television interview, we start to see glimpses of her past: a previous English teacher now back in her life, a nosy reporter who wants all the dirt on what really happened at the nationally -famous 'incident' at her preppy college-prep high school, and the loyalty of her quirky best friend.  As author Knolls unravels Ani's past, we start to question our earlier perceptions of Ani...hmmm, is she really a wicked bitch or a survivor?  This is a roller coaster ride of a book - read it before the movie comes out:)

Descent by Tim Johnston
Having been on the PNW bestseller list for a number of weeks, I figured it was my 'job' to read and review it. I would suggest not listening to it.  That is what I did, and it read 'slower' I think because of that.  Johnston's writing is beautiful, with incredible description of the Colorado mountains, and I would have enjoyed actually seeing the writing.  It is a strong story of a family who becomes unraveled and how they their way back to a new reality.  Told from a variety of perspectives, we see the Courtland family as they first arrive at their motel in the Colorado mountain resort, and the phone call the parents get when their son is found badly injured at the side of the road. No sign lis eft of their 18 year old daughter, off for a training run with her brother on his bike.  As the next two years play out, we see the father, Grant, as he refuses to leave the Colorado town, the roots he puts down as he continuously searches for his daughter, and both the friends and enemies he makes.  We see his son, Sean who quits school and lives on the road, trying to run away from the guilt of surviving that fateful day.  The mother, Angela, flits in and out of a mental hospital back home in Wisconsin, attempting to regain her teaching career, yet failing each month.  And then we hear from Caitlin, the daughter trapped on a mountain side with a monster.  As Johnston plays this story out, he chooses not to follow the cookie cutter pattern of plot development, and gives us unexpected twists and turns, with a good dose of reality as well.  This is a thought-provoking story, that delves into the psychology of a survivor, the criminal mind, and the make-up of what makes a family.

Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
If you are adamantly opposed to fantasy, stop reading.  However, if you have an open mind to trying new genres or you do like a bit of fantastical adventure, you might want to continue on.  I have come to a personal epiphany about 'fantasy,' that in the past I would say I didn't like.  However, I grew up on the Oz books, and then dove deeply into Harry Potter with my two daughters.  It occurred to me that yes, I must obviously like a little magic and fantasy.  When an author takes a place I recognize, in the case of Shadow and Bone Russia and its neighbors, and then throws in some magical heroes and villains, I am hooked.  In this case, Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows - one of my 2015 favs), has created a fantastic female hero in Alina, the poor, not particularly attractive orphaned peasant girl, who has no idea she is a Grisha.  What is a Grisha, you may ask?  It is a person born with distinct magical abilities:  Heartrenders can stop your heart (problematic if they're your enemy);  Fabricators can make anything, and I mean anything; Inferni can create fire, Tidekeepers have that whole water thing down, and the ones that can summon the wind can keep a flying boat afloat.  Alina's little gift...she can summon the Sun - not bad.  The Darkling, the resident bad guy, of course wants her power and goes to fairly treacherous lengths to align with her.  However, Alina makes some powerful friends, and her loyal childhood friend, Mal, will never leave her.  Bardugo is just a fantastic storyteller, seriously.  She spins a book, or three, that are impossible to put down - exciting, at times terrifying, funny, romantic, and yes...fantastical.  Try it - you may be surprised:)

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