Good Reads - Fiction

What We're Reading

2006 Archives

December

FICTION/BALDACCI
Baldacci, David - The Camel Club - 2005, 435p.
What is the Camel Club? The Camel Club is: Caleb, Reuben, Milton and Oliver, a bibliophile, a veteran, a genius and a man without a past. A ragtag group of slightly dysfunctional, eccentric characters, who for their own reasons, are dedicated to keeping the government, particularly the intelligence community, truthful. This unusual group is put to the test when they stumble onto a suspicious murder that, of course, turns out to be just the tip of an international conspiratorial iceberg. Not your typical cast of characters for an action packed political thriller but a more likeable group of heroes would be hard to uncover. The characters return in Baldacci's 2006 The Collectors. Terri W.

FICTION/BANERJEE
Banerjee, Anjali - Invisible Lives - 2006, 278p.
Lakshmi Sen, part-owner of the sari shop Mystic Elegance, has the "knowing" – the magical ability to choose the perfect sari to make dreams come true and fix problems in the lives of the women who wear them. However, the knowing disappears and Lakshmi sees the air become full of bubbles when she is in the presence of Nick, driver of Bollywood star Asha Rao, who has come to the shop to choose her wedding sari. Lakshmi must decide whether following tradition or her heart will make her happy, as she improves lives one sari at a time in this satisfying, magical story. Sue O'Brien

MYSTERY/CHURCH
Church, James - A Corpse in the Koryo - 2006, 280p.
A timely and absorbing police thriller, this debut novel features Inspector O of the North Korean Security Service. When a case O is involved in merits interference from the Military Security Command, O is caught between rival factions while trying to do his job. Attempting to uncover the truth within the limits of a totalitarian regime seems almost impossible, and O must use all his professional skills, even risking his life, to see that justice is served. This multi-layered novel is rich with details of not only the politics of North Korea, but everyday life as well. Sheila Guenzer

FICTION/COLLINS
Collins, Michael - Death of a Writer - 2006, 307p.
Robert Pendleton, emotional ticking-time-bomb and creative writing professor at a private Midwestern college is about to lose his tenured position, when he is coerced into playing campus host to best-selling author (and personal nemesis) Allen Horowitz. What follows is his unsuccessful suicide attempt, and the discovery of a manuscript which details the horrific real-life abduction and murder of a 13-year-old girl (hidden?) in his basement. Suspicion escalates concerning Pendleton's involvement in the actual crime after the graduate student who found the novel discovers other incriminating evidence linking him to the murder. Debbie Deady

FICTION/LYNCH
Lynch, Jim - The Highest Tide - 2005, 247p.
On Puget Sound, thirteen-year-old Miles spends most of his time exploring tide pools, reading about naturalist Rachel Carson, and making money harvesting clams (while reading racy bits in novels and horsing around with Phelps, his clamming partner). When he discovers several impressive and unlikely ocean phenomena, the local news picks up on this small boy with a surprising knowledge and understanding of his natural world. When he comments to the press that the sea might be "trying to tell us something," the local metaphysical cult starts to wonder if Miles isn't a prophet. Miles is a genuine and likable young character who, in the midst of growing up, gets swept up in something much bigger than he is. Heather Booth

FICTION/MACOMBER
Macomber, Debbie - Christmas Letters - 2006, 269p.
Katherine "K.O." O'Connor enjoys Christmas so much that she writes other people's Christmas letters as a second job. This year, after reading child psychologist Dr. Wynn Jeffries' book Free Child, K.O.'s sister Zelda is boycotting Christmas and depriving her five-year-old twin daughters of holiday traditions. To make matters worse, the twin's behavior has turned them into holy terrors as a result of Dr. Jeffries' theories. K.O. and Dr. Jeffries meet and find that they are attracted to each other even though their personalities are polar opposites. This light romantic comedy might be just the thing after a long day of shopping during the holiday season. Marianne Trautvetter

WESTERN/OVERHOLSER
Overholser, Stephen - Night Hawk - 2006, 198p.
Ousted from the train in Coalton, Colorado, a starving, homeless young teen is left to fend for himself in this small town on the high plains. Mindful of the approaching winter, Sheriff Wade Rogers secures a spot on the Circle L ranch for the boy with outfit manager, Tyler Johnson. Long hours and hard work mark the struggle for survival here; on rolling prairies raw with the beauty of a landscape so desolate it has driven men crazy. Memorable characters and a strong sense of place highlight this coming-of-age story which is further complicated when an unexpected visitor arrives in town. Suzy Miller

FICTION/SEDARIS
Sedaris, David - Holidays on Ice - 1997, 133p.
This humorous collection of holiday-themed short stories from famed satirist David Sedaris makes it possible to squeeze in a bit of reading, even for the harried. A few of his stories include an annual holiday newsletter from a family gone wrong, a brutally honest theater critic who evaluates the holiday plays of local schools, and the author's own true recollections of his time as a Macy's elf named Crumpet. Sedaris' twisted satire is brutally funny and serves as a good reminder to keep a sense of humor about everything, especially the holidays. Nicole S.

November

FICTION / BIRD
Bird, Sarah - The Flamenco Academy - 2006,381p.
A novel of friendship, betrayal and obsession set in the world of flamenco dance and gypsies. Cyndi Rae and Didi were closer than best friends, bound by loss, they survived high school in Albuquerque on Cyndi Rae's brains and Didi's nerve. When Cyndi Rae falls for Tomás, who is "gitana por cuatro costaos" or gypsy on all four sides, the girls find themselves drawn to the flamenco world and its secrets. This compelling novel is a good bet for those readers who have enjoyed Barbara Kingsolver or Joanne Harris. Terri W.

813.09/DIDION
Didion, Joan - The Year of Magical Thinking - 2005, 227p.
Joan Didion tries to understand the grief process she goes through the year following her husband, John Gregory Dunne's, sudden death after suffering a massive coronary. Just days before Christmas, the Dunnes recently married only child, Quintana, is hospitalized with the flu which quickly becomes pneumonia and finally complete septic shock. The night before New Year's Eve, Joan and John return from visiting their gravely ill daughter and try to have a quiet dinner at home, but before the meal is done John has fallen to the floor and Joan is calling the paramedics. In the year following, Joan pours all her energy into helping Quintana recover her health, while trying to understand that she wasn't going to wake up from the nightmare and find John alive beside her. This is a heartwarming story of almost forty years of marriage and professional collaboration between two successful writers. Marianne Trautvetter

FICTION/EDWARDS
Edwards, Kim - The Memory Keeper's Daughter - 2005, 401p.
It is 1964 and Dr. David Henry believes he has it all – a thriving medical practice, a beautiful wife, and a new baby on the way. Then one night, his wife goes into labor, and a blizzard prevents them from getting to the hospital. Delivering the babies himself, David is shocked when twins are born and one is a healthy boy, but the girl is born with Down's Syndrome. He then makes a rash and life-altering decision when he tells his nurse helping with the delivery to take the girl to an institution. He tells his wife Norah the baby died. Caroline follows his instructions, but cannot leave the child and bravely keeps and rears her as her own. The novel then follows the next twenty years of this unspoken lie and how it affects all involved. This is a gripping and powerful story of human frailty and courage in the lives of one family. Sheila Guenzer

YA/FICTION/GREEN
Green, John - An Abundance of Katherines - 2006, 227p.
After being dumped by his nineteenth girlfriend named Katherine (a.k.a. K–19), former child math prodigy and recent high school grad Colin Singleton has a breakdown and hits the road with his best friend Hassan. Intrigued by a road sign, the pair detours off the highway to check out the burial place of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and end up having an eye opening and entertaining adventure in Gutshot, Tennessee. The Chicago natives are out of their element as they meet and interview a wide variety of colorful characters after acquiring jobs taking oral histories of the "old timers" in town. A road-trip story, a love story, a math story, a story about moving on, facing the future, and most importantly, about telling our own stories. This is the quintessential post-high school experience and a great read for and about teen guys and the people who love them. Heather Booth

FICTION/MCCARTHY
McCarthy, Cormac - The Road - 2006, 241p.
In McCarthy's latest offering, a terrifyingly imaginable world is presented to the reader. In a post-apocalyptic future, nothing remains of society as we know it. Starving, a father and his young son alternately scavenge for food and try to stick to the road, the road that will take them to the ocean. What they will find there is unknown, but it is a desperate goal with not much to sustain them during the journey except their love for each other. The road is also a dangerous place to be seen because of the cannibals who roam in packs and prey on the weak and unprepared. McCarthy's sparse yet descriptive language and his minimal use of punctuation powerfully convey the quiet horror of the dead land the father and son must navigate in order to survive. The Road is a multilayered and affecting novel. Nicole S.

YA/FICTION/OATES
Oates, Joyce Carol - After the Wreck I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away - 2006, 292p.
Fifteen-year-old Jenna Abbott narrates Oates' latest offering, targeted at a young adult audience, with this pithy narrative describing her first year following a terrible car wreck. The accident left Jenna with a brain injury and resulted in her mother's death. Jenna's compelling voice moves in a clipped and often ragged stream of consciousness as she struggles to express her wishes in learning to live with the aftermath of the wreck, and her "old lost life," while still mourning the loss of her mother. Readers who savored Oates earlier works will find Jenna navigating this rough year with surprising grace in this worthwhile novel for teens and adults alike. Suzy Miller

FICTION/PRIEST
Priest, Christopher - The Prestige - 1995, 406p.
The contemporary discovery of two disturbing personal journals belonging to nineteenth-century stage magicians Alfred Borman and Rupert Angier, reveal the story of an intense and ultimately deadly rivalry – one whose effects will continue to resonate dangerously through succeeding generations to the present. This is a story of well-guarded secrets, vengeance, and illusion; rich with historical detail and taut Victorian atmosphere. A feature film based on the novel is currently playing at area theaters. Debbie Deady

FICTION/ZIGMAN
Zigman, Laura - Piece of Work - 2006, 288p.
Julia Einstein, who enjoys being a stay-at-home mom, must go back to work as a celebrity publicist when her husband is fired; and he can't find a new job. She is hired by a second rate agency to bring about a comeback for has-been actress, Mary Ford, a demanding diva who is launching a new signature perfume. Julia struggles to keep Mary happy while missing her young son and watching her husband bloom as a stay-at-home dad. When Mary's comeback is about to be sabotaged by her boss, Julia finds a way to reinvent Mary's career and discovers for herself that change can be better than she expects. Sue O'Brien

October

MYSTERY/BLUNT
Blunt, Giles - Blackfly Season - 2005, 384p.
Based on a true crime this gripping tale is set in Algonquin Bay, Ontario and follows homicide detectives John Cardinal and Lisa Delorme as they investigate a young woman who wanders into town, covered in blackfly bites, with no memory, and a bullet lodged in her brain. Afraid "Red," as they nickname her because of her hair, is still in danger, Cardinal and Delorme focus all their resources on finding who attempted to kill her before they try again. A short time later another body turns up – that of a notorious drug dealer. Could the two cases be related? This taut and page-turning novel is only enhanced by the vivid descriptions of the barren and primitive landscape of northern Canada. Sheila Guenzer

FICTION/ DOIG
Doig, Ivan - The Whistling Season - 2006, 345p.
In 1957 Paul Milliron, superintendent of schools, is charged with closing and consolidating Montana's scattered rural schools. As he travels the state to deliver the sad news, he replays memories of his childhood in rural Marias Coulee, one pivotal year in particular. It was a year of eighth grade bullies, front-to-back horse races, spitbath handshakes, spelling bees in a one room schoolhouse, and the magical 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet. It was also the year Oliver Milliron, widowed father of three boys, saw the advertisement "Can't Cook, But Doesn't Bite" and hired Rose to keep house, setting the family on a course as predictable as the famous comet's. Doig is the quintessential Montanta storyteller and wraps his affection for "Big Sky" country around this story of an idyllic childhood. Terri W.

FICTION/KADISH
Kadish, Rachel - Tolstoy Lied - 2006, 325p.
Tracy Farber, an English professor at a New York City university, is up for tenure and happy with her single, academic life. Tracy believes Tolstoy was wrong and happy families aren't all alike, and she begins to research this idea for a possible book. Her life changes dramatically when she becomes involved in a whirlwind romance with George, who quickly proposes. Tracy accepts his proposal, but is uncertain if she is doing the right thing. At work, Tracy runs afoul of a powerful colleague and helps a fragile graduate student. Academic life and politics permeate the story of Tracy coming to terms with what she wants out of life and what she's willing to do to get it. Sue O'Brien

FICTION/MCCARTHY
McCarthy, Erin - Heiress for Hire - 2006, 300p.
Amanda Delmar doesn't belong in Cuttersville, Ohio. Her blond extensions, stilettos, and designer duds make her stand out in the small farming community. When her rich father cuts her off completely and she has no money to return to Chicago, Amanda (gasp!) is forced to find a job! Luckily for her, handsome farmer Danny Tucker needs a sitter for his eight-year-old daughter, Piper, that he recently found out about. Amanda surprises everyone, including herself, when she discovers she has a real rapport with the edgy little girl. Sparks fly between Danny and Amanda, and soon it becomes difficult for them to ignore their intense physical attraction or the admiration they harbor for each other, despite their differences. Likeable characters and a happy ending make this romance a satisfying read. Nicole S.

F/MINOT
Minot, Eliza - The Brambles - 2006, 243p.
This poignant contemporary novel captures the struggle of three adult siblings as they rally around their widowed father who has returned home with terminal cancer. Told from multiple points of view, each sibling grapples to integrate the complex issues and emotions accompanying the death of a parent with the life challenges each is presently facing. While Margaret, Max, and Edie share a close and convivial relationship, their father's imminent demise causes each to examine family attachments in light of discovering a long-held family secret. Measured pacing and vivid detailing enable this literary novel to offer a candid look into uncomfortable territory which may resonate particularly with readers participating in elder care issues. Suzy Miller

FICTION/PESSL
Pessl, Marisha - Special Topics in Calamity Physics - 2006, 514p.
Blue van Meer (named for a species of butterfly) has spent the majority of her young life on the road with her provocative and transient-loving Harvard professor dad, who finally allows Blue to both start and finish her senior year of high school in one place. As soon as classes begin, Blue is recruited by a curious group of four gifted students and their charismatic teacher Hannah Schneider, who meet each Sunday at her home for dinner and intellectual conversation. After a spring camping trip turns unexpectedly deadly, and Hannah's (murdered?) body is found hanging from a tree, the events surrounding her mysterious death unfold, revealing several shocking secrets, and prompting many additional questions. Literary references abound in this novel-in-syllabus-format. Debbie Deady

FICTION/QUINDLEN
Quindlen, Anna - Rise and Shine - 2006, 269p.
Bridget Fitzmaurice, social worker for a women's shelter in the Bronx, has spent most of her life in the shadow of her older sister Meghan and even though they both live in New York their lives are very different. As the host of Rise and Shine, a morning talk show, Meghan is probably one of the most famous women in America until she is fired for using profanity when she thought her microphone was turned off. Meghan's outburst on camera was just after her husband's decision to leave her after 21 years of marriage. Not able to deal with her problems or the media watch she is under Meghan escapes to a remote island leaving Bridget to pick up the pieces including telling her college-age nephew, Leo, that his parents have split-up. For the first time in her adult life Bridget comes to realize her individual strength and helps her sister through this difficult time. Marianne Trautvetter

FICTION/TOEWS
Toews, Miriam - Summer of My Amazing Luck - 2006, 220p.
Snippets of life in a government-subsidized apartment, mainly populated by single mothers, are strung together as carefully as a strand of pearls. Lucy, eighteen, is on her own raising her son, Dill. But a watchful eye trained on the women around her helps as she navigates the intricacies of the Canadian welfare system and the trials and joys of parenthood. Aided mainly by Lish, a boisterous, bohemian, loving mother of four, who yearns to reconnect with the carnival fire-eater and love of her life who fathered her twins in a one-night-stand, Lucy slowly faces the losses and twists in her life that brought her from a middle class adolescence to her current, sometimes lonely situation. Ripe with humor in what might seem a bleak existence, this brief novel has an engaging and easy voice that pulls the reader along as Lucy observes her colorful, entertaining, and very warm community. Heather Booth

September

FICTION/BOSNAK
Bosnak, Karyn - 20 Times a Lady - 2006, 352p.
Delilah Darling has hit the number. After discovering in a magazine that the average woman has had only 10.5 partners in her lifetime, Delilah decides that her behavior cannot continue. To make matters worse, her mother pities her single status, her younger sister is getting married, and she just got laid off. Delilah decides it's the perfect time to get a grip on her life, and takes her severance pay to finance a trip down memory lane with all of the men on her list, figuring that a keeper has to be in there somewhere. The hilarious road trip that ensues and the encounters she has with all of her exes are laugh-out-loud funny. Delilah's journey through the past makes her realize how fortunate she is to be where she is at in her life. A must read for fans of humorous chick lit. Nicole S.

F/BOYLE
T.C. Boyle - Talk, Talk - 2006, 340p.
Running late, an ordinary day unravels when Dr. Dana Halter is pulled over for coasting through a four-way stop and arrested on the spot after her license and registration turn up several outstanding warrants. In this way, Dana unwittingly discovers she has been the victim of identity theft. Compounding this nightmare as well as her legal quagmire is the post-lingual deafness Dana has lived with since a bout of spinal meningitis when she was four. Disgusted by seemingly callous, indifferent law enforcement, Dana and her boyfriend, Bridger Martin, decide to track the identity thief themselves. Briskly unfolding from multiple points of view, this contemporary novel underscores and personalizes a timely issue within modern society. Suzy Miller

MYSTERY/CLARK
Clark, Mindy Starns - Blind Dates Can Be Murder - 2006, 317p.
This is the second book in the Smart Chick mystery series. Jo Tulip is just getting her life back together after being left at the altar six months ago. Her newspaper columns is doing well, and life is good – that is until her agent encourages her to go on a blind date. When her date collapses on the restaurant floor, Jo tries to help by running to his car for medicine, only to find her real blind date tied up in the trunk. Jo enlists the help of her best friend Danny who has been secretly in love with her for years. Likeable characters, a cozy mystery, and a little romance make this a quick and enjoying read. Sheila Guenzer

FICTION / DASWANI
Daswani, Kavita - The Village Bride of Beverly Hills - 2004, 271p.
The distance from Delhi to L.A. is further than a young Hindi bride could ever imagine in this amusing novel of culture clash. Priya knew that as a new bride in far away America there would be things to get used to. She would be expected to revere her in-laws and her husband, clean and cook and generally foster a pleasant atmosphere in her new home. As strange and unusual as garbage disposals, bumper stickers, supermarkets, frozen foods, and American buffets were, nothing prepared her for the shock when her mother-in-law told her it was time to get a job! Priya is well educated but with no work history (work? her father wouldn't hear of it!) getting a job is harder than she ever imagined. So when she landed a receptionists position at "Hollywood Insider" which, shortly morphed into a position as the top journalist, one might think that her life is charmed. But for Priya the balancing act has only just begun, and she is forced to examine both worlds and make some hard choices. Terri W.

FICTION/GIFFIN
Giffin, Emily - Baby Proof - 2006, 340p.
At an age when most of their friends' are transitioning from ambitious, spontaneous, hip New York couples to designer stroller-pushing parents, Claudia and Ben are happy and steadfast in their child-free (not childless) lifestyle. Until, that is, they aren't. Ben's hints that he is more interested in babies and fatherhood than he imagined fall on Claudia's unbelieving ears. They had a deal on which their marriage was based: no kids, not ever. When it becomes apparent that Ben's desire for a child is more than a romantic fancy, and apparently stronger than his love for her, Claudia feels duped and the two separate. What follows is Claudia's journey through waters she never hoped to dive back into, and the realization that though there are plenty of fish in the sea, she may have left the best one behind. Readers who enjoy Jennifer Weiner's novels of women at turning points in their lives will find a satisfying character and enjoyable read in Giffin's latest.

FICTION/MEDLICOTT
Medlicott, Joan - The Three Mrs. Parkers - 2005, 290p.
Three generations of Parker women come together at a time when they all realize a need to understand, forgive and love each other. Snobbish seventy-five-year old Winifred Parker never accepted Zoe, the woman her son Stephen married, and cut off all ties especially after Stephen died in the service. Now Zoe must swallow her pride and ask her mother-in-law for help when she finds herself in financial difficulty and about to loose her home in South Carolina that she inherited from her parents. Katie returns to South Carolina to live with her mother and grandmother when she is devastated by the death of her handicapped daughter and becomes the catalyst to helping both the women reconcile their differences. This heartwarming story shows what the power of love can do. Marianne Trautvetter

MYSTERY/MULLER
Muller, Marcia - Vanishing Point - 2006, 323p.
Recently married, San Francisco private investigator Sharon McCone takes on a case to locate a woman, Laurel Greenwood, who disappeared 22 years ago. Was she murdered or did she leave her husband and young daughters for reasons of her own? Sharon investigates, resolving the matter, but unburying secrets from the past and present in the process. This long running series (25 books) has Sharon moving from working as an investigator for a legal cooperative in the first book, Edwin of the Iron Shoes, to running her own successful agency with multiple employees. Her personal life, from romantic to family relationships, grows and changes as well in this always interesting, solid series, populated with likable, well-developed characters. Sue O'Brien

MYSTERY/YANCEY
Yancey, Richard - The Highly Effective Detective - 2006, 304p.
Former security guard Teddy Ruzak may be a bit naive and slightly overweight, but thanks to a recent inheritance, he is finally ready to realize his dream of becoming a PI (never mind that he doesn't have a license, or even suspect that he needs one). His favorite waitress at the diner he frequents agrees to help him set up shop, and Teddy is hired almost immediately by a concerned animal lover to investigate the hit-and-run murder of a family of goslings who got in the way of a fast-moving SUV. This wild goose chase isn't all that it seems however, as Teddy's sleuthing lands him in the middle of a real missing person's case. A witty, light mystery that's lots of fun – think tv series Monk. Debbie Deady

August

FICTION/MCCARTHY
McCarthy, Cormac - No Country for Old Men - 2006, 309p.
This contemporary novel examines the New West through the introspective eyes of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell ruminating over the societal changes he has witnessed during his decades-long career. Though briskly paced, McCarthy's story is not just another man-on-the-run thriller. Young Llewelyn Moss stumbles across a stymied drug run while antelope hunting and helps himself to an unguarded two million dollars. Told from multiple points of view, Moss is aggressively pursued across the rugged terrain of Southwest Texas and into Mexico by the law as well as a drug cartel and a paid assassin. Sheriff Bell's social commentary punctuates this action-oriented novel featuring well drawn characters, explicit violence, and ultimately, a bleak appraisal of the forces he sees as shaping our culture. Suzy Miller

FICTION/GRUEN
Gruen, Sara - Water for Elephants - 2006, 335p.
After the sudden death of his parents during the early years of the Great Depression leaves him homeless and penniless, 23-year-old Jacob Jankowski hops a freight train, landing in a railcar owned by The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Decades later, prompted by the local arrival of another traveling circus, Jacob (who is now a 93-year-old nursing home resident) is reminiscent; presenting an intimate glimpse into the fascinating world of circus life, and disclosing a decades old secret he's kept to protect the woman he loves. Debbie Deady

SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY/MITCHELL
Mitchell, Syne - The Last Mortal Man - 2006, 435p.
Set in the future, immortality can be bought by only the wealthiest people. Thanks to scientific advances made by Lucius Sterling's corporation, all of society has become dependent on nanotechnology to complete tasks ranging from the simplest to the most advanced, including a conversion process to become immortal. It is almost inconceivable when Lucius' descendent, Jack, is born with a life threatening allergy to all nanotechnology. Instead of living a life of seclusion, Jack seeks refuge in Montana with the Mennonites, one of the last pristine places untouched by scientific advances. When an unknown threat begins destroying everything that is based on nanotechnology, including the immortals, Jack must find a solution to prevent the entire destruction of civilization. This action packed science fiction thriller is the first in a projected trilogy. Nicole S.

F/PARKHURST
Parkhurst, Carolyn - Lost and Found - 2006, 292p.
Those who watch reality TV for a glimpse into the other people's lives will enjoy this behind the scenes look at a fictional game show similar to The Amazing Race. Several pairs of participants (who all come to the show with more than one kind of baggage) vie to win the million dollar prize on a globe trotting scavenger hunt, each round ending with the stoic host inquiring, "You have lost the game, but what have you found?" The wide cast of appealing characters in this entertaining read all find a little more than they planned on about themselves, their companions, and the world around them. Pick this one up for its clever premise, believable relationships, and exotic settings. Heather Booth

FICTION/RENDAHL
Rendahl, Eileen - Un-Bridaled - 2006, 269p.
Just as they were to be pronounced husband and wife, Chloe hears a voice in her head saying "run" and leaves her groom and stunned guests at the alter. No longer welcome in the home she shared with her fiancé and without a plan for her future; Chloe moves into her grandmother's rental bungalow and takes a job as a waitress at a local pub. Chloe, struggling with guilt, starts to put the pieces of her life together and finds she is much happier now that her fiancé isn't controlling her life. The author tells a poignant story with laugh out loud humor making this a quick read . Marianne Trautvetter

MYSTERY/ TURSTEN
Tursten, Helene - The Torso - 2006, 341p.
Detective Inspector Irene Huss of the Goteborg, Sweden, criminal division, heads up a high profile investigation into a series of murders in Goteborg and Copenhagen while balancing the domestic demands of her husband and twin teens. A human torso discovered on a beach outside Goteborg, Sweden, shares a remarkable number of similarities to a recent discovery in Copenhagen. The forensic evidence and the nature of the crimes, indicate a necrosadistic serial killer, one who is likely to repeat with increasing frequency. Detective Inspector Irene Huss and her team find themselves searching through the darkest worlds of sexual behaviors to find the killer before he claims anymore victims. This compelling mystery, second in the series, will especially delight fans of Patricia Cornwell and Prime Suspect. Terri W.

FICTION/TYLER
Tyler, Anne - Digging to America - 2006, 277p.
As two families gather at the Washington airport, to await the arrival of the Korean infants they are adopting, neither would anticipate that the relationship which will start that day between the two families will endure for years. Bitsy and Brad Donaldson, a typical white middle class couple, and Sami and Ziba Yazdan an affluent Iranian couple, form a special bond not only with each other but with extended family members on each side. Bitsy decides that the girls and families should have an Arrival Day party the first year and so a tradition is born. Told from multiple points of view this engaging novel is a satisfying read on many levels, including what it means to be an American. Sheila Guenzer

July

FICTION/BAGGOTT
Baggott, Julianna and Steve Almond - Which Brings Me to You: A Novel in Confessions - 2006, 300p.
John and Jane are strangers when they meet at a wedding, and agree to rendezvous (clandestinely) later that evening in the coat closet. But just as things heat up, John uncharacteristically puts on the brakes. Could this chance encounter be the start of a real, meaningful relationship? So, over Jane's initial objections, they agree to become pen pals (he lives in NYC, and she in Philly) hoping to discern their potential compatibility before planning another face-to-face. What follows is a series of "confessional" letters to each other about their failed past relationships, in this clever, collaborative novel. Debbie Deady

FICTION/CHILD
Child, Lee - The Hard Way - 2006, 371p.
This is the tenth in a series, featuring ex-army MP Jack Reacher who just happens to be sitting at an outside café and witnesses a man running to a car and leaving. Unfortunately for Reacher, he had just witnessed a ransom gone wrong. Soon, he is caught up in finding the wife and daughter who have been kidnapped. Edward Lane, husband and father to the kidnap victims is a mercenary with many enemies and it will take all Reachers' powers of investigation to bring them back alive. This intelligent and well thriller grabs the reader and doesn't let go. Readers who like this book can enjoy all Lee Child's books starting with The Killing Floor. Sheila Guenzer

FICTION/ DAVIS
Davis, Kathryn - The Thin Place - 2006, 275p.
This lyrical novel is set in a small unusual New England town, Varennes, which straddles the thin place, a nebulous place which exists between what is, what was and what will be. Twelve-year-old Mees is profoundly aware of the thin place, compelled as she is, when life has left a body for what is next, (whether a stranger on the beach or a beloved pet) to reach into that place and pull life back. But it isn't just Mees who stands at the precipice of the thin place. In Varennes every quirky resident seems to teeter on the precipice of their own thin place, whether it is between love and loneliness, past and present or childhood and adolescence. This is a provocative and lovely novel of literary fiction with a little magical realism tossed in for good measure. Terri W.

FICTION/DUNANT
Dunant, Sarah - In the Company of the Courtesan - 2006, 371p.
Expelled from Rome after the fall of the great city, a renowned courtesan and her dwarf, Bucino, move to Venice and try to rebuild the wealth and life of luxury that they lost. Bucino, the contemplative and cunning companion and pimp to the famed courtesan, Fiammetta, tells a carefully paced story full of lush detail becoming the age. Bucino is an intelligent, dignified, and slightly melancholy man: in the thick of upper-class Venetian society and the business of the flesh, yet because of his stature and role, always the outsider. The compelling lives of these multi-dimensional characters, including the painter Titian, and the eloquent descriptions of 16th century Venetian life make this a great choice for lovers of historical fiction with intrigue and vivid details. Heather Booth

FICTION/FFORDE
Fforde, Katie - Restoring Grace - 2006, 338p.
Grace opens up her home and heart to a young pregnant woman who has recently left her irresponsible boyfriend, and her former stepdaughter Demi who is feeling ignored by her parents. Grace herself is recovering from a divorce while living in the dilapidated house left to her by her godmother. How the three share the house and become friends while moving forward in their lives makes for an appealing story in this British novel of women's lives and relationships, spiced with a touch of romance. Sue O'Brien

FICTION/JOHNS
Johns, Rebecca - Icebergs - 2006, 297p.
The lives of two families become intertwined when a plane carrying Canadian service men Walt Dunmore and Alister Clark is shot down over Newfoundland during World War II. Both men survive the crash, but only Walt returns home to his wife while Alister's widow Adele must raise their baby daughter alone. Years later in 1967, both families leave Canada and relocate in Chicago further strengthening their bonds of friendship and family. The author weaves a narrative of linked lives taking different paths, but yet navigating their lives around similar "icebergs." Marianne Trautvetter

FICTION/MITCHARD
Mitchard, Jacquelyn - Cage of Stars - 2006, 293p.
In her latest offering, the author charters familiar territory documenting a family dealing with the aftermath of horrific tragedy. Twelve-year old Ronnie Swan, left to care for younger sisters Becky and Ruthie, witnesses their random and senseless murder by a schizophrenic pharmacy student. The densely written novel moves at a measured pace to illustrate the impact of these grizzly murders on the family as well as their tightly-knit Mormon community. To reclaim their lives, the elder Swans ultimately decide to forgive the killer, devastating Ronnie who quietly plans vague retribution of her own. Suspenseful and thought-provoking, the final plot twist examines the ideas of vengeance and forgiveness. Suzy Miller

SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY / NOVIK
Novik, Naomi - His Majesty's Dragon - 2006, 356p.
In this engaging and imaginative debut, the Napoleonic wars are in full swing and battles are being fought on a new frontier. Will Laurence is captain of the British ship Reliant when the crew seizes a shockingly precious cargo, a dragon egg. After the egg hatches, the newly born dragon becomes immediately attached to Laurence who christens the hatchling Temeraire. Laurence finds his naval career changed forever as he and Temeraire are drafted into His Majesty's Aerial Corps. Appealing characters, both dragon and human, combined with the creative plot, make for an enjoyable read. This is the first title in the spirited alternate history series. Nicole S.

June

FICTION/ISHIGURO
Ishiguro, Kazuo - Never Let Me Go - 2005, 288p.
Narrator Kathy H.and closest companions Ruth and Tommy are classmates at the exclusive Halisham School when we first meet them, eerily comfortable with the idea that as human clones, they are earmarked to become sacrificial organ donors in their young adult years. Their "guardians" (adults assigned to their care and teaching) have provided them with a good life and education, but only enough truthful information about their futures to ensure their cooperation. This is a touching story, which at its center, probes questions about personal value, self-sacrifice and human dignity. Fiction Book Discussion, July 2006. Debbie Deady

FICTION/LANSENS
Lansens, Lori - The Girls - 2006, 422p
In this densely written literary novel, Lansens revisits the rural landscape of southwestern Ontario found in her first novel, Rush Home Road, and crafts a compelling fictional account of two sisters, Rose and Ruby Darlens, who are the world's oldest surviving craniopagus twins, "…joined at the head by a spot the size of a bread plate." Fast approaching their thirtieth birthday as well as certain death from an inoperable brain tumor, bookish Rose decides to write her autobiography and enlists a reluctant Ruby to tell her own life story as well. Lansens structures the novel around their alternating voices, and amply demonstrates the girls are much more than the sum of their medical condition. Memorable secondary characters and a vivid sense of place round out this candid portrayal of siblings. Suzy Miller

FICTION/QUICK
Quick, Amanda - Second Sight - 2006, 390p.
After a single night of passion with Gabriel Jones, Venetia Milton moves to London and reinvents herself as a fashionable photographer to help support herself, her aunt, and her younger brother and sister. Shocked to learn of Jones' death, she takes his name to become a respectable widow – until she finds reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. Jones, who has been trying to locate a family relic, reappears when he learns of Venetia's deception to protect her and her family from a madman who will stop at nothing to find the relic. The couple investigates and locates the madman, using their psychical abilities, while almost losing their lives, and of course falling in love. Witty dialogue and likable characters enliven this spicy romance set in Victorian times. Sue O'Brien

FICTION/SEIDEL
Seidel, Kathleen Gilles - A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity - 2006, 294p.
As Lydia Meadows watches her daughter walk up to the school doors on the first day of sixth grade, she realizes with a blend of amusement, bafflement, and horror that her little girl Erin… is popular. Lydia was never one of those girls, nor were her closest friends – the mothers of the other newly popular pre-teens. While her husband is consumed by a trial in the national spotlight, Lydia is alone to navigate waters just as treacherous as those in the nation's top courtrooms. The ins and outs of the in-crowd reverberates through Lydia's once calm and happy home and threaten the adult friendships she holds so dear. With a title inspired by Jane Austen's Emma, and similar sensibilities, this is grown-up chick lit written with sensitivity and understanding of the delicacy and importance of friendship of all ages. Heather Booth

FICITON/TROLLOPE
Trollope, Joanna - Second Honeymoon - 2006, 323p.
Edie Boyd is distraught when the last of her three children move out and the family home becomes an empty nest. Her husband, Russell, tries to console Edie with the idea that the empty house will give them more time for each other and an opportunity for Edie to devote to her acting career which was often put on hold while she raised a family. By the time Edie and Russell become more accustomed to their new living situation all three kids have moved back home due to unseen financial circumstances. Trollope writes an intuitive portrayal of a caring, loving and eccentric family who find things don't always work out as expected when you go back home again. Marianne Trautvetter

FICTION/TYLER
Tyler, Anne - The Amateur Marriage - 2004, 306p
In the fervor of the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Pauline and Michael meet each other by chance, and rush into marriage. Unlike most other young couples, Pauline and Michael never seem able to get past the petty squabbles, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings. For the next thirty years of their relationship, their fundamental differences affect every member of the family. Tyler is extremely adept at dissecting a marriage, one that never should have taken place. An insightful and moving read. Nicole S.

FICTION/UNGER
Unger, Lisa - Beautiful Lies - 2006, 374p.
Ridley Jones is quite content with her life – she loves living in the East Village and has an interesting career. However, all that changes, when she rescues a toddler from being run over by a car, and is quickly catapulted into fame. Eventually, the media frenzy subsides, and Ridley resumes her life – that is until she receives an alarming note saying "You are my daughter." After evasive answers from her parents, Ridley enlists the aid of her new neighbor Jake, and together they embark on a dangerous quest to find the answers to her questions. This ambitious debut thriller is fast paced, with genuine characters and a compelling plot. Sheila Guenzer

May

HMYSTERY/CONANT-PARK
Conant-Park, Jessica and Susan Conant - Steamed - 2006, 294p.
Social work graduate student Chloe Carter goes out on a blind date to make a neighbor jealous. Unfortunately, her date Eric is murdered during dinner, and Chloe falls for Josh, a chef she meets at the gathering after Eric's funeral; but he is one of the chief suspects in Eric's murder! Chloe investigates to clear Josh while attending graduate school and working at her internship. Details of social work, gourmet food, and the restaurant business enliven this first person account by the amusing, likable Chloe. Sue O'Brien

FICTION / EASTER SMITH
Easter Smith, Anne - A Rose for the Crown - 2006, 650p.
In this debut novel, the author weaves a remarkable tale about the unknown mistress of King Richard III, who becomes the mother of his children. Kate Haute rises from her humble beginnings as the ward of her wealthy cousin and marries well, twice. Kate's quick wit and outspokenness charm nearly everyone she meets, including Richard, the young Duke of Gloucester. Kate and Richard's passionate love affair is set against the backdrop of the War of the Roses, a tumultuous period in English history. This book is rich in historical detail, with sympathetic characters, and might appeal to fans of Philippa Gregory. Nicole S.

MYSTERY/NESSER
Nesser, Håkan - Borkmann's Point - 2006, 321p.
There's an ax murderer on the loose in the small Swedish town of Kaalbringen, and veteran Chief Inspector Van Veeteren (who just happens to be vacationing in a nearby costal village) gets the assignment. The local police are having trouble finding any tangible connection between the first two victims, and are even more puzzled when a third victim is similarly done in. Van Veeteren (with only one unsolved case in his 20- year career), might remind readers of DCI Adam Dalgliesh, the likeable loner from the popular P.D. James series. Winner of the Swedish Crime Writers' Academy Prize Best Novel Award in 1994, this 2006 translation is Nesser's U.S. debut. Debbie Deady

FICTION/WRIGHT
Wright, Vinita Hampton - Dwelling Places - 2006, 342p.
Set in a rural farm community in Iowa, Dwelling Places is the story of a family struggling to hold together even though circumstances and personal crisis are tearing them apart. Mack Barnes returns home after being hospitalized for severe depression unsure how his family will treat him and uncertain of his future since the family has lost the farm that has been in their family for generations. His mother, Rita, is a deeply religious woman who spends her time caring for other senior citizens who need her help, yet she is unsure what to do to help those closest to her. Jodie, Mack's wife, is still overwhelmed by the extra burdens placed on her shoulders while Mack was away and tries to buffer Mack from the problems their two teenage children face. Wright doesn't sugar coat the reality of this families' problems, but tells a realistic story with just enough humor thrown in. Readers who enjoyed Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres will find this book satisfying. Marianne Trautvetter

FICTION/STROUT
Strout, Elizabeth - Abide With Me - 2006, 294p.
Elizabeth Strout revisits the familiar New England landscape in her newest novel Abide With Me. Set in the late 1950s, newly ordained minister Tyler Caskey arrives to pastor a small flock of parishioners in West Annett, Maine. Tyler brings a steadfast certainty to his work which rests on "the Feeling" he can only describe as the Joy in knowing God. As members of his congregation grapple with processing historical events of that time (eg: Cuba, nuclear warheads, "the Russians," Sputnik, and bomb shelters), Tyler finds his center of gravity shaken by a more personal loss. The quest to regain his equilibrium; indeed to ask whether it is possible to find "the Feeling" again when life-events challenge one's worldview, becomes the focus of this multi-layered literary novel. Readers who savored Strout's previous novel, Amy and Isabelle, should likewise enjoy the measured pace of this offering featuring the same kind of well-drawn characters and attention to period detail. Suzy Miller

FICTION/ NUNEZ
Nunez, Sigrid - The Last of Her Kind - 2006, 375p.
How do you come to inhabit the life that you live? In 1968 at Barnard College, two very different young women, Georgette George, an escapee of a violent and poor family and Ann Drayton, a conflicted, reluctant member of the Connecticut elite, shared a dorm room for their freshmen year. Revolution and idealism were in the air. Politics, sex, and drugs were pushing the envelope to redefine society, morality and justice. While both women participated in the events of the times, in the end they diverged to follow quite different paths. This is a compelling narrative of the forces that shaped these complex and unapologetically liberal women's lives. A good choice for Nadine Gordimer readers. Terri W.

YA/F/ZUSAK
Zusak, Martin - I Am the Messenger - 2005, 357p.
Aimless underage cab driver, Ed Kennedy, has his ho-hum life ripped from its comfort zone the day he foils a half-baked bank robbery and is thrust into the hero's spotlight. His otherwise simple life (play poker, hang out with friends, and drink coffee with his ancient dog) becomes complicated by the playing cards he begins receiving in the mail: Aces scrawled with clues. With an uncanny sense of urgency, Ed deciphers the coded instructions, which lead him on nightly missions into the dark corners and hidden secrets of his Australian town, delivering the messages he hopes he was meant to send. A well-crafted teen mystery with plenty of twists and a very likable protagonist. Heather Booth

April

FICTION/ABBOTT
Abbott, Bonnie Thomas - Radical Prunings: A Novel of Officious Advice from the Contessa of Compost - 2005, 235p.
Horticulture columnist Mertensia Corydalis dispenses gardening advice (except on lawns) to the public in a question and answer format in this amusing as well as informative novel. The stories of Miss Mertensia, her ex-husband, her secretary Miss Vong, and her gardener Tran are woven into her very opinionated answers to questions on everything from getting a pond ready for spring to whether it's ok to plant ornamental grasses in the fall. Full of great advice and eccentric characters, this satisfying novel of collected "gardening essays" is a real pleasure to read for anyone who enjoys this popular hobby. Sue O'Brien

FICTION/ ATWOOD
Atwood, Margaret - The Penelopiad - 2005, 196p
With little else to do, while eternally wandering around in Hades, Penelope and her chorus of slain maids have had plenty of time to examine the events and characters that propelled Penelope to fame. Her cousin, Helen, of course started it all (getting wrapped up with Paris of all things), and who could blame Odysseus for wanting in on the fun? Penelope, famous throughout history for gladly suffering as the "virtuous and loyal" wife, while her "adventurous" husband was out battling with the gods in his very own epic, is ready to tell the tale, the way it really happened, not quite so glorious and definitely shorter! This amusing and insightful literary gem is not just for those who have read The Iliad or The Odyssey! Terri

FICTION GARDNER
Gardner, Lisa - Gone - 2006, 342p.
Child advocate and private investigator Lorraine "Rainie" Conner (who previously appeared in Gardner's The Third Victim, The Next Accident and The Killing Hour) is missing from her parked car left abandoned one night on a country road along the Oregon coastline. Rainie's estranged husband, Quincy, a semi-retired FBI profiler is unsure about her mental status since prior to her disappearance she had been having recurring nightmares and started drinking again after 15 years of sobriety. When the kidnapper leaves a ransom note, the cat-and-mouse game intensifies and the stakes further increase when a seven-year-old foster child named Dougie, who's one of Rainie's cases, is also snatched. This fast paced psychological thriller will appeal to fans of Lee Child's or Tami Hoag. Marianne Trautvetter

SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY/GOLDEN
Golden, Christopher - The Myth Hunters - 2006, 350p.
In this dark contemporary fantasy, Oliver Bascombe is about to be married to the perfect bride, which will complete the perfect life as dictated by his overbearing father. The night before the ceremony, a winter storm descends on Oliver's childhood home and a hurt man appears and pleads for help. Suddenly, Oliver is thrust into an alternate world, parallel to our own, where legends and fairy tales exist, and an unknown force is hunting them. This tale is fast paced with thrilling sequences, alternating between the real world where sinister murders are taking place, and the world beyond the "Veil." Nicole S.

FICTION/JAMES
James, Peter - Dead Simple - 2005, 404p.
What starts out as a harmless bachelor party prank turns into a nightmare, when Michael Harrison's friends decide to plan the ultimate pay back for al the malicious practical jokes he has subjected them to over the years. Their plan is simple – put Michael in a coffin with a breathing tube for a few hours, and then come back and get him. However, minutes after leaving him, they are involved in a drunk driving accident and all are killed leaving Michael trapped. This first in series introducing Det. Supt. Roy Grace is a taut page-turner with some terrifying twists. Sheila Guenzer

MYSTERY/MCMANUS
McManus, Patrick J. - The Blight Way: A Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery - 2006, 272p.
Bo Tully is an outdoorsman, a landscape painter, and is working hard on perfecting his "warm look" with the ladies. He's also the latest Tully to serve as sheriff of Blight County, Idaho. When three city slickers from L.A. end up dead in the woods, Bo suspects drugs are invading their cozy western cove, but who in Blight has the kind of money that L.A.-style drug deals require? Bo invites his dad, Pap, to join him in the detecting as a seventy-fifth birthday gift to the former sheriff. The ragtag investigation team slowly uncovers the clues with humor and old-fashioned sensibility (a.k.a. The Blight Way), over many plates of chicken fried steak at Dave's House of Fry. A light, fun, modern take on the "cowboy sheriff" and the start of a promising series. Heather Booth

FICTION/WALDMAN
Waldman, Ayelet - Love and Other Impossible Pursuits - 2006, 340p.
In this contemporary, literary novel, Ayelet Waldman departs from her popular Mommy-Track mystery series to explore new territory. When she meets Jack Wolfe, Harvard-educated, thirty-something attorney Emilia Greenleaf believes she has discovered her "bashert," or soul mate. Blissfully wed and creatively step-parenting Jack's son, six-year-old William, Emilia makes some painful and startling discoveries when awash in the grief and guilt surrounding her day-old daughter's death. Set on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, this densely written novel moves at a measured pace. It vividly captures the day-to-day details of a modern couple negotiating the sometimes messy intricacies of real life within the context of their newly blended family. Suzy Miller

March

FICTION/ALEXANDER
Alexander, Robert - Rasputin's Daughter - 2006, 304p.
Alexander's second novel again focuses on a turbulent time in Russia's history, the final days of the notorious peasant monk, Grigori Rasputin. Maria Rasputin, his oldest daughter, narrates the story when she is pulled in for interrogation by the Thirteenth Section, five months after her father's death. From her point of view we see Rasputin, not just as the infamous "Mad Monk", but as a holy, charismatic, and egotistical man. The author is successful at exploring a fascinating subject, using historically accurate details, and producing a satisfying quick read. Nicole S.

MYSTERY/ARNALDUR
Arnaldur, Indridason - Jar City - 2005, 274p.
This award-winning mystery introduces Iceland's Inspector Erlendur and his team to American readers for the first time. The murder of a 70-year-old man in his flat on the outskirts of Reykajavik brings Inspector Erlendur and his team an unsettling investigation. There are no signs of struggle or of robbery, only an odd note left on the dead man's chest. With little in the way of evidence, Erlendur and his team begin to look to the victim's past for information. What they find is a history that is so disturbing it seems unlikely not to be connected to the murder, but what is the link? If you are looking for a new mystery with multi-dimensional characters and a strong sense of place, this is a good bet! Terri

FICTION/CABOT
Cabot, Meg - Size 12 Is Not Fat - 2006, 345p.
Heather Wells, after a successful career as a teen pop star, has lost her recording contract, her fiancé, and her mother, who absconded with all her money, so she is reduced to working as the assistant director of a residence hall at New York College. One day, Heather receives a frantic call from her boss; a student has died. The death is ruled accidental; the female freshman was elevator surfing. Heather believes the student was murdered because girls don't elevator surf, so she decides to investigate on her own, enlisting the help of her landlord Cooper, her former fiancé's brother, a private investigator. This first person account speeds along with Heather's humorous account of her life and the investigation where she almost loses her life. Sue O'Brien

FICTION/GALANT
Galant, Debra - Rattled - 2006, 243p.
Galapagos Estates – the ideal locale in which to raise the ideal family. Which is exactly why Heather Peters insists on the next-to-last house in the development, even though it lacks built-in theater seating. It's also an ideal habitat for endangered rattlesnakes, but that wasn't in the brochure. Of course, the rattlesnake issue is common knowledge to long time local egg farmer Harlan White who, while doing handyman work for Heather, has a run-in ending with a smashed up Ming vase, a murdered endangered snake, and strict orders that Heather dispose of the reptile before the environmental nuts find out. When one does find out, it sets off a chain of events resulting in the most disastrous Parents' Night ever, a nationwide media circus, mild eco-terrorism, social ostracism of the third-grade variety, and the downfall of at least one not-so-upright citizen. The ideal exurban farce for fans of crime capers and tongue-in-cheek humor. Heather Booth

FICTION/HARRIS
Harris, Joanne - Gentlemen & Players - 2006, 422p.
Someone is playing dangerous games within the hallowed halls of St. Oswald's Grammar School for Boys – someone who will stop at nothing (including murder) to settle a decades-old score, involving the accidental death of a former student. Roy Straitley, a classics professor close to retirement, is one of two narrators, whose story alternates with that of a vengeful protagonist who we first meet as a troubled thirteen-year-old, living in the shadows of the imposing and majestic St. Oswald's. Twists and turns abound in this clever cat-and-mouse novel from the best-selling author of Chocolat. Debbie Deady

FICTION/ILES
Iles, Greg - Turning Angel - 2005, 501p.
After the death of his wife, Penn Cage returns to his home of Natchez, Mississippi to raise his daughter Annie. Life is relatively quiet till the day his childhood friend is accused of the brutal rape and murder of his of his seventeen-year-old lover. Kate Townsend, the golden girl of Natchez due to attend Harvard, is found in a river and Dr. Drew Elliot is the prime suspect. Cage reluctantly agrees to help his friend but his investigation turns up troubling aspects of life in this community. Shocking revelations about the youth in this tiny town include drugs, sex and violence. This compelling plot, and vivid characterization make for a page turner hard to put down. Sheila Guenzer

FICTION/STRAYED
Strayed, Cheryl - Torch - 2005, 322p.
First time novelist Strayed writes an engrossing story of a family experiencing loss. Teresa Raewood, at the age of 38, is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and dies within months. Neither Bruce, (her common-law husband) nor her children Claire (a college senior) and Josh (a high school senior) can face Teresa's dying and death. Each family member, caught up in their grief, can't help one another and instead lets their grief pull them apart. The children feel even further betrayed, when Bruce marries a neighbor shortly after Teresa's death. Even though the subject is sad, the author adds humor and characters that are real and loveable. Readers of Sue Miller or Jodi Picoult will enjoy this book. Marianne Trautvetter

February

FICTION/AHERN
Ahern, Cecelia - If You Could See Me Now - 2006, 307p.
What if imaginary friends really do exist? Ahern's newest novel focuses on Irish interior designer Elizabeth Egan, the rational member of the family, the one who has to take care of everything. She finds it impossible to slow down and enjoy life because she owns her own business and is raising her young nephew Luke (since her sister, Saoirse, is too concerned with being a free spirit like their mother). When a mysterious man named Ivan decides to take on Luke as his new friend, he realizes it is actually Elizabeth who is in greater need of a companion who can bring fun and spontaneity back to her life. A whimsical and romantic book that fans of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keys might enjoy. Nicole S.

FICTION/DAVIES
Davies, Martin - The Conjurer's Bird - 2005, 384p.
Past and present intertwine as scientist "Fitz" Fitzgerald looks for the elusive Ulieta bird, the only one of its kind ever found, discovered on one of Captain Cook's expeditions, and stuffed and given to naturalist John Banks in the late 1700s. The mounted specimen has been missing for years, and Fitz and his boarder Katya search for the bird (along with two competitors), uncovering a link between the bird and Banks' mistress. The search occupies the present, and the story of Banks and his mistress unfolds in the past. Rich with details of science and scientific expeditions, the well-drawn characters move the plot along in this satisfying pair of stories. Sue O'Brien

FICTION/KENNER
Kenner, Julie - The Givenchy Code - 2005, 351p.
Usually, twenty-something New Yorker Melanie Prescott's dilemmas occur on Fifth Avenue, and involve footwear… Prada or Jimmy Choo? That all changes however, when she learns that she has been selected as a "target" in a real-life version of a cyber game she once played online. An unknown assassin is being paid to "eliminate" her before she can correctly decipher random clues, and exit the game. Fortunately, help arrives with the introduction of the tall, dark and handsome Matthew Striker— sending sparks flying in more ways than one! This first-in-a-series novel reads like an evening stroll through Central Park: delightful, yet dangerous. Debbie Deady

YA/FICTION/LYNCH
Lynch, Chris - Inexcusable - 2005, 165p.
Keir is a nice guy. And nice guys just don't do what Keir is accused of doing, so there's no way he could have done it, right? Nice guys aren't vandals or bullies or drunks; they just have fun. And a nice guy definitely wouldn't rape the girl he admires and cares about. Flashing back and forth between the aftermath of his high school graduation night and a year's worth of events that led up to it, Keir narrates the story of his senior year. Even though Keir isn't honest with himself, the reader is able to see the destructive path he is on, and learns the truth about him long before he can see it for himself. This is a quick and gripping read that should appeal to teens who like books by Pete Hautman, Laurie Halse Anderson, or Arthur Slade. Heather Booth

FICTION/MASSEY
Massey, Sujata - The Typhoon Lover - 2005, 306p.
This is the eighth novel in a series featuring Japanese American antiques dealer and part time sleuth, Rei Shimura. Currently living in Washington D.C. with her lover, Scottish lawyer Hugh Glendinning, Rei is wondering what the future holds for her, when she is approached by the U.S. government. She is asked to return to Japan to find and authenticate an ancient Middle Eastern pitcher that disappeared from Iraq's national museum. The case becomes more complex when Rei's former lover is the top suspect. The traditions and social cultures of Japan are skillfully incorporated in this well-written and suspenseful novel. Sheila Guenzer

FICTION/RICE
Rice, Anne - Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt - 2005, 463p.
Anne Rice, known for her vampire chronicles, breaks new ground in this multi-layered, literary novel centered on the life of seven-year-old Jesus. The densely written novel, the first of a promised series of books narrated by Jesus, documents Jesus' journey of self-discovery which begins as the family relocates from Alexandria, Egypt back to their ancestral home in Nazareth. With the thorough study and meticulous investigation to which her readers are accustomed, Rice produces a character-driven novel, offering a fresh perspective of how events may have played out as Joseph and Mary, devout Jews living among a large, extended family, grappled with raising a pious son while safeguarding His identity. Suzy Miller

January

F/Abbott
Abbott, Jeff - Panic - 2005, 355p.
Evan Casher's life is good. He is a successful documentary filmmaker, and has a new girlfriend, Carrie, who he truly cares about. Then one morning he gets a call from his mother pleading with him to come home immediately. What he finds is his mother brutally murdered in the kitchen. As he tries to take in what has happened, Evan is viciously attacked, and then saved by a mysterious benefactor. What is revealed next is unfathomable to Evan – his parents are spies for the government and Carrie a paid informant. Twists and turns throughout the novel keep this fast paced and suspenseful plot intriguing till the very end. Sheila Guenzer

MYSTERY/BARR
Barr, Nevada - Hard Truth - 2005, 324p.
Leaving her new husband, Sheriff Paul Davidson behind in Mississippi, Anna Pigeon accepts the job of district ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park. In Colorado for only a matter of days, Anna delves into the mystery surrounding three young girls' disappearance when two of them abruptly reappear, remembering nothing of their ordeal. Their parents, members of a religious cult, aren't helpful in the investigation, and one girl is still missing. Anna uncovers the evil plaguing the park in this fast-paced adventure framed in the beautiful mountains of this part of the natural world in this thirteenth in the series. Sue O'Brien

F/BRASELTON
Braselton, Jeanne - A False Sense of Well Being - 2001, 336p.
Feeling stuck and unfulfilled in her picture perfect Southern Living-inspired life, Jesse, a social worker, fantasizes about young widowhood. She begins to seek meaning and understanding in the lives of the women around her. Peppered with interesting and complex wives seeking happiness – her friend Donna has a torrid affair with a young sales clerk, her bar-hopping sister's chaotic life is filled with squawking parrots and a sullen child. A client overcomes years of abuse and shoots her baseball bat-wielding husband, while her aging mother attends a charismatic church and insists on learning to drive – this is a quirky and touching first novel of love, loss, and redemption. Heather Booth

FICTION/ERICKSON
Erickson, Carolly - The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette - 2005, 341p.
In this historical fiction novel, the life of Marie Antoinette is revealed through a diary that Marie kept. The diary starts with her childhood in Vienna and ends 24 years later on the eve of her execution. At the age of fourteen, she was sent to France to marry the heir to the throne, Louis XVI, forming a political alliance between Austria and France. Marie finds Louis to be shy, reclusive, and ill suited to be the future king, yet she does her best to support him. The mix of history and fiction makes this a compelling read. Marianne Trautvetter

FICTION/PUTNEY
Putney, Mary Jo - Kiss of Fate - 2004, 340p.
Gwyneth Owens, having no known magical powers of her own, has dedicated her life to the scholarship of the Guardians, a group of powerful mages. Gwyneth consents to the Guardians' request to marry the powerful Scottish weather mage, Duncan Macrae, in order to keep an eye on the possibility of a Jacobite rising. Gwyneth's real power is revealed after her marriage – she discovers that she is an extremely powerful enchantress with the ability to drive men to destructive acts. The tentative bond between the two lovers becomes threatened with the arrival of Bonnie Prince Charlie, and Gwyn must face the possibility of betraying her husband. Putney has put a fresh spin on the historical romance with the nice addition of magic and fantasy elements, as well as interesting details of Scottish life during the Rising. Nicole S.

FICTION/SCOTT
Scott, Joanna - Liberation - 2005, 262p.
Adriana Rundel wants to believe she is experiencing heartburn, as she travels by train, on the morning after her 70th birthday celebration. Contemplative (and uncomfortable), Adriana is beset by memories of her childhood on the German-occupied island of Elba, and the night she spent hidden in a kitchen cupboard, as French and British "liberation" troops invaded. A wounded Senegalese soldier, to whom she provided refuge some sixty years earlier, is foremost in her thoughts, as she slowly begins to realize that her current physical discomfort may in fact be life-threatening. A multi-layered, literary novel. Debbie Deady

FICTION / TAN
Tan, Amy - Saving Fish from Drowning - 2005, 472p.
Bibi Chen is not amused. The art history tour she so carefully planned, "Following Buddha's Footsteps," meant to carefully examine artifacts in S.W. China and Myanmar, (formerly Burma), with just the perfect mix of adventure and luxury, has become a disaster. Her replacement is obviously not up to the challenge. The itinerary has been altered, and now most of the group has been kidnapped in Burma by a small misinformed tribe. Well, clearly all Bibi can do is watch and hope for the best. If only she hadn't died two weeks before the tour… Although the focus on Burma is a departure for Tan, as usual, it is the relationships among the various characters that carry the story. Terri W.