Miami-Dade Public Library System

The Cellist of Sarajevo
by Steven Galloway

This short novel reveals several distinct perspectives of war-ravaged Sarajevo following four strangers attempting to survive in the city.  After a mortar shell destroys the lives of 22 innocent people, a cellist plays at their death site for 22 days.  Arrow, a female sniper, methodically picks off soldiers from the hills.  Kenan undertakes treks to get water for his family through the deadly obstacle course that the city has become. Dragan thinks his isolation will keep him safe, but decides otherwise when he misses death by inches after bumping into a family friend. Their lives are woven loosely together through their shared experience of war and relationship with the cellist's performance. This gripping story is inspired by real life cellist, Vedran Smailovic, who like the musician described in this book played for 22 days at the site where 22 people died while waiting in line to buy bread in 1992.  Can music stop a war? Who will listen? Sky K.

Blood Harvest
by S. J. Bolton

The Fletchers’ new home, located in the small, picturesque English village of Heptonclough, is a dream come true …at first.  Soon, strange things begin happening—voices that seem to come from out of nowhere, a mysterious girl that only the Fletchers’ children see, and malicious pranks.  Then one day one of the Fletcher children goes missing.  It becomes apparent that the mysterious occurrences in Heptonclough are not merely the actions of pranksters but, rather, stem from something much more serious and potentially deadly.  What dark secrets might this seemingly ideal village be concealing and are they connected to the Fletchers’ increasingly frightening experiences? Read this haunting mystery-thriller to find out. Edda R.

In the Still of the Night
by Ann Rule

In the Still of the Night is the true story of the mysterious death of former Washington State trooper, Ronda Reynolds. She was found shot in the head in her home just nine days before Christmas 1998. Her death was initially declared “undetermined”. But through the next decade was changed to “suicide”, and then changed twice more. Her friends and family knew she would not commit suicide. But at the heart of this story is Ronda’s mother, Barb Thompson, who was determined to find answers to her daughter’s strange death. With the help of a few that believed in quest for the truth, they try to put the pieces together from the botched crime scene and initial investigation. This is a very exciting and suspenseful read. Philip M.

The Recessionistas
by Alexandra Lebenthal

Recessionistas is a smart, sassy inside look at Wall Street’s high-fliers.  Who better to tell the story than former financier Leventhal?  They’re all here:  the hardworking and long suffering support staff, the abusive and sneaking hedge-fund managers, the spend-till-you drop wives, the overworked nannies, the opportunistic women sleeping their way to the top, the spoiled children, along with the hyper-ambitious and socially competitive types. Susan L.

Cutting for Stone
by Abraham Verghese

One day an Indian nun who serves as a doctor in Addis Ababa doesn't show up for surgery. Turns out she is undergoing a difficult childbirth- no one knew she was pregnant. About to lose her life, her lover who is also a doctor attempts to save her life by aborting the child. In matters of seconds, an OB/GYN specialist appears on the scene to deliver the two children attached at the head. Unfortunately, the mother loses her life in the ordeal. The father flees, leaving the twins to be raised at the mission hospital. This gripping tale follows the adjoined twins, Marion and Shiva as they grow up, their increasing fascination with medicine, and their lives in relation to political struggles in Ethiopia. Everything is turned upside down in their lives when a woman comes between them and Marion is forced to flee the country for his personal safety. Marion travels to America to work as a surgeon until one day, his past abruptly catches up with him. His future now lies in the hands of his brother and his estranged biological father- will they be able to save him? Read "Cutting for Stone" by Verghese to find out! Sky K.

Living Oprah
by Robyn Okrant

Ever wondered what it would be like to follow all of Oprah's advice- all of it? "Buy goat’s milk," "Use energy efficient bulbs," "Vote for Barak Obama," "Don't eat after 8 p.m.," "Watch Raisin in the Sun with your family and a bowl of popcorn." Author Robyn Okrant does just that as she spends a year buying every product, reading every book recommendation and trying out every philosophy that Oprah mentions. Robyn Okrant writes with a blend of sincerity and humor that propels this book beyond a gimmicky trick. Instead it is a well thought out examination of self-help culture and the power of celebrity. Eleanor G.

Murder at the Vicarage
by Agatha Christie

In Murder at the Vicarage, by Agatha Christie, loud-mouth, bullying, arrogant Colonel Protheroe is found dead from a single bullet to the head in the vicar’s study. Who in tiny St. Mary Mead would go so far as to commit murder? But then who didn’t bear a grudge against this ornery old man who had crossed everyone, even the vicar? Miss Jane Marple counts at least seven suspects, all of whom have credible alibis. No one believes her, not even Vicar Leonard Clement who is helping the police. Murder at the Vicarage marks the debut of Agatha Christie’s beloved elderly detective, Miss Jane Marple, who out-smarts the police with her careful observations and clear-sighted view of human nature. Susan L.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows

Shortly after the end of World War II, writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, a man who now owns a book that used to be hers and who has found her name on it. This letter is the beginning of correspondence that eventually will include several residents of Guernsey, where Mr. Adams lives. He belongs to a literary society that was formed during the War as a means to explain away their having broken a curfew imposed by the occupying German army. But what began as a ruse became instrumental in sustaining this group during the darkest hours of the War. The letters written to Juliet with their stories are a testament to the power of hope and the resilience of human beings in the face of adversity. This story, told completely in epistolary format, will reward the reader with truly unforgettable characters and a rich sense of place. Bonina G.

Daemon
by Daniel Suarez

Not often does one run across a book by a first time author that exceeds the genre’s canon of previous works; this one does so convincingly. Well written, fast paced, and filled with well crafted characters and plot, Daniel Suarez quickly establishes himself as a master of the techno-thriller novel. Game designer Matthew Sobol dies of cancer, but has left a dormant computer program (daemon) that activates whenever an event occurs. The program begins to take over the world destroying everyone, including institutions that get in the way.  “Daemon” does not get bogged down in the details and readers will find themselves turning the page to see what happens next. This is the book to recommend to both the casual and die hard reader. Bruce D.

The Unit
by Ninni Holmqvist

At age 50 Dorrit Weger is dispensable.  She has no dependents (her beloved dog Jock doesn’t count) and she doesn’t perform a productive role in society.  But now she will become indispensable.  On her birthday she obediently checks into the Second Reserve Bank Unit where, in exchange for a luxurious life—a plush apartment, free food, gym, sauna, and friends her own age, Dorrit will become useful.  With the other residents, she is required to participate in medical tests while slowly donating her organs and body tissues to deserving and productive members of society.  In this utopian but bleak environment Dorrit finds love and friendship she has never known before.  But the clock is ticking.  Must she accept her fate? Or can she escape?  Does she even want to?  The Unit is a stunning page-turning debut novel by Swedish author Ninni Holmqvist that raises profound questions about the relationship between the individual and society even in a democracy. Susan L.

Life Without Summer
by Lynne Reeves Griffin

Tessa Gray’s life spins out of control after her four year old daughter Abby is killed by a hit and run driver while in the care of her school.  There are rumors that the detective investigating Abby’s murder is on the take and knows who the killer is.  Tessa attempts to discover the identity of her daughter’s killer while maintaining her sanity and starts seeing a counselor, Celia.  Celia has recently remarried after divorcing her alcoholic husband Harry. Celia and Harry’s son, Ian, is having difficulty with the new man of the house.  Eventually Ian decides to live with his father and his schoolwork begins to suffer greatly.  Life Without Summer weaves the lives of these two women together in surprising ways.  This story is packed with emotion whether you’ve had children or not and its path is filled with interesting turns, keeping the pages turning in your hand until the very end. Sky K.

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
by Barbara Demick

Journalist Barbara Demick follows the daily lives of six North Koreans who defected from their country.  These individuals and countless others like them suffered under years of famine and hardship as their totalitarian regime continued to claim they were the envy of the world. Lina C.

Homer’s Odyssey
by Gwen Cooper

In this delightful tale, Miami native Gwen Cooper recounts how, on a whim, she adopted a tiny blind kitten. Like his namesake, Homer has never let his lack of sight stop him. He has not only survived, but thrived, leading a full rambunctious life, first in South Beach, and later in Manhattan where Gwen moved to take a new job. Gwen Cooper is a gifted storyteller, who writes movingly about her grit and determination to rescue Homer and his two feline roommates, when they were trapped in her Manhattan apartment on 9/11. This is one of the best animal books I have read in a long, long time. I highly recommend it. Susan L.

The Rose Labyrinth
by Titania Hardie

Love a book that offers a little more than a good story? Sort through sheets of clues included in the shell of this book before delving into this mystery, written in the same vein as Dan Brown's novels. Check out Titania Hardie's website if you need help decoding the clues included on the sheets. After Lucy receives a heart transplant, she also receives the memories of its previous owner, Will Stafford. Will's family members are the descendants of John Dee who was Queen Elizabeth's spiritual adviser. After Lucy is kidnapped and her boyfriend's son is hurt after school by a mysterious man, Lucy and Will's family grasp the dangerous situation in which they are involved. Perhaps Will Stafford's fatal motor accident wasn't a mere accident. Can Lucy and Will's family uncover the truth hidden centuries before someone else dies? This a good fast-paced book, rich in Elizabethan and Shakespearean tidbits which you'll only want to put down in order to pour over the extra clues. Sky K.

Ford County
by John Grisham

Ford County is bestselling author John Grisham’s collection of seven short stories set in the northeast corner of his native Mississippi. They range from the hilarious to the heart-breaking, from recounting the misadventures of three bumbling friends attempting to donate blood for an injured neighbor to a scheme to bilk an insurance company to the pathos surrounding the last days of an AIDs patient coming home to die. While one story had me laughing until tears ran down my face, another left me shaken, contemplating the finality of the death penalty. The human drama described in Ford County truly reveals Grisham as a top-notch writer. Susan L.

The Devil in the White City
by Erik Larson

It’s murder, magic and mayhem at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair! From the euphoric highs of winning the World’s Fair bid to the devastating natural and man-made setbacks met at every turn, the history of the Fair is told through the stories of two very different men: Daniel H. Burnham, the Fair’s golden architect, and H.H. Holmes, the charming serial killer who set up shop across the street from the Fair. Author Erik Larson invites readers to follow the colorful historical figures and events almost too amazing to be true as he tells this gripping tale of a city on the brink of madness and a nation on the verge of greatness. Deidra G.

The Lace Reader
by Brunonia Barry
Towner Whitney grew up in Salem, Massachusetts in a family of lace readers. Her great Aunt Eva raised Towner and taught her to read lace as well, but Towner flees the small town of Salem and moves to California, cutting off ties to her family. When her great Aunt Eva drowns, she returns to Salem and begins to confront the past she has tried for years to avoid. A self-confessed unreliable narrator, Towner tells the reader her story: a twin sister given to a mentally unstable aunt at birth, a mother who cares for abused women but can’t seem relate to her own daughter, and an uncle who has become the leader of a fanatical cult. As Towner seeks to understand her great aunt’s death, will she be able to face her family history? Cynthia B.

Fool
by Christopher Moore
Shakespeare would approve of this parody of King Lear by skilled satirist Christopher Moore. Pocket stars as the witty jester of King Lear, whose daughters are plotting to make his rule powerless. Pocket and his dim apprentice, Drool, attempt to help the king make nice with his family while balancing saucy banter, seduction, crude humor, treason and haunting apparitions. A talented Fool is always on dangerous ground angering the prideful royals & lords meaning that Pocket is no stranger to frequent death threats (and attempts). This bawdy tale contains a nice twist at the end to tie up the story nicely. Listen to this as an audiobook and you'll be laughing out loud! Sky K.

The Haunting of Hill House
by Shirley Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House is the quintessential horror story by the Grande Dame of American horror fiction, Shirley Jackson (1916- 1965). Hill House, a lonely abandoned mansion in the western hills, has a bad reputation. Dr. John Montague and his three assistants, Eleanor, Luke, and Theodora, arrive planning to live in it for a summer to investigate its secrets first-hand. But no one wants to answer their questions, not the townspeople in nearby Hillsdale or old Mr. and Mrs. Dudley, the caretakers who make a point of not staying in the house overnight. But what makes Hill House so mysterious? Its odd structure? Its creepy rooms? Slowly, slowly Hill House begins to reveal things about itself, but who will die for probing its secrets? Susan L.

Provenance
by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo
Provenance documents the fascinating account of what has been called by Scotland Yard “the biggest art fraud of the twentieth century.” It takes you on a journey into the heart of the art business and deconstructs how a con artist and a forger managed to dupe, over a period of ten years, a host of art dealers, buyers, auction houses and museums in both sides of the Atlantic. By tampering with some of the world’s most important art archives, they were able to pass off over 200 paintings as authentic; some are still hanging as originals. Bonina G.

Admission
by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Portia Nathan has been an admissions officer at Princeton University for 16 years. A graduate of elite Dartmouth, Portia loves her job but struggles with the pain of rejecting scores of bright, enthusiastic, accomplished prospective students each year. Still, she enjoys her work and her long-term relationship with a Princeton professor until a recruiting trip to an alternative high school begins her thinking about choices she has made in her life. As the admissions season progresses, a series of events occur further disrupting Portia’s careful existence. As her life begins to unravel, Portia makes a crucial decision to change the outcome of a choice she made as a young woman. With an eye-opening view of the daunting admissions process that currently faces students hoping for a seat at the best universities, Admission takes the reader along on a fascinating journey. Cynthia B.

Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves
by Mark Z. Danielewski
In this story within a story within a story, deadbeat Johnny Truant discovers a mysterious manuscript that describes a documentary film about an eerie house that is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. As Johnny obsessively researches the house, his own dark past and present begin to intertwine with the lives of the blind author, as well as the family that took up residence in the house. Both a thoughtful character study and a nail-biting tale of terror, this book is written in a wildly unique style that will have readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Deidra G.

Brideshead Revisited
by Evelyn Waugh
Can you ever escape God? Can you ever totally reject him? Evelyn Waugh ponders these questions in his brilliant and best-known novel, Brideshead Revisited, set during 1920s and 1930s England. The story is told through the eyes of narrator, agnostic Charles Ryder, who befriends the upper class and dysfunctional Flyte family, first as friend to the alcoholic Sebastian and later as lover to the debutant married daughter Julia. Yet none of them, no matter how estranged they become from God can escape him. I recommend the audiobook version, read by actor Jeremy Irons, who played Ryder in Granada Television’s 1981 production. Susan L.

The Good Thief
Hannah Tinti
Ren has lived in St. Anthony's Orphanage his entire life. His life completely changes when a man claiming to be his uncle, rescues him from a future of conscription into the army and takes him for adventures with a rough group of graverobbers. It was selected as one of the New York Times 2008 Notable Books (Fiction & Poetry). Yossi G.

History Lesson for Girls
by Aurelie Sheehan
It is 1975, and Alison Glass moves to the affluent town of Weston, Connecticut with her parents. A shy thirteen-year-old forced to wear a back brace for scoliosis, Alison becomes a target of ridicule at her school. When an independent-thinking classmate, Kate Hamilton, comes to her rescue, an unlikely friendship ensues. As the town prepares for a grand bicentennial celebration, Alison and Kate share their private tribulations, but can a friendship built on adolescent pain survive? Cynthia B.

Cloris : My Autobiography
by Cloris Leachman with George Englund
The autobiography of the award-winning actress; it chronicles her interesting life and long career. From growing up in the Midwest, to her start in the New York theatre, she offers many fascinating insights. Leachman writes of her days on the Mary Tyler Moore show and the time she spent with rest of the cast. She goes on to discuss, for the first time, the tragic death of her son and how that affected the family. And finally, she gives some inside dish on her popular run on Dancing with the Stars. Entertaining summer read. Phillip M.

As the Romans Do
by Alan Epstein
If you wanted to visit Rome this summer but did not get a chance to go, pick up “As the Romans Do.” Author Alan Epstein, who moved to Rome with his wife and two young sons more than a decade ago, has compiled a wonderful selection of amusing vignettes about the joys of daily life in the Eternal City. Follow the Epsteins as they make Rome their home. A truly charming account, one worth savoring with a cappuccino in hand! Bonina G.

My Sister's Keeper
by Jodi Picoult
Some children are conceived in an attempt to save a bad marriage, some are just the results of too much wine or a great vacation, but Anna has always known why she was born: to be a donor match for her older sister, who has a rare form of leukemia. She sues her parents for medical emancipation when the procedures become progressively more invasive and she is not asked for her consent. This novel examines the moral, ethical and legal implications of genetic planning in a family's desperate attempt to save a beloved child. Lina C.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Kathy, a naïve 31-year-old, reflects back on her time spent at Hailsham, a private boarding school she attended with friends Ruth and Tommy. While many of her memories are happy ones, Kathy realizes the truth behind some of the darker moments the three shared. A seemingly privileged environment, Hailsham provided a pleasant, if sheltered, life for its students. As Kathy and her friends prepared to leave Hailsham and enter their adult lives, they realized the school was not what it seemed. Years later, their paths cross again, and a clearer, colder reality appears when they confront their past. Cynthia B.

Ernie: The Autobiography by Ernest Borgnine
Having appeared for over 50 years in films and on television (and still at it), the 91 year actor recounts his life with a “regular Joe” narrative that reminds us of the many characters he’s portrayed on film.  Borgnine comes across as a hardworking nice guy, and he rarely badmouths any stars and or directors he’s worked with or encountered.  He gives memorable accounts of just about every film he’s appeared in.  He discusses his multiple marriages, one to Mexican actress Katy Jurado and another very brief marriage to Ethel Merman.  He discusses his professional and personal encounters with past Hollywood heavyweights (Clark Gable, James Cagney, Gary Cooper) as well as today’s actors (John Travolta and Kurt Russell).   A proud Italian-American who has always been bilingual, Borgnine is known to many generations of fans from the 1950s to today, from his academy award winning performance in the film Marty and his 1960s sitcom "McHale’s Navy” to his more recent voiceover work as Mermaid Man in SpongeBob SquarePants.  Hector V.

The Believers by Zoe Heller
When liberal attorney, Joel Litvinoff, suffers a stroke, his wife, Audrey is left alone to deal with not only his illness but the trials and tribulations of their children: Rosa, who is exploring Orthodox Judaism, Karla, who is trying to have a baby with her husband and Lenny, a heroin addict, who is using again. An unexpected, unwelcome visitor brings Audrey shocking news. Yossi G.

Give me Back my Legions! A Novel of Ancient Rome by Harry Turtledove
Master storyteller and historian Harry Turtledove recounts the epic Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9 between German tribes and Roman legions in Give Me Back my Legions!   Under Arminius, known also as Hermann, the Germans united for the first time ever to fight the three Roman legions that had been sent by Cesar Augustus to conquer the misty dark lands west of the Rhine River.  The outcome of their encounter turned the tide of history and meant that Roman rule would never extend westward beyond Gaul.  Yet the battle was more than a military encounter—it was also clash of cultures:  German tribes with their democratic individualism versus Rome’s sophisticated culture and organized government.  Turtledove makes this conflict come alive for modern readers.  Susan L.

The Book of Lost Things
by John Connolly
Twelve-year-old David is distraught over his beloved mother’s untimely death. But grief quickly turns to anger and resentment when his father finds a new wife, who soon provides him with a baby brother. It is also around this time that David begins to experience unexplained blackouts, during which he sees strange worlds, and he starts to hear books whispering to him from the bookshelves. Then he begins seeing a sinister being called the Crooked Man. But things take a truly strange turn when David mysteriously finds himself trapped in a world filled with strange beings and monsters, ruled by a distant king who may be David’s only chance for returning to his world. This fascinating novel serves as both a coming-of-age story and a celebration of fairy tales and the power of storytelling. Edda R.

Harriet and Isabella
by Patricia O’Brien
Sisters Harriet Beecher Stowe and Isabella Beecher Hooker are as close as any two of the numerous Beecher siblings. Yet when Henry Ward Beecher is put on trial for adultery in 1875, the famous Beecher clan is ripped apart. Isabella, a staunch suffragist, calls on Henry to admit his guilt to his congregation and the world, while Harriet remains loyal to Henry’s claims of innocence. Isabella is cast out of the family and remains an outsider for years. Now Henry lies dying, and Isabella and Harriet must examine their own past loyalties. In a fascinating fictional account, O’Brien paints a vivid portrait of the social circumstances surrounding this renowned family. Cynthia B.

Sashenka
by Simon Montefiore
When Sashenka and her husband, both devoted Communist members during the Stalin regime, are arrested, they must make difficult choices in order to save the lives of their two children. Years later, after the fall of Communism and with the help of a young historian, Sashenka's daughter attempts to find what happened to her parents and her brother. Yossi G.

The Soloist
by Mark Salzman
Renne Sundheimer was considered a child prodigy on the cello until eventually his success waned as an adult. His devotion to his musical arts and stage-centered upbringing leaves him devoid of social skills. When he is not practicing alone in his apartment to regain his musical prowess, he teaches cello at a Californian university. Renne has recently been called to become a juror in a murder trial. During the same time frame, he also meets a love interest and takes on giving lessons to another child prodigy, Kyung-hee. These events change Renne’s life dramatically. This story, sprinkled with a dash of Zen Buddhism, is simply written and is a powerful, inspiring quick-read. Sky K.

Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett

Follett molds an epic tale about the struggle to construct an awe-inspiring cathedral in 12th century England. An Oprah's Book Club selection, this tale is a tightly woven exciting adventure filled with betrayal, violence, lust, love and the obsessive greed of power. Prior Phillip, raised as a monastery orphan, comes to manage an ailing cathedral which suddenly burns to the ground one night. Tom Builder who dreams of building a beautiful cathedral, is traveling to find work and coincidently shows up the night that the run-down cathedral burns to the ground. Tom is hired to design and rebuild the cathedral. However the local bishop and Earl of the area aren't too keen on Phillip's task and seek every avenue to stop the cathedral's progress to include burning down the town and attacking its innocent people. Although this book is thick enough to use as a booster seat or effective door stop, it's chock-full of dramatic twists and turns that make you forget its vast number of pages. Sky K.

In the Heat
by Ian Vasquez

In this debut hard-crime novel, Belizean-born and Florida resident Ian Vasquez explores the twin sides of Belizean life: the eco-tourist paradise of comfortable jungle bungalows, ancient Mayan ruins, exotic wildlife, and pristine snorkeling opportunities versus the bleak reality of daily existence dominated by drug trafficking, money laundering, rampant corruption, unemployment, and an all-pervasive malaise offering zero prospects beyond leaving for the United States. Within this context, washed-up boxing star Miles Young returns from the United States, his marriage in shambles, and desperately in need of money to support his young daughter. Out of the blue he receives an irresistible offer of money and a chance to revive his flagging career--find Rian Gilmore, the teenage heiress of a notorious drug trafficker who, in fact, may or may not have eloped with her shady boyfriend. But the further Miles ventures into the steamy underbelly of Belizean life, the harder it is to sift fact from fiction. Susan L.

Just After Sunset
by Stephen King

A new collection of thirteen short stories by Stephen King. Included in this book is the story “Rest Stop.” This tale is set in Central Florida and is about a writer who witnesses an incident of domestic violence in a secluded rest stop on I-75. Also included in this anthology is “The Gingerbread Girl,” which is also set in Florida. Phillip M.

Everything Under the Sky
by Matilde Asensi

After arriving in Shanghai to settle her husband’s estate, Elvira De Poulain, a painter and recent widow, is unpleasantly surprised when she finds out her husband, Rèmy, has left her with massive debts and she is now responsible for them. Rèmy De Poulain was a businessman but also an enthusiastic collector of antiquities and his death was no accident. In fact, it was caused by a priceless object he acquired and she now possesses. This object hold the clues that will take Elvira in a dangerous but fascinating journey across China in order to find the location of the First Emperor’s Tomb. Meticulously researched, Everything Under the Sky is not only an entertaining thriller but also a treasure trove of captivating knowledge about Chinese history and culture. Bonina G.

Indignation
by Phillip Roth

Marcus Messner’s father has become obsessed with ensuring the safety of his own son. Fed up with his father’s overprotectiveness, Marcus flees his familiar environment in Newark to attend Ohio’s Winesburg College, where he faces isolation and a hostile school administration. Yossi G.

The Translator : a Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur
by Daoud Hari

This memoir brings the reader into the Darfur tragedy through the first-person story of a man who fled his village to become a translator for reporters describing the conflict in his country. In a matter-of-fact way, Daoud explains the conflict in human terms, so that we feel we know someone with these experiences. Sheila B.

Here’s the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice
by Maureen McCormick

Here’s the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. This memoir of the well remembered television show of the 70’s, The Brady Bunch, chronicles the actress’s interesting life from her childhood as a child actress in Hollywood to her post “Brady” life, involving addiction, eating disorders and depression. She also writes about the ongoing issue of elder abuse that she still deals with in her own family. She shares all the intimate details of her struggles, as well as her inspiring journey to recovery. And finally, her lifelong battle to come to terms with her idea of perfection between her TV character and herself. Philip M.

No Angel
by Penny Vincenzi

The first in Penny Vincenzi’s trilogy The Spoils of Time, No Angel is the beginning of a fantastic family saga with a cast of appealing and complex characters. Strong-willed and smart, young Celia Lytton is determined to live life in her own terms. She finds herself going beyond the prescribed roles of her time and becoming a success in England’s turn of the century publishing world. Celia’s story and that of the Lytton family blend seamlessly in this engaging story rich in period details. Bonina G.

Out Stealing Horses
by Per Petterson

This Norwegian novel, which won the 2007 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, pulls the reader into the quiet story of a man in his sixties recalling a long-ago summer and re-constructing his father's involvement in World War II. It iscomplex in the shadings of feelings and knowledge, yet simple in its style and beauty – a book that is a satisfying pleasure to read. Sheila B.

Playing for Pizza
by John Grisham

Rick Dockery is a Cleveland Browns quarterback who ends his NFL career by throwing three interceptions at the end of a division championship game. His job choices are slim after that, but he lands a starting quarterback position playing American football for the Parma Panthers in Italy. Will Dockery lead the Panthers to the Italian Super Bowl? See a new side of Grisham’s writing and kick-off football season by reading this winning book! Sky K.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Diaz

This Pulitzer Prize winning novel captures the experiences of immigrants to this country through the character of Oscar de Leon, a Dominican boy suffering from excessive nerdiness, being overweight, and an inescapable family curse. The story is told using liberal amounts of Spanish and vulgarity, and this language adds, rather than detracts, to the vibrancy and freshness of the telling. Lina C.

Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil
by Deborah Rodriguez with Kristin Ohlson

After the 9/11 attacks, Michigan beautician Deborah Rodriguez went to Afghanistan, newly liberated from harsh Taliban rule, with American aid workers. She soon found her beautician skills in great demand, especially among Afghan women eager to catch up on the latest styling techniques that they had missed during the years when the Taliban regime had forcibly closed hair salons. “Miss Debbie,” as she was known, quickly found her beautician skills in great demand, and with products donated from leading American hair products companies, she opened a school to train beauticians. Soon after, she started her own demonstration salon to provide job opportunities for her students and teach them business skills so they could achieve independence in the traditional male-dominated culture. Rodriguez writes a first-hand, often chatty, account of the joys and setbacks she found as a Western in a foreign land. Susan L.

The Camel Club
by David Baldacci

The Camel Club is a Washington-based group that concerns itself with conspiracy theories. At the latest of their late-night meetings held on a desolate island in the middle of the Potomac River, the eccentric members of the club wonder if there is really any point in continuing their club. After all, not much has happened lately. Suddenly, the group hears the sound of a boat engine approaching and shortly afterwards, they become witnesses to a murder which will entangle them in a suspenseful conspiracy involving the President and the Secret Service. A fast-paced piece of political fiction, this novel will take its readers on a thrilling ride. Bonina G.

The Painter of Battles
by Arturo Perez-Reverte

Perez-Reverte’s latest translated novel has two men, one a war photographer and the other a former Croatian soldier who was a tortured prisoner of war, having an engaging philosophical dialogue from their personal experiences about what they both have seen and done (and not done). Faulques, a world famous photographer, has had a career in most of the warring “hotspots” of the world, and has retired to painting memories of wars that he feels can only be applied to a large mural he is working on. Markovic, the Croatian who was once a photo op subject of Faulques, has tracked the painter Faulques down in order to eventually kill him. While both men were witnesses to the atrocities of war in which both men lost loved ones, Faulques was mostly an observer taking photos while Markovic was a participant soldier. Hector V.

Codex
by Lev Grossman

Edward Wozny does not understand why he has been asked to help unpack some crates with old books for an important and rather mysterious client of his prestigious financial firm. After all, Edward is a senior financial analyst there. There must be some kind of mistake. Yet, once he sets eyes on the project, he feels compelled to continue. His decision will involve him in a dangerous and intriguing game in the search for an invaluable medieval codex that will have an unexpected conclusion. Bonina G.

Down and Out in Paris and London
by George Orwell

Orwell's semi-autobiographical debut novel is an often funny portrayal of poverty experienced firsthand, interspersed with social commentary. The narrator is an out of work British writer who spends half the novel working as a plongeur (dishwasher) in different Parisian eateries and half as a tramp in London. He relates his adventures with a journalistic sensibility: he treats with sympathy and respect the characters he meet, with the clear-sightedness of the outsider, and his decent into near starvation and penury are dealt with almost abstractedly. Lina C.

How to Be Cool by Johanna Edwards
by Johanna Edwards

“Cool Instructor” Kylie Chase sells her cool services to the socially inept. Geeks, nerds and wannabes flock to her to learn about the latest trends. A super hot celebrity journalist, wanting to do a piece on her profession, tails her mercilessly, wanting to get to the core of being cool. The only thing is Kylie Chase really isn’t cool. In fact, she makes a shambles out of many of the lives she touches, including her own and doesn’t want her dirty little secret getting out. Deirdre L.

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched
by Meg Cabot

Join self-proclaimed Queen of Babble Lizzie Nichols on her quest to snag the perfect husband. Commitment phobe, Luke doesn’t see Lizzie in his future but after a week without her and that old comforting feeling, he returns with a huge rock. His best friend Chaz is secretly in love with Lizzie and takes every opportunity to advise her on Luke’s lack of intention and to show her that he is the real deal. Deirdre L.

Peony in Love
by Lisa See

Peony is a young woman about to be married, who is sensitive and unusually well educated for her times. She yearns for something else beyond the gates of her home and the secluded life of her traditional household. In this beautiful yet haunting story, we follow Peony’s life as it unfolds against the background of the classic Chinese opera The Peony Pavilion. The reader will be instantly drawn to the marvelous details about traditions, rituals, and the life of women in seventeenth-century China after the Manchu conquest of the Ming Dynasty. Bonina G.

PopCo
by Scarlett Thomas

The protagonist Alice Butler works for a major, cutting-edge toy company. Her job deals with the making of espionage toys. During her assignment to create a hit product for teenage girls, she receives a strange letter written in code and embarks on a journey to solve the mystery of the letter's origins. Her journey leads her to question the ethics of her assignment, her company, and corporate society. Alice is a quirky, highly intelligent young woman. She is simultaneously sharp and independent, but girlish and innocently curious. The author, Scarlett Thomas, writes about cryptology, code-breaking, history and the mathematical language in a compelling and captivating fashion, making the novel accessible for even the least mathematically-minded people. This may be one of the smartest, most thought-provoking, modern piece of literature you will ever pick up.
Cecilia Q.

Metropolis
by Elizabeth Gaffney

Delve into this must-read historical novel set in 1860s New York and follow a young German immigrant through the dangerous adventure that his life has become. Unfortunately one night while working as a stableman for the Greatest Circus on Earth, he awakes to find his stable burning to the ground. The next day a body of a pregnant woman is found within the rubble pinning our innocent stableman with murder and arson. With the help of street criminals, the immigrant emerges with a new identity as Irishman Frank Harris narrowly escaping imprisonment. Frank penetrates the crime family, finding love in an unlikely place and eventually attempts to live a normal, ordinary life. However, Frank will discover that his story, his life will never be ordinary. Sky K.

Resistance: a novel
by Owen Sheers

Worlds collide as women in the Welsh borderlands awake one morning in 1944 to find that all the men in their isolated farming community have vanished overnight without a trace. Long isolated from the turmoil of World War II, they know little about the Nazi invasion after the Allied D-Day invasion was rebuffed. As the Nazi’s consolidate their grip on Britain, a secret advance patrol is sent on a secret mission across the English border into Wales. The lives of the soldiers and farm women are inexorably altered as both sides are forced together during a brutal winter. Welsh poet Owen Sheers’ brilliant debut novel is both a chilling alternative history of what could have been and a paean to rural life in the stunning Welsh countryside. Susan L.

The Brief History of the Dead
Kevin Brockmeier

This unusual novel is set in the near-future, where the dead inhabit an afterlife “city” as long as someone alive still remembers them. The author’s skillful writing and thoughtful tone make the theme of life’s interconnectedness moving and memorable. Sheila B.

The Know-It-All : One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
by A.J. Jacobs.

Imagine undertaking the daunting task of reading all thirty-two volumes of the complete Encyclopedia Britannica. A chip off the old block, AJ Jacobs picks up where his father failed and this humorous novel chronicle’s Jacob’s attempt. Join Jacobs as he shares how the pursuit of his goal reached every aspect of his life from his relationship with his wife, friends and expecting a new child. Does he accomplish his lofty goal and consume all thirty-two volumes? Read “The Know-It-All” to find out! Sky K.

Dreamers of the Day
by Mary Doria Russell

Agnes Shanklin finds herself independent in every way after tragic events alter her until then, predictable and rather dull life. She decides to travel to Egypt and there she becomes involved with some of the movers and shakers of the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference: Gertrude Bell, Winston Churchill and Lawrence of Arabia. Dreamers of the Day is an evocative and fascinating read. Rich with historical detail, this novel provides insight into momentous geopolitical events that took place long ago in the Middle East but still have impact in today’s state of affairs. Bonina G.

A Free Life
by Ha Jin

Ha Jin, the winner of the 1999 National Book Award, weaves a quiet yet powerful narrative that follows the lives of Nan Wu, a Chinese émigré, and his family as they build a new life in America. Nan has hopes for a career as a poet but soon finds his dreams and hopes slowly receding into the minutiae of everyday life. Ha Jin’s delicately woven tale, and Nan’s story and feelings will resonate powerfully with readers long after they have turned the last page. Bonina G.

Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
by Jeremy Scahill

Blackwater is a private security company with close ties to the George W. Bush administration. It received a contract to provide security for U.S. installations and diplomatic personnel in Iraq. In 2004, four of its agents were ambushed and murdered in Fallujah. Jeremy Scahill writes a fascinating expose on the company and its archconservative founder, Erik Prince, along with other private security firms now performing tasks which once were the domain of the military. Alan V.

Journal: Amy Zoe Mason
by Kristine Atkinson and Joyce Atkinson

Delve into the journal of Amy Mason, which combines her private notes, e-mails and newspaper clippings in a scrapbook format. Uncover the truth about Amy's mysterious death and decide whether it was murder most foul or the result of a frantic, stressing life of being a mother and wife in a failing marriage. Hint: There are hidden clues in the book, see if you can find them! Sky K.

The Known World
by Edward P. Jones

Set in Virginia during the years just prior to the Civil War, the novel traces the lives of a few free African-Americans and the many slaves they owned. Just like Walker’s “A Color Purple,” family ties play an integral part of the story. The free African-American slave owners, who readily accept their social status as slave owners, are caught in a balancing act between conducting business with whites and overseeing people of their own color. The well-researched novel is rich in detail, and was the 2004 recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Hector V.

The Night Watch
by Sarah Waters

Set against the background of World War II and its aftermath, this novel vividly describes the intersecting lives of four ordinary Londoners. The story, told in chronologically reverse sections, shows the importance of past events and experiences, and increases the reader’s involvement with the well-drawn characters. Sheila B.

Sacred Games
by Vikram Chandra

In telling the stories of a Hindu gangster and the Sikh policeman who is investigating him, the author brings the reader into the complex world of Mumbai’s crime and corruption. Contemporary issues of India and the world are portrayed through the three-dimensional and compelling characters. Sheila B

Sound Bites: Eating on Tour with Franz Ferdinand
by Alex Kapranos; illustrations by Andrew Knowles

Touring as part of a rock band provides ample opportunity to sample exotic and unique foods around the globe. Alex Kapranos, lead singer of the Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand, relies on vivid prose and his pre-music experiences as a chef to recount the hidden delights and surreal gastronomical situations he encountered while touring the world. What results is one of the more off-kilter travel guides available, celebrating the experience of the new. Charles R.

Intimate relations with strangers: a novel
by David Valentine Bernard

This novel combines elements of time travel, mystery and reincarnation set in a futuristic United States where terrorism has destroyed peace of mind among its citizens. The archetypal hero of the story searches for the woman he dreams of, the woman he has always loved and will always love, throughout time. Lina C.

The exception: a novel
by Christian Jungersen

In this suspenseful, psychological novel four Danish women who work for a nonprofit that collects and disseminates information on world genocides turn on each other after two of the women receive death threats. This intelligent analysis of the human psyche under stress and of the cruelty and paranoia that results of is thought provoking and unsettling. Lina C.

Tropic of night
by Michael Gruber

This tropical thriller set in Miami is a gripping thrill ride from the very beginning. A Cuban-American detective and a “Jane Doe” on the run collide in an explosive mix of sorcery and murder. Diane K.

In a sunburned country
by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson is the tour guide on a hilarious trip through Australia, from Sydney to Perth to the Great Barrier Reef. If you haven’t been there already, you will want to go, and if you have been there, you’ll want to go again! Diane K.

The art of war
by Sunzi (Sun Tzu); translated by Samuel Griffith.

From the battlefield to the boardroom, Sun Tzu's Art of War has inspired military, political and commercial strategists for over two thousand years. Often imitated but never surpassed, this classic manual offers time tested techniques for surviving and thriving in any kind of conflict. Bryant C.

Death Comes for the Archbishop
by Willa Cather

Multiple cultures interact in the Southwest late 1800s as two French priests are assigned to fix an archdiocese lacking in traditional services and devoted followers. The French priests interact with Mexicans, Native Americans, and North Americans, including Army soldiers and the legendary Kit Carson. Cather's colorful descriptions of people, places, and things along with anecdotes truly add to a picturesque yet historic narrative. Hector V.

Middlesex
by Jeffrey Eugenides

Cal Stephanides was born twice: first as a baby girl in a maternity ward in Detroit, and later as a teenage boy in an emergency room in Michigan. He was a hermaphrodite born from 80 years of stained family history and the relentless inevitability of his genetic makeup. This Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative spans generations and continents in a wondrously woven tapestry of people and places that rings true despite, or because of, the magic, chance, and fate that culminates in Cal. Lina C.

The Savage Garden
by Mark Mills

Cambridge student Adam Banting uncovers two murder mysteries, separated by 400 years, while researching a Renaissance garden in Tuscany for his thesis. Lina C.

We Need to Talk About Kevin
by Lionel Shriver

This novel is written as a series of letters from a wife to her husband concerning their son Kevin, in an attempt to make sense of the brutal murders he committed. It is a history of their life and marriage and deals with the question of ultimate responsibility. Diane K.

At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches
by Susan Sontag

This powerful collection shows Sontag in top form: passionate, brilliant, eloquent and profoundly clear-sighted. "I think that, for her, the joy of living and the joy of knowing were really one and the same," her son David Rieff reminisces in his foreword (Sontag died in 2004). Here she tackles an array of topics-some with urgency-that range from her reactions to 9/11 and its aftermath, the atrocities of Abu Ghraib and the protracted involvement in Iraq to the importance of moral courage and the indelible value of literature in our lives. Not to be missed. Brian C.

PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions of Ordinary Lives
by Frank Warren

Watch how the simple request of a man becomes the venting of many. This book is filled with postcards of people from around the world who wanted to share their secrets without being exposed. Beware, you may not be the only with that secret to bare! Cynthia S.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
by Kim Edwards

When his wife goes into labor during a snowstorm, a physician is forced to deliver his own twins and makes a decision that changes his life and that of his family forever. Lina C.

The Secret River
by Kate Grenville

The early history of the European settlement of Australia is told through the experiences of the family of William Thornhill, a character based on a relative of the author. Diane K.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon

This story is uniquely told in the voice of a fifteen-year-old autistic boy, Christopher Boone. Christopher is unable to read the subtle clues in tone, body language and behavior, and takes everything he sees or hears literally. When he is unjustly accused of killing his neighbor's dog, he resolves to solve the crime. Lina C.

The Long March, The True History of Communist China’s Founding Myth
by Sun Shuyun

Sun Shuyun retraces the “Long March,” to interview the aged and forgotten survivors as she uncovers the truth about one of modern China’s most enduring legends. In 1934 Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong led his followers on a two-year, 8000-mile-long eastward trek into the hinterland to escape both the rival Nationalist Army foes and the occupying Japanese forces. Two years later, the strengthened Communist Party re-emerged to take power, which it maintains until today. In this groundbreaking oral history, Shuyun exposes the Communists’ ruthless and brutal techniques that resulted in an 80% mortality rate among the marchers. Meet Woman Wang, Soldier Huang, Orderly Liu, Hygienist Chen, Operator Zhong, and others, who learned first-hand that the Communists demanded total dedication, but gave nothing in return. Susan L.

Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a time
by Rob Sheffield

When Rolling Stone music critic Rob Sheffield's wife died unexpectedly in 1997, all he really had left to remember her by were the music mix tapes they used to trade with each other. Using those mix tapes to examine their love and loss of each other, Sheffield creates a touching memoir of a young couple obsessed with music during the 90's. Much more than just a moving remembrance for his wife (which it is), it's also a tribute to the power music has in bringing people together and helping them to move on. Charles R.

So Many Ways to Begin
by Jon McGregor

A museum curator begins a search for his true identity after he discovers he has been adopted. Each chapter begins with an object which triggers a special memory for him—an ordinary life, not really so ordinary at all. Diane K.

Me Talk Pretty One Day
by David Sedaris

When reading these compiled essays, get ready to laugh and know that you are not the only one who has gone through some crazy things in your life. This is one book you won’t be able to put down and will make you realize how funny life can be. Cynthia S.

White Noise
by Don DeLillo

An ironically funny view of a world in which mankind is inevitably doomed through the over- consumption of resources and excessive technology. Jack Gladney is a professor of Hitler Studies at a small college, who may or may not have been exposed to a fatal dose of noxious gas, and whose wife may or may not be taking an experimental drug that eradicates the fear of death. Lina C.

The Last Days of Summer
by Steve Kluger

An epistolary novel between young Brooklynite Joey Margolis and 1940s baseball hero Charlie Banks, their correspondence shares Joey’s comedic coming of age while confronting issues such as Joey’s parents’ divorce and Hitler’s rising power. Shared in a scrapbook-like format, this story is a must read for all ages and afterwards will be a must share. Sky K.

The Blood of Flowers: A Novel
by Anita Amirrezvani

A comet heralds the misfortune that plagues a seventeenth century Persian girl after her father unexpectedly passes away. After she and her mother literally reach death's door, she manages to save them both through her art and talent as a carpet weaver. Lina C.

Foundation
by Isaac Asimov

As the Galactic Empire crumbles about him, Hari Seldon hatches a plan to compress the coming Dark Age of 30,000 years into a mere millennium. At the far end of the galaxy he leaves the Foundation to fulfill this plan alone, stranded in a sea of barbarians and without the military and material resources to defend itself. This classic is a must read. Bryant C.

Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites that Make Us Who We Are
by Marlene Zuk

Biologist Marlene Zuk offers strategies to survive in the ever evolving germ-infested jungle that exists within us and in the world outside. Survival in this germ-eat-germ world means adopting often counter-intuitive measures. Beware: washing with anti-bacterial soap may be hazardous to your health. But, leaches may actually be therapeutic. Susan L.

Set Me Free
by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

Set on an Oregon reservation, this sophomore novel explores the life of the charismatic and optimistic Elliot Barrow and his school for Native American children by exploring the lives of those connected to him - daughter, ex-wife, colleagues. At the same time, a father and daughter drive across country to meet Elliot for reasons that are kept intentionally vague. Everyone's story culminates in the answer to the mystery of Elliot's life in a conclusion that is both tragic and hopeful. Claudia O.

Talk Talk
by T.C. Boyle

Dana Halter discovers she has been the victim of identity theft after a minor traffic accident. Her attempt to clear her name leads her on a wild cross-country ride filled with tension and suspense. Diane K.

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