Brotherhood of Joseph: a father's memoir of infertility and adoption in the 21st Century by Brooks Hansen

Memoir
A very unusual and candid memoir from a man's point of view. Fairly emotional, sometimes funny and sometimes sad, but very real.

Submitted by Sallie

Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman

Travel/Memoir

Fascinating memoir of a middle-aged woman who leaves a comfortable suburban married life for one of anthropology study and foreign cultural experiences. Over a fifteen year span, she lives in Mexico, the Galapagos Islands, Bali, New Guinea, Israel, Nicaragua, Thailand, and New Zealand. It's a well-told, enlightening book filled with interesting people.

Submitted by Judith

What We Keep by Elizabeth Berg

Fiction
As the story opens, Ginny is flying to California to visit her sister, who has become seriously ill. She discovers that there is another agenda to her sister's request to visit: her sister wants both of them to see their mother, who neither has spoken with or seen in 35 years. I found this to be an interesting and heartwarming story as Ginny, now an adult and mother herself, attempts to come to terms with her childhood memories and her relationship with her mother.

Submitter by Debbie

In Hovering Flight by Joyce Hinnefeld

Novel

This story explores relationships and life stories of characters inspired by the love of birds. The book richly portrays the mother/daughter dynamic and women's friendships, and it led me to a heightened appreciation and mindfulness of birds and their songs.

Submitted by Mimi

The Lost Estate (Le Grand Meaulnes) by Alain-Fournier

Novel
Published in 1913 (in French) as Le Grand Meaulnes, this little novel depicts that mysterious, dreamlike space between boyhood and manhood. Lost in a romantic fog, Meaulnes chases elusive fantasies of love, beauty, and innocence. The author died in action at the age of 28. This is his only novel.

Submitted by J.K.

Still Life with Chickens: Starting Over in a House by the Sea by Catherine Goldhammer

Memoir
Well-written story of a woman who moves away from her husband and wealthy town to a more rustic life, with her daughter on the cusp of teenage-hood. To please her daughter, and for other reasons unknown, she decides to raise chickens. I really enjoyed the details about the chickens, as well as the heart-warming portrayal of her transition.

Submitted by Judith

City of Thieves by David Benioff

Historical fiction
I found this story of two young Russian men trying to survive during the German siege of Leningrad hard to put down, though at times horrifying. The two meet, under arrest in a prison, where they can save their lives by locating a dozen eggs for a colonel's daughter's wedding cake. Their mission bonds their friendship and takes them through grueling adventures. The story is based on the memories of the author's grandfather.

Submitted by Judith

Apples Are From Kazakhstan by Christopher Robbins

History/Travel

Fascinating travelogue, rich with history, by a British writer who has unprecedented access to the Kazakh president.

Submitted by Judith

That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story by Marlena DeBlasi

Memoir
The perfect crossover from travelog to fairytale romance, DeBlasi's account of her summer in Sicily tells the story of a great love between a prince and peasant girl that transcended Sicily's medieval social order, enforced to this day by Mafia dons. The sights, sounds and smells of this tale are fleshed out by DeBlasi's daily experience of the harvest and rhythms of life in a country villa. Next best thing to being there.

Submitted by Max

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Novel
Wonderful read. History of middle Europe, religious conflicts, and personal stories well-blended.

Submitted by S.N.S.

The Ridiculous Race: 26, 000 Miles, 2 Guys, 1 Globe, No Airplanes by Steve Hely and Vali Chandrasekaran

Travel memoir
The title pretty much sums up this hilarious book. Steve and Vali, both successful TV comedy writers, decide to race against each other around the world hoping to nab the first place prize: a ridiculously expensive bottle of scotch whiskey. Steve's visit to the Beijing opera is one of the funniest scenes that you'll ever read. If you enjoyed Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, you'll love this book, too.

Submitted by PJ

The Lieutenant's Lady by Bess Streeter Aldrich

Fiction
An unknown American classic woman's romantic frontier story. Bess Streeter Aldrich has several books of short stories of rural town American life around the turn of the century--very much like Reader's Digest, Ladies' Home Journal or Yankee magazine stories. However, this novel captures the formality of the end of the Victorian age, blended with small-town honesty. The adventures she faces on her journey to tell her best friend's fiance that her best friend did not want to marry absorb readers to find out how the touching romance blooms!

Submitted by Elaine Dreher

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

Fiction
Written as a series of letters, this book details a friendship created between a London author and the members of an eclectic group of folks during Gurensey's Occupation during WW!!. It's the kind of book that you are sad to see end because the characters have become your friends!

Submitted by Stacey

Mediterranean Summer ny David Shalleck with Erol Munuz

Nonfiction
A fascinating book of a young man's experience as a chef on a sailing yacht in the Mediterranean. It was one of those books I hated to put down. His descriptions of the meals, the ports of call and even working as a crew member while sailing were fascinating. It's clear the author loved sailing and his delight comes through. But his description of cooking in a tiny galley is riveting. You don't have to be a cook or even like to sail to find this book enjoyable. It's a true behind-the-scenes look at life on an elegant yacht from a good writer who grabs your attention and never lets go.

Submitted by Sallie

I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Mystery

I Shall Not Want continues the story of Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne and Reverend Clare Fergusson in a mystery series that began with In the Bleak Midwinter. This solid summer read combines romance, passion, police procedural and moral conflict in a small town setting where everybody knows everybody's business but nobody can explain a baffling series of murders. Enjoy all five books in the series.

Submitted by Max

Leisureville: Adventures in America's Retirement Utopias by Andrew D Blechman

Nonfiction
When two of Blechman's neighbors from his Mass. neighborhood move to The Villages retirement community in Florida, he becomes intrigued by the appeal of these communities. He decides to follow them south, and lives in the community for 30 days (the time limit for visitors under 55 yrs). He soons discovers that all is not what it seems in the "Disneyland for Adults." This book will have special appeal for anyone who's ever watched The Golf Channel, which has numerous ads for The Villages!

Submitted by PJ

The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber

Fiction
A great summer read, this romance/thriller/treasure hunt moves back and forth between 17th century England and 21st century America in the quest for a lost Shakespeare manuscript worth millions. The spies, ciphers and political intrigues of one century baffle and tease the scholars, lawyers, rare book dealers and crooks of another century. Does the manuscript really exist? Each character must continually evaluate what he or she may gain or lose in this increasingly dangerous game.

Submitted by Max

The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester

Nonfiction
A fascinating story about a fascinating scientist who went to China during WWII to find evidence that the Chinese were responsible for many of mankind's most familiar inventions long before the western world developed them. If you liked the Professor and The Madman and other books by Winchester, you won't want to miss this one.

Submitted by Ann

Dalva and The Road Home by Jim Harrison

Novels
Harrison strikes many of the same themes found in Legends of the Fall as he weaves an elegiac saga around five generations of a family that originally homesteaded on the Niobrara River in Nebraska. He skillfully interleaves the voices of the principal characters - all complex.

Submitted by B. Powell

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

Novel
I read this book three years ago, but it has stayed with me. It is written as a flashback from the point of view of an adolescent boy in small-town Minnesota in the 1960's. It tells the story of a family trying to find a son fleeing from a violent act. It is a moving, poetically told tale with the enduring themes of family and faith.

Submitted by Mimi

Outlander by Gil Adamson

Novel
A young woman escapes an abusive husband and makes a wilderness trek across Idaho and Montana in 1903, pursued by revenge seekers. This is a well-written adventure/suspense tale with a strong heroine, an unusual cast of characters, and an interesting historical setting.

Submitted by Mimi

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

Memoir
A touching laugh-out-loud memoir by a terrific writer and mother as she struggles to come to terms with her own cancer and her father's. It's the author's story about family and growing into adulthood told in a breezy delightful style.

Submitted by Queen of the Hop

Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

Memoir
Perhaps you have to be a person of a certain age but I loved this book. I didn't grow up in Iowa in the Depression but so much that happened in this book was very familiar to me. It was like stepping back in time. Young people would probably call it "the olden days" but my they were fun. Take a step back in time and enjoy a delightful book about what life was like growing up on a farm in the Midwest.

Submitted by Queen of the Hop

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

Novel
A "must read" for Jane Austen fans! A chuckle on every page. I loved it!

Submitted by Barbara Duffield

How (Not) To Have a Perfect Wedding by Arliss Ryan

Novel
A funny spoof on the runaway wedding industry, set in Newport RI. The story is told from multiple viewpoints, giving the reader an inside view of the thoughts of everyone from the wedding planner to the bartender to the dad's new trophy wife. Entertaining, light and a perfect book to tuck into your beach bag.

Submitted by PJ

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee

Nonfiction
Jennifer 8. Lee (yes, 8 is her middle name) investigates the history of Chinese food in this entertaining, fact-filled book. In the process, she discovers that many of her beloved childhood dishes have little in common with food served in China, and that fortune cookies may actually be Japanese in origin. Through reading this book, you'll find out how little you know about what is possibly the world's most popular cuisine.

Submitted by PJ

Cold Beer and Crocodiles: a Bicycle Journey into Australia by Roff Martin Smith

Travel/Memoir
Smith, a Time magazine correspondent based in Sydney, realizes that he's never experienced the broad scope of Australian land and character. He embarks on a 10,000 mile bicycle circuit through cities, deserts, mountains, and villages, where the personalities are as diverse as the landscape. A very engaging read.

Submitted by Judith

Here if You Need Me: A True Story by Kate Braestrup


Memoir
Poignant and inspiring experiences of a chaplain for the Maine Waren Service, which does search and rescue missions. When her husband, a Maine state trooper, dies, Kate takes up his chosen second career to become an ordained minister, while raising her four children. Her well-written stories, rooted in service to others in their time of need, convey humor, pathos, and love in a very readable and moving book.

Submitted by Judith

The Ponds of Kalambayi by Mike Tidwell

Memoir
Early in his career, Tidwell devoted two years to working in the Peace Corps, teaching villagers to build ponds and raise fish in central Zaire. This well-written book is rich with stories of interesting people and insights into a culture very different from anything I've known. His experiences range from funny to heart-wrenching, and are always attention-grabbing.

Submitted by Judith

Love in the Driest Season: A Family Memoir
by Neely Tucker

Memoir
When journalist Neely Tucker and his wife settled in Zimbabwe, they knew that years of exposure to world crises had numbed their senses to human suffering. Feeling the need for a constructive response to Zimbabwe's growing orphan population, they began to volunteer at local orphanages where they fell in love with an abandoned baby girl. Their struggle to adopt and save one child re-aligned all other priorities.

Submitted by Max

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Fiction
A very emotional book full of twists, turns, and surprise that had me weeping, but in a good way!
It pulls together an old man, a teenage girl, and a grieving widow; it's funny, sad, and hopeful, and extremely well-written.

Submitted by L.B.

Deafening by Francis Itani

Historical Fiction
A moving story of the life of a deaf woman in Canada during World War I. It's a beautifully written view of both love and war, and an unforgettable depiction of a world where sound only exists on the margins.

Submitted by L.B.

Four Seasons in Rome: on Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr

Travel/Memoir
The author captures the experience of fatherhood, historical discovery, travel, and writing while living in Rome with his wife and twin babies on a writing fellowship. He writes with humor and insight - fascinating reading for anyone, but especially inspiring for travellers to Rome.

Submitted by Judith

March 20, 2008

World Without End by Ken Follett

Historical Fiction
Follett depicts life in a 14th century British cathedral town through the dreams and passions of four children who grow together and apart during times of plague, war and prosperity. Follett's ability to weave the strenghts and weaknesses of his characters into the tapestry of social and economic change held my attention throughout this long-awaited sequel to Pillars of the Earth.

Submitted by Max

Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before by Tony Hurwitz



Travel/History

This book combines adventure travel and history as the author, a great storyteller, retraces the voyages of Captain James Cook across the Pacific. It provides entertaining reading as well as insight into the indigenous people and the impact of Cook on the islands. It also gives you an amazing sense of the challenges of 18th century sea voyages.



Submitted by Judith

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Memoir
Not yet 40, Ayaan Hirsi Ali has already made an impact on discussion concerning the rights of Muslim emigrants in Western countries. Growing up in Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Kenya plagued by political unrest, financial insecurity and the restrictions of Muslim culture, Ayaan fled to the Netherlands where she was granted asylum and citizenship. Determined to make the most of these gifts, she sought a university education and became a member of Parliment. Her frank discussion of the plight of Muslim women has resulted in death threats.

Submitted by Max

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill

Historical Fiction
Compelling saga of a girl captured as a slave at the age of eleven, told from her point of view. Captured in West Africa and transported to South Carolina during Revolutionary times, she eventually escapes and helps others. This is an inspiring story of an intelligent and courageous survivor.

Submitted by Mimi

January 30, 2008

Dough: A Memoir by Mort Zachter

Memoir
Mort's bachelor uncles lead a life of hard work, frugality and thrift, running a day-old bakery in Manhattan's Lower East Side. But while hoarding newspapers and denying themselves any luxuries, they managed to accumulate a fortune that totalled over $6 million. Zachter tries to uncover their motivation while narrating their story.

Submitted by PJ

January 28, 2008

Lady's Maid by Margaret Forster

Novel
Margaret Forster, author of Precious Lives, a biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, imagines the relationship which might have existed between Browning and Wilson, her maid of 16 years. The resulting fictional tale of trust and betrayal explores the lives of 19th century women and the impact of class structure on their ability to pursue independence and emotional and intellectual fulfillment.

Submitted by Max

In the Mountains of Heaven: Tales of Adventures on Six Continents by Mike Tidwell

Travel/Adventure
One of my favorite travel writers covers out of the way places and the fascinating individuals he meets with humor and insight...a very entertaining and fun read.

Submitted by Judith

Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski

Fiction
An American journalist investigates the reasons behind an anthropologist murdering a missionary in Thailand. Interesting insights into the hill tribe culture of Thailand, anthropology field work, and the evangelical Christian approach.