The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (audiobook) by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Another Book Club selection, so please see Book Club Meeting Notes for a more in-depth discussion. The format of this book (all letters) lends itself wonderfully to an audio format, and the format also brings the humor in the story right up to the surface! A very enjoyable listening experience.
The Sound Of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie
Crombie, an American who lives in Texas, has authored a series about two police detectives living in England. (Ours is not to ask...) The latest in the Gemma James/Duncan Kincaid series is, like its predecessors, a wonderfully atmospheric mystery that balances the whodunit with the personal preoccupations involved in the daily lives of Gemma and Duncan. Cozy and entertaining.
The Dinner by Herman Koch
Man, oh man, did this one blow me away! Very, very dark and disturbing, but oh so well done! There comes a moment about halfway through the book when you begin gasping in realization, and then you wind up gasping for the rest of the novel as revelation follows revelation. Not for everyone, but if you can handle it, this one is definitely worth the ride!
The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates
A tale in the Gothic tradition about strange goings-on in Princeton, N.J., in 1906. Features a cast of imaginary and real-life characters who may or may not be pursued by...devils? vampires? madness? You'll have to get to the very end, when all is made clear, to know for sure!
Machiavelli for Moms by Suzanne Evans
Or, "Fundamentals of Child-Raising for Liberal Arts Majors". (My alternate title.) Evans takes the tenets of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince and applies them to daily life in her blended family in an attempt to gain peace between her warring city-states--I mean, family members. Funny, yes, but also soul-baring and astute.
The Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard (audiobook)
Tells the sorry story of how medicine--and its practitioners--failed to save the life of President James A. Garfield after an assassination attempt in the first months of his term. Garfield won the Republican nomination without even agreeing to be a candidate, had ardent supporters in both the North and the South, and appeared to be making a serious attempt to raise Washington politics above the infighting and corruption that were rampant at the time; it would appear that we lost a potentially great leader when he died.
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
Everyone knows someone like Nora, the "woman upstairs": the good neighbor, friend, daughter who is dependable, devoted, of a certain age, and single. Has she chosen this life for herself, or allowed it to happen? Nora delivers a fantastic rant-- a la Peter Finch in Network--in the opening paragraphs. This book will have you wondering just what lies beneath the surface of the friend you take for granted.
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer (Young Adult)
A page-turner of an adventure/survival story! Sophie is half American and half Congolese; she spends the school year with her dad in Miami, then returns to The Democratic Republic of Congo and her mother's bonobo sanctuary for summer vacation. When her mother is away releasing bonobos into the wild, Sophie must protect herself--and an orphan bonobo she has rescued--from the dangers that arise after the country falls into civil war.
Capture the Flag by Kate Messner (Youth)
Three children from Vermont meet briefly at a gala to celebrate the restoration of the flag that inspired the national anthem, which each of their families has a connection to. They get to know one another better after the gala, when they are trapped by a blizzard in a Washington, D.C. airport and learn that the flag has gone missing. Can they work together to discover what happened to the flag, and clear the name of the mother of one of the kids? A great, fast-paced read for the 8-12 crowd.
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