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"Top picks" are books recommended by a critical mass of our contributors. This year's are divided by fiction and non-fiction. We also include hundreds of additional selections in our fiction, non-fiction and old favorites lists below.
Fiction Top Picks:
The Art of Fielding
by Chad
Harbach. “Very
tender story of several students (two of whom are on the college baseball
team), a college president, and his daughter.
All have their own problems and concerns, and each is sympathetic in
his/her own way. Intelligent and
well-written.” And: “May this author write more! Prep school must-read.” From my friend’s Goodreads
review: “The
characters are not perfectly written, but they are very engaging. Harbach does a good job of giving us several
different narrators who all have their own distinct voice, even if some are
better fleshed out than others. The baseball is interwoven throughout the book
but not hard to follow for those not well versed in the sport. There is a
driving plot that keeps you turning the pages… There is a lot to enjoy
here.”
Defending Jacob
by William Landay. “Very readable and fast paced. A district attorney's son is accused of
killing a classmate and his father is thrown into the case. The author's description of life and the
people in the upper middle class town ring true and so do the feelings and
conflicts of the accused's and victim's parents.” Another contributor writes, “This is a legal
thriller in which a 14 year old boy is suspected of murdering a fellow
student. As the case wears on the
parents’ belief systems are sorely tested. The fictional father is an
established assistant D.A. and supportive of his son. The book has been likened to Anna Quindlen’s ‘Every
Last One’ in its connection with that tiny bit of uncertainty that parents may
have about their children. There are
many twists in “Defending Jacob” which keep one reading right to the end.”
The Expats by Chris Pavone. “Great spy
drama. Exciting – it unfolds like a
flower. TOTAL page turner.” And: “I
really liked the flashback structure.
Pavone has a unique way of using flashback that keeps you guessing about
the characters and whether you can or cannot trust them.” And: “Very gripping and hard to put down. A spy story starring a wife and mother who in
between intrigues goes shopping at European Costco and takes clandestine
meetings while the kids are at school.
Loved it!”
The Language of Flowers
by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. "A
wonderfully creative premise - using flowers and what they stood for during
victorian times as a means to express feelings for an orphan who grew up mostly
in abusive foster homes - and a nicely woven together story, with some extreme
moments. Overall an entertaining and at times heart wrenching read.”
Rules of Civility
by Amor Towles. This book actually appeared on last year’s
list. It was suggested by publishing industry friend and was published mid-summer.
Everyone who read it seems to have loved it: “The
writing was just beautiful. The plot reasonably straightforward, with some
interesting twists, yet what made this book was the writing. A treat!” And: “I was so surprised when I realized the
author was a man.” Another
contributor: “chronicle of the life of a
young woman in New York in the 1930's.
The author writes the way we wish we all could - fabulous metaphors
combined with graceful prose that tells the truth, even when it hurts. You won't see the plot twist coming toward
the end of the book, either.”
The Sense of an Ending
by Julian
Barnes. “Every
sentence builds the story…The book becomes a mystery although for the first
half it feels like a very straightforward narrative of Tony Weber remembering
his school days, his boyhood friend, his first lover and then his marriage and
fatherhood. There is much here about memory and the way we create and shape our
own life story into something we can live with ourselves and present to others.
In the second half of the book we are shown another side to this narrative and
Tony and the reader has to reconsider what we thought of his version of the
past. I would recommend reading this
book without knowing a lot about the plot so that you can try to piece the
story together along with Tony (which is why I'm writing very little about the
plot here). There is a lot to think about with this book and I'm still
lingering on the after effects.” And: “You
will read this short compelling book twice in order to make ‘sense’ of it. A
middle aged man looks back on what he thinks are his memories of a college
romance, and sees things completely differently the second time around. Short,
sweet, and thoughtful.” And: “an
interesting reflection on the character's life and some mistakes he made along
the way.”
Non-Fiction Top Picks:
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
by Katherine Boo. "Reads like fiction, amazing story and characters." And: "Unbelievable book - kept thinking it had to be fiction. It was so brutal."
The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden Life
by Jasmin
Darznik. “After her father dies, the
author discovers a photo of her Mom at age 13 in a wedding dress - with a man
who is not her father. The book is the
story of her mother's forced marriage in Iran and her efforts to build a life -
it certainly made me glad that my daughters are growing up in America.” Another
contributor called it “Fascinating and well-written.”
The American Heiress: A Novel
by Daisy
Goodwin. “Great beach read -- 1890's
era, aristocracy, Newport, England... Downton Abbey-esque.” It falls apart a little at the end, but it’s
sort of fun.
The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb
by Melanie Benjamin. “I loved it!” From Amazon:
“She was only two feet, eight inches tall, but
more than a century later, her legend reaches out to us. As a child, Mercy
Lavinia ‘Vinnie’ Warren Bump was encouraged to live a life hidden away from the
public. Instead, she reached out to the immortal impresario P. T. Barnum,
married the tiny superstar General Tom Thumb in the wedding of the century, and
became the world’s most unexpected celebrity.”
The Book of Tomorrow: A Novel
by Cecelia Ahern. “A spoiled
city girl whose father commits suicide is forced to live with her
strange aunt and uncle in the country.
While there, she finds a book that appears to be her diary, and all the
entries are for tomorrow. Once she knows
what the next day will bring, she can try to change the future and learn from
it. She discovers that she has a mysterious
past in the rural community that many are trying to keep from her. Not great literature, but a fun read.”
Brooklyn
by Colm Toìbìn. [Ed: Almost
a top pick - got a lot of mentions.] “I
loved the tone and the voice of the narrator, the way the story was sparsely
told and yet so full of life. I loved how much I was rooting for Eilis to find
her way in the new world of Brooklyn and how I conflicted I was once she was
back in Ireland and falling into the comfortable life she had once dreamed of.
Toibin shows us so much about the time and the experience of Irish immigrants
in the years after world war two without telling us explicitly. We learn things
through remarks and little details, often before Eilis really understands them
herself.” Another contributor writes: “Set
in Ireland and Brooklyn about a young immigrant Irish woman finding her way in
America and adulthood. I thought it was
a quiet book where nothing much seems to happen but a great deal is conveyed
through small things. It stayed with me for a long time afterwards - longer
than I thought it would as I was reading it.”
The Buddha in the Attic
by Julie
Otsuka. From Amazon: “a tour de force of
economy and precision, a novel that tells the story of a group of young women
brought over from Japan to San Francisco as ‘picture brides’ nearly a century
ago.”
Carry the One: A Novel
by “The story of three siblings after the oldest marries.
The writing really picks up about mid-way and the complicated story of the 3
siblings is compelling, although the premise - that the death of a young girl
the night of Carmen's wedding changed everyone's life - did not work for me. If
just Nick and Olivia had been in the accident, the story would have made much
more sense, particularly the much more extreme derailing of Nick's life. Even
Alice's painting of the dead girl could have been made possible, but it did not
seem like anyone else was as affected by the tragic accident as you would
imagine they would be. Yet the story of the siblings, brought up by an overly
severe and unsupportive father and a weak mother, got really interesting at
about the 50% mark. Lives filled with
choices, consequences, and happiness found in unexpected routines.”
A Certain Chemistry
by Mil Millington. Funny, in a Jonathan Tropper kind of way – in
other words, men behaving badly. With
British humor. A ghostwriter has an affair with the actress whose memoir he is writing. Page turner. Beach book epitomized.
The Cat's Table by Michael
Ondaatje. By the author of the English
Patient. From Amazon: chronicles a young boy's passage from Sri Lanka to London
onboard the Oronsay, both as it unfolds and in hindsight.”
The Collectibles
by James J.
Kaufman. “In
his award winning debut novel, James J. Kaufman delivers a gripping and
unforgettable story of two strong men from separate worlds - one touched by
tragedy, the other by greed - brought together with unexpected results. In
chronicling how their lives and those they touch are dramatically changed by
their encounter, Kaufman reveals the power of relationships, the nature of
love, and ultimately the meaning of life.”
The Darlings
by Christina Alger. “It’s a racy novel about the Wall Street
financial scandal written from a young woman who knows her way around the rich
and famous and Wall Street. She paints
an accurate description of NYC lifestyles and the Hamptons and an inside
glimpse into the crash. It’s a page turner.”
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
by Laini
Taylor. “The first in a planned trilogy,
the worst thing about this book is that you can’t immediately run out to read
the next two. Karou is a mysterious 17
year old girl with naturally blue hair who grew up in a dusty shop run by
chimeric creatures who collect animal teeth, grant wishes, and give her
languages as gifts. She does not know
what the teeth are for or where she came from, but she is forced to run errands
across the world for the collection. On
one of these errands, she meets an angel who helps her unravel the mystery of
her life.”
Death Comes to Pemberley
by P.D.
James. “Set 6 years after the
"Pride and Prejudice", this novel imagines life with Mr. Darcy and
Elizabeth. They have a wonderful
marriage and two young sons, until a murder on the grounds the night before
their annual ball wreaks havoc on their carefully built social lives. The novel is written as if by Jane Austen,
with modern mystery and plot twists. A
fun, quick read that has me going to my shelves to re-read Pride and Prejudice.”
Delicacy
by David Foenkinos. "Spare and quirky. A woman whose husband dies suddenly finds unexpected romance in a clumsy colleague." Translated from French. And now a major motion picture! (Okay, minor motion picture).
Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake Mysteries)
by CJ Sansom. “Historical fiction about King Henry VIII and
the Reformation. Similar to the Name of
Rose by Eco. A complex murder mystery
set in a corrupt abbey. First in the
Matthew Shardlake series.” There are more.
The Distant Hours
by Kate Morton. “Like Morton’s other books, this book centers
on a generations-old mystery that takes place in an English estate. This time a woman searches for clues about
her mother’s life during WWII, when she lived with a family of elder twin
sisters and their younger, vivacious sister.
The younger sister has been a Havisham-like recluse since her fiancé
disappeared. A thriller much like her
Morton’s other books.”
The Dovekeepers
by Alice Hoffman. “Historical fiction with four strong female
characters whose lives intersect.”
The Fault in Our Stars
by John
Greene. From Amazon: “Despite the
tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has
never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis.
But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer
Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.”
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. “Terrible writing, cliched up the wazoo and a basic insult to any woman with a strong, independent, and feminist mindset. HOWEVER, this sexually charged trilogy of ‘Mommy’ porn is positively addictive and part of pop culture now, so have a fun read, discuss it with friends (and your mate), become enthralled and be a part of the phenomenon. Absolutely crazy but awesome at the same time!” And: “An erotic romance…. great beach read for summer.” And: “Despite pedantic prose of the heaving bosom variety, this book has obviously struck a nerve. I gather it is beloved by husbands everywhere. If you catch my drift." [Ed: I refused to make this a “Top Pick,” even though everyone is mentioning it.“But wait!” you say, “Did this list not have the TWILIGHT series as a top pick?” Yes, well, there you have it. Somewhere in between 50 Shades and Twilight lies the standard.Such as it is.]
The First Husband
by Laura Dave. “Easy chick lit, but it won't make you
stabby. Actually pretty nicely written
with a few little twists here and there.
One of my favorite authors, Jonathan Tropper, blurbed this book which is
why I picked it up. I'm glad I
did.” [Ed: I bought
this. If it was good enough for this
particular contributor AND for Jonathan Tropper, it is a worthy beach read]
Food and Worry
by Becky Wolsk. DC area author and mom. “Intelligent fictional story of a woman with
OCD whose recovery is linked to her love of cooking. My book club is reading it
and Becky is coming to discuss how she created each character - should yield a
fascinating discussion.”
Girl Unmoored
by Jennifer Gooch Hummer. Debut by Hummer (a friend from Maine!). From Amazon: Middle school is purgatory for Apron Bramhall. Her mother is dead. Her best friend Rennie has falled under the spell of the local Queen Bee. Margie (aka "M") the Brazilian nurse who cared for her late parent has literally moved in on her depressed Latin professor father, all while trying to dispose of Apron's beloved guinea pig. It's a classic case of things can't get worse, but they do quickly in this fast-paced bildungsroman set in 1980s coastal Maine.
Gillespie and I
by Jane Harris. “I envy all of you who
have not yet read Gillespie and I because you are in for such a treat!! This is
one of those books that really cannot be reviewed because the joy of reading it
is in the way that your perceptions of events and your interpretation of the
narration change over the course of the book. I was fortunate enough to go into
this novel with very little knowledge of the plot and was immediately intrigued
by the early foreshadowing of a trial and mentions of white slavery and the
artist Gillespie's death. It's set in the 1930's and Harriet is writing her
memoirs of her time with the Gillespie family in the late 1800's so the book is
full of Victorian settings, attitudes, and atmosphere - all of it tinged with a
psychological tension that builds steadily throughout the second half of the book.
Meanwhile, relations with Harriet's assistant from the agency grow stranger and
stranger... I'm already saying too much. Make sure you have plenty of free time
because once you get to the second half you will not want to put this one
down.” Her debut novel The Observations
has also gotten great reviews on Goodreads, though none of our contributors
have recommended it.
A Good American
by Alex George – “A book
about generations of an immigrant family and how they make a home in rural
Missouri. The story shows that the word ‘family’ can have many different
meanings.”
The Lacuna
by Barbara
Kingsolver “It is about Freida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, a very well written and
an intriguing story. The recoded book is especially good as the author herself
is the reader and her Latino accent is so dramatic. I like all of her books.”
The Lake Shore Limited
by Sue Miller. From Amazon:
“Four people are bound together by the 9/11
death of a man in Miller's insightful latest.”
Gotta love Sue Miller for beach reads!
The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Chronicles Series #1)
by Bernard Cornwell. Six books in this
series of historical fiction, set in 870 A.D. in Britain. I did not know that
the Vikings controlled much of England for hundreds of years, and this was an
intriguing glimpse of that tumultuous time.
Leaving Unknown
by Kerry Reichs. Another book by DC lawyer turned novelist, this one about a young woman on a cross-country trip, trying to put her life back together again. Lots of humor, great characters (a cursing cockatiel!) and romance.
The Leftovers
by Tom Perrotta. “Very
interesting concept: how do the people that are left behind continue with their
lives after suddenly one day, without explanation, a number of people
disappear; the so-called ‘Sudden Departure.’”
The Lifeboat
by Charlotte Rogan. “This one really had me trying to decide if I
liked or hated the story teller and yet I wanted to see how it would all turn
out for her. Just a few years following
the Titanic, Grace is stranded for 3 weeks on a lifeboat not meant for as many
passengers as end up on it. The human
dynamics and politics on the boat while they wait for rescue are
fascinating. And, whether you can trust
her recollections of events and what you imagine you might do in the same
situation will keep you reading till the end.”
The Little Book
by Seldon Edwards. “I miss this book. Historic/European/crazy
fun.”
The Marriage Plot
by Jeffrey
Eugenides. “A love triangle among three
Brown graduates, set in the early 1980s. Eugenides really gets the pompous
pseudo-intellectual talk of Ivy League grads, and also treats mental illness in
a very compassionate and interesting way.”
Messy
by Heather Cocks and Jessica
Morgan. “Follows their YA debut last
year (Spoiled) and carries forth a new storyline from most of the characters in
the original book. Clever writing, sharp
pop culture bits. Love it."
The Newlyweds
by Nell
Freudenberger. “Brand new solid fiction.
Learn something about Bangladesh.”
New York
by Edward Rutherford. “History of new York fictionalized!! So great
because you get NYC from its Dutch beginning.
Nice and long for a lengthy flight.”
The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern. “The best book I read this year! The circus is a truly magical place that
appears and disappears suddenly, filled with tents of mystery. Behind the scenes, two magicians are dueling
in a contest of which they do not know the rules, but they are forced by their
mentors to compete. Their competition
results in the most amazing circus acts and beautiful imagery. The book is almost impossible to explain,
filled with mystery and illusion.”
(Ed: I was surprised this didn’t
get more votes. I haven’t read it, but
it’s really buzzy. Maybe it will be like Rules of Civility – on the list one
year, a top pick the next? I did hear
this great NPR interview with the author:
http://www.npr.org/books/authors/140320279/erin-morgenstern).
On Canaan's Side
by Sebastian Barry “The book traces the life of a woman who
moves to the U.S. from Ireland. She is
betrayed by those around her but she continues to love and support them. The story has great character development.”
On the Island
by Tracey
Garvis-Graves. “This is a fast read -
great for the beach, especially since it is about two survivors of a plane
crash who live on a deserted tropical island for two years before being
rescued. Most of the book chronicles the
relationship between the man, who is 16 when they crash, and the woman, who is
27....hmmmm, two years on an island with no indication you'll be rescued. What would you do?” Another contributor writes: “This is one for the beach, I was a bit
concerned about it – you will see why – but it was an entertaining and easy
read.”
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson. Thriller, set in Edinburgh. “I thought the stream of consciousness writing
would be hard to follow, but it worked well and was really entertaining.”
The Orphan Master's Son
by Adam Johnson. “Hard to describe but a brilliant novel. Set in North Korea (!), it is (as you would
expect), very depressing and gives you a sense of what life must be life in
that soul-destroying country (far better than the non-fiction books on the
country I’ve read). BUT it also a very
good NOVEL – great characters, and they remain individuals despite the horrors
around them. It is even very funny at times.
And the movie ‘Casablanca’ has a strong role. When I say ‘it’s set in North Korea’ everyone
immediately thinks that they aren’t in the mood for a downer, and it is a
downer – but really worth it.” Another
contributor said: “This book haunted
me. The realistic details of what it is
like to live under the oppression of the North Korean regime mixed with
fictional characters and events combined into a page-turner I couldn't put
down. Combine this with the non-fiction
Escape from Prison 14 by Blaine Harden or The Aquariums of Pyongyang by Chol-hwan
Kang (better written and more interesting, in my opinion) and you get a great
insight into the insanity of life and survival under the rule of the Kim
family.”
Out of It
by Selma Dabbagh. “The first novel by a friend and fellow
Bahrain expat, a British Palestinian woman in her early 40's. I am, of course, rather partial to the book
as it was written by a friend, but I thought it read beautifully and touched on
a subject that I find very interesting and terribly complicated. It is one of those novels that has enough non-fiction
in it to give you a very real and personal perspective on a place, its history
and its people. It is a very
descriptive, sometimes humorous and often harrowing, account of the lives of
three Palestinian siblings living in modern day Gaza - and follows two of those
siblings as they move out of Gaza into the world (London and the Gulf).”
Park Lane
by Frances Osborne. “If you loved Downton Abbey, you will love
Park Lane ... think Downton Abbey in the city.
Need I say more? It is a
delicious novel about two determined women (one from the ‘upstairs’ family and
another from the ‘downstairs’ staff) whose lives collide in the halls of a
pedigreed London town home. When
eighteen-year-old Grace Carlisle arrives in London in 1914, she’s unable to
fulfill her family's ambitions and find a position as an office secretary.
Lying to her parents and her brother, Michael, she takes a job as a housemaid
at Number 35, Park Lane, where she is quickly caught up in lives of its
inhabitants--in particular, those of its privileged son, Edward, and daughter,
Beatrice, who has just returned from America after being unceremoniously jilted
by her fiancé. Desperate to find a new purpose, Beatrice joins the radical
suffragist movement and strikes up an intriguing romance with an impassioned
young lawyer. But unbeknownst to both of the young women, the choices they make
will connect their chances at future happiness in dramatic and inevitable
ways.” This author also wrote The Bolter, which appeared on our list a couple
of years ago. [Ed: She had me at “Downton.” She didn’t even have to say “Abbey.”]
Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing: Stories
by Lydia Peelle. From
Amazon: “With
this first book of fiction, a gifted young writer brings together eight
superbly crafted stories that peer deeply into the human heart, exploring lives
derailed by the loss of a vital connection to the land and to the natural world
of which they are a part.”
The Red Book
by Deborah Copaken
Kogan. From Amazon: “Four college
roommates from Harvard’s class of 1989 head to their 20-year reunion with
partners, spouses, children, and plenty of emotional baggage in tow. Coming
from wildly diverse backgrounds, Clover, Addison, Jane, and Mia have continued
on divergent postgraduate tracks. From one woman’s dreams of an independent art
career stifled by her husband’s writing job to another’s acting ambitions
overshadowed by the demands of motherhood, the women take this opportunity to
realize how their college dreams have slowed, shifted, or disappeared entirely
while new opportunities have opened up.”
Salvage the Bones
by Jesmyn Ward. “Beautifully written, poignant story at
approach of hurricane Katrina.” And: “A
completely unique perspective of hurricane Katrina. Knock you down with stark
prose and Faulkneresque hurricane descriptions.” [Ed: Another one that was almost a top pick.]
The Sisters Brothers
by Patrick
DeWitt. “I
hesitated when this book started getting real buzz because I'm not prone to
westerns but this was a delight. Kind of a funny word to use about a pair of
killers so well known for their ruthlessness that just their names stops
adversaries in their tracks. I was sorry to close the book on Eli Sister … “
Skippy Diesby Paul Murray. “It's about a boy at a Dublin boarding school
who dies in a donut eating contest - and the months leading up to his
death. Some of the characters are pretty
funny.”
Snowdrops
by AD Miller. “A gripping, relatively short and ever so
edible mystery set in Moscow.
‘Snowdrops’ is Moscow slang for a corpse that lies buried through the
winter and emerges in the thaw. The main
character is Nick Platt, a rather
straight normal almost boring English lawyer working for an English law firm in
Moscow at the height of the wild Russian oil boom - the wild east. He falls for a young Russian woman and events
begin to unfold at a fast pace. I was absolutely gripped.”
State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett Recommended
“Although I did not like it as much as Bel Canto, one of my favorite books, it’s
about a woman whose employer sends her to the Amazon to deal with the death of
a colleague and to monitor the development of an experimental drug. Having only spent a few days in the Amazon
myself, I thought the descriptions of the jungle and its inhabitants were
interesting.” And: “The characters and
setting of this novel were haunting,compelling and beautiful. A completely
engrossing novel.”
The Stonecutter
by Camilla Lackberg.
This is the third mystery written by this Swedish author who has exceeded Stieg
Larsson (“Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, etc.) in sales. It is also the third
mystery (after “The Ice Princess” and “The Preacher”) that the author has set
in Fjallbacka, Sweden. Some critics have hailed it as the best of all three. It
is a page turner and a great diversion from more serious subjects.
They Eat Puppies, Don't They? by Christopher Buckley. “Hilarious and outrageous, another tale of lobbyists in DC who go to
outrageous lengths for their PR causes.”
Thirteen Reasons Why
by Jay Asher. “A young teen commits suicide and then mails
audio tapes posthumously to people who must listen to her tell the reasons and
why they were responsible for her death.
Harrowing and heartbreaking teen lit that has been assigned as required
reading in many schools.” [Ed:
My 13-year-old liked, this, too – maybe we need a GFT – Good For Teens –
rating on some of these books].
The Tiger's Wife: A Novel
by Tea Obrecht. “It's the story of a young female doctor who
grows up in a Balkan country, the impact of war, and her relationship with her
grandfather. Parts of the book are
allegorical. Not the easiest read, but
very well written.”
The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D
by
Nichole Bernier. Brand spanking new
fiction by a friend of one of our contributors.
From Amazon: “Summer vacation on Great Rock
Island was supposed to be a restorative time for Kate, who’d lost her close
friend Elizabeth in a sudden accident. But when she inherits a trunk of
Elizabeth's journals, they reveal a woman far different than the cheerful wife
and mother Kate thought she knew.”
Sounds like a great summer read.
We the Animals
by Justin Torres. “Beautifully and poetically written.”
What It Was
George Pelacanos.
Excellent crime fiction by DC writer, set in the 70s (with realistic, local
touches like Thom McAnn and Hot Shoppes).
When She Woke
by Hilary Jordan “A very
intriguing futuristic novel that explores hot issues like separation of church
and state, technology vs. privacy,
criminal justice, and abortion through the eyes of a young woman. Makes you wonder what our world could be like
in the not so distant future. I don't usually
like futuristic books but this one is well worth the time.”
When the Killing's Done
by T.C. Boyle. “Set in the Channel Islands off California,
the protagonist is a biologist with the Parks Service whose job is to save the
native birds by eradicating rats from the islands. Her antagonist is an animal-rights activist
who believes that she is playing god by saving one animal and not another, and
will go to any lengths to ruin her plans.”
The White Woman on the Green Bicycle
by
Monique Roffey. “Set in Trinidad over a
50 year period from pre independence to today - the story of their turbulent
marriage and the turbulent political situation in Trinidad run together/ linked
- I loved the flashbacks and play with time - character descriptions are
fantastic.”
FOR THE 2012 NON-FICTION LIST (WHICH YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T MISS), CLICK "OLDER POSTS" BELOW.
Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales
by Ali Wentworth. “Ali's 'biography' of sorts -- snippets of
her life - - growing up in her privileged DC backdrop but frequently 'shipped
off', she details some of her funnier experiences and insights. Entertaining in its brazen confessions, yet I
found myself frequently annoyed with her attitude and when I finished the book
I liked her less.”
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir
by Frank McCourt. Someone mentioned this as an all-time
favorite, as I’m sure it is for many of us.
So in case you forgot to read it.
Or even if you did, it’s been out long enough now. You can reread it!
Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen
by Alyssa Shelasky. “Writer meets chef (Spike Mendelsohn, of Top
Chef fame) and they fall in love. Writer
moves to DC. Loathes it. Has horrible time in relationship. Confesses to outing herself while trying to
email the WaPo with a blind item about herself and the chef. Sex, food, a little self-loathing... I liked
it a lot.”
Blue Nights by Joan Didion. From Amazon:
“From one of our most powerful writers, a work
of stunning frankness about losing a daughter.”
Another reviewer says: “Although I loved her description of the blue
nights, the book is about the death of her daughter and yet she never explains
why her daughter died. Didion struck me
as a name dropping, self-centered person.
It was not nearly as moving as The Year of Magical Thinking - about her
husband's sudden death.”
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
by Eric Metaxas. From Amazon: "After discovering the fire of true faith in a Harlem church, Bonhoeffer returned to Germany and became one of the first to speak out against Hitler. As a double agent, he joined the plot to assassinate the Fuhrer and was hanged in Flossenberg concentration camp at age 39. ince his death, Bonhoeffer has grown to be one of the most fascinating, complex figures of the 20th century."
Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting
by Pamela Druckerman “An interesting
perspective on raising children; as with all child-rearing theories, if it all
was that easy ... yet the idea of not always jumping at the every need of our
children, even when they are newborns trying to sleep, and of letting them be
truly hungry when they sit down for a meal stuck a chord with me.”
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
by Robert
Massie. “Terrific storytelling about her
early years as a German princess before coming one of Russias most powerful
emperors.” And: “Fantastic biography of a born leader.”
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness
by Alexandra Fuller. “A
continuation of her memoir Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, 'Cocktail Hour'
shares more hilarious and sad stories of her larger that life mother. Nicola Fuller and her husband were British
colonialists who endured the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya, the Rhodesian War, and
losing three out of five children. Through all of this, she still found it
important to take along her orange Le Creuset cookware as she reestablished the
next homestead. Reminescent of Out of Africa and West with the Night. Nicola is
still alive and well and living in Africa.”
Crashing Through: The Extraordinary True Story of the Man Who Dared to See
by Robert Kurson. “Loved this true story!” From Amazon: “Mike May spent his life crashing through. Blinded at age
three, he defied expectations by breaking world records in downhill speed
skiing, joining the CIA, and becoming a successful inventor, entrepreneur, and
family man. He had never yearned for vision. Then, in 1999, a chance encounter
brought startling news: a revolutionary stem cell transplant surgery could
restore May’s vision.”
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
by Francis Chan. A contributor said
she’d not yet read it, but it was getting raves. From Amazon:
“God is love. Crazy, relentless, all-powerful
love. Have you ever wondered if we’re missing it? It’s crazy, if you think
about it. The God of the universe--the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles,
galaxies and E-minor--loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing
love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try
not to cuss. Whether you’ve verbalized it yet or not...we all know something’s
wrong… " [Ed: I should read this. I gave up cursing for Lent]. Show More Show Less
Dead End Gene Pool: A Memoir
by Wendy
Burden. “A hilarious account of what it
is like to grow up at the tail end of a once great fortune written by a
descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Lots of description of wretched clueless
excess by people who have no idea that they are completely irrelevant.”
Do the Work
by Stephen Pressfield. This is a short book that packs a whallop. Do you need motivation to complete a project (particularly a creative endeavor)? This is the book for you. Pressfield helps you understand what is holding you back and will motivate you to finish. It is not your typical self-help book. It's brilliant.
Elephant Girl: A Human Story
by Jane
Devin. A memoir. From Amazon:
“Born unwanted and raised without love, the
child-author invents a rich inner life to see her through years of trauma.
Leaving home at 16, the teen-author struggles to find happiness and a sense of
place in a world that feels confusing and unfamiliar. Then, years after
stumbling into an adulthood mired in tragedy and broken dreams, the
woman-author finds herself at a crossroads. The choice she ultimately makes is
as stunning as it is brave. Told in unflinching and often lyrical prose,
Elephant Girl goes beyond a singular life story to speak of powerful,
universal truths and the ability of the human spirit to redeem itself.”
The Female Brain
by Louann
Brizendine. “Sounds a little heavy--but
is actually fun and very cool.” From
Amazon: “Why
are women more verbal than men? Why do women remember details of fights that
men can’t remember at all? Why do women tend to form deeper bonds with their
female friends than men do with their male counterparts? These and other
questions have stumped both sexes throughout the ages.”
Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman
by Sam Wasson. “A short,
fun read. Who doesn't love Audrey,
Truman, Tiffany's, and NYC? Taken from one of Truman Capote's stories
about one of his 'swans,' this is the tale of how all of the elements came
together to create one of the most popular movies of all time. From all of this, we got 'the little black
dress,' "Moon River," Holly
Golightly and so much more.”
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel
by Jeannette Walls. “In her
grandmothers voice the author or The Glass Castle (also one of my favorites)
explores what it was like growing up in poverty the southwest in the first part
of the 20th century and the impact of this life on her grandmother. Jeannette
Walls is an amazing story teller.”
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. "This is a truly
inspiring topic that needs our attention.
A page turning, eye opening, non-fiction
book about human trafficking. I
learned a great deal and have been inspired to get involved. A PBS documentary based on this book has
just been produced and will air on Oct 1 and 2. I went to a pre-view of the trailer in NYC
last week with the film’s Producer and CEO of Women’s World Banking.”
Hamlet's BlackBerry: Building a Good Life in the Digital Age by William Powers. A couple of people mentioned this as a great book about our brave new world. [Ed: I heard about this on an NPR "On Books" podcast. I listen to them while
running, though sometimes they are so
interesting that I start walking, then sort of standing with old ladies passing
me. So, I recommend them, but they
aren’t healthy. Anyway, the author talked about his family's digital-free weekends. Or maybe it's just one day. Either way, it sounds wonderful. And impossible.]
Imagine: How Creativity Works
by Jonah Lehrer. “A comprehensive exploration of the 'science'
of creativity, with the goal of shattering the common right-brain or left-brain
perception and showing that truly anyone can be creative. Lehrer provides interesting examples of 'non
traditional' creativity and practical suggestions for thinking creatively
(daydreaming is productive, so is thinking like a child).”
Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir
by Doron Weber. "a memoir in which the author tells the story of his son who is born with a serious form of congenital heart disease. The son is gifted and attends Brooklyn Technical High School. He ultimately receives a heart transplant at age 16 at Columbia Hospital in NY. The father/author, a former Rhodes Scholar and current VP of the Alfred P Sloan Foundation, writes movingly of the family’s journey."
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by
Rebecca Skloot. This has been on the
list before but continues to get rave reviews, so I’m putting it on again. “A
fascinating story of genetic research - its reality and ethics - and of its
impact on the entire world of cancer research and one, very poor and religious,
family in Baltimore - the relatives of Henrietta Lacks, whose cervical cancer
cells are still used in medical research today.” And:
“I may be late to the Henrietta party but I loved this story of how one
woman's cancer cells revolutionized medicine and how her family was affected by
the research and then left out of the medical advances made possible by their
mother's cells.”
Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy
with Caroline
Kennedy and Michael Beschloss. "Great book, complete with the audios. Fascinating." And:
“I am a political junkie. And Jackie mentioned crises and incidents THAT
I HAD NEVER HEARD OF. Which only led me to believe more firmly that the
‘crises’ of today will be the head scratchers of tomorrow.” And “added
pleasure here is it comes with CDs for road trips!”
Just Kids
by Patti Smith. A memoir. “The
story of her entry into the art scene with Robert Mapplethorpe (her boyfriend)
is really interesting.”
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle
by Fiona Carnarvon. “The title would lead you to
believe that this is a dry history book.
Believe me, it is not! Those of
you who are followers of the PBS Downton Abbey series will be able to picture
the true story as it unfolds at Highclere (Downton.) Lady Almina was the illigitimate daughter of
Alfred de Rothschild (one of the richest men in the world at the time) and his
long time mistress. A child of
privilege, she brings her generous dowry to preserve the Carnarvon ancestral
home. It is hard for us to imagine today
the splendour in which these privileged Edwardians lived. And yet, the spoiled countess rose to the task
of nursing WWI soldiers in her home with tenderness and true concern. The castle's
current countess shares the family's colorful history, including Lord
Carnarvon's discovery of King Tut's tomb.
By the way, anyone visiting in the London/Oxford area today may tour the
castle, where the series is filmed.”
Another
contributor writes: “A record of the manor home where Downton Abbey is filmed,
written (ghost written more likely!) by the current owner the Duchess of
Carnarvon; great fun to read about the real occupants of the just as grand home.” [Ed:
Once again, they had me at “Downton.”]
Life, on the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat
by Grant Achatz and
Nick Kokonas. "This book is one of the
best auto-biographies I’ve ever read, and definitely the best cooking
biography. Grant Achatz, a James Beard
award winning chef is the uber-creative force behind Alinea, named the best
restaurant in North America by Gourmet.
The book covers his childhood working in his parents’ restaurant, his
work through the ranks at The French Laundry in his 20s and his close
relationship with Thomas Keller, through his creation of his ultra modern and
ground-breaking Alinea. Soon after
opening Alinea and winning accolades, Achatz was diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue
cancer at age 33 and subsequently lost the ability to taste, eat and
swallow. Chef Achatz writes so honestly
about his life, dreams and his fight against the cancer that I really felt like
I knew him while reading. I cried and laughed
throughout. Interspersed with Achatz’s
writing are chapters and bits from Nick Kokonas, who began as a regular
customer and became Achatz’s business partner and support system."
Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr. From Amazon:
“Reviewers agreed that while Karr's memoir
could have succumbed to the pitfalls of the addiction-recovery memoir, it rises
above the genre. Juicy, evocative, confessional, poetic, and often darkly
humorous, Lit recounts Karr's dark past in an intimate, easy style.”
Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine
by Eric
Weiner. “Very fun read.” From Amazon:
“When a health scare puts him in the hospital,
Eric Weiner-an agnostic by default-finds himself tangling with an unexpected
question, posed to him by a well-meaning nurse. 'Have you found your
God yet?' The thought of it nags him, and prods him-and
ultimately launches him on a far-flung journey to do just that.”
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
by Robin
Sharma. “A fable about fulfilling your
dreams and reaching your destiny.
Although published in 1997, it is a current read which inspires thought
and inspiration about how we live our lives each day. I really enjoyed the journey of reading this
book. It’s a very easy read.”
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
by Joshua
Foer. “The little brother of Jonathan Safran Foer (Everything is Illuminated)
delves into the quirky world of memory champions and winds up one himself.” The little brother of Jonathan Safran Foer
(Everything is Illuminated) delves into the quirky world of memory champions
and winds up one himself. Networking For People Who Hate Networking by Devora
Zack. Great ideas for introverts who need a stronger personal or professional
network.
A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life by Jack Kornfield. “Beloved Western
Buddhist master Kornfield makes known his personal, practical wisdom, garnered
from 25 years of practicing and teaching the path of awakening, as he guides
self-searchers to a simplicity of perception that brings alive spiritual
practice, peace, and truth in their daily lives.”
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
by Susan Cain. “I really loved this book about the power of
introversion and why it is important to be solitary in a world that celebrates
being loud and extroverted. Especially
wonderful if you are an extroverted parent or spouse and have an introverted
child/partner etc. A great read for
teachers or anyone in education as well.
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
by Candice
Millard. From Amazon: After his
humiliating election defeat in 1912, Teddy Roosevelt set his sights on the most
punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped,
rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and
Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt
accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In
the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever. Along the way,
Roosevelt and his men faced an unbelievable series of hardships, losing their
canoes and supplies to punishing whitewater rapids, and enduring starvation,
Indian attack, disease, drowning, and a murder within their own ranks. Three
men died, and Roosevelt was brought to the brink of suicide. The River of Doubt brings alive these
extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens
to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived.
The Secret Lives of Wives: Women Share What It Really Takes to Stay Married
by Iris Krasnow. “A bestselling, groundbreaking author
investigates successful long term marriages, interviewing wives and their
uncensored strategies for staying married… In raw, candid, titillating stories,
Krasnow's cast of wise women give voice to the truth about marriage and the
importance of maintaining a strong sense of self apart from the relationship.
Some spend summers separately from their partners. Some make time for wine with
the girls. One septuagenarian has a recurring date with an old flame from high
school. In every case, the marriage operates on many tracks, giving both
spouses license to pursue the question "Who am I apart from my
marriage?" Krasnow's goal is to give women permission to create their own
marriages at any age. Marital bliss is possible, she says, if each partner is
blissful apart from the other.”
The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific
by J. Maarten Troost.
“This is a light and funny read.
I loved this hilarious account of Troost's experiences living on the
tiny Tarawa atoll in the Pacific island nation of Kiribati with his (then)
girlfriend who was sent there for a two year assignment by an NGO. What sounded like paradise to the
desperate-for-adventure couple sitting in Washington, D.C. most decidedly turns
out not to be. It is well written,
laugh-out-loud funny, full of fabulous colorful characters and incredibly
bizarre experiences that you couldn't possibly make up if you tried. A great read.
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. [Ed: Almost a top pick, but I doubted you all needed this list to know that this book existed.] “Unsurprisingly, Jobs
managed to channel the communication about his life even after his death. The
man was brilliant and unapologetically mean at the same time. Undoubtedly he
and some of his designers have changed the world --- I would agree for the
better! Yet I cannot like the man. The
story of Apple is fascinating, also from the business management perspective.”
And: “deeper themes about beauty and taste and the idea that great products can
create their own demand.” And: “A
compelling story of our generation's genius, who is undeniably brilliant but
who is also cruel, quirky and insecure.
The backdrop of coming of age in Silicon Valley, his deep scars from
being given up for adoption, his devotion to his adoptive parents, and the
story of Jobs and Gates complex relationship made this a page turner for me
:) I also loved learning about the
evolution of Apple's products and Jobs impact on the music, computer, and movie
industries.”
The Surprising Life of Constance Spry: From Social Reformer to Society Florist
by Sue Shephard. “A biography of the highly
unconventional, brazen sharp business woman Constance Spry. Best known as 'the’ British society florist
of the 1930's (in the way that Cecil Beaton was the 'it' photographer of the
era), Constance's life was filled with drama -- from her impoverished beginnings
to a violent marriage, lesbian love affair and ultimately her rise as a very
successful entrepeneur. Her floral
designs still inspire today. It's an
interesting read about quite an independent, ambitious woman.”
The Teeth May Smile but the Heart Does Not Forget: Murder and Memory in Uganda
by Andrew Rice. “One of those great non-fiction books that
reads like fiction. The unraveling of
the mysterious disappearance of a man in the midst of the Amin purges in the
early 70's. The jacket says it best: "A detective story, a tale of fathers
and sons, and a political history, this is above all an illumination of the
wounded societies of modern Africa and an exploration of how - and whether -
the past can ever be laid to rest."
Full disclosure: I was born in Kampala in 1970, so I found this book
incredibly fascinating/ chilling imagining all these horrific events unfolding
in the city where my parents were living during that awful time of Idi
Amin.”
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
by Laura Hillebrand. This was a
top pick last year that continues to get mentions. “Amazing story of human resilience and
survival! Also, learned quite a bit
about WWII in the Pacific and the sacrifice of so many of American
families.” And: “Great author writing about an inspiring man
leading an amazing life…what more could you want? When you’re done you’ll want to drive to
Hollywood to hug Louis Zamperini and have a long conversation with this hero
and Olympian who survived WWII, a plane crash, being stranded at sea, a string
of POW camps and his own demons after the war.
The most amazing part of his life is probably what he did after all of
that.”
by Ann Brashares.
by David Eggers.
