Books for the Beach

WELCOME TO THE 2011 EDITION OF "BOOKS FOR THE BEACH"

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Thanks to an utterly amazing response by our contributors (who seem to have carved out a good deal of reading time over the past year) we have a very robust list. It's divided into four sections. You can navigate to them through all the intuitive ways on this page, or simply click on these links:

• Top Picks
• Newer Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Older Fiction/Favorites from Previous Lists

If you think of it, please try to order books through this website. As an Amazon Associate, every purchase made by clicking from our site supports our effort. (You can order any format - Kindle, etc.) And don't forget our older lists, which you can reach through the archives on the left. We've been at this since 2005. The 2007 post has three years inside it! Thanks again, so much, to everyone who contributed such great ideas and such thoughtful reviews.

THE 2011 GREAT BOOKS FOR THE BEACH LIST: TOP PICKS

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The "Top picks"are books that a critical mass of our contributors recommend.

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff Biography. “Not one I would have picked up but given to me by a friend. I devoured it in a few days." … “Great read, great history as biography.” … “Read this on your Kindle or with dictionary at your side. A light rompy read, this is not... however, it is a very interesting and well researched story about the mesmerizing Cleopatra.”

Crazy U: One Dad's Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College by Andrew Ferguson. Non-fiction. “Ferguson's book about college admissions makes you scream, ‘WHAT are we DOING?’ The book’s narrative focus -- Ferguson’s son’s journey through college admissions – stands alone in depicting the utter madness that defines the process of trying to get a kid into college (and then, somehow, paying for it). But Ferguson reinforces the sense of lunacy with interesting history and analysis. And Ferguson is SO funny. To wit, Ferguson, having been told his son should ‘dig deep’ and talk about his ‘innermost thoughts’ when writing his essay, Ferguson observes ‘seventeen-year-old boys do not have innermost thoughts – and if they did, neither you nor I would want to know what they are.’)” As the Washington Post put it, ‘It may seem strange to say that a book so full of heartache is a pleasure to read, but Ferguson's storytelling is irresistible. ’ Ferguson only begins to touch on the question that is probably at the heart of the higher ed bubble - is a Bachelor's degree truly worth a quarter million dollars and an unspeakable hassle? - but he does get you thinking.”

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin. Murder mystery/thriller. Black Silas Jones and white Larry Ott were childhood friends, though they kept their friendship quiet in 1970s Mississippi. A girl disappears after a date with Larry, who is universally suspected (though not convicted) of the crime. Flash forward to present times. Silas is now the constable and another girl disappears. Larry, an outcast all these years, is again a suspect. The story of their old friendship and mysteries – old and new – unfold. Contributor comments: “Compelling with great southern Mississippi atmospherics. Larry Ott is a truly pathetic character (in the real meaning of the word) -- heartbreakingly so. I read the book in a couple of days.” … “A reasonably simple story of murder and friendship set in Mississippi, beautifully told, with real character development even for the supporting roles, and a few twists - no huge surprises, but nicely woven together.”

One Day by David Nicholls. This novel, published in 2009, has gone a little viral, perhaps because of the impending movie adaptation. Contributor comments: “It should be called ‘One Date,’ as it's about a whole bunch of July 15ths, over a period of 20 years in the lives of Dexter and Emma. I liked peeking into the window their lives, one day (date) at a time, and felt the novel worked well structurally. I had a rooting interest in the outcome, and appreciated their witty exchanges.” … “Great read, well written, good characters.” … “Picking up this book was like reliving 20 years of time with two best friends I didn't even knew I had! Dexter and Emma meet at Edinburgh University on July 15 1988 and every chapter is a glimpse into their lives on July 15 for the next 20 years.” ... "This would be a fantastic book to read on the beach. So engaging, you love the characters, well-written but v accessible."

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain. I think I might be the only one who has not yet read (and loved) this novel, so this may be a review in service of just me. In fact, it got so many recommendations that I had to winnow down the comments (which I did at random): "A simple, but nicely told story of Hemingway and his first wife during their time in Paris. The story comes across very real the entire time, you feel for Hadley, know that it all will not end well - and so does she pretty much, but totally understand her choices and her acceptance of the consequences. The writing is kind of lyrical.” …. “Interesting from two perspectives: historical and a love story. Liked because Hemingway is such a fascinating person. His huge self-confidence and adventure seeking persona are intriguing.” … “You'll want to reread Moveable Feast when you finish.”

Room by Emma Donohue. Novel. “A riveting story, told entirely from the perspective of a five-year-old, which you would think would get tiresome but somehow doesn’t. It becomes clear quite early in the novel that the whole of the young narrator’s life has been spent in one room, though due to the absolutely heroic efforts of his mother to protect him, he doesn’t know what he is missing. Through the child’s eyes, the circumstances that led to their living in ‘The Room’ unfold, and events ensue.” … “Overall, do not be put off by the subject matter - the strength of the first half of this book makes it worth reading." Several of you commented on the relative weakness of the second half of the book, but all agreed that it's a page-turner.

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon. Several of you mentioned this new release. From Amazon: “It is 1968. Lynnie, a young white woman with a developmental disability, and Homan, an African American deaf man, are locked away in an institution, the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded, and have been left to languish, forgotten. Deeply in love, they escape, and find refuge in the farmhouse of Martha, a retired schoolteacher and widow. But the couple is not alone-Lynnie has just given birth to a baby girl.” Reviewers have used words like "enthralling" and "captivating."

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. By the author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend, this is a biography of Louie Zamperini, an Olympic runner who wound up an Air Force Lieutenant and prisoner of war in WWII. By all accounts I’ve seen, Unbroken reads like fiction – a “breathless” narrative style, in the words of the New York Times. Contributor comments: “I am not usually a nonfiction fan but this story is too amazing not to read. Laura Hillenbrand's story is pretty interesting as well. She lives DC and suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome.” … “Definitely not my usual pick but impossible to put down.”

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. Each chapter in this novel, which won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, is told from a different character’s point of view –friends and associates of a music producer/former punk rocker. Contributor comments: “Smart, modern, and well-written book dealing with the aging of a generation of hip youngsters.” … “This is a fun but thoughtful book about...well...about a whole bunch of people who all have some connection to each other, some more than others, all dealing with different stages of life, and we meet several of them over again as they age or in their past. Confused? You won't be. I never felt out of place or out of time in this book. Egan does a great job of quickly establishing where you are at and with which character and then you fall completely into their story.”

THE 2011 GREAT BOOKS FOR THE BEACH LIST: NEWER FICTION

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The "newer fiction" selections were published in recent years and have not previously appeared on this blog. (Older fiction and those books previously reviewed on this blog have their own section).

22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson. “The story of Polish emigres to England who are separated during the WW2 and reunite afterwards with their young son. Engaging and readable - there are surprises and it keeps you guessing until the end.”

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni. “A mix of fiction and biblical mythology, the book focuses on the Nephilim, human/angel hybrids created when god first created Earth and sent angelic Watchers to oversee humanity. The hybrids, beautiful, cruel creatures who live among humans, are dying of an unknown disease and attempting to discover the cure hidden in a convent. In turn, the convent houses a few nuns/angelologists who attempt to destroy the Nephilim before they ruin humanity. The book is reminiscent of a Dan Brown novel, however it feels like Trussoni got tired of writing by the end.”

The Astronomer: A Novel of Suspense by Lawrence Goldstone. “I was not sure what I was about to read – one of those books that was on the table and my husband said it was good. It’s a historical murder mystery based in the 1500’s in France during the Inquisition when the catholic church was suspicious of anyone who challenged the church. Luther had already begun to have followers and the 'free-thinkers' and scientists were forced under-ground. The main character, the illegitimate son of a nobleman, is sent to a monastery but is recruited by the Inquisition to seek-out those who are going against the church. He himself is fascinated my science and faces moral dilemmas. Religion, science and murder … it was well written, had lots of mini-plots happening and I look forward to reading more books by this author! (I don’t want to give too much away at the end … I really enjoyed not knowing what I was about to read – made it all the more thrilling!)"

An Atlas of Impossible Longing by Anuradha Roy . “It's a family saga set in India in the early part of the last century. Men, women, love, lust, struggle, families, the meaning of work... all tackled with a mystical slant. Like very much.”

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos, the author of Love Walked In,which was reviewed last year. "This next novel was just as readable and engaging. One review called it 'gracefully written,' and I have to agree. De los Santos was a poet prior to being a novelist, and it shows. Belong to Me is the continuation of the story of Cornelia and her now husband Teo. Both books together would take one happily through several days on the beach. Calling it chick-lit might be a turn-off, though I candidly admit that I struggle to imagine a man reading either of these novels."

Between Here and April by Deborah Copaken Cogan. "Photojournalist Elizabeth Burns passes out while attending a production of Medea with her husband. The play caused a painful childhood episode to resurface in her mind – the disappearance of her best friend, April Cassidy, at the age of 6. What happened had always been a mystery, and Elizabeth is compelled to investigate."

Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons [Ed note: This, and several other reviews sprinkled throughout this year's list are a friend in the publishing industry. She (best job ever) gets to read everything before the rest of us and selected the best summer releases. This one will be out 7/19/2011) "From one of our most acclaimed writers comes this dramatic tale of a well-born Southern woman whose life is forever changed by the betrayal of her mother and by the man she loves Growing up, the only place tomboy Thayer Wentworth felt at home was at her summer camp - Camp Sherwood Forest in the North Carolina Mountains. It was there that she came alive and where she met Nick Abrams, her first love...and first heartbreak." (Ed again: Love Siddons on the beach - especially if I'm on a southern beach.)

Summer and the City: A Carrie Diaries Novel by Candace Bushnell. "For those of us still mourning the termination of Sex and the City, these two prequels help satiate the grieving process. They are light and perfect for the beach. It is like an archeological dig into Carrie's life pre Sex in the City."

The City & The City by China Mieville. "I like my science fiction 'light.' I'm generally not interested in aliens, space exploration, crazy futuristic technology (dinner in the shape of a pill - no thanks!) Although I can cite books that I've loved with these elements, I just don't gravitate to them naturally. The City & The City has just the right mix for me, taking a traditional crime novel plot and executing it in a fantasy setting. Plot-wise the story is fairly standard - a young woman is found murdered and our hero, Tyador Borlu of the Extreme Crime Squad, is assigned to the case. The complexity of the setting is what makes this book so engrossing."

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland. From a published review: "(Luncheon of the Boating Party) continues her art-history inspired novels by focusing on Clara Driscoll, the director of one branch of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s glass studio. Letters of hers found recently indicate that she, not Tiffany, was the brainchild behind the famous Tiffany glass lamps. To protect this glass studio from union strikes, Tiffany hired only unmarried women and gave Clara management and artisitic freedom to run the studio. The book is an interesting look at how hard Clara Driscoll fought for the women in her employ and the private sacrifices Clara made in order to continue in her art."

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. “Matryoshka dolls with one inside the other and then pulling back out to our original story. Mitchell is such a fantastic writer. As I would start each story I was thinking ‘damn, I was really getting into that other story - I don't care about a spoiled music student/reporter/old age home captive/futuristic clone/apocalyptic hillbilly’ but then I found myself caring very much about each of these new stories to the point where I was so frustrated when they would abruptly change to the next. Each story takes on a new voice and a new technique (journal, letters, interview, 3rd person and 1st) that give each a completely different feel and perspective from the previous story.”

Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah. “I found this book listed in a Guardian article where authors talked about their favorite books of the year. I forget now which author listed this book but since they also listed One Dayby David Nichols (which I loved) I thought I would pick this one up. As soon as I started it I groaned. Chick Lit! A middle aged woman is whinging about her looks, her family, the crush of the Christmas season...so she ducks into a hotel bar for a drink and meets a man. Could this possibly be on anyone's favorite book list? Although I had to admit that there were some funny lines so I decided to keep going. I'm glad I did. By the middle of the book I'm laughing and reading passages out loud to my husband (who says he will not read it himself because he doesn't like to read this kind of low brow humor although he was also laughing at what I read).”

The Confession by John Grisham. “I hadn’t read a Grisham book since his first few, but the Washington Post surprised me by giving the Confession a good review. Plus I had occasion to be exposed to the particulars of the ‘Norfolk Four’ case and how coerced confessions of the sort depicted in this novel can so thoroughly corrupt justice. The book was very suspenseful with a fairly well crafted story, and I finished it in a day. It was also better written than I remember Grisham being (should I read something he's written in the past fifteen years?). The negative was that I felt clubbed over the head with his caricatures. The novel is “advocacy fiction” (I think I’m making up that phrase, but you know what I mean) -- everyone is either angel or devil, depending on which side they are on. The innocent are perfect and pure and the pro-capital punishment characters are either: 1) corrupt and evil (anyone in an official role) or 2) ignorant, vengeful Texas rubes (all the rest). Shades of gray might have helped him Grisham deliver his message more effectively. I kept thinking of Tom Wolfe's book, I am Charlotte Simmons, where characters were so gratuitously cruel as to lack credibility. But again ... I read it in a day, so it obviously made a perfect beach read.”

Eighteen Acres by Nicolle Wallace, former White House Communications Director. “A great ‘beach’ read. Nicolle did a great job, I thought. Couldn't put it down. Although, fiction, It's full of insider info on the workings of the White House from someone who's been there!”

Everything Changes by Jonathan Tropper. “Man's best friend dies in car crash. Guy cheats on fiancee with best friend's widow. Guy pees blood. But don't let these three descriptors drive you away from this book. Tropper is a gifted storyteller, and this is an awesome book.” [Ed: Tropper's How to Talk to a Widower is reviewed below, and This Is Where I Leave You was a top pick last year. I know it seems like this blog is turning a little "cult of Tropper," but he's REALLY good.]

Family Album by Penelope Lively “About a family with 6 kids and all the dysfunction of growing up in a large family...a few plot twists that will remind you of the Schwarznegger love triangle.”

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner “While I think Jennifer Weiner is a formulaic writer whose book endings are sooooo predictable, they still make for a great beach read. Family drama. Affairs. Rehab. Intricate relationships. And, an ending that might make you say 'oh, BARF' -- but it's still a good read, I promise.”

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton “A woman discovers that her past may not be precisely what she thought it was. She travels from Australia to England to discover who she truly is (and to fall in love with a hunky gardener).”

Freedom by Jonathan Franzan – “SO good! Characters are so good, normal flawed people making mistakes, giving into temptations they should not; long book but worth it… “ … “This work of fiction from the author of the bestseller The Corrections offers a bittersweet 'commentary' highlighting the contradiction between the ideals and realities of ‘freedom.’ It follows a family in the 2000's as each member wrestles with the decisions they make for themselves in order to 'be free'. Sometimes freedom looks more like 'escape from' rather than a 'pursuit of'. It's long, but hard to put down. Sometimes shockingly explicit, it attempts to put reality into a stark focus, with all of the raw elements that challenge idealism. Perfect for long summer afternoons on the beach.”

The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw. “An adventuresome girl returns to a cold island that she once vacationed on to try to find a cure for her feet, which are turning into glass. While there, she falls in love with an odd local man who helps her find other native islanders who might have the power to save her. There is a mystical, sad feel to the characters and the book; one review calls it ‘dreamlike’ - a perfect description.”

Great House by Nicolas Krauss. A new novel by the author of History of Love, which was a top pick a couple of years ago. “Several stories entwined about different characters lives that does not wrap up neatly at the end.”

Groundswell by Katie Lee (Another pick from my publishing insider, coming 6/21/2011) “About the Book: EAT, SURF, LOVE. A butterfly flaps its wings in New York City . . . and a groundswell forms in Mexico. . . . Sometimes the biggest ripples come from the smallest events. Like the day that Emma Guthrie walks into world-famous movie star Garrett Walker’s trailer. When she steps through the door, she’s a novice PA who’s just dropped out of college after losing her scholarship. When she walks out, she’s on her way to becoming Mrs. Emma Walker—wife of an A-list actor. Soon, Emma has made the transition from nobody to redcarpet royalty, trading jeans and flip-flops for closets full of Chanel and Birkin bags, swishing past velvet ropes to attend every lavish party and charity gala on both coasts.”

Hazardby Gardiner Harris. “A fascinating glimpse into the day to day lives of Appalachian coal miners. Gardiner is a New York times journalist who lived in Kentucky for a while and with this novel really brings the dangerous world of coal mining to life. It is a gripping murder mystery and particularly fascinating to read as we remember some of the real life coal mining accidents that have happened recently. A real page turner.”

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton “A filmmaker explores a dramatic murder at a vast English estate which took place 70 years ago. What new details will emerge? Who was sleeping with whom? Why did the family fall apart shortly after the murder? Who's the starlet and what's her story? [guilty pleasure book]” … “The House at Riverton and The Forbidden Garden both by Kate Morton (an Australian author) are turn of the century sagas, drama, romance, mystery, that kind of thing. It was a pleasant change after going through the 3 Stieg Larsson novels!”

How to Talk to a Widower by Jonathan Tropper. [Ed: Tropper’s This Is Where I Leave You was a top pick last year, and Everything Changes is reviewed above]. "One reviewer on Goodreads referred to Tropper’s genre as ‘lad lit.’ Probably apt – he writes about male characters in dramatic situations with a little romance thrown in. Tropper is vulgar and hilarious, and his books (as near as I can tell from actually reading two of them and reading about a few others) tend to climax in these completely absurd scenes – kind of like Pat Conroy (escaped tiger anyone?) but funny, not Gothic. This one is about a young widower who suffers (and becomes insufferable) in the period after his wife’s death. And, vintage Tropper, his family is an absolute parade of neuroses.”

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard Morais. From Amazon: “Grandson of an entrepreneurial lunchbox deliveryman, Chef Hassan Haji tells of his rise to culinary success in Paris via Bombay, London, and a small town in the French Alps. With a fond, over-the-shoulder regard, he presents the lively family members, friends, and former foes who shaped him as a young chef, leading him to face his destiny and realize that cooking is not only in his heritage but also in his blood and bones. The novel floats along a bounty of vivid food imagery, a twisty-turny river of dishes Indian, French, and everything in between. … Bound to please anyone who has ever been happily coaxed to eat beyond the point of fullness, overwhelmed by the magnetism of just one more bite.”

Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Robert Harris “a fun read about Cicero and politics in ancient Rome.”

The Informationist: A Thriller by Taylor Stevens. “Fun, fast paced thriller with a strong female protagonist. Vanessa "Michael" Munroe is the ex-missionary's daughter/gunrunner's protege/mercenary's pupil/victim turned professional ‘Informationst.’ Is it over the top and unrealistic? Sure - but it's also a very entertaining diversion set in Africa as opposed to Sweden. If you are looking for an escapist thriller, this is it.”

I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson. Pearson wrote I Don't Know How She Does It a few years ago. (It was a big hit, often compared to Bridget Jones, but for the married woman, vs the singleton. If you haven't read that, it's worth it, and I just found out today that a movie version with Sarah Jessica Parker is coming.) But back to her latest: “In her latest incredibly readable novel, we follow a 13-year-old Welsh girl named Petra (obsessed - I mean OBSESSED - with David Cassidy and suffering through the angst of challenging friendships) and then 38-year-old Petra, whose husband has left her for a younger woman. We also follow 24-year-old Bill (a frustrated former literature student, now ghost writing David Cassidy letters for a magazine devoted to the teen idol) and Bill in his late 40s. Pearson was painfully accurate in depicting Petra's adolescent hardships. I also appreciated how Pearson slowly divulged the story of her relationship with her parents, and they with one another. This isn't going to win any literary awards, though Pearson writes nicely and the story was incredibly engaging. A fun premise. I plowed through the book over a couple of vacation days in Florida. I highly recommend it as a beach book.”

Invisible by Paul Auster "It is beautifully written and far from your average coming of age story. It’s about a student at Columbia in the spring of 1967 and told from different perspectives."

Leaving Unknown by Kerry Reichs. Kerry is a local Washington author. Her first novel, The Best Day of Someone Else's Lifewas on the book list a couple of years ago. From the Booklist review: "Reichs’ newest novel follows 26-year-old Maeve Connelly as she journeys across America in a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner in an attempt to put her life back together. Accompanied by her bird, Oliver, Maeve works odd jobs in small towns ranging from Okay, Oklahoma, to Toad Suck, Arkansas, in order to keep her car in working condition. Misfortune strikes, however, when her car breaks down near Unknown, Arizona, where she is stranded for months on end. While there, Maeve becomes attached to assorted town denizens, befriending an attractive young doctor and obtaining a job at a bookstore run by a handsome children’s book author. She also begins to reexamine troubles from her past after a secret she has been keeping is revealed... Reichs’ witty and entertaining writing style makes Leaving Unknown a trip worth taking."

Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. "Because of the plot - a 30-something mother suffers a traumatic brain injury in a car accident - I expected this to be sad but story moves along and, in a strange way is uplifting, because of the storytelling. For busy moms, it puts a lot in perspective about what's important."

The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam “This is the same story as Old Filth (see below), but told from the perspective of Filth’s wife, Betty, concentrating on their courtship and marriage and then their final days in Dorset, ‘revealing a backstory of secret trysts and desires that each concealed from the other during their long, childless marriage.’ The two books are marvelous together.”

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes. “Matterhorn is an incredible, realistic story that made me feel like I was just pushed off a chopper and into a landing zone of jungle madness fought by kids barely old enough to vote but not old enough to rent a car. Powerful, eye opening, worthwhile and surprisingly entertaining but probably not for everyone.”
My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares. "Daniel is a rare person who remembers each of his previous lives, and in each one is haunted by the soul of a girl he met briefly in his first life and fell in love with in a subsequent life. He chases after her through centuries and lives, always separated by age or circumstance, trying to get her to remember and love him as well. Total beach read page-turner; apparently planned as a trilogy. Don’t be turned off by the author (of Traveling Pants fame); this is an adult, not teen, book."

My Sisters Made of Light by Jaqueline St. Joan. "This is Ms. St. Joan’s first novel and is just incredible, both moving and thought-provoking. The protagonist, Ujala, is a young Pakistani woman who is inspired by her mother to travel through various parts of rural Pakistan teaching young girls and women. In this capacity, Ujala witnesses a number of “honor crimes” – in which a “woman” (she could be as young as 10) is beaten, permanently maimed (think acid thrown in your face) or killed because she has, in the eyes of her family, brought dishonor to them (by, for example, talking in public with a male cousin). Ujala and her three sisters ultimately all become involved in trying to turn the tide of this cultural horror in Pakistan. While the topic is horrific, the beautiful and passionate story woven by Ms. St. Joan is tinged with hope and optimism. Much like the four sisters, Ms. St. Joan is determined to make a difference in the current lives of Pakistani women who, right now & every day, are being subjected to these honor crimes: half the proceeds from her book are going to be used to fund the building of a safe house in Pakistan where women and children trying to escape abuse can be sheltered."

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens (This is another title recommended by my publishing insider pal: will be out 7/5/2011) “About the Book: From the acclaimed author of Still Missing comes a psychological thriller about one woman’s search into her past and the deadly truth she uncovers. All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara did not have an ideal home life. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and to find closure. But some questions are better left unanswered.”

New York by Edward Rutherfurd. A novel spanning 350 years of New York history, mostly about one family. Rutherfurd is often compared to James Michener, with his sweeping epics. Previous works include London.

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin. "The plot revolves around a young woman climbing up through the art world in New York. Martin has a fascinating way of developing characters that are completely unique. It felt current and alive." (Is there nothing Steve Martin can't do?)

That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. From the Amazon review: “…a novel of deep introspection and every family feeling imaginable, with a middle-aged man confronting his parents and their failed marriage, his own troubled one, his daughter’s new life and, finally, what it was he thought he wanted and what in fact he has. The storytelling is flawless throughout, moments of great comedy and even hilarity alternating with others of rueful understanding and heart-stopping sadness, and its ending is at once surprising, uplifting and unlike anything this Pulitzer Prize winner has ever written.”

Old Filth by Jane Gardam. “This novel tells the story of Sir Edward Feathers, a barrister known as Old Filth ("Failed in London Try Hong Kong"), who becomes a renowned lawyer in the Far East. Told from the perspective of Filth, who was a raj orphan, shipped to Wales and raised by foster families and in boarding schools. He’s now an octogenarian, living in Dorset with his wife of many years, Betty.”

Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes. Fellowes wrote Snobs, the movie Gosford Park and the magnificent BBC Miniseries, Downton Abbey, a huge hit last year. About this novel: "Fellowes is such a keen chronicler of the demise of the British Aristocracy that I couldn't help enjoy his wry observations. The book, in fact, often read more like social history than fiction. The ending didn't quite deliver for me. But it was still Julian Fellowes, and for me, well worth it."

The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally Gunning. “An historical fiction based on Jane Clark who is an independent young women living during the Revolutionary War in Cape Cod. After refusing to marry a man selected by her father, she is sent to live in Boston and take care of an elderly aunt. During her stay, she meets Henry Knox, John Adams and a host of other Revolutionary characters who all play a role in Boston’s history as well as help Jane make important decisions which show her courage, wisdom and independence. I personally loved the conflict between Jane and what she felt was right verses what was expected of her and the customs of the time. I also loved the emphasis placed on the important role letter writing had during this time frame. And what a ‘hell hole’ Boston was during this very tumultuous time. I read this is two nights … I could not put it down!”

Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman. "I heard the author being interviewed on NPR on my way to the beach, and I immediately stopped to download the book. I wasn’t familiar with Ayelet Waldman, but this winter she wrote on fabulous rebuttal to the Tiger Mother essay in the WSJ." (By the way, I notice not ONE of our contributors recommended the Tiger Mom book. Interesting!)

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. "Tracy is a local author who grew up in Bethesda and went to BCC. She became famous for Girl with A Pearl Earring. I enjoyed her latest historic novel based on a female paleontologist and a female fossil collector in 18th century England- a time when women weren’t even allowed to study science at college. It takes place in Lyme Regis on the coast and is based on the true story of a working class girl who makes some of the most important discoveries of dinosaurs ever but is used and dismissed by the male scientists. The fossil collector explores the tension of science versus religion – how can dinosaurs exist if they pre-date the creation of the world as described in the bible."

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (another from my "inside publishing" pal – release date 7/26/2011) “About the Book: A sophisticated and entertaining debut novel about an irresistible young woman with an uncommon sense of purpose. Set in New York City in 1938, Rules of Civility tells the story of a watershed year in the life of an uncompromising twenty-five-year- old named Katey Kontent. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, Katey embarks on a journey from a Wall Street secretarial pool through the upper echelons of New York society in search of a brighter future.”

Sisterhood Everlasting: A Novel (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) by Ann Brashares (also from friend in publishing – release date 6/14/2011) “About the Book: Return to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . ten years later. From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.”

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. “I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that Skippy Dies in the very first chapter during a doughnut eating contest with his boarding school room mate, Ruprecht Van Doren. Paul Murray then turns back the clock give us 600+ pages of the events leading up to that moment as well as the its aftermath. Murray clearly remembers what its like to be 14 years old. Skippy and his friends are obsessed with sex, bodily functions, sex, girls, quantum physics and more sex. Some of the funniest moments (and there are plenty of them) come from the boys' banter, flammable flatulence, and finding sex in the most unlikely places (Robert Frost's The Road Less Traveled will really never be the same again for me - but will forever make me smile!). But these kids are also naive, innocent, pretending to be tougher and more worldly than they are and the pain of trying to fit in, get a girl, and be cool all come through with humor and heartbreak. 14 is all about trying on adulthood without knowing your size and style and Murray nails it.”

The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement
by David Brooks. “It's fiction with a lot of non fiction factoids about our generation. Sort of a social study of the educated class which he is always good at pegging well. It's an interesting read and helps you step back and observe what's going on around us and how much intuition influences how we behave.”

The Submission by Amy Waldman (from my publishing insider – release date 8/2/2011) “About the Book: Claire Harwell hasn’t settled into grief; events haven’t let her. Cool, eloquent, raising two fatherless children, Claire has emerged as the most visible of the widows who became a potent political force in the aftermath of the catastrophe. She longs for her husband, but she has found her mission: she sits on a jury charged with selecting a fitting memorial for the victims of the attack. Of the thousands of anonymous submissions that she and her fellow jurors examine, one transfixes Claire: a garden on whose walls the names of the dead are inscribed. But when the winning envelope is opened, they find the designer is Mohammad Khan—Mo—an enigmatic Muslim-American who, it seems, feels no need to represent anyone’s beliefs except his own. When the design and its creator are leaked, a media firestorm erupts, and Claire finds herself trying to balance principles against emotions amid escalating tensions about the place of Islam in America.”

Tales from the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell. “Truthfully, I picked this up because in the nano second that I scanned the cover, I saw Anita Diamant's (The Red Tent) name, thinking she was the author... Only when I got home did I realize she just provided a promotional quote. That being said, the book is a great summer read. It reminded me of reading "Something Borrowed," in that it's a quick light read. Very LA, although perhaps it could be very DC or very NYC. “

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. “Mitchell can take spit globules, gout, puss, blood letting, beatings, anal exploratories, overall bad hygiene, and organized rape and turn it into poetry. I'll admit that the idea of a historical novel set in a 1799 Dutch trading post off the coast of Japan didn't readily appeal to me. And the dialect of the first section (something like garbled cockney that Mitchell calls ‘bygonese’ in an interview in the back of the book) was a little difficult to process at first. Give it time and let yourself absorb Mitchell's deliberate language and vivid imagery. You are in the hands of a master storyteller. A Thousand Autumns pulls in elements of romance, action, political thriller and high seas adventure. His characters are varied and complex - even minor characters have multi-dimensions that add depth to the story. By the end of the book I was fully invested, cheering and mourning the various outcomes of each character's fate.”

The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan “My favorite beach read from last summer. I loved it. Definitely good to have the family tree to refer to throughout as the characters get plentiful. I’m a huge Rushdie fan and while she is not quite in his league, she has a hint of his lyricism. It’s just a beautiful story of incredible strength and pure sorrow.”

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay “A complex fiction set in 6th Century China, this book weaves multiple story lines and numerous characters together fantastically. An assuming young man is gifted 250 very special horses by a neighboring enemy state, which immediately shines a spotlight on him, giving him both great power and great enemies. How he can safely get word of the horses to the emperor and decide how to play within a warring court, determine who are his friends and foes, and the impact that small decisions can make in a larger history play out in the novel.”

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. Novel about “a Shakespearean expert who names his three daughters after the Bard's greatest heroines. After a variety of disappointments, these adult daughters find themselves living at home - which gives them the perfect environment to continue to grow up. If you have a familiarity with Shakespeare, you will love this book.” … “As one of 3 girls, I find birth order very telling for one's personality & role in the family. I am Bean chronologically but Rose in personality!” [Ed: This one was borderline "top pick."]

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey “Roffey beautifully delivers Trinidad - first in its modern day state and then in its various revolutionary phases over several decades of political turmoil. In the middle of it all are Sabine and George Harwood. George takes a position in an international company and falls in love with the island. His wife Sabine agrees to the initial three year commitment but finds herself trapped by the island's hold on her husband as well as herself. They arrive in Trinidad just as a new political force is taking over the landscape and Sabine becomes obsessed with this new voice of change...only to become disillusioned by his eventual empty promises and the complex hierarchy of race and heritage that permeates every relationship.”

A Young Wife by Pam Lewis (Publishing insider recommendation – release date 6/14/2011) “About the Book: When fifteen-year-old Minke van Aisma travels to Amsterdam to care for the dying wife of an older, wealthy man named Sander DeVries, she has no idea what awaits her. Within hours of his wife's death, Sander proposes marriage, and within days the couple sets sail for the burgeoning oil fields of Argentina. But the future that seemed so bright takes a dark turn the morning their son, Zef, is kidnapped. Dire circumstances dictate that Sander immigrate to New York at once, leaving Minke little choice but to wait for their new baby's arrival, follow Sander to America, and abandon her firstborn. What follows is a triumphant turn-of-the-century saga of love, betrayal, and redemption that takes readers from the opulent life in Amsterdam during the 1900s to rough life on the Argentine coast to the impoverished life of a recent immigrant in New York.”

THE 2011 GREAT BOOKS FOR THE BEACH LIST: NON-FICTION

2011-05-27T19:23:00.001-04:00

Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea and Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler. "Laughter is the gasoline in my tank. The only thing I like better than a good autobiography, or self help book, is a laugh out loud book. Chelsea Handler's books are outrageous. I love her television show and her books. She admittedly works with a cast of misfits. Her books are a hilarious take on her ridiculous life as a comedian. If you are looking for a funny escape with no aftertaste, you can't go wrong with Chelsea in television or book form. She has a new book, Lies Chelsea Told Me that is No. 1 on the NY Best Seller's list. I can't wait to read that, too."

As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto by Joan Reardon; with Julia Child, Avis DeVoto. "Some people loved the Julie/Julia book. Me? Not so much. This book is lovely and intimate and something that will make you want to cancel your email account and start writing letters again."

The Blessing Of A Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children by Wendy Mogel. "This was published about ten years ago, but I just received it recently. One of the best parenting advice books I've read in a while from a unique perspective. Everyone can take a great deal away from this book!"

Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton. “Hamilton is a chef who, before she started cheffing, got her MFA in writing from the University of Michigan. This experience propels her memoir over that of other chefs and chef-wannabes. It's a really great story, and her economy of language makes this a book worth savoring. I didn't want this book to end.”

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall. “From Amazon: Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong. “fabulous read! Just out in paperback.”

Bossypantsby Tina Fey. You all are giving me mixed reviews. Some say hilarious. Others not so impressed. One of you said it “feels disjointed.”

Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Childrenby Henry Cloud and John Townsend. “By far THE best parenting book I've read in a while. I thought it to be very thought-provoking, inspirational and had good, practical advice.”

Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbagby Michael Tonello. A former hair and makeup artist tells the tale of his frenetic effort to buy Birkin bags – the “holy grail” of fashion – in order to resell on ebay. There are waiting lists for the bags, and people pay thousands of dollars over the asking price in order to get their hands on them. [Note to DC area readers – I don’t think I know any such people, but suspect they are the same ones who shop along that stretch of Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights - you know where I mean.]

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safeby Gayle (Tzemach) Lemmon. “I went to a book signing about 6 weeks ago and bought the book which I have not yet read, but might be an interesting read to some. I know I am looking forward to reading it. It is about a young woman in Afghanistan who ended up running her own successful dressmaking business with the support of her brother and father - true story. Here's the link to her website: http://www.gaylelemmon.com/”

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are and I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Powerby Brene Brown. “What can I say? I love a good ‘self help’ book. A dear friend emailed me notes from a seminar on shame by Brene she attended. My first reaction was, ‘what a boring subject.’ However, I was blown away by my friend's seminar notes. So much so, in fact, that I bought both books by Brene. I loved both books so much that I am now enrolled in her on line course on Shame. I am ass deep in what triggers shame and how to become resilient to both the triggers and the shame they produce. This book is invaluable to every woman and particularly those who are parents. After reading Brene's highly interesting and relatable books, I am learning to speak Shame. As unsexy as it sounds, both books are so good I could not put them down. The lessons I have learned and will impart on my family and friends are invaluable. Trust me.” …. (the next comments refer to Gifts of Imperfection): “Brown has made her life's work about studying shame. Shame! What a topic. And in this book, she brings shame into the light, helps the reader understand shame, and overcome the limiting power of feeling imperfect. Brown also writes about her research in a way that makes statistics come alive, and very accessible.”

The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden Life by Jasmin Darznik. “A sad, sad non-fiction story of a woman's life in 20th century Iran. Would have loved to see more exploration of the emotional conflict of the decision to leave her daughter and the lack of relationship thereafter, but a really interesting read as a woman, mother, and world citizen where cultures come together and are in conflict all the time.”

The Grace of Silence: A Memoir by Michele Norris. “Michele Norris is the host of All Things Considered at NPR. This book is her memoir about her family and growing up as an African American. While it is thought provoking, it is a quick and easy read. She tells a great story, and it may leave the reader wishing to explore their own family histories.”

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Funby Gretchen Rubin. “I think many of us feel like the author. Our lives our great, but it would be nice if we could sometimes have a little more control and appreciate what we have we might be even happier.”

The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Lossby Edmund de Waal. “When Edmund de Waal inherits a collection of Japanese netsuke (small hand carved figurines), he decides to trace its past back to when it first entered his family's possession. We should be glad that he did. The history of the netsuke collection introduces us to several fascinating characters anda glimpse into the lives of a prominent Jewish family from the late 1800's through to present day.”

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo. “The title says it all -- a three year old having an emergency operation apparently leaves his body and goes to Heaven. He is instructed by Jesus to go back to Earth, as an answer to the child's father's prayer. Over the course of the years that follow this experience, his story is revealed to his family.”

House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Streetby William D. Cohan. “Recommended by Malcolm Gladwell when I heard him speak as the best explanation of the financial meltdown.”

How Reading Changed My Lifeby Anna Quindlen “This has been around awhile, but it is quick and true to her pithy writing style. I think I picked it up on a trip to Barnes & Noble with the kids as a 'HA! See?' out of frustration that my children weren't taking enough time to read for pleasure (although seem to have time for emailing, American Idol and other sundry activities). Anyway, it did not disappoint. I enjoyed the book lists in the back, as it inspired me to create my own... and perhaps to inspire my children to do the same :)”

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlinby Erik Larsen. “Erik Larson writes non-fiction like fiction. In Devil in the White City and Thunderstruck he weaves the stories of real people and murders into major events in history (1893 Chicago World's Fair and invention of the Marconi Wireless respectively). In the Garden of the Beasts, he tracks the lives of U.S. Ambassador William Dodd and his socialite daughter Martha during Ambassador Dodd's time in Berlin during the 1930s. Since the story has Hitler, there is no shortage of murders but this was still at the time when people weren't sure how crazy Hitler was or even if his power would last. Martha Dodd was pretty crazy too, just not the murdering type.”

Just Kidsby Patti Smith “A memoir of rocker Patti Smith's love affair with photographer Robert Mappelthorpe. Won the National Book Award. Written like a prose poem, I was staggered by the love, the creativity, the connection between these two geniuses. Loved.”

Letters to a Young Poetby Rainer Maria Rilke “Written in the earliest part of the last century, these letters from Rilke to a young, struggling poet outline how one can live a life that matters. Rilke's insights and gorgeous writing stand the test of time - his point of view is as relevant today as it was when he wrote it all down.”

Life, on the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eatby Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas. “This is Chef Grant Achatz's memoir, written with his business partner and best friend, Nick Kokonas. Grant's restaurant, Alinea, is currently the top-ranked restaurant in America (#7 in the world). The book chronicles Grant's drive for success, his battle against Stage 4 tongue cancer, and how he and Nick built one of the world's best restaurants.”

Marriage and Other Acts of Charity: A Memoirby Kate Braestrop. “( pronounced bra-strap) hilarious memoir!!! a must read!!!!!”

Martha Gellhorn : A Lifeby Caroline Moorehead. “Buckle up! Martha covered every conflict over a span of sixty years, was very close to Elenor Roosevelt and stopped by the White House on a whim, hung out with - and barely tolerated - all of the biggest stars in Hollywood and, as an aside, according to one of Hemingway's sons was the first beautiful woman he'd met who said [the f word]. And that she did. She was never dull and makes me wish I hadn't gone into banking after college! The biographer, Moorehead, was the daughter of one of Martha's dear friends and had access to her abundance of letters and knew her well into her old age. Now, this new twist has me ready to read one of Gellhorn's books Travels With Myself and Another: A Memoire.”

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Homeby Rhoda Janzen. “This is a wicked-funny memoir about the year the author turns forty, her husband leaves her for a dude he met on Gay.com, and a car accident leaves her seriously injured. She packs her bags and returns to her quirky Mennonite family. They welcome her with open arms but also do things like suggest she date her cousin to get over her heartbreak. I read the entire book on a fight to L.A. and couldn't stop laughing.”

Notes from the Underwire: Adventures from My Awkward and Lovely Life by Quinn Cummings “Remember 1970s and '80s child actor, Quinn Cummings? [ed: She was in Goodbye Girl and was on Family for three years – 'google image' her – you will recognize her]. This is her memoir, which reads like a series of short stories. Stories that will make you guffaw and want to hug the stuffing out of her. Easy to get through... or, you could read a chapter a week over the summer and not feel like you're losing any of the story.”

Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffinby Kathy Griffin. “A laugh out loud book by the Queen of my Comedy Tribe. A hilarious dish by the fearless and hysterical Griffin.”

The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore. From Amazon: "Moore, an investment banker, Rhodes scholar, and former aide to Condoleezza Rice, was intrigued when he learned that another Wes Moore, his age and from the same area of Greater Baltimore, was wanted for killing a cop. Meeting his double and delving into his life reveals deeper likenesses: raised in fatherless families and poor black neighborhoods, both felt the lure of the money and status to be gained from dealing drugs. That the author resisted the criminal underworld while the other Wes drifted into it is chalked up less to character than to the influence of relatives, mentors, and expectations that pushed against his own delinquent impulses, to the point of exiling him to military school." .... “True story, quick read, thought provoking.”

I Remember Nothing: and Other Reflectionsby Nora Ephron. “I’m a huge fan of Nora Ephron, and I listened to this collection of essays as an audiobook, read by Nora Ephron. The essays are wonderful and as always, she’s very entertaining.”

Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History
by Ben Mezrich (Another soon-to-be-published suggestion from my mole in the publishing biz – in stores on 7/12/2011) “About the Book: Thad Roberts, a fellow in a prestigious NASA program had an idea—a romantic, albeit crazy, idea. He wanted to give his girlfriend the moon. Literally. Thad convinced his girlfriend and another female accomplice, both NASA interns, to break into an impregnable laboratory at NASA—past security checkpoints, an electronically locked door with cipher security codes, and camera-lined hallways—and help him steal the most precious objects in the world: the moon rocks.”

Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiographyby Rob Lowe. "His book is a terrific fun read. It is juicy without being trashy and his insights about himself, others and Hollywood prove that he is intelligent and thoughtful as well as adorable."

Strength in What Remainsby Tracy Kidder. "Amazing true story of how a young man escapes the genocide in Burundi/Rwanda and builds a life for himself in the U.S. starting with absolutely nothing. Truly inspirational."

Townie: A Memoirby Andre Dubus. "Andre had a gritty, violent childhood and he talks honestly about the desire and the thrills of his own violence. He also explores his complex and intense relationship with his father, writer Andre Dubus II. I was glad that Andre did not focus on his own eventual success, never mentioning Oprah etc. This is not a rags to riches tale - its the story of a boy who becomes a man. A man who can write in a way that compels you to keep reading. Before I knew it, my weekend was over and I had barely moved from my seat or taken my eyes off the pages of this book."

The True History of Chocolate (Second Edition)by Sophie Coe. “Chocolate + culture + history = interesting read. Caveat Emptor: I am the one who brought home "The Story of Salt" to read to my then young children. But if you're into this kind of thing, it is rather fascinating to see how a food we take for granted has influenced economies and culture for thousands of years.”

When I Am Playing with My Cat, How Do I Know That She Is Not Playing with Me?: Montaigne and Being in Touch with Lifeby Saul Frampton. From Amazon: "After enduring in short succession the deaths of his daughter; father; best friend; and brother, 'killed absurdly, tragically, by the blow from a tennis ball,' Montaigne retreated to his tower library, intending to write and prepare himself for his own death. Out of this dismal exercise came Les Essais, his eccentric and invaluable essays on his milieu, philosophy, and preoccupations. Frampton tucks a good deal of biography into his tour of the evolution of the essays and the events that inspired them—but his extraordinary achievement is in conveying—and inviting the reader to commune with—Montaigne's unique sensibility and his take on death, sex, travel, friendship, kidney stones, the human thumb, and above all, "the power of the ordinary and the unremarkable, the value of the here-and-now." This scholarly romp through the Renaissance is a jewel."

When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Manby Jerry Weintraub. “A brilliant memoir by a brilliant hustler. My interest was peaked when I saw him interviewed. His charisma is such that he is married (40 plus years )and lives with his (younger ) girlfriend. As if this is not outlandish enough, his wife and girlfriend are best friends. After watching his HBO documentary, 'His Way,' I totally got how Jerry managed to get away with both a wife and a girlfriend. His riveting life story takes him as a scrappy kid in the Bronx through an unsurpassed career as a Music promoter to a movie producer. It is a peak behind the curtain of the high and lows of his career as a promoter for Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, John Denver, and a movie producer of several famous movies including, but not limited to, the Oceans series. I could not put this book down. I wish he was my next door neighbor. I love the guy.”

A Year and Six Seconds: A Love Story by Isabel Gillies (from my mole inside the publishing world– on shelves 8/2/2011) “About the Book: At the heart of this sweetly humorous and incisive follow-up memoir to her bestselling Happens Every Day: An All-Too-True Story is a Julia Child story Isabel's mother used to tell. While displaying a delicately rendered nest-like sugar basket for the camera, Julia fumbles her creation and sends it crashing to the floor. Briefly looking at the mess, Julia announces that the only thing to do is to start again, and she resolutely turns back to the stove to measure out more sugar. Thirty five, single mother of two, unemployed, broke, and on the heels of a shattering divorce, Isabel leaves the life she created in Ohio to move back into her parents' New York City apartment. Thus, in the spirit of Julia Child's message, Isabel dusts herself off and starts over, and in turn, learns to embrace love and life again.”

NOTE: For the 2011 "Older Fiction/Favorites From Previous Years," click on "older posts" below this posting.

THE 2011 GREAT BOOKS FOR THE BEACH LIST: OLDER FICTION AND FAVES FROM PREVIOUS LISTS

2011-05-27T19:10:00.017-04:00

This section is devoted to older fiction, as well as books that have previously appeared on the Beach Books list.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. This top pick from 2009 continues to get raves. Contributor comment: “A difficult book to truly describe, as any description (including the summary on the book flap) given makes the book sound rather boring, or just plain odd. The quick plot summary is that it describes the goings-on in a posh Parisian apartment building, focused around the philosophical concierge (who tries hard to hide her true self behind the stereotype of the surly Paris laborer) and a precocious twelve year old (who has decided to commit suicide on her thirteenth birthday as she feels she is surrounded by idiots). A new tenant brings the two of them out of their shells, and into each other's lives. While suffering from a few "plot difficulties" in my mind, the overall writing and themes of the book are fascinating, especially if you enjoy philosophy and contemplation.”

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Another still-loved book, this one (non-fiction), from the 2010 list. "Written with the values and wisdom of a very different world than the hospital room in which the story begins but a compelling history of one woman's cancer cells. The book follows the path that the cells have taken to become the single best known research cell line and the discomfort and pain that Henrietta's family have felt due to their lack of knowledge of the project and their perceived invasion of family privacy."

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. This, too, was a top pick in 2010 and I still get recommendations. “A variety of cleverly woven character studies of individuals working at an English-speaking newspaper in Italy. Lovely vignettes.”

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. This historical fiction novel – an epic tale and love story about Jewish Hungarians before and during WWII was on last year’s fiction list and was mentioned by several people again.

To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Editionby Harper Lee. “I reread To Kill A Mockingbird, a childhood favorite, this year for its 50th Anniversary. I hadn’t read it since high school and was struck by how meaningful it is to me now in totally different ways. Atticus’ parenting style made me analyze my own parenting (can anyone be as wise as Atticus?). I can now really appreciate how wonderfully Lee captures childhood and the relationships among all parts of her Southern society. If you haven’t read this classic recently, you must!”

Let the Great World Spin: A Novel by by Colum Mcann. "Follows the lives of a group of individuals immediately before and after Philippe Petit walked a tightrope between the World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. Although the book does not feature Petit as one of its central characters, the lives of all of the main characters intersect with Petit's walk in a key way, creating a neat puzzle around the event.”

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. “The story of adventure that challenges your sensibilities of fantasy and reality. Through the plight of Pi, who ends up in a small lifeboat with a Bengal tiger and other animals from a sunken ship, we are participants in Pi’s struggle for survival and his ultimate rendering of his truth: ‘I have a story that will make you believe in God.’ I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the way in which it tells the tale of the harsh and often barbaric actions of animals who are fighting to live while ultimately presenting the reader with another ‘truth’ that pushes the limits of what we believe is reality.”

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. From last year’s list! “This really is a delightful book. It begins as an Austen-esque comedy of manners but develops into an interesting commentary on prejudice and class in ‘civilized’ society. When I started the book I had a vision of Major Pettigrew in my head as a somewhat bumbling old curmudgeon but after several chapters I realized how sharp and witty he really was. His relationship with Mrs, Ali who owns the local shop is completely believable and so sweet that I couldn't help but fall in love with them falling in love.”

No Name by Willkie Collins. Long-time followers of this blog know that I included The Woman in Whiteas a top pick a few years back. There were a few grumbles, as the prose by this Victorian father of the detective novel is rather, well, VICTORIAN. But (I SWEAR!) once you get the cadence down, he is so worth it. I thought "No Name" was even better than "Woman in White," and so did Drew. From an Amazon reviewer, who summarized it aptly: “Two sisters go on different paths on coming to terms with life after being mistreated by a cruel twist of fate, and being the victim of inhumane Victorian-era society (and its laws). The elder sister carries on without mishap, while the younger sister seeks justice at any expense ... to the extent of performing unethical and criminal activities herself. While seeking justice she encounters some rather equally cunning individuals (..another woman in particular), and the story unfolds into a battle of who can outfox whom.” The characters in this book are absolutely amazing, and it is a TOTAL page turner. All three of Collins' books I've read have been that way - completely mesmerizing.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. “Historical fiction at its best. Also enjoyed his sequel, World Without End. Also love his lower-brow novels - Key to Rebecca, etc. etc.”

A River Runs Through It and Other Stories by Norman Maclean, 1976. Amazon Reader Review: The book is actually three short stories but the focus is clearly on the novella "A River Runs Through It". On the surface, the title story is his recollections of his father, a Presbyterian minister, and his troubled but talented brother, with whom he fished. Set in the Montana of Maclean's youth, he paints exquisitely vivid and beautiful word pictures of a land and water and family now gone. At the core is the frustration of the often-futile attempt of trying to help another or trying to save a loved one from their self-destruction."

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay– "fiction but fact based about the round up of French Jews in Paris in 1942 – American journalist living in Paris is challenged to write about (the often forgotten by the French) event and finds a link from a survivor to her husbands family. Very good – disturbing as much of is told through a child’s eyes. "

Selected Poemsby William Blake. “I picked this one up as it seemed every other thing I was reading referred to Blake. And since I'd last read him in the dusty basement of the college library, seemed now was the time. His poems are fresh, and lively, and spiritual, and fantastical. I felt as though I was breathing pure oxygen as I read.”

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luis Zafon – “Set in Barcelona in the 1950s, this a wonderful, intricate (long) story full of interesting characters, mystery, romance, adventure and fantasy. Terrific story telling!”

Shantaram by by Gregory David Roberts. We had this on the list years ago, but a couple of you read it this year (including Drew, who I know liked it a lot). My dad listened to the audio version and said the reader was fantastic - an astonishing master of multiple accents. (You'd have to be going on a looooong summer car ride, as this is a looooong book!)

Shogun (and other titles) by James Clavell. One of our contributors offered a reminder of this old favorite series. ShoGun, King Rat, Noble House (the best), TaiPan. (Note: The same reader also recommends the Phillipa Gregory books, but says to avoid Wiseacre.)

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin “From the ‘oldie but goodie’ pile – pure chick lit, it’s now a movie. This book is perfect for a sunny day under a beach umbrella. It’s the story or Rachel and Darcy, childhood friends who are turning 30 and living the life in Manhattan. Rachel is a smart, loyal, dependable associate at a big law firm. Darcy is a stunning, fashionable marketing exec who’s engaged to one of Rachel’s classmates from law school. Then the plot thickens…” (A movie is out, right?)

Something Blue by Emily Giffin – “The sequel, for day two under your beach umbrella. It picks up where Something Borrowed left off, telling the story from the perspective of Darcy.”

Stoner by John Williams. “Beautifully, simply written story about college professor's difficult life (book published in 1970s).”

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. “A poignant story set in contemporary Bombay, this book tells the story of two women whose lives are intricately bound together through the complicated relationship of master and servant. The trappings of their class differences which both drives them together yet tears them apart is vividly explored through realities of their place in the socially stratified culture of India.”

Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries) Dorothy Sayers. Wimsey satisfies the Anglophile, as well as the lover of mystery AND romance. This first of Sayers’ famous Lord Peter Wimsey series is a wonderful detective story. He’s a magnificent, many-layered character. The romance begins with later Wimseys, starting with Strong Poison, which introduces Wimsey's love interest, Harriet Vane (on trial for murder).

2011 List Coming Soon!

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Thanks for visiting! We'll be posting our 2011 beach book list around Memorial Day, compiled, as always, from the recommendations of hundreds of clever readers. In the meantime, if you're looking for a good book, check out earlier blog entries. There are six years of great book suggestions and reviews.

THE 2010 GREAT BOOKS FOR THE BEACH LIST: TOP PICKS

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The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis. "Very good reportage on the financial meltdown from the viewpoint of several people who 'shorted' the housing market and made a killing while the banks imploded." "For those who want a quick read (except the middle) of what happened in the CDO market between 2007 and 2009." (NB: latter comment from contributor who is extremely well versed in financial services – she found a chunk of the book to be extremely technical, but said it not vital to understand everything to get the gist of/enjoy the book. I'm thinking it might be like the philosophical riffs in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, some of which I found pretentious, and great chunks of which I skimmed).

The Charm School by Nelson Demille. Okay, I cheated and added this NOT NEW book after the list was published. Until this Russian spy story emerged, this book might have seemed a little dated. But hey! Cold War intrigue is BACK, baby, and suddenly this novel is not only timely, but seems weirdly prescient. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading this great old (v beachy) book, I highly recommend it. I remember when I got to the end of this book, I absolutely HAD to be somewhere, but I absolutely COULD NOT put it down. DeMille's best, I think. Maybe now that fear of Russian spies is once again in vogue, they'll finally make a movie of it.

Cutting for Stone (Vintage) by Abraham Verghese. This appeared on last year’s list, and it got rave reviews from those of you (us) who read it. In fact, I am not sure I know anyone who didn’t love this book. It’s about identical twins born to a beautiful Indian nun in Ethiopia. (Yes, really.) She dies in childbirth, leaving them to be raised by one of the most wonderful couples I’ve ever encountered in literature. I'm not going to say how long it is … read it on the Kindle, as I did, and find out AFTER you’ve finished it. Comments: "Gorgeous writing style and story." "The book opened so many windows -- allowing a rare glimpse into Ethiopia, into surgery (NEVER thought I'd want to read all of that!), then crossing the pond with our protagonist to his life at a hospital in the Bronx."

(Speaking of the Kindle - Please see my June 13 post on this blog about why I love the thing so much. If you want one, click on the hyperlink and order from here, and support your friendly local book review and recommendation aggregator!)

The Imperfectionists: A Novel by Tom Rachman. I gather this book is like Olive Kitteridge – a bunch of stories loosely woven together. It’s gotten mixed reviews on Goodreads, but friends gave it raves: "I've been reviewing some of the books I read on Amazon and will be giving this one 5 stars once I think of a review that is worthy. Don’t read the summary on Amazon, just read the book!" and: "I raced through this book in a day, devouring the vignettes of characters who work for an American newspaper headquartered in Rome. Each chapter tells the story of a different employee at the paper. .. Between each chapter/character study is the ongoing back story of the paper's history and its founder, an American business man who leaves his wife and family in Atlanta to move to Rome and create the paper as a way to connect again with an old flame. There is nothing new about building a novel out of a series of connected short stories and the newspaper world creates a microcosm that works will with this technique. Rachman writes with a warmth and humor and an obvious affection for these ‘imperfect’ characters - his style elevates what could have been a fairly average book to something more substantial." (Ed: Just read that Brad Pitt acquired the movie rights.)

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel by Helen Simonson. "I listened to this on audiobook, which was excellent." "What a terrific first novel. It's about a widower in a small English town who falls for a Pakistani widow who runs a shop. The writing is lovely, as is the story. This is an author who knows and plays to her strengths. Yeah, it's a little neat, but who cares? It was a delight to read, a feast for Anglophiles. Like this bit of dialogue:

'But he already has a title,' said Jasmina.
'A Scottish title isn't really the same thing at all,' the Major said.
'Especially when you buy it on the Internet,' added Roger.

There were times I wasn't sure if I shared the author's sensibilities -- intentional perhaps. In the end, all who deserved my compassion had it." (Ed: I think *I* want to buy the movie rights to this one).

Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy Bundle: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest I imagine this recommendation is not exactly a revelation – It seems that half of you have read the series, and are insisting that the other half of us must.

First some general comments: "I devoured them. Inhaled them. They are page-turners for sure, but with a social conscience. Mind you, a few of the scenes are very troubling and difficult to read. But there is nothing gratuitous about them. The characters are some of the best I’ve read in a long time, I think of them often." and "Hands down MUST read is the girl with the dragon tattoo trilogy. Just finished all and now will spend the rest of the summer with end of book blues. I dare you to find something better...amazing character development. Makes you want to go get some piercings and kick some a**." (Ed: UNCLE! Alright already … I will read them! Sheesh.)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Vintage). “The first in the trilogy, this Sweden-set thriller warms up after the first third with great characters and a fascinating plot. Warning: a subplot is violence against women and some of the descriptions are quite graphic.” “It took a few chapters to get into the story, but then I was hooked! A total page turner.” “scary, but a page turner. Don't read if you're home alone!” The Girl Who Played with Fire. "The second book in the trilogy - more exciting and polished than the first. Larsson, who died shortly before publication, was a master." "Double wow! I liked this one even better than the first." "It's as intense as the first book with a cliff-hanger ending." The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. "I haven’t read it yet, but only because I’m saving it for a trip to BVI later this month. Hear it’s fantastic!"

Still Alice by Lisa Genova. I wouldn’t ordinarily peg this as summer reading, but it got SO many positive reviews, and one of you even gave me a copy. (From Amazon): "In this novel, the author, a Harvard neuropsychologist, tells the story of a Harvard neuropsychologist who realizes she is suffering from early onset Alzheimers. A claustrophobic first hand account of her world as it grows ever smaller." Comments: "The most accurate account of what it feels like to be inside the mind of an Alzheimer's patient I've ever read. Beautifully written and very illuminating." "A very interesting book about a female professor who has Alzheimers. It and decribes what is happing to her as she becomes more and more disoriented. It is a fictional book, but the author went to great lengths to learn what Alzheimers patients go through as they slowly lose their memory."

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield. Synopsis from Amazon: Margaret Lea, a London bookseller's daughter, has written an obscure biography that suggests deep understanding of siblings. She is contacted by renowned aging author Vida Winter, who finally wishes to tell her own, long-hidden, life story. Margaret travels to Yorkshire, where she interviews the dying writer, walks the remains of her estate at Angelfield and tries to verify the old woman's tale of a governess, a ghost and more than one abandoned baby. Comments: "I LOVED this book." and "I wish I'd saved this wonderful, entertaining gothic novel for vacation. The author was artful in how she built to the revelations, much in the style of 19th century gothic novels mentioned throughout." "Very entertaining."

This Is Where I Leave You: A Novel by Jonathan Tropper. "Think back to the early days of chick lit... when it was good. Now, imagine it from a male perspective. Jonathan Tropper writes fiction from a guy's perspective that, I think, appeals to women (at least it did to me). The book opens with the main character's wife cheating on him, then leads to him joining his family in their childhood home while they all sit shiva for his dead father (who was an atheist). Forced to be in a room with four brothers and sisters day in and day out, stories unfold, hilarity ensues, and some sexual secrets are laid bare... all the chick-lit cliches, but written in a way that doesn't make you want to barf or stab someone." "Laugh out loud funny but tragic at the same time. Read it before they make the movie." "Jonathan Trooper writes compulsively readable, laugh-out-loud funny novels, and his fifth book, This Is Where I Leave You is his best yet." "I laughed out loud with this one and some things are over the top, but a delightful read."

THE 2010 GREAT BOOKS FOR THE BEACH LIST: NEW(ISH) FICTION

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American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman. “Fantasy. It's the story of all the gods American immigrants brought with them and abandoned on our shores. Imagine meeting Thor, or Zeus, or any of the pagan gods. Gaiman insists they're here, among us, and tells a great tale. Another gorgeous writer.”

The Anthologist: A Novel by Nicholson Baker. “The title and subject matter may sound dry (an obscure writer annoys his girlfriend and himself by failing to write the introduction to a poetry anthology), but the book is hilarious. It will also make you think about poetry, and it sent me running back to Amazon to buy some books by the authors that he most admires.”

Apparition & Late Fictions: A Novella and Stories by Thomas Lynch. “Beach reads because it is short story format: Love, memory, family, set in Ohio, from a great poet. High class beach reading.”

Arm Candy by Jill Kargman. “All of Jill Kargman’s books are hilarious but Arm Candy is the newest. It is full of great lines which will make you laugh out loud. The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefundwhich came out last year, also by Jill, is also fun read.”

Beginner's Greek: A Novel by James Collins. "I so enjoyed reading this book. It's a modern novel of manners with some satire and fairy tale thrown in, a romantic story nicely told from a male perspective. Peter is enormously likable. The main female character, Holly, was not as well-drawn, but Collins did a good job with secondary characters. (How much did I loathe Dick Montague!?!) All in all, a good summer read."

The Black Cat: A Richard Jury Mystery (Richard Jury Mysteries) by Martha Grimes. "DC writer Martha Grimes brings back her hero Richard Jury for a moody, funny, twisty-turny mystery. I love the way she writes - it's like Dorothy Sayers meets PG Wodehouse." (Ed: Now I am wondering if Dorothy Sayers ever met PG Wodehouse. They were about the same age.)

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. "Incredible. This book is incredible. It tells the story of a young German girl during WW2 who is orphaned and adopted, has a crush on a neighbor boy, goes to school, and, oh, hides a Jew in the basement. Narrated by Death, this book is magical, gorgeous, difficult, and wonderful."

The Brightest Star in the Sky: A Novel by Marian Keyes. "This book follows the relationships of all the people who live in one small apartment building for 61 days. The fun part about this book is that you have no idea who the narrator is or how he/she fits into the story until the very end, and there are a few little plot twists to keep you interested."

The Carrie Diaries by Candice Bushnell. "Before Manhattan and Manolos, who was Carrie Bradshaw? In her first novel for teens, Bushnell fills in her Sex and the City star's growing-up years with this chronicle of Carrie's senior year of high school in a small New England town. Bushnell maintains believable continuity of character in this teen version of her cultural icon, and fans will enjoy watching Carrie develop her familiar adult traits." (Ed: I think that came from Amazon, but now I don't remember.)

A Catch of Consequence (Makepeace Hedley) by Diana Norman. "I didn't read much about this book prior to reading it, and no ‘in real life’ friend had recommended it. I guess I expected a tolerably written historical fiction. Perhaps because of my low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of writing and by the story (I was up until 1 a.m. trying to get through it). I won't recite the basic story -- it helped my enjoyment to know little beyond the fact that a female tavern owner in pre-Revolutionary Boston plucks a drowning Englishman from the harbor, and that there are (as the title implies) consequences. A great read."

Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn. "A great mother-daughter read!" Amazon’s description: "Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram,* 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.' Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island’s Council, which has banned the use of certain letters of the alphabet as they fall from a memorial statue of Nevin Nollop. As the letters progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl’s fight for freedom of expression, as well as a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere.

*pangram: a sentence or phrase that includes all the letters of the alphabet"

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore. "An easy, enticing read, a bit odd at times, and a bit astute at most times."

Dune Road: A Novel by Jane Green. "This is one of those finish-it-in-two-afternoons kind of book. Family drama (nothing sinister): a divorce, an unexpected and never-before-met sister, a scandalous yoga instructor, and a reclusive older author with secrets and intrigue. Easy to get through, somewhat predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable. Jane Green's books are a secret, guilty pleasure. I totally lie about reading them. But I've read them all, and like this one better than most."

The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano. "This book is about a girl who has spent 20+ years in Witness Protection because she and her parents witnessed a brutal mob killing. During this time she lived all over the country in small sleepy towns, had eight different aliases and lost faith in the Witness Protection Program after her parents were killed twelve years into protection. The son of the mob boss finds her and a page turning series of events follows. I was hooked from page one and read this in record time. It is a perfect beach read! The twists were unexpected and the conclusion I still think about. I just learned the movie rights have been sold - it will make a great movie. The author is from DC."

The God of Animals: A Novel by Aryn Kyle. "This is a great coming-of-age story by first-time novelist Aryn Kyle. I just bought her latest book of short stories. Anyone who loves horses will love this book." (This contributor also liked Boys and Girls Like You and Me: Stories by this author).

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ (Myths) by Philip Pullman. "A masterful re-telling of the story of Jesus. Imagine if the duality of Christ could be explained by the birth of twins that night in Bethlehem. A book for the broad-minded. Beautifully written."

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. "A bit dark but delicious -- where does that man get his inspiration?"

Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeanette Walls. "This is the second memoir by Jeanette Walls, author of The Glass Castle (your runaway pick in 2007). Not quite as shocking, but equally engaging."

Her Fearful Symmetry: A Novel by Audry Niffenegger. "I loved The Time Traveler's Wife by the same author so I thought I would give this a try. It does not come close to that book, but it was still a nice read." (Ed: That seemed to be the consensus on Goodreads.com – the book is a grave disappointment - pun intended - to readers devoted to The Time Traveler's Wife. I hadn’t read that one, and I thought this was a decent read. It didn’t hang together perfectly, but it’s a serviceable beachy ghost story.)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. "A sweet book - you could read with your 12 / 13 year old."

How to Talk to a Widower: A Novel (Bantam Discovery) by Jonathan Tropper. "Despite its title, this book isn't dark and depressing. Well, maybe one or two pages might be a little sad and wistful, but not the rest. Man loses young wife. Loses then regains teenage stepson. Has a whackadoo extended family. Is pressured to write a book and start dating again. Not sappy, not too tender. Great comedic writing. Easy to get through in two or three afternoons."

Innocent by Scott Turow. "LOVE IT. Page turner. The sequel to Presumed Innocent. Scott Turow not only crafts a brilliant plot but he writes poetically."

The Invisible Bridge by Julia Orringer. I’m 60% of the way through this highly anticipated novel. It is an epic tale and love story about Jewish Hungarians before and during WWII. I'm struggling with how good the good characters are. But if you like historical fiction about this era, it is probably worth your while." Update: I finished it. Highbrow critics from the Washington Post and other outlets have insisted that Orringer could not have spared ONE WORD from the epic tale. I beg to differ. She could have spared about 100 pages of words. HOWEVER, it is still a very good book, enormously important I think, and well worth the effort.

La's Orchestra Saves the World: A Novel by Alexander McCall Smith. "Not the most profound book I've ever read, but he does a wonderful job of taking you back to what life was like in the English countryside during WWII - bittersweet. Listen to this song on YouTube just to reinforce that period of time. Most of these young men never did 'meet again....' As I said - bittersweet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Drw4aZhdT8"

Let the Great World Spin: A Novel by Colum Mcann. "Follows the lives of a group of individuals immediately before and after Philippe Petit walked a tightrope between the World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. Although the book does not feature Petit as one of its central characters, the lives of all of the main characters intersect with Petit's walk in a key way, creating a neat puzzle around the event.” And, "We read this for the book group I joined. We all really liked it. It is a National Book Award Winner and a New York Times Bestseller. I'm new to the book group, but it was mentioned how unusual it was that each person had nothing but good things to say about this book.”

Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name: A Novel (P.S.) by Vendela Vida. "Vida co-wrote the film ‘Away We Go’ (starring John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph), and I was curious to see what her literary footprint looked like. Let the Northern Lights was a fascinating read. Vida's imagery is astounding, and you will feel both the bone-chilling cold of the story's setting (Lapland) and of the main character's mother."

Little Bee: A Novel by Chris Cleave. "This is great storytelling; skillful foreshadowing, the careful scattering of clues, building suspense and dread.” And “I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I’m glad I read it." (Ed: there’s some "love it v. hate it" stuff going on in the Amazon and Goodreads reviews of this book.)

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker. "This is a dramatic tale about a girl who grows up enormous and an outcast even in her own family but whose kindness and forgiveness of the most detestable deeds enables her to solve a town mystery that dates back generations."

Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright. "I am currently reading this fairly well-written but kind of trashy novel. It is a total beach read!!!!"

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos. I found this book, the first novel by poet de los Santos, extremely engaging, and I stayed up way too late finishing it. (What else is new?) It's dually narrated by Clare, an 11-year-old dealing with her mother's intense emotional difficulties, and a 32-year-old lost-ish soul named Cornelia. How their lives intersect is the crux of the story. This would be an excellent beach read. Nice writing, entertaining (if improbable) tale.

Mary: Mrs. A. Lincoln by Janis Cooke Newman. My sister-in-law really enjoyed this book. From Amazon: "Mary is a novel written in the first person, comprised of notes composed by Mary Todd Lincoln when she was an inmate of a lunatic asylum. She takes up her pen to block out the screams and moans of the other inmates and to save her own sanity. According to these notes, although she held séances in the White House and drove her family deeply into debt because of compulsive shopping, she was perfectly sane. She makes a good case for herself, despite occasional manic behavior and often uncontrollable grief." From an Amazon reviewer: "It is a cracking good read; rich in detail, engrossing, and an interesting take on an historical figure who continues to be controversial. Like Margaret George's "Autobiography of Henry VIII"--another great example of looking at familiar events through the eyes of its often-maligned main character--Newman allows Mary Todd Lincoln writes her own story, this time from the asylum where her son Robert has committed her."

The Most Beautiful Book in the World: 8 Novellas by Erik Emmanuel Schmitt. "Eight quirky, interesting short stories translated from French. Each is centered around strong, often charismatic (and sometimes slightly mad) women characters. An international bestseller. Good fun."

The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk's. "Please give this a try, and don't listen to Virginia complaining that it is sad. By the Nobel Prize winner, and author of Snow, it is sad, but it is astonishing." (Ed: Yes, I did say it was too sad. Of course, I hadn’t actually READ it, just read ABOUT it. I might, as soon as I meet my 2010 quota of happily-ever-afters).

The Overnight Socialite by Bridie Clark. "A modern day Pygmalian. It takes place on Park Avenue...fast paced and full of laughs. It may be chick lit but it isn’t without character."

The Passage by Justin Cronin. I almost made this a top pick, but that would have been weird, since none of you has read it. It is SO buzzy (already in the top 10 at Amazon and front and center at bookstores) that I sense in another month it would have been a top pick. From Amazon: "You don't have to be a fan of vampire fiction to be enthralled by The Passage, Justin Cronin's blazing new novel. Cronin is a remarkable storyteller (just ask adoring fans of his award-winning Mary and O'Neil), whose gorgeous writing brings depth and vitality to this ambitious epic about a virus that nearly destroys the world, and a six-year-old girl who holds the key to bringing it back."

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. "Blake is a DC writer (& Sidwell mom , as it turns out). She's read at Politics & Prose. A NC friend recommended the book to me completely out of the blue. Haven't read but it's on my list!" (Another contributor also said she hadn't read it but had it on her list.)

Pearl of China: A Novel by Anchee Min. "Not quite a biography but this fictionalized retelling of Pearl Buck's life was reviewed as a relatively accurate retelling, augmented by some new characters and, of course, dialogue that never was recorded. Pick up this book and while you are at it get a copy of The Good Earth to re-read."

The Power of One: A Novel by Bryce Courtenay. "Episodic and bursting with incident, this sprawling memoir of an English boy's lonely childhood in South Africa during WW II pays moderate attention to questions of race but concerns itself primarily with epic melodrama." The New York Times: "The Power of One has everything: suspense, the exotic, violence; mysticism, psychology and magic; schoolboy adventures, drama in the boxing ring."

The Privileges: A Novel by Jonathan Dee. "You won't put it down. This is brilliant writing, on wealth and family, inside of New York society."

The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) by Rick Riordan. "The first book in the new series by Rick Riordan of Percy Jackson fame . I've always been fascinated with ancient Egypt, so this one is a great fit." This is technically a children's book, but I know Drew enjoyed reading the Percy Jackson books with the girls.

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. This is a creepy tale set in early 1900s Wisconsin. A beautiful woman, having come across a newspaper ad from a wealthy businessman who needs a "reliable wife," and hatches a dastardly plan. A lot of you have been reading this. Two friends at a swim meet just told me that the "key is to stick with it."

Skeletons at the Feast: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian. “Bohjalian got me with this one, as he has in the two other books of his I've read. It took me about 1/4 of the way into it to get hooked, but I stayed up until 1 am last finishing it. His writing is really quite nice, possibly underrated. His storytelling is incredibly compelling. There are several stories woven together in this book, the main being the plight of an aristocratic Prussian family forced to march west in the waning months of WWII. The horrors and atrocities of the war are on full display -- almost, but somehow not quite, unbearable to read about. Really good read, really good reminder.” (Ed: I also really liked Bohjalian's previous works, Midwives (Oprah's Book Club) and The Double Bind (Vintage Contemporaries.)

So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel by Leif Enger. "Gorgeous, gorgeous writing by the author of Peace Like a River. A story about couple of fugitives, a lot of close escapes, and some fascinating secondary characters. A sympathetically written allegory similar in tone and feel to the movie ‘Oh Brother, Where Art Thou.’" (Ed: Peace Like a River is one of my all-time favorite books. Please read it if you haven't already!)

Someone Knows My Name: A Novel by Lawrence Hill. "A book about slavery that is ‘stunning, wrenching and inspiring.’ The main character will forever be seared into my brain. I couldn’t put it down I was so mesmerized. This book to me was like watching Roots when I was a teenager."

Sookie Stackhouse 8-copy Boxed Set (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) by Charlaine Harris. "Love these books. My guilty pleasure. What's not to like about a Southern vampire mystery romance? The basis of the hit HBO series 'True Blood', these books have sex, humor, puzzles, mythology - the whole enchilada. Excellent beach reading."

The Spellmans Strike Again: A Novel (Izzy Spellman Mysteries)
by Lisa Lutz. "Fun series of mysteries featuring a mediocre PI with a crazy family. Good beach reading."

Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart. "Read this on a Vamoose ride to NYC. Set in NYC during the latter part of WWII, the book tells of the life changing adventures (in that 1940's kind of way) of two Iowa college students who move to Manhattan for a summer and secure jobs at Tiffany's. The cute tone is as if your 80 something year old grandmother were recounting favorite memories with that far away smile on her face. In fact, the book is a memoir, albeit quite light." (Ed: I should start a category, "Books You Can Finish in on Vamoose ride.")

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley. "I realized I could enjoy this book more if I pretended that the protagonist was NOT an 11 year old girl since there was no way an 11 year old would ever have this vocabulary, knowledge of poisons, or chutzpah. Once past Flavia's age (and name) I was able to relax and enjoy the mystery. I liked the setting - a small English village in the 1950's - and I liked the relationship that Flavia had with the old gardener, Dogger. Descriptions like ‘quaint’, ‘quirky’, and ‘cozy’ could be used to describe this book." (Ed: This is a first novel by a 70-year-old author. There is hope for us all!)

Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story by Sue Monk Kidd. No specific comments, but a couple of you listed it.

The Various Flavors of Coffee: A Novel by Anthony Capella. "I didn't like this as much as his other books, which really made me starving for good Italian food. The book is about a foppish English coffee trader in the late 19th century who travels to the wilds of Africa. It's a fun read while you drink a good cup of coffee, and I learned a bit in the process." (Ed: I enjoyed The Wedding Officer: A Novel (Bantam Discovery), which was on last year’s list. Raunchy but good!)

The White Queen: A Novel (Cousins' War)by Phillippa Gregory. "If you like this genre, this is a quick, fun read about Queen Elizabeth and Tudors v Yorks ('War of the Roses' or the 'Cousins Wars.') A summer Harlequin in that British royal history kind of way."

Wolf Hall: A Novel (Man Booker Prize) by Hillary Mantel. Winner of the Booker prize, a novel about Thomas Cromwell, the villain of "A Man for all Seasons" (but not of Wolf Hall). "Lovely tempo and atmospheric style of writing in an historical setting. Quite a successful combination." (Ed: I'm about 60% of the way through. It is indeed brilliant, but I have been annoyed by Mantel’s ambiguous use of the pronoun "he." I guess it's because there were too many Thomases. So here's a hint to increase your enjoyment: If she says "he," she generally means Cromwell.)

THE 2010 GREAT BOOKS FOR THE BEACH LIST: OLDER FICTION/FAVORITES FROM PREVIOUS LISTS

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Several of last year’s top picks were mentioned as hits: The Help, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Olive Kitteridge, and the The Twilight Saga Collection. Other older fiction and favorites from previous years are:

After Many a Summer Dies the Swan by Aldous Huxley. One of you lists this as an all-time-favorite.

American Wife: A Novel (New York Times Notable Books) by Curtis Sittenfield. “Now waiting for Tipper's wife story.

The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein. "The favorite book I have read in a very long time. After reading all the vampire books last summer this book just totally erased the Cullens (thankfully) from my mind. I fell in love with Enzo and think you will too! Just a wonderful, lovely story told from an unlikely narrator."

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith and other titles by Annie Lammot. “I am not as big of a fan of her fiction. Her non fiction is simply brilliant/life changing. Tender Mercies and Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith are must-reads.”

Cowboys Are My Weakness: Stories by Pam Houston. “Houston is a frequent contributor to O magazine. Ok, this is OLD, and this is not classic in any way but it is one of my FAVORite books! it's a collection of short stories written by a 20 something year old woman, about 20 something year old women who are doing their darndest to make their ways in the world... they are falling in love with the wrong men, trying out the wrong jobs, but always hanging on to their sisters and, thankfully, their own true grits. This book makes me reminiscent for my past-- and, even better-- thankful for my present. Short stories. chick focused. Easy breezy, clever read (but not dumb).”

Crossing to Safety (Modern Library Classics) by Wallace Stegner. “A charming, stroll through friendship, marriage and family. This book is like taking a bite off of a bitter sweet apple.” (Ed: One of my favorite books of all time).

Cry, The Beloved Country (Paperback) by Alan Paton. “I read and loved this before my South Africa trip. It is beautifully written and incredibly heartbreaking.” It was first published in 1948 apartheid South Africa.

A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich. “Keep this on there. We started reading it about one chapter per night."

The Lords of Discipline: A Novel by Pat Conroy. "I LOVED this book and read it so fast at the beach that I had to force myself to put it down to make it last longer. It's about the Citadel military life and insight into that world is fascinating. But there is also a lot of story and character about fathers and friendships and families."

Love Medicine: Newly Revised Edition (P.S.) by Louise Erdrich. “Beautifully written, enchanting stories that all intertwine into a messy, gripping, epic tale about one crazy and lovable family... An older book that my book club just read this year and really loved.”

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan “A wonderful, heart-warming memoir about Corrigan’s breast cancer treatment and her relationship with her incredible family." "It's a beautiful book, made me cry so hard."

People of the Book: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks. This is a great summer read that several of you have mentioned, this year and in previous years. It was a top pick a couple of years ago.

The Piano Teacher: A Novel by Janice Y.K. Lee. “Part love story, part war story (yea, I know, been there, done that) but set in Hong Kong during Japanese occupation. Some different characters, even though I certainly didn’t like all of them, weave their lives and their loves through this amazing time.”

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. “Almost 30 years since I last read this book and it was well worth the re-read. The classic quotes alone, such as "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." (Ch. 1, Lord Henry, to Basil.), make this re-read fun.” (This book, and many others from pre-copyright days, are free on the Kindle, one of the many reasons I love the device. If you are ready to take the leap, click here: Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" Display, U.S. Wireless)

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. A lot of you have read, or are asking about this book. It appeared on last year’s list. I read it in a day and understand why it's so popular but would suggest reading it with managed expectations. It's about a horrifying bit of French history. Sarah's story was incredibly poignant and evocative and sad. That said, it is not a very elegantly written book, and I had little sympathy for Julia (doormat!). It also ultimately devolved into a rather silly romance. With all that, I still think it's a good read.

The Suspect (Karl Alberg Mysteries, No. 1) by L.R. Wright. “Winner of an Edgar Award, this book was written in the 80’s but I just found it. It is a murder mystery set on the coast of British Columbia and the entire story revolves around three characters whose lives become entwined. What makes this murder mystery a bit different is you learn who the killer is on page one. It is a quietly written book – no gory details, violence or sexual assaults – which was a nice departure. The author carefully describes bits and pieces of each character which are all pieces to the puzzle and eventually answer the question of why there was a murder. I was hooked from page one … It’s a perfect beach book!”

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend. One of you said (succinctly), “Funny.” Satirical cult classic from 1982 – there is a whole series of them to enjoy.

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. "My favorite of all Fitzgerald novels because of the mix of light entertainment of a summer on the beach in France in the 1920s with beautiful people and parties and elegance along with the intense emotional fallout from a failing marriage and the pain of loss friendship and innocence. I've read this book countless times for 20 years and each time I love it just as much and see a new angle into the character's motivations."

Tepper Isn't Going Out: A Novel by Calvin Trillin. "Another short and witty novel about parking spaces in NYC."

THE 2010 GREAT BOOKS FOR THE BEACH LIST: NON-FICTION

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About Aliceby Calvin Trillin. "Very sweet and tender memoir written about the author's wife."

All over but the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg. "A memoir of growing up dirt poor in the South and rising to become a reporter at the New York Times. An honest, forthright portrayal of a time and a place and a man."

The Bolter (Vintage)by Frances Osborne. Many of us went to the book party for this new release. From Amazon: "Osborne's lively narrative brings Lady Idina Sackville (an inspiration for Nancy Mitford's character the Bolter) boldly to life, with a black lapdog named Satan at her side and a cigarette in her hand. Osborne (Lilla's Feast) portrays a desperately lonely woman who shocked Edwardian high society with relentless affairs and drug-fueled orgies. Idina's story unfolds in an intimate tone thanks to the author, her great-granddaughter, who only accidentally discovered the kinship in her youth with the media serialization of James Fox's White Mischief."

Columbine by Dave Cullen. “Wow! This book hooks you from page one and never lets go. The Columbine massacre is a fascinating story to start with but Dave Cullen does a fantastic job of putting you in the school on that horrible day and into the minds of the killers, the victims, and the town. It would be easy to write a sensational account of such an infamous day in history but this book does not read like sleazy tabloid reporting. Cullen is thoughtful and empathetic but also painfully honest about debunking some of the myths around the killers and even the victims. I could understand why someone may not feel up to tackling a book on this subject matter but if you are remotely interested in reading a book on Columbine I would highly recommend Cullen's.”

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Dan Pink. "DC resident Dan Pink examines motivation and drive and the context for how organizations can effectively motivate and reward employees."

Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life by Judith Orloff.

My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Family's Past by Ariel Sabar.
Interesting story of one family journey from Aramaic speaking Kurdish Iraq to Israel and to the United States in just three generations. The author retraces not only his grandfather and father's lives but the history and decline of the last remnants of the Aramaic language as a living tongue. Last years' book but worth reading this year."

Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honeybee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis by Rowan Jacobsen. "It is amazing how reliant we are on honey bees for agricultural production. This book gives a very detailled description of the complexity of honey bee colonies, what has been happening with honey bees and the consequences for the production of agricultural products that rely on pollination (seems to be almost everything in one way or another)."

Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets by Sudhir Venkatesh. “Honest and entertaining, Columbia University professor Venkatesh vividly recounts his seven years following and befriending a Chicago crack-dealing gang in a fascinating look into the complex world of the Windy City's urban poor.” I couldn’t put this down I was so fascinated with this way of life right here in America!

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin. "This one got me through a day or two of snowmaggedon in a decent mood. Her blog is very engaging." and "Much talked about story of the author's year-long project to determine what makes people "happy." (Really can a content person become even happier by doing certain things, and how do these things change the way those around you act?). The book is interesting enough, but the reading list in the back is terrific and spurred several other great reads for me this year."

Happy Yoga: 7 Reasons Why There's Nothing to Worry About by Steve Ross. I didn't get any specific comments on this, but something made me decide not to fret about it.

Here If You Need Me: A True Story by Kate Baestrup. "It may take ingenuity to interest browsers in a memoir by a middle-aged mother who, 11 years ago, was suddenly widowed, then became a Unitarian-Universalist minister, and now works as chaplain to game wardens in Maine."

I Am Not Superwoman: Further Essays on Happier Living by our own Michele Woodward (stalwart supporter and contributor of this blog, plus life coach extraordinnaire and now two-, soon to be three-time author). Michele will have another release in the fall: Career Strategy: Six Steps To A Successful Job Search. I will add that link when it's available.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. (The following review is lifted from Amazon or Goodreads or somewhere). "Written with the values and wisdom of a very different world than the hospital room in which the story begins but a compelling history of one woman's cancer cells. The book follows the path that the cells have taken to become the single best known research cell line and the discomfort and pain that Henrietta's family have felt due to their lack of knowledge of the project and their perceived invasion of family privacy."

The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the Worldby A.J. Jacobs. "In the vein of Julie & Julia, AJ Jacobs spends a year reading the Encyclopedia Brittanica from A to Z. The writing is sharp and witty as he interweaves completely random facts he learns along the way with some pretty funny stories about trying to share his new-found knowledge at every opportunity."

Lift by Kelly Corrigan. "This is one of the books I asked for for Mother's Day and read very quickly."

Lit: A Memoir (P.S.) by Mary Karr. “ (Entertainment Weekly). Lit follows the self-professed blackbelt sinner's descent into the inferno of alcoholism and madness--and to her astonishing resurrection.

Making Toast: A Family Story by Roger Rosenblatt. (From Amazon) "Family tragedy is healed by domestic routine in this quiet, tender memoir. When his daughter Amy died suddenly at the age of 38 from an asymptomatic heart condition, journalist and novelist Rosen-blatt (Lapham Rising) and his wife moved into her house to help her husband care for their three young children ... Rosenblatt draws sharply etched portraits of his grandchildren; his stoic, gentle son-in-law; his wife, who feels slightly guilty that she is living her daughter's life; and Amy emerges as a smart, prickly, selfless figure whose significance the author never registered until her death."

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. "This book - literally - changed my life. Dweck, a Stanford researcher, examines why some people get stuck and find limits, and why some don't. Absolutely blew my mind."

Mommies Who Drink: Sex, Drugs, and Other Distant Memories of an Ordinary Mom by Brett Paesel. "It may not be for everyone because of the raunchiness but if you want a chuckle, it’s worth it. Here is the part from Amazon that I feel sums up her humor: Paesel's willingness to mock herself even allows her to milk a laugh from a postpartum visit to a therapist. "I'm so unhappy," she cries. "I hate myself. I hate my life. I feel like it's never going to change." After a while, the therapist makes a suggestion. "Maybe we should think about antidepressants.'' "What?" Paesel thinks. "It's not that bad." And guess what? She eventually finds that motherhood is not that bad. In fact, she likes it, which is lucky, since Hollywood demands a happy ending. Even so, it's safe to say that if there's Jell-O around, this mommy wants not a lollipop but a vodka-infused "shooter."

Money Doesn't Grow On Trees: A Parent's Guide to Raising Financially Responsible Children by Neale S. Godfrey. "Great ideas for teaching money management to kids." (I am so getting this. My 11 year old evidently thinks iphone apps grown on trees.)

The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids: The Secrets Behind What You Eat (and anything else) by Michael Pollan. "A kid's version for Omnivore's Dilemna. Pass it on to the next generation."

One and the Same: My Life as an Identical Twin and What I've Learned About Everyone's Struggle to Be Singular by Abigail Pogrebin. "Not only for twins or parents of twins, this is a very interesting look at what it means to be a 'double' and how even as singletons we can learn from the unique twin relationship."

Open: An Autobiography by J R Moerhinger. “This may be an unpopular opinion, but OHMYGOD is Andre Agassi a whiny little bitch. I love JR Moerhinger's memoir (The Tender Bar), so I wanted to read this Agassi memoir to see how one of my favorite writers handled Agassi's story. The writing is only as strong as Agassi's life will allow, but it's relatively well written. I'll confess to having skimmed through some of the earlier chapters because I wanted to get to the parts about Brooke Shields (I know, I'm shallow). Worth the read whether in paperback, second-hand hardcover, or from the library.” and: “Andre opens up his life, heart and mind for inspection in a highly detailed personal account notable for its eloquence and humor. One need not be a tennis or an Agassi fan to be gripped by the experiences of a little boy whose relentless father determined that his son would one day be the best tennis player in the world.”

The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down by Andrew Young. "I read every delicious word of this insider account of John Edwards, Elizabeth Edwards, Rielle Hunter and their whole dysfunctional and ridiculous relationships to each other. Andrew Young was Edwards closest aide -- and the one who pretended to be Rielle Hunter's baby's father -- and has great detail into Edwards narcissism, Elizabeth's nastiness and Rielle's total craziness. Reading the book, you'll have to keep reminding yourself that this is all true story, and the man was running for president!"

Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures by Robert K. Wittman and John Shiffman. John Shiffman is a Landon grad, so I can offer this testimony: If this book is as good as the parties he had in his basement circa 1983, it’s bound to be worth reading. One Amazon reviewer writes: "Priceless has just about everything you'd want in a book, with appeal to all sorts of readers. In light of the recent art heist in Paris, this is timely and fascinating. Wittman's exploits do indeed read like a crime thriller, keeping the pages turning in a breathless fashion."

The River of Doubt : Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candace Millard.
"A gripping account of Roosevelt’s trip through the Amazon in the early 1900s."

Rosa Lee: A Mother and Her Family in Urban America by Leon Dash. "A devastating in depth view of the underclass in DC. I read it in 2 days."

Saved by Her Enemy: An Iraqi woman's journey from the heart of war to the heartland of America by Don Teague. "This has a compelling narrative like all the great stories in history: A hero goes on an epic mission; he faces great trials and obstacles; he finally conquers the goal; and, in the end, he learns lessons about the world and himself. In Mr. Teague's story, the beautiful lessons are that we are all united by our common humanity and that God's love, as seen through our relationships, is more powerful than divisions of race, religion or nationality. 'Saved by Her Enemy' is a true story, but it feels like a parable that teaches us once again that God is at work in this world - even in a war zone - and loving our neighbors as ourselves will result in miracles."

Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thorton. "If you really like contemporary art and always wonder how art value is determined, then you'll enjoy this very thorough examination into the art world -- from auction house to gallery to prestigious art institute. If you aren't interested in the topic, the book isn't for you."

The Shelter of Each Other by Mary Pipher (author of reviving Ophelia). From Amazon: "As she tells stories of families, her own and others, therapist Pipher focuses on small victories in what she calls 'the current family-hurting culture.' Distancing herself from therapies that pathologize families, Pipher claims to have experienced the power of hope that can be stimulated through carefully chosen family stories. In even the most dysfunctional families, she discerns threads of connectedness that have led to empowerment of her clients as they became more capable of handling their own lives."

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern. Halpern, 29 years old, moves back in with his 74 year old dad, who is, according to some, like a potty-mouthed prophet. Maybe he's just potty-mouthed, but either way, he's hilarious. Justin started tweeting things his dad says, and found himself himself with 1.4 million followers on Twitter, and now a book.

The Six O'Clock Scramble: Quick, Healthy, and Delicious Dinner Recipes for Busy Families by Aviva Goldfarb. "Seriously, this cookbook has changed our lives! Simple, quick, family friendly recipes that we have all enjoyed. Organized seasonally and by week, it will save you both shopping and cooking time."

Start-Up Nation by Dan Senor & Paul Singer. "Start-Up Nation is a book on economics but much more it is a book on the mind set of an entrepreneurial country. No charts or formulas are given, rather the authors delve into why a new nation found that in order to survive it had to develop a philosophy that encompasses quick decisions and great democratization power. An economic beach read."

Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson. "A follow-on to Mortenson's first book, this is his account of the amazing lengths people will go to for the opportunity of an education, and describes the work of his remarkable crew."

The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. by Daniel Coyle.
Is talent born or bred? Coyle says some of both, and points the reader on a practical path to develop his or her own talents. Great in conjunction with Drive and Mindset."

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. "If David Sedaris were not gay, and in a committed relationship, I would marry him. This collection of essays is funny, wry, slightly tipsy and a definite read-when-you-need-a-laugh book."

Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth. "I have been recommended this book by many friends, and have to admit that it's not really for me, as I've not suffered from an ill relationship with food. But I know many have, and many have received comfort and direction from this book, so I'm recommending it."

Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid by Dennis Leary. "'nuf said"

Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin' the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy Through Wine, Chocolate and Your iPod Playlist by David Romanelli. (From Amazon:) "Yahoo! blogger and co-founder of a "progressive" Phoenix, Ariz. yoga studio, shares his Zen approach to happiness in this guide to the care and feeding of a live-the-moment lifestyle: 'Everyday, if you can enjoy one delicious moment...you will soon recognize a meaningful life is no further away than a box of chocolates... your walk to work, and a little... laughter.'"

Kindle!!

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I absolutely love this thing. Here are my top ten reasons why:

10) I can make the font bigger and use it on a cardio machine, no problem.
9) I can make the font bigger, allowing me to punt on the reading glasses thing.
8) No book seems too long to read.
7) No book is too heavy to travel with.
6) It's easy to read when lying in bed on my side
5) All pre-copyright books are basically free, or at a nominal cost. Read the classics!
4) Many out of print books are available.
3) It's so very portable.
2) It's not backlit, so unlike the ipad, it's not hard on my eyes.

And the number 1 reason why I love my Kindle:

1) I can read utter trash in public with NO SHAME!

Want one? Click here:

The 2009 List: TOP PICKS

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There were multiple enthusiastic recommendations for all this year's "Top Picks," listed immediately below. If you go to the left side of this page, you can navigate to the other sections of the 2009 beach books list -- new and old fiction and non-fiction. You can also access the beach books lists from previous years. Thanks to all of you who offer suggestions. Happy reading!

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbury.

"Reading it now and while it took me a while to get into it, I am completely caught in its spell now. Set in Paris, it is about a combination of intriguing and surprising people who all live in a well-to-do apartment building in Paris. It’s a major life themes kind of book with lots of humor and kindness to offset some of the heavy stuff. " Same contributor, about a day later: "Okay I confess that I just read then end of the Hedgehog and it was really wonderful. One of the best books ever. Practically sobbing, but not in a miserably sad way. It was just beautiful and is one of those books that gathers steam."

"A wonderful story about a child living in a crazy French apartment building and considering killing herself. I did love this book. Apparently child psychiatrists make it mandatory reading for their patients."

The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

"Initially I thought it would be one more (deserved) stab at racism in the South, but this is different. A very different voice and very real. Great book for discussion. Easy to read, good beach book."

"This book, set in the 60s in the South, against the backdrop of the civil rights movement, explores those timeless bonds between women --regardless of race, of age, or of position in life." And another:

"This is my favorite book of the year and it should definitely qualify as a beach book. It is a page- turner for sure. I told a friend about it and she told me that she stayed up until three in the morning to finish it (she has small kids so this is no small sacrifice) … It’s just so engrossing, I wish I could start it over again. Walked by a woman the other day who was reading it sitting on a bench – she said she cannot put it down."

I am on vacation with a friend who bought the book last night and was immediately engaged, saying it had changed her vacation. Now she “really has a book.” You know that feeling.

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

"Delightful light summer reading. Great version on audio book if you have a long drive to your vacation spot. Our little ones didn't mind listenting to this -- they found the British accents endearing."

(Ed: I flew through this book and enjoyed the history, but it's an epistolary novel, and I did feel that the letters were written in the same overly ingenuous style. But I think I might be the lone crank on the subject, so don't let me stop you.)

Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Stout

"My favorite fiction book this year. So many facets of one life with perspectives from many. Half way through the book I looked at the questions in the back and one asked if I liked the main character Olive at which point I thought ‘No, absolutely not!" but by the end of the book I really did like and appreciate her.’
"Great writing. It weaves subtle, sad, and at times shocking life stories in a Maine town."
"Top of the list" of books enjoyed in the previous year.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Yes, I'm serious! A lot of you are reading this and assuring me that I can easily get beyond my doubts. (You know … doubting that I can enjoy a teen vampire book?) Truly, though… The series seems to have gone viral from teens to their curious moms to the big world beyond. Some of your comments:

"My No. 1 beach read ... I can't think of anything more perfect to get absorbed in while ignoring the kids at the beach and engaging your 10th grade babysitter in the whole Edward vs. Jacob debate."

"I am so enjoying these books."

"If you like Jane Austen, you will like these."

"If you have been hesitant because of that "vampire thing," jump right in. There's so much more than that, including an amazing love story, you almost forget the vampire thing. And this was a great series to share with my 12 year old daughter (Note: Definitely pre-read the first part of the fourth book in the series before handing over to a daughter!)”
" CRACK! Pure crack. I was a huge doubter ... and now I am hooked. I wish I had saved them for the beach .. They would have been perfect, mindless, a one-sitting- book-a-day reads."

The 2009 List: FICTION

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The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. From Amazon: "This sweeping epic is a compelling and original work set in 1875, when one woman attempts to rid America of polygamy."

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. "A sweet, allegorical novel. Quick read." And: “The type of book I'll read and reread, it inspires one to waste no time in pursuing their dreams.”

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield. "Fun easy read – Laura Bush story with a Midwest twist! High school tragedy, survival, falling in love to someone out of your element, questioning a marriage, repenting husband, finding religion, power, wealth, white house Read the 500 page book in four days. A real ego boost when you haven’t finished a book in a year. Very light, but not Danielle Steele." And, “am embarrassed, but whipped through American Wife and fully enjoyed the trash.”

Beneath the Marble Sky by John Shors. "a love story of the building of the Taj Mahal.....most excellent read."

Body and Soul by Frank Conroy. "Unusual subject matter (story of a piano prodigy growing up poor in NYC and how his talent sets his life in various different directions) but very compelling -- a good read."

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. "The most elegantly written, takes you to the depths of life, book I have read in years.

The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.

The Castaways (and other titles) by Elin Hilderbrand. "This is perfect beach reading. She writes well, her characters, dialogue and plots ring true, and they are all set on Nantucket, so it’s like a mini-vacation just reading her books."

Cost by Roxana Robinson "This carried my book club through two meetings. No one could put it down, and we couldn't stop talking about it. Problem is, if I tell you too much of what it's about, you won't want to read it. But here's the basic premise: a mother of two grown sons finds herself sandwiched between their tremendous problems and her aging parents' aches and dementia. The tension runs so high in this novel that after every page you want just one more... a little like what drug addiction must be. Very well done, and deeply interesting as it explores the bonds between parents and children, and how they're broken."

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. This is a Today Show Book Club pick, and is also on the list for one contributor's book club. From Amazon: "Four children living in northern Ontario struggle to stay together after their parents die in an auto accident in Lawson's fascinating debut, a compelling and lovely study of sibling rivalry and family dynamics in which the land literally becomes a character. Kate Morrison narrates the tale in flashback mode, starting with the fatal car accident that leaves seven-year-old Kate; her toddler sister, Bo; 19-year-old Luke; and 17-year-old Matt to fend for themselves. At first they are divided up among relatives, but the plan changes when Luke gives up his teaching college scholarship to get a job and try to keep them together."

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith. Gripping beach read. Drew and I listened to it on CD on a car trip, but didn't finish it on that voyage. I had to go buy a "real" copy of it because Drew got first dibs to finish it in the car on HIS commute, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened. This is not great literature, but neither is it trash. From Amazon: "If all that Tom Rob Smith had done was to re-create Stalinist Russia, with all its double-speak hypocrisy, he would have written a worthwhile novel. He did so much more than that in Child 44, a frightening, chilling, almost unbelievable horror story about the very worst that Stalin's henchmen could manage."

Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese My goodness, I loved this book. Sweeping, yet intimate family saga of twin brothers born to a doctor and a nun-nurse and how their lives unfold. Stranger in a strange land, what is home, what is family -- all themes in this beautifully written book.

Death in Holy Orders by PD James. "a beach read for fans of Adam Dalgliesh."

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo By Stieg Larssen. From Amazon: Once you start The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, there's no turning back. This debut thriller--the first in a trilogy from the late Stieg Larsson--is a serious page-turner ... Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch--and there's always a catch--is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

Home by Marilynne Robinson "Gilead, Housekeeping, the Death of Adam--I've read pretty much everything she's written and held on to each word for dear life. I really enjoyed Home--it's easier though perhaps, in my opinion, not as profound as Gilead. Just won the Orange Prize in England. Its main character, Glory Boughton, is a marvelous creation."

The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl "A historical mystery, this is a lovely, exciting read. Charles Dickens has died during the writing of Edwin Drood, leaving the work unfinished. Or did he finish it? You'll see."

The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa. “Seems like a good summertime read. Mid-19th century Sicily, summer house, sunny and blue, and crumbling, with good food descriptions even, while from it the famous quote about in order to stay the same everything had to change.‘’

The Manny by Holly Peterson. "The ultimate junky, funny, easy beach read."

Netherland by Joseph O'Neill. In case you (like me) have a vague sense you've heard of this book, it was made famous when Barack Obama told the New York Times Magazine he was reading it. " This is a good one. Haven't finished it yet, but like it so far." It is not to be confused with …

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman "If you like weird fantasy, this is the book for you. Honest. I loved it."

The Nose by Nikolai Gogol. “A little fantasy and a lot reality about bureaucrats (not in DC)”

Sacred Games by Vikram Seth. "One of the best books I’ve read in a LONG time. Completely got lost in it. Fell in love with one of the characters – it won’t take you 5 pages before you figure out who – and became mesmerized by the relationship btw India and Pakistan that the book traces. Maxing out around 900 pages, it is a commitment – not a beach fling – but you won’t regret it."

Sara's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. " De Rosnay's U.S. debut fictionalizes the 1942 Paris roundups and deportations, in which thousands of Jewish families were arrested, held at the Vélodrome d'Hiver outside the city, then transported to Auschwitz."

Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita. "Tween Mother-Daughter reading. There are four books in this series and my daughter and I have read each one and talk about them. In depth. No swear words, some kissing, no sex, no weirdness. Just a fun story of a girl (think Miley Cyrus) who is a huge TV star and longs for a normal life. Light, fluffy, fun."

The Shack by William P. Young. (Christian). From Amazon: "Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later … Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend… What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, 'Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?'

Song Yet Sung by James McBride. "A beautiful writer – also the author of Miracle at St. Anna’s. This book is about the Underground Railroad on the Eastern Shore of Maryland (Harriet Tubman’s route, btw) and tells the story of whites and blacks living there during the 1850’s against the backdrop of the gorgeous forests and waterways that make the area unique. It provides some of the contentious history of slavery in Maryland within an interesting fictional story.
"

The Sorrows of an American by Siri Hustvedt “Great family storytelling with Siri Hustvedt's "The Sorrows of An American". What a nuanced telling of an immigrant family, with a little mystery, great page turner.

The Sot Weed Factor by John Barth "a really hard read but worth it."

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. This book came out last summer, and I read all bazillion pages in about four days (on vacation). You all have probably heard about it, as it's an Oprah book pick. I liked it, but rather wish I'd known it was based on Hamlet. Some of your comments: "I would put it at the top of my list. Absolute favorite book of the last few years. It is one of those absorbing books where you can actually ignore everything around you and read. Perfect vacation book! Amazing character development and story line. I wish I could write or even just imagine like him."

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith. "Another beach read for fans of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency."

What is the What by Dave Eggers. From the Washington Post: "God has a problem with me," complains Valentino Achak Deng, the subject of Dave Eggers's extraordinary new novel, What Is the What. Coming from almost any other person on the planet, this lament would appear hopelessly self-pitying. But coming from Valentino, a Sudanese refugee, it sounds almost like an understatement. At a time when the field of autobiography seems dominated by hyperbolic accounts of what might be called dramas of privilege (substance abuse, eating disorders, unloving parents, etc.), [this] is a story of real global catastrophe -- a work of such simple power, straightforward emotion and genuine gravitas that it reminds us how memoirs can transcend the personal to illuminate large, public tragedies as well."

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. This book came close to "top pick" status this year. Many of you mentioned that you were reading it or planned to. "This is about modern day India but another side that is not exposed in Slumdog Millionaire. An interesting read that I might not have chosen if not for book group but very glad I read it."

The 2009 List: NOT-SO-NEW FICTION (PLUS FAVORITES FROM PREVIOUS YEARS' LISTS)

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Adam Bede by George Eliot. "What can I say, I love George Eliot. It takes 150 pages or so before I can understand what the characters are saying, but once you’re in – your hooked." I do notice that George Eliot generally requires a 100-150 page commitment!

Pere Goriot by Honore d Balzac by Pere Goriot. "It really is not that heavy, in English at least!"

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. "I read it recently and found it fascinating. you would perhaps, like me, see echoes of our endless quest for amelioration (a school in Arizona where it is illegal to touch another student?!) in this hyper-controlled, slave-like society."

East of Eden by John Steinbeck. "Again, big commitment, but worth it. Troubling characters, mediations on free will and the human character. Still second to Grapes of Wrath but Steinbeck is always worth the effort."

English Passengers by Matthew Kneale. This was on last year's list, and it is the best book I read all year. It's an award-winner, and perhaps not a beach read, per se. It is about smugglers from the Isle of Man who are forced to charter their boat and take an incredibly odd group of passengers to Tasmania. It is hilarious, utterly horrifying, insightful, ambitious and amazingly well written. I highly recommend it.

The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald. “I am on a reread the classics romp and this seemed a perfect summer starting point.”

I Dreamed of Africa by Kuki Gallmann “A good read for anyone who's taken a safari in Africa, who wants to go on safari or who just loves animals. It's a story of a family who relocates from Europe to Kenya and the ensuing love, adventure and heartbreak. It's disturbingly sad at times.” FYI, I know several people who LOVED this book. I am not one of them. The Amazon reviews are very polarized .. it’s one of those “love it or hate it” books, I think.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. “Fun to reread from an adult perspective.”

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan "Quick, funny, heart wrenching read - very enjoyable. I am looking forward to her next novel."

Midwives by Chris Bojalian “…I read it at the beach, actually, and was completely absorbed. It’s hard to know where you come out on the characters – you are entirely sympathetic, but it just isn’t that simple. It reads like a murder mystery/court room drama and it is captivating.”

Under the Banner of Heaven, by Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air and Into the Wild) “…A fascinating discussion about the Mormon religion. (I think it may be one side of the argument and I am dying to read the other side of the argument.) Talks about the founder of the religion, the subsequent leaders of the church, the fundamentalist groups which have spun out, and some gruesome murders which were the doings of some fundamentalist -- God told them to do it.”

Out Stealing Horses by Per Patterson.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. "Never read the original before – FABULOUS, and the illustrations, to die for."

Walden by Henry David Thoreau "I picked this up for the first time because I read that it had no real readership until the Depression--when people were forced to think of the virtues of the simple life--and it seemed like something that would speak to our own time. I wasn't disappointed. So much of our American identity comes straight from Thoreau's sensibility--it was enlightening to that end and inspiring in these materialistic times. And it's beautifully written, quite thought provoking."

The 2009 List: NON-FICTION

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After Long Silence by Helen Fremont. "Fremont's memoir is an incredible tale of survival, a beautiful love story and a suspenseful account of how the author's investigation of her roots shattered fiercely guarded family secrets. Raised Roman Catholic in a Michigan suburb, Fremont knew that her parents had been in concentration camps. Her Polish mother, Batya, was interned in Mussolini's Italy, and her Hungarian-born father, Kovik, was sentenced to life in the Siberian gulag. But her parents refused to talk about their past, and they never let on that they had been born Jews. Fremont, a Boston lawyer and public defender, and her sister, Lara, a psychiatrist, pieced together their parents' hidden past by examining archives and tracking down Holocaust survivors."

Being Catholic Now edited by Kerry Kennedy “A just-published collection of short interviews with prominent Catholic Americans, including Peggy Noonan, Cardinal McCarrick, E.J. Dionne, Dan Ackroyd, Bill O’Reilly, Andrew Sullivan and Anna Quindlen on where they see the Catholic Church in the wake of the abuse scandal, what their Catholic upbringing was like and what they’d do if they were Pope for a year. Kerry Kennedy, who is Robert Kennedy’s daughter, tells her own story as well. Fascinating.”

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King “about the master who built the Duomo in Florence (since I went there in April it was particularly relevant). "This is short, historical, but interesting enough to read like fiction. Was probably more engaging since I was reading it while I was actually viewing the building. So if anyone is heading to Florence this summer, this is the book for them."

Conversations with Kennedy by Ben Bradlee “Ben Bradlee, who was then the White House correspondent for Newsweek, and his first wife and their young kids lived around the corner in Georgetown from Senator Jack Kennedy and his wife and young kids. Then Kennedy won the presidency. The two couples hung out a lot -- many private dinners at the WH just the four of them, often after the switchboard would call the Bradlees at 6 p.m. and ask if they’d be able to come over for a quick dinner. Bradlee kept a diary of every conversation he had with the president, with the promise that it wouldn’t be published until after he’d been out of office for many years. Some of the conversations were pretty unbelievable. The tension builds as the dates of the diary entries progress until November of 1963. Riveting. Plus, you can’t help but think: what would it be like if your friend got elected president?”

A Course Called Ireland: A Long Walk in Search of a Country, a Pint, and the Next Tee by Tom Coyne “The true story of a Sports Illustrated writer who decides to play every links course in Ireland traveling on foot -- he walks the entire coast of Ireland, playing forty courses, carrying a backpack and his clubs and staying in B&Bs along the way. It takes him four months and he meets all kinds of characters. He plays 963 holes of golf at 635 over par, and it seems like he hits every single pub along the way. A very funny, light read with great reviews of all the courses. Makes you want to go play golf in Ireland.”

Clapton: The Autobiography “read it for my book club ... and I really liked it .. interesting.”

Escape: Carolyn Jessop "Hmmm, I’m detecting a theme here – women escaping religions and cultures determined to keep them enslaved. I found this book the most satisfying of the recent books that have been written about the Fundamentalist Mormon Church. It is a sincere and shocking account of the inside workings of the cult of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints and how the church leaders manipulate their members to keep control. Her story (eight children by the age of 30!) and how she persevered, escaped and rebuilt her life is fascinating. Again, a way to understand why those women with the long braids and dresses allow themselves to stay in a culture where they are treated as breeding machines."

Escape From Cubicle Nation by Pam Slim. "Written by my friend, Pam Slim, this is the go-to book if you're considering starting your own business or freelancing. Funny, heartfelt, instructive -- a great book."

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser “If you eat fast food, you owe it to yourself to understand what is behind the burger and fries!”

Freakanomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. “This books applies economic principles (I know, but they make it totally easy to understand) to explain social phenomenon (why decrease in urban crime relates to the Roe v Wade decision, why backyard swimming pools are more dangerous than guns and more).”

The Heminsges of Monticello by Annette Gordon Reed. "I'm not finished with this yet but have enjoyed it thus far. If you are a history buff you will love it. Get past the deep detail in the beginning and it is very readable. You will see a whole new side of Thomas Jefferson.”

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan “an interesting read about what we eat/food/health in America. Not sure it is a beach read, but I enjoyed it.”

Infidel: Ayaan Hirsi Ali What can I say – the story of an intelligent, gorgeous woman who escaped a culture and religion that (personal opinion) completely crushes women. One way to try to begin to understand the Muslim issue and how it affects the “West.”

John Adams David McCullough "it will weigh down your beach bag terribly, but worth every sandy page! Really brings the history to page-turning life!"

The Journal of Helene Berr by Helene Berr: This is the adult version of the Diary of Anne Frank. Helene Berr was an incredibly bright and well-educated young French Jewish woman. She began a journal as the Germans occupied Paris and details what happened to her family and how they were affected by the war and occupation, but also how their normal life was conducted and how they tried to maintain that normalcy. What is so affecting about it is the insight it gives into why she and part of her family decided to stay in Paris rather than trying to escape. It is gripping and heartbreaking and so illuminating of the personal side of the war and its effect on Jewish families. One needs to read about one quarter of the book before it becomes entrancing, but it is well worth it.

A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich “Sort of a Cliff Notes of world history, from the Stone Age to the atomic bomb, written for younger readers (so not a lot of dates and names) with a wry sense of humor. Get the full sweep of human history -- including the rise of fall of civilizations, great works of art and the progress of science -- in forty very short chapters. Gombrich wrote it at age 26 before WWII in Vienna, but then at age 92 updated it to include the rise of the Nazis (who banned the book) and his own escape from the Holocaust. Beautifully written and concise. Originally written in German, now published in twenty-five languages. I read it out loud to our kids a few years ago and am currently re-reading it. Also comes as an audiobook, for long car rides.”

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize-winning author. "Kidder chronicles several year in the life of a doctor who turns his life to helping Haiti’s poor." Annie Dillard writes: “Here is a genuine hero alive in our times. [It] unfolds with the force of gathering revelation. Like all of Tracy Kidder’s books, it is as hard to put down as any good and true story.” Note: This got several positive mentions.

My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor. "inspirational and educational story of this 37-year-old Harvard brain scientist’s massive stroke."

Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler. “A view of contemporary China and its ongoing changes through the experiences of a journalist (Peter Hessler) living there. It reads like part travel journal, part novel. At times I found the book fascinating and witty through the descriptions of the characters that Hessler encounters, whose lives weave through the book. At other times I found myself skimming through pages to get to something more interesting. In the end, it is an interesting read and one that certainly illuminates why I feel so lucky to have been born in this country.”

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. "I hope everyone has read this by now!" And: "It is a statisticians view of what makes people successful. Hard to describe, but really interesting."

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi “Cartoon style written book about the Iranian revolution through the eyes of a child. Charming and interesting, this book is also inspired me to cherish the freedoms we so often take for granted here. (Being made into a movie)”

A Place of My Own, Michael Pollan. “An interesting read about one man's (author of Omnivore's Dilemma) journey in building his own Walden Pond type house and historically, spiritually and intellectually what makes certain spaces more appealing than others. Good for architecture/design geeks.”

Princess by Jean Sassoon “This book is about the life of a royal Saudi princess. I was so intrigued with Princess Sultana's story, and the insight into the complete lack of freedom for women in this country. It touched me so deeply, I found myself practically touching the ground in gratitude for being born in America.”

Same Kind of Different as Me : : A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.

Second Acts That Change Lives by Mary Beth Sammons "Final book by a friend of mine. If you are at mid-life and want to achieve greater meaning, read these inspiring stories of people who chucked what they were 'supposed' to do in favor of what they love doing -- and creating meaningful, enriching new careers."

Smart Networking by Liz Lynch "Another friend's book -- wonderful for those for whom networking inspires the heebie-jeebies. Liz Lynch hated networking, too, until she found a way to do it, authentically."

Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill. Book Editor (Jean Rhys, Naipaul). “I know it is about death but it is not sad and depressing, just makes us award in captivating language about the adventure of life and death. It is actually a little bit of a fun read...”

When The Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd A perennial favorite of mine from a wonderful writer. Sue Monk Kidd took her journals from her mid-life passage and put them into this thoughtful, inspirational book which is a must read for any woman in mid-life who is seeking. Something. That thing. Y'know. It. With this book's help, my bet is: you'll start finding.

A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. “This was a fun non-fiction read. We're through the agricultural, industrial, and now the information age; next up: the Conceptual Age. So says Pink. Creative, right-brain thinkers will rule the world. All the number-crunching analysts are going overseas, so don't think about coaching little Tommy or Suzy toward a business degree without first developing amazing creative talents. I don't think he's 100 percent on the mark, but the book's informative, and it's exciting to think about all the implications, especially for our children.”

Why Women Should Rule the World by Dee Dee Myers "A great case for why women should rule the world, with all kinds of examples and research to make the case. Not an attack on men, just what would happen in our society if the women were in charge, and the type of leadership they’d bring to the table. She also draws on her experience in the Clinton White House and tells a few stories.”

The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century by Thomas Friedman. “Friedman makes highly accessible an understanding of how the technological revolution is changing our world and how it is not driven by large, anonymous corporations, but by individuals and innovation.”

The Wreck of the Whaleship Essex. By Nathaniel Philbrook. "He lives in Nantucket and is a fabulous writer - I love all his work. This is the true story of a nantucket whaleship attacked by a whale in the 1800s and how the crew survived. It is the story moby dick was based on. Melville came to nantucket to interview the captain. Its a great read - and historical. Always nice to actually learn some history while enjoying the pure ecapism of reading a great book!" I have to get this for Drew. He loves death and dismemberment.

The 2008 List: Top Picks

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The top picks weren’t as obvious this year: no Glass Castles or Eat Pray Loves emerged. But I picked a few – two because they did get a few mentions; another from last year that I happen to know many of you enjoyed; and an old one that I loved and am imposing on you:

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Several of you mentioned this, and Picoult seems to come up a lot. This particular novel is about a high school shooting. “I haven't read anything that great recently but can't put this one down. Good summer fiction.”

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks: This one also got a few votes. “I just finished this. One of the most interesting, well-written books I've read in a long time. She's a masterful writer and tells a terrific story.” And: “I am in the middle of Brook’s latest and am totally captivated. As she has in her other books, the characters are quickly real to you and important. But this one is a mystery, really, about tracing the history of an ancient book. So far I love it, but I have always loved her books!”

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Revin. This was on last year’s list, and I know many of you have read it since. If you haven’t, do. It’s a wonderful book about a guy who builds schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. For those who don’t love travelogues (like me), let me give you permission to skim some of that in the beginning. (The mountains are really super craggy. That about sums it up). The writing is not always elegant, but it’s about such a wonderful character – a force of nature himself – and you will find it incredibly inspiring.

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. It’s a little late to call this a “hot book,” considering it was published in 1859. Last year I mentioned it as one I planned to read because of Nora Ephron’s rhapsodic endorsement here. Ephron wrote, “Days pass as I savor every word. Each minute I spend away from the book pretending to be interested in everyday life is a misery. How could I have waited so long to read this book? When can I get back to it? Halfway through I return to New York to work, to mix a movie, and I sit in the mix studio unable to focus on anything but whether my favorite character in the book will survive. I will not be able to bear it if anything bad happens to my beloved Marian Halcombe.” This is EXACTLY how I felt reading this book (except the bit about sitting in a studio mixing a movie, since I wasn’t doing anything a tenth as glamorous). I could not put this book down.

The 2008 List: New(ish) Fiction

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Ahab's Wife or the Star-Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund. “I didn’t see this on your list and it’s one of my favorite books!!”

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. “I know it's a Starbucks book, but I am really enjoying it. It’s fiction, narrated by a dog.”

The Attack by Yasmina Khadra. Go to Amazon to find out more, but here’s a bit: “Amin Jaafari, an Israeli-Arab, is a contented man. Happily married and a respected surgeon, he has chosen to heal, not to fight. Suddenly his world explodes. His beloved wife is killed in a suicide bombing, and the police believe she was the bomber. Drowning in grief, Jaafari attempts to make sense of what he finds impossible to believe.”

The Best Day of Someone Else’s Life by Kerry Reichs. Gotta plug the local authors! (Kerry’s a Washington lawyer). Looks like chick lit with an “always the bridesmaid…” theme, and supposedly some deeper messages than the average product of the genre.

Blessings by Anna Quindlen. “…low-brow but is engaging and has big themes.” (This one is almost an “old favorite.” I think it was published in 2003.

Body of Lies by David Ignatius. No, not another book bashing the Bush Administration, but a post-9/11 spy thriller novel by the Washington Post columnist that many of us know and read.

The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz. “Interesting fictional account of the life of Empress Michiko. I love this type of story, romance, contemporary and historical fiction of a fascinating culture all in one. Well written too!”

The Devil in the Junior League by Linda Francis Lee. “Good non-thinking book for the beach. Southerners, in particular, will appreciate this. ‘No diamonds before 6 p.m.’”

Family Matters by Rohiton Mistry. The author of A Fine Balance (which was an Oprah book club selection) tells the story of a multi-generational Parsi (small Indian minority) family in Bombay dealing with love lost, fortunes unrealized and death and changes. Really good, especially if you are interested in ethnic stories, India, etc. This is also a borderline “old favorite” – written in 2003.

Good Grief by Lolly Winston “It was an entertaining book about a woman's first year as a widow and how she fell apart and came back together. It was fiction, but, as widow myself, I appreciated her sense of humor and insight that must have come from other widows!”

Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda. “Such a totally happy, deeply satisfying read if one wants to believe the world is ultimately a good place. Characters are very real, and for all their strangeness they are very compelling and you root hard for them through the last line.”

Ideas of Heaven by Joan Silber. “This ‘Ring of Stories’ delighted me with its clever links and layered meanings. It’s an inquiry into spiritual and sexual longing—how people use the two for similar ends—or not. The language is gorgeous and inspiring. My book club loved it.”

Inheritance by Natalie Danford. “Italy (Urbino, no doubt, was the draw for me, as it's an incredibly beautiful Tuscan village with masses of interesting history). World War II. Family secrets. A friend of a friend wrote this book, her first, and it's a gem and a quick read.”

The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones. “Reading it right now and really like it!” It’s about an American widow who goes to China to find out whether a child there was fathered by her late husband.

Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland. “France. Historical novel that chronicles the backdrop to this famous Renoir painting. A fun read for those who liked Girl With A Pearl Earring or Madame X (of the same ilk as this book).”

Mango Season by Amulya Malladi “India. Arranged marriages. Culture clash. Coming of Age. An Indian woman I met at a party recommended this book to me after we had a long discussion about arranged marriages in different cultures (fyi, she claims India has the highest success rate....).”

A Model Student: A Tale of Coeds and Cover Girls by Robin Hazelwood. “A brilliantly written beach read because robin is Yale grad so smart and so funny and it was a great story.” It’s fiction about a 17-year-old who is a model while also a student at Columbia University. Great look at the world of modeling.

A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity By Kathleen Gilles Seidel. “Funny book about private school life in Washington, DC. I think it may be based on a fictional Maret [a Washington, DC private school]. Lots of familiar things here!” (I note that this author has written many other books.)

The Nightwatch by Sarah Waters. “This is a mesmerizing story of young people in Britain during the Second World War. Ingeniously told backward, it takes characters where they are and answers the most intriguing of questions: How did they get here? Satisfying to the last line, Nightwatch jolts the reader with domestic front reality and all that women did while men—most of them—were fighting. Waters is known as a lesbian writer, but this does her a great disservice (shame on me for letting the label slip out again). She ranks among the greatest of stylists, and her use of historical detail is beautiful.

No Angel by Penny Vincenzi. This is the first in a trilogy about the Lytton family. I first heard this author mentioned in this article, which offers some other authors and titles, too. It looks like a fun, engaging series, though I haven’t read them yet. The first one can be hard to come by, but you can always try the Book Depository, which offers free shipping on books still in print in Britain. (Nasty exchange rate, of course, but anything for a good book, right?)

Now You See Him by Eli Gottleib. From Publisher’s Weekly: “A mesmerizing blend of suspense and long-buried family secrets, Gottlieb's second novel (after 1997's The Boy Who Went Away) culminates in shocking revelations that rock a quiet upstate New York town. Nick Framingham is still reeling from the recent death of his childhood best friend, the writer Rob Castor, who committed suicide after killing his ex-girlfriend in Manhattan. Nick's own marriage to his college sweetheart, Lucy, begins to unravel as he struggles to understand what drove Rob to murder. Rekindling an old relationship with his first love, Belinda, Rob's volatile and beautiful sister, Nick begins to retrace not only Rob's last days but also their shared childhood, looking for clues to explain his friend's actions.”

The Other Side of You by Salley Vickers “This definitely goes into the ‘Books That Changed My Life’ column. I first heard of it from the Post’s Michael Dirda—always a trusted source!--though what I came away with exceeded his praise. Vickers is British, with a background in literature and psychotherapy. In this story, she examines a patient/therapist relationship, how their sharing changes each, while tying in Caravaggio’s life, as well as scripture—an unlikely addition to this most secular world—with thought-provoking and heartbreaking results. I adored this book, have the marked up hardcover to prove it, and did a fair amount of weeping. Yes, too heavy for the beach...”

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. “Sparse and powerful.”

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason. A historic fiction about a British Army officer living in Burma who sends for a Piano Tuner from London. Story revolves around the officer, the Shan rebellion, life in a British Colony and independence while the officer searches for love

Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett. “I am into historical fictions so skip this if you are not, but it is about Sir Thomas Moore and his family and it is very engaging. Decidedly low-brow.”

Run by Ann Patchett. “It's a story about family -- who's in a family? Why? What are the boundaries and edges of what makes up a family? Stunning.”

Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig. TOTAL trash and kind of silly, but still fun. It’s billed as historical fiction, but I think it would be better categorized as historical romance/farcical caper. The back of the book says it’s a “genre bender,” and I think it is, but maybe not in the way the author intended. There’s probably more wrong history than right in it, with all kinds of anachronistic slang, etc. But I flew right through it and enjoyed it with only slight shame for having done so. It’s one a few similar books by this author.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka. From New Yorker: “In this comic first novel, two estranged sisters living in England discover that their addled elderly father, a Ukrainian war refugee and expert on tractors, is planning to marry a young, enormous-breasted woman who sees his modest pension as her ticket to capitalist comfort. The sisters put aside their differences, and embark on a spirited campaign to save him from boil-in-the-bag dinners, slovenly housekeeping, and such extravagant purchases as a broken-down Rolls-Royce. In the midst of these machinations—which include long-winded letters to solicitors, venomous gossip, and all-out spying—Lewycka stealthily reveals how the depredations of the past century dictate what a family can bear.”

Snow Flower & The Secret Fan by Lisa See. “China. 19thc. Friendship. Historical novel with a bit of suspense. Engrossing read.”

Songs without Words by Ann Packer. “Follow-up novel by the author of Dive from Clausen's Pier (which I loved). Have not read this but loved her first book.” {not out yet, but available for pre-order.}

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. This got a couple of votes: “Almost as good as her first book of short stories.” “(short stories this time, subtle prose masks rich, intricate family relations)”

The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro. For those of you who like Geraldine Brooks, you can see what she has to say on Munro in the Amazon link. Nobody’s shelf is complete without Alice Munro, and this title is her latest, though any one of her books will satisfy. She writes long, novel-like stories, life stories that leave you enlightened and entertained and in awe of the everyday folk of rural Canada. She’s in some ways reminiscent of our early to mid-century Southern writers, but she digs deeper, shows us the startling and disturbing secrets of everyone around us. The first piece in The View from Castle Rock will win over only the most persistent as she lays out much of her complex family history, but the rest are vintage Munro.

The Wedding Officer by Anthony Capella “ Total Junk Read - Reading anything by Capella will make you very hungry and leave you with a strong desire to move to Italy (I also recommend his first novel, The Food of Love). The story takes place in Italy in WWII, and based on a tiny bit of truth. But mostly it's a love story with a focus on food and cooking. A wee bit smutty as well (Amazon describes it as ‘sensuous’).”

World Without End by Ken Follett. The sequel to the Pillars of the Earth.

The 2008 List: Fiction Old Favorites

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Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis. “An old classic. Extraordinarily witty and well-written, it's akin to P.G. Wodehouse - i.e., absurd story lines mixed with clever social critiques. A light-hearted but nonetheless rich and rewarding read.”

Dancing at the Rascal Fair by Ivan Doig. “an older book but a newly discovered author for me…beautiful writer… I want to read more of his books.”

Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife: Pride & Prejudice Continues by Linda Berdoll. This was on last year’s list, and I read it over the winter. Oh my gosh, it is trash! But it’s fun, especially if you loved Pride & Prejudice and like to imagine what became of Elizabeth and Darcy after they got married. You have to overlook the author’s attempt, lame at times, to use the language of the times. (Someone must tell her how to use the word “betwixt,” because she DOES NOT KNOW). If you like this sort of book (continuations of, or different perspectives of, Jane Austen novels) there are others in the genre. The Pamela Aiden trilogy, which begins with An Assembly Such as This tells the P&P story from Darcy’s perspective. You really and truly can skip the second book in that series.

Disgrace by J.M. Coatzee. “Though not very long and quite an easy read, this book amazed me with all it accomplishes. Coatzee does gender and race in South Africa without ever mentioning the words, hardly hinting that he’s talking politics at all. In fact, the title could be ‘Desire,’ for all its focus on what the heart wants. I’ve wanted to read Coatzee since he won the Nobel in 2003, and I wasn’t disappointed. Yes, the book’s subjects involve the political, but what he’s really written is a suspenseful—This can’t be happening but it is!-- near-Biblical tale on the meaning of love—and parenting.”

The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell. “…Really great history of Shanghai and redemptive father-daughter story.”

The Eight by Katherine Neville. Written in 1997, “an intense thriller that is steeped in history. The story revolves around a chess set with magical powers that is sought after across the ages. Highly complex and quick-pace at the same time.”

Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir. “France, England. Good old raucous Royals.
Ok, I love good romps of royals in historical fiction and normally love Alison Weir's books. This one didn't do it for me (too dry), but big Alison Weir fans may really love it. It got very good reviews.” (This reader preferred The Children of Henry VIII by Weir, saying it was “wildly more interesting and entertaining.”)

English Passengers by Matthew Kneale. I haven’t read this yet, but I have it on deck on the strength of reviews I read on Goodreads (great social networking for readers with more than a million users. You all must join, and when you do, you can “friend” me. Aren’t I the early adapter!) Here’s one review: “the book is about a self satisfied minister who decides to voyage to Tasmania where he is certain he will find the Garden of Eden. Travelling on a Manx ship captained by an endearing pirate, and accompanied by a hilariously racist doctor, this character provides quite enough entertainment. However, there is much more in the book. At the same time, Kneale chronicles the eradication of the indigenous people of Tasmania, in a manner which is alternately heartbreaking and funny. There's something for everyone in this book.”

Flashman by George Macdonald Fraser (and others in the Flashman series). These are guy books. Drew has really enjoyed them. They are “satirical histiography” about this a rascal -- Harry Flashman – who finds himself amid great events of the 19th century, while being chased by jealous husbands and getting (and accepting) credit for courage that he didn’t actually possess.

Gaudy Night (and other “Lord Peter Wimsey” mysteries) by Dorothy Sayers. I’m getting into it, heeding all the Amazon reviewers’ warnings that it starts slow but gets great. But I hope to like it, as there are others in this series. Briefly, the protagonist returns to her alma mater, the fictional women’s “Shrewsbury College” at Oxford – to get to the bottom of some crimes being committed there. Written in 1936, it offers, in addition to a psychological thriller, an interesting view of a women’s college in the interwar period.

The Good Life by Jay McInerney, author of Bright Lights Big City. “Not one likable character in the lot, really, but for some reason I couldn’t put it down. Voyeurism, really.

An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears. “If one gets into historical mysteries, this is an all-time winner.”

Lying Awake by Mark Salzman. “I’m just about to order this book. I was told by a friend that it is very interesting.” From an Amazon reviewer: “Sister John of the Cross is a Carmelite nun, part of a cloistered group in Los Angeles California. She is faced with worsening headaches that allow her to have visions or insights, leading her into a state of ecstasy and an extended understanding of the meaning of Christ in her life. When a pathological reason for the headaches is found she is faced with the possibility that her visions are part of the manifestations of the condition and not real.”

My Dream of You by Nuala O'Faolain. “This book intertwines the stories of two women, an Irish travel writer living in present-day London, and a British landowner's wife during the 19th century potato famine, who was convicted of committing adultery with an Irish groom. This book has gotten lots of great reviews. Including: ‘A lovely heartbreaker of a novel that asks the hard questions...O'Faolain writes beautifully about longing and regret. (USA Today).”

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. “Barcelona. 1950's but harks back. Secrets. Intrigue. Much more intense than the other recommendations, also longer. Just 1/3 way through, but it's terrific so far (and has gotten rave reviews).” I read this and loved it last year.

Sophie's Choice by William Styron. “I read this for the first time a few months ago. I loved it. William Styron was such beautiful writer. I went out and bought all his other books which I hope to read soon.”

The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard. “You may have read Hazzard’s The Great Fire a few years back, but this 1980 book is even better, richer, more ambitious. It’s the story of two orphaned sisters that spans more than next forty years. Like The Great Fire, it’s a love story at its heart. Read the last chapters carefully to discover how perfectly and intricately plotted the story is. Hazzard’s writing is painterly, incandescent, and her wisdom and knowledge light up every page.”

The Unlikely Spy and other titles by Dan Silva. “These are great beach reads if you like fast-paced, historical mysteries. My husband and I both read them – but honestly we’ve read them a few times and are always surprised (again) by the ending. They don’t stick, but they are good.”

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. “You have to read it as an adult. It’s about the passions of a dysfunctional family and the happy resolution of its misery.”

The 2008 List: Non-Fiction (New and Old)

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The 10-Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer…..a light read about stay at home mom but written with very erudite voice – I seem to remember it had favorable NYTimes review couple wks ago. Highly recommend!

"90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. “This is the story of a man who has a car accident and reports his vision of Heaven, and his long recovery following the accident.”

Are you Somebody? By Nuala O'Faolain. [From Googlebooks]: “The author attracted a huge amount of critical praise and a wide audience with the literary debut of Are You Somebody? Her midlife exploration of life's love, pain, loneliness, and self- discovery won her fans worldwide who write and tell her how her story has changed their lives. There are thousands who have yet to discover this extraordinary memoir of an Irish woman who has stepped away from the traditional roles to define herself and find contentment. They will make this paperback a long-selling classic.” A novel by O’Faolain, My Dream of You, is reviewed above.

Audition by Barbara Walters. “I know you’ll puke, Virginia, but I’m really enjoying the Barbara Walters autobiography!! Not at all the book I was expecting – a LOT about her pre-fame days, dealing with very unusual childhood experiences. “ [for the record, I did not puke.]

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (James H. Silberman Books) by Norman Doidge. “For anyone who has a child who learns differently, or for anyone who learns differently, or anyone who is interested in how the brain functions. Doidge makes detailed scientific information accessible and fascinating.”

Broken For You by Stephanie Kallos. “It's about making something new out of that which is or has been broken -- people, place and things. Works on a number of different levels and is really, really compelling.”

But How'd I Get in There in the First Place? Talking to Your Child About Sex - by Deborah Roffman. “If it's time for "that" conversation - this is the book you need to read first!”

Change the Way you See Yourself through Asset Based Thinking by Kathryn Cramer. A book about connecting with your true leadership potential. A book that is 50 percent pictures and sure to make you think.

Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusion of Energy Independence by Robert Bryce. “This book is a counterweight to other energy books and articles that have been in the news recently. Unlike authors who tout renewable energy as the answer to all America’s energy problems, Robert Bryce sets out to debunk a series of what he describes as myths that Americans believe about energy.” [For the record, the provocative title notwithstanding, Bryce, an energy journalist, is not an ideologue.]

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. “A book by the carnegie mellon professor with terminal pancreatic cancer who put his thoughts on life together into a lecture and then this book to leave to his young children.”

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell. I know a lot of people who were amazed by this book. I gather they are making a movie out of it.

The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family by Martha Raddatz. Written by the chief White House correspondent for ABC News chronicles the story of a platoon of 1st Cavalry Division soldiers who were pinned down by al-Sadr's Shiite militia in Iraq.

Lose Weight, Find Love, Declutter and Save Money by Michele Woodward. This is a first… a book by one of this book list’s annual contributors. This book is fun and insightful. It’s a collection of essays, so it lends itself to beach reading. Once you read and enjoy it, I’m sure Michelle would appreciate your adding a review to the Amazon site.

Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism by Jenny McCarthy. “If you have a special needs child--with or without autism---this book will inspire you to be an even stronger advocate for your child. If you don't have a special needs child, you will still appreciate her tenacity and strength as a woman and a mother. I could not put this book down. I was dumbfounded about how her child's diagnosis was botched for some time, and my heart broke and rejoiced throughout the journey to the end of this book.”

Loving What Is by Byron Katie and Stephen Mitchell. “Oprah's next project, with an online class, etc. Katie's approach, called The Work, is an excellent way to examine your limiting beliefs and get rid of the ideas that hold you back from happiness and success. Great.”

Lucky: A Memoir by Alice Sebold. From Library Journal: “Sebold was raped as a college freshman, but the police said she was "lucky." At least she wasn't murdered and dismembered like the girl before her. Now a journalist, Sebold here details the aftermath. A posttraumatic stress syndrome, heroin addiction, and, finally, some measure of understanding.”

The Man in the Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World, by Lucette Lagnado “is the story told through a current contributor to the Wall Street Journal, of her parents transition from Egypt to the United States after the rise of Nasser and creation of Israel. Many people forget that 1,000,000 Jews in the Middle East were displaced when Israel was created, the story tells the tale of her family going from a comfortable wealthy existence in Cairo to struggling in America.”

The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester. “I love everything he writes.”

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Frankl endured four different Nazi death camps, including Auschwitz during WWII. From Amazon: “Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory—known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos (‘meaning’)—holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.”

The Merry Recluse: A Life in Essays by Caroline Knapp. A posthumous collection of Knapp’s essays. “I didn’t see her on your list….she’s up there with Anne Lamott for me.”

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. “Awesome book, quick read and she’s very funny. Could be any one of us.”

Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado. “an UNBELIEVABLE book.”

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. One reader says she hates to admit that she loves this book by Tolle, one of Oprah’s pals, but “then you can download for free their weekly discussion which I listen to on my Ipod while walking.”

Plow, Plagues and Petroleum by William F. Ruddiman. “Did human involvement with climate change really begin with the Industrial Revolution? This book traces the full history of human interaction with the climate of Earth. He critiques the global warming debate (from both sides) in his conclusion.”

The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School - by Kathleen Flinn. “This is a fun account of the author's years at Cordon Bleu, which she attended almost on a whim after getting fired from an executive position. I laughed throughout, and it cured me of any desire to ever attend cooking school.”

Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea by Gary Kinder. “A true story of recovering a ship that reads like a thriller (honestly, I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t seen my sister in its grips on the beach!)”

Steering By Starlight “My friend Martha Beck's new book. It's the follow-on to her bestseller Finding Your Own North Star and is great for people who are willing to think about spirituality, intuition and stripping away the layers of thoughts, beliefs and ideas that limit us from our potential. Funny, well-written and moving. Martha also wrote a lovely book about her Down Syndrome son, called Expecting Adam.”

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Meg Meeker. [This one is for dads.] “My husband has been raving about this book so thought I'd pass the title along. He says it is the best book he has read about parenting girls.”

Sweet and Low by Rich Cohen. “Hilarious! A true story about a Seinfeld/Curb Your Enthusiasm-type family, who actually created the ‘Sweet & Low’ pink sugar brand, and all the antics of their relatives in Brooklyn. (Husband couldn’t stop laughing out loud when he read it).”

UltraPrevention by Drs. Hyman and Liponis. “Their mantra is health is not just being disease free.’ How to de-tox and be healthy for the long-term. Making your health span the same as your life span.”

When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Goodwin, a white Zimbabwean who tells the tale of the failure of the country though his dying father and mother who will not leave. There is also a personal twist as to why his father left Britain for Zimbabwe in the first place and the family history. The author never knew that his father escaped the Holocaust by coming to Zimbabwe, making the whole thing even more granular and showing the vulnerability of not only a white person in Zimbabwe but the secrets his father kept. Really good story of how Zimbabwe went from promise to desperation.

When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. “It is his first real autobiography and I’m sure will be hilarious (I’ve read all his other books & if you like his twisted but honest sense of humor, you’ll be addicted to him!)”

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang. “One of my all-time favorites. A non-fiction book about 3 generations of women in China.”

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. “I've read this three times. For anyone who ever lost a loved one, it’s comforting. I was scared to read it because I thought I'd be immersed in her grief and it would heighten mine. To the contrary, the mind set (a month ago, I was doing _____w my mom. Two months ago, she was _______) is like an old friend. It is incredibly educational in terms of the physical and psychological components of grief but it reads like you are having a latte w a friend.”

The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman. “Beautifully written prose, and an amazing story of courage, heroism and life in the face of death. No matter how many accounts of WWII and the Holocaust you've read, it will blow you away with the lengths some people went to to save others, and the absolute brutality of the Nazi regime. If you read only one book, this should be it; I could not put it down.”

The 2008 List: The Stuck in 19th Century Britain Collection

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Since I’m still in this rut of reading 19th century female authors, almost to the exclusion of everything else, I figured I’d share some suggestions, but without cluttering up the rest of the list.

Belinda by Maria Edgeworth. Edgeworth is known as the “Irish Jane Austen,” and some consider her works comparable to Austen. Not quite true. But this was a nice, entertaining read if you like the genre.

The Grand Sophy (and dozens of other titles) by Georgette Heyer. It’s embarrassing to admit how much I have LOVED these books, but in my defense, Heyer has been sanctioned by both Michael Dirda of the Washington Post and A.S. Bayatt. Put it this way: If you like Jane Austen and other 19th century romantic literature, try Heyer. They are not as rich, but they are fun. Her writing is consistently good – she almost never “phoned it in.” She wrote in the 20th century, but mainly about the 19th. The stories are formulaic but clean and humorous and known for their accurate historical tidbits. (She was a historian). I’m into happy endings in 2008, and Heyer’s books deliver.

Miss Marjoribanks by Margaret Oliphant. The protagonist’s character is amusing -- her only expressed desire upon coming home from school and her grand European tour is to be "a comfort to her dear Papa." With a strategic sense that rivals great generals, she sets about taking over the society of her little town. It’s a lot of fun if you like 19th century provincial "small ball."

Middlemarch by George Eliot. I finally read this book over the winter. I am not sure it’s a beach book – it might be winter reading – but it’s an absolute masterpiece. And there’s a BBC miniseries!

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Not to be confused with North and South by John Jakes. This is the British North and South, about changes in Britain during the industrializing England of the mid-19th century. It’s a love story, a family story, a social commentary. And if you like it, there is a fantastic miniseries. (No really… I mean FANTASTIC miniseries.)

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-The Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England by Daniel Pool. Fun facts about life in 19th century England.

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. This is a great book, but it’s unfinished (she died while writing it). I tell you that, because the Wiki entry says “it was not quite complete, and the last section was written by Frederick Greenwood.” That makes it sound like he FINISHED IT. But he just adds something on about how he thinks she might have ended the book. I mean, it practically ends in the middle of a sentence. But it’s STILL good, and (once again) there is a terrific BBC miniseries with a wonderful (made-up) ending. The book’s about a girl whose father remarries rather hastily. She gains a difficult step-mother and step-sister in the process, and the book chronicles their relationships.

The 2007 List: Top Picks

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Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert. Everyone seems to be talking about this book: "Fun quick read for travel and food lovers." … "Read it on vacation and thoroughly enjoyed it." … "A journalist recounts a whirlwind year of self-exploration in three countries. This woman experiences more in one year than most of us experience in a decade! Warning: the section on Italy caused me to crave pasta and wine--well, more than usual. This woman's life experiences are so different from mine. I had trouble identifying with the author, but I still enjoyed the book and found it very worthwhile."

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky: Several people mentioned this book to me in person, plus I got the following reviews: "Beautifully written tale about life during WWII. The book is wonderful, but three times as good once you read the appendix." … "Loved this book. Story is so interesting as is the story of the author."

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Kholed Hosseini No surprise here, I guess. Here are your reviews: "Follow-up to The Kite Runner. Challenging life of women in Afghanistan during the Taliban rule." … "I am enjoying it, though it's depressing! I preferred Kite Runner I think but am only half way through and it's picking up... it's a good read if you are interested in the plight of women in Afghanistan...not light summer reading!" … "I started reading this one, and it's a page- turner. It' got a historic backdrop of some 30 years of Afghanistan turmoil." … "Unbelievably sad yet uplifting, this story centers on two women in modern Afghanistan and the men who love or abuse them. Not for the faint of heart -- I cried like a baby."

The 2007 List: New (or Newish) Fiction

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Fiction recommendations published more recently (in the past few years):

Boomsday Christopher Buckley -- "If you liked the satire 'Thank you for Smoking,' you’ll like Boomsday, about a 29-year old blogger who turns the Washington political establishment on its end by suggesting 'voluntary transistioning' (aka suicide) for Baby Boomers to solve the nation’s looming fiscal crisis."

Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient. “It’s beautifully written, very vivid. Sometimes dark but I have enjoyed it.” The Washington Post reviewed this. See here.

The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. This book is pretty flawed (see "old favorites for a review of Midwives by Bohjalian, which is way better). You could wind up annoyed at forking over the cost of hardback, rather than waiting for paperback. That said, it is a pretty psychological thriller, and I read it in a matter of days.

Esperanza Rising and Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan. "Two great, 'pre-teen,' page-turners for the young at heart!" (Only one of these qualifies as new fiction, but they were reviewed as one).

Gravedigger’s Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates. One of you had it on deck, and it was reviewed in the Washington Post (here). Reminds me that I also recently read "The Falls," by Oates. She's a good storyteller, and this was no exception.

I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti. This thriller is a quick read and very engaging. Sparely written. (It's translated from Italian -- it was evidently an enormous hit in Italy. They made a movie out of it.)

The Inheritance of Loss - by Kiran Desai. “A beautifully written story. Takes place in US and India.”
The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards. I had to look back at the old lists, thinking this must have appeared before, but it apparently hadn't. I know many of you have read and enjoyed this book.

Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife: Pride and Prejudice Continues by Linda Berdoll. "I haven’t read it yet, but everyone in my book club was talking about by it. For those who enjoy Pride and Prejudice. Supposed to be very racy, so a nice summer read."

On Chesil Beach by Ian McKewan -- "I have not read it, but I love everything he writes so I am going on faith." … "Beautiful prose as you would expect from him. Short quick read." FYI, Jonathan Yardley reviewed this book in Washington Post. Click here for that review.
Popco by Scarlett Thomas. Borrowed from an Amazon reader review: "If you want a fast-paced action adventure story with lots of movement and dialogue, this isn't it. Instead, this story explores fascinating topics well and with depth, while keeping several mysteries humming along. Cryptology, the hierarchies of teen girls, marketing, virtual worlds, math, religion..." I haven't read it, but the cover is appealing!

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I'm kind of surprised this never made the list before -- at least I don’t think it did. It's REALLY engaging and fun. Has a slight DaVinci code thing going on, although I almost hate to say that since it makes it sound like a Davinci Code knock-off, which it's not. A couple of you mentioned it. I loved it.

Shantaram. "It's awesome. I'm 700 pages into it (it's about 1000 pages) Good story, thought provoking and fascinating. My husband's reading it too and loving it."

Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Several of you recommended this book. "GREAT summer READ!! Loved it! Beautiful tale of two women in China...hard to put down, easy read." Someone also mentioned enjoying the new novel Peony in Love by the same author.

Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier (Cold Mountain). “I am enjoying it. While it's got a good love story, would not call it a chick lit by any means.”

Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich. "The latest in the adventures of Stephanie Plum, lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter. A hoot."

Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen. "The tale of an old man reflecting on his life, including the time he joined the circus during the Depression. Excellent writing." … "Great book and fun summer read!" … "Borrowed review: I really have no right to proclaim that one day this book will be a classic, but I am going to stick my neck out. What a powerful read. This book puts you into circus life in the Depression, shakes you until you are groggy and then wakes you up to find that you can't stop thinking about the story.”

Wild Fire Nelson Demille --- "Not his best effort. U.S. businessmen conspire to launch a nuclear attack of the Middle East." (See the Old Favorites section below for more titles by Nelson Demille … the quintessential beach book author.)

The 2007 List: New (or Newish) Non-Fiction

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An American Childhood by Annie Dillard. "I read it through a book club, the author and book club member both attended Hollins. Charming recount of growing up."

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingslover. "This is about a year spent eating food grown by the author's family or within 100 miles of their home -- but written by a fiction writer, who I like - and its supposed to be great. I have not read it yet, but one the customer reviews on amazon says 'This is a must-read for anyone who eats' -- so I guess that includes most of us?"

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis (NB: I think this one might be more for the men in your life -- it was recommended by Drew, the one male contributor to this list.) "Football version of Lewis’ “Moneyball” (baseball). The quarterback is the highest played player on all NFL teams. What position usually garners the second highest paycheck? Read The Blind Side to find out.

Edith Wharton by Hermione Lee. One of you recommended this biography of an iconic American writer.

Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Issacson. I love his style of writing. This book starts off dense with Scientific stuff then becomes very readable and interesting
Fiasco by Tom Ricks. "Lots of policy makers changed from optimism to pessimism after reading this book. Great overview of how things went wrong in different parts of the government, and intelligible to non-military folks."

Free Gift with Purchase: My Improbable Career in Magazines and Makeup – by Jean Godfry-June, editor of Lucky Magazine. The daughter of Intellectuals finds career in the cosmetic industry. This looks dishy and fun.

French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. "Enchanting, and not much like a 'diet' book."

I Feel Bad About my Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron. I really enjoyed this entertaining little book. The bonus for book lovers is her chapter devoted to reading wherein she lists some of her favorite books of all time. It inspired me to buy The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I've not read it yet. Next year I will let you know if I liked it as much as Nora Ephron did.

If These Walls Could Talk: Thoughts of Home (House Beautiful) This is a collection of 33 essays published in House Beautiful’s “Thoughts of Home” column.

It's Hard to Make a Difference when you Can't Find your Keys: The 7-Step Path to Becoming Truly Organized by Marilyn Paul. One of you recommended this. I read a similar book this year – I think it was called Eliminate Chaos – about getting organized. However, we're under construction and I can't find the book. (So you can see how well that's going).

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. I spend enough time in Starbucks (where this has long been on display), I ought to have picked it up by now. But while I have not, one of you had read and recommended it.

My Losing Season by Pat Conroy – (NB: This one, like Blind Side, also recommended by Drew and perhaps more interesting for your husbands/fathers/etc.) "Great read for anyone who has played competitive basketball. True story of Pat Conroy’s senior season at the Citidel with life lessons he learned from basketball. Great themes for younger readers, but some rough language."

The Parents Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents by William Martin. "Quick snippets when you feel you need a little parenting boost."

Porn for Women by the Cambridge Women's Pornography Cooperative. "Hilarious book with photographs things like hot men doing household chores." (click on the link and check out the cover… steamy!)

Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989 by Michael Beschloss. "My husband just read it and liked it."
The Price of Privilege : How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids (Hardcover) "One of the best parenting books I've read for our set." (This review is from a school guidance counselor!)
The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Laura Schlessinger. I bought this book for my husband and we both thoroughly enjoyed it!

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert. This is one of those books in the Malcolm Gladwell tradition. (He wrote Blink and the Tipping Point, both of which I think were recommended in years past). I enjoyed this book, but like others in this category, I tend to put them down once I get the gist. "Stumbling…" is about what bad predictors we are of what will make us happy. It's not a self-help book, more of an interesting discussion of memory and the brain, and how that affects our perspective. He explains complicated ideas well.

The Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln -- "I'm about to read this NYT bestseller about Abraham Lincoln."

Tender Bar – Memoir of NY Times/LA Tribune reporter who grew up fatherless on Long Island raised by his uncle bartenders. Graduated from Yale in 1986. Sort of an American Angela’s Ashes.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. "An incredibly inspiring book about a man who is building schools all over Pakistan and Afghanistan. His story makes you understand that we can each make a difference. Everyone who has read it has bought it for three more people."
Through the Children's Gate by Adam Gopnik. A collection recent essays by the humorous New Yorker writer.

Thunderstruck by Erik Larsen – "Larsen writes about parallel historical events, such as in Devil in the White City about the architects of the Chicago’s World Fair in 1893 and a serial killer who stalked women at the World’s Fair. In Thunderstruck he follows the first international dragnet involving wireless communication when a London murder is captured at sea through wireless technology invented by Marconi. He parallels this manhunt with Marconi’s rise from an inventor to a shrewd businessman."

West with the Night: autobiography of aviator Beryl Markham. One reviewer said she enjoyed this book. The Amazon reader reviews are rhapsodic.

The 2007 List: Old Favorites/Classics

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Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie -- "I loved this book! Good review: This book was a charming vignette about a most unlikely subject: the re-education of two city boys during Mao's cultural revolution in China. The two young men are sent to a remote mountain called Phoenix of the Sky where they work like peasants in the fields and are allowed no books. But life in the remote mountains is never dull.”

Belle Canto by Anne Patchett. I think everyone's book club read this in 2005, but for those of you who didn't have the pleasure…

Blindness by Jose Saramago. A description from Amazon: "In an unnamed city in an unnamed country, a man sitting in his car waiting for a traffic light to change is suddenly struck blind….Within a day the man's wife, the taxi driver, the doctor and his patients, and the car thief have all succumbed to blindness…So begins Portuguese author José Saramago's gripping story of humanity under siege…"

Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd. "Everyone in my book club was crazy about it. The description doesn’t do it justice, as it’s a really compelling read…"

The Complete Stories of Truman Capote by Truman Capote. "Short stories make for great beach reads." This is the first collection of all the author's short stories.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I read this on a plane, and it was perfect for that setting. Not great literature, but great fun.

Discovery of Heaven by Harry Mulisch: My Dutch friend recommends this book by a Dutch author. From Amazon: An "epic tale of love, friendship, and divine intervention in this cerebral story of heavenly influence." One Amazon reviewer says it starts off like 'It's a Wonderful Life,' with a conversation between two people in Heaven talking about how they influence events on earth.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. “Both beautifully written, both also on Oprah's book list (not that I usually consider this a source of great literature but it did inspire me to read the above two).”

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

The Gold Coast and The Charm Schoolby Nelson Demille. Demille's got loads of books to read, and I envy you your trip to the beach if you've not read any of them. These two are his best. Very different stories – both incredible page turners.

Growing Up and The Good Times by Russell Baker. These memoirs of the NY Times columnist's childhood in Baltimore and (Good Times) early career as a journalist are wonderful. It looks like The Good Times is out of print, but I bet you could find it at the library, and there is always ebay.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (and all that follow) by JK Rowling. "If you haven't read the Harry Potter books yet -- and I know many women my age who haven't -- now is the time. The last book in the series is due out shortly. If you've seen the movies, you still should read the books. Adults will appreciate the books' allusions to myths, literature, and history; these subtleties are lost in the movies." I agree! And for those of you who have read 1 - 6, enjoy Deathly Hallows!

The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean. "Historical fictiony book about a women sliding into Alzheimers whose most vivid memories are those from her time hunkered down in the Hermitage during the siege of Leningrad during WWII."
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I thought this book was totally weird and engaging and kind of creepy.

Night by Elie Wiesel. “A scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family.lie Wiesel.” This has regained interest since it became an Oprah book club pick.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. I don’t think this appeared on any previous list. This is one of my all time favorite books. It’s beautiful and readable and images from it have stuck with me for the years since I read it.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind. Several of you recommended this one. "Well written, but too horrific for me. My sister thought it was fantastic!" Book Description: An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder.
Plainsong by Kent Haruf. I don’t know anyone who didn’t like this book. They made a TV movie out of it, but it is not TV-movie-cheesy, by any stretch. It’s a lovely book about people in a small town whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways.

Range of Motion by Elizabeth Berg. If you haven’t read any Elizabeth Berg, I’d suggest checking one of her books out of the library (I liked this one best) and see what you think. She has a simple writing style. Very beach booky, I think, though her writing has a certain elegance.

Tears of Autumn: A Paul Christopher Novel (and others) by Charles McCarry. “I am rereading the titles of this author, thankfully back in print. He is a former spook who wrote a series about Paul Christopher, a tactiturn poet/spy. Beautiful writing. McCarry gets the political machinations just right. Tears of Autumn is a plausible explanation of the Kennedy assassination.”

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. I liked it. It is an odd book in many ways, but I found it really engaging. One of you said you were "struggling through it” and had “started it several times and found something else more appealing that pulls me away.” But another reviewer said, "It’s easily the best book I’ve read in the past year.” That same reviewer said, "People who liked it might also like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, who is Krauss’ husband. Their styles are similar. Krauss pulls it off a little better, in my view, but Extremely Loud is a very good read as well (though it centers on 9/11, which some people might not be ready to read about)."

The House of Mirth (and other titles) by Edith Wharton. One of you recommended this old favorite about New York at the turn of the century.

The Last Convertible by Anton Myrer: A wonderful story about five young men who go to Harvard together in the 1940s. It spans many decades, and is a wonderful read. A PERFECT beach book.

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory and The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940 by William Manchester. These are the first two in what was to be a trilogy of Churchill biographies by Manchester. Manchester died in 2004, but journalist Paul Reid is finishing the third one, and it's supposed to be published late this year. So let's read the first two and then we can all go to the party at midnight at Barnes & Noble on the eve of the release of the third and final volume. (Ha Ha)

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. I read this (before Oprah picked it, mind you) about a Midwife in Vermont and a birth that goes wrong. It is narrated by her 14-year-old daughter. It's a pretty riveting courtroom drama.

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy It “never gets old for me.”

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway. One friend who just climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro this year said, "naturally, I particularly enjoyed this as I felt like Hemingway and I were kindred spirits- HA! Good for beach reading."

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. "My old favorite … a great book about friendship and class struggle in India."

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo. “A destined-to-be-a-classic children’s story of mouse who saves a princess.”

Victoria's Daughters by Jerrold M. Packard. Character studies of Queen Victoria's five daughters. Fun look at late 18th/early 19th century Britain. Queen Victoria considered the marrying off of her offspring to be one of her highest callings.

Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin. I am just getting into this book, and admit to having had to really soldier through the first 80 or so pages, despite the interesting characters and absolutely exquisite writing. Now I’m hitting a groove with it. I was going to wait until next year to recommend, but then I though, “why wait?” Read the Amazon reviews. It’s interesting how many people cite this as an “all time favorite.”

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. "I recently re-read and enjoyed it (I hadn't read it since 6th grade and was looking for books for my son and this just popped out as something I wanted to reread."
Wuthering Heights I loved re-reading this and The Great Gatsby. “It’s interesting reading books about adults that you read when you were a teenager -- and now they take on a slightly different meaning when you read them with a ‘grown up’ perspective.”

The 2007 List: Favorites from Previous Years' Lists

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The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to his White Mother by James McBride

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller. "I also loved it and despite having read it about three years ago, it’s one of those books that stayed with me and I think about often."

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls This continues to get raves, so those of you who haven't read it should consider it. (71 weeks on the Washington Post non-fiction bestsellers list!)

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl about her years as a food critic for the New York Times.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. “I loved it and was sad when it ended.”

The Known World by Edward P. Jones. "Just fabulous. It jumps around a bit, but the language is accessible and the story is great."

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith. "Not perfect, but an interesting read with a good plot. If you happen to have read 'Howard’s End' (or seen the movie) it is interesting to think about the parallels between the two."

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. “I highly recommend it. Not only is it a discussion of literature, but also a window into some of the challenges to which women in the Mideast are subjected.” “I did enjoy ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran,’ despite having gotten through only the first 5 pages of the Nabokov book – I found it to be an interesting insight into the Iranian revolution and women’s roles there.”

Saturday by Ian McKewan. “Very good – not as good as Atonement but is an enjoyable read and quick, as it only covers a 24 hour period. The plot is a bit slow, especially at the outset, but picks up."

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. “Much more interesting than I thought it would be, not a classic beach read but my book group had such a great discussion about it. People might be more interested in it now given the attention that Mitt Romney’s candidacy is bringing to Mormonism.”

What Jackie Taught Us: Lessons from the Remarkable Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by Tina Santi Flaherty. “I enjoyed it pretty well -- good for beach reading.”

The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin. “Great detective read in the Agatha Christie tradition.” There is one of a series, by the way.

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. “not a beach read. It’s about the Black Death, so maybe I don’t need to say more, but I found it very depressing – think the literary equivalent of a trip to the Holocaust Museum – so not beach compatible in my book.

The 2006 List: Top Picks

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The Glass Castle
By Jeannette Walls. This emerged as the “must read” for the summer. An autobiography published in March of 2005 that is now out in paperback. Three of you raved about it. Now I can’t swing a cat without hitting someone who’s read and loved this book. It’s supposed to be like Angela’s Ashes, but set in America. “So touching, sweet, sad and hilariously funny. Page one and you are hooked. You MUST read it!” I already bought and started it and agree that it’s immediately engaging.

The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss also got three votes. It’s out in paperback, too. Not much commentary from you all, but there are lots of reviews on Amazon.

Alexander McCall Smith series
I was surprised at how many mentioned this series. I read The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and have kind of idly assumed that the rest might not be as good. From the comments it seems the subsequent books could be worth checking out. One of you all said, “The latest installment (Blue Shoes and Happiness) was on the bestseller list earlier this year, but you need to read them in order. This book is more about the characters and the land and the move away from the ‘old ways’ than about mysteries. The characters really grow on you.” My mother-in-law also enjoyed 44 Scotland Street by Smith.