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.
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.”
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.”
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."
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.”
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."
by Laura Hillenbrand. By the author of 
, 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.”
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.” 
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.”
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.”
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!)"
by Marisa de los Santos, the author of 
,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."
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."
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.)
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."
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."
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 
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 
is reviewed below, and 
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.]
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.”
by 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.”
by Robert Harris “a fun read about Cicero and politics in ancient Rome.”
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.”
by Allison Pearson. Pearson wrote 
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.”
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."
was 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."
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."
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.”
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."
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."
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.”
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 
.
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.”
by Julian Fellowes. Fellowes wrote 
, the movie 
and the magnificent BBC Miniseries, 
, 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."
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!)
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.”
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.”
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."]
and 
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."
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."
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!"
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.”
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.”
by Tina Fey. You all are giving me mixed reviews. Some say hilarious. Others not so impressed. One of you said it “feels disjointed.”
by 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.”
by 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.]
by 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/”
and 
by 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.”
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.”
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.”
by 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.”
by 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.”
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.”
by William D. Cohan. “Recommended by Malcolm Gladwell when I heard him speak as the best explanation of the financial meltdown.”
by 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 :)”
by 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.”
by 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.”
by 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.”
by 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.”
by Kate Braestrop. “( pronounced bra-strap) hilarious memoir!!! a must read!!!!!”
by 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.”
by 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.”
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.”
by Kathy Griffin. “A laugh out loud book by the Queen of my Comedy Tribe. A hilarious dish by the fearless and hysterical Griffin.”
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.”
by 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.”
by 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."
by 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."
by 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."
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.”
by 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."
by 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.”
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 
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.”
THE OTHER SIDE by Lacy Johnson
1 year ago
