The Book of Summers

Fiction by Emilya Hall.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This is a story about a woman whose mother left her and her father when she was nine. She then spent only two weeks a year in the summer with her mother in Hungary, until a secret was revealed and she stopped going.

This book was okay, except I had some trouble maintaining interest in it. (This may be my fault.) Then I was disappointed in the secret.

So... it's not my favorite.

Room

Fiction by Emma Donoghue.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This story is written from the point of view of a five-year-old boy who lives in one locked room with his mother. He's never lived anywhere else, because his mother was kidnapped and has been held there more than seven years.

Really good story.

And the Mountains Echoed

Fiction by Khaled Hosseini.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

This a fabulous book by the author of The Kite Runner.

The opening chapter has an Afghan father telling a fanciful story to his children before they set out on a journey. The story is about a mythical monster who requires a family to sacrifice one child to him, in order to save the rest of the children.

It's just a story. But soon young Abdullah learns why his father has told him the story, and the hidden purpose of their journey.

Super good book that follows this family through two generations.

Tumbleweeds

Fiction by Leila Meacham.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

An orphaned girl moves to Texas to live with her grandmother and forms a best friendship with the two neighbor boys, each of whom fall in love with her. This is a classic love triangle story, but it avoids being formulaic.

This was a good book.

A Week in Winter

Fiction by Maeve Binchy.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

I love, Love, LOVE MAEVE BINCHY.

She writes the best characters. Or, I should say, she WROTE the best characters, because unfortunately, this is her last book. She died last year.

This was not my favorite of her books, because it was almost in the style of a set of short stories; although all the chapters were connected, each could stand alone.

But I recommend all of her books, especially Firefly Summer and Circle of Friends...

... and Tara Road and The Lilac Bus and Quentins  and The Glass Lake...

You get the idea.

Outtakes from a Marriage

Fiction by Ann Leary.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

The main character of this book is the wife of a Big Hollywood Star. It's an interesting perspective, and one I'd never really thought about.

Think about this:

What if your husband, the man who farts in his sleep and leaves toothpaste blobs hardening in the sink for you to chip off later, is the nation's heart-throb? I mean, even Brad Pitt isn't awesome twenty-four/seven. But I'll bet everyone treats him like he is.

Mrs. McGinty's Dead

Fiction by Agatha Christie.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

As always, a great mystery story.

Life Expectancy

Fiction by Dean Koontz.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Now THIS is one of Dean Koontz's best.

The premise is that the main character, Jimmy, is born at the exact moment his grandfather dies. Just before his death, the grandfather makes a prediction about Jimmy's life...

Great book.

The Night Strangers

Fiction by Chris Bohjalian.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Good book, but scary. It starts with a plane crash and then gets worse.