2010 Staff Picks

• Staff Picks by Genre in alphabetical order by author's last name.

August 2010

	Gardner, Lisa The Neighbor Fiction
I'd never read a Gardner book, and this will not be my last! A pretty wife and mother mysteriously disappears one evening, leaving her sleeping young daughter home alone. Her husband is suspected of foul play, but as the novel continues, other possible culprits come into focus. Different characters, including the police detective, have their own chapters to tell their points of view, which adds a dimension to the mystery. All in all, it's a wonderful, suspenseful story. I guarantee you will want to finish it for the surprise ending. Recommended by Karen G., August 2010
	Hornby, Nicholas Juliet, Naked Fiction
When a woman comes to the realization that she has been voluntarily participating in a boring relationship for years, the cracking begins, and you won't be able to wait to see what hatches. The most salient feature of the man she's with is his obsession with a musician who suddenly and mysteriously retired from public life after an apparently innocuous visit to a restroom. Fame and fandom are explored here, as well as the temptation to settle for safe as opposed to sublime in our personal relationships. Hornby makes the reader's relationship with his characters intimately friendly. You'll laugh, listen, hurt, anticipate, and ultimately care about them. Recommended by Geo, August 2010
	Morrell, David First Blood Fiction
This is the story of Rambo, a young Green Beret/former POW recently returned from a horrific tour in Vietnam. He travels around the American South and though he does nothing wrong, gets kicked out of every small town he visits. Sheriff Teasel, a veteran of the Korean War, tries to retain order in his community, and sees Rambo as only a vagrant long-haired hippie kid. He too drives Rambo out of town. Rambo decides enough is enough and declares war on Teasel, the local police, and the National Guard. The relationship between these two ex-soldiers, hell-bent on killing each other, becomes almost beautiful, almost filial. A brilliant psychological suspense novel with themes that remain timely, with cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on the rise. Recommended by Bonnie, August 2010
	Oyeyemi, Helen The Opposite House Fiction
The Opposite House alternates between two storylines. In one, a Cuban family who immigrated to England deals with cultural conflict in their adopted homeland. In the other, a woman who is possibly a Yoruba goddess, navigates her mysterious “somewherehouse,” which has otherworldly tenants and doors that open to both London and Laos. Questions of cultural, familial and individual identity dominate the novel’s themes. The narrator, who is pregnant, navigates her role with her partner and within her birth family, especially in the idealistic conflicts between her mystic mother, a Santería practitioner, and her ultra-logical father, a history professor. As an immigrant and a woman, ideas of belonging and origin also weigh heavily on her. She divides her psyche into her present self, her memories of Cuba, and her hysteric, a part of her personality who “is blank, electricity dancing around a filament, singing to kill.” Oyeyemi’s elegant writing is full of such irresistible daredevil poetry. Her characters are intensely eccentric, yet honest. Their dynamic relationships, especially between the narrator and her best friend and her mother, are emotionally engaging. The Opposite House elegantly weaves an absorbing tale from differing experiences, realities, cultures and myth. Recommended by Renée, August 2010
	Polansky, Steven The Bradbury Report Science Fiction
In the year 2071, the U.S. is the only country where cloning is legal, paid for by the government, and part of the health insurance system. Nearly every citizen has one, but clones ("copies") are not thought of as human, instead they are used for spare parts when the "original" is sick or injured. Clones are kept in a secret compound. Anna, a member of an underground abolitionist group, helps hide the first escaped clone, hoping he will become an anti-cloning spokesperson. Strong, thought-provoking writing. Recommended by Julie, August 2010
	Poole, Eric Where’s My Wand?: One Boy's Magical Triumph over Alienation and Shag Carpeting Nonfiction
Young Eric Poole sincerely believed in magic. He could secretly conjure ideal outcomes to all of life’s troubles in his basement (think Endora from Bewitched in a chenille bedspread caftan). He could make the new girl in school, who was born with no arms but strong legs, become his best friend and bodyguard. He could end the battle between his obsessive compulsive mother and his visiting grandmother. Even if that meant Grandma would first set fire to her matress smoking in bed, nearly killing them all, leading to the declaration that she would no longer be welcome in the Pool house. Eric could vanquish enemies and bring justice to the little guys of the world – he simply needed an empty house and the magic blanket. As Eric grows up, though, it seems magic works less and less. Things go wrong. He can’t quite control everything. With sincerity, humor, and charm, this memoir will be immensely satifying to fans of David Sedaris, Laurie Notaro, and Sloane Crosley. Recommended by Connie, August 2010
	Skloot, Rebecca The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Nonfiction
This tale is an interesting mix of science, social history, and ethics. In 1951, Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer. While being treated and without her knowledge, doctors took a sample of her cells and sent them to a scientist attempting to cultivate the first immortal human cells, cells that would continue to live and divide outside of a human body. No other cells had done this before, but hers did. Known as the HeLa cells, they continue to live, and have aided in such medical breakthroughs as the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization, and cloning. They have also gone into space and were the first human cells to test the effects of an atom bomb. The entire cell and tissue culture business was based on the reproduction of the HeLa cells. Her family found out thirty years after she died and have never received financial compensation, even though others have profited from the cells' sale and distribution. The juxtaposition of Henrietta’s and her family’s life stories with the scientists and scientific discoveries makes for a varied and entertaining read. Recommended by Melissa, August 2010

July 2010

	Bachmann, Beth Temper Nonfiction (Poetry)
Beth Bachmann’s Temper creates tense, eerie poetry from tragedy and its aftermath. The cycle is based on experiences surrounding the murder of the author’s sister, for which their father is a suspect. Imagery simmers with violence and restrained emotion. Bachmann alludes to the natural world and the Christian Mysteries, expanding the murder to encompass larger questions of faith, and human and animal nature. The poems repeatedly describe overgrown vegetation and the industrial no-man’s-land of the murder site, combining natural imagery with gritty, forensic details, and evoking a dark, unsettling mood. Details evoke instances of transformation, decay, and stasis, and her use of language rings with precise vocabulary and crisp sounds, as in the line “ . . . singed paper//before it blackens; copper beneath corrosion;/the acoustics of the finch’s song after a tear//in its vocal tract.” The poems possess an intense observational sensation, and the speaker’s voice is never far. In challenging, confrontational lines, she directly addresses the reader: “Move closer. I want to tell you a story” and “Still standing? Now come here.” Because the poems explore so many perspectives of the crime, including the murder, crime scene, lineup, family memories, her father’s account, and the speaker’s own telling, the narrative remains unresolved and complex. The result is a haunting collection whose tone and language linger long after you close the book. Recommended by Renée, July 2010
	Ciresi, Rita Pink Slip Fiction
A romantic comedy, with smart prose adding to a delightful plot. Lisa decides to leave her rat-infested apartment in New York City for a new job upstate. She is attracted to her supervisor, Eben Strauss, a corporate vice president and a quiet man with good manners who is a decade older. Two people could not be more different. They begin to see each other, but agree to tell no one at work since it could compromise both their careers. When their relationship starts to become serious, Lisa struggles to keep her history hidden, including drugs, more men than she can list on a single sheet of paper (including a married man), and other risky behavior. Eventually she must tell Eben of her checkered past in order to protect him, though she fears it will destroy their relationship. Pink Slip is strongly recommended to more than just romance fans. Recommended by Terry, July 2010
	Hansen, Sig and Mark Sundeen North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters Nonfiction
For a few years, I just didn’t get the Discovery Channel’s hit documentary series, "Deadliest Catch." The program follows the captains and crews of several crab-fishing ships on the Bering Sea. I am not into adventure, risk-taking, boats, or anything like that. I hate cold, and I get seasick. Why would a program like this appeal to me? However, one weekend I caught the beginning of marathon of reruns, and something changed. I became enraptured. I have no attraction to “reality” television, but this show has me. I now care about Alaskan crab boats and the rough and scraggly guys that run them. When I learned that one of my favorite captains from the show, Sig Hansen, had written a familial memoir, I just had to read it. Again, I didn’t think I would get into it. Nothing about the subject matter on the surface is appealing to me. However, in two days, I read the book cover to cover. I could hardly put it down. Told in the honest and believable voice of Captain Sig, it is the story of three generations of Hansens, their bonds with the sea and each other. The affection and admiration the author shows for his brothers, parents and crew is sincere. Tales of life at sea are not tiresome and technical, but exciting and sometimes hilarious. There is enough historical perspective to provide interesting context for the stories, none of it bogged down in heavy rhetoric. Just like the television series, I had no idea what I was missing until I sat down and found out for myself. Recommended by Connie, July 2010
	Kerman, Piper Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison Nonfiction
Piper Kerman, a recent graduate of Smith College, was looking for adventure. She got involved with a woman who was travelling the world smuggling drugs and laundering money. After a few months, Kerman realized that the new life she inhabited was not glamorous but sordid and treacherous. She got out, severing all ties to her new “friends.” Fast forward ten years, Kerman is engaged and enjoying a high-profile job in New York City. That is, until the Feds show up at her house and charge her with drug trafficking. With the help of a top lawyer, she is sentenced to only one year—the minimum mandatory time for her offense. In the Federal Correctional Institute in Danbury, Connecticut she witnesses first-hand the effects of her crime, surrounded by women whose lives and families have been torn apart by drugs. But Kerman finds something else she hadn’t expected: community, acceptance and the love of her fellow prisoners. She writes about the colorful characters she encounters in prison: a six-foot four transsexual diva who sings gospel songs every night before going to bed, big-mouthed “Eminemlettes” always looking for a fight, a nun serving time for political activism, and an ancient granny locked up for taking phone messages for a drug-dealing relative. This heartfelt memoir could be called a hagiography for the millions of prisoners trapped in a justice system that isn’t always just. Bonus: a recipe for “prison cheesecake” on page 150. Recommended by Bonnie, July 2010
	Meacham, Leila The Roses Fiction
Think The Thornbirds. Think Gone with the Wind. Except instead of Australia, you are in Eastern Texas. Instead of dreamy Ashley Wilkes, you have lumber baron Percy Warwick. Mary Toliver will do anything to keep her family ranch, Somerset. This includes humiliating her own mother, alienating her brother, and working until she literally drops. It also includes giving up her chance at true love, marrying her brother's best friend, and perpetuating the “Toliver Curse.” Told from three different viewpoints, heroine Mary Toliver, her lost love Percy Warwick, and Mary’s young niece, Rachel, Roses opens with Mary’s final days, when she realizes she sold her soul for Somerset and in the process devastated everyone around her. After a lifetime of secrets, deceit, and family angst, Mary’s last efforts will protect her niece from the “Toliver Curse” and finally prove to Percy that she loved him, even more than Somerset. This sweeping saga won’t change your life, but it’s a perfect read for the beach. Recommended by Suzy, July 2010
	Ogita, Hisako I [heart] Macarons Nonfiction
After seeing the movie Julie and Julia, I knew I wanted to try cooking my way through a recipe book, but I didn't want to cook my way through Julia Child. (No way, aspic and duck.) I thought about Moosewood. I thought about vegetarian. And I thought about a Southern Living Annual with all the butter left in. Then I found it. The cookbook I was going to cook my way through: I [heart] Macarons. The instructions are easy to follow and well illlustrated. The flavor and color pairing examples ignite fantasies in your mouth. The only way this cookbook could be better is if the pictures were edible or at least scratch and sniff. Recommended by Geo, July 2010
	Potok, Chaim The Chosen Fiction
In 1944 Brooklyn, New York, a deep friendship is born after two teenagers face each other on the softball field, in a game that takes on the significance of a spiritual war. Set during the final years of WWII, Reuven, an Orthodox Jew, and Danny, son of a Hasidic Rabbi, meet at age 15, and help each other negotiate their separate sacred and secular worlds. A novel as powerful and tender as when it was published in 1967. Recommended by Julie, July 2010
	Rachman, Tom The Imperfectionists Fiction
Cyrus Ott decides to establish a small English-language newspaper in Rome in 1953. The long-term survival of newspapers is uncertain, but Ott, with his own agenda, moves ahead and staffs his paper with handpicked writers, editors, and executives. But this really isn’t a story about the obsolescence of the printed word. In fact, most of the employees seem eerily unconcerned and disconnected from the paper’s fate. It’s the story of the people whose lives intersect at the paper, professionally and personally. Each chapter is its own short story, and we learn about the ambitions, the terrors, and the souls of each of these newspaper people. Twenty pages into this book, I knew I’d be recommending it to everyone I know who loves clear prose and the wonders of human nature. You’ll have your own favorite character – mine was the aging war correspondent, still looking for that one big story that will catapult him to his Pulitzer Prize as he looks for his next free meal or place to crash. Can’t get to Rome this year? Grab a glass of iced tea and enjoy this wonderful book this summer. Recommended by Jane, July 2010
	Ridley, Matt The Rational Optimist Nonfiction
Being a big fan of Matt Ridley’s The Origins of Virtue, I was excited to get my hands on his latest book, The Rational Optimist. Though not quite as hard-hitting as his previous work, it’s filled with interesting insights that lend themselves to a more optimistic view of the world. Ridley’s central thesis is that humans trading with each other led to the evolution of prosperity that many of us enjoy today, and that continued trade will continue to improve the state of the world. Indeed, humans are the only species that trades with strangers, and in doing so we reduce our workload and expand our gain. Historically, Ridley argues, it’s been the power-hungriness of politicians and priesthoods that have stymied trade and human prosperity. But fear not, Ridley is not an off-the-tracks libertarian: he backs his statements up with historical facts and data. If there’s one thing about the book I dislike, it’s that Ridley sometimes glosses over human atrocities with a simple “but, it’s getting better.” Still, the logical and empirical support for his main argument leads me to conclude that, for the most part, we have a lot to be optimistic about. Recommended by Wes, July 2010

June 2010

	Baxter, Stephen Flood Fiction
Better bring an umbrella. It's going to be wet. Stephen Baxter creates an apocalyptic tale like no other. Endless rain, rising oceans and surging rivers put an end to dry land on earth between the years 2013-2055. As always, the human spirit survives, as a few characters escape waterworld aboard earth's last spaceship, headed for . . . Recommended by John, June 2010
	Grann, David The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession Non-fiction
Murder? Madness? Obsession? What three better lures can entice a reader to these fascinating essays? Each of the essays stands alone, but all are connected by these themes. David Grann, staff writer for The New Yorker, introduces a Sherlock Holmes scholar found dead under mysterious circumstances. Clues abound. Murder most foul? Something else? Grann then tells of a recently executed murderer on Texas’ death row. Justice or a terrible legal mistake? A French con-artist passes himself off as the missing son of an American family, and nearly gets away with it. Why does he do it, and why does the family go along with the charade? A New York City firefighter can’t recall what happened to him during the first furious moments in Manhattan on 9/11. The only survivor of his company, he wonders why. Other essays tell of an obsessed New Zealand giant squid hunter, an American baseball legend struggling for one more shot at the big leagues, and the working life of the men who build and maintain New York City’s crumbling sewer system. Well-written, filled with detail, never dull, this collection will leave you with more questions than answers, giving you plenty of jumping off places to read more about these fascinating people. Recommended by Jane, June 2010
	Ogawa, Yoko The Housekeeper and the Professor Fiction
A mathematics professor loses his short term memory following a car accident and can only recall what has transpired in the past 80 minutes. Given these circumstances, how can he develop a caring relationship with his new housekeeper and her 11-year-old son? Ogawa has created a beautiful story of the satisfying daily life these characters develop. Root, the nickname given to the boy by the mathematician (because his flat head resembles the square root symbol), grows to love the professor. The boy and old man share a common interest in baseball (with its statistics and numbers), and Root treasures their time together from his childhood until he is a young man in his twenties. Although the professor’s short term memory fails him, his long-term memory is intact, so that he remembers people and events prior to 1975. In a particularly poignant section, the housekeeper and son try to shield the professor from discovering that his favorite baseball player has long since retired. Ogawa makes you think about relationships and memories while illustrating the poetic nature of numbers, which play a key role is this short thoughtful read. Great book group pick. Recommended by Joanne, June 2010
	Shriver, Lionel So Much for That Fiction
Lionel Shriver writes a compelling book. Readers of We Need to Talk about Kevin will never forget the devastating last pages. Her newest effort, So Much for That, is compelling in a different way. Shep Knacker has spent his life planning his retirement in "The Afterlife" (a Third World tropical paradise). Merrill Lynch account overflowing from the sale of his business, suitcase packed to go, Shep is finally leaving, with or without his prickly wife Glynis. Except Glynis has a rare form of cancer. So begins an unforgettable and timely journey through the American health care system. Shep’s account dwindles as he becomes caretaker to his increasingly vindictive wife, money disappearing to rounds of chemo, specialists, and experimental drugs. Meanwhile, his best friend Jackson is going bankrupt caring for his own terminally ill daughter, Flicka, and making unwise decisions that leave him scarred—physically and emotionally. As Flicka longs to end her suffering and Glynis refuses to give up, Jackson makes one final shocking decision, and Shep makes a decision that will change all of their lives. The final pages are as appalling as they are uplifting. When you are finished, you will find yourself praying you never, ever get sick. Recommended by Suzy, June 2010
	Small, David Stitches: A Memoir Graphic Non-fiction
Award-winning children’s author and artist Small had a fascinating, horrifying, and chilling childhood. He grew up in 1950s middle America with stony cold parents. Their lack of affection and communication goes beyond discomfort, straight to abusive neglect and malevolence. When adolescent David develops a lump on his neck, his parents deny the seriousness of his condition and avoided treatment until an advanced tumor claims half of his vocal chords and his voice. No one tells him it's cancer. And no one mentions that his own father, a physician, is probably responsible for the cancer, a result of radiation treatments he gave David as a child. His mother is a humorless woman loaded with anger, from a family who for generations suppressed frustrations and experienced mental illness. She has no sympathy for her son, only distaste for his sickness and disgust over the expense of treating him. The young man’s life is bleak and cold. His story is told in gray panels with a minimum of text, reflecting the author’s loss of speech and disconnect from the outside world and other people. The images are striking, anguished, and really impressive. I've never seen an artist capture such desperation and desolation in someone’s eyes. Recommended by Connie, June 2010
	Stutz, Bruce Chasing Spring Nonfiction
Shortly after undergoing heart surgery to repair a damaged valve, Bruce Stutz hopped in a 1984 Chevy Impala lovingly called Moby Dick and began a cross-country tour to follow spring as it emerged throughout the country. Part of his trip was scientific: Stutz visited numerous scientists and conservationists across the country to learn about the effect global warming is having on spring. He troublingly learns that spring is arriving earlier each year, resulting in altered migration patterns for animals, melting glaciers, and destroyed ecosystems. The other part of Stutz’s trip was personal, and he waxes poetically about the importance of spring as a shared human cultural experience steeped in mythology and symbolism. But as spring changes, our culture is not keeping up, and Stutz laments that people are losing out on an opportunity to experience a human tradition that may not be with us much longer. Chasing Spring is an enlightening treat for fans of travelogues and popular science books. Recommended by Wes, June 2010
	Waters, Sarah The Little Stranger Horror
The Little Stranger came highly recommended. Sarah Waters previously penned three historical fiction novels, two of which were shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker prize. The Little Stranger landed on the Booker 2009 shortlist, too. Just a few pages into The Little Stranger I knew I’d found a gem. Set in 1947 rural England, war rationing is still in place. The narrator, an articulate, likable middle-aged physician, answers a call to Hundreds Hall, a declining Georgian mansion he remembers visiting as a young child, when his mother worked there as a maid. Hundreds Hall and the family who live there gradually absorb, haunt, and finally possess his thoughts, time, and energy. It’s a strangely beautiful novel, creepy, psychologically complex, atmospheric, one I’ll continue to ponder. Recommended by Julie, June 2010
	Yearwood, Trisha Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood: Stories & Recipes to Share with Family & Friends Nonfiction
In a follow-up to her 2008 bestseller, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen, Yearwood delivers another crowd-pleasing collection of Southern recipes, including a short history and beautiful photo of each dish. I prepared the slow cooker macaroni and cheese and received rave reviews. Broccoli casserole was an interesting twist on a classic vegetable dish, and the three-ingredient biscuits were quick and tasty. Some of the desserts seem a little intimidating to the novice baker, but after viewing the stunning photographs, they look like a worthwhile use of time. Keep in mind, though, that these recipes concentrate on traditional Southern fare, so you know what that means: meat, eggs, cheese, and cream. Turn to Yearwood’s book for hearty, down-home cooking — perhaps best enjoyed in moderation but always delicious! Recommended by Karen G., June 2010

May 2010

	Carpenter, Novella Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer Nonfiction
A child of back-to-the-landers, self-sufficiency runs in Ms. Carpenter's blood. Smart, tenacious, literate, firmly committed to life in a gritty city, she cultivates a vacant lot in a blighted neighborhood of Oakland, CA. From raising a turkey she serves for Thanksgiving dinner, to adopting a strict "100-foot diet" for one month (eating only what she's raised or grown on her borrowed lot), her stories are compelling and, yes, educational. Recommended by Julie, May 2010
	McCullers, Carson The Member of the Wedding Fiction
I love Carson McCullers. I’ve read her Ballad of the Sad Café and found the writing beautiful and the story captivating. The same holds true for The Member of the Wedding, the story of Frankie and her strange and heartbreaking twelfth summer. Frankie’s brother is getting married in another town and leaving the country to serve in the military. Frankie feels lonely and jealous and hatches various plans to deal with this situation. McCullers brilliantly captures adolescent confusion and desire and the pain that they can cause. She also touches on race issues, as one of the main characters is the African-American maid and nanny in Frankie’s 1940s Southern household. This is gorgeous writing. Recommended by Jude, May 2010
	Robinson, Kim Stanley Galileo's Dream Science Fiction
In 1609, an enigmatic stranger inspires Galileo to create a magnifying glass like no other. The telescope brings Galileo great notoriety & fame but little fortune. It also brings powerful enemies. The stranger soon whisks the great man far into the future, physically placing him on Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter, where a battle is going on between various scientific factions, each one hoping to gain Galileo's wisdom, blessing and favor. Back on Earth Galileo is wanted as well, by the Inquisition! Seems his heliocentric views have upset the Pope so much that he's threatened with imprisonment and/or death. In essence, Galileo is fighting two battles, one in outer space and one in Italy. Which one is weirder is left up to the reader. Galileo's Dream serves not only as a wonderfully imaginative tale, but as a superb biography of Galileo. It is one of KSR's finest creations, which is really saying something. Recommended by John, May 2010
	Soehnlein, K.M. The World of Normal Boys Fiction
This is a coming of age story about a New Jersey boy named Robin, whose family becomes dysfunctional after a tragic accident. From the start, Robin doesn’t quite fit in at high school. He is not interested in sports or gym class, and is not the son to his father that his brother Jackson, the jock, is. He prefers trips to New York with his mother where he tours museums, and he's more introspective than most boys his age. Robin's first sexual encounters are homosexual. He finds nothing in common with anyone until he meets Scott, and everything just clicks. When Scott moves away, Robin rides his bike to a new town to find him. I really enjoyed this book, as much for the 1970s setting as for the cast of colorful characters and the close inspection of one family’s dynamics before and after a tragedy. Recommended by Terry, May 2010
	Symon, Michael Michael Symon’s Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen Nonfiction
Michael Symon, Iron Chef and James Beard Award Winner, presents his first cookbook. With his background, we might expect fancy food out of reach of the average cook. But no. He explains in detail fundamental cooking techniques. Most recipes include a photo to either illustrate the finished dish or highlight one of the steps. Helpful “Symon Says” tips appear throughout the book. I recommend Live to Cook for those ready to try a twist on a standard dish or to branch out into something slightly unusual, but still within reach. Recommended by Melissa, May 2010

April 2010

	Aronovitz, Michael Seven Deadly Pleasures Horror
I spent a good part of the day yesterday experiencing a feeling of dread. The reason? I'd read a novella called “Toll Booth,” the final tale in a collection of short horror stories, Seven Deadly Pleasures by Michael Aronovitz. A Pennsylvania native, Aronovitz practices his craft in the Philadelphia area when he's not teaching English literature at a charter high school. That said, it’s clear that Aronovitz follows the mantra “write what you know.” He tells of horrors in contemporary life, in everyday locales like schools, alongside highways, or inside your own home, and Pennsylvania often fits into the equation. While not all equally scary, the stories all display a literary quality beyond average horror writing, with characters and locations so vivid you are instantly pulled in. But be warned, these are not light-hearted gorefests or ghost stories. While some gore and supernatural elements are part of Aronovitz’s repertoire of scares, they are secondary to the emotional traumas he inflicts on his characters, and you will feel every bit of emotional agony that they do. Any fan of classic Stephen King and Clive Barker or old school horror television shows like "Night Gallery" and "Tales from the Darkside" will find a lot to like in this book. Recommended by Wes, April 2010
	Grafton, Sue U is for Undertow Mystery
Sue Grafton fans had to wait more than two years for a new Kinsey Millhone story, but it was worth the wait. This is absolutely one of the best. U is for Undertow finds the determined Millhone investigating the disappearance of a small child that happened more than twenty years ago. Many things go wrong in her investigations, including a client who has a history of false memory syndrome — he strongly believes memories that are factually incorrect. Because the series is set in the 1980s, Kinsey has to use library research, phone calls, and old fashioned legwork to track down the clues. She doggedly accomplishes this with her usual simple but effective methods. Veteran readers of the series and newcomers alike can jump right in and enjoy this thrilling mystery. Recommended by Karen G., April 2010
	James, P. D. The Murder Room Mystery
What do long winter days and long airline flights have in common? Both offer wonderful opportunities to pass the time with a good book, and especially a good mystery. James’ Commander Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard is assigned to a grisly murder that may or may not have a connection to MI5, the UK’s Homeland Security division. There is definitely a copycat killer at work with his (or her) inspiration coming from a quirky museum in the English countryside. The Dupayne Museum is a small family affair, and when a charred body is discovered on the museum grounds, the family provides plenty of suspects. Employees, volunteers, unhappy children, and rejected lovers keep the Commander and his interview team busy. Stir in a poignant old-fashioned romance, add a surprising touch of 21st century love and lust, and most certainly a few gruesome crime scenes, and you’ll wish that your flight were delayed just a bit longer. Recommended by Jane, April 2010
	Janzen, Rhoda Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home Nonfiction
When she leaves home for college, Janzen withdraws from the conservative Mennonite community she grew up in and embraces the secular world. She marries outside the faith, earns a Ph.D. and teaches English and creative writing at a Midwestern college. At age 43 a double disaster sends her home to live with her mother, who is a church deacon, and her father, a former "Mennonite equivalent of the pope." Instead of spending a planned sabbatical researching, she reengages in Mennonite culture. Weaving sharp details with deadpan humor, Janzen explores her past and present, focusing on her parents' values. Stoicism, honesty, hard work, good cheer, faith, generosity, and tolerance shine. While at home, Janzen sews her own pants, whips up delicious food from scratch (Zweibach! Borscht!), sings a lusty alto, edits an academic book (she's a crack grammarian). And she tells a heck of a story. Recommended by Julie, April 2010
	Peterson, Brenda I Want to Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here on Earth Nonfiction
I usually gravitate toward the shocking or hilarious when I pick up a new memoir. Rarely am I excited by someone I relate to. However, I make a generous exception for Ms. Peterson because her spiritual autobiography is so refreshing and timely. She harkens back to her conservative Southern Baptist childhood, remembering songs and celebrations about shedding the world around us and leaving this ruined planet for a heavenly reward. But young Brenda has a secret. She's in love with the natural world. She sees the face of god in plants and animals and waterfalls. Her idea of divinity isn't separate from science, nor can she be a biologist who removes spirituality from the earth. Eventually she forges a path that her family can’t relate to, but the strength of their bonds endure. For once, I discovered a memoir written by someone without a tragic or complicated or torturous childhood who finds herself, cultivates happiness and success, and still loves her parents. Recommended by Connie, April 2010

March 2010

	Erdrich, Louise Shadow Tag Fiction
Irene, desperate to get out of her destructive relationship with her husband, discovers that he is reading her personal diary. She decides, therefore, that it's time to keep two: the Blue Notebook and the Red Diary. Soon it occurs to her to "cook the books" and, like a corrupt emotional accountant, manipulate him through what she writes, thus beginning a slide down a slippery path to oblivion. In another first-rate novel by one of our finest storytellers, Louise Erdrich powerfully chronicles the dissolution of a marriage, a relationship, and a family. Recommended by Don, March 2010
	Grossman, Anna Jane Obsolete: An Encyclopedia of Once-Common Things Passing Us By Nonfiction
DDT. Hotel keys. Rolodexes. Traveler’s Checks. Asbestos. Percolators. What do they have in common? They’ve drifted into extinction, supplanted by better, faster and stronger successors. Revisit answering the telephone with a sincere “hello?” (note the question mark because you have no idea who is calling), getting lost, and privacy, experiences made obsolete with caller ID, GPS, and status updates. It’s difficult to determine if Obsolete is nostalgic or depressing. Either way, Grossman’s earnestly funny essays, blurbs and interviews will take you back to a time when things, ideas and attitudes were replaced at a much slower rate. Recommended by Lisa, March 2010
	Klein, Stephanie Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp Nonfiction
In the late 1980’s, teenager Klein equates everything good in life with thinness. Her parents would love her more. She would be worthy of friendship. She would be smarter, taller, prettier, and funnier. So she agrees to attend a sleep-away summer camp that will focus on nutrition and exercise – a fat camp. Here she encounters other teenagers struggling with their weight, and she experiences a whole new pecking order. There’s inter-cabin drama and forbidden romance with the boys’ side. Somehow, this author has managed to write a memoir about her obesity and health issues without complaining, blaming, or playing any kind of victim card. She’s laugh out loud funny through most of the book. Klein is candid and accessible, qualities most memoirs lack. Recommended by Connie, March 2010
	Spoto, Donald High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly Nonfiction
High Society has always been one of my favorite movies, because it stars one of my most admired actresses, Grace Kelly. In all her films, Kelly’s ethereal beauty shone through, and she seemed like the perfect movie star. This new biography does little to dispel that view. It tells the story of a beautiful, wealthy girl from Philadelphia who somehow didn’t fit in with her athletic and competitive family. Clearly not her parents’ favorite, she spent most of her time reading and dreaming. After moving to New York to attend acting classes, she began modeling, which quickly spun into a high-paying profession. She briefly appeared on Broadway and then landed her first movie role at the age of 22. A dizzying number of movie roles followed, including her widely acclaimed collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock and her Academy Award-winning role in Country Girl. High Society doesn’t skimp on her romantic entanglements during this time, but it manages to do so in a respectful manner. Her years spent in Monaco as princess, wife and mother until her untimely death at age 52 are also extensively covered. Personal letters and notes written by Kelly herself round out this well-researched biography. Recommended by Karen G., March 2010
	Wilson, Charis Through Another Lens: My Years with Edward Weston Nonfiction
Charis Wilson and Edward Weston were a couple from 1934 to 1945. They lived together most of that time, and worked together the entire time. Wilson details their photography projects (he photographer, she model and writer), as well as the dynamics of their relationship. It's interesting how gender plays out in this relatively progressive relationship during a time when gender roles were often traditionally-defined. For example, the couple shared housework completely, but equal artistic ownership of collaborations was not always seamlessly achieved. Recommended by Jude , March 2010

February 2010

	Cannon, Kevin Far Arden Graphic Novel
This was my first graphic novel, and I chose a good one. The artwork is simple but effective. The writing is believable and laugh out loud funny. I especially liked the placement of words for sound effects and other wordless happenings, which reminded me of the old Batman television show. This adventure comic features characters with hidden pasts, conflict, intrigue, a touch of romance, a mythical island, and circus sideshow performers. In short, Far Arden has a bit of everything for everyone. Recommended by Melissa, February 2010
	Flynn, Nick The Ticking is the Bomb: A Memoir Nonfiction
Nick Flynn’s second memoir is, at its simplest, a moving meditation on the shadow. He focuses primarily on the idea of torture, combined with his apprehension about his pending fatherhood. As he explores these topics, however, the subjects include his past relationships, family history (including his suicidal mother and alcoholic, homeless father), and his own wrongdoings. Flynn was one of several artists invited to witness accounts of ex-Abu Ghraib inmates, many of whom were tortured and depicted in the infamous photographs. While Flynn makes clear that these brutal political and military acts appall him, his stance is far from righteous, as he imagines the humanity of both the tortured and the torturers. This perspective makes the memoir bigger than his own life or a single political argument—it becomes a reflection on the nature of fear and its power and on personal culpability as a citizen and a human. Brief, potent chapters stack and overlap with expert pacing and irresistible intrigue. Although Flynn analyzes his own troubled childhood, his tone is never self-pitying or sentimental. Instead, his prose is clear and vibrant, interspersed with passages so poetic they are breathtaking. Recommended by Renée, February 2010
	Haasse, Hella S. In a Dark Wood Wandering Fiction
In a Dark Wood Wandering, first published in the Netherlands in 1949, follows strict parameters of the historical fiction genre: it presents a story that takes place during a notable period in history (beginning with the reign of Charles VI, known as the Wise, the Well-Loved, and the Mad King); the story centers on a significant event in that period (the second half of France’s Hundred Years’ War with England, which includes Joan of Arc’s military career); and the novel presents actual events from the point of view of people living in that time period (the majority of In a Dark Wood Wandering is from the point of view of Charles VI’s nephew, Charles d'Orleans, poet and mediator, who sacrificed personal happiness in a long life's struggle for peace). A compelling fictional account of a fascinating era. Recommended by Julie, February 2010
	Halperin, Ian Brangelina Nonfiction
The title is deceptive if it makes you think it's about Brad and Angelina’s great love affair. The majority of Brangelina deals with Angelina and the making of the brand "Brangelina." In an attempt to validate, normalize, or garner sympathy, every one of Angelina’s attention seeking behaviors is analyzed. The litany is long and exhausting. Just when you think about tossing this book aside, there is a chapter on Jennifer Anniston, and sanity is juxtaposed with shenanigans. What a relief! I don’t want to give it all away -- just let me say there are answers to the questions that some of us may have percolating in our brains, but those are found mostly between the lines. I think the key to understanding this relationship isn’t to go deeper but to go shallower. Recommended by Geo, February 2010
	McCann, Colum Let the Great World Spin Fiction
An ordinary summer morning in New York City, 1974. Suddenly a crowd gathers in lower Manhattan and all eyes focus on the top of the World Trade Center towers. A man, it appears, has rigged a cable between the towers and is walking, now running, now dancing in the air. For a few moments strangers on the streets of the city are connected to Philip Petit and what will become an extraordinary American event. Meanwhile, an ambulance races to the scene of a gruesome car accident, and nearly no one notices. Against the backdrop of this summer of Watergate, the first aftershocks of the Vietnam War, and the seedy pre-Guiliani streets of Manhattan, lives intersect, some briefly and some profoundly. A resilient prostitute mother/daughter team, immigrant Irish brothers, an artist and his wife, and grieving parents all find their way through various kinds of pain on this day. “The thing about love is that we come alive in bodies not our own.” Recommended by Jane, February 2010
	Stein, Elissa and Susan Kim Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation Nonfiction
The authors approach a subject buried so deep in myth and taboo that I nearly hesitated to leave the book at the top of my “to-read” pile. Of course, that was before I actually read it, before I understood that my perspective was impeded by years of misinformation and maladjustment sponsored by the feminine care product industry. In friendly, well-researched narration, Stein and Kim describe the social history of women’s cycles and the impact that fashion, religion, politics, and economics has had on half the world’s population. I don’t consider myself naïve, but I admit I was startled to put all of the marketing and advertising revolving around menstruation into perspective. Read this book. You will learn something. And did I mention that these writers are hilarious? This is a realistic, easy-to-digest, wickedly funny and sometimes alarming work of non-fiction that is worth the time. Recommended by Connie, February 2010
	Tyler, Anne Noah’s Compass Fiction
I have read all of Anne Tyler’s novels and have never been disappointed. Her latest, Noah’s Compass, is no exception. The protagonist, Liam, is the sort of person who doesn’t open up to others. He passively accepts what is given to him and keeps everyone at arm’s length. However, when he loses his teaching job and moves to a new apartment, his life begins to change directions. Along with Liam, the book is full of wonderful characters, ordinary yet complex people who come alive on the page. With her trademark quirky families and Baltimore setting firmly in place, Tyler has created another winning story. Recommended by Karen G., February 2010

January 2010

	Baca, Jimmy Santiago A Place to Stand: The Making of a Poet Nonfiction
I talk to strangers more than most people. Nonetheless, the fact that this book made me say things like “This book is killing me!” to strangers on the bus means something. Poet and teacher Jimmy Santiago Baca was born in 1952 in New Mexico to a Chicana mother and an Apache Indian father. He was abandoned by his parents and later placed in an orphanage, then sent to a juvenile detention center after running away from that orphanage. At age 21 he was sentenced to six years in a maximum-security prison in Florence, Arizona, on drug charges. A Place to Stand is a powerful example of how cultural identity can ground one, as well as how literacy and the written word can give one a strong sense of voice. Baca’s account makes clear that in the U.S. prison system as it exists today, emotional survival and intellectual and spiritual growth is extremely improbable. He regains the sense of belonging he lost as a person of color (e.g. 90% of the inmates are Chicano) by taking ownership of his peoples’ stories and through telling his own. This is one of the most powerful books I’ve read in a very long time. Recommended by Jude, January 2010
	Grann, David The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon Nonfiction
Percy Fawcett, gentleman explorer on assignment from the Royal Geographical Society of London, disappeared in the jungles of Brazil sometime during 1925. His search for the treasures of what he termed the Lost City of Z or El Dorado ended in tragedy, but his travels inspired others to return to South America to search for him and his lost party. Hundreds of these searchers also died in their quest to find Fawcett and the fabled lost civilization he was convinced lay somewhere in the jungle. Recently named one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2009, this story is a fascinating look at the bravery and self-reliance of Fawcett, who traveled to an uncharted wilderness with few provisions and a simple compass. Fawcett’s story has inspired future generations of explorers and artists, including Evelyn Waugh whose novel A Handful of Dust is reviewed below. Recommended by Jane, January 2010
	Miller, Geoffrey The Mating Mind Nonfiction
The origins of the human mind’s varied features is a hotly debated topic amongst philosophers, psychologists, and social scientists. Why do people like art, literature, music, and poetry? Why do we crack jokes, or for that matter laugh at them? What are the origins of language? For Geoffrey Miller the answer to these questions, and many others like them, is that the human mind is an evolved product of a process Charles Darwin called sexual selection. You may already be familiar with Darwin’s theory of natural selection, which explains that organisms evolve as traits that aid in survival are passed on to successive generations. Sexual selection works in a similar way, except that traits that aid in attracting mates are passed on to successive generations. In other words, rather than an organism’s natural environment selecting for traits, the organism’s potential mates do. Applied to humans, this means that everyone alive today is partly the product of our ancestors’ preferences in what they found attractive in sexual partners. While this certainly applies to bodily traits, Miller argues that it also applies to the human mind. Thus, for Miller, our artistic tastes, sense of humor, propensity for language, and even our sense of right and wrong survive today simply because our ancestors preferred mates who displayed these traits. Miller’s argument is eye-opening to say the least, and his laid back, often humorous writing style makes this book an enjoyable read. Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in popular science topics or human evolution. Recommended by Wes, January 2010
	Waugh, Evelyn A Handful of Dust Fiction
The story of Percy Fawcett’s disappearance in the Amazon was still fresh in the minds of the British in 1934 when Evelyn Waugh wrote this searing indictment of manners, morals, and marriage. Tony Last describes himself as the happiest man on earth, living comfortably on his family estate, spending his days hunting, and sharing this world with his beautiful wife and child. As his domestic life falls apart, he can neither comprehend what has gone wrong nor deal with what comes next. He decides to travel to the Amazon to find some peace and discovers something else entirely. The last few pages of this story are unforgettable, as is Waugh’s delicious prose. Recommended by Jane, January 2010