FICTION

Anything for Billy by Larry McMurtry (1988)
"Women don't read Westerns - wrong!  McMurtry uses history to build his fictional version of Billy the Kid.  Excellent character development.  After this, read a short biography on Billy -  interesting use of history."

Bad Boy by Olivia Goldsmith (2001)
"Sweet, considerate computer nerd John asks long-time friend, Tracy, to teach him to be what every girl wants - a 'Bad Boy.'  Johnny learns his part well, perhaps too well, in this hilarious modern version of the Pygmalion story."

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (1970)
"The story of the Breedlove family.  Black, poor and living in Ohio in the 1940's.  A story about their history, their struggles and their young daughter's wish for blue eyes and blond hair.  A must read for any young person struggling with issues of identity, self-esteem and/or race."

A Day Late and a Dollar Short by Terry McMillan (2001)
"Exploration of family dynamics using witty dialog from a colorful cast.  First person chapters told individually by each family member - matriarch Viola, husband Cecil, daughters Paris, Janelle and Charlotte and son Lewis.  Enjoyable family saga."

The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg (1951)
"Travel from Sweden to America with the Nilsson family.  You will have to finish the series [Unto a Good Land, The Settlers, The Last Letter Home] once you start.  Vilhelm Moberg makes it very entertaining and interesting."

Hens Dancing by Raffaella Barker (1999)
"Venetia Summers, cast off by her husband in favor of a short masseuse (Helena the poison dwarf), raises her three children in the country, surrounded by animals and eccentric family and friends.  Very funny in a Bridget Jones' sort of way, but heart-warming too."

In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (2002)
"Reverend Clare Fergusson is the first female priest at Millers Kill's Episcopal Church.  She quickly finds herself involved in an investigation into a newborn baby left on the Church steps and the murder of a young mother.  Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne resents that involvement initially, but finds himself drawn to this former Army pilot turned priest."

In the Walled Gardens by Anahita Firouz (2002)
"A young wife and mother from a well-to-do Iranian family encounters a former childhood friend who is working with the revolutionaries in the last years of the Shah's regime.  Now she must face some disturbing facts about the society from which her family has benefited while others suffered."

Joss and Gold by Shirley Geok-lin Lim (2001)
"1969 is a year of political, cultural and social upheavals in Malaysia which in the case of Li An, a Malay of Chinese descent, is background to her personal problems.  Her Amerasian baby, born of a brief encounter with an American Peace Corps volunteer, causes the breakup of her marriage.  She is determined to raise her child on her own, and with the help of her mother-in-law and best friend, finds haven in Singapore until years later both the American and Chinese men in her life return to claim parentage of her daughter."

Keepsake Crimes (a Scrapbooking Mystery) by Laura Childs (2003)
"Carmela Bertrand is the owner of "Memory Mine," a small scrapbooking shop in New Orleans.  Carmela finds herself unwillingly drawn into a murder investigation when her estranged husband becomes the lead suspect.  Scrapbooking tips are included."

Lydia Cassett Reading the Morning Paper by Harriet Scott Chessman (2001)
"A charming, intimate portrayal of Lydia Cassatt and sister Mary (May) the painter.  Lydia, who suffered from Bright's disease which caused her much pain, sat for many of Mary's paintings and views Mary's art and life with both envy and love."

Lying Awake by Mark Salzman (2000)
"A nun experiences intense religious visions which animate her cloistered life.  Then she is diagnosed with an operable brain tumor, which is causing epileptic seizures that are the source of her visions.  Will the removal of the tumor destroy her satisfaction with the religious life?"

Midnight Predator by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (2002)
"Vampire hunter, Turquoise Draka, is given an assignment to assassinate Jeshikah, one of the cruelest vampires in history.  She must enter Midnight, a fabled Vampire realm, as a human slave.  The author is an eighteen-year-old college student.  Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will enjoy this novel."

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (2001)
"A psychological thriller revolving around family, loyalty and murder.  Childhood  friends have a personal and emotional connection to a daughter's death.  The reader is drawn into how this affects their personal lives."

The Myth of You & Me by Leah Stewart (2005)
"A letter from a childhood best friend to whom she has not spoken in ten years and an odd legacy from her boss, elderly historian Oliver Doucet, sends thirty-year-old Cameron on a difficult mission to track down her old friend Sonia and hand-deliver a mysterious package to her."

Past the Bleachers by Christopher A. Bohjalian (1992)
"Agreeing to coach what would have been his son's baseball team after his son Nathaniel's death at the age of ten, Bill Parris hopes to exorcise his grief, even when a new boy who looks disturbingly like Nathanial joins the team.  By the author of Midwives (an Oprah book)."

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (2008)
"Australian book conservator Hanna Heath repairs a remarkable volume:  the Sarajevo Haggadah whose history is revealed in alternate chapters.  It becomes almost an obsession to Hanna whose life is also revealed:  her love affair with the Muslim curator of the museum, her tangled relationship with her mother, a driven neurosurgeon dismissive of her daughter's 'job' and, finally, a revelation about the father she never knew.  Altogether an enjoyable read."

Pieces of the Heart by Karen White (2006)
"To escape the stress from her all-consuming job as an accountant, Caroline Collier joins her overbearing mother at the family's vacation home in the mountains of North Carolina.  The book centers around quilting, Caroline's relationship with her mother, and the husband and daughter of one of Caroline's childhood friends."

Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran (2005)
"The three Arminpour sisters have escaped the Iranian Revolution and set up the 'Babylon Cafe' in an Irish country town.  The locals have more than a few misgivings about these 'dusky foreigners.'  Read about how they - and their aromatic foods - survive.  Recipes are included!"

The Pursuit of Alice Thrift by Elinor Lipman (2003)
"As a medical intern, the socially inept Alice Thrift encounters a demeaning supervisor and an aggressive suitor while learning the art of personal discernment through friendships with a male nurse, a rooming house neighbor, an ob-gyn mentor and her wondering but supportive parents."

The Rich Part of Life by Jim Kokoris (2001)
"This richly written story, set in a suburb of Chicago called Wilton, is about what happens when a family wins $190 million in the lottery and discovers what truly is the rich part of life for them.  The father is an eccentric professor of Civil War history who drives an old car.  The mother died the year before in a car accident.  She had always bought lottery tickets with the numbers of the birth dates of the two children, but never won.  One day the professor buys a lottery ticket with those same numbers, in memory of his wife's habit - and he wins.  What makes it even more interesting is that the author lives in Chicago and is a graduate of the University of Illinois."

The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth (2006)
"12th Century Sicily, a thriving multicultural nation under a new Christian King is also boiling with conspiratorial forces jostling for power.  Thurstan Beauchamp, a young knight wannabe who works for a Moslem Finance Officer in the Court is also the King's entertainment "booking agent."  He becomes a pawn in the power struggle, putting him and his superior in peril.  His redemption comes from the devotion of an exotic dancer (she of the jeweled navel).  Unsworth's historical fiction always rings true."

The Secret of the Villa Mimosa by Elizabeth Adler (1995)
"Left for dead in a ravine, and unidentified young woman wakes up with no memories.  Dr. Phyl Foster wants to help her recover her memories and Det. Franco Mahoney wants to protect her from whoever threw her into the ravine.  Their efforts take you on an adventure filled with romance and peril as they journey from Hawaii to France in search of answers."

Step - Ball - Change by Jeanne Ray (2002)
"Tom and Caroline are enjoying a rare evening alone when the phone rings and almost simultaneously the 2nd line rings.  Tom answers the first call to hear his daughter sobbing.  Caroline answers the second to be confronted by her sobbing sister.  Case one:  tears of joy and a marriage proposal;  case two:  a cheating husband and impending divorce.  The children are grown and life should be simpler but of course, it's not.  Ray writes a humorous story  that shows the growth and coming together of a family in a lightweight but highly entertaining feel-good story."

True to Form by Elizabeth Berg (2002)
"Kathie's 13th summer is filled with conflict, anguish, growth, and moments of pure joy as she discovers what is truly important in her life.  A heart-warming picture of a special young woman."

The Winter Queen by Jane Stevenson (2001)
"Historical novel about the relationship between Pelagius van Overmeer and Elizabeth of Bohemia.  'Set in Holland in the seventeenth century, it is a sweeping portrait of the tumultuous history and politics of the era as well as a moving account of a strange and magical love affair.' - (Quoted from the book jacket)."

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TEENAGE & CHILDREN'S FICTION

Freaks:  Alive, on the Inside by Annette Curtis Klause (2006)
"A ripping tale of love across the ages, stolen children, an evil skeleton man, and MAGIC!"

Loser by Jerry Spinelli (2002)
"Donald Zinkoff is not like other kids.  She isn't the smartest; he isn't the most athletic.  His classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, but he doesn't seem to notice.  He's too busy growing up and growing out."

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly (2003)
"An excellent book!  The vividly told story of Mattie - a talented young woman struggling with her family and environment.  She finds herself mixed up in a (true) murder mystery.  Highly recommended."

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff (2002) [suitable for young adults]
"Talented Hollis Woods, abandoned as a baby and named for the place she was found, is sent from foster home to foster home.  Now living with elderly Josie, also an artist, Hollis must find a way to stop running and obtain what she has always wanted:  a family."

Run, Boy, Run by Uri Orlev, translated from the Hebrew by Hillel Halkin (2003)
"A true Young Adult novel about 8-year-old Srulik Frydman who becomes an orphan during the time of the Holocaust.  This is his struggle to keep alive."

Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge: a Ghost Story by Kathryn Reiss (2004)
"Ever had a dollhouse?  Ever heard voices and sounds coming from it?  Zibby has a dollhouse.  The dolls in it, especially the one in the gray dress want something.  A fun read with more ghosts than you can shake a stick at!"

Wait for Me by An Na (2006)
" Mina and Suna are sisters, struggling to meet the expectations of their Korean mother.  Uhmma dreams of Mina accomplishing all that she was never able to, leading to a web of deception on on the daughter's part.  Suna is always viewed as damaged, due to her hearing disability.  After meeting Ysrael, Mina realizes that she must learn what is truly important to her...and what her dreams are for her life."

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NONFICTION

Are Men Necessary?  When Sexes Collide by Maureen Dowd (2005)
"A laugh-out-loud, funny book about how the sexes have acted towards each other through history.  Does get political but never confusing.  You'll never think of Disney characters the same way again."

Blood and Thunder:  an Epic of the American West by Hampton Sides (2006)
"'Blood and thunders' were trashy pulp westerns of the 19th century, often featuring the larger-than-life exploits of Kit Carson.  Blood and Thunder is the true story of Carson and other notable characters of the American West.  It is a powerful, engrossing, and illuminating account of U.S. western expansion, focusing particularly on the New Mexico territory and its Navajo inhabitants."

Captives' Mansion by S.R. Slaymaker II (1973)
"Slaymaker inherited the family mansion that was owned by his forebears since 1779.  The history of the mansion and estate of which it was part caught Slaymaker's imagination and he not only has kept it in the family but has restored it in a multi-period style that reflects the family's history."

A Dog Year:  Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me by Jon Katz (2002)
"Follow the adventures with yellow Labradors, Stanley and Julius, as well as with Border Collies, Devon and Homer, during one year, living  in New Jersey with Katz, a freelance writer.  'The Labradors' chosen work was to reflect on the state of the world, lick neighborhood kids, and accompany me through midlife.'  Laugh-out-loud funny, but be sure to keep the Kleenex box nearby -- this is a gem for dog lovers!"

Enslaved by Ducks by Robert Tarte (2003)
"The author needed Prozac to cope with his rural living.  What started as getting a rabbit for a pet turned into numerous cats, rabbits, parrots, doves, geese, turkeys and more..."

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (2001)
"The big box of fries on the front cover grabbed my attention.  The book looks good enough to eat.  However, I knew fast food was bad for my body before I read the book...but now I realize just how bad fast food is for the community and those involved in the industry.  A lot of interesting facts, statistics and personal narratives about the fast food industry are included.  Bon Appetit!"

In Our Own Best Interest:  How Defending Human Rights Benefits Us All by William F. Schulz (2001)
"This well-written work succinctly explains why all Americans need to be concerned about human rights abuses that are taking place throughout the world.  According to the author, American prosperity and safety is unquestionably tied to the promotion of basic rights for all citizens in our country as well as the societies of those countries with which we interact.  If you think that the abuses taking place in jails on the other side of the planet don't have an acute effect on what happens to our society (and even in Northwest Indiana), then you need to hear what this author has to say."

The Kindness of Children by Vivian Gussin Paley (1999)
"Anyone who deals with children in any way, shape or form should read this book.  Beautifully written - it is a delight to read."

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thad Carhart (2001)
"An interesting view into a neighborhood in Paris.  A celebration of the piano as furniture, art and craft.  A wonderful book for anyone who loves the piano."

Remedies and Rituals: Folk Medicine in Norway and the New Land by Kathleen Stokker (2007)
"Turpentine in milk for a cough?  Carbolic acid poured into a wound to heal it?  Have a sore throat? - Dip a lump of sugar in kerosene and suck on it.  This fascinating book will surprise you with the ways people tried to cure themselves, and sometimes  the cures worked!"

Return to Wild America:  a Yearlong Search for the Continent's Natural Soul by Scott Weidensaul (2005)
"Weidensaul repeats the 1950's trip of Roger Tory Peterson and Jim fisher around the North American continent, assessing how much of [wild America] remains."

Rex and the City: a Woman, a Man, and a Dysfunctional Dog by Lee Harrington (2006)
"Everybody's talking about Marley and Me, but don't overlook [this book].  It's a very funny book about Lee and Ted living in New York...one day they decide to get a dog from an animal shelter...they end up with "Rex", a dysfunctional, probably abused, but beautiful dog who tests them sorely.  An excellent book for summer reading (or anytime, really)."

A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen (2000)
"Good things come in small packages.  In 50 pages (including fun pictures) the author manages to inspire the reader to go out and live life to the fullest.  A fifteen minute feel-good read."

The $64 Tomato by William Alexander (2006)
"From insect pests to wildlife, the joys and frustrations of the vegetable gardener.  A must read for the gardening enthusiast."

The Spiral Staircase: my climb out of darkness by Karen Armstrong (2004)
“Armstrong describes the emotional struggle to adjust to living ‘in the world’ after spending 7 years in a Roman Catholic Convent.”

Stolen Lives:  twenty years in a desert jail by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi (1999)
"Malika's life of unimaginable privilege to unfathomable deprivation.  A true story about the power of the human will to survive.  You will not be able to put it down."

True Notebooks by Mark Salzman (2003)
“The author didn’t expect to last long when he very reluctantly allowed himself to be dragooned into teaching a writing class at a juvenile detention facility in Los Angeles, but he was surprised by what he learned and how he came to feel about his students, and you may be too.  An engaging and heartfelt account!”

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Last Updated: May 6, 2009