The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
An amazing first novel. A doctor delivers his twins one snowy night and makes a decision that will have life altering consequences for everyone involved.
Carol
 Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Need a great big novel to while away the hours this summer? This is it.
Carol, Alene, Norm, Rachel
 The Burning Time by Robin Morgan
One woman leads the rebellion against the Catholic church and the inquisition in Ireland.
Alene
 The Swedish Tango
by Alyson Richman
Political historical fiction, combining Chile, Sweden, & Finland.
Kathy & Carol
 The Book of the Dead
by Douglas J. Preston & Lincoln Child
The final book in the trilogy, which began with Dance of Death and Brimstone. They just keep getting better—Norm could not wait to get to the end, then he wanted it keep going! Fans will be delighted.
Norm & Alene
Recipes for a Perfect Marriage
by Morag Prunty
Recipes for a Perfect Marriage is a wonderful and wise story that intertwines the married lives of grandmother and granddaughter. Each of the women have their idea of what the perfect man and the perfect marriage should resemble, only to realize they have everything that truly makes love grand and marriage endure. Lisa
The Blue Bear
by Lynn Schooler
An adventure novel set on Alaskas’s Glacier Coast, it tells the story of two men searching for the glacier bear. Norm
 Zorro
by Isabelle Allende
Allende’s marvelous story of Zorro’s youth is now in paperback.
Kathy & Carol
Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul
by John Eldredge and Stasi Eldredge
A book nourishing to the soul, a refreshing and revealing look at the true nature of a woman’s desires and longings, and ultimately the intrinsic and captivating beauty each woman possesses.
Rachel
Torch
by Cheryl Strayed
Another superb first novel. Family members each react in their own way to the death of the mother. Strayed portrays small town Minnesota without cliché. Carol
Benedict Arnold’s Navy by James Nelson
This is the story of a Benedict Arnold who does not live up to his infamous reputation. Rather, he headed a battle that proved to be a turning point in the war. Norm
By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept: A novel of forgiveness
By Paulo Coehlo
This gorgeously woven tale is full of beauty, the depth of love, and finding he strength to stay open to life and love when it seems easier to close oneself off and retreat into a carefully constructed armor that allows neither pain nor love to penetrate it. Rachel
The Prison Angel
The Prison Angel
by Mary Jordan
This biography will leave you feeling inspired and uplifted as you see the power of love and grace change even the most impossible circumstances. Lisa
The March by E.L. Doctorow
This is a great read about Union General Sherman’s march through Georgia and his scorched earth policy. Doctorow, the author of Ragtime, gives us the unforgettable experience of viewing this campaign from all sides. The devastating effects of war have much relevance to our own time. Norm
Gardenias by Faith Sullivan
Takes up where The Cape Ann left off, with Lark and her mother arriving in California during the war. Carol
The Tender Bar
by J R Moehringer
The men at the local tavern fill in for the absent father of a young man in this moving memoir. Carol
The Templar Legacy
by Steve Berry
A riveting ride of a read. It’s full of suspense, surprises, puzzles, twists, and turns. It incorporates the history of the Knights Templar, questions about what happened to their wealth, secret knowledge, and an abby where the Templars survived. If you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, you will love this book. Norm & Alene
 Falling through the Earth
by Danielle Trussoni
Trussoni’s memoir of growing up in LaCrosse, WI with a father who was a tunnel rat in the Vietnam war. Well-written and engaging. Kathy 
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
by Mark Haddon
An amazing story of a young autistic man, who witnesses the death of his neighbor’s dog. As he becomes obsessed with investigating the death, we learn more about his family and, most intriguing, the workings of the mind of an autistic individual. While this is an adult novel, I highly recommend it for young adults, too. Carol
 Manhunt by James L. Swanson
Very interesting page-turner of the hunt for Lincoln’s assassin. It surprised me to learn that Booth put the assassination plot together in such a short time. Swanson is skilled at putting the reader in the scene—you can almost smell the swamp, as well as Booth and his partner. Norm
 Forever by Pete Hamill
A 16th century Irish immigrant to New York is given the “gift” of immortality—as long as he never leaves the island of Manhattan. A great read.
Carol
The Widow of the South
by Robert Hicks
Based on a true story of a woman during & after the Civil War. It takes place in Tennessee at the site of the Battle of Franklin, where the Confederate widow later buries 1500 soldiers in her backyard. Norm
Maybe a Miracle by Brian Strause
High school senior Monroe Anderson tells this darkly comic story of his 11 year old sister, whom he rescues from the family pool, but not before she falls into a coma. The resulting miracles bring on a media frenzy and bring out weaknesses and strengths in each member of the Anderson family. Carol
 The River of Doubt
By Candice Millard
The River of Doubt is a non-fiction account of Theodore Roosevelt’s journey to and along an unexplored river in the Amazon basin. This well-written story puts the reader in the rain forest, feeling the heat and humidity, running the river rapids, and hearing the buzz of insects and the howls of the monkeys. Alene & Norm
Ireland by Frank Delaney
A compelling story interlaced with Ireland’s history. It is told in story form by a traveling storyteller, among others. Alene
Marley & Me by John Grogan
Fall in love with the “world’s worst dog”. For anyone who has loved a pet, this is a wonderful story that captures how our pets become intertwined in our everyday lives, offering extraordinary lessons in the ordinary. Laugh out loud fun and cry out loud touching. Lisa |
