84 Books recommended by Nancy Pearl
Nancy Pearl is an American librarian, best-selling author, literary critic and the former Executive Director of the Washington Center for the Book at Seattle Public Library. Her prolific reading and her knowledge of books and literature first made her locally famous in Seattle, Washington, where she regularly appears on public radio recommending books. She achieved broader fame with Book Lust, her 2003 guide to good reading.
Nancy Pearl
Book Recommendations
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
Gertrude Stein
Biography & AutobiographyThe autobiography of alice b. toklas was written in 1933 by gertrude stein in the guise of an autobiography authored by alice b. toklas, who was her lover. it is a fascinating insight into the art scene in paris as the couple were friends with paul cézanne, henri matisse and pablo picasso. they begin the war years in england but return to france, volunteering for the american fund for the french wounded, driving around france, helping the wounded and homeless. after the war gertrude has an argument with t. s.
“Certainly one of my favorite books this year”
Apr 8, 2021 — Source
Lions
Lions
Bonnie Nadzam
Bonnie nadzam—author of the critically acclaimed, award-winning debut, lamb—returns with this scorching, haunting portrait of a rural community in a "living ghost town" on the brink of collapse, and the individuals who are confronted with either chasing their dreams or—against all reason—staying where they are.lions is set on the high plains of colorado, a nearly deserted place, steeped in local legends and sparse in population. built to be a glorious western city upon a hill, it was never fit for farming, mining, trading, or any of the illusory sources of
“I was just blown away by the writing.”
Jun 29, 2017 — Source
The Coffins of Little Hope
The Coffins of Little Hope
Timothy Schaffert
FictionTimothy schaffert has created his most memorable character yet in essie, an octogenarian obituary writer for her family's small town newspaper. when a young country girl is reported to be missing, perhaps whisked away by an itinerant aerial photographer, essie stumbles onto the story of her life. or, it all could be simply a hoax, or a delusion, the child and child-thief invented from the desperate imagination of a lonely, lovelorn woman. either way, the story of the girl reaches far and wide, igniting controversy, attracting curiosity-seekers and cult worshippers
“This enchanting novel is perfect for readers looking for realism”
Jul 20, 2011 — Source
Lisey's Story
Lisey's Story
Stephen King
FictionLisey debusher landon lost her husband, scott, two years ago, after a twenty-five year marriage of the most profound and sometimes frightening intimacy. scott was an award-winning, bestselling novelist and a very complicated man. early in their relationship, before they married, lisey had to learn from him about books and blood and bools. later, she understood that there was a place scott went--a place that both terrified and healed him, that could eat him alive or give him the ideas he needed in order to live. now it's lisey's turn
“Lisey's Story is my favorite Stephen King novel”
Sep 30, 2016 — Source
The Nowhere City
The Nowhere City
Alison Lurie
When his mentor at harvard university suddenly leaves for washington, paul cattleman finds himself adrift in the wilds of academia. after losing his fellowship, he is out of work and one thesis short of a phd. rather than doom his career by taking what he considers to be an unsuitable job, he finds a temporary position at the nutting research and development corporation in los angeles, a city whose superficial charms signal an adventure. he is ready to make the best of his year out west among the beatniks and
“one of the best LA novels you'll read”
Dec 5, 2020 — Source
Set My Heart to Five
Set My Heart to Five
Simon Stephenson
FictionA delightfully entertaining, deceptively poignant debut novel about a humanlike bot named jared, whose emotional awakening leads him on an unforgettable quest for connection, belonging and possibly even true lovejared works as a dentist in small-town michigan. his life is totally normal, except for one thing. he is a bot engineered with human dna to look and act like a real person.one day at a screening of a classic movie, jared feels a strange sensation around his eyes. everyone knows that bots can’t feel emotions, but as the theater lights
“I just can't stop laughing and reading out loud”
Apr 8, 2021 — Source
The Broken Shore
The Broken Shore
Peter Temple
FictionBroken by his last case, homicide detective joe cashin has fled the city and returned to his hometown to run its one-man police station while his wounds heal and the nightmares fade. he lives a quiet life with his two dogs in the tumbledown wreck his family home has become. it's a peaceful existence - ideal for the rehabilitating man. but his recovery is rudely interrupted by a brutal attack on charles bourgoyne, a prominent member of the local community. suspicion falls on three young men from the local aboriginal
“I got a copy, read it there, and was blown away by just how good it was.”
Feb 9, 2011 — Source
Territory
Territory
Emma Bull
Wyatt earp. doc holliday. ike clanton. you think you know the story. you don't. tombstone, arizona in 1881 is the site of one of the richest mineral strikes in american history, where veins of silver run like ley lines under the earth, a network of power that belongs to anyone who knows how to claim and defend it.above the ground, power is also about allegiances. a magician can drain his friends' strength to strengthen himself, and can place them between him and danger. the one with the most friends stands
“I've been waiting for the sequel since its publication in 2007”
Oct 6, 2020 — Source
Hench
Hench
Natalie Zina Walschots
FictionAnna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. but is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? in this economy? as a temp, she’s just a cog in the machine. but when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called “hero” leaves her badly injured. and, to her horror, compared to the other
“Just another book I just love”
Apr 8, 2021 — Source
The Widow Nash
The Widow Nash
Jamie Harrison
FictionDulcy remfrey has traveled the globe with her eccentric father walton, a wealthy entrepreneur obsessed with earthquakes and catastrophe, searching to cure his long battle with syphilis through any crackpot means necessary. their deep connection is tested, however, when walton returns from an african expedition without any of the proceeds from the sale of his gold mine. it seems he’s lost his mind along with the great sum of money, his health declining rapidly. her father’s business partner (and her ex-fiancé) insists dulcy come to seattle to decipher her father’s
“just absolutely wonderful”
Jun 29, 2017 — Source
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
Ben Fountain
Billy lynn's long half-time walk is a razor-sharp satire set in texas during america's war in iraq. it explores the gaping national disconnect between the war at home and the war abroad.ben fountain’s remarkable debut novel follows the surviving members of the heroic bravo squad through one exhausting stop in their media-intensive "victory tour" at texas stadium, football mecca of the dallas cowboys, their fans, promoters, and cheerleaders.
“one of the most moving and remarkable novels I’ve ever read.”
Sep 28, 2011 — Source
Last Hope Island
Last Hope Island
Lynne Olson
HistoryWhen the nazi blitzkrieg rolled over continental europe in the early days of world war ii, the city of london became a refuge for the governments and armed forces of six occupied nations — belgium, holland, luxembourg, norway, czechoslovakia, and poland — who escaped there to continue the fight. so, too, did general charles de gaulle, the self- appointed representative of free france. as the only european democracy still holding out against hitler, britain became known to occupied countries as ‘last hope island’. in this epic, character-driven narrative, acclaimed historian
“I really learned a lot, which is one of the reasons I enjoy reading non-fiction.”
Jun 13, 2017 — Source
Spooner
Spooner
Pete Dexter
FictionWarren spooner was born after a prolonged delivery in a makeshift delivery room in a doctor's office in milledgeville, georgia, on the first saturday of december, 1956. his father died shortly afterward, long before spooner had even a memory of his face, and was replaced eventually by a once-brilliant young naval officer, calmer ottosson, recently court-martialed out of service. this is the story of the lifelong tie between the two men, poles apart, of spooner's troubled childhood, troubled adolescence, violent and troubled adulthood and calmer ottosson's inexhaustible patience, undertaking a
“I've reread this several times because of the great writing & the unforgettable characters.”
Aug 9, 2020 — Source
Defectors
Defectors
Joseph Kanon
Moscow, 1961. stalin has been dead for eight years. with the launch of sputnik, the soviet union’s international prestige is at an all-time high. former cia agent frank weeks, the most notorious of the defectors to the soviet union, is about to publish his memoirs, and what he reveals will send shockwaves through the west.weeks’s defection in the early 50s shook washington to its core—he had been a beloved member of the oss and then the cia, one of the bright young men who’d come out of the war ready
“...a good thriller, a good spy novel.”
Jun 29, 2017 — Source
The Gone-Away World
The Gone-Away World
Nick Harkaway
FictionThe jorgmund pipe is the backbone of the world, and it's on fire. gonzo lubitsch, professional hero and troubleshooter, is hired to put it out, but there's more to the fire, and the pipe itself, than meets the eye. the job will take gonzo and his best friend, our narrator, back to their own beginnings.
“But my favorite remains The Gone-Away World.”
Sep 17, 2017 — Source
City of Blades
City of Blades
Robert Jackson Bennett
FictionA generation ago, the city of voortyashtan was the stronghold of the god of war and death, the birthplace of fearsome supernatural sentinels who killed and subjugated millions. now, the city’s god is dead. the city itself lies in ruins. and to its new military occupiers, the once-powerful capital is a wasteland of sectarian violence and bloody uprisings. so it makes perfect sense that general turyin mulaghesh — foul-mouthed hero of the battle of bulikov, rumored war criminal, ally of an embattled prime minister — has been exiled there to
“Good sequel to City of Stairs - I enjoyed both of them”
Apr 24, 2017 — Source
Any Human Heart
Any Human Heart
William Boyd
Logan gonzago mountstuart, writer, was born in 1906, and died of a heart attack on october 5, 1991, aged 85. william boyd's novel any human heart is his disjointed autobiography, a massive tome chronicling "my personal rollercoaster"--or rather, "not so much a rollercoaster", but a yo-yo, "a jerking spinning toy in the hands of a maladroit child." from his early childhood in montevideo, son of an english corned beef executive and his uraguayan secretary, through his years at a norfolk public school and oxford, mountstuart traces his haphazard development as
“really the story of the 20th century”
Sep 18, 2020 — Source
The Quiet Americans
The Quiet Americans
Scott Anderson
HistoryAt the end of world war ii, the united states dominated the world militarily, economically, and in moral standing - seen as the victor over tyranny and a champion of freedom. but it was clear - to some - that the soviet union was already executing a plan to expand and foment revolution around the world. the american government's strategy in response relied on the secret efforts of a newly-formed cia.the quiet americans chronicles the exploits of four spies - michael burke, a charming former football star fallen on hard
“A wonderful book, very very very readable.”
Apr 8, 2021 — Source
The Watery Part of the World
The Watery Part of the World
Michael Parker
Michael parker has created a wholly original world from two known facts: (1) theodosia burr alston, daughter of the controversial vice president aaron burr, disappeared in 1813 while en route by schooner from south carolina to new york; and (2) in 1970, two elderly white women and one black man were the last townspeople to leave a small barrier island off the coast of north carolina.in this fiction based on historical fact, parker weaves a tale of adventure and longing as he charts one hundred and fifty years in the
“Once I read the first paragraph or two, I found it all but impossible to put down.”
Nov 28, 2017 — Source
Proving Ground
Proving Ground
Brian Christopher Shea,L.T. Ryan
Fractured left her burned and damaged.now hatch seeks to return to her unit.to do so, she must prove herself.everything’s harder the second time around...hatch was at one point in time the second female to ever pass the army’s rigorous special forces selection course. now she’s put to the test and must return to do it all over again. a challenge made that more difficult due to the injury to her right arm.join hatch as she proves what she’s made of and in doing so, that she’s in a class all
“I just kept turning those pages.”
Jun 29, 2017 — Source
Dark Star Safari
Dark Star Safari
Paul Theroux
TravelIn dark star safari the wittily observant and endearingly irascible paul theroux takes readers the length of africa by rattletrap bus, dugout canoe, cattle truck, armed convoy, ferry, and train. in the course of his epic and enlightening journey, he endures danger, delay, and dismaying circumstances.gauging the state of affairs, he talks to africans, aid workers, missionaries, and tourists. what results is an insightful mediation on the history, politics, and beauty of africa and its people.in a new postscript, theroux recounts the dramatic events of a return to africa to
“I tried it, and was immediately hooked.”
Aug 29, 2017 — Source
The Reconstructionist
The Reconstructionist
Josephine Hart
FictionA remarkable novel of startling psychological power, the reconstructionist, josephine hart's fifth novel, explores the reckless quality of exclusive love, the damage done in families, and the way we build our lives from the fragments of memory, half-truths, compromise, and desire. a brilliant and incisive fiction, this is josephine hart at the top of her form. jack harrington is a psychiatrist, dedicated to others, to the examination of their pasts and the reconstruction of their lives. but he has so absorbed himself in the problems of others that he has
“something entirely else, which I loved. And the writing! Perfection”
Jan 6, 2021 — Source
We Learn Nothing
We Learn Nothing
Tim Kreider
Biography & AutobiographyIn we learn nothing, satirical cartoonist tim kreider turns his funny, brutally honest eye to the dark truths of the human condition, asking big questions about human-sized problems: what if you survive a brush with death and it doesn’t change you? why do we fall in love with people we don’t even like? what do you do when a friend becomes obsessed with a political movement and won’t let you ignore it? how do you react when someone you’ve known for years unexpectedly changes genders? irreverent yet earnest, he shares
“I found myself nodding in agreement and wondering how he could so consistently express my feelings, and express them so much better than I ever could”
Dec 4, 2010 — Source
The Unquiet Dead
The Unquiet Dead
Ausma Zehanat Khan
A complex and provocative story of loss, redemption, and the cost of justice that will linger with readers long after turning the final page.despite their many differences, detective rachel getty trusts her boss, esa khattak, implicitly. but she's still uneasy at khattak's tight-lipped secrecy when he asks her to look into christopher drayton's death. drayton's apparently accidental fall from a cliff doesn't seem to warrant a police investigation, particularly not from rachel and khattak's team, which handles minority-sensitive cases. but when she learns that drayton may have been living under
“This is one of the best mysteries that I found in a long time”
Apr 8, 2021 — Source
The Great Railway Bazaar
The Great Railway Bazaar
Paul Theroux
AsiaHistoryFirst published in 1975, paul theroux's strange, unique, and hugely entertaining railway odyssey has become a modern classic of travel literature. here theroux recounts his early adventures on an unusual grand continental tour. asia's fabled trains -- the orient express, the khyber pass local, the frontier mail, the golden arrow to kuala lumpur, the mandalay express, the trans-siberian express -- are the stars of a journey that takes him on a loop eastbound from london's victoria station to tokyo central, then back from japan on the trans-siberian. brimming with theroux's
“one of my all-time favorite books”
Sep 5, 2017 — Source
The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors
The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors
Adam Rex,Drew Daywalt
You’ve played the game. now read the legend of how it all began . . .long ago, in an ancient and distant realm called the kingdom of backyard, there lived a warrior named rock.meanwhile in the empire of mom’s home office, a second great warrior sought the glory of battle. and his name was paper.at the same time, in the kitchen realm, in the tiny village of junk drawer, lived a third warrior. they called her scissors.these three were the strongest, smartest, and fastest in all the land. time and
“This is a book that begs to be read out loud.”
Jun 29, 2017 — Source
The Manual of Detection
The Manual of Detection
Jedediah Berry
FictionIn an unnamed city always slick with rain, charles unwin toils as a clerk at a huge, imperious detective agency. all he knows about solving mysteries comes from the reports he's filed for the illustrious detective travis sivart. when sivart goes missing and his supervisor turns up murdered, unwin is suddenly promoted to detective, a rank for which he lacks both the skills and the stomach. his only guidance comes from his new assistant, who would be perfect if she weren't so sleepy, and from the pithy yet profound manual
“Try THE MANUAL OF DETECTION. It’s great fun and a marvelous achievement.”
Aug 28, 2017 — Source
The Distance
The Distance
Helen Giltrow
FictionCharlotte alton is an elegant socialite. but behind the locked doors of her sleek, high-security apartment in london's docklands, she becomes karla. karla's business is information. specifically, making it disappear. she's the unseen figure who, for a commanding price, will cover a criminal's tracks. a perfectionist, she's only made one slip in her career—several years ago she revealed her face to a man named simon johanssen, an ex-special forces sniper turned killer-for-hire. after a mob hit went horrifically wrong, johanssen needed to disappear, and karla helped him. he became a
“I stayed up way too late reading it”
Apr 24, 2017 — Source
The Great War and Modern Memory
The Great War and Modern Memory
Paul Fussell
HistoryThe year 2000 marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most original and gripping volumes ever written about the first world war. fussell illuminates a war that changed a generation and revolutionised the way we see the world. he explores the british experience on the western front from 1914 to 1918, focusing on the various literary means by which it has been remembered, conventionalized and mythologized. it is also about the literary dimensions of the experience itself. fussell supplies contexts, both actual and literary, for writers who have most
“High on my 10 top reads of all time”
Jan 27, 2021 — Source
The Hare With Amber Eyes
The Hare With Amber Eyes
Edmund de Waal
ArchitectureThe ephrussis were a grand banking family, as rich and respected as the rothschilds, who “burned like a comet” in nineteenth-century paris and vienna society. yet by the end of world war ii, almost the only thing remaining of their vast empire was a collection of 264 wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox.the renowned ceramicist edmund de waal became the fifth generation to inherit this small and exquisite collection of netsuke. entranced by their beauty and mystery, he determined to trace the story of his
“my favorite work of non-fiction this year”
Jan 5, 2018 — Source
All the Way to the Tigers
All the Way to the Tigers
Mary Morris
Biography & AutobiographyIn the tradition of wild by cheryl strayed and eat, pray, love by elizabeth gilbert, mary morris turns a personal catastrophe into a rich, multilayered memoir full of personal growth, family history, and thrilling travel.in february 2008 a casual afternoon of ice skating derailed the trip of a lifetime. mary morris was on the verge of a well-earned sabbatical, but instead she endured three months in a wheelchair, two surgeries, and extensive rehabilitation. on easter sunday, when she was supposed to be in morocco, morris was instead lying on the
“One of my favorite books of last year”
Apr 8, 2021 — Source
Design for Dying
Design for Dying
Renee Patrick
FictionThis debut is the first in a series of riveting behind-the-scenes mysteries from hollywood’s golden age.los angeles, 1937. lillian frost has traded dreams of stardom for security as a department store salesgirl . . . until she discovers she’s a suspect in the murder of her former roommate, ruby carroll. party girl ruby died wearing a gown she stole from the wardrobe department at paramount pictures, domain of edith head.edith has yet to win the first of her eight academy awards; right now she’s barely hanging on to her job,
“This is great fun”
Jun 30, 2017 — Source
The Towers of Trebizond
The Towers of Trebizond
Jan Morris,Rose Macaulay
"'take my camel, dear,' said my aunt dot, as she climbed down from this animal on her return from high mass." so begins the towers of trebizond, the greatest novel by rose macaulay, one of the eccentric geniuses of english literature. in this fine and funny adventure set in the backlands of modern turkey, a group of highly unusual travel companions makes its way from istanbul to legendary trebizond, encountering potion-dealing sorcerers, recalcitrant policemen, and billy graham on tour with a busload of southern evangelists. but though the dominant note
“this novel is endlessly fascinating”
Nov 9, 2011 — Source
The Golden Notebook
The Golden Notebook
Doris Lessing
FictionAnna is a writer, author of one very successful novel, who now keeps four notebooks. in one, with a black cover, she reviews the african experience of her earlier year. in a red one she records her political life, her disillusionment with communism. in a yellow one she writes a novel in which the heroine relives part of her own experience. and in the blue one she keeps a personal diary. finally, in love with an american writer and threatened with insanity, anna tries to bring the threads of all
“At the time I read it it meant pretty much everything to me.”
Jun 13, 2017 — Source
The Little Friend
The Little Friend
Donna Tartt
BrothersBestselling author donna tartt returns with a grandly ambitious and utterly riveting novel of childhood, innocence and evil. the setting is alexandria, mississippi, where one mother’s day a little boy named robin cleve dufresnes was found hanging from a tree in his parents’ yard. twelve years later robin’s murder is still unsolved and his family remains devastated. so it is that robin’s sister harriet - unnervingly bright, insufferably determined, and unduly influenced by the fiction of kipling and robert louis stevenson--sets out to unmask his killer. aided only by her
“I resented every moment that I wasn't reading it”
Jun 3, 2008 — Source
She Votes
She Votes
Bridget Quinn,Nell Irvin Painter
Of the nineteenth amendment with illustrations by 100 women artists.• a colorful, intersectional account of the struggle for women's rights in the united states• features heart-pounding scenes and keenly observed portraits• includes dynamic women from elizabeth cady stanton to audre lorde• from the pen of rockstar author and historian bridget quinn, this book tells the story of women's suffrage.• perfect gift for feminists of all ages and genders who want to learn more about the 19th amendment and the journey to equal representation• a visually gorgeous book that will be
“This is a wonderful wonderful book”
Apr 8, 2021 — Source
The Grand Sophy
The Grand Sophy
Georgette Heyer
FictionWhen the redoubtable sir horace stanton-lacy is ordered to south america on business, he leaves his only daughter sophia with his sister, elizabeth rivenhall, in berkeley square. newly arrived from her tour of the continent, sophy invites herself into the circle of her relatives. when lady ombersley agrees to take in her young niece, no one expects sophy, who sweeps in and immediately takes the town by storm. beautiful, gay, impulsive, shockingly direct, sophy sweeps into elegant london society and scatters conventions and traditions before her like wisps in a
“remains one of my absolute favorites.”
Feb 8, 2018 — Source
August Snow
August Snow
Stephen Mack Jones
FictionTough, smart, and struggling to stay afloat, august snow is the embodiment of detroit. the son of an african american father and a mexican mother, august grew up in detroit's mexicantown and joined the detroit police only to be drummed out of the force by a conspiracy of corrupt cops and politicians. but august fought back; he took on the city and got himself a $12 million wrongful dismissal settlement that left him low on friends. he has just returned to the house he grew up in after a year
“one of my favorite books that I've read recently”
Jun 29, 2017 — Source
The Color of Lightning
The Color of Lightning
Paulette Jiles
FictionFrom paulette jiles, author of the critically acclaimed new york times bestsellers enemy women and stormy weather, comes a stirring work of fiction set on the untamed texas frontier in the aftermath of the civil war. one of only twelve books longlisted for the 2009 scotiabank giller prize—one of canada’s most prestigious literary awards—the color of lightning is a beautifully rendered and unforgettable re-examination of one of the darkest periods in u.s. history.
“powerful and moving third novel”
Aug 8, 2011 — Source
The Cold Cold Ground
The Cold Cold Ground
Adrian McKinty,Gerard Doyle
FictionNorthern ireland, spring 1981. hunger strikes, riots, power cuts, a homophobic serial killer with a penchant for opera, and a young woman's suicide that may yet turn out to be murder: on the surface, the events are unconnected, but then things--and people--aren't always what they seem. detective sergeant duffy is the man tasked with trying to get to the bottom of it all. it's no easy job--especially when it turns out that one of the victims was involved in the ira but was last seen discussing business with someone from
“I love this book, the best in the series, I think.”
May 23, 2017 — Source
A Long Way from Verona
A Long Way from Verona
Jane Gardam
Fiction‘i ought to tell you at the beginning that i am not quite normal having had a violent experience at the age of nine' jessica vye's 'violent experience' colours her schooldays and her reaction to the world around her- a confining world of order marks, wartime restrictions, viyella dresses, nicely-restrained essays and dusty tea shops. for jessica she has been told that she is 'beyond all possible doubt', a born writer. with her inability to conform, her absolute compulsion to tell the truth and her dedication to accurately noting her
“I reread this 1971 novel at least once a year”
Oct 21, 2020 — Source
Sylvester
Sylvester
Georgette Heyer,Joan Wolf
When the news went out that sylvester rayne, the elegant, impeccable duke of salford, was seeking a wife, all england was aflutter! lord sylvester is a polished bachelor who has stringent requirements for his future wife -- she must be well-born, intelligent, elegant and attractive. and of course she must be able to present herself well in high society. but when he is encouraged to consider phoebe marlow as a bride, sylvester is taken aback by the coltish woman who seems to resent him...the first time sylvester met phoebe, he
“...I reread frequently and with great delight”
Feb 8, 2018 — Source
The Liars' Club
The Liars' Club
Mary Karr
When it was published in 1995, mary karr's the liars club took the world by storm and raised the art of the memoir to an entirely new level, as well as bringing about a dramatic revival of the form. karr's comic childhood in an east texas oil town brings us characters as darkly hilarious as any of j. d. salinger's—a hard-drinking daddy, a sister who can talk down the sheriff at twelve, and an oft-married mother whose accumulated secrets threaten to destroy them all. now with a new introduction that
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
This Boy's Life
This Boy's Life
Tobias Wolff
This unforgettable memoir, by one of our most gifted writers, introduces us to the young toby wolff, by turns tough and vulnerable, crafty and bumbling, and ultimately winning. separated by divorce from his father and brother, toby and his mother are constantly on the move, yet they develop an extraordinarily close, almost telepathic relationship. as toby fights for identity and self-respect against the unrelenting hostility of a new stepfather, his experiences are at once poignant and comical, and wolff does a masterful job of re-creating the frustrations and cruelties of
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff
The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff
Rosemary Sutcliff
The three novels are:warrior scarletthe mark of the horse lordknight's fee
“They're truly wonderful novels”
Dec 15, 2020 — Source
Venetia
Venetia
Georgette Heyer
FictionTwenty-five-year-old venetia lanyon's beauty is rivaled only by her sensibility. intelligent and independent, her future seems safe and predictable. lovely venetia despairs of ever meeting the handsome hero of her romantic dreams but is nearly resigned to spinsterhood, thanks to the enormous amount of responsibility she inherited with a yorkshire estate and an invalid but precocious brother, aubrey. she lives in comfortable seclusion in rural yorkshire, she has never been further than harrogate, nor enjoyed the lackluster attentions of any but her two wearisomely persistent suitors. she can not accept
“...I reread frequently and with great delight”
Feb 8, 2018 — Source
A Girl Named Zippy
A Girl Named Zippy
Haven Kimmel
When haven kimmel was born in 1965 in mooreland, indiana, it was a sleepy little hamlet of three hundred people. nicknamed "zippy" for the way she would bolt around the house, this small girl was possessed of big eyes and even bigger ears. in this witty and lovingly told memoir, kimmel takes readers back to a time when small-town america was caught in the amber of the innocent postwar period—people helped their neighbors, went to church on sunday, and kept barnyard animals in their backyards.to three-year-old zippy, it made perfect
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
The War Between the Tates
The War Between the Tates
Alison Lurie
The war between the tates subtly dissects the disintegration of a perfect marriage. brian tate and his wife erica seem to have it all: a strong relationship, beautiful children, good friends and enough money. but when brian, a middle-aged professor of political science, begins an affair with a female student, the snug fabric of the tates' lives starts to unravel alarmingly fast.alison lurie enters into the worlds of husband, wife, adulteress and child with equal measures of empathy and humour in this richly imagined story of a family breakdown, set
“I loved these novels”
Dec 5, 2020 — Source
Frederica
Frederica
Georgette Heyer
FictionRich and handsome, darling of the town, the hope of ambitious mothers and despair of his sisters, the marquis of alverstoke at seven-and-thirty sees no reason to put himself out for anyone. until a distant connection, ignorant of his selfishness, applies to him for help. when frederica merriville brings her three younger siblings to london determined to secure a brilliant marriage for her beautiful sister, charis, she seeks out their distant cousin the marquis of alverstoke. lovely, competent, and refreshingly straightforward, frederica makes such a strong impression that to his
“...I reread frequently and with great delight”
Feb 8, 2018 — Source
Drinking
Drinking
Caroline Knapp
The roots of alcoholism in the life of a brilliant daughter of an upper-class family are explored in this stylistic, literary memoir of drinking by a massachusetts journalist. caroline knapp describes how the distorted world of her well-to-do parents pushed her toward anorexia and alcoholism. fittingly, it was literature that saved her: she found inspiration in pete hamill's 'a drinking life' and sobered up. her tale is spiced up with the characters she has known along the way. a journalist describes her twenty years as a functioning alcoholic, explaining how
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Betty Smith
FictionThe beloved american classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, betty smith's a tree grows in brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. the story of young, sensitive, and idealistic francie nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. by turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable nolans are raw
“Highly recommended.”
Apr 2, 2021 — Source
A Civil Contract
A Civil Contract
Georgette Heyer
FictionSports & RecreationAdam deveril is one of the duke of wellington's captains, and a hero at salamanca. when his father, a crony of prince regent, is killed in the hunting field, adam becomes the 6th viscount lynton of fontley priory, lincolnshire. but he returns from the peninsular war to find his magnificent home in disrepair and his family on the brink of ruin, with the broad acres of his ancestral home mortgaged to the hilt. he is madly in love with the beautiful julia oversley but soon realises that the drastic measure
“...I reread frequently and with great delight”
Feb 8, 2018 — Source
The Tender Bar
The Tender Bar
J.R. Moehringer
Family & RelationshipsIn the grand tradition of landmark memoirs - a classic american story of self-invention and escape, of the fierce love between a single mother and an only son, it's also a moving portrait of one boy's struggle to become a man, and an unforgettable depiction of how men remain, at heart, lost boys.j.r. moehringer grew up captivated by a voice. it was the voice of his father, a new york city disc jockey who vanished before j.r. spoke his first word. sitting on the stoop, pressing an ear to the
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
“Highly recommended.”
Apr 2, 2021 — Source
Arabella
Arabella
Georgette Heyer
FictionTo arabella tallant, the eldest daughter of a penniless country clergyman, the invitation to stay with her london godmother was like the key to heaven, for in addition to living in the glamorous city, arabella might even find a suitable husband there. armed with beauty, virtue and a benevolent godmother, the impetuous but impoverished arabella embarked on her first london season with her mother's wish in mind: snare a rich husband. on her way to london arabella's carriage breaks down outside the hunting lodge of the wealthy and socially prominent
“...I reread frequently and with great delight”
Feb 8, 2018 — Source
Cakewalk
Cakewalk
Kate Moses
Business & EconomicsFrom the author of the internationally acclaimed wintering: a novel of sylvia plath comes a funny, touching memoir of a crummy—and crumby—childhood.growing up in the 1960s and ’70s, kate moses was surrounded by sugar: twinkies in the basement freezer, honey on the fried chicken, baby ruth bars in her father’s sock drawer. but sweetness of the more intangible variety was harder to come by. her parents were disastrously mismatched, far too preoccupied with their mutual misery to notice its effects on their kids. a frustrated artist, kate’s beautiful, capricious mother
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
The Reluctant Widow
The Reluctant Widow
Georgette Heyer
FictionA fateful mistake... stepping into the wrong carriage at a sussex village, elinor rochdale is swept up in a thrilling and dangerous adventure. elinor is rather surprised that her prospective employer is quite rich, and more so at tile decayed grandeur of the house to which she is transported. elinor thought she was entering highnoons as a governess, but edward carlyon, the handsomely fashionable gentleman who carefully interviewed her obviously needed no governess. carlyon was seeking a wife-not for himself, but for his young cousin, eustace cheviot, the dissipated and
“...I reread frequently and with great delight”
Feb 8, 2018 — Source
A List of Things That Didn't Kill Me
A List of Things That Didn't Kill Me
Jason Schmidt
Jason schmidt wasn't surprised when he came home one day during his junior year of high school and found his father, mark, crawling around in a giant pool of blood. things like that had been happening a lot since mark had been diagnosed with hiv, three years earlier.jason's life with mark was full of secrets—about drugs, crime, and sex. if the straights—people with normal lives—ever found out any of those secrets, the police would come. jason's home would be torn apart. so the rule, since jason had been in preschool,
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
Manhattan, When I Was Young
Manhattan, When I Was Young
Mary Cantwell
An autobiographical account of a female writer in the 1950s. fresh out of college, cantwell arrived in greenwich village and shared an apartment with a friend. despite all the flair of metropolitan life, experiences with high-style department stores, exclusive little shops, theaters, parties, restaurant outings, and even a romance and marriage, she became increasingly depressed. her close ties to a lovingly encouraging father were broken by his early death. she details the passage of years by describing the flats, houses, and apartments she lived in and the jobs lost and
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
When Wanderers Cease to Roam
When Wanderers Cease to Roam
Vivian Swift
TravelFollowing a lifetime of trekking across the globe, vivian swift, a freelance designer who racked up 23 temporary addresses in 20 years, finally dropped her well-worn futon mattress and rucksack in a small town on the edge of the long island sound. she spent the next decade quietly taking stock of her life, her immediate surroundings, and, finally, what it means to call a place a home. the result is when wanderers cease to roam. filled with watercolors of beautiful local landscapes, seasonal activities, and small, overlooked pleasures of easy
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
“They're truly wonderful novels”
Dec 15, 2020 — Source
A New York Life
A New York Life
Brendan Gill
Biography & AutobiographyFrom publishers weeklyranging in length from three pages (a piece on padraic colum) to 22 (georges simenon), these 41 genial articles elegantly recall 45 friends and acquaintances of new yorker staff writer gill. an irish catholic, he writes with wit and charm of brendan behan, philip barry, eugene o'neill, f. scott fitzgerald and john o'hara, and equally appreciatively of al hirschfeld, edgar kaufmann jr., louise nevelson, dorothy parker, man ray and ben sonnenberg. gill's diverse circle encompasses as well architects william adams delano and wallace k. harrison, photographers walker evans
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
“there are some memoirs that I absolutely love.”
May 21, 2018 — Source
Love and Friendship
Love and Friendship
Alison Lurie
Faculty wife emily stockwell turner is beautiful, rich, and principled. however, five years in a marriage devoid of passion and virtuosity is enough to propel emmy, despite herself, into an affair with cocky, silver-tongued will thomas, a music instructor at convers college and a self-confessed libertine. a fire, a student riot, academic struggles and scandals, and some amateur witchcraft all form a backdrop to the lover's transgression.but there are very few secrets that can remain intact on a small new england campus--and the shocking, unforseen consequences of their affair will
“I loved these novels”
Dec 5, 2020 — Source
The Silver Branch
The Silver Branch
Rosemary Sutcliff
Intrigue, plotting, and battles in the second of rosemary sutcliff's best-selling trilogy which began with the eagle of the ninthviolence and unrest are sweeping through roman britain. justin and flavius find themselves caught up in the middle of it all when they discover a plot to overthrow the emperor.in fear for their lives they gather together a tattered band of men and lead them into the thick of battle, to defend the honour of rome. but will they be in time to save the emperor?rosemary sutcliff's books about roman britain
“They're truly wonderful novels”
Dec 15, 2020 — Source
The Year of the Runaways
The Year of the Runaways
Sunjeev Sahota
From one of granta's best of young british novelists and man booker prize nominee sunjeev sahota—a sweeping, urgent contemporary epic, set against a vast geographical and historical canvas, astonishing for its richness and texture and scope, and for the utter immersiveness of its reading experience.short-listed for the man booker prizethe guardian: the best novels of 2015the independent: literary fiction of the year 2015 three young men, and one unforgettable woman, come together in a journey from india to england, where they hope to begin something new—to support their families; to
“it's so worthwhile and eye-opening.”
Jun 29, 2017 — Source
World War Z
World War Z
Max Brooks
FictionThe zombie war came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. max brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the united states of america and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. he recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. world war z
“Read this when it first came out and loved it.”
May 15, 2017 — Source
The Death of Vishnu
The Death of Vishnu
Manil Suri
Fiction"vivid and engrossing...a work of fiction that seems not only universal but absolutely cosmic." —francine prose, elleat the opening of this masterful debut novel, vishnu, the resident odd-job man, lies dying on the apartment building staircase he inhabits, while his neighbors, the pathaks and the asranis, argue over who will pay for an ambulance. as the action spirals up through the floors of the building, the dramas of the residents' lives unfold: mr. jalal's obsessive search for higher meaning; vinod taneja's longing for the wife he has lost; the comic
“Fans of character-driven fiction should check out Manil Suri's 2001 novel”
Nov 20, 2020 — Source
The Liar's Dictionary
The Liar's Dictionary
Eley Williams
An exhilarating and laugh-out-loud debut novel from a prize-winning new talent which chronicles the misadventures of a lovelorn victorian lexicographer and the young woman put on his trail a century later to root out his misdeeds while confronting questions of her own sexuality and place in the world. n. the phenomenon of false entries within dictionaries and works of reference. often used as a safeguard against copyright infringement.peter winceworth, victorian lexicographer, is toiling away at the letter s for swansby's multivolume encyclopaedic dictionary. his disaffection compels him to insert unauthorized
“It's so inventive, this book”
Apr 8, 2021 — Source
Uncommon Type
Uncommon Type
Tom Hanks
FictionA gentle eastern european immigrant arrives in new york city after his family and his life have been torn apart by his country's civil war. a man who loves to bowl rolls a perfect game--and then another and then another and then many more in a row until he winds up espn's newest celebrity, and he must decide if the combination of perfection and celebrity has ruined the thing he loves. an eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant venture into america looking for acquisitions and discover a down and
“you’ll find me at the head of the line waiting eagerly for his new film to start.”
Dec 17, 2017 — Source
Mindbridge
Mindbridge
Joe Haldeman
FictionIn the far future, the accidental scientific breakthrough known as the levant-meyer translation changes everything. suddenly people can leap instantaneously across the universe, albeit temporarily, enabling teams of tamers to explore far-flung worlds and prepare them for possible human habitation. but one expedition doesn’t make it back alive. jacque lefavre achieves his lifelong dream of becoming a tamer when he joins the agency for extraterrestrial development. on his first exploratory mission to a planet known as groombridge, lefavre and his team encounter something truly extraordinary: a small, nonsentient creature that,
“still an excellent read for sf fans.”
Jan 28, 2015 — Source
The Mind-Body Problem
The Mind-Body Problem
Rebecca Goldstein
When renee feuer goes to college, one of the first lessons she tries to learn is how to liberate herself from the restrictions of her orthodox jewish background. as she discovers the pleasures of the body, renee also learns about the excitements of the mind. she enrolls as a philosophy graduate student, then marries noam himmel, the world-renowned mathematician. but renee discovers that being married to a genius is a less elevating experience than expected. the story of her quest for a solution to the mind-body problem involves the prickly
“I loved Rebecca Goldstein's 1983 novel”
Mar 26, 2021 — Source
The Cactus League
The Cactus League
Emily Nemens
FictionJason goodyear is the star outfielder for the los angeles lions, stationed with the rest of his team in the punishingly hot arizona desert for their annual spring training. handsome, famous, and talented, goodyear is nonetheless coming apart at the seams. and the coaches, writers, wives, girlfriends, petty criminals, and diehard fans following his every move are eager to find out why--as they hide secrets of their own.humming with the energy of a ballpark before the first pitch, emily nemens' the cactus league unravels the tightly connected web of people
“It's a very smartly written character driven novel”
Apr 8, 2021 — Source
The Great Believers
The Great Believers
Rebecca Makkai
FictionIn 1985, yale tishman, the development director for an art gallery in chicago, is about to pull off an amazing coup, bringing in an extraordinary collection of 1920s paintings as a gift to the gallery. yet as his career begins to flourish, the carnage of the aids epidemic grows around him. one by one, his friends are dying and after his friend nico's funeral, the virus circles closer and closer to yale himself. soon the only person he has left is fiona, nico's little sister.thirty years later, fiona is in
“Nancy is reading...”
— Source
Code Girls
Code Girls
Liza Mundy
Juvenile NonfictionRecruited by the u.s. army and navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during world war ii. while their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to washington and learned the meticulous work of code-breaking. their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. a strict vow of secrecy nearly erased their efforts from history; now, through dazzling research and interviews with surviving code girls, bestselling author liza mundy brings to
“Nancy is reading...”
— Source
No Ordinary Matter
No Ordinary Matter
Jenny McPhee
FictionJenny mcphee's critically acclaimed debut, "the center of things," was hailed by "o, the oprah magazine" as "a smart novel of love, lust, and life's miraculous randomness." "the new york times book review" called it "an engaging novel about big ideas." in her delightful new novel, "no ordinary matter," mcphee turns her razor-sharp pen on the offbeat worlds of soap operas, mistaken identities, private detectives, and sibling rivalries as she deftly navigates the territory between coincidence and fate.veronica moore writes for a daytime drama while secretly composing a musical and
“books and reading that I’ve collected over the years.”
Mar 5, 2018 — Source
The Nearest Exit
The Nearest Exit
Olen Steinhauer
FictionThe tourist, steinhauer’s first contemporary novel after his award winning historical series, was a runaway hit, spending three weeks on the new york times bestseller list and garnering rave reviews from critics.now faced with the end of his quiet, settled life, reluctant spy milo weaver has no choice but to turn back to his old job as a “tourist.” before he can get back to the cia’s dirty work, he has to prove his loyalty to his new bosses, who know little of milo’s background and less about who is
“books and reading that I’ve collected over the years.”
Mar 5, 2018 — Source
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep
Joanna Cannon
Part coming-of-age story, part mystery, the trouble with goats and sheep is a quirky and utterly charming debut about a community in need of absolution and two girls learning what it means to belong.england, 1976. mrs. creasy is missing and the avenue is alive with whispers. the neighbors blame her sudden disappearance on the heat wave, but ten-year-olds grace and tilly aren’t convinced. as the summer shimmers endlessly on, the girls decide to take matters into their own hands. inspired by the local vicar, they go looking for god—they believe
“Nancy is reading...”
— Source
Understood Betsy
Understood Betsy
Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Farm lifeFor all of her nine years, fragile elizabeth ann has heard her aunt frances refer in whispers to her "horrid putney cousins." but when her aunt can no longer care for her, elizabeth ann must leave her sheltered life to live in the wilds of vermont with those distant relatives.in the beginning, elizabeth ann is shocked by country living--pets are allowed to sleep in the house and children are expected to do chores! but with country living comes independence and responsibility, and in time, elizabeth ann finds herself making friends
“marvelous novels”
Aug 27, 2020 — Source
Our Homesick Songs
Our Homesick Songs
Emma Hooper
FictionFrom emma hooper, critically acclaimed author of etta and otto and russell and james, a people magazine “pick of the week,” comes a lyrical, charming, and mystical story of a family on the edge of extinction, and the different way each of them fights to keep hope, memory, and love alive.the connor family is one of the few that is still left in their idyllic fishing village, big running; after the fish mysteriously disappeared, most families had no choice but to relocate and find work elsewhere. aidan and martha connor
“Nancy is reading...”
— Source
The Home-Maker
The Home-Maker
Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Although this novel first appeared in 1924, it deals in an amazingly contemporary manner with the problems of a family in which both husband and wife are oppressed and frustrated by the roles they are expected to play. evangeline knapp is the perfect, compulsive housekeeper, while her husband, lester, is a poet and a dreamer. suddenly, through a nearly fatal accident, their roles are reversed: lester is confined to home in a wheelchair and his wife must work to support the family. the changes that take place between husband and
“marvelous novels”
Aug 27, 2020 — Source
Stephen Florida
Stephen Florida
Gabe Habash
FictionFoxcatcher meets the art of fielding, stephen florida follows a college wrestler in his senior season, when every practice, every match, is a step closer to greatness and a step further from sanity. profane, manic, and tipping into the uncanny, it's a story of loneliness, obsession, and the drive to leave a mark.
“Nancy is reading...”
— Source
11/22/63
11/22/63
Stephen King
FictionOn november 22, 1963, three shots rang out in dallas, president kennedy died, and the world changed. what if you could change it back? stephen king’s heart-stoppingly dramatic new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the jfk assassination—a thousand page tour de force. following his massively successful novel under the dome, king sweeps readers back in time to another moment—a real life moment—when everything went wrong: the jfk assassination. and he introduces readers to a character who has the power to change the course
“This is the kind of Stephen King novel I most like”
May 15, 2017 — Source
The Art of Fielding
The Art of Fielding
Chad Harbach
FictionAt westish college, a small school on the shore of lake michigan, baseball star henry skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. but when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended. henry's fight against self-doubt threatens to ruin his future. college president guert affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. owen dunne, henry's gay roommate and teammate, becomes caught up in a dangerous affair. mike schwartz, the harpooners' team captain and henry's best friend, realizes he has guided henry's
“Really loved the characters”
Nov 4, 2011 — Source
