2020 Book List - Fiction
The Secret of Santa Vittoria by Robert Chrichton. From Amazon: “In the last days of World War II, German forces are sent to occupy the Italian hill town, Santa Vittoria, and claim its great treasure: one million bottles of the Santa Vittoria wine that is its lifeblood. The clownish mayor, Bombolini, matches wits with the urbane German captain, Von Prum, as the town unites -- aristocrats and peasants, old enemies and young lovers -- to deceive the Germans and save its wine. Where the wine disappears to is the secret of Santa Vittoria that Robert Crichton brings to life with wit, heart, and suspense in his masterpiece of classic storytelling. First published in 1966, The Secret of Santa Vittoria was on the New York Times bestseller list for 50 weeks -- 18 weeks as #1 -- and became an international bestseller.”
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott. "At the height of the Cold War, two secretaries are pulled out of the typing pool at the CIA and given the assignment of a lifetime. Their mission: to smuggle Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR, where no one dare publish it, and help Boris Pasternak’s magnum opus make its way into print around the world. The Secrets We Kept combines a legendary literary love story–the decades-long affair between Pasternak and his mistress and muse, Olga Ivinskaya, who was sent to the Gulag and inspired Zhivago’s heroine, Lara–with a narrative about two women empowered to lead lives of extraordinary intrigue and risk."
Slow Horses (Slough House) by Mick Herron. “Mick Herron’s The Slough House series (Jackson Lamb) is based on a group of MI-5 misfits who despite their quirks usually save the UK from some terrorist threat (Slow Horses, Real Tigers, London Rules, Dead Lions). Jackson Lamb is like a George Smiley (John Le Carre) character that has gone on a bender but is still in Her Majesty’s Service.”
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman. “A shocking discovery on a honeymoon in paradise changes the lives of a picture-perfect couple in this taut psychological thriller debut—for readers of Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, and Shari Lapena.”
Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky. “Shows the farce of the world in which we live. A nice house in a nice neighborhood with a nice pool. What can possibly happen to the very nice people who live there?”
The Water Rat of Wanchai (Ava Lee Series) by Ian Hamilton. “Ava Lee is a Chinese-Canadian forensic accountant martial artist lesbian who collects uncollectable debts. This series of 8-9 books is a guilty pleasure. Ava Lee is a badass. And Chinese culture is fascinating. And the ways she gets into situations, and then gets herself out of them, is fun. I enjoyed these books and learned a lot about China, too.”
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter. “Page-turning historical fiction based on true events, and truly an example of the truth being even more remarkable than fiction. Inspired by the author's family, the novel follows different members of a large Jewish family who are separated at the outset of WWII and manage to survive against all odds.”
The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. “Perhaps it's a bit hyperbolic to say that this is one of the best books ever written... but I'm saying it. It's a story that runs on two timelines - today and 1654, when Jews were allowed back into England. Today, scholars are researching a trove of recently discovered Jewish apocrypha and in 1654, that material is being created. Kadish writes in the language of both times in a rich and evocative way. She creates indelible characters who grow in important and revealing ways. And the twist at the end? Did not see it coming.”
Writers and Lovers by Lily King. “A book about a writer who can't write. Or can she? Is what she's created/creating any good? Is she? Is the artistic, creative life worth living? Is she an impostor? Does she need a powerful man as a mentor? A lover? Is the damn book any good? Is it? For anyone who's ever struggled to put a pen to paper, and for those who have and have struggled, and for those who read books by writers who have struggled - this is a must-read.”