Fiction
No Angelby Penny Vincenzi. "This is the first in a trilogy about the Lytton family. I first heard this author mentioned in this article, which offers some other authors and titles, too. It looks like a fun, engaging series, though I haven’t read them yet." Celia Lytton, strong-willed, tough and courageous, moves through life making difficult and often dangerous decisions - with the most far-reaching consequences for everyone...For her husband, Oliver, head of the great family publishing house of Lyttons; for Sylvia Miller, whose life of relentless poverty is transformed by Celia's intrusion; for Oliver's daunting elder sister, who is not all she appears to be; and for Sebastian Brooke, with whom Celia makes the most dangerous decision of all.
No Name
Norwegian By Night by Derek B. Miller. Evidently this novel has been a big hit in Europe. "I found it a little slow at first, and then I was taken on a great ride. It is a well written novel that has many aspects to it. It is hard to put it in one category. It is a thriller. There is a historical piece, that I really enjoyed. There is plenty of humor, and yet, it is very touching. It has been awhile since I read a book that I didn’t want to put down, and didn’t want to end. All the members of my book group thoroughly enjoyed it." "The protagonist Sheldon Horowitz, is a wise 82-year-old who carries the weight of many losses - his wife, his son (Vietnam), his friends. Then a woman upstairs is murdered in while he is hiding in the closet with the woman's young boy. Afraid the killer and his gang will return for the boy, Sheldon runs off with him, and an adventure ensues, with Sheldon's many memories woven through. Sheldon's wonderful character emerges throughout the novel. It's just magnificent."
Norwegian Wood
The Nose by Nikolai Gogol. “A little fantasy and a lot reality about bureaucrats (not in DC)” " Amazon "satirical short story by Nikolai Gogol. Written between 1835 and 1836, it tells of a St. Petersburg official whose nose leaves his face and develops a life of its own."
Now You See Him by Eli Gottleib. From Publisher’s Weekly: "A mesmerizing blend of suspense and long-buried family secrets, Gottlieb's second novel (after 1997's The Boy Who Went Away) culminates in shocking revelations that rock a quiet upstate New York town. Nick Framingham is still reeling from the recent death of his childhood best friend, the writer Rob Castor, who committed suicide after killing his ex-girlfriend in Manhattan. Nick's own marriage to his college sweetheart, Lucy, begins to unravel as he struggles to understand what drove Rob to murder. Rekindling an old relationship with his first love, Belinda, Rob's volatile and beautiful sister, Nick begins to retrace not only Rob's last days but also their shared childhood, looking for clues to explain his friend's actions."
The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood. "Two very independent women from two different eras (1919 post-earthquake San Francisco and 1960 suburbia around the time of JFK's inauguration) whose tales are told in alternating chapters that ultimately intertwine. The poignant story examines love, grief, motherhood and loss. Terrific historical fiction - great atmospherics in both stories."
Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen. “Quindlen gives readers a superb novel about an Irish-Italian family in the late 1960s. Quindlen’s sharp eye for the way we live, her intelligence and humor have won her an enormous following, and this coming-of-age tale of an entire generation will delight readers of any era.”
An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin. "The plot revolves around a young woman climbing up through the art world in New York. Martin has a fascinating way of developing characters that are completely unique. It felt current and alive." (Is there nothing Steve Martin can't do?)
Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. “Because...it's Neil Gaiman. Nothing more needs to be said about why this is an awesome book. Seriously though - it is a haunting, uplifting, sad, sweet, funny story about a young boy who stumbles upon a neighbor's otherworldly secret and learns about friendship, about sacrifice and about innocence lost.”
That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo. From the Amazon review: “…a novel of deep introspection and every family feeling imaginable, with a middle-aged man confronting his parents and their failed marriage, his own troubled one, his daughter’s new life and, finally, what it was he thought he wanted and what in fact he has. The storytelling is flawless throughout, moments of great comedy and even hilarity alternating with others of rueful understanding and heart-stopping sadness, and its ending is at once surprising, uplifting and unlike anything this Pulitzer Prize winner has ever written.”
Old Filth
On Beauty By Zadie Smith. "This novel, set outside Boston in contemporary times, is patterned on E.M. Forster’s Howard’s End. It revolves around two academic families."
On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves. “This is a fast read - great for the beach, especially since it is about two survivors of a plane crash who live on a deserted tropical island for two years before being rescued.Most of the book chronicles the relationship between the man, who is 16 when they crash, and the woman, who is 27....hmmmm, two years on an island with no indication you'll be rescued. What would you do?”Another contributor writes: “This is one for the beach, I was a bit concerned about it – you will see why – but it was an entertaining and easy read.”
The One and Only by Emily Griffin. From Amazon: “Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade. But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.”
One Day in December by Josie Silver. "A missed connection on a city bus in London leads to a destroyed friendship, heartbreak, and reunion. An easy read well worth it."
One Good Dog by Susan Wilson. “The lightest of fiction, it's fun if you are a dog lover and need a fluffy book to fill the time. Putting this on the list clearly identifies me as a sap. But there you have it. It's in the Racing in the Rain category, but not quite as good.”
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson. Thriller, set in Edinburgh. “I thought the stream of consciousness writing would be hard to follow, but it worked well and was really entertaining.”
Opening Belle by Maureen Sherry. "Discrimination and other shenanigans at a hedge fund/investment house. Chicks fight back. Easy, fun read."
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. "It was an interesting coming of age-type book about a boy, his family and his life in a small Minnesota town. Frank, whose father is a minister, his mother is a beautiful, talented musician and who has two siblings, tells the story of four deaths in his small town and how they rock his previously happy world. The story talks about the Grace of God, both good and terrible. Beautifully written and quick and easy to read. I enjoyed it very much!"