Fiction

The Orphan Master's Sonby Adam Johnson  "Fascinating fictional story about North Korea. Not for the faint of heart but very timely. The author has done immense research so much of it is based on real stories and is haunting." “Hard to describe but a brilliant novel.  Set in North Korea (!), it is (as you would expect), very depressing and gives you a sense of what life must be life in that soul-destroying country (far better than the non-fiction books on the country I’ve read).  BUT it also a very good NOVEL – great characters, and they remain individuals despite the horrors around them. It is even very funny at times.  And the movie ‘Casablanca’ has a strong role.  When I say ‘it’s set in North Korea’ everyone immediately thinks that they aren’t in the mood for a downer, and it is a downer – but really worth it.”  Another contributor said:  “This book haunted me.  The realistic details of what it is like to live under the oppression of the North Korean regime mixed with fictional characters and events combined into a page-turner I couldn't put down.  Combine this with the non-fiction Escape from Prison 14 by Blaine Harden or The Aquariums of Pyongyang by Chol-hwan Kang (better written and more interesting, in my opinion) and you get a great insight into the insanity of life and survival under the rule of the Kim family.”

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. “Troubled foster teen Molly, a Penobscot Indian, takes on a 'community service' job of helping 91-year-old widow Vivian Daly clean out her attic. While she initially thinks she and this wealthy widow have nothing in common, the treasures locked away in the attic tell the story of Vivian’s life, from Ireland to New York to the orphan train, a fictional story in this case, but an actual train that carried orphans from East to West for 75 years. A ride on the orphan train was a crapshoot as to whether a child would end up with a good family or as an indentured servant. Vivan was abused by two different families before finding a decent life, one that ultimately was marred by great loss. Molly and Vivian come to be friends and to help support each other, and this is one of those rare books that truly feels like it ends too soon.”

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. A fascinating look at a world with only one remaining human (the narrator), living amongst a genetically modified, perfectly created tribe of naïve humanoids who view him as a prophet.  Atwood's vision of a world destroyed by climate change and human evil is intriguing from a scientific perspective and the narrator's survivalist skills and creativity are impressive. The world is also inhabited by hybridized animals and the genetic decisions and animal traits that were put into the altered humans are very cool amalgamations from the very best of the natural world.  It includes ideas about the evolution of religion and superstition within a new species that are entirely plausible. Atwood obviously did her homework - as a scientist I loved reading her ideas, though I would not want to live in this world. A fabulous novel!

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory.  This is the #1 bestseller that really put Gregory on the map and launched a thousand imitators (not to mention a movie).  Trashy and fun, it is set against the backdrop of the intrigue of the tudor court of Henry VIII.  The Other Boleyn girl is Anne's sister Mary.  Everyone in the court is utterly ruthless, including Anne's own parents.  It's a fascinating page-turner.  some people fussed (as they always do with this genre) about historical accuracy.  She took liberties.  Enjoy the book, soak up the atmosphere, but don't try to cite it in a history paper.

The Other Side of You by Salley Vickers "This definitely goes into the ‘Books That Changed My Life’ column. I first heard of it from the Post’s Michael Dirda—always a trusted source!--though what I came away with exceeded his praise. Vickers is British, with a background in literature and psychotherapy. In this story, she examines a patient/therapist relationship, how their sharing changes each, while tying in Caravaggio’s life, as well as scripture—an unlikely addition to this most secular world—with thought-provoking and heartbreaking results. I adored this book, have the marked up hardcover to prove it, and did a fair amount of weeping. Yes, too heavy for the beach..."

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf. "A quiet little gem of a book is Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf. I have read every one of his books. They sneak up on you with their quiet beauty.  If people like that style then anything by Larry Watson will also be a hit." Ed: I loved Haruf's Plainsong.

Out of It by Selma Dabbagh.  “The first novel by a friend and fellow Bahrain expat, a British Palestinian woman in her early 40's.  I am, of course, rather partial to the book as it was written by a friend, but I thought it read beautifully and touched on a subject that I find very interesting and terribly complicated.  It is one of those novels that has enough non-fiction in it to give you a very real and personal perspective on a place, its history and its people.  It is a very descriptive, sometimes humorous and often harrowing, account of the lives of three Palestinian siblings living in modern day Gaza - and follows two of those siblings as they move out of Gaza into the world (London and the Gulf).”

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. “Sparse and powerful.” From Amazon:  We were going out stealing horses. That was what he said, standing at the door to the cabin where I was spending the summer with my father. I was fifteen. It was 1948 and one of the first days of July.  Trond’s friend Jon often appeared at his doorstep with an adventure in mind for the two of them. But this morning was different. What began as a joy ride on “borrowed” horses ends with Jon falling into a strange trance of grief. Trond soon learns what befell Jon earlier that day—an incident that marks the beginning of a series of vital losses for both boys. Set in the easternmost region of Norway, Out Stealing Horses begins with an ending. Sixty-seven-year-old Trond has settled into a rustic cabin in an isolated area to live the rest of his life with a quiet deliberation. A meeting with his only neighbor, however, forces him to reflect on that fateful summer.

Out Stealing Horses by Per Patterson. "Set in the easternmost region of Norway, Sixty-seven-year-old Trond has settled into a rustic cabin in an isolated area to live the rest of his life with a quiet deliberation. A meeting with his only neighbor, however, forces him to reflect on that fateful summer."

The Overnight Socialite by Bridie Clark. "A modern day Pygmalian. It takes place on Park Avenue...fast paced and full of laughs. It may be chick lit but it isn’t without character."