2020 Book List - Fiction
The Jane Austen Society. "If you like Austen, this is a must-read. Mostly set prior to and during WWII, the novel is about eight very different people joining together to form the Jane Austen Society, who share the goal of preserving Ms. Austen's last home in the little village of Chawton. The group includes a doctor widower, a farmhand, a former schoolteacher, an actress, one of Austen's relations and a solicitor. Lots of pride, prejudice, sense and sensibility. Not the most propulsive, but, like Austen's novels, it builds well to a satisfying conclusion." [editor's note: made this a top pick, as there are indeed a lot of Austen lovers among this list's contributors and followers].
Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippmann. “Set in Baltimore in the 1960s, this book finds a woman restless with her lot in life and focused on solving the mystery of a dead woman found in a lake. Through her investigation she tests the limits of what a woman is "supposed" to do, and finds herself in a profound way.”
The Legal Limit by Martin Clark. “Think of John Grisham-like legal thrillers, but with more developed and funnier characters.There are enough off-shore bank accounts and legal trickery for everyone.”
Mating for Life by Marissa Stapley. “A novel told in stories, which explores marriage, motherhood, identity, and what it takes to love someone—family members, friends, or spouses—for life.”
Mythos by Stephen Fry. From Goodreads: “The Greek myths are the greatest stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney. They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. In Stephen Fry's hands the stories of the titans and gods become a brilliantly entertaining account of ribaldry and revelry, warfare and worship, debauchery, love affairs and life lessons, slayings and suicides, triumphs and tragedies. You'll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia's revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis. Thoroughly spellbinding, informative and moving, Stephen Fry's Mythos perfectly captures these stories for the modern age - in all their rich and deeply human relevance.”
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. "A book about kids who spontaneously burst into flames? NOT my usual fare! I doubt I would have read it if not for a friend who pestered me until I relented. It's a wonderful read - dark and funny. It's about a woman named Lillian, who has been asked by an old friend to help care for twin stepkids, who - yes - spontaneously combust when they're agitated." "...loved that they didn't feel the need to explain why these children would catch on fire...they just did, and it was something deal with rather than a mystery to explain. I also really enjoyed the complex relationship between Lillian and Madison." "At the heart of this book is a valuable message about acceptance." "Read it. Trust me. Just read it."
The Ragged Edge of Night by Olivia Hawker. "In 1942 Germany, the Nazis force Anton Starzmann, a former Franciscan monk, to return to the life of a layperson. Desperate to atone for not doing enough to save the children under his tutelage at the monastery, Anton answers an advertisement and marries a widow with three young children in a small German village, who needs a husband – in name only – to help support her family. As Anton struggles to adapt to his new life, he learns of the Red Orchestra, an underground network of resisters plotting to assassinate Hitler. Despite his wife’s reservations, Anton joins this army of shadows, his acts grow more daring over time and he is suspected of treason. How far will he go to atone for his sins and will he risk the lives of the family he has grown to love?"
Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown. “A very fun murder mystery sprinkled with the most outrageous ‘advice’ to wives from the 19th and early 20th century you’ve ever seen plus food and gardening play important roles, always a good sign for me.”
Sea Wife by Amity Gaige. “A young family decides to take a break from reality and sail for a year. What could do wrong? It's a well-written thriller but also thoughtful reflection on marriage and relationships.”
Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok. From the back cover: “It begins with a mystery. Sylvie, the beautiful, brilliant, successful older daughter of the Lee family, flies to the Netherlands to visit her dying grandmother—and then vanishes. Amy Lee is too young to remember a time when her parents were newly immigrated and too poor to keep her sister. Seven years older, Sylvie was raised by a foreign relative and didn’t rejoin her family in America until she was nine. Amy has always looked up to her fierce and loving sister. But what happened to Sylvie? When Amy retraces her sister’s movements, instead of simple answers, she discovers something much more valuable: the truth. Sylvie, the golden girl, kept painful secrets . . . secrets that will reveal more about Amy’s complicated family—and herself—than she ever could have imagined. A deeply moving story of family, secrets, and identity, Searching for Sylvie Lee is a profound exploration of the many ways culture can divide us and the impossibility of ever truly knowing someone—especially those we love.”
The Second Home by Christina Clancy. “A debut novel about three adult siblings who must decide what to do with the family house on Cape Cod that they unexpectedly inherit, and the one adolescent summer they spent there together that changed the course of each of their lives.”