Category: Books for Adults

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

A coming-of-age tale centered upon young David, who has lost his mother and resents his new stepmother and baby brother.  Trying to escape his circumstances, David stumbles into an eerie fairy tale world of knights and beasts much like those in the stories his mother used to recount.  David sets out on a quest to find the king, whose Book of Lost Things holds the secret to his return home and, David hopes, perhaps even to his mother’s return to life.  Reminiscent at times of Lewis’s Narnia, at others of the Brothers Grimm, The Book of Lost Things will resonate with those who still believe in the magic of childhood.

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

Once a month, on Monday evening, eight students meet in Lillian’s restaurant for a cooking lesson.  They are young and old, male and female,  married or single or widowed, with varying degrees of kitchen experience.  They think they’ve come to learn Lillian’s secrets to producing wonderful food, and they do, but they also gain so much more from the classes.  Their lives become entwined, and they discover  over the months the power that  lovingly prepared food has to change people.   Reminiscent of Choclat by Joanne Harris.

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

The format of this 1974 Pulitzer Prize-winning historical novel of the Battle of Gettysburg is unconventional, alternating between the reflections of Northern and Southern soldiers, both high and low ranking. The result is a personal and compelling description of the battle that many historians see as a critical turning point in the ultimate resolution of the Civil War. Mr. Shaara’s son, Jeffrey, has written both “prequels” and a sequel to his father’s work, in the same conversational style. The Killer Angels will stand alone, or as part of the series, and will give you an understanding of war in a very personal way. Don’t be surprised if you want to read it again and again!

The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption by Jim Gorant

Football star Michael Vick’s highly publicized conviction for his participation in the horrific “sport” of dog fighting is the basis for this book, but the work done by a dedicated group of volunteers to redeem the victimized pit bulls is the true heart of the book. Although not all of the rescued dogs could be saved, Vick’s fine of $1 million provided the means for the months of rehabilitation that ultimately made new citizens of many of the animals. If you are a dog lover, or if you just like happy endings, these stories of dogs and the people who believed in them will steal your heart.

Green Witch by Alice Hoffman

A year after her world was nearly destroyed, sixteen-year-old Green has become the one villagers turn to for aid, expecially to record their stories, but Green will need the help of other women who, like herself, are believed to be witches, if she is to find her best friend and her one true love.  A wonderful, quick read along with Green Angel.  Each can be read in one or two sittings.  Both are haunting and memorable.

My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira

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This historical novel tells the story of an Albany midwife who longs to be a surgeon during the Civil War.  You follow her as she struggles for acceptance in the medical communities of Albany, Washington, D.C. and finally the battlefields of the war.  For history buffs, the descriptions of battlefield medicine are fascinating (though not for the faint of heart!) as well as the depiction of the early days of the nation’s capital.  For local readers, 1860s’ Albany has some familiar place names.  I appreciated the strong female character as well as the history of the Civil War told from the nurse/surgeon’s view.

Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

One of the best cat stories ever.  Homer loses his eyes to an infection at only a few weeks of age.  When Gwen Cooper adopts this adorable kitten, she thinks she is doing him a favor, but it turns out that Homer gives much more than he gets.  Since all he has ever known is blindness, Homer doesn’t know that he has a handicap, so he lives his life with fearlessness and joie de vivre.  His huge personality and zest for living inspire everyone who has the privilege to meet him.  A true story that will touch your heart.  Don’t miss it.

The Widower’s Tale by Julia Glass

Seventy-year-old Percy Darling is an affable curmudgeon who enjoys swimming in his pond and cheerfully criticizing the neighbors in his well-to-do Massachusetts town.  When he allows a high-end preschool to move into his barn, Percy finds his quiet routine shaken–in a way, he realizes, that is not altogether unwelcome.  Glass gracefully weaves Percy’s story with those of others in his circle: Sarah — Percy’s new love interest, Percy’s daughters Clover and Trudy and environmentalist grandson Robert, Celestino —  an immigrant worker with connections to a prominent academic family, and Ira, a preschool teacher longing for acceptance.  The result is a compelling, memorable read.

The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell

Swedish judge Birgitta Roslin is shocked to find out that her mother’s adoptive parents were among those massacred one night in the tiny, snowy town of Hesjovallen.  The police charge a lone lunatic with the crime, but Roslin has reason to believe that a mysterious Chinese man may be responsible.  Her tips dismissed by the police, Roslin takes it upon herself to unravel the truth about the Hesjovallen murders, even as it brings her face to face with danger in the teeming city of Beijing.  Fans of Stieg Larsson’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy will enjoy Henning’s sweeping tale of suspense.

Bungalow Kid by Philip Ratzer

Philip, a boy from the Bronx,  reminisces about his childhood summers he spent at the Pesekow’s Bungalow Colony in the mountains of Sullivan County, New York on the shores of Loch Sheldrake Lake.  This story takes place when he is twelve years old and recounts the adventures of an almost teenage boy ‘s summer reconnecting with friends and family, puppy love and boyish pranks. This book will take you back to the days when you were growing up, returning to moments in time that can never be equaled.

Cat O’Nine Tales: And Other Stories by Jeffrey Archer

Archer put his time in prison to fine literary use, as evidenced by the 12 stellar entries in his fifth story collection, nine of which are based on tales he heard from fellow inmates while incarcerated.  The stories are delightful with a hint of O. Henry.

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by William Paul Young

This captivating novel will make you both  laugh and cry. When  a young girl is mysteriously abducted during a family vacation, there is evidence that she may have been brutally murdered in the Oregon wilderness. After four years go by, her father receives a note inviting him back to the shack for a weekend. Could that note have come from God?  You will be thinking about this book and its spiritual impact long after you put it down.