Runner by Thomas Perry

Jane Whitefield has been happily married for nine years.  For ten years prior to her marriage,  she served as a guide to help people in need to disappear and start over with new identities.  She was a very good at that, but it was dangerous, and she promised her husband she would quit.  Jane has kept her word — until now, when there’s a pregnant woman on her doorstep with nowhere to go, and killers right behind her. It looks as if Jane will have to come out of retirement and help one more deserving person become a runner.  Most recent of an excellent series.

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.

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.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

The women of Lucy’s family have been cursed for generations to bear a child by the age of eighteen and then go mad.  Can Lucy escape this fate?  Only if she can complete the three impossible tasks named in the song “Scarborough Fair.”  Using some clues left by her mother, and aided by family and friends, Lucy races the clock to do the impossible and save herself.  A captivating fairy tale for young and not so young adults.

Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling

What would you do if all technology suddenly stopped working?  How would you survive?  In this first of a series, everyone in the world has to find the answers to those questions.  Set in the Washington/Oregon area, this engrossing book follows several widely differing groups who find that, by banding together, they can survive.  Apocalyptic literature at its best.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Edward Tulane is a proud, self-centered china rabbit owned by Abilene.  When fortune takes him away from her and casts him alone into the world, Edward begins a long, hard journey, meeting many diverse people and finally learning what is really important.   A children’s book highly recommended to readers of every age.  It will touch your heart.

Dewey’s Nine Lives by Vicki Myron

If you were touched by the original Dewey that told of the remarkable small-town cat in Spencer, Iowa, you’ll also love this heartwarming book containing a few more of Dewey’s adventures, as well as stories of other cats who made a profound difference in their humans’ lives.  Also find out the new direction that Vicki Myron’s life has taken.  Not to be missed by cat lovers.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

When beautiful music reaches Earth from outer space, the Jesuits send a team to explore and make contact with the new world.  They mean no harm.  At first their interactions with the indigenous populations are positive and rewarding, but then it all goes horribly wrong.  A powerful novel of how cultural differences can lead to indescribable tragedy.  You will meet unforgettable characters who will touch your heart.  A profoundly moving novel that has crossover appeal for those who normally wouldn’t touch science fiction.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson

A delightful story about a widowed British major who unexpectedly finds his relationship with shopkeeper Mrs. Ali deepening when she comes to his aid following his brother’s death.  However, she is a foreigner. Can the village accept her?  This novel is filled with memorable characters, including the Major’s horrid sister-in-law, his self-centered son, and Mrs. Ali’s conflicted nephew.  Highly recommended.  The audio version is particularly well done.

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