The Books I didn't get to mention at the meeting

Of the 92 books I read in 2012, there were a few standouts.
I mentioned "Sacre Bleu" by Chistopher Moore, but some of the others were:

"The Cat's Table" by Michael Ondaatje - I love all of his writing and I'm just waiting for him to get the Nobel Prize for Literature, he deserves it.

"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand - our book club read this and loved it.

"The Invisible Circus" by Jennifer Egan - her first novel and the best of the 3 I read by her

"Waterfront" - by Philip Lopate - a wonderful exploration of the history and current appearance of New York's waterfront.

"The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach

"Wendy and the Lost Boys"  by Julie Salomon - the biography of Wendy Wasserstein.  I also read several of her plays after reading this.  And Wendy's two books of essays "Shiksa Goddess" and "Bachelor Girls".

"A Crack in the Edge of the World"  And "Atlantic" by Simon Winchester. He's wonderful and writes about everything - like another Bill Bryson.

"Home" by Toni Morrison - fabulously layered small jewel of a book. I also liked "A Mercy".

"Lots of Candles and Plenty of Cake" by Anna Quindlen - a collection of her essays on turning 60.

I have also been talking up the "Investigator Yashim" series by Jason Goodwin.  These take place in 1830s Istanbul.  Yashim is a eunuch in the sultan's harem who investigates crimes and mysteries.  Very atmospheric.  There are 4 books now in the series.

"Sweet Tooth" by Ian McEwan - one of his best.

"Flight Behavior" by Barbara Kingsolver - I've read every word this woman has published ever since I picked "Homeland" off the shelf of my library 20 years ago.  This one is wonderful

"Ransom" by David Malouf - I read this when I was on my Australia kick - beautiful re-imagining of Chapter 24 of "The Iliad"

I also did a dip into the classics in honor of Dickens' 200th anniversary.  I read "Little Dorrit", "Nicholas Nickleby" and "A Tale of Two Cities".  I would recommend any of those!

I have just finished to very good fiction books.

The Bells by Richard Harvell is historical fiction about  male opera singers in Europe in ancient times.  While somewhat upsetting at times, I found the story riveting and couldn't put it down.  The writing was amazing for a debut novel

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland is an amazing story of women's working condition in the the late 1800's and early 1900's.  It is fiction based on a lot of historical data.  It is a compelling story that involves immigrants, hardships and many fascinating relationships in the boarding house where Clara resides.

If you like Harlan Coben....

I learned that Harlan Coben branched off and started a Young Adult series with Myron Bolitar's (from Coben's adult series) nephew, Mickey. You don't have to read the Myron Bolitar series to understand these books, but it does help to know a bit about the characters because Coben does not go into as much character introduction as he does with his adult books.

The first one is called Shelter and starts out introducing Mickey and his friends, Ema and Spoon as they try to find out what happened to their classmate, and Mickey's somewhat girlfriend, Ashley. They delve into town secrets, secret societies, and really creepy neighbors. Myron makes a cameo too!

The second one is entitled Seconds Away. This one also has Mickey, Ema and Spoon as they find out more secrets, about the secret socieity, and try to solve the shooting of a classmate in her home. And...Myron returns!

Don't be fooled by the "Young Adult" tag. These books are classic Coben, fast paced, humorous, thrilling, and page turning. And the fact that Myron is in it...well if you read Coben, who doesn't love Myron!?

Both of these were very good, but Seconds Away was one of the best mysteries I have read in a long time. 

Revert to the Classics

I have recently reverted to re-reading, and for the first time reading, books that are considered "classics." For my book club, I picked East of Eden, a Nobel Prize winning book, by John Steinbeck because I have always loved books by him, yet had never read it.

Goodreads states:

Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Here Steinbeck created some of his most memorable characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity; the inexplicability of love; and the murderous consequences of love’s absence.

East of Eden does play on the Cain and Abel story. You can clearly see the grappling between good and evil throughout the book, and you even come to have compassion  and empathy (some) for both sides. You can see throughout the book that the good, and the evil share in the brutality, drama, and sin. 

However, it also is a warm and touching story about family and friends, how their lives intertwine, and what they would do for each other. 

It is not a short book but if you are looking to head back to classics, this is a wonderful read!