Have you ever been a partner in a long-term marriage?  a sibling?  a part of a family?  This book is insightful, hilarious, and suspenseful on these subjects.  Joy, the materfamilias of the tennis-playing Delaney family, goes missing; suspicions grow, and events snowball.  Set in Australia just before Covid.

A great read!

—Ruth

Very funny and smart book about the thing none of us face squarely:  death. A healthy couple in their 50s, fearful of a degrading and/or painful old age, make a pact to commit suicide together at 80.  As the age approaches, second thoughts arise.

Shriver writes many different endings filled with what-ifs?  It’s thought-provoking, and a bit dark, yet playful and hilarious too.

—Georgiana

Often the second book in a series doesn’t live up to my expectations, but this one (sequel to The Thursday Murder Club) exceeded them! I really wish I could take up residence with this cast of characters.  

Friendship and murder is a winning combination!

–Sandi

If you’ve read all of Taylor Jenkins Reid, here’s your next book!

Very loosely based on the “love affair and mutual muse-hood” of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor; and it’s a great read—full of the feel of an island off New England, rising stardone, and the ’70s music scene.

—Georgiana

What do you do if your childhood was a bit of a dystopian mess?  If you’re Mikel Jollet, you write a fascinating memoir of the lingering aftermath of being born into a cult and then raised by parents facing their own challenges. Jollet grew up to be a musician (Airborne Toxic Event) and his memoir reflects his lyrical way with words. I really liked this book, and–bonus!—have discovered his music as well.

—Debbie

The story of a crucial year in the lives of four people connected through the long friendship of two of them.  One is a naturalist committed to rewilding a path in Sussex, one does genomic research, and the others are involved in creative enterprises.  The book is deeply insightful, intelligent, compassionate, and often very funny.  It’s highly entertaining while inspiring wonder and consideration of the connectedness of all manner of things:  ecology, neuroscience, genetics, love, life. . .

–Georgiana

Fresh from the loss of his best friend on a canoe trip gone horribly wrong, Jack takes a job as a fly fishing guide in a luxury Montana fishing lodge. It’s perfect until some things start seeming odd.

Once again, Heller delivers deep feeling for the natural environment, indelible characters, and a gripping plot.

—Georgiana

By the author of The Jane Austen Society, which is one my favorite books.  The characters in this book will become your best friends as they have mine; you’ll think about them and worry for them. The author’s commitment to her characters and their stories is an inspiration to be open to new friendships and perhaps to choose the unlikely path!

—Sandi

This is the story of logging told in a fresh and relevant way.  Shifting from Rich (tree topper) to his wife Colleen (a midwife), Davison shows the effects of herbicide sprays on all aspects of life in a northern California town.  Drenched in the sounds and smells of the redwood forest, told with crisp chapters, closely observed details, and totally believable dialogue, this is a moving and marvelous novel.  

—Yvette

It’s 1920 and 14-year-old Mary Jane, from a very strait-laced family, has landed a nanny job with the family of a “groovy” psychiatrist’s family.  She is very capable as she tries to reconcile the two divergent life styles.

—Ruth

Inti comes with her team of biologists to reintroduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands.  The story of the team’s struggles with local opposition from sheep farmers, as well as mounting challenges faced by Inti herself, is gripping.

This is the same author who wrote Migrations, a store favorite.

—Georgiana

Great fun for any mystery lover and especially for fans of Jane Austen.  All of Austen’s main characters have come together for a house party and Mr. and Mrs. Knightley’s Donwell Abbey.  When the despicable Mr. Wickham intrudes upon the party it becomes apparent that though he appeared only in Pride & Prejudice, he has made his malignant presence felt among most of the members of the party.  As the title proclaims, murder ensues….but who done it?  

—Sandi

Wow I loved this book!

Set on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960, told in he first person by Erica, as she looks back on her months there as a very young woman.  She has come from England with an introduction to a writer her mother knows, and she becomes enamored of her and her place in the island’s artist colony.  Samson weaves a strong spell of the magic–sometimes light and sometimes dark–of the time and beautiful place.  

—Georgiana

Are you curious to know how the Oxford English Dictionary was compiled?  Narrator Esme grows up surrounded by the men who collected the words.  But as she grows up, she begins to wonder about the words not included, especially to those referring to women’s issues.  Set at the end of the Victorian era, this novel vividly captures the changing times.  It is a statement about the power of words and those who do–or not not–have the power to determine which words will be recorded.

—Yvette

I didn’t expect to be so drawn into the story of Klara, an “artificial friend” bought from a storefront for a sick you girl in the near future.  She’s programmed to know and intuit many things, but there are many others she has to learn on her own; and seeing the world open up to her understanding of things like love is captivating.  

—Georgiana

In her first novel for adults, Benjamin manages the seemingly impossible task of writing a humorous retelling of Ethan Frome, set during the 2018 Justice Kavanaugh Senate Confirmation hearings.  Her assured writing and keen observations skewer her subjects, but her concern for her characters protects their humanity.  We come to care for the residents of modern day Starkfield, Massachusettes, and hurtle with them to the end of this fast-paced, ambitious, and engaging story.

—Yvette

A wonderful melding of two timelines told by a trio of female voices.  Each woman is standing at a crossroads:  one is just becoming a woman, one is anticipating the end of her life, and one the end of her marriage.  A small blue apothecary bottle links the woman and the timelines together.  Penner skillfully guides us along the path each woman chooses. 

I could hardly bear to put the book down, such was the need to know the choice each woman makes and the consequences of that choice.

–Sandi

Pure delight!  Written and set in 1931, this is the story of a family and their annual vacation at the beach town of Bognor Regis. They take the train from London, arrive at the Seaview guest house, enjoy the freedom of a walk along the beach.  They are simple, uncomplicated people doing everyday things, but the author’s straightforward prose elevates the seemingly mundane into something dignified.

—Yvette

Everything you need in a thrilled:  super creepy setting, people trapped there due to snow, indecipherable characters, and the sense that EVERYONE is the bad guy!  It’ll keep you guessing till the very last word!

—Sandi

Identical twins run away from their small southern black community at age 16, and their lives take very different paths. While one ends up back in the same town, the other marries a white man and passes for white.

The way their lives progress and intersect is story-telling at it’s best–fascinating, thought-provoking, and well told (Britt Bennett’s writing is so good)

–Georgiana 

Like scrolling through the Internet, reading this novel (a Booker Prize short list title) veers from the very funny to the deeply moving.  From “sneazing” (definitely a funnier spelling) to Proteus Syndrome, Lockwood’s style is both sharp and intimate. Moving past the cynicism found in the “the portal,” toward experiencing empathy and love in the “real world,” the narrator shows us a better way to connect.

—Yvette

A. Mountweazel   B. Cassiculation                             C. Widdershins  D. All of the above  

Can you spot the fake?  If you love words and writing about words, this is for you.  This clever novel, set in two time periods with a lexigraphical mystery linking the main characters, is a quirky delight.

Answer = B (but I want it to be real!)

—Yvette (seconded by Debbie)

Sally Rooney ups the ante from Normal People in this novel with not one but two love stories and an explicit concern with how to live in this grim ol’ world of ours.  Roughly half the book is epistolary:  emails between two friends about capitalism, writing, beauty, sex and friendship.  Plenty of other things happen too.  Her dialogue, as ever, is on point, as well as her texting dialogue.  One assumes that one of the protagonists is somewhat autobiographical, so one might enjoy that for Ms. Rooney’s rants about the publishing industry. 

—Ian (and Georgiana loved it too)

What could possibly go awry when a group of seniors living in a retirement village gather every Thursday morning to solve–theoretically–cold cases?  When a murder occurs in their midst, the Thursday Murder Club begins their own investigation.  The author has created marvelous characters who we get to know like new friends.  I’d love to be a member!

I loved the second in the series–The Man Who Died Twice (still in hardcover)–just as much.  Friendship and murder is a winning combination!

—Sandi

Brimming with the sounds and smells of 1909 in Spokane, Washington, and drawing parallels to our own turbulent times, this book is above all a gripping adventure story of two brothers caught in a particular moment in history.  Peopled with vivid characters both real and imaged, this propulsive novel pits the hungry workers against the rich white men in power.  Shifting narratives amplify each character’s voice, just as Walter’s powerful writing honors the natural setting.  

As big as the west and as intimate as a personal decision, this novel is a triumph.

—Yvette

What if the Salem witch trials ended differently than history relates?  What would happen if witches and suffragettes had banded together?  What would happen if women claimed their power and men stood along side them? 

Loved this!

—Sandi

Showcasing both a profound love for and deep understanding of the natural world, these essays are informative and inspiring.  Ranging in topic from night time bird migrations, to ants, to her own childhood, these are best savored page by page.

—Yvette

One of my favorite books of 2020, Piranesi is a dreamy, compassionate, curious and wonderful story about a man who lives in a vast, labyrinthine house filled with statues.  As he explores, he uncovers truths, beauties, and wonders; but not all of these are good things…..  

—Jane (seconded by Debbie)

You might not like the main character, but you will be riveted by her story! As Becky Farwell, she is the town comptroller; but as (the much more glamorous) Reba, she is a major art collector.  How does she do it?  With the town’s money!  When will she get caught?  What will she collect next?  These twin questions drive this morally complex and devilishly entertaining novel to the end.

—Yvette

What would you do?  You are renting a vacation house, when the owners suddenly come home.  Something bad has happened in the city.  The two couples make meals, try to get news, find ways to exist in a strange, tense situation.

Perfectly capturing both the surreal (flamingos in the pool) and the mundane (no cell service), Alam’s novel will remain in your thoughts long after reading.

—Yvette

I cared more about Fox than many of the human characters I have read about recently.  He is a scrawny specimen, fond of playing with a battered forget-me-not.  His hobbies include vole hunting, exhuming his cache of mice at snack time, sunbathing on a rock, dancing in the moonlight, and showing up at 4:15 every day to hear more of The Little Prince, as read to him by Catherine Raven.  As a wildlife biologist, Raven knows not to anthropomorphize Fox, even as he becomes her best friend.  

This is nature writing at its best:  clear-eyed, entertaining, and meaningful.

—Yvette

A careless comment posted to Facebook, in the aftermath of a train accident, leads to dramatic consequences.  This gripping novel is told in three voices:  Jivan, a driven young woman from the slums; PT Sir, an unscrupulous rising politician; and Lovely, an outcast who just wants to sing.  Like the accident, this book is harrowing, but impossible to look away from.

—Yvette

Reading this is like reading another Jane Austen!  The style, the atmosphere, the characters–all of it is a wonder!  I loved the story and the message:  the each woman has value in her own right and is beautiful in her unique way!

—Sandi

Within pages, I was swept away and taken straight to Atlantic City, 1943.  Swimmers wear wool bathing suits, the boardwalk is packed with hot dog stands.  Lifeguards sprint to the rescue–but arrive too late.  What follows is the story of a family dealing with that tragic loss.  Told with 7 vivid characters, this skillfully plotted and deeply absorbing novel will transport you.

—Yvette

Follows the beginnings and rise of a British folk-rock band in the ’60s.  So full of real life events and musicians from that era that you’ll wonder if this was a real band.  It wasn’t, but it feels so; and it’s a great, rollicking, far-ranging read, as only David Mitchell can write them.

For anyone interested in the music scene of that time, or for anyone, really, interested in music, and how to make art from life. 

—Georgiana

This book opened my eyes to the real goings-on in the kitchen–both in a restaurant and at home.  It also gave me a sincere appreciation for the passion that drives those who choose to spend their lives in those kitchens.

I became the author’s travel companion through Lyon and Surrounding areas and joined in the camaraderie and rivalry of those chefs.  Mostly though, I enjoyed the author’s personal story and the way he relates his experiences with such humor and joy.

—Sandi

This is the prequel to the author’s Pillars of the Earth series and it is fantastic!  The story is set during the Viking invasions.  As with the Pillars series, the characters are so real that you come to care for them and worry about them.  I hope it’s not inappropriate to say that I have a huge crush on Edgar!

—Sandi

I loved this story of a young woman who risks everything to follow her heart and run a book shop.  The author is certainly familiary with the challenges of selling books.

This book really touched my heart. 

—Sandi

This is an amazingly well-writen book about how exploring and changing your path in life can be one of your best moves.  A great read for a recent grad or anyone facing a career change, this book will remind you that one of humanity’s best skills is growing through change.

—Jane

A most captivating and inspiring memoir.  Victoria James was America’s youngest sommelier, but getting there wasn’t easy.  Her harrowing but ultimately inspiring path to achieving this distinction reads like a novel, and a brilliant one at that!

—Sandi

1989.  The Danvers High School field hockey team is having their best season.  Ever!  Is it the dark magic of nearby historical Salem witches?  Or the dreamy power of Emilio Estevez, featured on a notebook, in which they all sign their pledge?  Or, do they become their “true and full wondrous selves?” 

Packed with period details, this is a nostalgia trip.  I read it with joy! 

—Yvette

This is one of my two favorite books of 2020.  Louise Erdrich has a rare combination of intelligence, wisdom, and the ability to tell a dazzling and compelling story.

She weaves this one around the 1953 attempt by Congress to terminate Native American tribes and their treaty-granted territories; and tells it through the lives of a wealth of finely drawn characters, one of them based on her grandfather, a watchman who did indeed carry the fight against Native dispossession from his North Dakota home to Washington D.C. But that’s just one element of this gripping family saga.  A deeply satisfying read.

—Georgiana

I will read anything Lily King writes.  This, her latest, is about a young woman devastated by the sudden death of her mother, as well as the end of a love affair.  She moves to Cambridge, Massachusetts, determined to pursue a writing career; and this is that story.

Keenly observed, incisive, and sardonically humorous

–Georgiana

Although–mercifully!–not set in a post-plague world, this novel uses the same style Mandel perfected in Station Eleven to weave plots together to tell a broad story. A beautiful hotel on Vancouver Island, a shipping executive, financial crimes, a disappearance:  how are they connected?

Beautiful book about loneliness and identity, guilt and ghosts. 

—Yvette

John Krakauer’s review is best:  “A page turner that will rip your heart out.”

It’s the story of Roman Dial’s son’s life—with his famous adventurer father and his family, and later on his own—and of his disappearance in the Costa Rican rain forest; and then it’s the story of his father’s efforts to find him.  Filled with wondrous adventures and environments, vicariously thrilling, though heart-rending in the end.

—Georgiana

Obsessed with words from their very first years, red-headed twins Daphne and Laurel are the grammarians of the title.  As babies, they spoke in special twin language.  As they grow up, Daphne becomes a copy editor and Laurel a poet.  Their love of words remains, but can their love for each other withstand these divergent linguistic pathways?  And, more to the point, who will inherit the family dictionary?  This comedic novel will make you fall in love with words all over again.

–Yvette

A beautiful and important story for the time we’re living in.  Meet Linus–a sad and lonely man living with his cat who doesn’t really like him.  Linus is sent to investigate a house of magical children and their caregiver, Arthur.  So begins a tale filled with humor, preconceptions, misadventure, revelation, and above all acceptance and love.  Have your tissues ready! 

—Sandi

Anne Wiener left her east coast job in publishing for a position with a tech startup in Silicon Valley.  This is her brilliant history of her time there, and of the time itself, when things began to blow up in “big tech.”  

Gripping on both personal and sociological/historical levels–fascinating to think about the way entire world views have been changed.

—Georgiana

Educated set in the PNW!  The story of Ontiveros’ childhood with her family, both before and after her parents divorced, is one of just barely scraping by, but in such a way that this life can inspire envy as well as sorrow.  Her lumberjack dad’s outsize personality is at once riveting, horrifying, and occasionally beautiful; and Ontiveros conveys this masterfully.  Her depiction of the rich northwest outdoors is a affecting as that of her youth and coming of age in this world.

–Georgiana

Written in memorable, propulsive short paragraphs, this book is so excellent, so timely, and so keenly observed that I’m still thinking about it weeks later.  Librarian Lizzie starts answering letters for her mentor, now the host of a doom-laden survivalist podcast.  Along with Lizzie, you will go from laughing at tin-foil-hat nutters to planning your own doom-stead.  Like climate change, this is not a book to ignore. 

—Yvette

A woman making sense of her own life as she tells the story of that of her mother Katherine, a legendary Irish actress.  They have a close bond, uncomplicated by any father figures,; and Katherine’s wildly extravagant life and view of the world is fascinatingly conveyed through the eyes of her daugter Norah, who has her own mix of blindness and wisdom.

Anne Enright’s writing is, as always, immediate, brilliant, and a joy to read.

—Georgiana

Bessie and Roland are fire children.  They look like perfectly regular 10 year old twins–until they get frustrated and burst into flames.  The flames don’t hurt them, but they disturb the grown-ups.  Madison, hired to be a nanny to the twins, learns to keep them calm and cool.  

This is an original, tender, and moving book.

–Yvette

Sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll…what’s not to like?  Elton John is droll, self-deprecating, and witty, sharing the story of his life from his musically gifted–but terribly lonely–childhood, to his global success as an adult.  He looks honestly at the missteps and challenges along the way, and provides a very entertaining and interesting read. 

—Debbie

“Deep River” is the perfect title for this in-depth yet fast flowing story of Finnish settlers in Washington.  Strong characters, especially the women, enter and transform the new land under immense trees.  Loggers, fishermen, Wobblies, musicians, brothel keepers, families and children are all given rich lives and plenty of action.

Don’t be dismayed by the heft–this is a page turner.

—Yvette

Thoroughly satisfying story centered on four women friends in a Colorado mountain town who’ve known each other from their children’s infancy.  It sprawls out from there to encompass the lives of their spouses, ex-spouses, children, and other friends.  The town’s decsion to open a school for gifted children catalyzes changes in relationships throughout the community and provides a lens through which to examine the values which we attach to different kinds of “gifts,” all while keeping us highly entertained!

—Georgiana

An exciting and heart wrenching novel inspired by actual people and events.  Follow the young, female art conservator as she attempts to protect priceless pieces of art from the grasp of the Nazis.  The story also follows the Monuments Men as they recover stolen works of art. 

Told in two time periods by four voices.

—Sandi

Told in alternative chapters by a pigeon and a soldier, this heartfelt novel illuminates a true moment in WWI history. But beyond the battlefield, it also elegantly explores issues of identity and fame, courage and curiosity, freedom and duty. Luckily, it is also surprisingly funny in places.

This brilliant work of imagination from the author of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk is for all fans of literary historical fiction.

—Yvette

Set in Paris during the Nazi occupation, and in the current day. Heart-wrenching and beautiful.  Both story lines are intriguing and then blend satisfyingly and seamlessly.

–Sandi

Back when Gourmet existed as a glossy magazine, Ruth Reichl was editor in chief.  Reluctant at first, but growing more confident as her tenure progressed, she transformed the staid magazine into a cutting edge publication just before the rise of the internet. 

In this warm and engaging memoir, complete with recipes, she describes tedious meetings and extravagant meals, the horror of 9/11, and the frustrations of trying to get David Foster Wallace to write about lobsters.

Pour a glass of wine, have a snack handy, and enjoy!

—Yvette

Spanning fifty years, this historical novel follows the lives of Korea’s haenyeo–women who dive for oysters. Set on the Island of Jeju, it follows two girls from different backgrounds as they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective  

As Sue Monk Kidd says, “No one writes about female friendship, the dark and the light of it, with more insight and depth than Lisa See.”

—Kathryn

From the very first sentence, Circe casts her magic on the reader.  You might know her only as the witch who turned Odysseus’s men into pigs; here author Madeline Miller brings her fully alive as daughter, sister, lover, and mother in a world where the gods act as selfishly and stubbornly as in any other large family, and mortals and demons co-exist.  Grounded in specific details such as the type of herbs growing on Circe’s island, the food on the plates, and color of the sea, but also smoothly encompassing a timeline of a thousand years, this book is truly an epic.

—Yvette

Powerfully evocative novel of Claudia,a young woman of Mexican heritage researching the culture of the Makahs in Neah Bay.  Young does a masterful job of conveying the rich history and culture of the Makah and the land they live on, all while hooking her readers into the complicated life of Claudia–her past, what drew her to this place, and her developing relationships with the some of the people she is working with.  I like what one of the cover reviews says:  “Intelligently addressing womanhood, community, lust and loss, this is a novel as deep as it is intoxicating…..”

—Georgiana

Just as plants need tending, so do friends.  May Attaway is described by a friend as “prickly, but in a soft, long-needled way.”  She is much better at landscaping than friendkeeping, but when she is given leave from her job as a campus gardener, she sets out to visit four once-close friends.  She hopes to see a real day in the life of these friends, not one curated or filtered through a social media lense.  With quiet humor, precise social observations, astute literary references, and a sprinkling of Latin botanical names, Kane celebrates an ordinary life deeply enriched by personal connections.  A perfect gem of a novel.

—Yvette

This debut novel takes us to the remote Kamchatka peninsula of northeastern Russia one summer. Two young sisters go missing from the beach, and the author follows the investigation month by month over the next year, focusing on the various people involved in the case.  The writing is evocative, and the disparate threads are nicely and satisfyingly woven together by the end.  Recommended!

—Debbie

This excellent debut novel is primarily a courtroom drama occurring after a tragic event at an alternative treatment center.  It explores the different perspectives of all involved and how each view might be valid–but only one is the truth.  

Touches on many current topics, including the immigrant experience, caring for vulnerable people, alternative medicine, and more.  

—Debbie

A woman making sense of her own life as she tells the story of that of her mother Katherine, a legendary Irish actress.  They have a close bond, uncomplicated by any father figures; and Katherine’s wildly extravagant life and view of the world is fascinatingly conveyed through the eyes of her daughter Norah, who has her own mix of blindness and wisdom.  Anne Enright’s writing is, as always, immediate, brillliant, and a joy to read.

—Georgiana

Take a gripping adventure and survival story set in a mystical wild area (in this case, a canoe trip in the northern Canadian wilderness), and mix it with a deep appreciation for and knowledge of nature, human nature, and art; infuse it with this writer’s ability to shoot it all right into the reader’s bloodstream and BOOM–vintage Heller.  This is my favorite yet.

—Georgiana

If you love history..  if you love art…   if you just love a wonderful story–this is the book for you! 

Can you imagine living in Florence while Leonardo creates the Mona Lisa and Michelangelo births his David culpture?  

This is magic!

—Sandi

“Best of” lists always make me suspicious.  Best of what? Why these? But Sami Norrat does a superb job of collecting these essays.  Some are funny.  Some are somber.  All are well written and all make you think.  Most made me hungry—less so the one about seal oil than the one about KitKats.  Whether you nibble at this collection one essay at a time, or devour it as a feast, you will find it satisfying.

—Yvette

With images of bird nests and spider webs, fragile infants and crumbling houses, of a fractured family and a troubled planet, Kingsolver builds a terrifically ambitious and accomplished novel.  Alternating between stories of a fictional modern family, and a 19th century plot with a very real female biologist, Kingsolver weaves an inspiring story. Science—yes, but also intrigue, romance, discovery, and murder.

Read this as a balm against the news of today

—Yvette

This is a marvelous historical fiction series set during and after the reign of Henry VIII.  The characters are wonderful and the research is spot-on.  I love this series and this, the newest, is awesome!

—Sandi

Originally published in 1993, and set in the Sydney (Australia) of the 1950’s, this gem of a novel is timeless in its depiction of female friendship and manners.  The women who work at the upscale department store, Goode’s, must wear black frocks, and the novel takes place during the six busy weeks around Christmas.  It is hot. Tempers soar.  Dresses are sold.  It is delightful!

—Yvette

What a treat to discover Sally Rooney!  From the current onslaught of mediocre prose transmitting suspenseful plots, this novel stands out shining.  It’s the story of a relationship between two high school classmates in a small town in Ireland as it changes through their years of college in Dublin.  Rooney’s spare and brilliant writing illuminates her insight and makes the unfolding of these two personalities completely compelling.

—Georgiana

Fforde is back! !  This isn’t a sequel to his Shades of Gray, but if you liked that one, you’ll love this one.  Enter a fully-realized world where most people hibernate all winter.  When trouble comes, the valiant folks who stay awake in wintertime must rally the others—menaced by the sorts that Fforde does best.  

Enjoy!

—Debbie

We can relate! The romance of bookselling; the tedium of accounts.  The thrill of matching book to reader; the frustration of selling in the age of Kindles.  Shaun tells his life story through the daily trials and triumphs of running a large second-hand bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland.  Funny, ruthless and surprisingly touching, this is a delight for all readers.

p.s.  Ask Sandi about the day she met Shaun!

—Yvette, Debbie, and Sandi

Originally published under the title The Lido, this charming novel will make you want to swim some laps, then sit by the pool reading.  It describes an unlikely friendship between a young reporter and an an older woman as they work to save an outdoor pool.  Though light, the novel is anchored by a diverse cast of characters, spot-on details, and well paced plot.

Sure to be the feel-good book of the summer.

—Yvette

In a post-plague world, where beloved Seattle icons are in ruin, where 200 animals run free and zombie-like humans rot, who will save the world? How about a foul-mouthed, cheeto-addicted crow?! Profane, gory, and wholly original, this brilliant and funny first novel will urge you to respect Mother Nature—and especially crows—in a whole new way.

—Yvette

This book will be released on August 6th—FREE chip clip to the first 5 people to pre-order it!

In a small village on the Thames, some time long ago, there is a gathering place for villagers, and those who live along the river’s banks, and travellers passing through. This is the Swan, an ancient inn reknowned for its storytelling nights, and the center itself of a story and a mystery that sprawl outward—bewitching in plot and language.
Uniquely wonderful book!

—Georgiana

Terrific writing, fascinating characters, excellent plot lines…welcome back to Barcelona, with all the characters you know and love plus an intriguing new protagonist, Alicia.  You can read the books in the quartet [earlier titles are The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game, and The Prisoner of Heaven] in any order, and this one just may be the best of all—which is very, very good indeed.

—Debbie

Absorbing story of the lives of four young musicians who form a quartet, and the way music and their relationships with each other shape their lives over the years.  Great story and wonderful glimpse into the world of music and musicians.

—Georgiana

Can one leave behind the pressures of society, the maddening news and the forces of change to establish authentic, optimistic retreat in nature? A charismatic camp founder, the original ranchers of the land, a college age girl raised on activism, and a dedicated  teenage boy, all come together in the summer of 1990 in a scenic Colorade Rockies location. Here they try to make sense of their surroundings, their dreams and their visions for the future. With flashbacks to the Reagan years, and ideas relevant to their own times, this is an intelligent, astute and compelling debut.

—Yvette

Interlinking stories of people whose lives have been affected and shaped by trees.  Each story is engaging in a different way, and though at first the number of strands may be a bit overwhelming, they come together and form a powerful and intensely meaningful whole–a breathtaking view into the natural world.

—Georgiana

Just in time for summer reading pleasure comes this sparkling novel of family and ex-family and the bonds that last. When his boyfriend leaves him, David least expects to stay with his ex-wife under a roof he starts to repair. Nor does he expect his relationship with Julie and her teenage daughter Mandy to be so easy. But this is the magic of McCauley’s novel – witty, nuanced and with spot-on dialogue – that you will want to move in as well. This is McCauley’s best novel so far – and that is saying a lot!

–Yvette

This is a remarkable and heartwrenching work! Be prepared to stay up late repeating “just one more chapter!” Based on real characters and events–reading the author’s notes is as awesome as reading the novel!

—Sandi

Move over Ove, there’s a new cranky old man in town. And what a feat of imagination Cathal Flood is! Swathed in cardigans, he lives on a vast estate populated by cats and a pet fox, where rooms of curiosities are barricaded by walls of ancient magazines. Into this situation comes Maud, a young caretaker with secrets of her own and saints literally watching over her. Magic and joyous with the perfect balance between dark humor and heartfelt sorrow.         

   –-Yvette

A simply wonderful story of loss and love and finding your passion. I love the role that books play in the characters’ lives. This book stole my heart!

—Sandi

An American wildlife biologist, a Ghanaian psychiatrist and an English fox literally collide on Waterloo Bridge. What follows, as the lives of the characters weave together and a search for a missing child intensifies, is a unique picture of modern London and a profound meditation on trauma and the meaning of happiness. Vivid and fascinating novel.

—Yvette

This book reveals a hidden army of female cryptographers whose work played a crucial role in ending World War II. Unmarried, bright young teachers and women who had excelled in math and languages and liked to do crossword puzzles were recruited by the US Army and Navy from small towns, especially from the “Seven Sisters” posh east coast colleges. Ten thousand women moved to Washington, DC, to Arlington Hall to begin their training in the meticulous work of code breaking. Their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. A strict vow of secrecy nearly erased their efforts from history. Now, through dazzling research and interviews with the surviving code girls, Mundy brings to life this riviting and vital story of American courage, service and scientific accomplishment.

—Nance

If you love the dense, detailed, historical and multigenerational novels of A.S. Byatt, this is for you. Set in the landscaped grounds and grand house of an English estate, first in 1663 and then in 1961, this novel explores historical change through family drama and social detail. Absorbing and interesting!

—Yvette

The author of Paris Wife introduces us to Martha Gellhorn, another of Hemingway’s wives.  Unlike Hadley (his first wife), who just gets left behind, Martha was a determined, high-spiritied journalist who was Hemingway’s match professionally and personally, with her own passionate presence on the world’s stage.  Paul McLain brings her story richly to life.

–Nance

Nesbo’s latest!!   It’s not a Harry Hole mystery, but its plot and characters are as complex and riveting as the Hole series.  Using Shakespeare’s work as the bleak plot framework is ingenious, as it showcases the criminal characters and the greed and evil of men.

–Nance

(Hope you weren’t looking for something cheery!)

Viking adventure on the open seas! Fierce battles, blood feuds, romance, epic heroes! This is the novel I dreamed of as a boy. Red Orm’s exploits are told in the form of the Icelandic Sagas, with very few adjectives, and the effect is straightforward and spellbinding. Frans Bengtsson’s novel is a BLAST!

—Eric Johnson from KOMO news.

Inventive, complex, original, distrubing and a total page-turner! Imagine a world where women have the power–literally. With a touch they can inflict pain. How will they use this force? Will the world be a better place? Is this society another case of absolute power corrupting absolutely? To say too much would spoil this one-of-a-kind novel. Read it and find out!  

–Yvette

This is the fascinating, tragic, and inspiring story of the young women who painted the luminous dials on time pieces and aviation equipment in the early 20th century. Their work was necessary, precise, and deadly; and to their employers, the women were basically an expendable and renewable resource. The bravery of the afflicted women is astonishing. One of the most interesting books I’ve read.        

 –Debbie

The subtitle spells it out: “Finding Refuge, Friendship and Hope in America.” This is a true account of a classroom in South High School in Denver and the students in the beginner-level English class. While their personal stories of how and why they came to the USA are heartbreaking, the overall message is one of HOPE, tolerance and understanding. Give this inspiring story to a favorite teacher.  

–Yvette

Welcome to a new mytery series!  This police procedural takes place primarily in contemporary Galway, Ireland, and is a welcome addition to the shelves of those of us who like Tana French and Benjamin Black.  

–Debbie

Seeing this beautiful new edition (finally in paperback!) makes me a fangirl all over again! If you love teen romance, Harry Potter, fanfiction and snow, this is for you. The characters are so believable you want to befriend them. Funny and tender in equal measure, this is a treat. 

—Yvette

Mark Helprin’s writing is full of passion and certainty; and it’s impossible to resist being swept up and carried away into the worlds he creates–in this case, to Paris, and the life of 74-year-old musician Jules LuCour.  Jules has lived a fantastic life, and the book is the story of his past and how it’s led him to his present, and a rumination on music, love, ageing, and–true to Helprin–thousands of other things.  The cover calls it a powerful and rapturous novel, and that is perfect.

–Georgiana

Between the Great Depression and age discrimination, older adults take to RV’s as they travel the country picking up temporary jobs to supplement social security checks.  Fascinating, heart-breaking, and hopeful.

–Kathryn

Totally blown away by the power of this book–the story of Turtle, a 14-year-old girl growing up isolated after her mother’s death, with her brilliant but tortured survivalist father on the northern California coast.  The sense of place, the story, and the writing are all extraordinary, and set this title apart from any others I’ve read in a while.  It’s dark, but brilliant and beautiful too.

—Georgiana

If you enjoyed what Robin Sloan revealed about books and booksellers in Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, just wait to see what he can do with bread! Lois receives a sourdough culture that is out of this world. Her forays into the cutting-edge foodie scene of San Francisco are balanced by the sage advice of the Lois club in this funny, freewheeling and fulfilling novel.         

–Yvette

A literary western about a fiercely independent young widow trying to save her farm and the people it employs by joining forces with her solitary brother-in-law on a dangerous and soul-searing buffalo hunt in 1873. Brilliant writing; great story.

—Georgiana

Tom Hanks (yes, that one) collects old typewriters that serve as the inspiration for these 17 short stories. Photos of the typewriters at the beginning of each story set the scene for these quirky, very human stories.

–Kathryn

This is a funny novel about big, serious themes – scientific research, climate change, suicide;  a warm hearted novel about the coldest place on earth, and a sympathetic novel about the misfits and loners thrown togther at the bottom of the world. Plus: Apsley Cherry-Garrard! Captain Scott! Birdie! Polar geeks rejoice.

—Yvette

Part medieval mystery, part love story (spanning hundreds of years), part time travel thriller. And I’m always a sucker for stories of the Plague. I love the writing and the sense of wonder I experienced throught this character. 

–Sandi

The author presents a warm, humorous look at loneliness, social awkwardness, and marching to a different drummer that will captivate readers from beginning to end. This is a charming story that is both heart-wrenching and amusing.           

–Nance

“Bob” is an acronym for Book-of-Books, and is the author’s list of all the books she’s read for the last twenty-eight years.  Just the the titles conjure memories for her of what was going on in her life at the time.  She shares connections and anecdotes that most readers can relate to.  As the cover says, it’s a love letter to books.              

–Debbie

This is a fascinating book for any bird brain and music lover (like me!), written by a Seattle author. Inspired by the true story of Mozart and his pet starling, the author adopts one of her own. Using this as a starting point, she writes about her charming pet, about the general destructive nature of the species, and about Mozart’s life and history. By the way, her bird’s favorite composer is…Bach!

—Yvette

New Year’s Eve 1984. Lillian decides to walk around her beloved Manhattan after dinner. During her 10 mile journey she recounts her career, marriage, and her single life. At 80, Lillian is gutsy, smart, funny, perceptive and charming. She’s a character you would love to have known. Enjoy her journey.

–Nance

Julia Glass, a master at creating living, breathing, sometimes frustrating but always believable characters, takes us deep into the world of Mort Lear, famous children’s book author. The plot is simple–Mort dies, the past is revealed–but the story is rich and layered and the characters complex. Spend some time in this house among the trees!

–Yvette

This novel puts a very human face on the story of immigration. Polly came to New York from China, created a family and was deported–but the story doesn’t stop there. It is told in sections alternating between Polly’s brash, bold, determined, loving and frightened voice and that of her son Deming’s (then Daniel’s) confused, lonely and troubled one. Ambitious and compelling, it will open your eyes and your heart.

–Yvette

What a fun book – and on thread with the recognition of women in history and literature. So many amazing characters come to life, including Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson and even Frankenstein’s monster – no offense meant to the monster community. You’ll be enchanted!

–Sandi

Steeped in Victorian detail but written in a distinctly fresh voice, this novel will transport you directly to the foggy, salty Essex marsh. There questions of science and faith, medicine and ritual, love and friendship are centered on the mystery of what lies in the water. This is a big novel of ideas, but also a vivid and well plotted story.

–Yvette

For those of you looking for a book club selection, this book will inspire a much-needed conversation about race and prejudice in America. The story is told from three viewpoints: Ruth, an African-American nurse; Turk, a white supremacist; and Kennedy, Ruth’s white public defender. The dialogue is at times upsetting and frustrating, but it is a compelling and intense story. 

–Nance

A quietly beautiful novel, imbued throughout with deep feeling for the lost American prairie landscape. It’s the story of some of the first people to populate and make a living from these prairies–immigrants from the U.S. east coast and from Bulgaria, Hungary, “Bohemia”– and how they learned to live with the land and with each other. Quietly powerful characters and story–loved it even more the second time around.

–Georgiana

Agatha Christie fans will recognize the English setting, the intriguing plot, and the character Pund as a Poirot-like sleuth in this mystery within a mystery. Well written, easy to follow plot which alternates between a present day mystery and one from 1955. Just the right amount of twists and turns to keep the reader enthralled. Good read.

–Nance

Harry Hole is back! Nesbo pulls Harry back from his blissfully peaceful state as a lecturer at the Police College and the husband to his great love, Rakel, to hunt for a serial killer. Oslo’s finest are frustrated and getting nowhere on this case. Harry’s experience and skills are needed, as the killer’s MO is similar to that of one killer who escaped Harry and still haunts his dreams. This novel os one of Nesbo’s best, featuring skillfully developed characters, intricate plot and suspenseful twists, all hallmarks of a master storyteller.

—Nance

Based on real events and  people, this is the story of the Ravensbruck Rabbits–74 women prisoners in the Ravensbruck concentration camp.  We meet three women:  an American socialite who volunteers to help French citizens obtain asylum in the U.S. as Hitler’s armies invade Europe, a German docctor who serves the Reich at Ravensbruck camp, and a young Polish girl who joined the resistance before being captured and sent to Ravensbruck.  Drawing upon a decade of research, the author reconstructs what life was like in Ravensbruck.  More than a war story, this is a tale of how the strength of women’s bonds can carry them through the most difficult situations.  A compelling historical read.

–Nance

The bestselling author of A Man Called Ove tells the story of a hockey town paralyzed by scandal.  Jobs are disappearing and Beartown is slowly dying; so for its citizens, hockey is everything.  This is the story of what happens to the town when 15-year-old Maya attends a party at the star hockey player’s home.  Things get out of hand, and this affects Beartown forever.   Ove provides rich character development and skilled handling of the tragedy and its effects on an insular town.  Dark at times; but love, sacrifice and the bonds of friendship and family shine through, offering hope and redemption.

–Nance

Spence is a librarian and her book is an exquisitely funny collection of love letters and break-up notes to various books in her life.  Spence’s insights into her feelings about the books are witty, thought-provoking, and hilarious.  At the end, she offers wonderful suggestions of “Book Hookups (You and Two Books,” “Readin’ Nerdy (Books about Librarians,” “Blind Date (Good Books with Bad Covers,” “For Keeps (Books I’ll Never Break up With),” and many others.  This is a book for all book lovers.  Great gift!

–Nance

Meg Wolitzer shines a beacon on what it means to be a woman living today. In her keely observant, multilayered and compelling novel, she brings to life four vivid main characters: Greer, fresh out of college and seeking a mentor; her boyfriend Cory; her best friend Zee; and Faith Frank, a stylish and persuasive leader in the women’s movement. As the lives of these characters unfold, Wolitzer explores themes of friendship, “sisterhood”, ambition, sexual harassment, feminism and loyalty. While these themes are up-to-the-minute, the novel reads like a timeless classic.

— Yvette

The oppressive heat in drought-plagued Australia is as much a character in this book as the people are. A tragic event brings Aaron Falk back to the struggling town he was forced to leave twenty years before. Sometimes small towns contain too many memories and secrets to return to… Really good police procedural!

—Debbie

A quirky independent bookstore is the setting for this mystery that will have you rooting for Lydia to solve the clues left after one of her favorite customers dies. This is not a cozy but rather a convoluted, intriguing, rather dark foray into secrets and relationships both old and new. It’s excellent!

—Debbie

Chances are that you’ve never heard of the Wilhelm Gustloff 1945 maritime disaster. That really happened. This terrific young adult novel follows four young people from vastly different backgrounds as they try to escape from Prussia when the Nazis are invading from the west and the Russians are encroaching from the east. This is emotionally engrossing historical fiction.

—Debbie

Quietly wonderful story of a neighborhood in England, 1976. Mrs. Creasy has gone missing, and 11-year-olds Grace and Tilly decide to spend their summer vacation finding her. The story progresses through their eyes and those of other neighborhood residents. Very charming and wise. As another reviewer said, “reminiscent of Scout Finch with shades of Flavia de Luce.” 

—Georgiana

This is a quiet, often sad, novel that asks the question: what endures when everything else is gone? A lonely astronomer, looking up, stays at the Arctic research facility after everyone else evacuates. A team of astronauts returning from Jupiter looks down and desperately listens for a signal. Something draws these two together. Read this novel for the beautiful language, vivid Arctic scenes and spinetingling revelation at the end.  

–Yvette

Can you ever recover from the experience of war?  Set in the 1970’s, this lyrical novel explores the impact of the Vietnam War on pilot and painter Billy Flynn and his large family.  Told with a playwright’s pacing and ear for dialogue, and infused with a keen sense of the natural world, this is a hearbreaking, beautiful novel. 

–Yvette

Are you looking for another nordic/ Scandinavian mystery series??? Here you go—a thoughtful police procedural set in snowy (very snowy) northern Iceland.  This is not as graphic and gory as some others of its ilk, which is kind of a refreshing change!  I think you’ll like it.

–Debbie

“More than meets the eye” are words to remember in this excellently written novel about what happens when the (seemingly) picture perfect Richardson family meets free-wheeling single mom Mia and her daughter Pearl. Everyone (and every situation) has more layers than you think. I really liked this!

–Debbie

As mysterious as a snowy forest, and as beautiful as thin ice, this book pulls you forward into the lives of the characters and never lets you go. It is primarily a coming of age story. Linda seems to find her purpose taking care of little Paul from across the lake, but things are not exactly as they seem and her actions have far reaching consequences. I can’t wait to see what this author does next. Finalist for the 2017 Man Booker Prize. 

–-Yvette

Eowyn Ivey (whose previous book “The Snow Child” is also wonderful) writes a love letter to Alaska in this visually beautiful, richly constructed, historically accurate and magically real novel. Like the state itself, this book is filled with adventure and romance. Every character is fully realized; every section wonderfully told. It is 1885 and Colonel Forrester explores the vast untamed area of the Wolverine River, while his wife waits, but not idly, in Vancouver, WA. This is an amazing book.  

—Yvette

Captain Kidd travels through Texas, giving readings from mostly current newspapers to an audience. It is 1870 and Texas is unsettled and wild. At a stop, he is offered a large sum of money to return a young girl, previoulsy held captive by the Kiowa, to her relatives. The girl is reluctant to leave her new family, but the two set out into danger and adventure. This is a western for people who don’t usually like Westerns.

–Yvette

Great book!

–Megan