John’s Picks
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
This is almost the too short to be called a novel — it’s more of a great “novella.” A young couple just married in the early 1960s — honeymooning on Chesil Beach in a small hotel, both are virgins on the brink of their first night together. One filled with nervous excitement — the other pure dread. McEwan masters the moment in this sad but moving vignette.
Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra
In the genre of Sacred Boy and Shantaram, Chandra take us through the epic odyssey of a young boy coming up in the Mafia underbelly of Bombay where everything comes at a cost. Told with wonderful and deep descriptions and from different characters’ lives — this is a modern masterpiece — just set some time aside to pick up the pace and get to know who’s who.
A Vineyard in Tuscany by Ferenc Máté
Light and fun — wouldn’t we all like to have the cash and the time to renovate a 16th century monastery and create world class wines. Even if we’ll never get there — Máté takes us on his own personal journey to wine lover’s heaven. Bonus recipes in the back are also excellent!
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
No sophomore slump for Hosseini — after the stunning success of Kite Runner I was worried his second book might fail to please. No worries — this is also a moving, well written, sad, and wonderful novel examining life in Afghastan from the female point of view. Not to be missed!
Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier
For those who loved my pick, Shadow of the Wind, this translated novel is sure to please — a mysterious novel about a boring classics teacher who has a chance encounter with an interesting and beautiful woman on a rainy bridge — failing to get so much as her name, he is mesmerized by her presence. In a moment of madness he leaves a few nights later for Portugal with nothing so much as a letter to his school and a small bag. He takes off to examine his life and chase down the history of the enigmatic woman. A treat!
The Painter of Battles by Arturo Perez-Reverte
As many of you know, Perez-Reverte is my current favorite novelist. I have read all of his translated works and this latest is wonderful. A retiring war photojournalist haunted by bad memories has enclosed himself in a tower to paint his artistic visual interpretation of battle. But, a man shows up he has only seen once before — when he took his picture for a Pulitzer-winning battle photograph many years before in Croatia. Asking the soldier of his purpose, the man replies “because I’m going to kill you…” Thus begins an amazing novel.
An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England
by Brock Clarke
This a quirky New England read about a bumbling idiot who accidentally kills two people when he burns down the Emily Dickinson House. After serving 10 years in prison and rebuilding his life after incarceration — other famous writer’s homes begin to burn. The police are after Sam and in the spirit of Confederacy of Dunces — he just can’t seem to do the right thing. Very different — very enjoyable.
Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher
I started this book at 6pm and did not stop till I turned the last page in the wee hours of the morning. A high school girl commits suicide and leaves 7 audiotapes with 13 sides explaining the reasons why she killed herself. As the tapes are passed to each of those involved the suspense and impact of personal actions is immense and potent. This book give me shivers just thinking about it. AMAZING!
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
Every once in a while you just have to read a classic. This story of a father and son’s cross country motorcycle journey digs deep into the meaning of life, finding what is important, and an examination of values. Still resonates more than 25 years after its publication — not a beach read by a long shot, but very worth the work.
Coal Black Horse by Robert Olmstead
This is an incredible novel that moves the reader with powerful, raw, and delicious imagery of a young boy's journey to find his father during the civil war. For those who loved Cold Mountain, this is your next book. Mesmerizing and haunting.
To the Wedding by John Berger
A customer recommended this to me and I read it in one sitting! A sparse, beautiful, moving novel that has a sense of wholeness and perfection second to nothing; at times sad and at times joyous — utterly powerful.
The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
A fantastic work of non-fiction that chronicles the 1996 sensational fire that destroyed the historic Fenice Opera House in Venice. Like Venice itself, this book winds and meanders through many different characters ’ lives all connected to the burning of the Opera House. I love a book that transports you to a different city — and opens your eyes to the inner workings of its particular culture. This is not a novel, but it certainly reads like one!
Snow Blind by P. J. Tracy
Another fun, fast-paced mystery written by the mother and daughter team know as P. J. Tracy. The Monkeewrench crew of computer geniuses and extroverts are back on the scene trying to stop a tricky serial killer, that may indeed be two killers working together. This goes in my “Plane” or “Beach” read bag.
Night Train by Martin Amis
A customer recommended this terse, short, concise mystery to me and I had to read it. It moves at a lightning pace in short chapters and is the first mystery that paints a truly different picture of a homicide detective a work. It gets so tricky at the end I had to reread the last chapter. Very different. Very good.
The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez
A young mathematician and visiting graduate student finds his elderly landlady dead in her home near Oxford University. Thus begins a mysterious saga of a serial killer demonstrating a mathematical theorem through the murders of his victims. With the help of his mentor the young student must unravel the code and stop the murders. Good writing combines with good plot pace to make this an enjoying literary mystery.
Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton
This novel is not new, nor had I ever heard of it until a finished copy complete with lovely French flaps arrived on my desk a few weeks ago as a reissue. Written in the 1930s just before the outbreak of WW II, the lead character George Bone is a lowlife alcoholic passing his time infatuated by the beautiful Netta — a cruel woman who uses George only for the occasional free pint. However, George is also prone to schizophrenic blackouts where he has only one obsession: murdering Netta — the same woman his alter-ego adores. Which personality will win out — you must read on. With a similar voice to Dostoevsky in Crime and Punishment, this modern classic was a joy to read.
The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld
Sigmund Freud made his only trip to the US in 1909 — New York is a booming city full of money, immigrants, construction and crime. A beautiful young woman is found murdered and violated in her penthouse apartment and a few blocks away another woman barely escapes a similar attack, yet she cannot remember her traumatic experience. It is up to a rookie detective, a young psychologist, and Sigmund Freud to unravel the secret identity of New York’s ghastly killer. Great novel with good historical facts providing the icing on the cake.
Cross by James Patterson
Patterson returns with another Alex Cross novel after a hiatus wrought with co-written mystery duds. With his best Character leading the investigation into the murder of his wife, this is vintage Patterson — super-short chapters and good plot twists. This is at best a two-nighter, you just can’t put it down!
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wells
So many book groups are reading this tight memoir that I could barely keep it on the shelves. So I figured I had to find out what makes it so great. Wells’ story seems so tough and over the top sad that you almost can’t believe what she is telling is true — yet this is her memoir and this actually happened to her. Reads like a novel — actually happened — nice combo. Tough childhood? Nothing compared to Jeanette Wells!
