The Turn of the Screw

The Turn of the Screw
by Henry James
Penguin Books, 2010. 120 pgs. Fiction

A young woman is hired to be the governess of two orphaned children who are under their uncle’s care, out on a country estate. Upon hiring the governess, the uncle, who lives in London, informs the governess that he does not want to be bothered with any details about the children’s concerns and to handle them on her own. Puzzled about that stipulation but determined to do her best, she sets out and realizes she couldn’t ask for better children and a better situation, until she starts seeing ghosts.

I had some hopes that the slow beginning might be setting a stage for a creepy story, but it fell flat. Many readers will find that the governess’ first-person narration actually hinders the story; a major theme is her own mental state, and some readers will find the ambiguity of the reliability of the narrator to be irritating. The only thing going for the book was that it was short.

KK

Yesterday's Dead

Yesterday's Dead
By Pat Bourke
Second Story Press, c2012. 256 pgs. Young Adult

Meredith has dreamed of becoming a teacher, but her family's financial troubles force her to accept a position as a servant. With a stern butler who never seems to think she is capable of doing anything right, the snotty daughter of the family she serves determined to constantly insult her, and being away from her mother and sister, Meredith's situation is incredibly difficult. And the Spanish Influenza comes to Toronto and as all of the adults in the household are either ill themselves or working at the hospital to help the masses of sick people, Meredith's responsibilities become nearly unbearable, as she worries if everyone she cares about will be struck ill--and if any of them will survive.

I enjoyed the chance to take a look at the Spanish Influenza epidemic, but didn't care as much for the character development. It's interesting look at a historical event but not the most engaging story. Still, historical fiction fans should find something they like about the book, even if they don't love everything.

AE

Rachel's Secret

Rachel's Secret
By Shelly Sanders
Second Story Press, 2012. 248 pgs. Young Adult

Rachel is a Jewish girl living in Russia in 1903. When her Christian friend Mikhail is killed, there's an uproar in the community, with many of Christians claiming that the Jews were responsible for the murder in order to use the blood in their rituals. Rachel, who actually saw the murder and knows who is guilty, is terrified that if she comes forward, she and her family will all be at risk. As anti-Jewish sentiments ran wild in their city, Rachel forms an unlikely friendship with Sergei, a Christian boy whose father, chief of police, seems content to let violence erupt against the Jews.

Based on actual events, this is a worthy piece of historical fiction as it shows an important piece of history, as well as delivering messages about prejudice, propaganda, and friendship. Sometimes the writing seemed somewhat awkward, such as in a scene where Sergei lectures his father about doing nothing to do stop the pogrom, but overall, it's one that any conscientious reader looking to learn more about history should read.

AE

Istanbul Passage

Istanbul Passage
by Joseph Kanon
Simon & Schuster, 2012. 404 pgs. Mystery

Shortly after World War II, Leon Bauer, an on and off odd-jobs man and courier for the Allied War effort in Istanbul is asked to pick up an incoming defector, a valuable "asset" who has information of importance to the West. A routine assignment. But then someone starts shooting and when the assailant becomes known, everything changes. Leon must hide a man accused of despicable things, with no idea where to send him next. Soon the Turkish secret police, the Russians, and the Americans are searching for "Alexei", a man accused of despicable acts,  and Leon feels honor bound to hide him without knowing why. Reminiscent of John le Carre's morally ambiguous espionage novels, Istanbul Passage is an intellectual and ethical puzzle.  What to do when only two bad choices present themselves: leave his essentially comatose wife for another woman? let Alexei be taken when the enormity of his amorality and probable crimes becomes known? must someone be betrayed? All of Leon's inner turmoil and outer dangers play out against the extraordinary backdrop of Istanbul which functions more as the central character of the book than as merely the setting. Rich in action, characterizations, and moral dilemmas, Istanbul Passage is atmospheric and memorable.  (Small objection:  Leon's love interest seems unworthy of him--a bit of a whiny drag, and their one sex scene is gratuitous.)

LW

Keep Holding On

Keep Holding On
By Susane Colasanti
Viking, 2012. 202 pgs. Young Adult

Noelle's entire life is pretty much miserable. With her mother working a minimum wage  job, they're living on food stamps and barely able to pay their rent, never have enough to eat, and can't afford the sort of clothes that the rest of the kids at Noelle's school can afford. Her mother constantly complains about how Noelle ruined her life, and the kids at school aren't any better, having dropped her when her family's financial troubles started. For years, she's been bullied and teased, with only one friend standing by her. Now her secret crush Julian seems to be interested in her, but Noelle doesn't think she's good enough for him and is content to keep making out with her "boyfriend" Matt, who refuses to be seen in public with her. However, when tragedy strikes, Noelle decides enough is enough.

Colasanti has tackled an important topic here and this book is one that both those who are being bullied and those who do the bullying should read. She takes readers inside the pain and humiliation and hopelessness that Noelle, and anyone being bullied, feels, which would hopefully lead bullies to rethink their actions. But she also shows how Noelle chooses to rise above the bullying, which is an inspirational message for anyone being bullied.I thought the romance angle was actually a little weak, since we didn't really see much of the developing relationship between Julian and Noelle, but I recommend putting this one in the hands of just about any teen that you could get to read it.


AE

Bring Up the Bodies

Bring Up the Bodies
by Hilary Mantel
Henry Holt & Co., 2012, 410 pgs. Fiction


I liked this book, the sequel to Wolf Hall, though it wasn't as good as the first. The story was less complex, which is both good and bad. Good insofar as it was easier to follow but bad as it made the story less interesting. People who were frustrated with Wolf Hall will find this one easier to read. Also, it lacked some of the fascinating interplay of characters, such as the relationship between Cromwell and Cardinal Wolsey. And of course, for anyone who knows the history, the ending came as no surprise.

Fans of Wolf Hall will enjoy this book as well. For those who had mixed feelings about Wolf Hall, I would suggest you give this one a go as it is an easier read. For anyone who hated Wolf Hall, I could not recommend this book as the sequel is too similar to the first volume.

On the whole, a decent read. I look forward to the third and final volume. Let's hope it doesn't take another three years wait.

Just Send Me Word

Just Send Me Word:  A True Story of Love and Survival in the Gulag
by Orlando Figes
Henry Holt, 2012.  329 pgs. Nonfiction.

Lev Mishchenko and Svetlana Ivanova met at university, fell in love, and might have gone on to marriage, a family, a happy life together, except that World War II intervened.  Lev's days as a soldier were cut short when he was captured by the Germans. During his time in the Reich's prisoner of war camp he was asked to translate for the Germans. When he returned home, he was charged with treason and sent to the Pechora labor camp in the Arctic Gulag. Five years after Lev had last seen Sveta, he received a letter from her, beginning a remarkable correspondence that is not only the only known real-time record of life in Stalin's labor camps, but forms the basis of an extraordinary story of love and loyalty. From 1946 to 1954, 1500 letters passed between the two, thanks to the kindly interventions of Lev's friends in and near the prison camps. Sveta even managed short and perilous visits, taking unauthorized extensions to work tours to visit Pechora for a few hours of guard-supervised time with Lev. Just Send Me Word  is a beautiful, terrible narrative of two people desperately in love with each other but kept apart by the cruelties of their time and place in the world. During Lev's darkest days, he sees in a dream, or a vision himself turning to look behind him, where he sees Sveta dressed in white, kneeling to help a young girl with her dress. Four times he has the dream and at long last, it comes true.

LW

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink
By Stephanie Kate Strohm
Graphia/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. 204 pgs. Young Adult

Libby Kelting is a "historical romance-reading, Jane Austen-adaptation-watching, all-around history nerd."  She's off for the summer to work at Camden Harbor, a Living History Museum in Maine where the staff dress up in late 1700's apparel and work at various trades and crafts from that time period.  Unfortunately, her summer isn't exactly going the way she hoped when she meets her roommate who takes an instant dislike to her, and a local reporter who likes to make fun of her just because she fell into a barrel the first time she met him.  Plus, it appears that there is a ghost haunting Camden harbor.  But at least it's sure to be an unforgettable summer.

This is a fun read that falls somewhere into the YA chick-lit category.  Libby is a likable character with a good sense of humor who carries the story along even if things get a bit cliche at times.  A very entertaining read that you don't have to take too seriously - perfect for summer. 

BHG

The House I Loved

The House I Loved
By Tatiana de Rosnay
St. Martin’s Press, 2012. 222 pgs. Fiction

Tatiana de Rosnay’s new novel reveals another less familiar period in Paris’s history. Her first novel ‘Sarah’s Key’ gave us a heartbreaking look at Nazi occupied France and now we travel further back to the 1860s when whole neighborhoods were razed to make way for a new ‘modern’ city. Rose Bazelet, the narrator, is a widow living in one of the homes facing demolition. ‘The House I Loved’ is basically a love letter to both her departed husband and his family home where they shared their lives.

I did not love this book. I’m not even sure I liked it. There were times when the history was interesting enough to make up for Rose’s sentimental recollections, but not for long and not often. The conclusion seemed overly dramatic and insanely frustrating as Rose refuses to let go of the past.

CZ

The Cove

The Cove

By Ron Rash

Ecco, 2012.  255 pgs.  Fiction

Laurel Shelton has spent her entire life in a secluded cove deep in the Appalachians of North Carolina.  Her family has a history of bad luck that ostracizes them from neighboring families, and an unfortunate birthmark makes her especially suspect.  Her only surviving relative, her brother Hank, seems to have escaped the family curse, partially due to losing an arm while fighting in the still bloody battlefields of World War I. Then enters a mute stranger who may save Laurel from the solitary life she believes she is fated to live.

The ugliness of deep prejudice is a major theme in this beautifully written novel.  Laurel’s life includes so little kindness that readers can’t help but desperately want her to find love, acceptance, and if at all possible, escape from the life she was born to.  The home front of World War I provides a fascinating backdrop and historical details that many people may not be aware of.  ‘The Cove’ is heartbreaking but somehow still hopeful and a pure delight to read.

CZ

The Selection

The Selection
By Kiera Cass
HarperTeen, 2012. 327 pgs. Young Adult

"The Selection" is a competition between 35 randomly chosen women from the kingdom to compete for the heart of Prince Maxon and the future position of queen.  Any girl would be thrilled to have the opportunity, except for America Singer, who has already found the love of her life.  So when America is chosen for The Selection, she leaves for the palace expecting to be rejected immediately.  However, after meeting Prince Maxon and forming an instant friendship, American starts to question the future she had planned for herself.

After a slow beginning, I couldn't help staying up late to finish this.  However, this isn't a flawless book, and if you expect a higher quality of writing from your books, you may want to pass this by.  But for a quick, easy dystopian read, this can be entertaining.  This is the first in a series.

BHG

The Garner Files

The Garner Files
By James Garner
Simon & Schuster, 2011. 273 pgs. Biography

James Garner--known for his iconic roles in television and film- Maverick, The Rockford Files, The Great Escape, and Support Your Local Sheriff to name just a few--brings his career to light in this pleasant memoir. It reads as if you are having a chat with Garner on a Saturday afternoon over lunch. In fact, you enjoy the stories so much you don’t realize until the end that he really didn’t share about his personal life after he became a star. While that is typical of Garner, always a private man, what you do get out the memoir is the character of the man who stands up for what he believes is right, even if it means going against the studio. Although he fell into acting because he needed a job, he is still going strong fifty years later. Minus the chapter on golfing (I’m just not as enthusiastic about the sport as Garner), I enjoyed every minute of the book and would recommend it for any classic television or film fan.

KK

The Snow Child

The Snow Child
By Eowyn Ivey
Little, Brown and Co., 2012. 389 pgs. Fiction

Jack and Mabel are a childless couple who move to Alaska in the 1920's to try to start a new life for themselves. They grow apart as Jack struggles to turn their farm into something that can sustain them and Mabel is left in the cabin all day with a crushing loneliness that she can't escape. On the first snow fall of the winter they unexpectedly find themselves building a beautiful little snow girl together in the yard. The next morning the snow girl is destroyed, the mittens and scarf are gone and a lone pair of footprints leads into the woods. Soon they start seeing a little girl darting among the trees with a red fox. Mabel remembers a Russian fairy tale that her father used to tell her as a girl about a childless old couple and a snow child.

This novel covers a large span of time so many of the day to day happenings are left out but then great detail is given to the sights and smells of the wilderness. It was a good balance. There was also the element of the Russian fairy tale woven into the story that created just a little touch of magic and mystery. I really enjoyed this novel which surprised me because the plot is fairly slow and the whole book has a sad feel to it. The authors language and descriptions are beautiful. There aren't many characters, but it is fascinating to watch them evolve over the years. This is one of those stories that will stay with me for a long time.

AL

Ripper

Ripper
By Amy Carol Reeves
Flux, 2012. 343 pgs. Young Adult

After her mother's death in 1888, Abbie Sharp is sent to live with her grandmother in an upscale London neighborhood. She is bored with all the proper things her grandmother expects her to do so her grandmother suggests that she volunteer at Whitechapel Hospital for one week in order to better appreciate her new life of luxury. The plan backfires when Abbie discovers a true passion for helping all the less fortunate women and children at the hospital and decides to spend more time there. Her work at the hospital becomes more dangerous when Jack the Ripper starts brutally murdering former patients.

Abbie is a tough heroine who doesn't cringe away from the realities of the medical field. She is street tough from the years she spent in Ireland and can hold her own. That being said, I had a hard time believing that she could be alone on the streets of London as much as she was, especially for this time period. There is a paranormal element brought into this novel that added to the creepiness. Because of the description of some of the medical procedures, the brutality of the murders and some language I would recommend this novel to older teens and adults.

AL

The Invaders

The Invaders
By John Flanagan
Philomel, 2012. 429 pgs. Young Adult

In the second book of the Brotherband series, Hal and his crew, the Herons, have set out after the ruthless pirate Zavac, who stole the Skandians' treasured artifact, the Andomal. If they can get the artifact back, they may actually be able to redeem themselves and show their faces in Skandia again some day. While the boys have successfully completed their brotherband training, they are still young and need to learn how to work together, use their skills and ingenuity, and hope luck is on their side as they hunt down the pirates.

The more I read of John Flanagan, the more I like him. I didn't always care about the details of the battles or the ship terms, but the book still moved really quickly. This is an easy recommendation--fans of adventure, humor, and general awesomeness should definitely check out this series.

AE

Civilization

Civilization: The West and the Rest
By Niall Ferguson
Penguin Press, 2011. 402 pgs. Nonfiction

In ‘Civilization’, Niall Ferguson attempts to answer the question of why the West has dominated the world over the past five or six centuries. He provides what he feels are six key strengths the West enjoyed. One of these strengths was the fierce competitiveness held between all the small countries that make up Europe. Another was the development of the Protestant work ethic that encouraged the building of industry and wealth. These ideas are carefully presented with entertaining examples and enlightening explanations.

This is a further development to Jared Diamond’s ‘Guns, Germs, and Steel’. However, Diamond’s scope was much bigger encompassing the history of all Earth’s civilizations and focuses more on how the Earth’s resources shaped the survival of those civilizations while Ferguson’s theories are more about the cultural resources that aided in the West’s rise and potential fall. This is a very intriguing work providing readers with both a history of where we have been and a warning about where we may be headed.

CZ

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
By Laini Taylor
Little, Brown, 2011. 418 pgs. Young Adult

Karou is not exactly your average teenager. She goes to an art school in Prague, but her artwork, sketches of monsters that everyone assumes are just from her imagination, is actually a reflection of the only family she has ever known. Brimstone, a chimaerae wishmonger who collects teeth, has raised her from the time she was a child, and while she sometimes resents that he won't explain who Karou is or what exactly he does with those teeth. Akivia is an angel soldier whose job pits him against the chimaera, but when his latest mission brings him into contact with Karou, who while seemingly human also has traits of the chimaera, he sets out to find out who she is.

This one started out a little slow for me, but once Karou and Akivia run into each other, things picked up really quickly and the book was completely gripping from that point on. I couldn't wait to see how things would play out, and when the book ended, I definitely wasn't ready for it to be over and now am eagerly awaiting the sequel. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator quite a bit.

AE

Scarlet

Scarlet
By A.C. Gaughen
Walker & Co., 2012. 292 pgs. Young Adult

Will Scarlet is Robin Hood's right-hand man, an expert thief, who snatches food and riches to help the people from starving or being dragged off to prison as the sheriff of Nottingham subjects them to extreme taxation. He is also an expert knife-thrower and can sneak in and out of just about anywhere without being seen. But he is really a she, and she has a past that she doesn't want anyone to know about. While Robin and the other members of their small band--John Little and Much--know she's a girl, they don't know what Scarlet is hiding from. Then Guy of Gisbourne, the infamous thief catcher, is hired by the sheriff to find Robin and his band, and Scarlet's past comes back to haunt her.

With lots of action, a quick-moving plot, and a love triangle, this retelling of the Robin Hood legend is fun from start to finish. Readers will probably be able to guess early on who Scarlet really is, but that doesn't detract from the unfolding of the additional details about who she is and what she has experienced. This is one that will leave readers hoping there's a sequel, because they won't be ready to say good-bye to Scarlet, Robin, or the rest of the characters. Some violence and a little bit of language, but nothing too bad.

AE

Under the Never Sky

Under the Never Sky
by Veronica Rossi
Harper, 2012. 376 pgs. Young Adult Fiction

Aria is part of a group of people known as dwellers who live in large dome-like bunkers and spend their days partying in virtual realms. But when Aria is exiled to the outside after she and her friends break into an old bunker and things go horribly wrong, she meets Perry, a young man who has grown up outside fighting to survive in a world ravaged by terrible Æther storms.

Aria wants to find her mother who has recently moved to another dwelling and Perry is looking for his young nephew who was taken by the dwellers. They realize that neither one can achieve their goal on their own and so start a journey that changes both of their lives.

Alternating chapters tell the story from both Aria and Perry’s point of view. If I was rating this book, I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. It’s an enjoyable read, but it’s not amazing or anything. Though not as good, I would recommend it if you really enjoyed The Hunger Games or Divergent.

AJ

How We Got the Book of Mormon

How We Got the Book of Mormon
By Richard E. Turley, Jr. and William W. Slaughter
Deseret Book, 2011. 154 pages. Nonfiction.

The stated purpose of this book is to help readers "better understand the history of the Book of Mormon." The text covers briefly how the record came to be, how it was translated, and then gives details regarding the printing of six different editions of the book: the first edition (1830), the second edition (1837), the third edition (1840), the first European edition (1841), the 1920 edition, and the 1981 edition. Also included is a chapter explaining how and when the book came to be divided into chapter and verse. This slim volume provides background on the circumstances under which each edition was produced and the developments (or setbacks) involved in the formatting, presentation, and text of each edition. The book is very nicely illustrated with color images from each edition as well as with photographs of key players in the printing history.

Although many students of Mormonism will be somewhat familiar with how the first edition came about, most of this book will be new information for most readers. One interesting tidbit: Lorenzo Snow, on behalf of Brigham Young, presented Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with a copy of the first European edition which was included in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle.

SML

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
By Michael Chabon
Picador/Random House, 2000. 648 pages. Fiction

Joe Kavalier escapes from Nazi-infested Prague of the later 1930s and winds up in New York City. He has really no other intention that to earn money to rescue the rest of his family, but when he partners with his cousin in the creation of "The Escapist" his life takes unexpected turns.

Having been a big comic book fan growing up, this story of a couple of guys creating a successful comic book character was truly engaging on several levels. There's adventure and romance, but the real adventure and romance is in the minds of these two young men. The story is rife with imagination. A fantastic story.

SML

Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey
By Jane Austen
Clio Press, 1991. 234 pgs. Fiction

Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland is given the opportunity to go to Bath, where she meets the handsome Henry Tilney and his sister Eleanor. Although another friend, Isabella Thorpe and her brother John, seem determined to monopolize all of Catherine's time, she cultivates the friendship with Eleanor and Henry and soon their father, who is almost excessively friendly to Catherine, invites her to visit them at their estate, Northanger Abbey. While there, Catherine, who is a fan of gothic novels, finds her imagination swayed by her reading and fears that there is a dreadful mystery hidden within the walls of the abbey.

This is the most lighthearted of Austen's novels and perhaps the most tongue-in-cheek, as the opinions of even the most likable of the characters can seem ridiculous. The first part of the book serves to illustrate Catherine's utter naivete and lack of understanding of people's characters and intentions, particularly that of Isabella and John. While that serves to firmly establish Catherine as unsuspecting and innocent, it can also serve to slightly annoy the reader, since Isabella and John prattle on and on and Catherine doesn't seem to understand anything that's going on. It's a relief when her visit to Northanger Abbey finally happens and her imagination runs wild. I probably liked this least of all of Austen's novels, perhaps because the romance wasn't as strong as in her other books, but I did like that I could just breeze through it. It'd be a fun one to read with a friend and laugh at all of the silliness of the society and the characters.

AE

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

Why Be Happy When You Could be Normal?
by Jeanette Winterson
Grove Press, 2011.  230 pgs. Biography

     Suppose you were adopted by a Fundamentalist mother, a "religious" woman without a hint of compassion, who is so disappointed with you that she tells you the Devil led her to the wrong crib when she picked you out. This is Jeanette Winterson's story as told in her new memoir, a rich, exquisitely painful look at the childhood of a genius who ended up in a household that could hardly have been less fitting. Winterson's mother did not want her to read books, locked her in the dark in the coal hole for any infraction--real or imagined, locked her out of the house all night for any offense. And when Jeanette realized she was gay, her mother went up like a Roman candle. Winterson was saved by the kindness of friends, teachers and neighbors, by her own stubborn will and intelligence, and by libraries and reading. Working her way through the Classics of British Literature, from A to Z, she found voices that spoke to her and directed her to a life previously beyond her imagining. Winterson recognizes and documents the psychological problems she would have later in life because of her difficult upbringing, and, surprisingly, dedicates the book to her adoptive mother, showing forgiveness and compassion for a woman who simply did not know how to love her. Beautifully thoughtful and well written.  (A few sex scenes.)

LW

Darker than Any Shadow

Darker than Any Shadow
By Tina Whittle
Poisoned Pen Press, 2012. 291 pgs. Mystery

Tai owns and operates her deceased uncle’s gun store in Atlanta which remains solvent thanks to a healthy trade in Civil War reenactment guns and supplies. She is dating the gorgeous but deadly Trey Seaver whose personality was severely altered after a car crash leaving him unable to discern all the shades of grey life’s is wrought with. Tai, on the other hand, only sees the grey and when her best friend is being charged with murder she is unable to keep from investigating despite the danger she creates for herself and those she loves.

This is the second book in Tina Whittle’s Tai Randolph Mysteries. It is similar in tone to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels without quite as much graphic language or sex. It also lacks the eternal love triangle which is a huge selling point in my book. Nothing spectacular here, but a satisfying mystery with a few laughs thrown in.
 
CZ

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

By Katherine Boo

Random House,2012. 256 pgs. Nonfiction.

“Beautiful Forever!“ proclaims the flooring advertisement on the wall separating the Mumbai airport from the Annawadi slum. Behind the wall,  the 3,000 inhabitants of Annawadi struggle to find a reason and a way to live. The squalor of the slum and the endurance of the slum dwellers come to life through Katherine Boo’s sketches of the lives and dilemmas of the children and adults of Annawadi. There is no condescension or indictment in her tone; the tragedy and heartbreak are more real because you are never aware of seeing through her eyes. 

If you read this book the depressing realities of life for the poor in modern day India will be impossible for you to forget. Nonetheless I highly recommend you read it. SH

The Return of Captain John Emmett

The Return of Captain John Emmett
by Elizabeth Speller
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.  442 pgs. Mystery

     Devastated by his experiences in the war, and the deaths of his wife and infant son in his absence, Laurence Bartram comes home to England with little interest in resuming his teaching and writing careers. But when Mary Emmett, sister of an acquaintance from his school days, asks him to look into why her brother might have killed himself he agrees because he so much admired John Emmett and because he remembers Mary with a greater affection than just fondness. What seems to be a simple inquiry becomes increasingly complicated as Captain Emmett's participation on a firing squad leads Laurence and his friend Charles to the almost ritualistic deaths of other participants. Along with the mystery, what gradually and richly emerges from these pages is a picture of the horror wrought by World War I--so many lives physically, spiritually, and emotionally destroyed on the homefront as well as on the fields of battle. Speller's prose is subtle, evocative, spot-on. In her bibliography of sources she lists Paul Fussell's masterful The Great War and Modern Memory, and her novel reflects richly the spirit of that great work. Readers of Charles Todd's Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries should enjoy this book as well.

LW

Notes from a Small island

Notes from a Small Island
By Bill Bryson
Morrow, 1995. 324 pgs. Nonfiction

About to return to the States after twenty years of living in England, Bryson realized he wanted to take a trip of the British Isles, visiting every place he'd ever heard of and revisiting some old favorites. In recounting his experience, Bryson makes readers laugh and has them wanting to pack their bags and fly across the ocean to discover these little known places for themselves. Although he drags out a few points that he's particularly passionate about, and there is some strong language, in the end, this is a delightful read, even if you are a couch traveler.

KK

Expats

Expats
By Chris Pavone
Crown, 2012. 327 pgs. Fiction
Quitting her job is only the first major change required of Kate when her husband’s new job in Luxembourg takes the family out of the country and to a whole new life. Now a stay-at-home mom, she tries to create a circle of friends among the other expats and adjust. But she is still uncomfortable. She is uncomfortable with the mysterious nature of her husband’s work. She is uncomfortable trusting her new acquaintances, especially Bill and Julia whose sudden appearance seems far too convenient. Finally, her curiosity and unease lead her back to the professional skill she so recently abandoned. Skills that may save her family’s lives.
This was a fantastic thriller! The storytelling is exciting and energetic switching time periods often and slowly unveiling Kate’s past, present, and future. Kate herself is a great character with more depth than would be expected from this type of novel. She is a wife and mother, but has also had a shady past that puts her family at risk while simultaneously giving her the skills to keep them safe. This is a great first novel and I look forward to more from this promising new author.

CZ

Technologists

Technologists
By Matthew Pearl
Random House, 2012. 480 pgs. Fiction
In 1868 the Civil War was finally over and Bostonians, and Americans in general, were able to get back to the business of building their country through industry and innovation. Technology was beginning to emerge and the academic world was at odds with this new application of the sciences. M.I.T. was just about to graduate their first class of students and were poised to succeed in providing a new and accepted kind of education to engineers and researchers. However, a number of catastrophic and unexplained incidents in Boston place all that progress in jeopardy and a number of M.I.T. students seem to be the future’s only hope.
‘The Technologists’ provides what Matthew Pearl fans have come to expect. A bit of history, a bit of science, a bit of adventure, and even a bit of romance. I’ll admit this wasn’t my favorite of his books, but for anyone seeking an even paced historical adventure, this will certainly be worth picking up.
 
CZ

The Amityville Horror

The Amityville Horror
By Jay Anson
Pocket Star Books, 1977 (1991). 239 pgs. Nonfiction.

When the Lutz family moved into 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York they thought they were getting a great bargain on an amazing house, complete with swimming pool and boat house. George and Kathleen knew that there had been a mass murder there a year before, but that kind of thing didn’t bother them. They didn’t believe in ghosts. That all changed in the course of twenty-eight days when they finally fled the house, leaving all their possessions behind, never to return again. This is the true story of a haunted house, full of terrifying psychic phenomena that still draws the eye of ghost hunters and parapsychologists today.

Originally I knew nothing about this book or the story behind it, just that there was a movie with the same name. When I decided to give it a try, I was surprised to see that it was nonfiction. I’m not typically a jumpy person so I didn’t think it would be too bad. It was terrifying! Scared as I was I felt compelled to continue because I wanted to know what happened next. To me, that’s a mark of a good book, getting so absorbed in the story that you have to continue. This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone looking for a fright. But if you scare easily, stay away from it, unless you plan on sleeping with the lights on…away from windows… on a calm night… with other people around.

ACS