The Last Days of California

The Last Days of California
By Mary Miller
Liveright Publishing Corperation, 2014. 233 pgs. Fiction

Jess is a 15 year old with a compulsive sweet tooth on a road trip from Alabama to California with her parents and older sister in order to convene with a group of evangelical believers for 'the rapture'. Her father, convinced they will all be zapped into heaven, spends money they don't have with abandon, her mother softly tries to connect with her distant daughters, her older sister who is pregnant (unbeknownst to their parents) openly flaunts her disbelief in the rapture and god, while Jess is torn between her own faith, doubts, love of her parents and curiosity about the world.

The story takes place in the four days it takes them to make the drive, and gives a candid, poignant, and very real look into the pain, awkwardness, and empowerment that all teens experience. As the rapture draws nearer, each character and the family itself seem to unravel more and more. Miller's debut novel shows good promise and is a strong new voice in contemporary literature.

ZB

The Signature of All Things

The Signature of All Things
By Elizabeth Gilbert
Viking Adult, 2013. 512 pgs. Historical Fiction

Elizabeth Gilbert, of Eat, Pray, Love fame, is back at fiction after more than 13 years, with this interesting and gorgeously written book about Alma Whittaker, a female botanist of the 19th century. The book follows Alma from before her birth with the rise of her father (an early American botany baron), through her nine decades of life; following her passions, intellectual interests, frustrations, jealousies, loves, heart break, and gradual accumulation of wisdom. I found the writing to be intricate and detailed, and the book appealed to my fondness for beautiful prose and character driven arcs. The plot experiences a multitude of twists and turns, up and down with no satisfactory resolutions to many of the story lines, which to some could be frustrating, but I found to be a very accurate depiction of the real experiences of an individual over a lifetime. At the end I felt as though I had come to know Alma Whittaker more thoroughly than almost any character I've encountered.

Gilbert's historical and scientific research is fascinating, and her descriptions are exquisite. The book follows the amazing transformations in scientific understanding of the 19th century and raises, through both the scientific and interpersonal plots lines, many interesting philosophical ideas and questions. For someone looking for a satisfying plot line this will be a frustrating read, but for someone looking to really know a character in this interesting time period you will come away with a dear friend.

ZB

Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King's Daughter

Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King's Daughter
Simon Brett
Felony & Mayhem Press, 2011. 211 pages. Mystery.

When the ex-princess of the ex-king of Mitteleuropia is kidnapped from the ancestral home of the Duke of Tawcester, it is up to the rather stupid Blotto, the family's youngest son, to avenge the family honor by discovering the kidnappers, with a little help from his intelligent sister, Twinks.

Set in the carefree period between the world wars, this series has a lot of the tongue-in-cheek humor that characterizes P.G. Wodehouse's Wooster and Jeeves books. Although a little more heavy-handed than Wodehouse ever was, Brett nevertheless manages to create a fun mystery while poking fun at the literary conventions of the day, especially those employed by mystery writers. This book will appeal to anyone who has read (and loved) a classic mystery and is still willing to see the humorous side of the constant intervention and superiority of the amateur sleuth in police affairs.

JH

The Buddha in the Attic

The Buddha in the Attic
Julie Otsuka
Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. 129 pages. Fiction.

Otsuka gathers her research into Japanese mail order brides from the turn of the 20th century in this beautifully-written tale of Japanese American women and the effects of immigration on their lives. The story is both anonymous and personal at the same time, with the entire book written as a collective "we" with few individual names shared at all. Each chapter describes a different segment in the women's journeys - on the boat, with their new husbands, with their children, their work, the war - sharing everyone's experiences in one voice.

This was one of the most stunning books I've read in a long time. The narration was beautiful and really gave a sense of the community these women must have felt in a culture that would have been extraordinarily foreign to them. And while the stories are brief - an entire scene described in one sentence - and often tragic, the reader is able to understand the strength and courage these women had to keep going in desperate circumstances.


JH

Eight World Cups: My Journey Through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer

Eight World Cups:  My Journey Through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer
by George Vecsey
Henry Holt, 2014.  290 pages.  Nonfiction

Never too late, nor to early, to prepare for this year's World Cup which begins in a few week's time by reading a fine and funny book about "the beautiful game." Vecsey grew up in Queens and his high school didn't have a football team so he played soccer, but not very well. But he taught himself the the game by watching, and then writing about it - eight World Cups worth, as well as multiple matches on and off the telly.  Vecsey's narrative describes great plays, like Landon Donovan to Jozy Altidore to Clint Dempsey to Landon Donovan through the goal's mouth in South Africa's 2010 Cup. Or Brandi Chastain's left-footed penalty kick that brought the Women's World Cup victory to the United States. If you already like soccer, what a terrific little book this is to confirm your affection. If you don't know soccer, this is a great place to start in preparation for seeing what there will be to see next month in Brazil.

LW

Better Off Friends

Better Off Friends
Elizabeth Eulberg
Scholastic Inc., 2014. 276 pages. Young adult fiction.

Macallan and Levi were best friends from the first day they met at the beginning of seventh grade. But they could never understand why their inseparable friendship made dating other people hard. Is it possible for a boy and a girl to be just friends?

This book was adorable! The thing I liked the most was that the story was told from both perspectives, with Macallan and Levi trading off chapters (they each had their own unique font) and creating extra dialogue between the chapters. (It's not often that you see a book where separate narrators will take a time out from the story to talk to each other!) Beyond the writing though, Eulberg tells a compelling story and creates engaging characters that you want to keep reading about. And you hope, while the two struggle to figure out what their relationship is going to look like as high school begins to take its toll, that they'll be able to maintain what is obviously a very special friendship for a very long time.

JH

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories

by B.J. Novak
Alfred A.Knopf, 2014. 276 pgs. Fiction

I checked out B.J. Novak's (a writer for the comedy show The Office and actor) book mostly expecting it to be similar to the other comedy writer memoirs I've enjoyed like Mindy Kaling's book or Tina Fey's Bossypants. However, I was not prepared for the depth, range, and in some cases brilliance of Novak's collection of odd little stories. None of the stories are in any way  memoir, but instead feel like a book of modern fables. The style is spare, wry, intelligent, and surprisingly touching in some stories; and Novak's comedic timing is genius. He is able, in these stories, to create something I found to be reminiscent of David Foster Wallace, Vonnegut, and Stoppard with his own unique voice.

I continually found myself laughing out loud as I read, and often in the same moment being rather astonished by the clever insight to the human experience Novak attained. There was the woman on a blind date with a warlord, a rematch of the tortoise and the hare race, and the brilliant poet turned translator who embodies the postmodern experience.  I wound up reading much of the book out loud to my husband who claims to 'not like' fiction, and he too found the stories very clever and enjoyable. All in all this is a surprising and very entertaining collection of stories that left me hoping that Novak is already working on his next collection.

ZB

Yes, I Could Care Less

Yes, I Could Care Less: How to Be a Language Snob Without Being a Jerk
Bill Walsh
St. Martin's Griffing, 2013. 288 pages. Nonfiction.

Walsh, a seasoned copy editor, brings to light the crimes against the English perpetrated on a daily basis. He seeks to find the balance between a rigid adherence to the rules and complete linguistic anarchy, a middle ground that allows for error and yet still strives for greater accuracy.

I had high hopes for this book when I started it. I've done freelance copy editing and feel like I have a fairly good grammatical grasp of the English language. I've also read other recent books on grammar and punctuation that have been both informative and entertaining. This book fell short. The tone was very scholarly, yet he kept punctuating the text with jokes that weren't actually funny. And after a 25-page debate in the first chapter on whether it was more acceptable to use "I could care less" or "I couldn't care less," I found that I really could (or couldn't, depending on how you lean in the argument) care less what he said in the rest of the book, although I manfully struggled along to see if it would improve. A disappointing read.

JH

The Invention of Wings

The Invention of Wings
By Sue Monk Kidd
Viking Adult, 2014. 384 pgs.

The narration of this book switches between two equally fascinating and unique characters through their lives as owner and slave. Sarah is given Handful for her 11th birthday and for 35 years after, their stories are told. Each story is in its own way exciting and meaningful, but the stories combined show a great friendship and hope in the abolition of the slaves and even an uprising from Handful's perspective. Their stories are separate much of the time, but come together in their desire to fight for themselves and women's rights.

This story is based on the historical Sarah Grimke, and the author does a great job of creating a very detailed account of her life and other historical figures, as well as created characters for the story. The audio book was excellent as there were two narrators for both characters. It was a fast paced story for being over 30 years of growth in the two women.

EW

Love Letters to the Dead

Love Letters to the Dead
By Ava Dellaira
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2014. 336 pgs.

This book was written in such a beautiful way that I would completely lose track of what I was doing while listening. The obvious pain of so many of the characters was real and tangible, but the hope in forming new relationships, learning to survive in their own lives, and being looked out for just every now and then was what made this teen book so memorable. Everyone was flawed but able to find something good in the end.

Laurel is the main character and she starts to write letters to a dead person for a school assignment. She chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him and his music. In the letters, Laurel changes as she writes to more dead people like Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart and Janis Joplin. The music ties in so perfectly to the emotions Laurel is getting through, and the story Laurel has to tell is heartbreaking. But through the letters she can accept what has happened and heal.

EW

The Science of Happily Ever After

The Science of Happily Ever After
By Ty Tashiro
Harlequin, 2014. 288 pgs.


Dr. Ty Tashiro writes his  book from an informative point of view with his own research, different scientific studies, and data to explain why love relates to the decision making abilities of people and not necessarily the things we think we want. Tashiro thinks that the happiness in a relationship is based on the science of choosing the person from the start. With personal stories and tips, Dr. Tashiro expands on the idea of true love based on demography, sociology and psychology.

I enjoyed the anecdotes as well as the information. True love seems to be a popular subject to find the whys and why nots and this one was a fast read. Even with the researched facts, it wasn't over my head and I did like the different aspect Dr. Tashiro explains. As they are suggestions to finding true love, I can't say I will implement anything but I think the book was really well written and fun overall!

EW

Heartburn

Heartburn
by Nora Ephron
Random House Audio, 2013. Fiction

I don't normally go for chick lit, but I was enticed by this title when I saw that it is read by Meryl Streep and I always go for Meryl Streep. Heartburn is the first novel (originally published in 1986) by the recently deceased queen of rom-com Nora Ephron, and is largely said to be the mostly autobiographical account of her own divorce from Carl Bernstein. It is a sharp, shrewd, witty take on the disillusionment of what seemed to be the perfect marriage and Streep's performance is the perfect blend of pathos and wry humor.

It is a quick listen, and I imagine a quick read, but I am not sure I would have sped through it, or even have been compelled to finish it if it were not for Streep's reading. Listening to her read it made it feel like a long rambling lunch with a girlfriend spilling her guts, crying on your shoulder and making you laugh all at once. A bonus, which would be better appreciated in physical book form, are the delicious recipes scattered throughout the text (since the protagonist is a professional food writer and builds her narrative around her favorite recipes which she shares freely). According to one review I read these were all real recipes from Ephron's personal arsenal. This would be a great listen for a beach vacation, or while doing some mindless task.

ZB  

Uganda Be Kidding Me

Uganda Be Kidding Me
By Chelsea Handler
Grand Central Publishing, 2014. 272 pgs.

In Chelsea Handler's fifth book, she takes on her stories of travelling with friends and family in a way only Chelsea Handler can. This book had some actually really funny stories as well as her usual uncomfortably awkward ones. She writes in a way that is meant for storytelling and although based on trips she has taken, it is obvious there are some half truths or outrageous events that just are there for a laugh.

If you liked her other books, you will like this one. But don't pick it up if you are offended easily or don't care for her humor. She is definitely meant for a certain audience. The photos add to the actual trip she took and some stories, like getting to watch elephants stampede, breaking her leg skiing the Alps, and more create a sense of chaos and definitely crazy as she travels and forces people to go with her.

EW

Longbourn

Longbourn
by Jo Baker
Knopf, 2013. 352 pgs. Fiction


In general I tend to not be a huge fan of 'fan fiction' or spin offs from classic literature. But I had enough friends recommend Longbourn, that I decided to take chance, and I'm very glad I did. Longbourn is a revisionist retelling of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice', told from the perspective of Sarah, one of the housemaids. While this is certainly a riff on the 'upstairs downstairs' motif, Baker does a nice job with a historically accurate look at what life of a house servant was like during the 19th century; lots of laundry, cooking, emptying chamber pots, and little sleep.

The story mentions highlights from the 'Pride and Prejudice' plot, but does not follow it in great detail and instead takes you fully into the world of Sarah and her fellow servants, painting a somewhat darker background to the well loved story. Sarah's quiet world is turned around with the appearance of a mysterious new manservant who shows up out of the blue. Of course there is romance, and of course there is misunderstanding and mistakes, following the Austen tradition; but Baker, while writing in a style influenced by Austen still establishes her own distinct voice. I listened to the audio version and quite enjoyed it, the reader delivers and understated and polished performance.

ZB

The Forever Girl

The Forever Girl
Alexander McCall Smith
Pantheon Books, 2014. 316 pages. Fiction.

McCall Smith's latest book follows two love stories. Amanda and David have a fairy-tale life on Grand  Cayman: two children, a nice house, a stable job, friends and clubs. Everything is idyllic, until Amanda suddenly realizes that she is no longer in love with David. Meanwhile, Amanda's daughter, Clover, is in love with her childhood friend, James, but knows that he doesn't love her. In spite of his rejection, she carries a torch for him that can't be extinguished even as they are separated by oceans and continents.

McCall Smith explores the nature of love through the two storylines over the course of two decades. And, in doing so, he does what he does best: creates characters that you are interested in knowing. The plot of the story is really negligible; the beauty of the book comes from watching the inner workings of each character's mind and seeing them grow and evolve as people. While not a fast-paced, plot-driven book, the tone and writing are deeply introspective and soothing. (His books are ones that I love to listen to because the words have a rhythm and cadence that are as peaceful as a lullaby.) This is a book that will make you think and make you want to meet the characters you've read so much about.

JH

Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt

Flash Boys: a Wall Street Revolt
by Michael Lewis
W. W. Norton and Company, 2014.  271 pgs.  Nonfiction

Usually when Michael Lewis takes on Wall Street there are Bad Guys and Stupid Guys, but no Good Guys to speak of. In Flash Boys a young trader for the Royal Bank of Canada, Brad Katsuyama can't figure out why when he tries to make a trade for his clients, the market he sees on the screen disappears and the trade is negotiated at--usually--a higher price.  Enter the world of high-frequency trading where computers and fiber optics where traders can be in and out of the market so quickly they can affect pricing while you are just beginning the blink of an eye. In this world, any closer proximity to the markets that shaves milliseconds off your order arrival time puts you--or in this case--the big Wall Street banks and traders in a position to manipulate the markets to their advantage.  So has anything changed since the 2008 stock market implosion?  Not much, except everything is a) faster and b) more secretive (e.g., companies establishing and trading in "dark pools," exclusive trading sites that prevent their trades from being manipulated by the people they are manipulating. Katsuyama and his hand-picked team of geeks and honest brokers, decide they only way they can outmaneuver is to establish their own stock exchange. How they level the playing field and make sure that what you see on the screen is what you get is the substance of this brilliant, fascinating story of a light turned on at the end of the long dark tunnel that the stock market has become.  Some profanity, most of it richly deserved.

LW

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena: A Novel

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena: A Novel
by Anthony Marra
Hogarth, 2013. 384 pgs.

Fiction This is the best book I have read this year, and in a long time really . This riveting debut novel (it's difficult to believe this is Marra's first) is a gut wrenching, deeply compassionate, and sweeping tale of love, betrayal, death and life set against the back drop of war torn Chechnya spanning several decades. Sonja, the solitary and bereft surgeon spends her days amputating legs of land mine victims in an otherwise empty hospital and continuously searches for her sister Natasha. Akhmed the incompetent village doctor who wishes he had studied art endeavors to save the life of the girl Havaa whose father has just been taken in the night to a prison camp.

Slowly, these and other beautifully wrought characters weave together to form nuanced tapestry that illustrates both the horrors and shared humanity we are driven to in the face and wake of extreme trauma and loss. Marra does not allow the reader to fully condemn or laud any of the characters despite their moments of huge failing and huge greatness. His ability to deliver characters so whole, who you come to know so intimately, is a true gift that left me astounded and moved. This book was not an easy read, it has gruesome, difficult to bear content, but will stay with me a long long time.

ZB

Family Life: A Novel

Family Life: A Novel

by Akhil Sharma

W.W. Norton and Company, 2014. 224 pgs. Fiction

Family Life is an intimate portrait of an Indian immigrant family told from the prospective of Ajay, the younger of two brothers in the Mishra family. The Mishra's leave Delhi is 1978 in pursuit of the American dream and land in Queens where Ajay's brother Birju quickly secures his parents love and praise by performing well in school and eventually earning a coveted spot in the Bronx High School of Math and Science. Tragedy strikes though when Birju in involved in an accident diving in a community pool which renders him brain damaged; unable to move or speak. 

The family reels in grief; the father takes up drinking, the mother becomes a martyr celebrity in the Hindu community, and Ajay struggles between guilt, rage, and love for his brother as he tries to earn any attention from his parents who are consumed by care for Birju. Told with deep compassion and stark clarity this is a quick and moving read. The complexities that befall this family as they struggle to survive in a foreign land resonate with the struggles of any family who has tried to navigate the landscape of tragedy.

ZB

Alena

Alena
By Rachel Pastan
 Riverhead. 2013. 320 pgs.

This book was supposed to really give fans of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca something new to enjoy in comparison. I read Rebecca a long time ago, but did not feel Alena  could really live up to that story. It was actually very intriguing and entertaining. Alena is the name of the character that we never meet and who the unnamed narrator will seem to never live up to. There is an underlining of dark stories and emotionally charged characters that lead up to an ending that I had to reread.

A brooding curator hires a new curator for his small art museum on Cape Cod. Everyone talks about Alena and her work done at the museum and the narrator knows her whim of taking the job may have been the wrong decision. Through investigation of her own and the help of the other characters that still love Alena, the main character finds out what really happened to Alena. In a twist, the end is sudden but in a way makes sense, as people are not what they seem in this clever retelling of Rebecca.

EW

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris
By Jenny Colgan
Sourcebooks Landmark, 2014. 374 pages. Fiction.

Anna Trent doesn't know that a bizarre workplace accident will completely change her life. Cast adrift after being released from the hospital, Anna takes the advice of her former French teacher, Claire, who is also in the hospital for chemotherapy treatments, and leaves her small, British town to work as a shop assistant at one of the most elite chocolatiers in Paris. As she grows in confidence in her new environment, Anna learns about how to live and love life to the fullest.

Jenny Colgan's books are always good summer reads, much in the style of Sophie Kinsella and Hester Browne, but this most recent outing had a depth to it that was actually very refreshing. I could relate with Anna and enjoyed watching her blossom and grow as she successfully tackles the new and unexpected. Her story is contrasted with Claire's, told both in flashbacks to her teenage experience in Paris with world-renowned chocolatier Thierry Girard, and her contemporary struggles with cancer. The characters are lovely and the stories just a bit heartbreaking at times. (I'll admit, I had a little tear in my eye by the very end.) Colgan's story flows well, without the plot lulls that have sometimes plagued her previous books, making for a very effortless read. The book is mostly clean, although there is some strong language and references to sex, but nothing described in detail.

JH

Love Life

Love Life
By Rob Lowe
Simon and Schuster Audio, 2014. Biography.

Having Rob Lowe read his own stories is something like sitting with him in his home and hearing them in person. His second book takes a look at other stories in his life ranging from his childhood, his marriage, his sons, more acting of course, and a look at how he loves his life. Lowe takes a look at his alcoholism, his poor choices, as well as his great choices and discusses the lessons learned from each moment in his life.

This second book of his takes more time to talk about his wife and children and the reader gets a great perspective on how Lowe matured after living a wild life in the acting industry. This book has more character stories and small snippets than Stories I Only Tell My Friends did but it is still a worthwhile read- or listen!

EW

Wake the Dawn

Wake the Dawn
by Lauraine Snelling
FaithWords, 2013. 350 pages. Romance.

Snelling follows the lives of two broken characters as they work together to maintain order through the worst storm their small town has ever seen. Doctor Esther Hanson is struggling to treat the hoards of patients that come streaming through the doors of her under-equipped clinic and keep the panic of her PTSD in check in dire circumstances. Border Patrol agent Ben James has to crawl out of the pit of alcoholism he has fallen into after the tragic death of his wife in order to care for an abandoned baby he finds out in the woods. Each of them soon find, however, that as they lean on each other the pain of the past becomes less overwhelming.

While the book has its flaws, the are generally overshadowed by what is really right in it. The characters are compelling, if sometimes a little overwrought at times, and I was really eager to see if they would be able to pull together in the end. The issues are very contemporary and important as well, and the author is really able to bring God and religion into normal situations without sounding preachy or patronizing, which I really appreciated. There was also a good combination of action, romance, and introspection which kept it from ever feeling stale. A thought-provoking light read.

JH

In Sunlight and In Shadow

In Sunlight and In Shadow
By Mark Helprin
Mariner Books, 2012. 720 pgs. Fiction

'In Sunlight and In Shadow' is at once both an epic love story, and a deep contemplation of human mortality. The story begins when Harry Copeland, recently returned from a harrowing experience as a paratrooper pathfinder in WWII, chances to see Catharine Hale on the Staten Island Ferry and immediately falls deeply in love with her. She quickly falls for him, but the romance of this story goes far beyond a surface romance and becomes also a love story between the reader and New York, with humanity and with life itself; all the while contrasted with the frailty of our mortality and the shadow that stands in contrast to the sunlight.

The story weaves around themes of war, love, family, honor, duty and art as Catherine and Harry fight for their love, and Harry fights for his business which is being crushed by mob extortionists. Large chunks of the novel are memories of Harry's time in combat, as well as vivid portraits of a post war New York City. As always, Helprin's ('A Winter's Tale', 'A Soldier of the Great War') gorgeous poetic descriptions and philosophical meditations far compensate for any weakness in over all structure. I actually started reading this, but quickly shifted to the audiobook available on Overdrive, which is very well done.

ZB

The Dead in their Vaulted Arches

The Dead in their Vaulted Arches
By Alan Bradley
Random House Audio, 2014. 8 hours. Mystery.

Precocious 11-year-old chemist Flavia de Luce is back in the sixth installation of Alan Bradley's charming series. As the narrative begins, Flavia's long-lost mother, Harriet, is restored to the family and a man is pushed under a train. But Flavia's digging may bring out more family secrets than she is prepared to unearth.

Alan Bradley has created an amazingly entertaining character in Flavia de Luce and this most recent installment in the series is no exception. Much more introspective than his previous efforts, the book nonetheless has a lightness to it that makes it enjoyable to read. Flavia is very engaging and the reader is eager to suspend reality enough to view the world from through the eyes of one very intelligent 11-year-old girl. The audio is particularly spectacular, with Jane Entwhistle doing a wonderful job with the narration. A great, light mystery series for anyone who loves great characterization.

JH

One or Two Things I Learned About Love

One or Two Things I Learned About Love
By Dyan Sheldon
Candlewick Press, 2013. 288 pages. Young adult.

Hildy has only been on two and one half dates...and the half date doesn't count. Watching all her other friends with their boyfriends, she knows that no one is ever going to ask her out and she'll die alone with cats. But then, out of the blue, the cute boy at the coffee bar ask for her number and Hildy knows that this will be a summer she'll never forget.

I picked up this book, thinking from the title and the cover description, that this was going to be a typical, cute, and slightly unrealistic teen romance. What I found as I started reading is that Sheldon really is taking the time to teach Hildy, a very inexperienced girl, over the course of the summer what really is and what it is not. Connor is jealous and territorial and Hildy, in all her naivete, just thinks that her constant guilt at upsetting Connor is just what love is supposed to be. All of Hildy's friends can see that the relationship is not healthy; the reader knows even more perfectly how dysfunctional the relationship is; but Hildy herself, while she sees things that bother her, is very good at blaming his actions on her own inexperience, without making the reader annoyed that she's not getting it. Sheldon creates great characters (Hildy herself has a hilarious personality) and explores an important topic for teen girls. This is a romance that falls completely in the realm of reality, somewhere between the extremes of chick lit and Lifetime original movies.

JH

Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away
by Rebecca Goldstein
Pantheon Books, 2014. 456 pgs. Non-fiction.

This is a fascinating examination of the continuing relevance of philosophy in our lives. The author alternates between discussions of Plato and his writings in the context of his times and interesting hypothetical scenarios wherein Plato is alive today and is on book tour, participating in an panel discussion, a guest on a cable news show and a volunteer in a neurological study. These scenarios nicely illustrate how the questions Plato struggled with continue to tantalize and demonstrate how scientific advances do not render philosophic questions obsolete but rather create new contexts within which these questions continue to be debated. I found the imagined discussions with a contemporary Plato to be a fun and engaging counterpoint to the more scholarly discussions of his ideas that precede them. This would be a good read for anyone interested in exploring classical philosophic ideas but find reading Plato's works directly a daunting task.

CHW

Love Illuminated

Love Illuminated: Exploring Life's Most Mystifying Subject (With the Help of 50,000 Strangers)
By Daniel Jones
William Morrow, 2014. 213 pages. Nonfiction.

Daniel Jones, the editor of the New York Times' popular column "Modern Love" explores the nature of love as exemplified by the stories shared by his readership. He touches on ten different aspects of love, including pursuit, destiny, loyalty, and wisdom.

What I found most interesting about this book was its analysis of stories of modern love. We become too used to love as exemplified by Hallmark or romance novels; Jones shows us the reality of love, the hardness of love and the beauty of love, that is found when real people allow love into their lives. And yet the book never sinks into the sappy. Jones examines the hard and the sad, such as infidelity and loss, with equal compassion and understanding as the beautiful and touching. It is a book to make the reader think about their own relationships.

JH

The Night Guest

The Night Guest
By Fiona McFarlane
Faber and Faber, Inc., 2013. 241 pgs. Fiction


Fiona McFarlane's debut novel is a captivating, meditative mystery that examines the process of aging, memory, and relationships through the eyes of Beth; an aging widow living alone, except for two cats and a tiger who she thinks she hears at night prowling through her house. Then Frida arrives, claiming to have been sent by the government, and whips Ruth's world into order, all the while worming her way deeper and deeper into Ruth's life. As Ruth's world begins to slip at the edges with the blur of dementia, it is difficult for the reader to discern reality and the truth until suddenly everything snaps into focus with a stunning and heart wrenching conclusion.

 However, the mystery is not what captures center stage in this book. Much of the text is a beautiful, meditative reverie of a woman in her twilight years slipping between the present day and her past; memories of her childhood in Fiji, past loves, her own children, and her present life all crowd her mind and cause the reader to slide into a similar hazy view. Having lived with my own grandmother as she slipped into dementia I found this book particularly poignant and very accurate in the depiction of the phase of life. It is a fairly quick and thought provoking read. 


ZB

This Dark Road to Mercy

This Dark Road to Mercy 
By Wiley Cash
William Morrow. 2014. 240 pgs.


This book is so well written that I finished it in one day. The storyline is told from multiple points of view and is equally upsetting as it is heartwarming. This book had themes of atonement, redemption, vengeance and blood shed. Set in North Carolina, Cash starts the story with two sisters that have recently lost their mother and never had a father as he gave away his rights when they were young. The father comes in to the story as he wants to start his relationship with his daughters and has come in to some money that could provide a new life for all three of them.

The problem is that Wade is being followed. Not only by the authorities, but by the girls' court appointed guardian and a violent, former baseball player that not only wants to find Wade as part of his paid job but also to take revenge on him and anyone related to him. At times scary and other times heart warming, this book shows there are two sides to stories and often that people are family no matter what may have happened before.

EW

Frozen

Frozen
By Melissa De La Cruz
Putnam Juvenile. 2013. 336 pgs. Young Adult

This new series from Melissa de la Cruz's new series starts off dystopian, goes into a seafaring adventure, and ends with a bit of fantastical dragon magic. It makes for a really entertaining read and I ended it not wanting to wait for the next one. It also helped that the frozen city it takes place in is New Vegas, and my hometown is old Vegas. The author does a great job of building a creative and dark world in this new Ice Age and forming a new government, a group of violent mercenaries, and a world of magic all in the same book.

Nat deals black jack in one of the New Vegas casinos and believes she can find a place where water is still clean, trash isn't piked everywhere, and there is sun. She hires a mercenary, Ryan Wesson to take her there. The characters that are introduced as part of his crew and later as additions to the group are memorable and bring their own clever story line to each encounter. The story is really one adventure to find the Blue and with some romance and  difficult choices to make, Nat is a likable main character that I can't wait to see more of.

EW