Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace
by Anne Lamott

Reading non-fiction by Anne Lamott always feels like a homecoming, a comfortable place to be. She writes essays about spirituality, family, politics, dating, and life in general. Lamott is sarcastic, honest, and self-deprecating. She's also loving and loveable. She's the kind of writer I would love spending an afternoon with, drinking tea or coffee and talking.

Stolen Prey
by John Sandford

I'm kind of a mystery junkie and Sandford's Lucas Davenport (Prey) series has been a staple for me for the past 20 years. It's often months between reading books in the series, as I'm making them last as long as possible. In Stolen Prey, a complicated mess involving brutal murders, Mexican drug gangs, and bank fraud, lands on Davenport's plate. The BCA, DEA, and Mexican authorities have to work together to untangle it all. I'm anxious to see how it all works out!

Murder on the Nile
by Agatha Christie

And speaking of mysteries, I recently saw a production of Murder on the Nile, based on the Agatha Christie book with the same name, and I realized I've never read a book by Agatha Christie! How is that possible? So I plan to start reading some! I'd love to hear what your favorites are!

A Burnable Book
by Bruce Holsinger

I recommended A Burnable Book for Night In last January. It’s historical fiction, set in London in 1385. The main character is poet John Gower, who is persuaded by his friend Geoffrey Chaucer (yes, THAT Chaucer) to locate the manuscript of an ancient book prophesying the ends of English kings, including the assassination of the current king, Richard. The book is considered seditious, which makes it “a burnable book.”Reading the book reminded me how much I like historical fiction! To my delight, it was the first in a series. Recently I read the second, The Invention of Fire. In this book, John Gower is called in when 16 bodies are discovered in a public privy. Their bodies have a type of wound never seen before. Soon, Gower is investigating another conspiracy, this time involving the development of early pistols, called handgonnes. Both books illuminate the period and the lives of ordinary people while telling a lively story. They’re great escape reads!

The Rocks
by Peter Nichols

The beautiful island of Mallorca, surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, is the setting for this book. It opens with a chance encounter between Gerald and Lulu. They’ve been divorced for 60 years and have mostly managed to avoid each other until this unexpected meeting, which leads to tragedy. From there, the book moves backward in time. Each married again and had one child, and these children—Aegina and Luc, have a complicated life-long relationship. The book is the double love story of these offspring and Gerald and Lulu. At first, the movement backward seemed awkward, but soon it worked for me, although I wished I’d paid more attention to particular details in earlier sections. Eventually, the reader learns what happened in 1948 which had such a lasting effect on Gerald, Lulu, Aegina, Luc, and their circle of friends.

The Giver
by Lois Lowry

The Giver is the classic young adult novel which won a Newbery medal and also consistently heads the list of banned books. I’m not sure why I hadn’t read it earlier, but I’m very glad to have done so now. Twelve year old Jonas lives in a well-ordered, seemingly ideal world. After receiving his Life Assignment, Jonas begins training as a receiver, and soon learns the ugly truth about his society.  This realization causes him to make the most important decision of his life. The book, written in a deceptively simply style, probes the balance between freedom and security. It’s an important book to read, and an important book to discuss.

Field of Prey
by John Sandford

After reading John Sandford’s new mystery, Field of Prey, it’s easy to see why this novel is number 1 on the New York Times Top Ten list. This is an exciting read, dealing with a subculture that few even know exists. It’s called the Travelers, individuals who move from destination to destination based simply on the desire to experience different surroundings and people. Lucas Davenport’s adopted daughter, Letty, is home from college when she receives a phone call from a young female Traveler she met in San Francisco. The Traveler is afraid her friend has been murdered. Of course, Letty convinces Lucas to investigate, and the excitement begins!

Billy Martin:  Baseball’s Flawed Genius
by Bill Pennington

For lovers of our National Pastime, this book is a must read! Billy Martin spend sixteen years managing in the big leagues and is considered by sports insiders to be the best manager of all time. Sadly, today he is remembered more for the Yankee fight in the Copacabana Nightclub, his dugout confrontation with Reggie Jackson, and his running feud with Yankee owner George Steinbrenner. This book presents both sides of the picture, allowing the reader to decide if Billy Martin was a baseball genius, a brawling alcoholic, or an intriguing combination of both.

Moonlight on Butternut Lake
by Mary Mc Near

What’s new at Butternut Lake, the fictional Northern Minnesota location of this series? This time we follow Reid Ford, a fortyish, rather egotistical and pessimistic man who was in a bad car wreck and has moved into his brother’s cabin on Butternut Lake to heal. After he’s gone through two home health aides, Mila Jones, a young woman with a rather tattered past comes to take over his health care. Throughout the summer it’s an emotional roller coaster between the unlikely pair but, against all odds, Mila brings out the best in Reid. In exchange, Reid protects Mila in ways she never knew possible. What a great summer read… sitting on the dock you can’t help but feel immersed in the summer romance at good ol’ Butternut Lake!

All the Bright Places
by Jennifer Niven

Fans of John Green’s Paper Towns, this is a must read for you. We follow Theodore Finch, an offbeat kid who’s fascinated by death and searches for numerous ways to die. One morning he climbs the bell tower of his school, ready to take death on face to face. There he meets Violet Markey, a popular and involved high school student who’s counting down the days to graduation to escape her small town in Indiana. The two save each other from the tower that day and throughout the story they develop an unlikely bond that grows and shrinks throughout the story. The novel is heart wrenching, shocking, and keeps you turning page after page. You may think you know the ending, but you have no idea how it ends for Finch and Violet until the very last page.

We’ll Always have Paris
by Jennifer Coburn

This mother/daughter memoir takes Jennifer and her daughter to many destinations in Europe. From bus tours, café shops, bookstores, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, they travel through Europe one city at a time with the simple desire to make memories together. It’s a heart-warming story of a mother and daughter experiencing life together. You’ll feel as though you were a passenger on board with them.

A Path Appears 
by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn

Did you have any idea that there are over a million non-profit organizations in the world?   With stories and facts, this book answers questions such as: Are we making any headway?  Should we donate locally or abroad? Should we donate to colleges or pre-schools? This is a great book to have on your shelf as a reference and for some great reading.

Spymistress
by Jennifer Chiaverini

Elizabeth Van Lew was devastated when Virginia seceded from the union in 1861. Lizzy, a Quaker, was surrounded by Confederates in her city of Richmond.  She gained permission to bring food to the union prisoners at the infamous Libby Prison. She also organized a spy ring that included clerks in the confederate war department and in the home of confederate president, Jefferson Davis. This is a thrilling historical novel about a real heroine of the civil war.

Every Last One
by Anna Quindlen

I was all wrapped up in the story of a smart, caring woman with a great job, a loving husband, and three teenaged kids with widely different personalities and challenges. Quindlen’s prose had me enveloped, and the family dynamics could take the novel in many different directions. There was one rather sinister element lurking, but I wasn't expecting the second half of the novel to be about recovering from that. In the end, it's about resilience.

One True Thing
by Anna Quindlen

If you liked the movie (Renee Zellweger cares for her mother Meryl Streep; William Hurt is her professor father), you’ll love the book. Intense and beautiful.

All Quiet on the Western Front
by Erich Maria Remarque

Here, Bullet
by Brian Turner

As I write this on Memorial Day, I'm thinking of a book pairing that I teach in my high school classroom: All Quiet on the Western Front and the 2005 book of Iraq war poetry, Here, Bullet. The novel is a classic, the quintessential war novel, and although we have "moved on" from trench warfare and poison gas attacks, the poems in Here, Bullet resonate with and speak to its themes. So many of us are insulated from the realities of the wars being fought in our names; the least we can do is know what is being done for us by listening to those who are doing it.

The Paris Architect
by Charles Belfoure

Set in Paris during Nazi occupation, this book follows a French architect named Lucien Bernard. Because he is desperate for money, Lucien begins to design factories for the Germans, while simultaneously being hired by another man to create hiding places for Jews. If you are interested in World War II history, this is a wonderful historical fiction read that I highly recommend!