The Sultan's Seal

The Sultan's Seal, by Jenny White; W.W. Norton & Co., 2007

Reviewed by Colleen Johnson

Author Jenny White's novel The Sultan's Seal is a real find! When the body of a young Englishwoman washes up in Istanbul wearing a pendant inscribed with the seal of the deposed sultan, Kamil Pasha, a magistrate in the new secular courts, sets out to solve the crime. Given a starred review by Booklist, this novel is historical drama mixed with the traditional murder mystery, brilliantly capturing the political and social upheavals of the waning Ottoman Empire. It bristles with cogent observations about the human condition, has an unpredictable plot, and gives the reader something other than a standard "pat" ending. Named a Booklist Top Ten First Novel.


East of the Sun: A Novel by British author Julia Gregson is an international period drama which tells the story of young, unmarried English women who travel to India in 1928 for job, marriage, and family. It is a story that offers light romance and lots of character development. Also written by Gregson is the novel Band of Angels about a young woman who joins Florence Nightingale's nursing corp during the Crimean War. In this book, the author includes gritty details, and the battlefield scenes are not for the fainthearted.

A Young Man's Guide to Late Capitalism

A Young Man's Guide to Late Capitalism, by Peter Mountford; Mariner Books, 2011


Reviewed by Paul Rogland


In this novel, our hero is working undercover for a Wall Street hedge fund in a third-world country, trying to discern investment opportunities before the competition. Author Garth Stein has called this debut novel "a smart and entertaining book. A Young Man’s Guide to Late Capitalism accomplishes that rare trick of being a book of ideas and politics while remaining, at its core, a profoundly intimate, character-driven story and a tremendously good read." In James Hillman's book The Dream and the Underworld, he teaches the reader how to "work" our sleep stories, arguing against interpreting dreams. It's best, he says, to just picture the dream images, and they will do the "work" themselves. Finally, if it's personal fulfillment you're looking for, Todd Buchholz attempts to convince the reader in Rush: Why You Need and Love the Rat Race that humans do not find happiness or health by zen-like relaxation or retirement. Instead, it is the stress and competition of our work life that enlivens us.

The Weird Sisters

The Weird Sisters, by Eleanor Brown; Putnam, 2011


Reviewed by Shilah Gould


Three adult sisters return simultaneously to their childhood home in a midwestern college town and grow closer. In this home, books are a passion (there is no problem a library card can't solve) and TV is something other people watch. This is a very nice, uplifting book, with loads of Shakespeare thrown in! Adam & Eve by Sena Jeter Naslund is dramatic and intense and filled with religion, warfare, space exploration, and love stories all mixed together. Set against the searing debate between evolutionsts and creationists, Adam & Eve is a thriller, romance, and an adventure. It will take some time to digest when you're done. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen tells the love story of Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney. Although lighthearted, this book is at its core a serious, unsentimental commentary on love and marriage, 19th-century British style. Of all of her novels, this is Austen's most explicitly literary in that it is primarily concerned with books and with readers.

The Known World

The Known World, by Edward P. Jones; Amistead Publishing, 2002

Reviewed by John Wrobleski

This 2004 Pulitzer Prize winning book is set in Virginia, 20 years before the beginning of the Civil War. The Known World has painful descriptions of a sordid time of our history, detailing life under slavery. Despite the despairing conditions, some endearing relationships emerged, and hope for a better future persisted. Meg Mullins' The Rug Merchant is an outstanding story of an immigrant from Iran who opens a Persian rug company in New York City. The story evolves through the end of his marriage, and a love affair with a college student. The author presents an interesting portrait of the life of an elderly customer. To lighten things up, try Barrel Fever, by David Sedaris. This book has personal essays and stories from the author's life, which are often hilarious. You are guaranteed a whole lot of laughter while reading the wild descriptions of eccentric family members and friends.

Fat Girl: A True Story

Fat Girl: A True Story, by Judith Moore; Plume Publishing, 2006

Reviewed by Cheryl Maglosky

Judith Moore's Fat Girl: A True Story is a searingly honest account of what it is like to grow up fat, feeling unloved, unpopular and lonely. Ms. Moore cuts to the chase, with intelligence, insight, and humor...and without apologies, excuses or pretext. She won this reader's respect and admiration. Honest. Humorous. Heartbreaking. Those three words define Anne Lamott's storytelling in Imperfect Birds. This novel examines the challenges of parenting, growing up, and being a family. Fortunately, this book moves beyond the middle class-middle aged angst that Lamott is well known for in its narrative of a family dealing with a teenaged daughter's drug abuse. Inside of a Dog, by Alexandra Horowitz, is a fine combination of the author's scientific expertise and love of dogs. She brings us in to the world of canines, while making us aware of our human biases, and deconstructing the popular myths about these delightful creatures. The book was informative and revealing, and it enhanced my understanding and appreciation of dogs.

A Friend of the Earth

A Friend of the Earth, by T. C. Boyle; Penguin Books, 2001

Reviewed by David Sachi

A bad time is had by all in this imaginative look into the near future of 2025. The world is ravaged by the effects of global warming, and haunted by the futility of environmental activism. In A Friend of the Earth, author T.C. Boyle spins his yarn around his favorite themes: obsessive hygiene, compulsive consumerism, uneasiness in the natural world, and fear of technology--all with a healthy dose of humor. I also recommend Ian McEwan's The Innocent, an intriguing story of an ordinary Englishman who gets caught up in post-war intelligence mania, and discovers how exhilarating and tragic life can be. For a real closer-to-home change of pace, try Olympic National Park--A Natural History, by Tim McNulty. This author traces the geologic history of the Olympic mountains, and explores present day flora and fauna within the park boundaries.

The Lacuna

The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver; Harper Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Barb Sachi

Kingsolver's eloquent novel--The Lacuna, transports us to Mexico and the era of Diego Riviera and his wife, Frida Kahlo, as they house revolutionary Leon Trotsky, and try to prevent his assassination. The story is seen through the eyes of a young writer, narrated in the form of letters, diary entries and newspaper clippings. Amazing book! In a different direction, I read The Last Dickens, by Matthew Pearl. This story centers on Charles Dicken's tour of the U.S. during a time of rampant opium trade in China and Britain. There is also a murder to solve. The writing is in period style, and I found it to be somewhat uninteresting. For a real change of pace, I read Tracy Kidder's Strength in What Remains, which explores the reasons of ethnic violence in Rwanda and Birundi. Kidder's main character 'Deo' has fled the genocide, lands in New York City, and makes his way from living in Central Park, to Columbia University, through the kindness of caring people. His goal is to return to Africa in peacetime and build clinics.

The Unbearable Lightness of Scones

The Unbearable Lightness of Scones: A 44 Scotland Street Novel, by Alexander McCall Smith; Anchor Publishing, 2010

Reviewed by Deborah Daline

I started out Alexander McCall Smith's series with this one--his fifth book, but found it to be no less enjoyable, and was able to play "catch up" with "Scones" enjoyable characters, including Bertie, the overprotective mother, Bruce the Egotist, and Matthew--who was rescued from drowning by a dolphin.The neatly interwoven storylines include the ups and downs of a young, newly married couple and an artist who finds himself saddled with too many dogs. Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose consisted of two stories--past and present--that are woven together with a satisfying tie-together at the end. The story centered around a retired, disabled professor who delved into the life story of a pioneering grandmother. I was intrigued by the title, and the fact that it won the Pulitzer Prize. Information, by Martin Amis, told the story of a "literary" author who's jealousy rears its ugly head toward another author who reaches the 'bestseller' list. I've heard Amis has a cliche phobia and a 'quirky' style.

Born To Run

Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, by Christopher McDougall; Vintage Publishing, 2011

Reviewed by Joy Wentzel

This is the world of the ultramarathoners--a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners. I enjoyed the McDougall's perspective and knowledge of ultrarunning, how running has evolved over the years (not all in a positive direction), and how inspirational it is to know that we are Born To Run. For centuries, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico have practiced techniques that have allowed them to run hundreds of miles without rest, or chase down game. This superhuman talent is matched by remarkable health and serenity, with a much higher immunity from disease. I also enjoyed The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease. This book reinstilled the fact that literacy and the love of reading opens the world to us. I also appreciated its list of recommended books. And now, for a wildly popular novel of murder, mystery and mayhem, there is The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larsson. I wasn't overly impressed by the writing quality of this book, but I trudged through it.

Intrusions

Intrusions, by Ursula Hegi; Touchstone Publishing, 1997

Reviewed by Anne Holman

I highly recommend this humorous and original novel-within-a-novel that offers fascinating parallel stories between the author's novel and her own life. Ursula Hegi's Intrusions is an innovative exploration of doubts, choices and ambiguities between her book's characters, and her own existence. Reality and fiction merge in her writing and living. If you're looking for a great read that is 'deep as a too dark night sky', try Ahab's Wife, by Sena Jeter Naslund. This is a gripping depiction of life in Kentucky, Nantucket, and aboard a whaling vessel during the early 1800's. The book is written from the viewpoint of an independent-minded and curious young woman. I also enjoyed The Secret Papers of Madame Olivetti, a warm, fragrant and languorous 'escape' to a coastal village in southern France. This book is perfect for a too long winter.