Hall Memorial Library

                      Hall Memorial Library
                                     -Serving the towns of Northfield and Tilton-

                                         18 Park Street Northfield, NH 03276
                                          Phone:286-8971 Fax:603-286-2278
                                            Email: hallmemo@metrocast.net
                   Open Monday & Thursday 10-8 | Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10-6 | Saturday 10-2

               Here are a few of Mary's favorites
                    updated April, 2008

King, Laurie, Touchstone. Her writing, this time about the 20's and 30,s never fails to touch me.

Henkes, Kevin, Olive's Ocean. I read this "j" book because it was on the most challenged list and
        thought it insightful and touching.

Pettersen, Per, Out Stealing Horses, Norway during the resistance in WWII.

Vizzini, Ned, It's Kind of a Funny Story.. But it's way more that that.

Millett, Lydia, Oh Pure and Radiant Heart. Remarkable book for its wealth of information about the
        history and current status of the atomic bomb, and the hearts of the scientists who worked on it.

Moriarty, Laura, The Center of Everything. The voice of the main character is remarkable.

Hessler, Peter, Oracle Bones. China past and present, in words from a master storyteller and observer.

Indridason, Arnaldur, Voices. What a great storyteller.

Park, Linda Sue, A Single Shard. Read "j" books now and then. This one is great!

Pattison, Alan,    Prayer of the Dragon The story connects the Navaho and Tibetan cultures and religions.
                A fascinating read.

Hornby, Nick, Slam. Great voice.

Hockensmith, Steve, On the Wrong Track. Just plain fun if you like old trains.

Russo, Richard, Straight Man. No missteps in this tale of academia.

Wood, Patricia, The Lottery. Greed, intelligence (all kinds), and big money wend their way through this great tale.

Smith, Martin Cruz, December 6. A different perspective on Japan in WWII.

Borchert, Daniel, Free for All. If you want to know what working in a library is really like, read this
                book!!!!
Murray, Sabina, Forgery. Makes me want to have a rich friend to spend some Greek Island time with.

Atkinson, Kate, One Good Turn. If you predict the outcome you are a more observant reader than I!

Noel, Katherine, Halfway House. A story about teen onset bipolar disorder. Hopeful,
but also heartbreaking.

Mankell, Henning, Kennedy's Brain. Please explain the title of the excellent but horrifying book to me!

Seigal, Barry, The Perfect Witness. If you like Grisham, you will like this author.

Larson, Erik, The Devil in the White City. Architecture, serial killing and lots about life in Chicago
during the period around the Columbian Exposition, including how Pabst Blue Ribbon beer got
its name!

Rabb, Jonathan, Rosa. Learned a lot about pre WWII Germany in a well told story

Gregiro, Michael, Critique of Criminal Reason. A very interesting book about Konigsberg and Kant
during the period when The Critique of Pure Reason was written.

Through 2007

Saul, Jamie, Light of Day. Sad, disturbing, but feels so honest.

Smith, Mary-Ann Tirone, An American Killing. Compelling political intrigue.

Fitzgerald, Penolope, The Book Shop. A lovely but strangely disheartening read.

Hoeg, Peter, The Quiet Girl. This intriguing book would be even better on a CD that included the music
which is so much a part of the story.

Mosher, Howard Frank, Waiting for Teddy Williams. Small town Vermont baseball, the Red Sox, and
a fabulous cast of characters.

Patterson, Richard North, Exile. An attempt, I would say fairly successful, to put the conflict in Israel/
Palestine into human, understandable terms.

Weisman, Alan, The World without Us, Opens our eyes to the enormous impact humans have on the earth.
Full of attitude-changing information, this book could affect the way you live, but it is pretty
discouraging. .

Crutcher, Chris, Deadline. What would you do if you knew you had a year to live? Would it be different if
        you were still in high school? This is a great book on a multitude of levels.

Xinran, Sky Burial, a beautiful story of loyalty and love with Tibetan lore, land, and politics woven seamlessly
        through it.

Picoult, Jodi, 19 Minutes, certainly not an easy read, but it rings too true. Listen when teenagers want
        to talk to you!

Gardam, Jane, Old Filth, an intriguing look at the relationship between Hong Kong and England, just
        prior to the end of the "colony".

Fforde, Jasper, The Big Over Easy, This book about the Nursery Crimes Division's lead detective,
     Jack Spratt, and what really happened to Humpty Dumpty, is hilarious. If you don't agree with me,
        we definitely don't have the same (sick?) sense of humor!

Schwartz, Lynn Sharon, The Writing on the Wall. 9/11 New York City features in this story about
        survivor's guilt and family secrets.

Fitzgerald, Bill, The Organ Grinder, a laugh out loud look at more than I ever wanted to know about
        organ transplants.

Fossum, Karin, The Indian Bride, an intriguing story about the reality of racism in Norway.

Relin, Oliver, and Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Tea, One person can make a difference. This book is an
        inspiration to read!

Temple, Peter, The Broken Shore, another book for the armchair traveler, this time taking us to Australia.

Adichie, Chimananda Ngozi, Purple Hibiscus, a deeply moving novel about the difference faces we present
to the world and to our own families, with the flavors of Nigeria present throughout.

Seliy, Shauna, When We Get There, I will always think of this as "the pear book" but that says a lot.

McFarland, Dennis, Letter from Point Clear, another lucid, gentle take on what it means to be family.

Pollan, Jonathan, Botany of Desire, history, sociology, religion biology woven together in the stories
of four plants. A great book!

Ward, Amanda, Forgive Me, an interesting take on perspective, set in South Africa at the time of apartheid.

McGrory, Brian, Strangled, another possible explanation of the Boston Strangler "real" story.

Whorton, James, Approximately Heaven, A bit like a country song, but never trite.

Min, Katherine, Secondhand World, Katherine writes beautifully if sadly, about growing up a part of both           Korea and the US.

Kalpakian, Laura, American Cookery, family history is always with us, but some of us have more interesting
        stories than others.

Qiu, Xiaolong, A Case of Two Cities, one in China and one in the US. The world is so small, and greed exists       everywhere.

Stewart, Amy, Flower Confidential, all you ever wanted to know and more, about flowers from gene to sale.
Fascinating stuff!

Ehrenreich, Barbara, Bait and Switch. Her commentary about corporate jobs and the difficulty in finding them sometimes, is also apt commentary on our society today.

Blunt, Giles, By the Time You Read This. Small town Ontario has just as much going on as anywhere else.

If you like novels that take place in Boston, and almost always have something to do with fly fishing, try
William Tapply.
And if you like to go to Martha's Vineyard, but don't want to leave home, read Phillip Craig.

McMurtry, Larry, Boone's Lick. How one woman "conquered" the west.

Toews, Miriam, A Boy of Good Breeding, a town called Algren, a young mother named Knute, and her daughter
Summer Feelin'.... What's not to love?

Shute, Henry, The Real Diary of a Real Boy, written in the early 1900s, it is still a treat for the New England
soul.

Kingsolver, Barbara, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, packed with information and inspiration on the benefits of
eating locally (a localvore?), this book is one of my favorites of the year.
Gawande, Atul, Better. Depends on your perspective. But Gawande sure raises a lot of interesting questions
about health care in the USA.

Brandeis, Gail, Self Storage, you've got to love the main character.

Harrison, Jim, Returning to Earth, the story of a man for whom his geography is part of his bones.
Greenway, Alice, White Ghost Girls, I found this book extraordinary, at least partly because of my own
childhood in an Asian country. (Mine was much less dramatic.) Great story.

Tyler, Anne, Breathing Lessons. There is always room for an Anne Tyler on a reading list of mine!

Avery, Ellis, The Teahouse Fire, if you liked Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha, give this fascinating book a try!

Sansom, Ian, The Case of the Missing Books, the whole library full gone missing all over Northern Ireland.
Parker, T. Jefferson, The Fallen. how interesting and challenging, to be able to see the colors of the emotions of
people talking to you.

Wagner, Marsden, Born in the USA, all that work in the 60s and 70s to change the way we think about birth, and
now it's time to start again.

Abbott, Bonnie Thomas, Radical Prunings. Laugh, get garden tips, and think about what is important,when you
read this absolutely charming story.

Vonnegut, Kurt, Welcome to the Monkey House, a trip back in time, just as relevant today, and just as funny/sad.

Vida, Vandela, Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, if you read this I want to discuss it with you. I also
want to go to Lapland!

Li, Chuxin, Mao's Last Dancer, if you are interested in classical ballet and/or China, this book will fascinate you.

Zusak, Markus, The Book Thief, narrated by death, it took me a while to get started, but so worth staying the
course.

Powers, Richard, The Echo Maker, profound, many layered, and moving, as well as a great story.

Leon, Donna, Death at La Fenice, interesting story, as are all of her's, about Venice from top to bottom.

Fessler, Ann, The Girls who Went Away. Have you ever thought about women who give their children up for
adoption, especially when the choice is not their's to make? Read this book, and you surely will.
Fergus, Jim, 1000 White Women. What would have happened if they Cheyennes had incorporated white women
into their tribes, to give native and white Americans shared responsibility for a generation of children?

Pears, Iain, An Instance of the Fingerpost, one of my patrons said I had to read this book, no matter how long it
took me. What a lot there is to learn, and how little some things change!

Myss, Caroline, Anatomy of the Spirit, thoughts on health from a medical intuitive's point of view.

Liss, David ,The Ethical Assassin, raisies questions about a lot of things we should think about but don't necessarily want to....

McKay, Ami, The Birth House, birthing, powerful women, and change, set in Nova Scotia.

Obama, Barack The Spirit of my Father a memoir about growing up in multiple cultures, and somehow managing to find the best in each.
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Mead, Margaret Blackberry Winter an autobiographical account of an
influential, controversial, woman.

Parks, Linda Sue    The Mulberry Project a "juvenile" book which makes
        me want to try to raise silkworms!

Meek James      The People's Act of Love - very strange and moving story

Hebert, Ernest, Spoonwood touches the heart of NH people and issues

Tyler, Anne    Amateur Marriage and Digging to America

Fossum, Karin When the Devil Holds the Candle - Life in Scandinavian countries is just as difficult as it is here!

Otsuka,    When the Emperor was Divine   Moving, and evoking a profound
                hope that we as a nation have changed for the better

Fong Bates    China Dog thought provoking stories about being an American
            of Asian heritage

Haddon, Mark A Spot of Bother marriage, getting old, having adult children;
            he writes of all these things in a quirky, entertaining way!

Krauss, Nicole    The History of Love
The people in the book discussion group either loved or really didn't like this book. If you read it, I would be interested in what you think!

Walls, Jeanette   The Glass Castle
If you think you grew up in a dysfunctional family, read this for perspective!

Kaminsky, Stuart    Terror Town
All of Kaminsky's Chicago stories are remarkably good

Palahuniak, Chuck,    Diary
Very weird, very creepy, very good

Barnes, Linda    The Heart of the World
One of her best books, and it really does have heart

Housewright        Tin City
About life in a city of "trailers" in the middle of the "twin cities"

Harvey, John    In a True Light
Love, painting, and finding peace with the path you take

Strout, Elizabeth    Abide with Me
Life as a New England small town minister with all it means. GREAT!

Schaffert,Timothy, Singing and Dancing Daughters of God
                    Life in the midwest with a strange combination of booze and Bible

King, Laurie,    The Art of Detection
She has the art of writing detective fiction down. And if you want to go to
                    San Francisco this summer, but don't want to leave NH, read this book

Lee, Chang-Rae,   Native Speaker
                    Great story, with lost of insight into the Korean-American part of living in the US

Sedaris, David,   Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim
                    Listen to this one but be careful if you're driving. Some of this is very funny!

    Waldeman, Ayelet,    Love and other Impossible Pursuits
                             A book about how to go on living when the worst things happen
        L'Engle, Madeleine,    Circle of Quiet
                             A look at life from a favorite children's fantasy writer of mine
        Pears,Iain,      The Titian Committee    Intelligent art mystery....
        Hebert, Ernest,    Any of Ernest Hebert's books are gems of New Hampshire small town life.
                             I recommend starting with Dogs of March, and continuing from there
        Tursten Helene,    Torso     If you can stand dark Swedish stories, she is great
        See, Lisa,       Snowflower and the Secret Fan
                            A story of friendship with a lot of information about the Chinese practice
                            of footbinding.
       Smith, Dominic    The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre
                             Historical fiction at it's best....especially for anyone interested in the beginnings of photography
        Brock and Parker    Proverbs of Ashes
                              Two theologians present a radical perspective of Christianity.
                              Certainly food for thought.
        Barnes and Ambaum    READ Unshelved !!! The best way I know of to see what
                              librarians are really like
        Tapply           Nervous Water
                              Hidden history in Maine, NH and Massachusetts small towns
        Hannigan        Ida B    What resources are available to us when bad things happen?
                              Ida B finds them in nature, her parents, a teacher, and herself. A book
                              written for children that is good for adults to read too.
        Tan               Saving Fish from Drowning
                             Amy Tan brings the plight of minorities in Burma (Myanmar) to our
                             attention in an unforgettable way

Added in January, 2006

Indridason            Jar City
                            Silence of the Grave
                            Both these books are mysteries taking place in Iceland. They are as much about place
                            and culture as anything else, and offer a lot of insight into another culture. They are
                            good stories too!

   Gunn, Elizabeth    Crazy Eights
                            Another Minnesota mystery, All of Gunn's books are fun to read.

   Nabokov           Pale Fire
                            If you read "Reading Lolita in Tehran" you may be tempted, as I was, to try
                            Nabokov again. I found the poem more accessible than the commentary.

Erdrich, Louise    The Painted Drum I think this is one of her best books. Listen to it for a real treat!

Giminez            The Color of Law If you like Grisham and Turow, try this.

Vonnegut, Kurt    Man Without a Country One of my heroes telling it as he sees it.

Hiaasen, Carl    Flush    What does happen to septic waste from those riverboat casinos?

Lee, Harper    To Kill A Mockingbird    The best book of the 20th century according to a poll of
                       US librarians. See if you agree.

Wilder, Thornton The Eighth Day Another classic worth a reread

Truss, Lynn Talk to the Hand Her take on manners in culture is fascinating.

Upfield, Arthur   Murder Down Under
                            Mystery of Swordfish Reef
                    His stories of Australia in the 20's and 30's are classic, and touch on racial and societal
                    issues that I haven't often thought about.

Gibbons, Kaye    Ellen Foster    What a voice Ellen has!

Dufrense    Love Warps the Mind a Little   maybe the first book I have ever read that takes
                 place in Worchester. And it is a great story!

	Any bitter thing by Wood Good writing, great story, makes you think again
	The Darwin Conspiracy by Darton Contrived but interesting.
	Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer The tape is extremely well done and the story is hilarious and heartbreaking. Not easy, but a great read.
	Fate is the Hunter by Ernest K. Gann Classic Nonfiction about flying in the 30's, 40'3 and 50's.
	Fire Sale by Sara Paretsky Chicago, illegal aliens, and good people trying to make things better.
	Knitting by Anne Bartlett What kind of knitter are you? I know which one I am and I am not telling.
	Maisie Dobbs by Winspear The first of a WWI mystery series, great story.
	Q and A by Vikas Swarup Quiz show in India with a most unlikely hero. Great!
	Second Glance by Jodi Picoult Takes a while to get into, but what I didn't know about Vermont in the early 30's shocked me. She sure raises issues in this one.
	Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Read it and see why it is a classic!
	Spook by Mary Roach Do you believe in ghosts? Nonfiction at its most readable.
	St. Alban's Fire by Archer Mayor Another winner by Mayor, sadder than some.
	The Virgin Suicides By Jeffrey Eugenides Very Strange.
	The wild ride up the Cupboards by Bauer What happens to a family when one of their children is disabled.
	The Blue Afternoon by William Boyd The first book I have ever read that takes place in the Philippines. Fascinating.