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

2010

Verghese, Abraham. My Own Country. Here is a chance to get to know the man who wrote Cutting for Stone. He puts a
    personal and medical face on the beginnings of AIDS in this country which is the best I've read.
    Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. "What's this book about anyway?"
Verghese, Abraham. Cutting for Stone. What a masterful storyteller. On my best books of the decade for sure.
        Ethiopia, medicine, ferenghi doctors in the US, twins, love, war, hate, forgiveness. Whooooo.
McKibben, Bill. EAARTH. Be prepared to despair. There is no doubt that we ALL need to read this and be changed by it.
Spencer-Fleming, Julia. In the Bleak Midwinter. Heard her speak and had to read her books. Maine always appeals!
Yancey, Richard. The Highly Effective Detective Plays the Fool. If you like Westlake, I bet you will like Yancey:)
Hitchens, Christopher. God is Not Great. A leap, of faith perhaps, beyond agnosticism into atheism.
Min, Anchee, Pearl of China. Pearl S. Buck as imagined (with lots of research) by Anchee Min. Sure rang "true" to me.
deHartog, Jan. A View of the Ocean. Gracefully facing death.
Edgar, Gordon. Cheesemonger. A Life on the Wedge. Okay, the writing could be better, but read it anyway.
           You have to take the rind with the cheese!
Burdett, John. The Godfather of Kathmandu. Brilliant.
Campbell, Alistair. All in the Mind. Do all "healers" have to be somehow wounded?
Bronte, Charlotte, Jane Eyre. What eloquent language, and what a love story!
Winspear, Jacqueline. The Mapping of Love and Death. Another winner by a favorite writer.
Angus, Colin. Lost in Mongolia. Rowing the 5th longest river in the world. Crazy!
Robbins, Tom. B is for Beer. R is for really funny. Especially if you listen to it.
Weingarten, Gene. A Hyppochondriac's Guide to Life and Death. Not for the faint-hearted.
Weiner, Jennifer. Little Earthquakes. Another book I had low expectations for. It exceeded them.
Stockett, Kathryn, The Help. Not a book I expected to like, for a variety of reasons. But I did anyway.
Lobdell, William. Loosing my Religion. One man's intense hunt for religious values within religious institutions.
Boyle, T C. The Women. A not particularly flattering look at the life of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Irving, John, Last Night in Twisted River. Logging, cooking, writing. What a great combination!
Shields, Charles. Mockingbird. If you want to learn about Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, this is the book
        to read.
Mankell, Henning. The Man from Beijing. Captivating look at revenge as well as politics in China.
Lowry, Lois, The Willowbys. A good old fashioned story with a happy ending by one of my favorite children's authors.
Edwards, Elizabeth, Resilience. Another book recommended by a friend, which was much better than I ever expected.
McClure, Tori M., Pearl in a Storm. One way to come to terms with who you are is to row across the North Atlantic
        by yourself. Not a method I will ever choose, but Tori's story is truly awe inspiring.
Bazell, Josh, Beat the Reaper. Witness protection mafia hit man turns doctor. Lots of foul language and even worse
        is the treatment of patients. I sure hope he does not know whereof he writes!
Francis, Dick and Felix, Under Orders and Dead Heat. I had to read one last Dick Francis when I heard of his death.
        He was such a window into a life I will never know first hand. And the book he wrote with his son is just as good
        as his own oeuvre.
Barbery, Muriel, Elegance of the Hedgehog. Beautiful in every way.
Bohjalian, Chris, Secrets of Eden. No easy answers it this book. Not even easy questions.
Powers, Richard, Generosity. The author is brilliant. The idea of a happiness gene? Disturbing to me.
Bowen, Peter, Coyote Wind and others. Recommended to me by two readers whose judgment usually affirms my own.
        The voice in these stories is unusual, and appealing.
Patterson, Richard North, The Spire. What we will do to gloss things over....
Weiner, Eric, The Geography of Bliss. Where do you think the happiest place to live is?
King, Dave, The Haha. A humorous and sympathetic look at brain injury.
Mortenson, Greg, Stones into Schools. The next inspiring and informative installment in the
        story of the Central Asia Institute.
Kidder, Tracy, My Detatchment. The closest to a memoir that Kidder will get.
Rabb, Jonathan, Shadow and Light. A frightening look at pre Hitler Germany.

2009

Updike, John, My Father's Tears. The title of the book and my favorite story in it as well.
Morine, David, Two Coots in a Canoe. A look at friendship, with a river trip thrown in.
Winchester, Simon, The Man who Loved China. Obsession carefully described.
Dai, Sijie, Once upon a Moonless Night. Not an easy read but a great one.
Buckley, Chris, Supreme Courtship. Only read Chris Buckley if you can stand irreverence.
Harrison, Kathy, Another Place at the Table. The best and worst of foster care in the U.S.
Kidder, Tracy, Strength in What Remains, A horrifying AND inspiring story about genocide and survival.
Baker, Nicholson, The Anthologist, probably the best book about poetry that I have read in ages.
Quartey, Kwei, Wife of the Gods, a captivating mystery that takes place in Ghana
Dunant, Sarah, Sacred Hearts. Convents in the 1500s. Not something I ever thought I would be interested inWhite, W.L., Lost Boundaries. A little gem about racism in NH in the early 40's. True story.
Gaiman, Neil, The Graveyard Book. A Newbury winner, and terrific story!
Paretsky, Sara, Hardball. Another of my favorites, writing this time about Chicago and racism in the late 60's.
Lehr and Zuckoff, Judgment Ridge. I finally read this though I didn't want to. An extremely disturbing book.
Lopez, Steve, The Soloist. Don't make assumptions about people. Brilliance and madness may not be too far apart.
Barr, Nevada, 13 1/2, So good but so creepy.
Russo, Richard, Bridge of Sighs. Stodgy and reliable wins the race, and I am glad.
Strout, Elizabeth, Olive Kitteridge. The many ways we appear to others.....
Bullock-Prado Gesine, Confessions of a Closet Master Baker. The recipes are even better than the story.
Patchett, Ann, Run. She has become one of my favorite authors...always a different perspective.
Indridasson, Arnaldur, Arctic Chill. His stories about Iceland pull me right in.
King, Laurie, The Language of Bees. A masterful story teller.
Barker, Alan, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. The 10-year-old's voice is perfect.
Chabon, Michael, The Yiddish Policemen's Union What a world he pictures!
Larsson, Steig, Girl who Played with Fire. The second in his trilogy...a great read.
Swarup, Vikas, Six Suspects. A colorful picture of today's India.
Brooks, Gwendolyn, People of the Book. Don't know why it took me so long to catch up with this book...sure was worth the wait.
Parkin, Gaile, Baking Cakes in Kigali. Perfect. Realistic, humorous and hopeful.
Larsen, Reif, Selected Writings of T.S. Spivet. Hmmmmmm.
Nesser, Hakan, Woman with Birthmark. About the long term impact of one evil deed.
Larsson, Steig, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Swedish history/mystery. what a great book.
Robinson, Marilynne, Home. She did it again....savor this wonderful story and ponder it!
Zagdoorian, Michael, The Leisure Seeker. A literal end of life experience.
Leininger, Bruce and Andrea, Soul Survivor, The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot. Absolutely fascinating!
Todd, Charles, A Duty to the Dead and a good period mystery.
Nesby, Jo, Nemesis. Revenge is devastating for all involved
Patterson, James North, The Race If you like cynical but somewhat hopeful looks at presidential politics, you will like this.
Czuchlewski, David, The Muse Asylum, If you're artistically talented and "crazy" it's the place for you.
Alexie, Sherman, Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Second "listen" made it even better.
Rowland, Laura Joh, The Fire Kimono. intriguing glimpse into 16th century Japan.
Penny. Louise The Cruelest Month and A Rule Against Murder. Count Three Pines among one of my
                    "to visit" towns!
Smith, Mary-Ann Tirone, Dirty Water. I really enjoyed this mystery packed full of Red Sox lore.
Gutterson, David, East of the Mountains. How to die? Some of the choices are ours.
Doig, Ivan, Whistling Season. Doig tells a good story, but I am still wondering whether a relationship can
                 succeed when it is based in lies. The book discussion group had a lively time with this one.
Lamb, Wally, The Hour I First Believed. Epic in scope, Lam addresses the effect of violence be it war,
                    school shootings, or domestic, on those on its periphery. I found this book to be profoundly
                    moving.
Gensberg, Ira, Reckless Homicide. Interesting look at responsibility.
Thompson, Kate, The New Policeman. One of those books that makes me wish I were Irish, and that it
                        came with a music CD to listen to while reading.
Durcan, Liam, Garcia's Heart. Written by a neurologist, this is a fascination look at where our best and
                    worst behaviors might come from.
Rys, Matt Beyon, The Samaritan's Secret. His stories bring news from the middle east to life.
Carr, Caleb, The Alienist. There is no doubt that this is a hard read, but if you stick with it you will
                   learn a lot about the beginnings of "profiling" of criminals, and NYC in the late 1890's
Kallos, Stephanie, Sing Them Home. Strange and magical book about loss, and interestingly, the effects
                          of multiple sclerosis.
Goodwin, Doris Kearns, Team of Rivals. When one of the book groups I belong to chose this title, I
                                  groaned, because it is SO long. And it is, but it is also timely and interesting.
                                  Nothing really changes in government, that's for sure!
Franklin, Ariana, Mistress of the Art of Death. The title refers to early pathologists, trained in Italy,
                          and thus the beginnings of forensic medicine. Another thing that doesn't change much
                          is the West's strange prejudice against Jews.
Amidon, Stephen, Human Capital. Why "easy" money isn't really. An older book appropriate for
                          these times.
Brandreth, Gyles, Oscar Wilde and a Death of no Importance. London during the times of Wilde
                          and Conan Doyle was a place of some debauchery. This glimpse uses real
                          characters in an imagined story to bring us into its less savory places.
                          Now I have to read Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray.
Lord, Cynthia, Rules. A sibling's eye view of autism.
Harvey, John, Gone to Ground. I have found some interesting stories in the stacks of the library as
                     I have weeded in the fiction. This one is a police procedural touching particularly on
                     the cruelty to which homosexuals are sometimes subjected.
Gutteridge, Peter, Two to Tango. Absolutely bizarre story taking place in various countries in
                           South America, which is laugh out loud funny, violent, and even sometimes touching.
Dobson, Joanne, Cold and Pure and Very Dead. The title comes from a quote by Sinclair Lewis about how
                        Americans like our literature, and the story is loosely based on Grace Metalious and
                        Peyton Place. If you are a fan of either, you may enjoy this take as much as I did.

Recommended books of 2008
Hillerman, Tony, Skeleton Man. Any of Hillerman's books are good pictures of southwestern
                         native culture. Another of my favorite authors who will be sorely missed.
Barry, Dave, The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Dog. Tacky, honest, and hilarious.
Alderman, Naomi, Disobedience. Very interesting look at Orthodox Jewish life in London.
                          The main character was a bit too selfish for me.
Adams, Harold, The Ditched Blonde. South Dakota in the 20's and 30's. Good read.
Hamilton, Masha, The Camel Bookmobile. Addresses the conflict between maintaining cultural identity
                          and becoming part of the international world.... moving, often beautiful, and with
                          no easy answers.
Lowenthal, Michael, The Same Embrace. identical twins, seeking religious and sexual identity.
Vonnegut, Kurt, Jailbird. One of my favorite writers, and just as relevant now as when the book
                       was written. He will be missed by this reader.
James, P.D., The Private Patient. P.D. James never disappoints.
Indredasson, Arnaldur, The Draining Lake. A fascinating look at a bit of Icelandic history
                                   and geography.
Shaffer, Mary Ann and Annie Barrows, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.
                                                          An absolute treat.
Levitt, Steven and Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics. The subtitle is "a rogue economist explores the hidden
                            side of everything", and Steven Levitt sure does. Fascinating and thought-provoking.
Hamilton, Steve, A Cold Day in Paradise or any of his other books which bring the Upper Penninsula
                         in Michigan to life.
Shreve, Anita, Testimony. Booze and sex in a New England prep school, and how one bad choice can
                      ruin your life.
Harstead, Donald, Code 61. Never thought I would actually be interested in a book about
                           vampires in Iowa.
Holleran, Andrew, Grief. Mourning the deaths of a parent, gay friends to AIDS, and confronting
                           the complexity of life in these times.
Hartmann, Elizabeth, The Truth about Fire . A story about the relationship between fundamentalism
                                and evil.
Herrin, Lamar, The House of the Deaf. Spain, Basques, loss of a daughter. Not as depressing as it sounds.
Heuler, Karen, The Soft Room. What would your life be like if you were unable to feel physical pain?
Hall, Brian, The Fall of Frost. Not quite a biography, but it sure takes the reader deep into Frost's life
                 and poetry.
Hospital, Janet Turner, Due Preparations for the Plague. The CIA, airplane bombings, the impossibility
                                   of remaining untouched by the evil we do.
Idle, Eric, The Road to Mars. My first sci fi novel in years, about comedy among other things.
Leonard, Carol, Ladies' Hands, Lion's Heart. One of my favorite NH midwives tells about births she
                       attended during a 15 year period spanning the fight of lay midwives to gain professional
                       recognition. My personal favorite page is @ 100.
Burke, James Lee, Swan Peak. Beautiful land is often, according to Burke, bought up by not very
                           beautiful people.
Burke, Alafair, Dead Connection. If you are considering internet dating, read this first.
Kelby, NM. Theater of the Stars, an intriguing story about life for scientists during WWII in France.
Foer, Jonathan Safron. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and incredibly moving, funny, great!
Hall, Meredith, Without a Map. Her writing makes this not so unusual memoir shine.
Auster, Paul The Brooklyn Follies. What a treat!
Leon, Donna, The Girl of His Dreams. She sure doesn't gloss over corruption in government, local
                   and national.
Lansdale, Joe R, Sunset and Sawdust. An early 1900s Texas romp through racism, sexism, abuse,
                         and the mob.
McPhee, Martha, Bright Angel Time. If you ever wondered what it was like for the children of the
                         people who left everything to follow a "guru" (in this case to Esalen), read this book.
Keating, HRF, Breaking and Entering. An interesting story with a great flavor of "India" English.
Miles, Jonathan, Dear American Airlines, about how often we miss the symbolic plane and sit around
                         in real airports.
Troost, J. Maarten, Lost on Planet China. Funny, brutal, a heavy dose of Maarten with some China
                              thrown in.
Pollan, Michael, In Defense of Food. I thought this was an excellent book, probably because I agree
                       with so much of it!
Robinson, Roxana, Cost, about a family going through heroin addiction in one of the sons. She gives
                           voice to all of the members affected, and hearts broken...
Box, CJ, Blue Heaven. Retired cops, good and bad, in Idaho.
Rys, Matt Beyon, The Collaborator of Bethlehem. What it would be like to live in Palestine, as a
                          Christian, Jew, or Muslim. I found this to be a very disturbing book because it is
                          mostly about daily life in a war zone.
Sussman, Paul, The Last Secret of the Temple, same sort of theme as the Rys book, reminding us that
                      religion can be the most divisive thing in our lives even when we hold some of the same
                      things sacred.
Oates, Joyce Carol, My Sister My Love. I have never been interested in the Jon Benet story,
                              true crime is too painful for me to read. But after reading this, I have to learn
                              more. Oates is psychologically profound!
Winspear, Jacqueline, An Incomplete Revenge. Another winner from one of my favorite mystery writers.
Larsson, Asa, The Black Path, a writer from Lapland who tells an international story about madness,
                    greed, and possibility.
Mankell, Henning, The Eye of the Leopard. Sweden meets Zambia in a remarkable story about whites
                           living in Africa, how it feels, why they stay, and how difficult it is for the
                           colonization mentality to go "away".
Shannon, John, The Devils of Bakersfield. California at its worst, in a story that shows that a lot of
                      things just don't change much. Think Grapes of Wrath in 2008.
Gillis, Tina, Writing on Stone. Death of sons, islands, ways of life, and a bit about the life of another
                  favorite writer of mine, Ruth Moore.
Scottoline, Lisa, The Vendetta Defense. Another good legal "thriller" from an author who never
                        disappoints.
Burke, James Lee, Heartwood. Outside the box.
Bechel, Alison, Fun Home, Graphic novels aren't always my favorite, but I thought this one was
                      excellent.
Keller, Jon, Under Sanborn. Can't wait until it's published! It is about a New Hampshire that if not yet
                  gone, will be soon, but relationships between brothers make it universal. Great read.
Wroblewski, David, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. If you like dogs, Hamlet, or the north woods
                              of the midwest,read this book. If you like all of the above, you will love it.
Kenyon, TK, Rabid, Greed comes to scientific research. There is a lot of sleaze in this book!
Crowther, Yasmin, The Saffron Kitchen. Growing up Iranian in London and finding out what
                            makes us "home".
McLarty, Ron, The Memory of Running. What a heart warming story!
Koryta, Michael, Sorrow's Anthem, Nitty gritty Cleveland, with real people to get to know.
Krist, Gary, Chaos Theory, What can happen to a couple of kids who get mixed up in a bad deal.
                  Engaging read.
Lovesey, Peter, The Headhunters, Fun to read and to guess.....
Murakame, Haruki, Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.
                             Kind of a "The Giver" for adults. Great story!
Mitchell, Jim, Lover's Crossing. An insider's look at life on the Mexican-US border, in novel form.
Melville, James, The Death Ceremony. An interesting look at the Japanese tea ceremony and some
                         of its practioners.
Alexie, Sherman, The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian. Absolutely great!
Lescroart, John, Betrayal. This story goes beyond San Francisco to Iraq, and outsourcing our war
                         support to for profit (big profit) corporations.
Tremayne, Peter, A Prayer for the Damned. Early Christian Ireland.
Gilbert, Elizabeth, Eat, Pray, Love. A really popular book right now. I think younger women than I
                            might appreciate it more than I did.
McMahon, Neil, Lone Creek. So "Montana", and a good story too.
Newman, Sandra, The Shanghai Tunnel. Interest material about Portland Oregon, and another chapter
                          in our not often stellar history.
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.
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.