Emily

The first person plural voice works brilliantly in this stunning debut novel, giving life to three brothers who are often left to their own devices and are rarely shielded from their parents' difficulties. The spare style leaves much to the reader's imagination, as if the author trusts us to fill in the blanks. Outstanding!

Two solitary women, both wary of letting anyone too close, formed a bond at the dog park that turned into a unique, lasting friendship. This cathartic paean to a profound relationship explores the bond between two fiercely self-reliant women who traveled similar emotional roads before they met, then created a path all their own.

This beautifully written, powerful book on the history of cancer relates humanity’s surprisingly long quest to conquer the disease. Heartbreaking and inspiring, it traces the earliest known records of cancer written on Egyptian papyri to the modern day advent of chemotherapy while recounting the author's own experiences as a cancer physician. Good science books are hard to come by, great ones even more so. This is a book that should not be missed.

Even the minor characters in this novel felt authentic and intriguing, fleshing out the story and environment. I could picture the small-town New England setting, where houses that have stood for generations get modernist additions as the suburbs encroach and fleets of immigrant laborers are dispatched to care for their expansive lawns. Above all, I loved Percy's voice, his slightly anachronistic vocabulary and manner, and his endearing refusal to play by anyone else's rules.

Golden Richards is the father of 28 children and husband to 4 wives, and his life has begun to unravel as he works ever harder to maintain his sprawling family and keep his business afloat. Ultimately a story about the complexities, pressures, and joys of family, this novel is alternately heartrending and hilarious.

This is no slapdash follow-up to a bestseller; it is a thoughtful, nuanced treatise written by an eloquent, passionate author well versed in his topic. This is not a partisan political book (I honestly have no idea what party Marlantes might align himself with, if any), but a call to action for all of us to think about they way we treat our soldiers, why we send them off to war, and how they are reintegrated after their terms of service end. Like any great book, it provided me with a window on an unfamiliar world and a greater understanding of my fellow man.

I tore through this novel, picking it up at every spare moment, but the issues it brought to mind stuck with me long after I put it down. From the moment a widow decides to care for a stranger's child in 1968 to that child's adulthood and discovery of her past, the diverse cast of characters display the shift in America's attitude toward people with disabilities over a 40-year period. This will make an excellent book club pick!

Ebbesmeyer's research is fueled by infectious curiosity and a love of science that makes this a fascinating, insightful, and accessible book. It's surprising to read a book about all the man-made stuff that's floating around in the oceans without a heavy-handed environmentalist message. Even in the final chapter, the author is not holier-than-thou; he just urges us to be thoughtful about the plastic items we use.

Can a human outrun an antelope? Why would anyone run 100 miles through Death Valley in July? McDougall explores the limits of human endurance with humor and insight on his quest to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumora or "running people" of Northern Mexico. At the crossroads of science and philosophy, he finds some surprising answers.

I could see the landscape of Central Oregon through the prose, and after reading this book I want to go out there and see it for myself. The author's style evokes her connection to the land but makes no bones about the harsh life of farming in winter and the difficulties that arise from the encroaching population and its demands on the land.

I recommend this book to anyone traveling to Alaska or going deep-sea fishing. These riveting adventure tales will definitely make you appreciate paying top dollar for crab legs! --Emily

Among this novel's eccentricities you'll find attempts at time travel, a nosy chambermaid, an aging Nikola Tesla, and convalescing pigeons. I found it quirky and thoroughly enjoyable.

Complex, imperfect characters find solace in each other as family secrets are revealed and relationships are tested. Trust and friendship overcome loss and regret. The characters are unique and authentic, lurking in my mind long after I finished the book. Sad but not depressing--I didn't want it to end!

Profusely illustrated with maps and diagrams of all sorts, this book kept me chuckling and shaking my head, turning the book sideways to read strange footnotes and study charts. Twelve year old prodigy T.S. Spivet's unique worldview brought me hours of delight, from his home on the Coppertop Ranch to his adventures in the larger world. Beautifully odd and intriguing, some plot elements were left dangling, leaving me in a state of wonder and pleasant confusion similar to the feeling I get from ...moreProfusely illustrated with maps and diagrams of all sorts, this book kept me chuckling and shaking my head, turning the book sideways to read strange footnotes and study charts. Twelve year old prodigy T.S. Spivet's unique worldview brought me hours of delight, from his home on the Coppertop Ranch to his adventures in the larger world. Beautifully odd and intriguing, some plot elements were left dangling, leaving me in a state of wonder and pleasant confusion similar to the feeling I get from Murakami's fiction (though the style is not at all similar)- sometimes you just have to accept the weirdness and move along

I was gripped from the first paragraph by this compelling, intricate portrait of a group of Egyptians living in Chicago. The author gives insight into the varied and personal range of Muslim belief and practice, and reflects on the far-reaching effects of corrupt governments. Political and personal, this book often feels more like a series of intertwined short stories than a novel. - Emily

Lighthearted and luminous, this portrait of the author's home city brought all of my senses to life. Scarpa had me fantasizing about crumbling masonry and travel by gondola, but at the same time gave caveats about the city's treacherous beauty. - Emily

Join Martha Lessen in 1917 Oregon as she sets out looking for work as a horsebreaker and a place to call home. A charming pastoral novel free of sex and violence but full of memorable characters and (or course) horses. --Emily

I'm astounded by the precise language and slow, quiet intensity of this novel. The story of Milla and Agaat's complex relationship unfolds in Milla's three distinct voices over a lifetime spent on a rural South African farm. Through dated journal entries, short bursts of stream-of-consciousness, and second person narrative, Milla's tale provides a compelling portrait of a nation at war with its own ideals. - Emily

This novel drew me in with language I could wallow in. The seafaring slang and Indian colloquialisms create a setting that disorients and intrigues at the same time. As soon as I'd finished this book I was ready to dive right into the next installment of the Ibis Trilogy. - Emily

Beautifully written, charming and hilarious, Junior's story will suck you right in. It's an extraordinary tale of a kid who defies convention and perseveres when the odds stack up against him. This book will resonate with anyone who's ever felt like an outsider. Great cartoons too! --Emily

Atkinson has captured the essence of the family meal, with a definition of family that includes those we choose to call family as well as those we were born with. He pays homage to the women who expanded the palates of American home cooks in the 20th century (Fisher, Child, Jeffrey, etc.) and includes a decadent, buttery fudge marble pound cake recipe that knocked my socks off!