Books Read by Year- (Books reviewed in website have Asterisk*)
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WHISTLER by ANN PATCHETT
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AUDITION by KATIE KITAMURA
1929 by ANDREW ROSS SORKIN
THE NAMES by FLORENCE KNAPP
THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by LAURA DAVE
THE END OF THE AFFAIR by GRAHAM GREENE
BUCKEYE by PATRICK RYAN
GATEWAY TO THE MOON by MARY MORRIS
STONE YARD DEVOTIONAL by CHARLOTTE WOOD
MY FRIENDS by FREDRICK BACHMAN
WILD DARK SHORE by CHARLOTTE MCCONAGHY
WHAT WE CAN KNOW by IAN McEWAN
THE ENGLISH PATIENT by MICHAEL ONDAATJE
WE WOULD HAVE TOLD EACH OTHER EVERYTHING by JUDITH HERMANN
THE LONELINESS OF SONIA AND SUNNY by KIRAN DESAI
CLARA READS PROUST BY STPHANE CARLIER
GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT by LAURA Z. HOBSON
KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST by J. RYAN STRADAL
THEO OF GOLDEN by ALLEN LEVI
FAMILY OF SPIES by CHRISTINE KUEHN
THE KEEPER by TANYA FRENCH
FOUR LETTERS OF LOVE by NIALL WILLIAMS
THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN by LYNDA COHEN LOIGMAN
THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY by ELIZABETH STROUT
WHISTLER by ANN PATCHETT
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A THOUSAND MORNINGS (P) by MARY OLIVER
*THE DEAD by JAMES JOYCE (See Review)
*THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA BY PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY (See Review)
GOOD DIRT by CHARMAINE WILKERSON-
THE WEDDING PEOPLE by ALISON ESPACH - A woman who is depressed with her life goes to a hotel in Newport, Rhode Island to kill herself. She becomes immersed in the life of the bride and her life takes an upward turn. Moments of insight, but not my cup of tea.
LONG ISLAND BY COLM Tóibín - (See Review)
ERASURE by PERCIVAL EVERETT
MOTHERS AND SONS by ADAM HASLETT
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE by Gabriel García Márquez
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER by SUSAN RIEGER
JANE AUSTEN’S BOOKCASE by REBECCA ROMNEY (NF)
*BENEFICENCE BY MEREDITH HALL (See Review)
THE FROZEN RIVER by ARIEL LAWHON
THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP by SUSAN WIGGS
VIENNA: A TRAVELER’S LITERARY COMPANION edited by DONALD G. DAVIAU
LITTLE GREAT ISLAND by KATE WOODWORTH
*THE IMAGINED LIFE by ANDREW PORTER (See Review)
EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS (NF) by JOHN GREEN
MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB BY MARTHA HALL KELLY
BECOMING MADAME SECRETARY by STEPHANIE DRAY
*THE BRIGHT YEARS by SARAH DAMOFF
THE PRESENCE OF THINGS PAST by JOHN TAYLOR
SOURCE WORK FOR ACTORS (NF) by DIANE EDGECOMB
*AN ODYSSEY A FATHER , A SON, AND AN EPIC POEM (NF) by DANIEL MENDELSOHN
SONGS WITHOUT WORDS by ANN PACKER
THE LONG EMANCIPATION (NF) by IRA BERLIN
THE VIRGIN SUICIDES by JEFFREY EUGENIDES
TIGERS IN RED WEATHER by LIZA KLAUSSMANN
*THE READER by BERNHARD SCHLINK (See Review)
THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE by ANN PACKER
*THE KITCHEN HOUSE by KATHLEEN GRISSOM (See Review)
THE STRANGER by ALBERT CAMUS
*HOW TO READ A BOOK by MONICA WOOD (See Review)
*THE SCRAPBOOK by HEATHER CLARK (See Review)
WALKING ON FIRE by KATHRYN CRAWLEY
SAME AS IT EVER WAS by CLAIRE LOMBARDO
THE SEVEN AGES (P) BY LOUISE GLUCK
SAVING FREUD: THE RESCUERS WHO BROUGHT HIM TO FREEDOM by ANDREW NAGORSKI
BROKEN COUNTRY by CLAIRE LESLEY HALL
*THE CORRESPONDENT by VIRGINIA EVANS (See Review)
GUILT ABOUT THE PAST by BERNHARD SCHLINK
LAST WALTZ IN VIENNA BY GEORGE CLARE
THE SECRET LIFE OF SUNFLOWERS by MARTYA MOLNAR
THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN by MARJAN KAMALI
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THE DEAD by JAMES JOYCE - A beautiful and haunting story about a husband who realizes he doesn’t quite understand his beloved wife.
LITTLE MONSTERS by ADRIENNE BRODEUR - An ambitious novel about a fraught relationship between a brother and sister.
TRUTH AND BEAUTY by ANN PATCHETT-Patchett is one of my writing heroes, but this memoir about her best friend’s life felt complicated and intrusive. As always, the writing is stunning.
*ZORRIE by LAIRD HUNT - See Review
LIFE WITHOUT SUMMER BY LYNNE GRIFFIN - This novel is heartbreaking and insightful. The author shows readers that even after a horrible tragedy, healing is possible.
SO LATE IN THE DAY by CLAIRE KEEGAN - Keegan’s writing is sparse and clear. In these three short stories, she addresses misogyny in its many forms. Disturbing but so well executed.
DISTANT SHORES by KRISTIN HANNAH - One of Hannah’s first novels, but not one of her best.
ALL THE SINNERS BLEED by SA CROSBY - A Black sheriff in a white Virginia town must find a killer. The plot is tough to read but saved by the eloquent prose.
*THE HOUSEKEEPER AND THE PROFESSOR by YOKA OGAWA - See Review
*COST by ROXANA ROBINSON - See Review
MARTYR! by KAVEH AKBAR - An ambitious novel about a young writer striving to find meaning in his life. A gifted writer, but the totality of the story didn’t work for me.
OUTOFSHAPEWORTHLESSLOSER by GRACIE GOLD—I read this memoir in honor of my ice-skating sister. Gold is brave and honest about the trauma she endured while climbing to the top of the skating world.
*LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT by EUGENE O’NEILL - See Review
FIVE YEARS LATER by REBECCA SEARLE - A woman has a premonition/pre-cognition dream about what her life will be in 5 years. Interesting premise but didn’t love the characters.
THE ROOFTOP by MARGARET WILKERSON SEXTON - A novel about music, mothers and the gentrification of San Francisco in the 1950s.
LINCOLN ON THE BARDO by GEORGE SAUNDERS - An interesting structure and compelling reflection on death and Lincoln’s reaction to his son Willie’s early demise. I would have preferred to hear more about the Lincolns experience rather than all the ghosts in the bardo.
*BEYOND THAT, THE SEA by LAURA SPENCE-ASH - See Review
NORTH WOODS by DANIEL MASON - Fascinating story one house and the many occupants who live in it over the centuries. Quirky yet powerful.
THE DAUGHTERS OF YALTA by CATHERINE GRACE KATZ (NF) - A depiction of the post WWII negotiations at Yalta between FDR, Stalin and Churchill through the letters and correspondence of their daughters and other historical accounts.
*THE WOMEN by KRISTIN HANNAH - See Review
*JAMES by PERCIVAL EVERETT - See Review
MADAME BOVARY by GUSTAVE FLAUBERT - Published in 1856, this novel incited a backlash of immorality charges. Tame by our current standards, the story is about Emma Bovary who feels stifled by marriage and motherhood in a small town far from Paris.
WHILE PARIS SLEPT by RUTH DRUART - Set in 1944 Paris and 1953 California, this compelling novel is about love and sacrifice during WWII.
*SUITE FRANÇAISE by IRÈNE NÉMIROVSKY - See Review
LIKE A DROP OF INK IN A DOWNPOUR by YELENA LEMBERSKY - This memoir is filled with courage and heartbreak as the author provides intimate descriptions of her prison-like life growing up in the Soviet Union in the1970s and 80s. More specifically, the author writes of the enormous effort she and her mother undertook to smuggle the paintings of her grandfather out of the USSR.
THE PARIS ARCHITECT by CHARLES BELFOURE - A gripping story about a Gentile architect who helps design hiding spots for Jewish families in Paris. Initially, he takes on this task in service of his own ambitions, but comes to understand the sadistic actions of the occupying German forces. A compelling book.
THE PARIS DAUGHTER BY KRISTIN HARMEL - When the Nazi's march into Paris, the lives of two American women become forever intwined. One of them must leave her newborn daughter with the other or risk death for both of them.
*SANDWICH BY CATHERINE NEWMAN - See Review
*LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE by TERAH SHELDON HARRIS- See Review
*A PLACE FOR US by FATIMA FARHEEN MIRZA- See Review
AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY by DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN (NF) - An engrossing account of the 1960s.
WE BEGIN AT THE END by CHRIS WHITAKER - Beautiful character development and writing in this story about redemption.
A WRINKLE IN TIME by MADELINE L'ENGLE - Enjoyed rereading this story about time travel but not as much as I did when I was a young girl.
*WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES by GEORGIA HUNTER - See Review
THE LOST GIRLS OF PARIS by PAM JENOFF - A fascinating story about a ring of female secret agents during WWII.
*BY ANY OTHER NAME by JODI PICOULT - See Review
THE COPENHAGEN TRILOGY by DITLEVSEN
THE SPECTATOR BIRD by WALLACE STEGNER
DARKNESS OVER DENMARK (NF) by ELLEN LEVINE
SHAKESPEARE, THE MAN WHO PAYS THE RENT by JUDI DENCH
*TELL ME EVERYTHING by ELIZABETH STROUT (See Review)
*FINDING MARGARET FULLER by ALLISON PATAKI (See Review)
*MAD HONEY by JODI PICOULT and JENNIFER FINNEY BOYLAN (See Review)
BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD by TOSHIKAZU KAWAGUCHI
*TIME OF THE CHILD by NIALL WILLIAMS (See Review)
*THE BERRY PICKERS by AMANDA PETERS (See Review)
THE OVERSTORY by RICHARD POWERS
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*THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER by THORNTON WILDER - See Review
THE KEEPER OF HAPPY ENDINGS by BARBARA DAVIS - Though this novel seemed to strain credulity, I loved it. Sometimes you just want to read a book where you like the characters and delight in a happy ending.
HELLO BEAUTIFUL by ANN NAPOLITANO - See Review
THE FIGURE IN THE CARPET by HENRY JAMES - It takes a while for James to make his point, and yet it is a very interesting story.
*ABSOLUTION by ALICE MCDERMOTT - See Review
THE SECRET HISTORY by DONNA TARTT - A brilliant writer who provides so much detail I felt like I was at the college with this group of friends studying the classics. And yet, I didn’t think the book offered insight to give readers enough to reach conclusions about the characters’ behaviors.
*THE HERO OF THIS BOOK by ELIZABETH MCCRACKEN - See Review
THE COVENANT OF WATER BY ABRAHAM VERGHESE - A talented and knowledgeable writer, but the book didn’t work for me.
‘*THE ALTAR OF THE DEAD by HENRY JAMES - See Review
I WANT YOU TO KNOW WE ARE STILL HERE by ESTHER SAFRAN FOER
*THE POSTCARD BY ANNE BEREST - See Review
DEMON COPPERHEAD by BARBARA KINGSOLVER - Based on Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield, this is a tragic story about the horrible effects of opioids on a young man and his Virginia community.
*TOM LAKE by ANN PATCHETT - See Review
*OUR TOWN by THORNTON WILDER - See Review
THE CHERRY ORCHARD by ANTON CHEKHOV
WASHED ASHORE: FAMILY, FATHERHOOD, AND FINDING HOME by BILL ELVILLE - Reflections by a thoughtful writer and thinker.
BEACH READ by EMILY HENRY - A plot-driven August read about two writers who meet and fall in love.
*THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE by JAMES MCBRIDE - See Review
THE GERMAN WIFE by KELLY RIMMER - Historical fiction about the lives of a German scientist and his wife who move to Huntsville, Alabama, courtesy of the United States. They must deal with what they did for the Nazi regime.
*HOME FIRE by KAMILA SHAMSIE - See Review
THE YEARS by ANNIE ERNAUX - A meditation on the passing of time. Winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize. Moments of intense emotion, but otherwise emotionally distant.
THE ROSE CODE by KATE QUINN - WWII historical fiction about three women who worked at Bletchley Park breaking German and Italian codes for the Allies. A page-turner, but maybe too ambitious.
THE IMMORTALISTS by CHLOE BENJAMIN A provocative premise: In the 1970s, four siblings living in NYC visit a psychic who tells them privately the date of their death. The novel is an exploration of how this knowledge affects their lives. Yet, it just didn’t work for me.
*SUCH KINDNESS by ANDRE DUBUS III - See Review
THE HALF MOON by MARY BETH KEANE- I loved Mary Beth Keane’s last novel, ‘Ask Again, Yes.’ Her latest about marriage has much to like, but the story didn’t have her first novel's insights or emotional tension.
*A THOUSAND ACRES by JANE SMILEY. I loved this book. An updated version of King Lear. See Review.
KING LEAR BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
ALICE BLISS by LAURA HARRINGTON - A tender yet gritty coming-of-age story about how a young girl copes when her father is sent to fight in Iraq. I loved the positive characters and the sense of community, but the family dynamic perplexed me.
THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by LAURIE DAVE - A fast-paced mystery about a man on the run from his past.
THE SHADOW OF THE WIND BY CARLOS RUIZ ZAFON
A TALE OF TWO CITIES by CHARLES DICKENS - A historical novel by one of England’s greatest writers. The story takes place in London and Paris during the French Revolution. Dickens captures the cumulation of hate that causes the French people to overthrow a corrupt regime.
A TIDEWATER MORNING by WILLIAM STYRON - Three stories capture South Carolina in the 1930s. Beautifully rendered.
TRUST by HERNAN DIAZ has a unique structure. It presents four perspectives on one family’s life. Each perspective is different and partially true. Diaz is a gifted writer and winner of this year’s Pulitzer Prize. However, I felt there wasn’t enough dialogue between the characters to reach my own conclusions.
GLITTERING IMAGES by SUSAN HOWATCH - I read this novel 35 years ago. It doesn’t quite hold up, given the patriarchal perspective. Yet, I appreciate the idea of wrestling with one’s interior and spiritual life.
COMMITMENT by MONA SIMPSON - I liked this book but didn’t love it. The story centers around the relationship between three siblings in their teens coping with their mother's breakdown. I would have liked more dialogue and less narration.
THE BOY IN THE FIELD by MARGOT LIVSEY - Three teenagers find a boy on their way home from school, and the emotional dynamic of the family changes.
THE SECRET LIVES OF CHURCH LADIES BY DEESHA PHILYAW - Philyaw’s evocative collection of short stories about Black women is poignant and raw.
THE CHINESE GROOVE by KATHRYN MA - A lighthearted but powerful novel about a young man who leaves China hoping for a better life. But finds America different than he expected.
THE SUMMER OF GOOD INTENTIONS by WENDY FRANCIS: Three adult children on vacation with their recently divorced parents navigate a crisis. The premise is great, but it didn’t quite work for me.
*THE YELLOW WALLPAPER by CHARLOTTE GILMAN PERKINS - See Review
FLIGHT by LYNN STEGER STRONG - The matriarch of a family dies. The three adult children gather for their first Christmas together. They love one another, but simmering conflicts emerge. I wasn’t rooting for any of the characters and didn’t like the ending.
*THE QUICKENING by MICHELLE HOOVER - Set in the Midwest plains in the early 1900s, this is a powerful story about two farming families whose lives become intertwined.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU by REBECCA MAKKAI - A woman returns to the New Hampshire boarding school she attended and becomes immersed in the mystery of who killed her roommate. Makkai explores the limitations of memory and stereotypes regarding race and gender.
THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY by BRENDAN SLOCUM - A fun mystery with a message about discrimination.
*OUR SOULS AT NIGHT by KENT HARUF - A beautiful read about a man and woman who befriend one another in the last chapter of their lives.
*A PLAY FOR THE END OF THE WORLD by JAI CHAKRABARTI - An epic novel about the power of a Bengali/Nobel prize recipient Rabindranath Tagore’s play called The Post Office in English. The play was performed at an orphanage in the Warsaw ghetto in 1942 and again in India in 1972. The novel shows the power of literature to provide comfort and inspiration in terrible times.
*THE SWEETNESS OF WATER by NATHAN HARRIS - A beautiful and troubling read about a Georgia community in the aftermath of the Civil War.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by JANE AUSTEN - What a treat to reread this classic that changed how authors describe their characters’ feelings.
A NECESSARY END by NICK TAYLOR - Beautiful writing about the author’s parents’ decline and death.
THE CHOICE by DR. EDITH EVA EGER: An amazing story of perseverance by a survivor of Auschwitz.
LEVELS OF LIFE by JULIAN BARNES - The Third essay about his wife's death was very strong. The other two did not resonate. His novel ‘The Sense of An Ending’ is one of my favorites.
THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by MATT HAIG - I appreciated the novel’s focus on making the best of the life we are given. Yet, something didn’t quite work for me.
*SIGNAL FIRES by DANI SHAPIRO - I loved this book. (See review.)
*FALLING TO EARTH by KATE SOUTHWOOD - A beautiful, powerful book about what happens to a Midwest family after a tornado. See Review
TOMORROW AND TOMORROW and TOMORROW ’ by GABRIELLE ZEVIN - A novel spanning thirty years about the intense friendship between a young man and woman who become huge successes in developing video games.
THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM by MARIE BENEDICT - A historical fiction about Hedy Lamar. Though known as a beautiful movie star, she invented technology to help the US Military improve their torpedo systems—an enjoyable read.
*LUCY BY THE SEA by ELIZABETH STROUT - This is my favorite book in the Lucy Barton series. Lucy and her ex-husband travel to Maine to escape COVID. (See review.)
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HUNTING MIDNIGHT by RICHARD ZIMLER - A tragic story about a man’s betrayal of his beloved friend, an African. Takes place in 19th century Portugal and the American South.
EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR MOTHER IS A WITCH by RIVKA GALCHEN - This well-written but grim story is about a community that turns on a non-conforming woman. Based on the true story of the 17th century Wurzburg witch trials.
IF I SURVIVE YOU by JONATHAN ESCOFFREY - A collection of painful stories about the author and his family’s experience as immigrants from Jamaica who settle in Florida.
THE HUNTRESS by KATE QUINN - A novel about a Nazi criminal who comes to America and remakes herself as an innocent German widow.
AMERICANAH by CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHE - A provocative novel about a Nigerian woman who comes to America to attend Princeton. It is a coming-of-age story as well as a depiction of the hardship and fiction of the American Dream.
*MIGRATIONS by CHARLOTTE MCGONAGHAY - An excellent novel. The backdrop is climate change and the rapid eradication of fish and birds, but the story is also about personal loss and survival. Highly recommended.
BOOK LOVERS by EMILY HENRY - A lighthearted read about a book agent and an editor who fall in love in North Carolina. Some funny dialogue, but not a favorite.
*THE FORTNIGHT IN SEPTEMBER by R.C. SHERRIFF Nothing bad happens in this quiet yet powerful book about a family's annual trip to the sea. (See review.)
FRESH WATER FOR FLOWERS by VALERIE PERRIN - Finding hope in tragedy is the central theme in this novel about a woman cemetery keeper in France. I liked the book's plot, but certain themes did not resonate.
HEAVY by KIESE LAYMON - A provocative memoir about how lies, secrets and racism can oppress Black bodies.
THE 86th VILLAGE by SENA DESAI GOPAL - Family dynamics and the caste system are explored in this novel about an Indian village the government will allow being flooded.
*LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by BONNIE GARMUS - An unapologetic feminist chemist confronts sexism. (See review.)
THE SWIMMERS by JULIE OTSUKA - Otsuka is a beautiful writer, but the novel didn't completely work for me. The story is about the diminishment of a woman due to dementia. The woman is a swimmer, and the pool's decline is a metaphor for the woman.
CROSSING TO SAFETY by WALLACE STEGNER - A beautiful book about the friendship of two couples over the decades. Did not seem as psychological as when I read it 30 years ago.
THE LAST BOOKSHOP IN LONDON by MADELINE MARTIN - A WWII novel that captures the experience of Londoners during the Blitz and the power of books to provide friendship, community, and escape.
THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY by AMOR TOWLES - Towles is a gifted writer with a rich imagination. Morsels of wisdom scattered during this road trip, but the story didn’t quite keep me in the car.
THE EDGE OF FARALLON BY PETER SKINNER - Wonderful descriptions of the California Coast, but the story was disjointed.
*SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE by CLAIRE KEEGAN - A beautiful and powerful novella. So much conveyed in so few words. (See review.)
SWEETNESS OF WATER BY NATHAN HARRIS - An impressive debut novel about the aftermath of the Civil War in a perennial racist community. Tenderness, wisdom and love emerge amidst the depravity.
BURY YOUR DEAD by LOUISE PENNY - A fast-paced murder mystery in which a historic mystery affects a current-day murder. The descriptions of Quebec City make the book an enjoyable read.
*PROPERTIES OF THIRST BY MARIANNE WIGGINS- An engaging saga about the effects of WWII on a California ranching family as they navigate water conflicts and the building of a Japanese-American Internment camp.
THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by MARIE BENEDICT and VICTORIA CHRISTOPHER MURRAY- Based on the life of Belle de Costa Greene, the personal librarian for the Morgan Library and Museum. De Costa Green was a black woman who, because of racism, chose to pass as a person of Portuguese descent. Fascinating read.
FOSTER by CLAIRE KEEGAN - A beautifully written novella about a young Irish girl's evolving awareness of the fragility of her family and friends.
GHOST by ALAN LIGHTMAN - An ambitious novel about an undertaker who attempts to bridge his understanding of the scientific and mystical worlds.
HORSE BY GERALDINE BROOKS- Another well-researched book by Brooks. The story takes place in three time periods, but the stories all connect to Lexington, the most famous post-Civil War racehorse and his trainer, Jarret. At its heart, the novel depicts another realm where discrimination and injustice existed for Black Americans.
THE CURE FOR GRIEF by NELLIE HERMANN -
This book is a tragic story about a young girl dealing with the death of three family members. Ambitious, but needed editing.ALL MY RAGE by SABRA TAHIR - A gorgeous novel about two Pakistani teens trying to escape their small oppressive California desert town. Painful, powerful and poignant.
GOLDEN GATE by MICHELLE RICHMOND - A gripping story about loss and love, understanding and forgiveness. Set in San Francisco amid a hostage situation and secession by California. It seems far-fetched, but it works.
THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS by LISA WINGATE - Though I thought the novel could be edited, this story about Black families attempting to reunite with their family members post-slavery is beautiful and important.
MIGRATIONS by MARGARET RENKL(NF) A beautiful collection of essays about how nature can teach us about life and death.
WASHINGTON BLACK by ESI EDUGYAN - Wash Black escapes from slavery and creates a new life. His intellect and imagination allow him to start a new life within the racist constraints of that time.
A PRAYER FOR THE DYING by STEWART O'NAN - The Civil War has ended and Jacob Hansen has returned to his Wisconsin hometown. One by one, people are dying of diphtheria. As sheriff, pastor and undertaker, he must make decisions regarding the town he loves. Dark and relevant to our times.
*OH WILLIAM! by ELIZABETH STROUT - Strout is one of my favorite authors. This slim novel is bursting with insights into the complexity of relationships and how little we know about ourselves. Outstanding.
MIGRATIONS by CHARLOTTE MCCONAGHY - An excellent novel. The backdrop is climate change and the rapid eradication of fish and birds, but the story is also about personal loss and survival. Highly recommended.
THERE THERE by TOMMY ORANGE - An important novel about several Native American living in urban America and the long history of oppression that they carry and seek to escape.
THE SENTENCE by LOUISE ERDRICH - A complex and timely novel that covers COVID, a crime, a marriage, a bookstore, persistent racism, friendship and a haunted bookstore.
FOUR TREASURES OF THE SKY by JENNY TINGHUI ZHANG - A beautifully written tragedy set against the backdrop of the Chinese Exclusion Act enacted in the 1880s.
*THE 1619 PROJECT, created by NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES - An important, tragic, brilliant book. (See Review in Non-Fiction Reviews.)
UNTHINKABLE by JAMIE RASKIN (NF) A very important book describing the collusion between the insurrectionists and those at the highest tiers of our government. The book is gripping and poignant as Raskin shares the heartbreak of losing his beloved son Tommy to suicide.
THE PARIS LIBRARY by JANET SKESLIEN CHARLES - The American Library in Paris has a valiant history, remaining open during the Nazi occupation of Paris during WWII. Using source documents, Charles attempts to recreate the ethos of the library and the brave people who worked there. The novel mostly works, though some of the dialogue seems forced. What is beautiful is Charles' appreciation of the power of books to bring comfort and richness to people's lives.
THE PATRON SAINT OF LIARS by ANN PATCHETT - I read this book in 1992 when it was released and was stunned by Patchett's writing and insight into human emotions. Rereading the novel, I still love the book, but I had more questions about the relationship between the main character Rose and her mother. A great read by a gifted writer.
SOUL SEEDS by Carolyn Mary Kleefeld (P) A powerful book of poetry steeped in spirituality.
THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS by SUSAN MEISSNER - This novel vividly describes the historical event in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Yet the plot involving a disturbed husband didn't quite work for me.
THE STORY SISTERS by ALICE HOFFMAN - A beautifully written story about three sisters, two of whom experience a horrible incident that is not known by the rest of the family. The ripples and repercussions from that experience bond and haunt the two sisters and their choices as young women. Hoffman offers many insights into the human condition. Ultimately, the novel feels like a Shakespearean tragedy.
WINTER AT A SUMMER HOUSE by MARY BETH HINES (P) - A variety of poetic styles and a focus on the significance of noticing and appreciating events within our daily routines.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK WITH SOMEONE by LORI GOTTLIEB (M) - A memoir about a therapist's work helping patients. Insightful comments about the therapeutic process are diluted by some personal information she shares.
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THE SISTERS OF AUSCHWITZ by ROXANE VAN IPEREN (NF) - Another important book about how people respond to authoritarian regimes. These two sisters are to be admired as well as the author who unearthed their story.
CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by ANTHONY DOERR - An incredible writer trying to make us all think. However, the book just didn't come together for me.
A WOMAN OF MEANS by PETER TAYLOR
A BOOKSHOP IN BERLIN by FRANCOISE FRENKEL (NF)
The WINEMAKER'S WIFE by KRISTIN HARMEL
KNOW YOUR POWER by NANCY PELOSI
THE YEAR OF FOG by MICHELLE RICHMOND
RADIANT FUGITIVES by NAWAAR AMHMED - This novel set in San Francisco in 2008 explores the lives of an Indian-American Family. After years of hurt and misunderstanding, the family experiences tragedy. Well written and quite thoughtful.
LADY SUNSHINE by AMY MASON DOAN
HOLDFAST by KATHLEEN DEAN MOORE (NF)
LOVE AND TREASURE by AYELET WALDMAN
THE STATIONERY SHOP by MARJIN KAMALI
THE TIME BETWEEN by KAREN WHITE
A SPLENDID RUIN by MEGAN CHANCE
*SWIMMING BACK TO TROUT RIVER by LINDA RUI FENG
THE WARMTH OF OTHER SONS by ISABEL WILKERSON (NF)
THE JAPANESE LOVER by ISABEL ALLENDE
THE BAD MUSLIM DISCOUNT by SYED MASOOD
ANXIOUS PEOPLE by FREDRIK BACKMAN
*WHEN THE STARS GO DARK by PAULA MCLAIN
*VERA BY CAROL EDGARIAN
BELOVED by TONI MORRISON, An important, poignant and painful experience.
*THE BOHEMIANS by JASMIN DARZNIK - A compelling novel based on the life of Dorthea Lange.
THE SEVEN OR EIGHT DEATHS OF STELLA FORTUNA by JULIET GRAMES - A sprawling novel about an Italian family living first in Italy and then Connecticut. Enjoyed it, but think it could have been better edited.
WE RUN THE TIDES by VIDA VENDELA - This novel seems whimsical in its intent. Nice writing.
EVENSONG by KATE SOUTHWOOD - An old woman evaluates the choices she made as a young woman.
THE CELLIST OF SARAJEVO by STEVEN GALLOWAY - A sad, melacholy book based on the true story of a cellist who played his cello 22 days in a row during the siege of Sarejevo.
WHY FISH DON'T EXIST by LULU MILLER (NF) - This non-fiction book is part philosophical/part biography/ part biography about the meaning of life.
*AT THE EDGE OF THE HAIGHT by KATHERINE SELIGMAN - An important story about young people whose home is Golden Gate Park.
FALLING TO EARTH by KATE SOUTHWOOD - A gripping and powerful book about the repercussion to one family in the aftermath of a tornado.
WITH OR WITHOUT YOU by CAROLINE LEAVITT - This novel explores what happens to relationships when one person changes dramatically. In this novel, the woman falls into a coma.
THE BUTTERFLY LAMPSHADE by AIMEE BENDER- Bender uses her talents to probe issues of mental illness and family relationships. Structure somewhat disjointed, but worth the read.
INTERIOR CHINATOWN by CHARLES YU - The structure didn't work for me, but an excellent dive into the discrimination faced by Asian-Americans.
DEACON KING KONG by JAMES MCBRIDE- An richly layered story about African-Americans living in a Brooklyn housing project.
FIFTH CHINESE DAUGHTER- by JADE SNOW WONG (NF) - Wong's 1943 autobiography is rich with tension between the customs of her Chinese parents and Wong's experience of growing up in San Francisco in the 1930s and 40s.
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THE PHOTOGRAPH by PENELOPE LIVELY - After the death of a young woman, her family and friends study a photograph for clues to explain her decision.
LOST AND WANTED by NELL FREUDENBERGER - After her college best friend dies, the protagonist pieces together her friend's life since those years.
HAMNET by MARJORIE O'FARRELL - This story about Shakespeare's son seems disjointed from O'Farrell's lyrical and beautiful writing about grief.
SETTING FIRES by KATE WENNER - After a woman learns that the fire that destroyed her house was the result of an anti-Semitic arsonist, she learns more about the fire that had shaped her father's life.
HOW MUCH THESE HILLS IS GOLD by C. PAM ZHANG - A depressing but well written story about a Chinese family seeking a better life in the California gold rush.
SONGS OF WILLOW FROST by JAMIE FORD - A difficult story about a young boy whose mother placed him in an orphanage to protect him. Once he is old enough he works to find her and understand her decision.
AMERICAN SPY by LAUREN WILKINSON - Interesting thriller that takes place in Burka Faso. However, many plot threads strained credulity.
THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS by SY MONTGOMERY (NF) - Fascinating read about the cognition and relational capabilities of octopuses.
ASKING FOR LOVE by ROXANA ROBINSON - Beautiful but painful short stories about children trying to understand the new rules as a result of their parents' divorces.
THE WATER MUSEUM by LUIS ALBERTO URREA - Beautiful but heartbreaking short stories about Mexican-Americans.
JACK BY MARILYNNE ROBINSON - The story of a minister's troubled son. 4th book about Gilead, Iowa.
SPLIT ROCK by HOLLY HODDER EGER - A woman works through her mid-life crisis.
CASTE by ISABEL WILKERSON (NF) - A must read.Gives insight into the current state of American politics.
THIS IS HAPPINESS by NIALL WILLIAMS - A beautifully written story about the arrival of electricity in a rural town in Ireland.
TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM by YAA GYASI - A brilliant second novel about the sources of tragedy in a Ghanaian family.
WE MUST BE BRAVE by FRANCES LIARDET - An orphaned girl is taken in by a British couple during the bombings of London during WWII.
HEADLONG by MICHAEL FRAYN - An art historian becomes obsessed when he thinks he has found a missing painting.
THE HALF WIVES by STACIA PELLETIER - A gorgeous and haunting story about one day in the life of an estranged couple. The day is the anniversary of their son's death.
WHEN TIME STOPPED: A MEMOIR OF MY FATHER'S WAR AND WHAT REMAINS by ARIANA NEUMANN (NF)
LANDSCAPE: MEMORY BY MATTHEW STADLER - A turn of the century story love story about two men who fall in love.
*THE VANISHING HALF by BRIT BENNETT - Two African-America sisters leave their childhood home in Louisiana. They chose different paths with regard to their racial identity. A fascinating read.
THE PROMISE by A.B. MICHAELS - A story of a promise made in the aftermath of the San Francisco Earthquake.
EDIE ON THE GREEN SCREEN by BETH LISICK - A middle age women bartender bemoans the tech booms' infiltration of San Francisco.
THE TOWER OF JEWELS by R.L. DUFFUS - A wonderful novel set in the early 1900s about famous newspaper editor Fremont Older.
SIGHT by JESSIE GREENGRASS A young woman attempts to find herself after the death of her mother. Emotionally distant but intellectually fascinating.
DEAR EDWARD by ANN NAPOLITANO - Despite the book's grim premise, everyone on a plane dies except for one young boy, this novel is uplifting. With help from a new friend, Edward comes to terms with his grief and wrestles with how he will now live his life.
THE SUMMER BOOK by TOVE JANSSON - A Swedish novelist writes about an elderly artist and her six-year-old granddaughter who spend the summer in a tiny island in the gulf of Finland. In the time of CORONA-19, I was transported to a simpler time and place.
VALENTINE by ELIZABETH WETMORE - Such a well written novel. Engaging and impressive debut by Elizabeth Wetmore.
THE GIVER OF STARS by JOJO MOYES - Loved this historical fiction book about the women who were a part of the Packman Library program. The story follows five women who bring library books to families living in remote areas in eastern Kentucky during the Depression.
FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE by by TAFFY BRODESSER-AKNERb- The author is a talented writer. However, I did not connect with any of the characters or their world.
INTERPRETER OF MALADIES by JHUMPA LAHIRI - Nine beautiful stories about Indians attempting to assimilate to American while retaining the comforting customs from home.
HOUSE ON ENDLESS WATERS by EMUNA ELON - An elderly man visits Amsterdam to discover the truth about what happened to his family during the takeover of the country by the Nazis. I enjoyed the focus: what were the emotional impacts on children who are hidden by Gentiles, but lost their parents.
APEIROGON by COLUM MCCANN - A complex and important book about the middle east. Excellent!
THE WATER DANCER by TA-NEHISI COATES - A painful, but inspiring novel about the emotional dynamics and legacy of slavery.
A TRANSCONTINENTAL AFFAIR by JODI DAYNARD A fcitionalized account of the first transcontinental train(1870) to cross the United States.
A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA BY ISABEL ALLENDE - Allende's timely novel follows the vicissitudes of a family who become refugees fleeing from Franco's Fascist Spain.
WHAT WE WILL BECOME by MIMI LEMAY (NF) - A compassionate and wise memoir about a mother's journey leaving her religion and her child's transition from female to male.
THE ALL OF IT by JEANETTE HAIEN - A tightly constructed novella about a woman who confesses to a priest that her husband is her brother.
CIRCE by MADELINE MILLER - This novel reframes the story of the Goddess Circe with a wonderful feminist interpretation.
HABEN by HABEN GIRMA(NF) - Haben writes of her amazing journey as a blind deaf woman living in a world that seeks to limit her options.
OLIVE, AGAIN by ELIZABETH STROUT - An insightful and gratifying sequel to the Pulitzer Prize winning Olive Kittedege. Elizabeth Strout is one of the best novelists of our time.
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SUDDENLY, LOVE by AHRON APPELFELD - A young woman caretaker helps heal an elderly Ukranian man who feels guilty about his role in WWII.
TRUST EXERCISE by SUSAN CHOI - The National Book Award winner for 2019, well written, but just not my cup of tea.
THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST by ANN HOOD - A woman finds comfort when she joins a book club. Each member of the club shares the book that has the most meaning.
THE CONFESSIONS OF MAX TIVOLI by ANDREW SEAN GREER
LITTLE PANICS by AMANDA STERN (NF) - A woman describes her life living with a panic disorder.
EINSTEIN'S DREAMS by ALAN LIGHTMAN - Loved this provocative novel that explores different perspectives of time.
THE TRAIN TO WARSAW by GWEN EDELMAN - A Jewish couple returns to Warsaw forty years after WWII.
NORMAL PEOPLE by SALLY ROONEY - Two modern young people struggle to figure out who they are and what they want from one another.
VINEYARD BLUES by PHILLIP R. CRAIG - A whodunit that takes place on Martha's Vineyard.
A LAND MORE KIND THAN HOME by WILEY CASH - A hard scrabble community in North Carolina becomes seduced by a manipulative minister. Beautifully written.
DEAR AMERICA, NOTES OF AN UNDOCUMENTED CITIZEN by JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS (NF) - A dramatic and depressing account of one man's encounters with our broken immigrations system and the moral malfeasance of those who could change it.
EVERYTHING HERE IS BEAUTIFUL by MIRA T. LEE - A novel about a sister attempting to help her younger sister through the travails of mental illness.
EVERYTHING INSIDE by EDWIDGE DANTICAT - A collection of beautfully rendered stories about Haitians living in Port-Au-Prince and Miami.
MAIDS OF MISFORTUNE by LOUISA LOCK - A murder mystery set in San Francisco.
THE DISTANCE HOME by PAULA SAUNDERS - A powerful family drama about a dysfunctional family in South Dakota.
THE DUTCH HOUSE by ANN PATCHETT - Her best book yet. Two siblings continue to return to their childhood home to process their past.
BATTLE RATTLE, A LAST MEMOIR OF WWII by ROGER BOAS (NF) - A memoir about a WWII soldier who was one of the first to arrive at one of the concentration camps. Boas is a distant relative.
ASK AGAIN, YES by MARY BETH KEANE - Keane creates a psychologically suspenseful novel about two families that must process the aftermath of a violent event. Beautifully done.
BORN A CRIME by TREV0R NOAH (NF) - What a painful personal story in the context of growing up in cruel apartheid South Africa. Pain creates humor. No wonder Noah is so funny.
THE LAST TRAIN TO LONDON by MEG WAITE CLAYTON - Another important historical fiction about a brave woman who saved Austrian Jewish children during WWII.
PRAIRIE FEVER by MICHAEL PARKER - A wonderful atmospheric novel about two sisters who fall in love with the same man.
THE GUEST BOOK by SARAH BLAKE - Loved this novel about a WASP family coming to terms with their family secrets.
SEA OF MEMORY by ERRI DE LUCA - A coming of age novel about a young boy and a Jewish refugee who meet on an Italian island post WWII.
THE FIRE NEXT TIME by JAMES BALDWIN (NF) - Baldwin's writing is as important and powerful as ever.
ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS by OCEAN VUONG - A lyrical novel about a young man who comes to terms with his own sexuality and his Vietnamese family's painful past.
THE INCENDIARIES BY R.O. KWON - Kwon's bold debut novel gives us compassion for those who feel like they have nothing else to lose.
THE FLIGHT PORTFOLIO by JULIE ORRINGER - A fictionalized account of the heroic work of Varian Fry who successfully helped targets of France's Vichy collaborators escape to the United States.
THE GIRL THEY LEFT BEHIND by ROXANNE VELETZOS - This novel is a fictionalized account of the author's mother's life, a life that began when her Jewish parents fled Romania and left their daughter behind in order to spare her life.
THIN BLOOD by HOLLAND CHILDHOUSE - The reflections of a woman who has terminal cancer. Surprising and uplifting.
DISAPPEARING EARTH by JULIA PHILLIPS - A unique and compelling novel about the kidnapping of two sisters on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by DELIA OWENS - A beautiful novel about a young girl's resilience and perseverance in the marshes of North Carolina.
WUNDERLAND by JENNIFER CODY EPSTEIN - An excellent novel about the steady march toward War II in Germany and the escalating cruelty toward the German Jewish population.
AMERICAN NATIONS: A HISTORY OF THE ELEVEN REGIONAL CULTURES OF NORTH AMERICA by COLIN WOODARD (NF) - A compelling analysis of the 11 regional areas that have persistently caused division in our nation.
AN AMERICAN SUMMER by ALEX KOTLOWITZ - Another important work by Kotlowitz showing us the tragic effects of poverty on the lives of people living in the South and West sides of Chicago.
THE GOOD MOTHER by SUE MILLER -A well written an interesting character study of a woman who loves her daughter and her new lover. Miller understands nuance in relationships.
SO LUCKY by NICOLA GRIFFITH - This novel captures the anger and rage a middle aged woman feels when she learns she has MS.
BECOMING by MICHELLE OBAMA - I loved this autobiography by our former first lady who seems genuine, warm and funny. Loved hearing about her growing up on the South Side of Chicago.
NIGHT TRAIN TO LISBON by PACAL MERCIER - Searching for meaning, a teacher travels to Lisbon. He becomes entranced by the philosophical writings of a man who was part of the resistance during the dictatorship of Antonio Salazar. Mystery and philosophy.
THE LAST KABBALIST OF LISBON by RICHARD ZIMLER - An engaging and heartbreaking novel about the experiences of the Jewish community in Lisbon in the 1500s.
HALIBUT ON THE MOON by DAVID VANN - This beautifully written novel gives important insight into mental illness.
WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY BY JOAN JOHNSON-FREESE (NF) - A gift from my nephew, this powerful and comprehensive book analytically discusses the status of women throughout the world and the ways that inclusion of women can increase peace and security.
UNSHELTERED by BARBARA KINGSLOVER - Though they live centuries apart, two families live in the same dilapidated New Jersey home and confront resistance to scientific facts.
THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ by HEATHER MORRIS - Based on the true story of Lale Eisenberg who survived Auschwitz by tattooing his fellow prisoners, helping them when he could and falling in love with a young woman he eventually marries.
THE AGE OF LIGHT by WHITNEY SCHARER - A fictionalized account of the complicated relationship between the famous photographers Lee Miller and Man Ray.
THE KISS QUOTIENT by HELEN HOANG - A young autistic woman finds love.
WHEN THE EMPEROR WAS DIVINE by JULIE OTSUKA - Otsuka powerful novel shows the dehumanizing effect on a Japanese-American family who is sent to a relocation center during WWII.
INHERITANCE by DANI SHAPIRO (NF) - When Shapiro learns that her father is not her biological fathers, she is shocked. She discovers the true story of her birth and writes this beautiful memoir that ponders the pieces of a person's identity.
THOSE WHO SAVE US by JENNA BLUM - A difficult and important book about a German woman living through WWII and the choices she makes to save her daughter.
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THE BOOK OF SEPARATION by TOVA MIRVIS (M) - This is a heartbreaking yet empowering memoir about the author's struggle to find her way after leaving her religious community.
THE FRIEND by SIGRID NUNEZ - Nunez is a beautiful writer, but the topic of a woman becoming attached to her dead friend's dog didn't grab me.
LISTEN TO THE MARRIAGE by JOHN JAY OSBORN JR - This fascinating novel about a troubled marriage takes place in the their therapist's office.
PRAIRIE FIRES by CAROLINE FRASER (NF) - Through extensive research, Fraser succeeds in learning the true story of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House series of books.
ASYMMETRY by LISA HALLIDAY - These three novellas explore power dynamics between people and between countries. The stories are rich with literary and musical references.
THE SHORT BUS by JONATHAN MOONEY - Mooney travels across the country to learn about other people, who like him, have a disability and don't conform to society's view of "normal".
THE GOLDEN STATE by LYDIA KIESLING - An outstanding debut novel that combines a coming-of-age story and a classic California road trip. An engaging and inspiring novel.
LOST TIME LECTURES ON PROUST IN A SOVIET PRISON CAMP by JOZEF CZAPSKI, TRANSLATED BY ERIC KARPELES (NF) - The artist Jozef Czapski delivered an inspirational and hopeful series of lectures about Marcel Proust to his fellow prisoner in a Soviet camp during WWII.
ODESSA, ODESSA by BARBARA ARTSON - The story of a Jewish's family's hardships in Odessa in the early 1900s, their journey to New York and their struggles and successes in America.
THE WEIGHT OF INK by RACHEL KADISH -This novel is both intellectually and emotionally absorbing. Letters are found in the staircase of an old London home that shed light on Jewish life and thought in 17th century London.
THERE THERE BY TOMMY ORANGE - A unique and powerful novel about the lives of twelve Native Americans planning to attend the annual Oakland Powwow.
NUJEEN:ONE GIRLS'S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY FROM WAR-TORN SYRIA IN A WHEELCHAIR by NUJEEN MUSTAFA AND CHRISTINA LAMB (NF) - The inspiring story of Nujeen Mustafa's harrowing journey from war-torn Syria to Germany.
AHAB'S WIFE by SENA JETER NASLUND - A captivating saga about the life that could have been lived by Ahab's wife from Melville's classic Moby Dick.
FRUIT OF THE DRUNKEN TREE by INGRID ROJAS CONTRERAS - A powerful and poignant novel about two girls who exhibit impressive emotional resiliency growing up in the turbulent 1990s of Bogota, Columbia.
WEDDING SONG by NAGUIB MAHFOUZ - With poignancy and psychological insight, Nobel Prize winning writer Naguib Mahfouz, describes four family members about the contradictory feelings of four family members about their life choices.
SECRETS AND SHADOWS by ROBERTA SILMAN - Paul Berger, a middle-aged Jewish man, returns to Berlin to uncover and understand the childhood trauma he experienced during WWII.
FAMILY HISTORY by DANI SHAPIRO - A tragic and psychologically astute novel about a woman who has everything she wants (husband, children, career) and loses it.
BODIES OF WATER by ROSEANNE CASH - Nine engaging stories about the inner lives of women.
A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY by J.L.CARR - A poetic novel about a WWI veteran's healing in a small English village.
THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP by JOANNA CANNON - Both a coming of age story and a mystery that probes into the secrets of a community.
MY READING LIFE by PAT CONROY (NF) - A beautiful collection of 15 essays by the writer Pat Conroy that pays homage to the power of books to change lives.
THE STORY OF MARRIAGE by ANDREW SEAN GREER - A mesmerizing and psychologically astute novel about the mystery and magic in a marriage.
JUST MERCY by BRYAN STEVENSON - An important work on the injustices of our prison system.
LESS by ANDREW SEAN GREER-Arthur Less begins to understand himself and love as he approaches his 50th birthday.
BETWEEN THEM by RICHARD FORD - The writer explores the lives of his parents in two poignant essays.
THE FIRST DESIRE by NANCY REISMAN - An insightful book about the family dynamics of a Jewish family living in Buffalo, New York in the two decades before WWII.
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A.J. FINN - A page tuner about a woman suffering from agoraphobia and what she sees in the apartment across the park. Echoes of Hitchcock's Rear Window.
BECOMING FREUD: THE MAKING OF A PSYCHOANALYST by ADAM PHILLIPS (NF) - Phillips offers a unique perspective on the factors that shaped Freud's development of psychoanalysis.
A PIECE OF THE WORLD by CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE - A compelling historical account of Christina Olsen's life, the subject of Andrew Wyeth's paintings.
DINNER AT THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE by NATHAN ENGLANDER - Part allegory, part mystery, Englander explores the interconnected lives of Israeli and Palestinian characters who live in the fragile Middle East .
THE WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO by JUNOT DIAZ - The novel chronicles the life of Oscar De León, an overweight Dominican boy growing up in New Jersey, who is obsessed with science fiction and breaking the family curse of unsuccessful relationships.
THE DARK FLOOD RISES by MARGARET DRABBLE - Drabble explores the varied way her group of elder friends confronts the emotional and logistical complexities of old age.
BADENHEIM 1939 -AHARON APPELFELD - A timely allegorical book for this time we are living in. A resort town outside of Vienna prepares for its summer season consciously denying the small signs that foreshadow their fate.
THE POINT OF VANISHING by HOWARD AXELROD (NF) - After he loses his sight in one eye, the author moves into an isolated cabin in Vermont to deal with the trauma and determine his new path.
THE LOWLAND by JHUMPA LAHIRI - A tragic story about two brothers in Calcutta who are trying to forge their own paths only to be bound to one another by tragedy.
STOWAWAY by LAURIE GWEN SHAPIRO - Based on the true story of Billy Gawronski, who snuck aboard onto one of the boats of Richard Byrd's historic trip to Antarctica.
JOURNEY THROUGH TRAUMA by GRETCHEN SCHMELZER - A hopeful and helpful paradigm for those seeking to heal from trauma.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE by ELIZABETH STROUT - Nine insightful and interconnected stories about people trying to make sense of their life choices.
SING, UNBURIED SING by JESMYN WARD - A story about how the injustices of the past with respect to oppressive racial policies continue to affect the present.
I'LL STAY by KAREN DAY - A psychologically nuanced novel about the unconscious, trauma and friendship.
ROSEMARY: THE HIDDEN KENNEDY DAUGHTER by KATE CLIFFORD LARSEN (NF) - The true and tragic story about the intellectually disabled daughter ofJoe and Rose Kennedy.
THE GIRLS by EMMA CLINE- An insightful story about a young girl who becomes a member of a cult.
HOMEGOING by YAA GYASI - The tale of two sisters born in Ghana in the late 1700s. One sister marries an English officer and lives in a castle while the other is sold into slavery. Heartbreaking.
CAN'T WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING MORE PLEASANT by ROZ CHAST (NF) With great humor and poignancy, Chast's graphic novel describes caring for her parents at the end of their lives.
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A SUMMONS TO MEMPHIS by PETER TAYLOR - An insightful novel about a middle-age man who returns to his hometown and gains a new understand of his young adulthood.
BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by LISA WINGATE
DANCING WITH EINSTEIN by KATE WENNER - A traumatized woman consults 4 therapists to deal with her complicated childhood. Her father helped design the Atomic Bomb, her mother rallied against the bomb and Albert Einstein dined with the family on Sunday nights. Wenner understands the gravitational pull of childhood.
HOTEL AT THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by JAMIE FORD - In 1986, Chinese-American Henry Lee recalls his first friend and love Keiko Okabe, a Japanese girl "evacuated" from their town of Seattle after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. A beautiful and tender novel.
HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG by ANDRE DUBUS III - Conflict over the ownership of a house results in tragedy.
IMAGI E ME G NE by ADAM HASLETT - Five family members narrate this tragic story about mental illness.
LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by CELESTE NG - The arrival of a mother and daughter in an orderly suburb causes one family to consider the price of conformity.
LITTLE NOTHING by MARISA SILVER - A different, but powerful novel about identity.
NEWS OF THE WORLD by PAULETTE JILES - Set in 1870, this beautiful story is about a journey both physical and emotional between a Civil War veteran and a 10-year old orphan girl who had been captured by the Kiowa tribe.
PACHINKO by MIN JIN LEE - Spanning most of the 20th century, this novel follows four generations of a Korean family adjusting to their second-class status in Japan.
SMALL GREAT THINGS by JODI PICOULT - This powerful novel explores the dimensions of white priviege and racism through the experiences of three characters whose lives intersect.
THE ANCESTOR SYNDROME BY ANNE ANCELIN SCHUTZENBERGER (NF)
THE ATOMIC WEIGHT OF LOVE by ELIZABETH J. CHURCH - A bright college student believes she is entering a marriage that will be based on an intellectual partnership only to find that her professor husband actually wants a "traditional" marriage. Insight into the emergence of the women's movement.
THE DIVE FROM CLAUSEN'S PIER by ANN PACKER - A provocative novel about the aftermath of a tragic accident.
THE GOOD PSYCHOLOGIST by NOAM SHPANCER - This novel illuminates the thoughts and theories behind the treatment of his patients.
THE NIGHTINGALE by KIRSTIN HANNAH - A harrowing story about two sisters living in Nazi occupied France during WWII.
THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by NEIL GAIMAN - A middle aged man return to his childhood home and remembers the mysterious summer he turned seven.
THE PAINTED VEIL by W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM - Set in England and Hong Kong in the 1920's, a woman deals with the repercussion of her affair. Vivid and compelling story of personal growth.
THE REMAINS OF THE DAY by KAZOU ISHIGURO - A beautiful novel about an English butler who realizes that he dedicated his life to being a butler for a man who may not have been worthy of his devotion.
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by SUE MONK KIDD - A heartwarming novel about a young motherless white girl who finds peace and learns about her mother in a community of African American women. A favorite.
THE THINGS WE KEEP by SALLY HEPWORTH - The heartbreaking story of a 38 year-old woman with early onset Alzheimer's disease who finds love at her assisted living. Poignant and illuminating.
THIS IS MY DAUGHTER by ROXANA ROBINSON - A complicated story about the effects of divorce and remarriage on two young girls.
UNRAVELLING by ELIZABETH GRAVER - A heartbreaking story of a young woman whose life is altered by an encounter with her brother.
A FIFTY-YEAR SILENCE by MIRANA RICHMOND MOUILLOT (NF) - A granddaughter moves to France to understand why her divorced grandparents will not speak to each other. She learns of the horrors they endured during the occupation of France, the concentration camps and the Nuremberg trials. Powerful.
A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by AMOR TOWLES -Five years post Russian Revolution, Count Rostov is sentenced to life imprisonment at the Metropol,a grand hotel across from the Kremlin. Due to his erudition and curiosity, he is able to make an emotionally fulfilling life for himself despite his confinement.
COMPANIES WE KEEP by JOHN ABRAMS (NF) - An inspirational book about an innovative, forward thinking company on Martha's Vineyard.
HILLBILLY ELEGY by J.D.VANCE (NF)-Reflections of a man about the sociological, historical and psychological constraints of his Appalachia upbringing.
IF AT BIRTH YOU DON'T SUCCEED by ZACH ANNER (NF) - A comedian with cerebral palsy writes of his experience as an Internet sensation.
INSIDE THE O'BRIENS by LISA GENOVA - The members of a Boston family watch their father struggle with Huntington's Disease and wondering if they should take the blood test to determine if they possess the gene too.
LILAC GIRLS by MARTHA HALL KELLY - A historical novel about the horrifying events that occurred at Ravensbruck concentration camp for women and the New York socialite who seeks to help the victims after the war.
MIA LEE IS WHEELING THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL by MELISSA AND EVA SHANG - An uplifting book that focuses on a young girl's first weeks in middle school and not her wheelchair.
MOONGLOW by MICHAEL CHABON - A deathbed confession by the author's grandfather reveals secrets and events previously unknown to the family. Another compelling novel by Michael Chabon.
MR. PENUMBRA'S 24-HOUR BOOKSHOP by ROBIN SLOAN - This novel is part detective story and part a celebration of reading and ideas.
THE BURNING GIRL by CLAIRE MESSUD - A powerful novel about the friendship of two girls.
THE DRESSMAKER by KATE ALCOTT - Historical fiction based on the post Titanic Congressional Hearings. Insightful perspective of people's behavior under pressure.
THE DRESSMAKER'S DOWRY by MEREDITH JAEGER- A gripping historical novel about two immigrants who disappear from San Francisco's gritty streets in 1864. Engaging novel about class and privilege in the past and present.
THE GIRLS by LORI LANSENS - A moving novel about two co-joined twins who maintain their unique identities.
THE OTHER SIDE OF YOU by SALLEY VICKERS- A beautiful novel about the complexities of love and the healing power of being understood.
THE ROSIE PROJECT by GRAEME SIMSION - An Australian professor with Asperger's looks for a mate. Whimsical, poignant and helpful in understanding Asperger's.
THE SUMMER WE FELL APART by ROBIN ANTALEK After the death of their father, four adult siblings come to terms with their chaotic childhood. A compelling read.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by COLSON WHITEHEAD - A powerful and painful novel about a slave woman named Cora and her journey escaping slavery by riding the Underground Railroad.
UNSTRANGE MINDS by ROY RICHARD GRINKER (NF) - An anthropology professor explores the biological, cultural and psychological history of autism as he seeks to better understand his daughter Isabel.
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At Paradise Gate by Jane Smiley
Away from Her by Alice Munro
Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (NF)
Bittersweet Memories by Celia Henick Feldman (Memoir)
Bottomland by Michelle Hoover
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
Don't Kill The Birthday Girl by Sandra Beasley (Memoir)
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggins
Face Time by Hank Phillipi Ryan
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Leaving Lucy Pear by Anna Solomon
Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison (Memoir)
Mermaid by Eileen Cronin (Memoir)
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry By Fredrik Backman
My Life On the Road by Gloria Steinem (Memoir)
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Nora Webster by Colm Toibin
Nutshell by Ian McEwan
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
Open House by Elizabeth Berg
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Stretch Marks by Joan Anderson (NF)
The Ballroom by Anna Hope
The Bohemians: Mark Twain and the San Francisco Writers Who Reinvented American Literature by Ben Tarnoff (NF)
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
The Lies We Tell by Jamie Holland
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
The Mothers by Britt Bennett
The Muralist by B. A. Shapiro
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida, K.A. Yoshida (Translator), David Mitchell (Translator) (Memoir)
The Season of the Witch by David Talbot (NF)
The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks
The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. by Nichole Bernier
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
What is Visible by Kimberly Elkins
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All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
And The Dark Sacred Night by Julia Glass
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters
Becoming Freud by Adam Phillips (NF)
Carried Away by Alice Munro
Creatures of A Day by Irvin D. Yalom (SS)
Dream When You Are Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg
Dreaming for Freud: A Novel by Sheila Kohler
Electric City by Elizabeth Rosner
Euphoria by Lily King
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Freud's Sister by Goce Smilvevski
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
Losing Julia by Jonathan Hull
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
My Father's Tears by John Updike (SS)
Nut Country by Edward H. Miller (NF)
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Our Souls At Night by Kent Haruf
Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker, Translated by Kevin Wiliarty
The Barbary Plague by Marilyn Chase (NF)
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes (NF)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
The Quickening by Michelle Hoover
The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
Time in Between by Maria Duenas
Visible City by Tova Misha
Where You Once Belonged by Kent Haruf
Why Sinatra Matters by Pete Hamill (NF)
