"The Gallery of Lost Species"

An absolutely beautiful book. It's the story of two sisters. One is totally driven by a stage mom who will do anything for her to win beauty contests. The other one, our narrator, who is sensitive, bookish, and is largely ignored by her parents. The story is about them growing up and how different they both turn out. The writing is gorgeous and the story is captivating, and painful. I haven't read a book this moving in a long time. 

"Things that Happened Before the Earthquake"

I really enjoyed this one. It's sort of a crazy, delightful ride told through the eyes of a high school girl, whose family moves to L.A. from Italy. In the opening scene, the family is on a beach naked, along with their grandma, who is also topless. They end up getting a ticket. This kind of set  the tone for this entertaining, adventurous novel. The family has decided to move here so the dad can pursue a career in filmmaking. We tag along as the young protagonist encounters the expected rites of passage including drugs, sexual adventures, identity crises, and more. It's a fun, wild ride where you have no idea where you're going, but enjoy every stop on the journey! 

"spill simmer falter wither"

What a brilliant debut novel. It's not only beautifully written, it's a subtly woven story that takes its time to unfold. There's very little action and plot development, just a quiet story about a middle age man who adopts a misfit dog. The narrator's father has died and left his house to him. When his one-eyed dog bites a young boy, the two of them flee in his car. As they adventure around the country (presumably Ireland), he tells us about the long dead mother he never knew, and stories about his abusive father. About 3/4ths of the way through, the book takes a dark and unexpected turn. While I wasn't wild about the ending, I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Baume's wonderful prose. 

"Two Across"

Just a darn good read. I was looking for something a little bit different, and this was it. It's a story about two high school brains who meet at a spelling bee. The two of them end up tying, for the first time in the contest's history. It follows them in their lives, both together, and on their own. Vera, a mathematical genius decides to pursue an education while Stanley decides a life of deception is the right way to go for him. I thought the book was very well written and was refreshingly unpredictable. The only qualms I have about the book is the ending.While satisfactory, I found it to be a bit rushed. As if the author decided, enough is enough, time to wrap things up! Still, a very enjoyable read. 

"Washington Black"

This is what I call a "can't-put-downable" book. One or two pages in and this book will take over your free time. It's told through the eyes of a young slave boy,Washington Black,  who works on the plantation of a cruel landowner. When the slaveowner's brother visits, he's assigned to be his assistant and help with his scientific research. Part of his duties include illustrating his discoveries along with preparing for the launch of his hot air balloon. The balloon provides a means for their escape, and Washington's adventures take him to the Arctic, Eastern Canada, England, and beyond. Just a thoroughly enjoyable read. 

"The Travelling Cat Chronicles"

What a wonderful book. It's a story, told in part through the eyes and voice of a cat. Nana, a stray cat is hit by a car. He's saved by Satoru, a young man who had a similar cat growing up. The story focuses on his quest to find a home for Nana, and he visits several of his childhood friends to see if they're a god fit for Nana. On his journey, not only does his past unfold, but we gather insight into Japanese culture and ways of life. Ultimately, it's a story of love and loyalty. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's beautifully written and the translator did a fantastic. job.

"Beautiful Music"

If you were a teen in the early 70's you'll enjoy this novel. It takes place in the aftermath of the '67 riots on the west side of Detroit. The story centers on Danial, an introverted, nerdy kid who is about to start hight school. He's a loner and has trouble making friends. Along comes rock and roll to save the day. He befriends a music nut who introduces him the the world of rock, which was hitting its peak in the late 60s and early 70s in Detroit. The city has always been a musical hotspot, but this time period was truly remarkable, as anyone who lived here during that era with tell you. The book is the lates from the author who wrote the notable novel "The Leisure Seeker", which was made into a major Hollywood film.

"The Guest Book"

A multi-generational tale about a wealthy New York family The interweaving story focuses mainly on the family during the early 1960s and the present day. It's a well-crafted novel and a fascinating story. Not quite a beach read, it's a great summer book. While I found myself loathing most of the characters, I couldn't wait to find out what happens to them. A good deal of the book takes place on an island off the coast of Maine the family buys in the early part of the 20th century. Since finishing the book, I now want to read her debut novel. 

"The Lost Girls of Paris"

Perfect summer reading, this is a total page turner. It's a bit formulaic--it starts with a woman finding an abandoned suitcase in Grand Central. When she looks into it she finds an envelope with photos of several women. Cut to a woman in London being recruited to be s spy in Occupied France near the end of WWII. The two stories are interwoven as the book progresses. I've read a couple books recently that followed the same pattern. Not original but enjoyable nonetheless. One thing that drives me crazy is when an author of historical fiction does't get the facts straight. There's a mention of the woman wanting to go on a cruise aboard the QE2. The book takes place in the 1940s and Queen Elizabeth wasn't crowned until the 1950s. And the ship didn't launch until 1968! And I found a couple typos, which is a mortal sin in my book. Anyway, the book is definitely a quick and enjoyable read.

"A Tale for the Time Being"

Two stories in one, actually. It's a tale about an author living in the Pacific Northwest of Canada, who discovers a diary washed up on the beach. It's from Japan and possible from the aftermath of the tsunami and nuclear meltdown that took place years before. The story follows her search for the young girl who wrote it as well as the life of the girl who penned the diary. It's a beautifully crafted novel that brings up the question of just what is reality and do we have a hand in shaping it. It can be read on a number of levels, but truth be told, I'm of average intelligence and I think a portion of the book went largely over my head. But it was a great read nonetheless. 

"Little"

One of the more unusual books I've ever read, and I've read plenty of them. "Little" is a tale, told through the eyes of Marie, a young, vertically-challenged girl. She lives in Germany with her mother, who works for a doctor specializing in making models of human organs. After her mother dies, Marie moves to Paris with the doctor and the two of them live with an absolutely wicked widow. There, they become somewhat famous making and displaying life masks of French celebrities. Marie is then hired as a companion for Louis XVI's young sister, whom she resembles. The story is ostensibly about the life of Madame Tussaud. I found the book absolutely riveting and couldn't[t put it down. Not only is it well written, it gives the reader an unvarnished view of what life was like in late 18th century France. I found the book in London, so it might not be as readily available here in the U.S..

"The Light Between Oceans"

Following his experiences fighting in the First World War, a young man Tom finds himself in southwestern Australia. He takes a job as a lighthouse keeper on a remote island and eventually marries a local girl, Isabel. One day, the couple hear the sounds of a baby crying, and discover a newborn aboard a rowboat along with the body of a young man. Isabel, who has lost three babies in childbirth, decides that it's a "sign from God" and keeps the child as her own. This is a beautifully written and superbly crafted first novel by M.L. Stedman. While I couldn't wait to find out what happened, I also didn't want the book to end. I look forward to see what she writes next.

"The Light Over London"

I'm a total Anglophile and a sucker for WWII novels in general. So just seeing the cover of this book immediately grabbed my attention. I'm glad I gave it a shot, although I'm grateful my local library had it--while a good read, hardly worth adding to my permanent and out of control collection of books. The story is about Cara, a young divorcee who works for an antique dealer. While (or whilst, as the English would say) visiting an estate, the contents of which are to be sold off, she finds the diary of a young woman, Louise, who writes about her experiences during the war. The story jumps between the diary entries, Cara's pursuit of the diarist, and the story as told through Louise's eyes. The book is quite enjoyable, however I found the writing to be so-so and full of cliches. 

"The Hard Stuff"

If you grew up in the Mid-West in the late 1960s, you had to know about the MC5. They were the hardest rocking group on the planet. I only had the opportunity to see them live once, and I have to say, they were as high energy as The Who--and that's saying a lot. So if you fall into that category, or are just interested in a well-written rock and roll autobiography, you'll enjoy this book. Wayne Kramer proves to be an intelligent, observant, and prosaic writer. His book starts from when he was a young kid and takes you through the highs and lows (and there were plenty of those), of his life. You can tell he didn't have a ghost writer and that's something I appreciate. A very insightful book. And who knows? You might even say, "hey, I was at that concert!"