READER RECOMMENDATIONS
Not That Kind of Book Club May 2014
Tales of the South
Pacific by James Michener – Michener’s first novel based on his experiences
in the Navy in the Pacific theater during WWII.
20 short chapter describing the American serviceman’s life – both battle
and humor. Musical South Pacific by
Oscar Hammerstein was based on the novel.
The royalties allowed Michener to write full-time.
The True Story of
Hansel and Gretel by Lousie Murphy – follows the format of the fairy tale,
but relates the efforts to save two Jewish children during the Nazi occupation
of Poland. Author is an American of
Polish descent.
Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Louis Zafon – an unusual book set in Barcelona – elements of
mystery. A book for people who treasure
books.
The Ghost Map – and
How it Changed Science, Cities and the Modern World by Stephen Johnson –
nonfiction – Cholera epidemic in 1854 London.
A readable science book that allows the reader to understand the terror
and tragedy of the epidemic and the suffering of London’s poor
Rabid: A Cultural History
of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik, Monica Murphy – history
of rabies
The Plague Ship by
Jeannie Johnson – novel set in 1347.
Bubonic plague travels on the ship from Italy. Includes interesting reading on the mechanics
of sailing, various ports, the threat of the barbarians, and the corruption of
the church. Can’t stop reading it.
61 AD by David
McAfee – sequel to 33 AD – Boudicca’s
rebellion against the Romans – a fun horror book.
Temple of the Grail by Adriana Koulias – Murder mystery. A Templar knight escorts an inquisitor. Conflict over the search for heratics in
1186.
The Fifth Gospel by Adriana Koulias – controversial book that
points out the inconsistencies in the gospels
On Paper by Nicholas Basbanes – nonfiction – relates the history of paper through
a variety of topics from a papermaker in Japan who is a living treasure to the
Stamp Act and the Pentagon papers
Wonder by R.J. Palacio – story of a child with massive cranial deformities and
how others react to him. Should be
required reading.
Then We Came to the
End by Joshua Ferris – character-driven novel of office life at an ad
agency in Chicago. Written in the first
person plural. Funny and profound. May remind you of The Office or any one you’ve ever worked in.
My American
Unhappiness by Dean Bakopoulus – 35 year old narrator asks the question
“Why are you so unhappy?” and receives emails from around the country while he
struggles to keep his twin nieces with him and find his own happiness.
I Shall Be Near to You
by Erin Lindsay McCabe – historical novel based on a real woman who enlisted in
the Union Army to be near her husband.
The Girl in the Ice
by Jason Vail - in 1622 England, a
girl’s body is found in the ice. Mystery
of her death is explored.
A Night of Horrors: A
Historical Thriller about the 24 Hours of Lincoln's Assassination by John
Berry
Vegas Rich by Fern
Michaels – a romance about Vegas dancer marries a suitor from Dubai and has to
make a choice about where her future should be
Not That Kind of Book Club March 2014
The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell- Mind-bending;
first novel. Curious and interesting.
The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel –
two friends who lost contact with each other reconnect after a death in the family.
Through a series of flashbacks, letters, and recipes we discover what tore these two friends apart - will they be able to recover the trust they lost and will the discovery of a long kept secret destroy their friendship or bring them closer.
Murder on the Rocks by Karen MacInerney – a bed and
breakfast murder mystery set on the coast of Maine. Includes recipes mentioned in the story.
Mr. Owita’s Guide to Gardening - A moving memoir in which a well-to-do white women and an immigrant from
Kenya find common ground in their shared triumphs and tragedies. Finding grace amid heartbreak and learning to
accept that beauty exists because it is fleeting—as in her garden, as in life.
Consent to Kill by Vince Flynn - Political thriller – Saudi assassin is paid
$15 million for a hit. Many
subplots.
Pastrix by Nadia Bolz Weber- nonfiction- derogatory term for women
ministers by other ministers from religions that don’t allow that. Raised in fundamentalist church. She becomes a stand-up comic, alcoholic, and
addict. Feels drawn by religion. Ministers to those she started with who have
problems like hers.
Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich – 20 year
series. Main elements stay the same –
set in Trenton, NJ - Stephanie Plum
works as license bond enforcement officer who sets out to find those who have
absconded – lives an apartment building with mostly seniors. Small time mobsters in Trenton, car is
always wrecked, fires. Fugitives are
eccentric. Pet hamster. Tug of war romance between a ranger and
detective. Bob, the dog, is in every
book. Lula is Stephanie’s sidekick. She drives a Firebird. Makes you laugh out loud. All of the books have a number in the
title. One for the Money, the first book, was made into a motion
picture. Similar series based on the
seven deadly sins - Gluttony
The Language of Flowers
by Vanessa Diffenbaugh – foster girl who has always put up a front
around people. Becomes a foster child at
a farm; owner teaches her about the meaning of flowers. Girl blossoms, but has other troubles. Lot of back story. Romance as well. Makes you think about relationships and the
effect the past has on them.
Discovery of Middle Earth: Mapping the
Lost World of the Celts
by Graham Robb. nonfiction Writer has
written about France and history. Was on
a cross country bicycle trip across France to Germany. Story of the history of the Celts. Tries to make the argument that they had an
elaborate sophisticated culture. Used
technology and astrology to lay out their outposts. Written up in the New York Times.
Command and Control by Eric Schlosser – nonfiction –
history of The Manhattan Project. Alternates
between an accident in Arkansas in the 80’s and the Manhattan Project. Follows nuclear weapons through the
decades. Illuminating; send a shiver up
your spine.
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink – Nonfiction – impact
of Hurricane Katrina on a hospital in New Orleans, decisions that were made and
their aftermath.
The Dinner by Herman Koch – Two brothers and
their wives meet for dinner in an exclusive restaurant. The meal is outrageous and so is the family
story that unfolds.
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes – set in rural France
in WWI and modern day London. The Girl You Left Behind is the painting that
ties two women together.
Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini – story of
Kate Chase, the young, witty, and beautiful daughter of Lincoln’s Secretary of
Treasury. She was hoping that her father
would get the Republican nomination for president. One of the greatest ending paragraphs ever.
Dark Tide or The Great Boston Molasses
Flood of 1919 by Stephen Pulio - Molasses brought into Boston to overhead tank
which collapsed and flooded. Italian
Americans, black discriminated against – lynching victims. Molasses was used in ammunition
Re-recommended:
The Great Influenza - nonfiction - spread in the shared living
conditions in the military
Not That Kind of Book Club - February 2014
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
- novel of the concentration camps of WWII. A young girl is told a secret. She tells a fantastical tale that may keep her
alive.
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Husseini (author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns) Set in wartime, but not about the
war. A “can’t put it down” book.
While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax – residents
of an Atlanta hotel gather to watch the show.
The novel is about their lives and how they interact. Plot has some similarities to Downton
Abbey.
Other Downton Abbey related titles:
Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real
Downton Abbey by the Countess of Carnarvon
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey:
The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by Fiona Aitken.
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper – young adult novel, fast
read. An upper elementary school girl
with MS who is wheelchair-bound narrates the story from her head. A moving read.
Marching with Caesar: The Conquest of Gaul by R.W. Peake – a
sixteen-year-old lies his way into the Roman legion who were “organized
terrorists.” Includes terrifying battle
scenes.
Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard –
set in historical Rome - lots of insight
into life in ancient Rome and Israel.
Both interesting and sad
The Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza
Aslan – A historian examines historical facts in the life of Jesus. He states that Jesus’s crucifixion shows that
he was a political threat. Aslan
concludes that after the death of Jesus, something happens that changes the
world.
Lady of Devices by Shelly Adina – a steam punk (SciFi subgenre)
novel. First in a series about a
privileged girl attending a private school at the end of the 19th
century
Kiss of the Concubine by Judith Arnopp
Illicit Love of the Courtesan by Jane Lark
Candle in the Darkess by Lynn Austin – Civil War romance in
which a girl raised on a Virginia plantation travels to the North and becomes
an abolitionist.
An American Heir: a Modern Retelling of Jane Eyre by Chrisssy
Keffer
The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in
History by John Barry – story of the so-called Spanish flu which the author
believes started in Philadelphia
Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11
Volunteers, and 3 RVs on Our Canine Cross-country Adventure by David
Rosenfeld – true story – quick, fun read, author started the Tara Foundation
which rescues and places dogs.
Not That Kind of Book Club November 2013
Pearl Harbor: A Novel
of December 8 and Days of Infamy by
Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen – both books are alternative histories of
the Pearl Harbor attack.
Blood of the
Prophet: Brigham Young and the Massacre
at Mountain Meadows by Will Bagley – nonfiction –explores the truth of what
really happened in 1857 when a wagon train of 100 men, women, and children were
attacked in Utah.
Unbroken by Laura
Hillenbrand – nonfiction – story of Louie Zamperini, an Olympian who became a
bombardier in WWII. He endured days at
sea on a raft, and imprisonment in Japan.
An incredible story of survival.
Mrs. Poe by Lynn
Cullen – historical fiction - the ill-fated love triangle of Poe, his wife
Virginia, and Frances Osgood
The Light Between
Oceans by M.L. Stedman – fiction – On a lightkeeper’s island off the coast
of Australia, a couple is faced with difficult choices regarding a child. Readers will find many moral issues to
ponder.
Orphan Train by
Christina Baker Kline – fiction – centers on the life of a woman who was a
passenger on an orphan train that carried children miles away to adoptive
parents.
Thank You for Your
Service by David Finkel – nonfiction – takes a look at families who have
been impacted through a loved one’s military service in Afghanistan and
Iraq.
Three Squares: The
Invention of the American Meal by Abigail Carroll – nonfiction – traces the
influences on American eating habits
Heads in Beds by
Jacob Tomsky – nonfiction – an inside look at the hotel industry.
33 A.D. by David
McAfee – fiction – vampire story around the execution of Jesus.
