If you haven’t made the acquaintance of Olivia Manning and her fabulous BALKAN TRIOLOGY and LEVANT TRIOLOGY written abut an English couple caught in Romania and Greece and then Egypt during WWII, I highly recommend them. They were recently reprinted in a single volume.

Another of Manning’s books, SCHOOL FOR LOVE has been recently reprinted by New York Review Books. It is a delight and is the best book I read all of last year. Set in Palestine right after the end of WWII, it is the story of a few forlorn British refugees who have washed up in Jerusalem by the hazards of the war. Living in pensions, rooming houses and hotels of Jerusalem, they can’t get transport back to England yet, they have very little money, and there are no jobs. In particular, this is the story of a 16 year old British boy, an orphan with no family, no income and thus at the mercy of the “generosity” of a distant relative, a penny pinching, manipulative, sanctimonious middle aged female. He is mourning for his mother recently dead from typhus, he finds a stray cat for a friend, and he gets almost nothing to eat from his landlady/cousin, but his quiet, stoic, stubborn, curious spirit is somehow glowing amidst the dusty streets and gardens of the city. Manning observed the details of everyday life perfectly. (Paperback, $14.00) Recommended by Pat.

Fever Crumb is a great character in a tough spot. In the London of the future, she’s one of the last remaining members of a sub-species of people the rest of the population had hoped they’d exterminated. An orphan with a mysterious scar on the back of her head, Fever has been raised in secret among the member of the Order of Engineers. Under their tutelage, she has learned only to think not to feel. This is a handicap that, as her once calm life begins unravel, she will need to overcome. This is a multi-layered and satisfying science fiction book for teens and adults alike. (Hardcover, $17.99) Recommended by Kelly.

This debut novel by Irish writer Peter Murphy is getting rave reviews in the UK and the U.S. It’s an atmospheric tale of a young boy, John, growing up in a small village whose life is altered by his friendship with a very free-spirited boy whom he meets. It’s filled with humor and energy, as well as a certain sense of mystery. Best of all is the old crone character, Mrs. Nagle, who takes up residence in John’s house when the opportunity presents itself. Their face-offs are very funny and original. (Paperback, $14.95) Recommended by Lisa.

The subject of dysfunctional families is a cliche in literature, but with rich and diverse possibilities, when done right it can be a joy to read. THE LONELY POLYGAMIST taps into that realm with originality and empathy. I’ve been waiting for more from Brady Udall ever since reading his first novel, THE MIRACLE LIFE OF EDGAR MINT, back in 2001. Udall has finally returned and his success with this one makes the nine-year span between books understandable and well worth the wait. The story’s protagonist is Golden Richards, a southern Utah polygamist who juggles four wives, 28 children, a diaper-wearing dog, church duties, and a construction contracting business that has recently begun building a brothel in Nevada. When it seems things can’t possibly get more complicated, an overwhelmed Golden begins to fall for another woman. This book is less about the odd lifestyle of polygamy and more about the trials of a keeping a family (any family) together and, hopefully, happy. Udall’s greatest gift as a writer is his ability to create alternately heartbreaking and hilarious scenes with compassion for his characters as they search for meaning and acceptance. In THE LONELY POLYGAMIST he continues to succeed in grand fashion. Read an excerpt here To be released May 3. (Hardcover, 26.95) Recommended by Judd.

THE GATHERING STORM by Robert Jordan is the 12th in “The Wheel of Time” series that I began reading about 15 years ago, following the recommendation of a KU student.  It’s pure fantasy, taking you into a world that speaks of strange, frightening creatures, as well as telepathic abilities.  The fate of the wold hangs in the hands of Ran, who was raised in a small town, discovered to be the “Dragon Reborn” and destined to fight the corruption causing the death of the planet.

The author, Robert Jordan, died about 2 years ago, leaving his followers anxious about the fate of this series.  His widow found Brandon Sanderson, and he has done a superb job of continuing the series in Jordan’s original voice.

For pure escapism these are great, but start with number 1.  There are three more after this 12th one. (Hardcover, $29.99) Recommended by Julie.

A random murder is the catalyst to jump into New York City’s Lower East Side in Richard Price’s LUSH LIFE. The neighborhood in question is illustrated as a place of conflict between the young, hip, and mainly white artistic crowd with the socially marginalized rainbow of poor, project-bound immigrants and tragic youth.

My favorite thing about this book are the fully fleshed characters — many are very well rounded, with noble qualities, flaws, and fears fully exposed. The dialogue is organic and pure pleasure to read. Price effectively constrains the reader to the life of those without power. Many of the important decisions in the story are made by powerful names whose characters are never revealed. The reader, like the story’s characters (detectives, criminals, waiters, the victim’s family) receive information only as it trickles down from the top. LUSH LIFE succeeds in slowly unraveling a case while keeping true to the way most of us must live -– in the shadows of the decisions made by those with the power and position to do so. (Paperback, $15.00) Recommended by Judd.

Winner of the 2009 Man Booker Prize, WOLF HALL is a complex, multi-layered novel about the time of religious tumult of the 1530s and a story of the life of a moderate, brilliant counselor and financier, Thomas Cromwell. Bookpage wrote that “Mantel’s crystalline style, piercing eye and interest in, shall we say, the darker side of human nature, together with a real respect for historical accuracy, make this novel an engrossing, enveloping read.” ($27.00, hardcover).  Highly recommended by Pat.

DeLillo chronicles life in the United States during the Cold War. The story weaves through forty-plus years of lives private and public (including J. Edgar Hoover and Lenny Bruce), illustrating the fears brought by both the world at large (random violence, nuclear tensions) and through personal choices (relationships, art) in the lives of its myriad of characters. From baseball to the art world to poverty-strangled neighborhoods to hyperbolized TV news, DeLillo captures many different viewpoints of what it is to be an American living in uncertainty. UNDERWORLD is rewarding not only because of its successful realization of the mammoth scope it undertakes, but more so because DeLillo has crafted every paragraph into a showcase of how language can edify how we relate to the world. The book is a pure pleasure to experience. ($17.95, paperback).  Judd recommends

Hardcover fiction is 20% off through January 1

This snow storm that has come barreling through the Midwest is trying to tell you something — it’s the perfect time to get a good novel to read.  Celebrate the official beginning of Reading Season (that’s what we call winter around here) by checking out some of the acclaimed and award-winning fiction from 2009.

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LACUNA by Barbara Kingsolver ($26.99).  Kingsolver’s first novel since The Poisonwood Bible follows the life of Harrison William Shepherd from Mexico to North Carolina to Washington D.C.  Shepherd is the son of a failed marriage between an American man and Mexican woman.  He spends his younger days working in the household of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, where he also encounters Leon Trotsky.  Shepherd eventually moves to Asheville, N.C., where he has a successful career as a writer before he is investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee.  Kingsolver pulls the reader into these events intimately by using letters, journal entries and newspaper clippings as narration devices.

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HALF BROKE HORSES by Jeannette Walls ($26.00).  This “true-life novel” tells the story of Walls’s grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, who led an amazing, rough-and-tumble life in the southwest and midwest. Her resume included bootlegger, teacher, rodeo rider, marriage to a bigamist, and mother.  Walls brings the same storytelling that made The Glass Castle so engrossing to readers in yet another amazing story from her family.


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A GATE AT THE STAIRS by Lorrie Moore ($25.95).  Tassie Keltjin is a 20 year-old student attending a Midwestern college who becomes the nanny of a recently-adopted child in this coming-of-age novel set in the post-9/11 world.  Publisher’s Weekly says of the book, “Moore’s graceful prose considers serious emotional and political issues with low-key clarity and poignancy.”


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WOLF HALL by Hilary Mantel  ($27.00). Mantel’s novel, winner of the 2009 Man Booker prize is set in the 1520’s court of Henry VIII.  The story chronicles the King’s desire for a male heir, his divorce from Catherine of Aragon and subsequent marriage to Anne Boylen, and the installation of himself as the head of a new church, the Church of England.  Told through the voice of Thomas Cromwell, the Man Booker Prize committee said of the book, “It probes the mysteries of power by examining and describing the meticulous dealings in Henry VIII’s court, revealing in thrilling prose how politics and history is made by men and women.”

This is one of the most satisfying, involving books I’ve ever read. What’s it about? Well – entertainment, addiction, the commercialization of culture, family relationships, tennis, overconsumption, undercover agents, conspiracies, and wheelchair-bound Quebec-ian separatist assassins. It is an overstuffed, hyper-analyzed, hyperbolized view of an alternate reality United States that is also alarmingly conceivable. It is about finding a way to function in modern society, whether it is from the point of view of student-athlete prodigies, recovering addicts, grieving family members, or disillusioned political idealists.

Wallace had an uncanny ability to truly empathize with any walk of life. His style is his own in both inventiveness and plot dissemination. The endnotes may seem crazy and pretentious at first, but they become important to the story’s rhythm and flow.

As soon as I finished I had the urge to pick it up and start it again. This is a great book take into hibernation with you during wintertime.

For those with love of language, intricately detailed characters, humorous observations and dialogue, and ambitious scope.  (Paperback, $17.99) Recommended by Judd