Fiction for Adults
South of the Border, West of the Sun - Haruki Murakami
Written by one of Japan’s most highly regarded authors, this book follows the life of Hajime from childhood to middle age as he negotiates love and its disappointments. Existential in tone, this story explores lost love and what happens when it is partially regained. Murakami makes Hajime’s struggle against a deep well of loneliness palpable, pulling the reader into this tale of obsession and loss. Reviewed by Liz 11/3/09Tess of the D'Urbervilles : a Pure Woman Faithfully Presented - Thomas Hardy
Hardy’s tragic story of innocence lost and true love thwarted manages to be both heartbreaking and a page-turner. The characters are finely drawn, particularly Tess as she changes and adapts to her life’s challenges. Hardy writes in lush language of the nature of the English countryside and juxtaposes this richness with his evocation of a time of momentous change in the lives of agricultural workers, from ancient folkways to modern economic dislocation. As one chapter led to the next, I couldn’t wait to learn more about this particular time and place and how Tess negotiates her way through it. Reviewed by Liz 11/3/09
Beat the Reaper - Josh Bazell
Dr. Peter Brown, once Pietro Brwna, is now in the witness protection program for his, shall we say, questionable past employment as mafia hitman extraordinaire. Aside from being a target for the occasional mugger hoping to score a pill or two off of the guy in a lab coat, the biggest challenge he faces these days is staying awake during his rounds. Until he encounters a patient that recognizes him, that is. This book is the perfect, if not odd, mixture of medicine, martial arts, and the mob. Throw in plenty of dark humor, and let the action begin! Reviewed by Shireen 9/03/09.
All About Lulu - Jonathan Evison
Jonathan Evison’s debut novel is an intensely funny coming-of-age tale about Will, a vegetarian misfit growing up in 1970s Southern California in a motherless household swelling with meat-eating body-builders. Will goes mute after his mother dies, but later regains and beefs up his voice when his new step-mother, a grief counselor, and her daughter, Lulu (the object of Will’s decades-long obsession) move in. Will and Lulu form a geek alliance, which abruptly ends when something forever changes Lulu while she’s away at camp. The rest of the story follows Will in his quest for truth and reveals the devastating impact of family secrets. David Sedaris & Wes Anderson fans should enjoy this book! Reviewed by Melanie, 05/09.
The Maytrees - Annie Dillard
With a childhood recollection of being drawn to the appearance of a barefoot bohemian-type carrying a canvas across a Cape Cod street and later having established residency in New England, I was drawn to this poetic and spare novel depicting artists living among the Provincetown dunes. Annie Dillard sketches a loving portrait of beautiful yet flawed characters, but it is not so much the plot as the description of the natural environment and setting of this story that made it a worthy read for me. Dillard’s command of language is marvelous. Reviewed by Susan 3/24/09
The Feast of Love - Charles Baxter
Having read Charles Baxter’s, The Soul Thief, and immediately wanting more by this literary novelist and short story writer, I checked out his Feast of Love. This novel, a collection of extraordinary first person narratives of love, loss, and longing told by ordinary people in Ann Arbor, evokes shades of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Reviewed by Susan 3/16/09
The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
A deliciously intricate story full of family drama, suspense, and romance. Atwood's writing made me want to savor every word, while her mesmerizing story made me want to quickly get to the next page. Especially intriguing for me was the mysterious sci-fi tale being told within the story. Take a look at the First Chapter Excerpts in our catalog and you'll see what I mean. Reviewed by Theresa 10/16/08
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
This is the best fiction I have ever read! Dedicated to the women of Afghanistan, this novel depicts the journey of two girls who have lived through the evils of war. This book is very well written Hosseini draws the reader into the lives of each character. If you like novels that are based on historical events I strongly recommend this read.The author gives every afghan woman a voice through Myriam and Laila. I do want to warn future readers that there is strong content so if you're brave enough to take the journey with these two afghan women hop on board! Reviewed by Noelia 10/10/08
Four Queens: the Provencal sisters who ruled Europe - Nancy Bazelon Goldstone
This is a great women's history title! It's engaging and full of detail about life in 13th century Europe. These four sisters, daughters of the Count and Countess of Provence, became the Queens of France, England, Germany and Sicily and did a lot more than sitting around looking fancy! They formed alliances, waged war, and helped redraw the borders of Europe. Get to know them!. Reviewed by PJ 10/10/08
The Tortilla Curtain - T.C Boyle
Tortilla Curtain follows two story lines which cross paths in Southern California. Two migrant workers struggle to survive in the shadows of a community that wants to build a wall around its houses while a family inside the community struggles to feel secure in their world which they feel is being encroached on by both nature and immigrants. T.C. Boyle is a true talent and takes on a topic hard pressed to produce a happy ending, and is well worth the read. Reviewed by AJ Garza 10/10/08
Nonfiction for Adults
Finding Oz: How L. Frank Baum discovered the Great American Story - Evan I. Schwartz
With the resurgence of interest in all things wizard and Oz in recent years, this timely examination of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is fascinating. L. Frank Baum reached adulthood during the Gilded Age and tried his hand at many occupations: playwriting and acting, publishing, retail merchandising. His initial success was always followed by failure. Shaped by personal and historical places and events, and the spiritual influence of his mother-in-law, Matilda Joslyn Gage, a noted feminist of the era, Frank finally found his true self in storytelling. The characters and ideas in his signature work, from Dorothy to Toto to the Wizard himself are a distillation of late 19th century people and ideas. Part biography, part literary analysis, part history, and always informative, I recommend Finding Oz for adults and teens. Reviewed by DM 11/04/2009
Best American Nonrequired Reading 2008 - Edited by David Eggers
This is a great collection of essays, fiction, blogs, and more collected by students at 826 Valencia writing workshop. I was fascinated by Pearls Before Breakfast by Gene Weingarten, who writes about what happened during a covert performance in a DC Metro station by violinist Joshua Bell. There's something in this collection for everyone, and even some local interest in the form of the Kensington, CA police blotter. Reviewed by Michele 2/2/2009.- Why the Dalai Lama matters: his act of truth as the solution for China, Tibet, and the World - Robert Thurman
This is a critical book to read even if one is not Buddhist. China will play an important role in the 21st century. How it has dealt, and could deal, with cultural diversity at its doorstep has profound implications for our global future. The Dalai Lama is for the world what Martin Luther King, Jr. was for the U.S. We would do well to become educated about the issue of Tibet, that we may become better advocates abroad for the human rights that we hold so dear here. Reviewed by Carol 11/10/08 
Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia revival, and the struggle for Iraq - Patrick Cockburn
A valuable book if you want to understand the religious context behind the political struggle in Iraq today. Violent circumstances forged the personality of the "firebrand cleric" and precipitated his rise to the leadership of the major grassroots political movement in Iraq. Accessible, informative, but not fun reading.Reviewed by Carol 11/01/08- Four Queens: the Provencal sisters who ruled Europe - Nancy Bazelon Goldstone
This is a great women's history title! It's engaging and full of detail about life in 13th century Europe. These four sisters, daughters of the Count and Countess of Provence, became the Queens of France, England, Germany and Sicily and did a lot more than sitting around looking fancy! They formed alliances, waged war, and helped redraw the borders of Europe. Get to know them!. Reviewed by PJ 10/10/08 - Everything Conceivable: How Assisted Reproduction is Changing Men, Women, and the World - Liza Mundy
I can't decide if this book was frightening or inspiring, but it was certainly enlightening. I've never thought much about fertility and assisted reproduction before and this book was a well written, thought provoking introduction to the topic. The author is clear, and provides plenty of interesting anecdotes that keep the story from being too technical. Mundy does a great job at presenting the facts without providing any moral judgements on what she's learning. A must read for all women! Reviewed by Catherine 10/10/08
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