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In State of Wonder,  Patchett takes the reader into the primitive world of the Amazon in Brazil. MarinaSingh gave up a career as a doctor after botching an emergency delivery as anintern, opting instead for the more orderly world of research for apharmaceutical company. While trying to locate a rogue scientist, Dr. AnnickSwenson, Marina’s  colleague and friend,  Anders Eckman, is reported to have died in thejungle. Marina isasked by her company’s CEO to locate his body and communicate with themysterious and uncommunicative Dr. Swenson. The doctor has been working on afertility drug  by studying the Lakashipeople, whose women bear children into old age.  Marina’s search is fraught with poisonous snakesand poisonous memories, malarial mosquitoes and sickening losses, but her timeamong the Lakashi tribe is transformative. Patchett exhibits an extraordinaryability to bring the horrors and the wonders of the Amazon jungle to life, andher singular characters are wonderfully drawn.  Part scientific thriller,part engaging personal odyssey, “State of Wonder” is a suspensefuljungle adventure with an unexpected ending and other assorted surprises.

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The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger

In the midst of an attempted regeneration, the dying farmcommunity of Tel Inan, Israelmixes together new restaurants and galleries with run-down buildings.  An aura of threatening anticipation hovers inthese loosely connected short stories that look into the disturbing behind-the-scenesstory of village life.

In the Sea there are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda

Ten year old Enaiat is left alone in Pakistan by his mother, in the hopes that hewill escape the cruelty of Taliban rule in Afghanistan.  Thus begins his five year journey through Iran, Turkey,Greece, and finally landingin Italy.  Experiencing the best and worst of life,Enaiat struggles onward, never letting go of the hope of a better life.

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin

A dedicated mother from the countryside is separated fromher rushing husband at a busy Seoulsubway station.  As they search, herhusband and grown children think back on their relationships with her, herdedication and love and their lack of appreciation.  This is a compelling story about a mother’slove.

The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibb

Maggie Ly travels to Vietnamto try to find out anything about her father who stayed behind when she and hermother escaped to the U.S.  She encounters Tu, a guide who showswesterners around Hanoi,as well as Old Man Hung, who sells pho and may have known her father.  Gibb’s story is an engaging journey into newand old Vietnamand the mystery of both.

Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna

Set in 19^th century India, Tiger Hill is the story ofDevi, the favored daughter and her worshipful friend, Devanna.  Devi grows up to become a powerful force onher family’s coffee plantation, while Devanna studies medicine with the hopesthat they will someday be together.  InTiger Hills, Mandanna has created an ambitious and engaging saga. 

Stealing Mona Lisa by Carson Morton

On his deathbed, Eduardo de Valfierno tells the story ofhow, in his youth, he and his motley crew of thieves had a daring plan to stealthe Mona Lisa.  A historical mystery seepedin the ambiance of Paris,Stealing Mona Lisa mixes fiction with facts from the actual theft in 1911.  

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey

When the Harwoods left Englandfor Trinidad in 1956, George is glad for anescape to paradise from his stodgy and unsuccessful life, while Sabine hatesthe heat and humidity.  Through theirstory, Roffey brings to life the history of this colonial island, full ofbeauty as well as political strife.

The Queen of Water by Laura Resau

At the age of 7, Virginiais sent from her village and indigenous Ecuadorian family to be a servant to anacademic mestizo family.  Although thismeans that she will not have to carry out the hard labor like those from hervillage, she finds that her new life includes differenttrials in the form of abuse and degradation. As she grows, she holds onto her independent spirit, which becomesabsolutely vital for this girl who isn’t sure where she belongs in the world.

>Victoria Jones is 18 years old and being emancipated from the foster care system. Her life having been  filled with different foster homes, group homes, schools and teachers, Victoria leaves the system with no job or social skills–her only interest is in flowers and their meanings, taught to her by one of her foster parents. Sleeping in a public park and tending a garden she has created by stealing flowers from other parks and home gardens, Victoria realizes that she needs a job to survive and demonstrates her abilities to choose and arrange flowers to  a florist, who offers her work. She begins to develop a relationship with the florist as well as with a young man, Grant, who works at the flower market, and has a loyal following of customers who appreciate her ability to choose flowers that have just the right meaning. Victoria’s story is told in alternating chapters, describing her life as a 9 year old and as an 18 year old. The reader understands that Victoria’s adult attitudes of fear,  isolation and mistrust of others are based on her childhood experiences. Can she overcome her past flaws and hurts and move forward to find happiness in relationships with others and peace within herself? This is a touching and thoughtful novel, with vivid characters and a unique  insight into expressing emotions through The Language of Flowers rather than words.

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Thirty-two years ago, Hope’s twin sister was the victim ofan abduction, and despite the efforts of the police and FBI, she was neverfound.  Hope knows law enforcement will dowhat they can. Grasping for any possibility, despite her husband’s objection, she callsfor help from  Casey Woods and herrenegade investigators, Forensic Instincts. This is Casey Woods’ brainchild, a team ofhandpicked experts with the skill set to get results without worrying about thelegalities. The team includes a behaviorist, a techno-wizard, anintuitive, and a former Navy Seal– who race against the clock to bring Krissy home.

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To escape the tumult and conflicts of 1960s Detroit, Arthur Scott moves his wife and children back to the wind-swept plains of his hometown on Bent Road near Hays, Kansas. His wife, Celia, resents the move that will put her close to in-laws she barely knows and a small town society she doesn’t understand. As Celia grapples with loneliness and brutality of life and death on a farm, she watches events unfold– leading to a secret lurking in this small village. A secret that involves the Scott family. Years ago, Arthur’s beautiful old sister died mysteriously. Now, another young girl disappears without a trace. Arthur’s only living sister, severely abused by her alcoholic husband, seeks refuge with Celia’s family.

On Bent Road, a battered red truck cruises ominously along the prairie, a boy hefts his father’s rifle in search of a target, and a mother realizes she no longer knows how to protect her children. This rich and haunting story of a family reminds us that simplicity of landscape does not necessairily mean simplicity of life

>by William Whitbeck

A dying man tells his only child, Frankie, of his part in a murder. The date of the telling is 1996 and the story is told in flashback style of the mid 1940’s. Charlie Cahill committed the murder of Michigan Senator, Harry Maynard, then presided as the assistant prosecuting attorney for Maynard’s trial. Political corruption is rampant throughout the book; sometimes leaving you wondering who’s working for whom. The action keeps you reading and the surprises at the end will make you want to read the story again.

The author, William C. Whitbeck, was the Chief Judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals. He has based his book, To Account for Murder, on the actual slaying of Michigan’s Senator, Warren G. Hooper.

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He was a man who didn’t deserve a second chance. But, he needed one…

Sandy Portman, a wealthy New Yorker, who attracts women like bees to flowers, marries naive and optimistic Emily, a young editor. Becoming bored with his pretty wife of four years, Sandy is on the way home to ask for a divorce when he is killed in a tragic accident.

After Sandy’s death, Emily finds out that he was unfaithful and on top of that, now she faces eviction from their home.

Sandy wakes up in an animal shelter in the body of a scruffy little dog named Einstein. It is Sandy’s chance to make up for his mistakes, a chance for redemption.

Bewildered and angry, Emily finds comfort in the form of a wacky little dog named Einstein that she finds at the animal shelter where she volunteers. Emily and Einstein is a mixture of humor, regret and love–told by turns from Emily and Sandy/Einstein.

>For me, summer means relaxing on the patio with iced tea and a good “escape” book—one that is fun and takes me to a whole different world. I usually enjoy romance novels as my escape reading, and two titles that are filled with humor and fascinating characters are:

Nowhere Near Respectable by Mary Jo Putney Both of the main characters have an obstacles to overcome—Lady Kiri Lawford is of mixed blood London society looks down upon her heritage, despite the fact that she is the daughter of a Duke. Damian Mackenzie is the illegitimate brother of a Baron and the owner of a gambling establishment– who also works as a spy. Damien rescues Kiri from smugglers and they embark on a mission to expose the network responsible for attacks on the royal family. Both characters use their intelligence and resourcefulness in their hunt for the conspirators. Kiri is an unconventional heroine and both main characters are interesting and believable. Putney has created a memorable and enjoyable regency romance.

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn differs from many romances in that the main characters have known each other since childhood. Honoria has grown up in a large family that included her brother’s friend Marcus in many of it’s activities. They have grown apart and Honoria is attending ton events, on the lookout for a suitable husband. She and Marcus meet again and over time, they come to realize that they are meant to be together. This is a sweet, touching story with humor, charm and characters you will care about—a delightful romance!

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• A New Earth: awakening to your life’s purpose by Eckhart Tolle
• A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
• Night by Elie Wiesel
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck
• The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
• Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio
• The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

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> Hired as executive Chef at a restaurant in

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