Nancy Pearl’s Recommended Titles (Thanks to Jan Sanders for sharing)
May 13, 2010
Dan Arely. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape our Decisions. Follows in the style of books like FREAKONOMICS. That is, a thoughtful topic in simple, readable language. Totally engaging
Frank Bakes Miss Hargreaves. Rated “G” No sex or violence.
Delightful. Part of Nancy’s June review on NPR
Josh Bazell Beat the Reaper. Fun. A young man becomes a doctor as the result of time in the witness protection program. Later, he is called on to treat someone from his “hidden” past. Great airplane read. Last scene is a bit gritty
Mischa Berlinski Fieldwork. Not a “who dunnit” but a “whydunnit.” Strong interest in anthropology. Centers on missionary efforts in Thailand
S. J. Bolton Blood Harvest. Psychological thriller/mystery. If you like British mysteries, this is for you. Centers on a series of young girls killed. Page turner
Alan Bradley The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. A “cozy” mystery. Flavia (11 years old) in England. Wants to solve mystery, her Dad didn’t do it. There’s now a sequel
Libba Gray Going Bovine. Won a Young Adult award. Very strong, but a good story; just have to set reality aside. Idea for plot is based on Mad Cow disease. The hero must save the world
Craig Childs. Animla Dialogues: Encounters with Animals in the Wild. Outdoorsy fans. Wilderness guide, river runner. Story of author’s career from Grizzlies to mice. Note especially the encounter with the couger…..
Justin Cronin The Passage. (due out in June). A little girl who saved the world. A government study that goes awry. Subjects turn into “Dracs” (vampires). A tale of the apocalypse. If you liked THE ROAD this is for you
Terry Darlington Narrow Dog to Indian river. The dog is a whippet (narrow) the adventure is on a canal boat—6’ wide, 30’ long.
When you finish you’ll want to go adopt a whippet
Georgina Howell Gertrude Bell, Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations. Biography that reads like a novel. “the female TE Lawrence” she drew the borders of Iraq and chose the first king. An American Library Assn. notable book.
Nick Harkaway The Gone Away World. Science fiction. Author is son of John LeCarre. Post apocalypse book. Brilliant in its formation
IF YOU ONLY READ ONE FROM THIS LIST, THIS IS THE ONE TO CHOOSE.
Guy Gavriel Kay Under Heaven. Canadian fantasy writer. Historical events and quarter turn to fantasy. 8th Century China Tang Dynasty. Fascinating take on a little known subject
Emma Larkin Finding George Orwell in Burma. Everything is Broken: A Tale of Catastrophe in Burma. Wonderful non-fiction. A biography of Orwell and a vision of the place—very little “gets out” re: Burma. Is 1984 based on this experience??
Emily St. John Mandel Last Night in Montreal. Singer with the Gun. Stories begin small and tight, but expand as tale unfolds. Read for language and character Beautifully scripted.
China Mieville. The City and the City. This is a mystery in a city that is contiguous to another city, but the two do not interact. They are totally different cities, but occupy the same space. Complex and challenging, but interesting
Lisa Moore February. Halifax, CAN. Story of a widowed family and how they cope, move on. Strong sense of character
Caroline Moorehead Dancing to the Precipice: the Life of Lucie de la Tour du Pin: Eyewitness to an Era. Great Biography. Set in Napoleonic / French Revolution Later, she moved to Albany NY until the war was over then back to France; Everyone who was anyone was involved with her life…
Karl Mariantes Matterhorn. Story of the Viet Nam War. Novel. Author was a 2nd LT in the war, so is main character. A mind-blowing emotional ride. “You are there.” Big, thick book but obvious award material.
Nathaniel Philbrick The Last Stand : Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The story of both (Sitting Bull and Custer) men and their myth. All extraneous is stripped away; Something everyone should read
Matthew Quick The Silver Linings Playbook. The playbook is a reference to the football theme that runs through the novel; Nominated for Pulitzer; Delightful story. Main character just out of mental institution—he thinks he was there 2 weeks, it was 2 years. He wants to find his wife and get her back. Light and well-done
Helen Simonson Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand. Fun, light reading. Not a thoughtful tome, but a good read. Takes place in a British village, mostly in the shop there. The Storekeeper is Pakistani and there’s the tale.
Tatjana Soli The Lotus Eaters. MUST READ. Female photojournalist in Viet Nam. Beautifully done, a fabulous book
Melanie Watt Chester. An author and her cat. It’s a children’s book and the conflict is between the author and the cat and who really is writing the book
