The Orchardist

Fruitful. The Orchardist is a finely written debut novel by Amanda Coplin. Set in the Wenatchee Valley area of Washington at the turn of the twentieth century, this novel excels in many ways. The characters are vividly drawn and the love and caring they express in the face of pain and turmoil maintains an emotional authenticity that could have crossed into melodrama, but never did. The setting and time period come alive through carefully chosen descriptive language that was often poetic. Coplin accomplishes something a debut novelist often misses: she helps readers care deeply for these characters and feel moved by what happens in their lives. We look to fiction to help us understand human nature more fully. Readers who want to spend time in that pursuit will find reading this novel to be a fruitful experience. Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended) Click here to purchase The Orchardist from amazon.com.

The Geneva Trap

Loyalty. Stella Rimington’s latest Liz Carlyle novel is titled The Geneva Trap. Readers who like fast-paced spy novels are those most likely to enjoy this one. The puzzle pieces are complex enough to keep most readers interested to the end, as Liz tries to solve a case that has connections to her past and to loved ones. A theme of the importance of loyalty runs throughout the novel providing a thread for the action. Rimington’s own MI5 experience informs the ways in which she presents the world of espionage. I read this novel quickly and was entertained by both characters and plot. Rating: Three-star (Recommended) Click here to purchase The Geneva Trap from amazon.com.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

Harm. It’s a rare work of non-fiction that can appeal simultaneously to those who love history, medicine, science, politics and a well-told story. Candice Millard pleases readers of all types in her book, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President. She presents the shooting of President James Garfield and his treatment by physicians who did more harm than good. Alexander Graham Bell works day and night to invent a device that aid in Garfield’s treatment. Millard maintains momentum as she presents this lively, interesting and entertaining story, packed with details but never tedious. I learned much about Garfield and the practice of medicine in 1881. Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended) Click here to purchase Destiny of the Republic from amazon.com.

Mortality

Voice. The black book jacket with the single word title, Mortality, provides a crisp and clear summary of what to expect in Christopher Hitchens’ last book. Curious to the end, Hitchens finds just the right words to convey the experience of his dying. This fine writer’s voice remains lucid as he probes the journey to his death with insight into our human situation and the fact of our mortality. Any reader who wants to engage in an exploration of dying should read this finely written book. Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended) Click here to purchase Mortality from amazon.com.

Say Nice Things About Detroit

Hometown. Fans of Detroit along with readers who like novels set in vibrant urban settings are those most likely to enjoy Scott Lasser’s novel, Say Nice Things About Detroit. Protagonist David Halpert returns to his hometown Detroit from Colorado and finds hope and a new life. Lasser presents interesting characters and a satisfactory plot. Any reader finishing this novel will come away with good feelings about Detroit and about the capacity of individuals to find hope and love in the face of any kind of trouble. Rating: Three-star (Recommended) Click here to purchase Say Nice Things About Detroit from amazon.com.

The Twelve

Transition. The good news is that the second novel of Justin Cronin’s trilogy, The Twelve, came in three hundred pages shorter than The Passage which opened the series. The bad news is that while you can read the current novel on its own, you’ll understand the material far better if you pay the 800 page price of reading the first one. The other bad news is that Cronin needs to wrap up the story in an upcoming novel, and my guess is that the third novel will be a long one. So be careful, once you start, you’re likely to endure to the end. This trilogy tells of a scientific experiment gone bad and what happened to people and cities. Cronin excels at character development, and both the good and bad ones are drawn with precision. The plot is complex and entertaining. Readers who like big sweeping books with dark themes are those most likely to enjoy this one. Rating: Three-star (Recommended) Click here to purchase The Twelve from amazon.com.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Funny. Maria Semple’s novel, Where’d You Go Bernadette, kept me laughing from beginning to end. Bernadette is the average Seattle stay-at-home Mom: she won a McArthur genius award; her husband Elgin is a Microsoft executive leading a two hundred person team on a project involving mind control; and fifteen year old only child, Bee, is a prodigy who convinces her parents to reward her good grades with a Christmas vacation to Antarctica. Bee’s private school, fellow students and their parents are ripe for parody, and Semple mines that thread with great wit. Anyone familiar with that setting will laugh out loud. Bernadette uses a virtual assistant in India to handle much of the logistics of her life, because her social anxiety or agoraphobia leads her to stay close to home. In the tradition of I Love Lucy, the things that can go wrong do, and misunderstandings have significant consequences. Readers looking to read something both intelligent and funny should consider this novel. Rating: Three-star (Recommended) Click here to purchase Where’d You Go Bernadette from amazon.com.