The Buzz...About Books

Paul
By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham. 
A gorgeously written meditation on beauty, art, and the vicissitudes of a long term marriage (very similar in theme to Franzen's Freedom, but not as wordy or pretentious in scope).

Diana
Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis 
I was so engaged by the story and the characters that it left me sobbing when it ended- and it really wasn't a sad ending at all!

Marie
Fifth Avenue, 5AM: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast At Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson.  Pungent and cutting anecdotal coverage of Audrey and her evolution into the iconic Holly Golightly.  Well informed, witty and perceptive.

Kathryn
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. 

Elton
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
I usually don't like historical books but for some reason I actually enjoyed this book and a number of the YAGs did as well.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary By David Sedaris
– short stories with the classic Sedaris humour, what is there not to love

Jennifer
The Wave: in Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey
Not usually a non-fiction reader but the combination of pop science and pop culture has totally drawn me in.  Very cool pictures of craaazy surfers riding craaaazy waves is also appealing.

Viveca
The Snowman by Jo Nesbø. 
Inspector Hole is Norway's renegade detective – alcoholic, tortured and brilliant – I am working my way through the whole series.

Jane
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Canadian author started writing fiction after retirement… now has SIX book deal.  His main character is an 11 year old girl who is a chemistry wiz!   Very English and lots of fun.

Despina
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Men are Like Mocha Lattes by Lisa Summers

Ellen
Steig Larsson's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – trilogy
Lisbeth Salander is an intiguing character whose intelligence and survival instincts keep her one step ahead of the press and police as she is caught up in a world of crime and murder.

Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games – trilogy
This teen series is a gripping read for adults as well.  In a dystopian North American society we follow Katniss in her quest to help her family survive in a society where food is scarce, and then fight for her own survival as a participant in the annual Hunger Games.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett 
In 1962 Mississippi, Skeeter risks meeting with 3 black maids to get their first-hand stories about working for and raising the children of white families.

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