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Sterling Heights Public Library
Book Club Reading Suggestions
Compiled by Margaret Hanes and Mary Lou Metzger

Books

 Grief is something we will all experience sometime in our lives. Three local writers tell their own very personal stories about dealing with loss. (M)
Courtney’s Legacy: A Father’s Legacy by George Cantor. Local newspaper writer describes his daughter’s tragic accidental death at the University of Michigan. (155.937C)
Grieving: A Love Story by Ruth Coughlin. Former book editor of the Detroit Free Press writes about losing her husband, Detroit Judge and mystery writer William Coughlin, and her experiences as a new widow. (155.937C)
The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade by Thomas Lynch. Milford, Michigan funeral director gives us his take on the whole death and funeral experience. (Bio Lynch)

I love to travel. Instead of boarding a ship or plane, why not take an old-fashioned road trip - by reading? Some books make you want to get out the maps, pack a suitcase and take off. Here are some book club suggestions with a “travel” theme. (ML)

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. Gourmet and poet Mayes chronicles her experience of buying, restoring, and residing in an abandoned villa in Tuscany. (945.5 M)
Blue Highways: A Journey into America by William Least Heat Moon. The author packed up a van and began a roundabout 13,000-mile trip down the back roads (blue highways) and through small. forgotten towns. The book is full of the spark and wonder of ordinary life. (917.304 L)
On the Road by Jack Kerouac. Published in 1957, this autobiographical novel takes you on an adventure crisscrossing America, hitchhiking, walking, and taking buses. The book launched the Beat Generation. (Fic Kerouac)
Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck. At age 58 Steinbeck and his poodle, Charley, set out on a journey across America in a camper. For three months they traveled the nation, meeting friends, strangers, relatives and immersing themselves in the fabric of the country as it was at that time. (Fic Steinbeck)
Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to Unique Places Series. Maybe you want to do your own travel book?Covers various states and countries, updated regularly. For travelers looking to avoid the crowds, these guides will help them discover the unique 'must-see' attractions. Tired of the same old tourist traps? Take the road less traveled and discover the hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales other guidebooks just don't offer. Check the publisher’s web site under the series name for a complete list.

Animals enrich our lives in so many ways. Suggested are two books that show how much we can learn from them. (M)

A Dog Year: 12 Months Four Dogs and Me by Jon Katz. A fantastic read for anyone who loves and appreciates our canine companions. (636.7K)
Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp. Trying to stay sober with the help of an animal companion. (636.70887K)

Recent scandals about interns and land deals have played on TV and the news. The Clintons partnership wasn’t the first to be the subject of gossip. Their problem was that their indiscretions took place in the era of instant news. How about reading club choices contrasting two presidents in two different times, Franklin Roosevelt and Bill Clinton? (ML)

No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This is a narrative of how the U.S. became the preeminent economic and military power under the leadership of Franklin Roosevelt and the role his wife played. (Bio Roosevelt)
Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton. This political memoir discusses the Clinton White House and its watershed events such as the Whitewater investigation, the Lewinsky scandal, and the Clinton impeachment. (Bio Clinton)

Among the literally hundreds of books published after September 11th, these two in particular gave readers a compelling and compassionate look at the aftermath. (M)

Middletown America: One Town’s Passage from Trauma to Hope by Gail Sheehy. Dozens of titles have been published post September 11th. This is one of the most interesting and insightful. (974.7104S)
Fire House by David Halberstam. An in-depth look at one particular fire station crew before during and after September 11th. (973.931H)

Starting with the new book, Perfect Madness, about the trials of mothering in today’s world, why not discuss books about what we are doing to our boy and girl children? (ML)

Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety by Judith Warner. The author takes a good, hard look at the world of modern motherhood - at anxious women at work and at home and in bed with unhappy husbands. (305.874 H )
Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood by William S. Pollack. Based on groundbreaking research, the book explores why many boys are sad, lonely, and confused although they may appear tough, cheerful, and confident. Pollack challenges conventional expectations about manhood and masculinity. (305.23 P)
Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher. The author finds that in spite of the women's movement, which has empowered adult women in some ways, teenage girls today are having a harder time than ever before because of higher levels of violence and sexism. (305.235 P)

Trying to break a bad habit or addiction can be a life long struggle. Knapp gives readers an intensely personal look at her own struggle. In her last book she offers some explanations and opinions why we are as a culture so susceptible to addictions. (M)

Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp. A young woman struggles with alcoholism. (362.29K)
Appetites: Why Women Want by Caroline Knapp. A thought provoking discussion of our culture and why we struggle with addictions. (362.1K)

The Middle East is in the news every day. For an interesting “truth and fiction” type of book discussion, try these two books. Although the fiction book did not receive great reviews and reviewers claimed that the book stretched credibility, I’m not so sure it was farfetched. (ML)

From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas L. Friedman. Published in the late 80s, this book is well written and captures the psychological mannerisms of the people of Lebanon and Israel--the first step to understanding some of the mysterious ``why'' that seems to elude the American public and government. (956.92 F)
The Last Jihad by Joel C. Rosenberg. The novel opens with a coordinated international terrorist attack, in which Paris and London and several sites in the United States are bombed. Jon Bennett, a Wall Street strategist, becomes an advisor to the President. A great example of “what if”. (FIC R)

These books present three unique and different views as to why many people find it so hard to achieve the American Dream. Whether or not you agree with their explanations they offer an intelligent look at our economy and life style expectations. (M)

Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. A reporter goes “undercover” as a nursing home aide, cleaning woman, and Wal-Mart associate. What she found out makes for an eye-opening look at so called minimum wage jobs and the folks who try to live on the minimum wage. (305.569E)
The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler. His viewpoint on why many Americans can’t seem to achieve the good life is important and critical to understanding why poverty still exists in the wealthiest nation in the world. (305.569S)
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs. A global view on the problem of poverty. (339.46 S)

Corporate America is a fair topic for books. Many of these titles do not paint a flattering view of our country’s corporations. Of course, recent headlines tend to back these viewpoints. (ML)

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser. The author argues that the fast food industry has triggered the growth of malls, widened the gap between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad. He also points out shortcomings and other unsettling fast food facts. (394.1097 S)
Insane Sisters: Or the Price Paid for Challenging a Company Town by Gregg Andrews.This is the fascinating and tragic story of two sisters, Mollie Heinbach and Feemy Koller, and their 17 year fight against the nation's leading cement company. It sheds valuable new light on the use of guardianships and insanity to punish unconventional women in the early twentieth-century. (977.8 A)

Women often find themselves pulled in many directions by demands from family, their jobs, and an assortment of social obligations. Each of these titles offers realistic and sympathetic advice on making your own little corner of the world just a bit saner. (M)

Shelter of Each Other: Rebuilding our Families by Mary Pipher. Plain and practical advice for just about everyone interested in fostering and sustaining family connections in spite of the many distractions and temptations our culture offers. (306.8059P)
Pitching My Tent: On Marriage, Motherhood, Friendship, and other Leaps of Faith by Anita Diamant. The author of the book club favorite The Red Tent also writes non-fiction. Her essays will resound with reader’s who have enjoyed the work of Anna Quindlen. (296.7D)
Necessary Journeys: Letting Ourselves Learn by Life by Nancy Snyderman. Our experiences whether happy or sad can be a learning opportunity for emotional and spiritual growth. (158S)

“Issues” books make great reading club choices. Many readers can relate to whatever family crisis is in the book. Some of these suggestions focus on illness, some are just about so-called dysfunctional families. (ML)

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. Stretching from the Midwest at midcentury to the Wall Street and Eastern Europe of today, the book brings an old-fashioned world of civic virtue and sexual inhibitions into violent collision with the era of home surveillance, hands-off parenting, do-it-yourself mental health care, and globalized greed. (Fic Franzen)
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Complicated tale of a young girl who grows into a man. The story of Calliope Stephanides and three generations of the family who travel from a tiny Greek village to Prohibition-era Detroit, to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Pointe, Michigan. (Fic Eugenides)
The Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie MacDonald. An ambitious tale of a once-happy family changed forever by one year in the 1960s when the father's participation in Cold War intrigue goes tragically awry. Told mostly from the 9-year-old Madeline’s point of view, it captures the feeling of the times. (Fic MacDonald)

Autobiographies are a wonderful and entertaining way to learn and understand how others have led their lives. I particularly find stories about people who are not so famous to be the most fascinating. (M)

Slow Motion: A True Story by Dani Shapiro. A young woman who has made some poor choices in her life finds the way out of her problems by caring for her disabled parents. (Bio Shapiro)
Cliff Walk: A Memoir of a Job Lost by Don Snyder. A college professor is laid off and finds life much more difficult without his academic perks than he ever imagined. (Bio Snyder)
For Self and Country: For the Wounded in Vietnam the Journey Home Took More Courage than Going into Battle: A True Story by Rick Eilert. Wars always make headlines but it is the smaller stories that make the experience so much more real to most of us. (Bio Eilert)

One of the best ways to explore other cultures is by reading books. There is a real treasure trove of books out there that make great reading group choices. (ML)

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Set during the waning days of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic in 1960, this extraordinary novel tells the story of the Mirabal sisters, three young wives and mothers who are assassinated after visiting their jailed husbands.(Fic Alvarez)
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. Tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe who sets up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, Botswana. She is drawn to her profession to “help people with problems in their lives.” (Fic McCall)
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. This novel captures all the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism of India. The time is 1975, four strangers are thrust together, forced to share one cramped apartment and an uncertain future. (Fic Mistry)

Fiction can often be over hyped, over marketed and not very original. These stories are imaginative, unique, and thought provoking. (M)

Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. A man tries to discover why his wife apparently committed suicide. Only their family dog was a witness. He decides to teach the dog to talk to tell him what really happened. (Fic Parkhurst)
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. This book has been on just about every recommended reading list. You’ll either be mesmerized by its originality and depth or flat out bored. I definitely fall into the first group. (Fic Sebold)
Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian. After animal rights activist Spencer is accidentally shot by his daughter, the whole family must wrestle with the painful repercussions. (Fic Bohjalian)

I enjoy books with a vein of humor. I am quite willing to suspend belief, and I really like a book that plays with “what if”. I think these books will make for great discussions. (ML)

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Great Britain circa 1985: time travel is routine, cloning is reality, and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where someone has begun kidnapping characters from works of literature. Suspenseful and outlandish, absorbing and fun. (Sci Fic Fforde)
Last Call by Laura Pedersen. Indomitable, good-humored Scotsman Hayden MacBride sees no reason to take his own death lying down. He meets Rosamond, a nun playing hooky from the Holy Orders. This novel of love and laughter proves that miracles are all around us. (Fic Pedersen)

No one has ever suggested raising children is an easy job. These novels explore just how arduous and formidable the job of parenting can really be. (M)

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. A woman learns that it is her young son who has killed several of his fellow students in a well-planned but apparently unprovoked attack. How both arrived at that horrible day makes up the heart of the story. (Fic Shriver)
Family History by Dani Shapiro. A husband and wife find their marriage tested by their teen-age daughter. She has who developed some serious emotional problems both parents find difficult to understand and handle. (Fic Shapiro)
The Distance from Normandy by Jonathan Hull. A young man having problems at school and with his single parent mother goes to spend some time at his grandfather’s house. This rather tired plot is given a fresh look as they each come to understand and appreciate one another in ways they never imagined. (Fic Hull)

Sisterhood, girlfriends, whatever that bond is between women makes a great reading club choice. How about these books with different views of women and their roles in life, death, and sisterhood? (ML)

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. This is the story of three generations of crazy bayou debutantes trying to survive marriage, motherhood, and pain. At the core of everything is their friendship and love for each other. (Fic Wells)
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. The title refers to the book group of five women who live in small town Minnesota. The book covers 40 years of growth, humor, and friendship set against the world around them. (Fic Landvik)
Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg. This is the story of two friends. When one is diagnosed with cancer, their conversations begin to go deeper into the truths of women's lives. This deeply moving novel is about the grit and power of female friends. (Fic Berg)

Bereavement can be the theme or focus of a fiction story. The following novels take a fictionalized look at the process of mourning. (M)

Errands by Judith Guest. When Keith Bowner, a decent man and wonderful teacher dies of brain cancer, his wife and three children must cope with his loss, and struggle to redefine themselves as a family. (Fic Guest)
Such Good People by Martha Whitmore Hickman. A freak accident on vacation forces a family to accept and cope with the accidental death of a child. Intense but ultimately a hopeful and uplifting reading experience. (Fic Hickman)
These Dreams by Barbara Chepaitis. A woman’s life is changed forever when a mentally ill gunman randomly kills one of her daughters at a shopping mall. How the family copes with this tragedy is poignant as well as eventually hopeful. (Fic Chepaitis)

The following are some other fiction suggestions for great reads and lively discussions, or, just to enjoy reading a good book.

The Medicine Men by Alice Adams. The complicated relationship between a patient and her doctor (Fic Adams)

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. Snowman sleeps in a tree and just might be the only human left on our devastated planet. He is not entirely alone, however, as he considers himself the shepherd of a group of experimental, human-like creatures called the Children of Crake. Snowman recalls in flashbacks how the world fell apart. (Fic Atwood)

The Passion of Reverend Nash by Rachel Basch. Reverend Jordanna Nash is a minister whose own long distance marriage is faltering as she tries to help a young woman in her congregation cope with depression. (Fic Basch)

Benedict, Elizabeth. The Practice of Deceit. 2004. (Fic Benedict) - Eric Lavender is a therapist and confirmed bachelor. After meeting single mom and divorce lawyer Colleen Golden he finds himself smitten. He marries and embraces family life in Scarsdale.
Slow Dancing. 1985
The Beginner's Book of Dreams. 1988
Safe Conduct. 1993
The Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers. 1996
Almost. 2001
The Practice of Deceit. 2004

The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck. A Chinese peasant and his family endure a host of deprivations and tragedies in his relentless pursuit to own land. (Fic Buck)

Cook, Lorna J. Home Away from Home. 2005. (Fic Cook) - Emotionally unable to return to her house after the sudden death of her husband Anna Rainey seeks refuge in a number of friends’ homes, where she receives different kinds of support and advice before finding the courage to persevere with her own life.
Departures. 2004
Home Away from Home. 2005

Cowboy: A Love Story by Sara Davidson. Based on a true story of an improbable love affair between a Hollywood writer on the fast track and a barely literate cowboy. (Fic Davidson)

Sacrament of Lies by Elizabeth Dewberry. A complicated psychological mystery set in the cutthroat political area of New Orleans. The plot centers on the daughter of a man running for governor. His ambitions cause his distraught daughter to wonder if her mother’s death was really an accident. (Fic Dewberry)

The Fifth Season by Robert Downs. Sixty-year-old Teddy Neel must put his own life on hold while he struggles with the challenges of offering care and support to his aging parents. A heartfelt look at the often frustrating and painful dilemmas adult children face in becoming caregivers to their elderly parents. (Fic Downs)

His Mother’s Son by Cai Emmons. This is a story about a happily married woman whose husband and son have no idea she is hiding a terrible secret. (Fic Emmons)

The Monk Downstairs by Tim Farrington. A story involving a slow and sweet romance between a jaded and over worked graphic designer and a man, who, since leaving the monastery is working at the local McDonald’s unsure of what direction his life should take. (Fic Farrington)

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. In a small community in California five women and one man join together to discuss Jane Austen’s literary accomplishments. (Fic Fow)

Goldreich, Gloria. Walking Home. 2005 (Fic Goldreich) - Rochelle Weiss’s life is turned upside down when she learns both of her parents are dying of cancer. In an effort to care for them, she loses everything else but discovers much about herself and her values along the way. Other novels include:
Leah’s Journey. 1978
This Promised Land. 1982
This Burning Harvest. 1983
West to Eden. 1987
Mothers. 1989
Year of Dreams. 1992
That Year of Our War. 1994
Walking Home. 2005
Dinner With Anna Karenina. 2006

Gifts From the Sea by Jane Goodger. On Cape Cod, a woman watches the sea-and prays that her sailor husband, whom she refuses to believe is dead, will return to her. Instead, the mysterious captain of a whaling ship drifts ashore-and gives her the courage to live, and love, again. (Fic G)

The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy. A story of survival and loss in Africa told from the viewpoint of Mud, an elephant. (Fic Gowdy)

Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh. Taking place over the course of twenty-five years, the novel tells the tale of three women married in succession to the same man. (Fic Haigh)

Halpin, Brendan. Donorboy. 2004. (Fic Halpin) - Told in the form of instant messages and email, this is the story of a young adolescent girl who goes to live with her sperm donor father when her lesbian moms are killed in an auto accident.
It Takes a Worried Man. 2002
Losing My Faculties. 2003
Donorboy. 2004
Long Way Back. 2006

A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton. A neighbor’s child accidentally drowns while Alice Goodwin was watching her. The tragic event has devastating repercussions for the entire Goodwin family. (Fic Hamilton)

Harris, Marilyn. The Last Great Love. 1981. (Fic Harris) This is a story of a woman facing bypass surgery. A bit dated but still a good old fashioned read. She also did an Eden series which is now out of print.

A Widow for One Year by John Irving. Ruth Cole is a complex, often self-contradictory character, a difficult woman. The story is told in three parts, each focusing on a crucial time in her life. Richly comic, as well as deeply disturbing. (Fic Irving)

Jaskunas, Paul. Hidden. 2004. (Fic Jaskunas) - The story begins with Maggie being told that the ex-husband she once accused of assaulting her is innocent and will be released from prison. The news plunges her into recollections of her volatile marriage to Nate Duke, the ambitious heir to a real estate fortune.

Middle Passage by Charles Johnson. A newly freed slave escapes from marriage and financial debts by stowing away on a ship. To his shock, it’s a slave ship for Africa. (Winner of the National Book Award) (Fic Johnson)

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. This is a deeply moving family drama that covers the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, and the tangled ties between generations. The story goes from Calcutta to the family’s transformation to Americans. (Fic Lahiri)

Lazlo, Kate. Forever After. 1981 (Fic Lazlo) - A woman suffering from cancer falls deeply in love with her doctor.

Coming Back to Me by Caroline Leavitt. Gary and Molly find their marriage tested when the birth of their long awaited first baby Otis leaves Molly with a life threatening medical condition. (Fic Leavitt)

Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor. Andersonville was the Confederacy’s largest prison camp in Southwestern Georgia and although fiction, the story and characters are all too horrifyingly real. (Fic Kantor)

Madison, Susan. The Color of Hope. 2000. (Fic Madison) - Ruth Connelly, a hard working attorney and mother, is perpetually at odds with her 16-year-old daughter Josie. Her 20-year-old marriage is strained and not very happy. On a family vacation in Maine a sudden storm capsizes their small recreational boat and Josie disappears. Also writes under her real name, Susan Moody.
The Color of Hope. 2000
The Hour of Separation. 2002
Touching the Sky. 2003

Drowning People by Richard Mason. The novel opens with violinist, James Farrell, telling us he just murdered his wife of 40 years. By the end of the novel we learn the compelling reasons why he was driven to murder (Fic Mason)

The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch by Marsha Moyer. When her husband dies in a farm accident, Lucy becomes a widow at 33 years of age. Not quite sure what to do with her life, she returns home to her parent’s house. (Fic Moyer)

The Dive From Clausen’s Pier by Ann Packer. When a young man becomes a quadriplegic in a tragic diving accident, his long-time girlfriend is faced with a situation she never imagined. Her feelings of anger, regret, guilt, resentment and fear are all realistically detailed. (Fic Packer)

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. The author asks reader to consider the medical and ethical dilemma facing the family of a young girl (Fic Picoult)

The Chosen by Chaim Potok. A beautifully written book about the Jewish faith, fathers and sons, friendship, and following your dreams. (Fic Pot)

One True Thing by Anna Quindlen. While caring for her mother during her struggle with cancer, Ellen realizes some new insights about her mother, father, and herself. After her mother’s death, Ellen is distraught to find she is accused of mercy killing. (Fic Quindlen)

Oliver Wiswell by Kenneth Roberts. The American Revolution seen through the eyes of a young American whose first loyalties remained with the English. (Fic Roberts)

Rogan, Barbara. Suspicion. 1999. (Fic Rogan) - Mystery novelist Emma Roth has mixed feeling about her family’s move from New York City to an isolated country home. Once there the family learns the former owner is rumored to have killed her husband.
Changing States. 1982
Golani’s Angel. 1985
Cafe Nevo. 1987
Covenant. 1989
Saving Grace. 1991
A Heartbeat Away. 1993
Rowing in Eden. 1996
Suspicion. 1999
Hindsight. 2003

Memoirs of an Invisible Man by H.F. Saint. Forget the disappointing movie made from this book. A man caught in an explosion at a power plant discovers he is still alive but invisible. This causes him to face all sorts of dilemmas as he tries to cope in his old world. (Fic Saint)

Piece of Heaven by Barbara Samuel. A recovering alcoholic faces new challenges when her difficult and caustic teenage daughter comes to live with her. (Fic Samuel)

The Love Letter by Cathleen Schine. An anonymous love letter arrives addressed to Helen at her bookstore and sets in motion a romantic string of events. (Fic Schine)

Angels Crest by Leslie Schwartz. Ethan Denton leaves his sleeping, three-year-old son alone in his truck while he goes a few short steps to take a picture of a pair of deer. When he returns to his vehicle his son is missing. The community launches a search but it is too late. (Fic Schwartz )

The Last Time We Met by Anita Shreve. A man and a woman manage to sustain a deep and passionate relationship over the course of many years, even though they have only met three times (Fic Shreve)

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. A prosperous Iowa farmer decides to divide his farm among his daughters setting off a family crisis. (Fic Smiley)

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. In a small Mississippi town a young girl grows up haunted by the murder of her brother, who was found hanging from a tree in their yard when she was just a baby. She makes up her mind at age 12 to find his murderer and bring him to justice. (Fic Tartt)

Todd, Catherine. The Secret Lives of Second Wives. 2003. (Fic Todd) - What’s with these second wives? Faintly resembling Olivia Goldsmith’s The Second Wives Club, this novel is not quite as slapstick in its approach to the challenges and dilemmas of melding families.
Staying Cool. 1997
Making Waves. 1997
Exit Strategies. 2002
The Secret Lives of Second Wives. 2003

Exodus by Leon Uris. The fictional account of the formation of Palestine during the 1940s. (Fic Uris)

Good Grief by Lolly Winston - After the death of her husband, Sophie Stanton moves to Oregon, gets a job in a restaurant, and tries to help a troubled 13 year old girl. (Fic Win)

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. Plus size Cannie Shapiro copes with her life even though her mother comes out of the closet, and her father drops out of her world. But she has friends, her dog, and her job. Then things change. (Fic Weiner)

Wilson, Dolores. Big Hair and Flying Cows. 2005. (Fic Wilson) - Bertie Byrd lives in rural, small town Sweet Meadow, Georgia. Her best friend is laugh-out-loud funny. Her family owns an auto repair shop and her brothers drive her crazy. Bertie buys a house from an older man who had to move to a nursing home. The small town characters make the book.
Big Hair and Flying Cows. 2005
Little Big Heart. December, 2005

Second Hand by Michael Zadoorian. Richard runs a second hand junk store outside of Detroit. He meets Theresa who works at an animal shelter. As their relationship grows they discover some fundamental truths about each other and the real value of things in life. (Fic Zadoorian)

The following are some other nonfiction suggestions for great reads and lively discussions, or, just to enjoy reading a good book.

Raising a Reader: A Mother’s Tale of Desperation and Delight by Jennie Nash. Every parent who loves to read hopes to instill the same appreciation and joy in their offspring. Nash tells us how she did it. (028.55N)

Why is Everyone So Cranky: The Ten Trends that are Complicating Our Lives and What We Can Do About Them by C. Leslie Charles. Want to guess that one of the trends might include cell phones? (158C)

Moran, Victoria. Younger by the Day: 365 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Body and Revitalize Your Spirit. 2004. (158.1M) - Reminiscent of the best seller Simple Abundance that was published several years ago. In calendar format it offers 365 mini essays on how “older women” can live a more peaceful and satisfying life.
Get the Fat Out. 1994
Shelter for the Spirit. 1997
Love Yourself Thin. 1997
Creating a Charmed Life. 1999
My Yoga Journal. 2001
Body Confident. 2001
Lit from Within. 2001
Fit From Within. 2002
Younger by the Day. 2004

Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life by Thomas Moore. Former monk and renowned theologian offers his philosophy on leading our lives with dignity and great humanity. (158.1M)

Living Faith by Jimmy Carter. Our former President shares some of his religious beliefs. (248.4C)

Lamott, Annie. Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith. 2005 (291.4L) - “One of our culture’s most thought-provoking and important voices.”
Hard Laughter. 1980
Rosie. 1983
Joe Jones. 1985
All New People. 1989
Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year. 1993
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. 1994
Crooked Little Heart. 1997
Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith. 1999
Blue Shoe. 2002
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith. 2005

Culture Jam: How to Reduce America’s Suicidal Consumer Binge and Why We Must by Kalle Lasn. Interesting thoughts on our apparent inexhaustible need to keep up with the Joneses. (302.23L)

A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late Night Adventures in Sex and Romance by Jane Juska. A 67-year-old woman places a personal ad with surprising results. (305.26J)

Underhill, Paco. The Call of the Mall: The Geography of Shopping. 2004. (306.30973U) - An intelligent, funny, and shrewd explanation of the success of America’s shopping malls. An expert and pioneer on consumer behavior, Mr. Underhill calls him self a retail anthropologist.
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping. 2000
The Call of the Mall. 2004

Sontag, Sherry, Drew, Christopher, and Drew, Annette Lawrence. Blind Man's Bluff : The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage. 1998. (359.984 S) - This is a compelling book about the courage, ingenuity, and patriotism of America's underwater spies during the Cold War era including the disappearance of the U.S.S. Scorpion.

Red Zone: The Behind the Scenes Story of the San Francisco Dog Mauling by Aphrodite Jones. A truly strange and scary true crime tale. (364.1523J)

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson. The book draws the reader into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters. (364.1523 L)

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. If you like the HBO show, Six Feet Under, you’ll love this book. (611R)

How We Die: Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter by Sherman Nuland. A doctor gives us an inside look at what really happens to our bodies when we die. (616.078N)

The Wisdom of Menopause by Christine Northrup. “The change” is not simply a collection of physical problems to be fixed, but rather a revolution that brings the greatest opportunity for growth since adolescence. (618.175 N)

The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours by Marian Wright Edelman. A guide book to raising children based on traditional values. (649.1E)

Even the Stars Look Lonesome by Maya Angelou. These essays offer readers wisdom and insight as she shares some of her life experiences with her audience. (814.54A)

Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages that Shaped our Recent History by Kati Marton. A look at several presidential marriages and how they might have influenced our culture and history. (973.099M)

After: How America Confronted the September 11th Era by Steven Brill. Another view on how the events of September 11th forever changed our lifestyles. (973.931B)

The Birdhouse Chronicles: Surviving the Joys of Country Life by Cathleen Miller. A couple gives up life in the city for a rural homestead in central Pennslyvania. (974.853M)

The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger. A fascinating true adventure about a crew of fisherman who make a deadly decision while fishing off the coast of Massachusetts. (975.45J)

Laskin, David. The Children’s Blizzard. 2004. (978.02L)
On the afternoon of Jan 12, 1888, thousands of people including many children were caught on the prairies of Nebraska and Minnesota, when a huge blizzard occurred without any warning making visibility impossible. More than 500 people died, many of whom were within steps of shelter. Other “weather related” titles include:
Braving the Elements. 1996
Rains All the Time. 1997
The Children’s Blizzard. 2004

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. A memoir of bringing up his younger brother after his parents’ death. (Bio Eggers)

In Search of My Husband’s Mind by Winnie Hirsch. A personal and poignant love story about a woman struggling to find out why her husband’s personality and demeanor changed so dramatically after a hospitalization for cancer treatment. (Bio Hirsch

Terry: My Daughter’s Life and Death Struggle with Alcoholism by George McGovern. A father’s attempts to help his daughter battle a demon that proves stronger than either of them. (Bio McGovern)

Sleeping with Cats: A Memoir by Marge Piercy. In her introduction Piercy writes “Remembering is like one of those old-fashioned black-and-white tile floors: wherever I stand or sit the tiles converge upon me. So our pasts always seem to lead us directly to our present choices. We turn and make a pattern of the chaos of our lives so that we belong exactly where we are.” (Bio Piercy)

Ralston, Aron. Between a Rock and a Hard Place. 2004. (Bio Ralston) - This is the true story about the young man hiking in Utah who was pinned between the rocks and eventually decided to cut off his own arm to escape.
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Revised: August 21, 2009

 

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