Good Reads - Fiction

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MYSTERY/COTTERILL
Cotterill, Colin - The Coroner's Lunch - 2004, 257p.
Dr. Siri Paiboun is a little put out. After twenty years of fighting in the jungles of Laos, you'd think a 70-year-old man could retire. Unfortunately, Siri manages to ruffle the wrong feathers, and now the French-trained doctor finds himself "honored" with the official title of Coroner—the only coroner in Laos. So Dr. Siri, who's never performed an autopsy, and his quirky friends and colleagues find themselves solving cases with few resources and lots of intuition. This, first in a series, is a delightful story full of charming characters and exotic locations, and it is just right for those readers who enjoyed The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall-Smith. Terri W.

FICTION/DAVIES
Davies, Martin - The Conjurer's Bird - 2005, 384p.
Past and present intertwine as scientist "Fitz" Fitzgerald looks for the elusive Ulieta bird, the only one of its kind ever found, discovered on one of Captain Cook's expeditions, and stuffed and given to naturalist Joseph Banks in the late 1700s. The mounted specimen has been missing for years, and Fitz and his boarder Katya search for the bird (along with two competitors), uncovering a link between the bird and Banks' mistress. The search occupies the present, and the story of Banks and his mistress unfolds in the past. Rich with details of science and scientific expeditions, the well-drawn characters move the plot along in this satisfying pair of stories. Sue O'Brien

FICTION/DEMILLE
DeMille, Nelson - Night Fall - 2004, 488p.
Federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force detective John Corey accompanies his FBI agent wife, Kate Mayfield, to the memorial commemorating the fifth anniversary of the July 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 over Long Island. Kate was on the team that investigated Flight 800, but she was never fully convinced of the official finding that mechanical failure caused the 747 to explode. After attending the memorial, John decides to look into some details of the case on his own. When his superiors warn him to stay out of the investigation, their warnings only cause him to work more diligently. The true-to-life facts of Flight 800 make this fictional thriller even more compelling and give the reader a reason to think "what if." Marianne Trautvetter

FICTION / DOIG
Doig, Ivan - The Whistling Season - 2006, 345p.
In 1957, Paul Milliron, superintendent of schools, is charged with closing and consolidating Montana's scattered rural schools. As he travels the state to deliver the sad news, he replays memories of his childhood in rural Marias Coulee, one pivotal year in particular. It was a year of eighth grade bullies, front-to-back horse races, spit bath handshakes, spelling bees in a one-room schoolhouse, and the magical 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet. It was also the year Oliver Milliron, widowed father of three boys, saw the advertisement "Can't Cook, But Doesn't Bite" and hired Rose to keep house, setting the family on a course as predictable as the famous comet's. Doig is the quintessential Montana storyteller and wraps his affection for "Big Sky" country around this story of an idyllic childhood. Terri W.

FICTION/DOMINGUE
Domingue, Ronlyn - The Mercy of Thin Air: A Novel - 2005, 308p.
This unusual and haunting love story is narrated by Louisiana belle Raziela Nolan—a medical student who died tragically in 1929, but has remained suspended "between life and whatever comes next" ever since. From this unique vantage point, Razi enters the lives of a troubled, modern-day couple to whom she is oddly attracted following their purchase of an heirloom bookcase. The bookcase is somehow connected with the fate of Andrew O'Connell—the love of Razi's life—revealing secrets that have remained hidden for decades. Fans of The Time Traveler's Wife may wish to try this interesting debut novel. Debbie Deady

FICTION/ERICKSON
Erickson, Carolly - The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette - 2005, 341p.
In this historical fiction novel, Marie Antoinette's life is revealed through her diary. The diary starts with her childhood in Vienna and ends 24 years later on the eve of her execution. At age fourteen, she is sent to France to marry the heir to the throne, Louis XVI, forming a political alliance between Austria and France. Marie finds Louis to be shy, reclusive, and ill-suited to be the future king, yet she does her best to support him. The mix of history and fiction makes this a compelling read. Marianne Trautvetter

817/FEI
Feig, Paul - Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence - 2002, 278p.
Looking for a groan-inducing trip down memory lane? This laugh-out-loud collection of vignettes, by the creator of the cult hit TV show Freaks and Geeks, deserves your time. Imagine an elf costume created almost entirely from army surplus goods, a school bus route that renders each new driver mentally unbalanced, or the author dressing up as a girl for Halloween—at age ten! Feig's vivid accounts of his blunders through adolescence make the reader wish there were photographs included with each chapter. Nicole S.

FICTION/MCCARTHY
McCarthy, Cormac - No Country for Old Men - 2006, 309p.
This contemporary novel examines the New West through the introspective eyes of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, who ruminates over the societal changes he has witnessed during his decades-long career. While antelope hunting, young Llewelyn Moss stumbles across a stymied drug run and helps himself to an unguarded two million dollars. Moss is aggressively pursued across the rugged terrain of Southwest Texas and into Mexico by the law as well as a drug cartel and a paid assassin. Sheriff Bell's social commentary punctuates this action-oriented novel featuring well drawn-characters, explicit violence, and ultimately, a bleak appraisal of the forces he sees as shaping our culture. Suzy Miller

FICTION/PARKHURST
Parkhurst, Carolyn - Lost and Found - 2006, 292p.
Those who watch reality TV for a glimpse into the other people's lives will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at a fictional game show similar to The Amazing Race. Several pairs of participants (who all come to the show with more than one kind of baggage) vie to win the million dollar prize on a globe trotting scavenger hunt. The wide cast of appealing characters in this entertaining read all find a little more than they planned on about themselves, their companions, and the world around them. Pick this one up for its clever premise, believable relationships, and exotic settings. Heather Booth

FICTION/PERROTTA
Perrotta, Tom - Little Children - 2004, 355p.
In this smart and perceptive novel about the darker side of suburbia, readers meet a variety of characters wondering how their lives could have possibly turned out like they have. Sarah, an unhappily married stay-at-home mom, recalls her passionate relationship with pre-med student Amelia, when she was an undergraduate. Todd, the only stay-at-home dad at the playground, wonders how he can sidestep his wife's ambition for him to pass the bar exam. When Sarah and Todd meet, an unlikely and immediate attraction quickly turns into an intense affair. Other flaws in the neighborhood facade are soon revealed with the arrival of a registered sex offender living with his mother. Perrotta delivers a surprisingly quick read with just a hint of trepidation about how the book will end. Nicole S.

MYSTERY/ROBOTHAM
Robotham, Michael - Suspect - 2005, 360p.
Joseph O'Loughlin is a clinical psychologist who seems to have it all—a great career and perfect family. Then devastation hits when he is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and at the same time, he becomes involved in helping the police with the murder investigation of a former colleague. The police then uncover disturbing evidence linking Joe to the victim. When he refuses to reveal where he really was the night of the murder, the police become obsessed with proving Joe is the perpetrator of this heinous crime. Joe soon suspects one of his patients is the actual murderer; and he must prove it, before he loses his career, his family, and maybe even his life. This debut novel is a riveting psychological thriller with an explosive ending. Sheila Guenzer

FICTION/RUIZ ZAFON
Ruiz Zafon, Carlos - The Shadow of the Wind - 2004, 486p.
Daniel Sempere has no idea that the novel he discovers in the eerie Cemetery of Forgotten Books will alter the course of his life, entangling him in a mystery that is as dangerous as it is alluring. Someone is bent on destroying every book that has been written by the obscure Spanish author, Julian Carax; and Daniel, the son of a local bookseller, is determined to know why. What he ultimately finds is a tragic story of lost love and betrayal, set against the backdrop of political unrest in the streets of 1940s Barcelona. Debbie Deady

FICTION/STROUT
Strout, Elizabeth - Abide With Me - 2006, 294p.
In the late 1950s, newly ordained minister Tyler Caskey arrives to pastor a small flock of parishioners in West Annett, Maine. Tyler brings a steadfast certainty to his work which rests on "the Feeling" he can only describe as the Joy in knowing God. As members of his congregation grapple with processing historical events of that time (eg: Cuba, nuclear warheads, "the Russians," Sputnik, and bomb shelters), Tyler finds his center of gravity shaken by a more personal loss. The quest to regain his equilibrium; indeed to ask whether it is possible to find "the Feeling" again when life-events challenge one's worldview, becomes the focus of this multi-layered literary novel. Readers will enjoy the measured pace of this offering featuring well-drawn characters and attention to period detail. Suzy Miller

FICTION/TROLLOPE
Trollope, Joanna - Brother and Sister - 2004, 311p.
The subject of adoption is at the heart of this novel of families and their relationships. Nathalie and Daniel were raised by the same parents, but both were adopted from different birth mothers. Nathalie persuades Daniel to search for their real mothers—a journey which disrupts the lives of all involved. Nathalie's husband and Daniel's wife feel estranged from their spouses as they delve into their pasts. The cast of characters in this emotionally charged quest changes as each birth mother is discovered, and Nathalie and Daniel meet them. This story focuses on the complexities of issues within families. Sheila Guenzer

FICTION/WILSON
Wilson, Cintra - Colors Insulting to Nature - 2004, 350p.
A first novel by the snarky Salon.com entertainment columnist. Part coming-of-age novel, part pop-culture satire, we follow fame obsessed Liza Normal and an outlandish supporting cast of family and friends as she struggles to grasp the love and achieve the greatness she knows is her destiny. Readers will be rewarded by the story of this misfit despite her absurd behavior, delusions of grandeur, and drug-induced escapades, because everything about Liza comes straight from her odd little heart. For fans of David Sedaris' darkly comic take on family life, edgy contemporary authors, and those who aspired to attend the High School for the Performing Arts after watching Fame. Heather Booth

Prepared September 2007