The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

This book kept me turing the pages. On a stormy winter's night, a doctor's wife gives birth to twins - one healthy and one with Downs. She is so disoriented by the delivery that her husband is able to give the Downs baby to the nurse to take away to an orphanage. He tells his wife that the baby boy survived, but the girl died. The nurse, unable to leave the girl at the rundown facility, takes it to another town to raise as her own. And as the years pass - - - The premise may be predictable but the plot is not. I enjoyed this into the wee hours of the night.

The Ride of Our Lives by Mike Leonard

Mike Leonard of the Today show documents his cross country RV trip with his aging parents and grown children. This hilarious, touching book reminds readers what it means to be part of a family. The book comes with a DVD of Today show segments that shared the Leonard family vacation with the nation.

LIteracy and Longing in L.A. by Jennifer Mack and Karen Kaufman

I had read a couple of reviews of this book which made me believe this was a book for me. Full of literary references and quotes from famous authors, it is still just a chick book about a down and out, lovelorn L.A. lady who goes on book binges when she gets depressed, taking books and wine and candles into the bathroom for a soak in the tub. The book has a website that recommends it as a great book for book club discussions. I think our bookclub will pass on this one.

As Simple as Snow by Gregory Calloway

One of my students brought this book over for me to read. It is "young adult" in subject matter, and won a 2006 Alex award for adult literature that appeals to teens. The book is narrated by a high school boy who falls in love with the mysterious new girl in town, Anastasia. She introduces him to Kerouac and Houdini and coded communication. To say anything more would spoil it, but it is the first book in a long while to remind my of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I will be recommending this one to my students next year. Check out the website for the book at www.assimpleassnow.com

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

This is a lovely book and my favorite of the summer so far. Gruen did research on Depression era travelling circuses by looking at collections of photographs from the day. Her story, narrated by 90 year old Jacob Jankowski, recalls the struggles and disasters often associated with travelling circuses. The elephant, Rosie, is a character in and of herself. I couldn't put this book down.

And the Word Was by Bruce Bauman

This novel is set in New York City and India. The main character, Neil Downs, is a physician who is on call when his son's body is brought into the hospital following an act of school violence. The outcome of the incident changes Downs forever and sends him on a search for life's purpose in New Dehli, where he takes a job as embassy physician. I especially liked the passages about the teachings of Levi Furstenblum, a Holocaust survivor and writer whose philosophy Bauman fabricates in such a way I found myself wondering whether Furstenblum wasn't some real person I had never heard of. This book is about race, inequality and the time it takes to mend damaged lives. I really enjoyed it.

The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead

The main characters in this novel are elevator inspectors that can be divided into two schools of thought - the Empiricists and the Intuitionists. The plot revolves around whether Lila Mae Watson, the first black female inspector, was set up to take the fall for an elevator that crashed after she had signed off on it. Politics, race and kooky elevator physics make this an interesting read.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

I started reading this book last summer and put it aside. This time I really enjoyed the mystery that unfolds through the pages of Murakami's novel. Kafka Tamura is a teenage runaway who randomly chooses to hideout in the one town which will connect him to his past. The chapters detailing Kafka's journey are alternated with chapters detailing the parallel story of Nakata, a simpleminded war veteran who communicates with cats and commits a serious crime that links him to Kafka. Confusing - yes! But the ending is very unique and makes the read worthwhile.

Adverbs by Dan Handler

This book is FUN to read. Handler is best known for his Lemony Snicket series, but this book of interrelated love stories uses adverbs as chapter titles. The composition, as a whole, is more like a work of jazz - variations and repetitions of words and phrases. It is a playground for a reader looking for a romp.

Girly by Elizabeth Merrick

This book took me a while to get through, but I'm glad that a read it. Racinda Hart, the main character, is an adolescent girl trying to find her own voice through first encounters with cultlike religion, sexuality, drugs and alcohol and generations of dysfuctional family life. Merrick is someone to watch. You can learn more about her mission as a writer from her website www.elizabethmerrick.com. Check it out.

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Chima

This is a great book for young adults and even adults looking for a page turner of the "Harry Potter" variety. My praise for this fantasy novel is particularly high because the author, Cinda Chima, is the parent of two great boys who have been AP English students of mine. Cinda came in to talk to my students this month about the process of writing a novel, finding a publisher and even finding the right cover art. This book is set in a fictional town modeled on Oberlin Ohio and she showed slides of some of the location that were inspirational to her. The greatest thing I can say about this book is that the sequel is on the way next fall. You will want to read more of this talented author's work!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This book is amazing!!! I read almost all of it on Easter Sunday and finished with tears in my eyes for the last 25 pages. The narrator of this story is death, but the protagonist is a child who steals books from Nazi book burnings. Her voice and heart-breaking story is so endearing. Zusak's book has been marketed to young adults in some countries, but was released as an adult novel in the United States. It reminded me a lot of Jonathan Safron Foer's style, especially with the graphic sections and switches in point of view. I highly recommend this amazing book. You will not be able to put it down.

The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

Another classic I have long overlooked. This one shows up on the AP test frequently enough that I decided to check it out - especially because I have had students who said it was their favorite book. What a great story. I loved all of the ideas about beauty and art and recognized many often quoted lines of Wilde's. I am so glad I took the time to read this book.

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Here is a classic that I never got around to reading. Although I knew the general plot, I found Flaubert's descriptive style engaging and enjoyed reading Emma's story.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth GIlbert

This book is a gem. Gilbert worked her way through the sadness of divorce by traveling to Italy, India and Indonesia. I was interested in her experiences practicing yoga at an ashram in India and her lush descriptions of the Indonesian countryside. Her book, which is divided into 108 section to represent the 108 beads of the japa mala , is a celebration of eating, meditation, friendship and love.

So Long See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell

Our book club selection this month was this slim novel by William Maxwell. I had read A Folded Leaf by Maxwell a bunch of years ago, and I don't remember much about it. This novel opens with the murder of a farmer that is narrated by a young boy who is a neighbor. Clearly a post-modern novel, the point of view shifts several times to present the events leading up to the murder and the years afterward. I enjoyed the style, although the characters are sometimes hard to keep straight through the shifting perspectives, which even include the point of view of the farm dog.

The Female of the Species by Joyce Carol Oates

I read a few of the stories in this new short story collection by Joyce Carol Oates. Disturbing - as usual. One particular story, "Doll: A Romance of the Mississippi" about a child prostitute reminded me of Southern Gothic stories. I'm still trying to be faithful to Oates and bring home every new book.

I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson

I dismissed this book when it first showed up in huge displays at the bookstore with a choice of pastel cover colors. I thought it looked too "chick lit" for my tastes. But after reading Marjorie Williams' essay in The Woman at the Washington Zoo, I got it from audible.com and have been listening to it while I run and laughing out loud. First the reader has a great British accent that brings the flighty character of Kate Redding to life. Secondly, Kate has two children whose names are Benjamin and Emily - the same as the names of my two children. This novel is fun, fun, fun and plenty close to home for any working mother who has tried to do it all.

The Woman at the Washington Zoo by Marjorie Williams

David brought home this lovely book of essays by the late Marjorie Williams, a correspondent for the Washington Post who died of cancer last year. These essays cover a range of topics from politics to motherhood. One of my favorite was a satiric piece about Real Simple magazine. She also had a great essay about the novel I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson. It was so funny, it inspired me to go out the get the book.
There is a wonderful website for the book -
The Woman at the Washington Zoo
I have recommended it to journalism teachers and mothers who like to read.

Are Men Necessary by Maureen Dowd

Honestly, I am reading bits and pieces of this book. Dowd's satiric edge is pretty sharp, but I am finding myself frustrated by all of the references to pop culture that she uses to talk about men. Like name dropping movies that I have not seen. It is more "Cosmopolitan" than "Harpers" in its treatment of the battle of the sexes. Very entertaining, but I am glad it is a library book.

The Best People in the World by Justin Tussing

I ran out and got this book as soon as it came out, not because it was excerpted in the New Yorker last summer. Not because it was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review two weeks ago. Not because Tussing is a product of the Iowa Writer's Workshop. But because it was recommended to me by my former student, Tussing's friend and fellow writer, Salvatore Scibona, whose name appears in the acknowledgements. I was intrigued by the story of a high school boy falling in love with his teacher. But I was more intrigued with the character of Shiloh Tanager, the derelict who becomes the third wanderer in the group when the boy and his teacher leave Kentucky for the bliss of an abandoned house in Vermont. Their roadtrip turns into a journey to self-discovery. I loved Tussing's narrative voice, but I was a little confused by the conversations between two nameless men which begin each section of the novel. This is a book I can't wait to recommend to all of my reading friends.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

When I first started reading this book, I walked around wondering why everyone wasn't talking about it. I loved the characters, the expose of liberal arts college campuses, the irony. I didn't make it all the way through White Teeth when I tried reading it a few years back, but I couldn't put On Beauty down. Then, somewhere in the middle of the book I lost interest. The characters didn't seem as real to me. The plot got slow. I kept at it and the end was awesome. Once again, I am walking around wondering who everyone isn't talking about this great novel.

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

Of course I was waiting for this book to come out. I read both of McCourt's other installments of his memoir, and my husband, David, and I heard him speak at an NCTE conference a few years back, so I heard every page in his own voice. His stories of teaching are typical and yet so colorful because of his flair for storytelling. I thought the book became repetitve in the middle, but the end is just lovely. A true commentary on the blessings of the writing life. And the last page, like the las page of Angela's Ashes, brings a smile of joy.

The Photograph by Penelope Lively

I have wanted to read a Penelope Lively novel for a while now. After picking up her new "anti-memoir" Making It Up and browsing it, I decided I should read one of her novels first. Since The Photograph has gotten so much popular praise I chose it and I read it in two evenings. What a great experiment in various points of view. The plot begins when a researcher finds an old photograph of his wife, now deceased, and her sister's husband. He suspects there was a relationship in the past and decides the research his wife's past. His investigation causes a chain reaction of hurt feelings and misunderstandings, each narrated by a different person involved in some portion of the story. I loved it.

The Doctor's Wife by Elizabeth Brundage

I'll be honest. I am a sucker for books written by graduates of the Iowa Writer's Worshop - just to keep up with the new names. Brundage does not seem worthy of her connection to the workshop. This psychological thriller about an assassination attempt on an abortion clinic doctor seemed more like Stephen King's Misery than a literary novel. In the end, it is just another novel about adultery, crazy artists and college professors who have more time to meet in motel rooms than they seem to spend in the classroom. It is a thin novel - but I could see it being turned into a pretty exciting movie.