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AT
A GLANCE
FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUGUST
- The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
When Laurel Estabrook is attacked while riding her bicycle through Vermont's back roads, her life is forever changed. Laurel withdraws, spending her free time at a homeless shelter, where she meets Bobbie Crocker, a man with a history of mental illness and a box of photographs that he won't let anyone see. When Bobbie dies, Laurel discovers a deeply hidden secret--a story that leads her far from her old life, and into a cat-and-mouse game with pursuers who claim they want to save her.
- Moral Disorder and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood's latest brilliant collection of short stories follows the life of a single character, seen as a girl growing up the 1930s, a young woman in the 50s and 60s, and, in the present day, half of a couple, no longer young, reflecting on the new state of the world. Each story focuses on the ways relationships transform a character's life: a woman's complex love for a married man, the grief upon the death of parents and the joy with the birth of children, the realization of what growing old with someone you love really means.
- Secondhand World by Katherine Min
Isadora Myung Hee Sohn--Isa--is the daughter of Korean-born parents, living in Upstate New York. When her young brother Stephen dies as a toddler, Isa's parents are consumed with grief. Prizing their dead son over their live daughter, they cease to see Isa as a whole person. But Isa refuses her role as a quiet victim of tradition, embarking on her own American coming-of-age and allowing her fury to grow into a terrible and violent act.
- The Translation of Dr. Apelles by David Treuer
Dr. Apelles, a translator of ancient texts, has made an unsettling discovery: a manuscript that has languished for years, written in a language that only he speaks. Moving back and forth between the scholar and his text, from a lone man to a labyrinthine archive to a pair of beautiful young Indian lovers, David Treuer weaves together two love stories. Enthralling and suspensful, The Translation of Dr. Apelles dares to redefine the Native American novel.
- Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
When a new highway threatens to bypass the town of Rossmore and cut through Whitethorn Woods, the whole town is beside themselves. Young Father Flynn is particularly concerned about St. Ann's Well, set at the edge of the woods and slated for destruction. These voices are brought vividly to life by Binchy's generous storytelling, ordinary people debating between the traditions of the past and the promises of the future.
- The Color of a Dog Running Away by Richard Gwyn
Lucas, a musician and translator, comes home one day to find a cryptic postcard on his doorstep. This postcard sets in motion a series of bizarre, seemingly interconnected events, leading Lucas and his girlfriend to be kidnapped by a religious cult with ancient roots. Seeking guidance from a fire-eater, a band of roof-dwellers, and his deeply skeptical friends, Lucas must figure out who to believe--or who can believe him.
- Delirium by Laura Restrepo
In this remarkable novel, Restrepo delves into the minds of four characters: Aguilar, a husband determined to rescue his wife from insanity; Augustina, a beautiful woman caught in the throes of madness; Midas, Augustina's former lover and a drug trafficker; and Nicolas, Augustina's grandfather. Through these voices, Restrepo creates a searing portrait of a society battered by war and corruption.
- A Far Country by Daniel Mason
Fourteen-year-old Isabel was born in a remote village with the curse of "seeing farther." When drought and war grip the backlands, her brother Isias joins a great exodus to a southern city. Soon Isabel must follow on the difficult journey, her sole consolation the thought of being with her brother again. Vividly depicted and told with astonishing empathy, the story of Isabel's quest is a universal tale about the bonds of family, longing, survival, and true heroism.
- The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
In the eighth installment in the universally beloved, internationally bestselling No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, Mma Ramotswe finds herself with personnel problems. Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni wants to be put in charge of a case, and Mma Makutsi is considering leaving the agency. Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe is asked to investigate a series of unexpected deaths at the hospital in Mochudi. This lovely return to Botswana is sure to please Alexander McCall Smith's loyal fans.
- Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks
A fateful seaside meeting between two young men--one French, one English--sets the pair on a profound course of friendship and discovery in the field of psychiatry. When a female patient at the doctors' Austrian sanitorium becomes dangerously ill, the two men posit conflicting diagnoses. Their separate quests to solve this medical puzzle threaten to divide them--and undermine all of their professional acheivements.
- Mysteries of the Middle Ages by Thomas Cahill
From the bestselling author of How the Irish Saved Civilization, the fifth book in the Hinges of History series is a fascinating look at how medieval thinkers created the origins of modern intellectual movements. From the Florence of Dante and Giotto to the hotbed of scientific study at Oxford, acclaimed historian Thomas Cahill captures the spirit of experimentation, pageantry, and the passionate pursuit of knowledge that built the foundations for the modern world.
- April in Paris by Michael Wallner
Roth is a young soldier in the SS, a fluent French translator who works as an interpreter during the interrogation of Resistance fighters. While off-duty, he slips away from his fellow officers and roams Paris disguised as his alter ego, "Antoine." One day he is drawn into an antiquarian bookshop, where he becomes enchanted by the bookseller's beautiful daughter, Chantal. The two fall in love before Roth can reveal his identity--and before Roth discovers that Chantal is a member of the Resistance.
- Firewife by Tinling Choong
Fledgling photographer Nin embarks on a journey to take pictures of women around the world, a journey that becomes a search for the truth about women. At each stopping place, she uncovers the tale of a woman who has been marginalized by her sexuality, each woman echoing a stage in Nin's own journey to find her true "fire self." Poetic and moving, Firewife is an exploration of contemporary Asian women unknowingly connected over time.
- A Handbook to Luck by Cristina García
It's the late 1960s and three teenagers are making their way in the world: Enrique Florit, from Cuba, living in southern California with his flamboyant magician father; Marta Claros, getting by in the slums of San Salvador; and Leia Rezvani, a well-to-do surgeon's daughter in Tehran. We follow them as they flee disappointments, war, and love, as their lives and paths intersect.
- I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
With her disarming, intimate, completely accessible voice and dry sense of humor, Nora Ephron shares with us her ups and downs in I Feel Bad About My Neck. The book is a candid, hilarious look at woman who are getting older and dealing with the tribulations of maintenance, menopause, empty nests, and life itself. Utterly courageous and uproariously funny, this is an irresistible treat of a book full of truths and laugh-out-loud moments.
- The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander
In the heart of Argentina during the "Dirty War," Kaddish Poznan struggles with a sun who won't accept him; strives for a wife who forever saves him; and spends his nights protecting the good name of a community that denies his existence. When the nightmare of the disappeared children brings the Poznan family to its knees, they are thrust into the unyielding corridors of the Ministry of Special Cases, a terrifying refuge of last resort.
- The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay
Eighteen years old and completely alone, Rosemary arrives in New York from Tasmania with little other than her love of books and an eagerness to explore the city. Taking a job at a vast, chaotic emporium of used and rare books called the Arcade, she knows she has found a home. But when Rosemary reads a letter from someone seeking to "place" a lost manuscript by Herman Melville, the bookstore erupts with simmering ambitions and rivalries.
- Still Life With Husband by Lauren Fox
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Emily Ross is thirty years old and has been married for five of those years to sweet, dull Kevin, who wants to move to the suburbs and have children. The only problem is Emily doesn't feel ready. Then she meets David Keller, a writer whose dark eyes and shy smile set her pulse racing. The events that follow--love, lust, disaster, heartbreak--are narrated with humor, warmth, and a clear-eyed view of human imperfection.
- Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Set in the Hollywood Hills in the days following the 2003 Academy Awards, Ten Days in the Hills follows a diverse cast of characters as they unwind in the house of Max and Elena, two members of Hollywood's elite. Soon, their home becomes sanctuary for a whole group of friends and neighbors, eager to dissect the latest news, gossip, and secrets of the industry. Over the next ten days, old lovers collide, new relationships form, and sparks fly, all with Smiley's signature sparkling wit and characterization.
- To My Dearest Friends by Patricia Volk
Alice, the proprietor of a chic Madison Avenue resale shop, and Nanny, a Carnegie Hill real-estate broker, have never met before, but they have one thing in common: their best friend Roberta, who has just died of cancer. Roberta has trusted them with her last request--that together they open her safe-deposit box. What they discover inside compels two very different women to address a surprising truth about their dearest friend.
- You Don't Love Me Yet by Jonathan Lethem
Lucinda Hoekke's day job at the Complaint Line is about as exciting as listening to dead air. Her real passion is playing bass in her forever struggling, forever unnamed band. But recently, a frequent caller to the line--dubbed "The Complainer"--has captivated her with his staccato philosophical musings. When Lucinda's band begins to incorporate his words into their song lyrics, they finally get some attention. There's just one problem: the Complainer wants in on their success.
- Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
If Ridley Jones had slept ten more minutes, she might still be living the beautiful lie she used to call her life. Instead, a chain of events ensue that brings a mysterious package to her door--a package which informs her that her entire world is a lie. Suddenly forced to question everything she knows about herself and her family, Ridley feels as if everyone in her life is a stranger.
- The Big Girls by Susanna Moore
Helen is an inmate at Sloatsburg women's prison serving a life sentence for the murder of her children. Dr. Louise Forrest, the recently divorced mother of an eight-year-old boy, is the new chief of psychiatry at Sloatsburg. Angie is an ambitious Hollywood starlet, intent on nothing but fame. Ike Bradshaw is a sardonic corrections officer who is powerfully attracted to Dr. Forrest. The Big Girls draws these four characters together in a story of shocking and disturbing revelations.
- Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
In the 1970s in Northern California a father and his teenage daughters, Anna and Claire, work their farm with the help of Coop, an enigmatic young man who makes their home with him. The makeshift family is shattered by an incident of violence that sets fire to the rest of their lives. As the narrative shifts from time to place, we discover each of the characters trying to find some foothold in a present shadowed by the past.
- New England White by Stephen L. Carter
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
University president Lemaster Carlyle and his wife, Julia, deputy dean of the divinity school, are the most powerful African American couple in the country. Driving home as a blizzard swirls through Elm Harbor, the two skid off the road and discover a dead body. To her horror, Julia recognizes the body as a prominent African-American academic and one of her former lovers. As she struggles to uncover the truth, the town's icy veneer cracks, with devastating consequences that resonate all the way to the White House.
- The Pesthouse by Jim Crace
Once the safest, most prosperous place on earth, the United States has become sparsely populated and chaotically unstable. Across the country, families have traveled eastward toward the one hope left: passage on a ship bound for Europe. As Franklin Lopez makes his way, he finds Margaret, a sick woman left to die in isolation. Confronted by bandits, finding refuge in a bizarre religious community, Franklin and Margaret find their wariness replaced by trust and intimacy neither has experienced before.
- The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown
On her tenth birthday Alice meets two visitors to her quiet Vermont town: Theo, the African American grandson of her father's best friend, and Kenneth, an artist with AIDS who has returned home to convalesce. Theo forms an instant bond with Alice that will change both and challenge everyone around them. The pair in turn befriend Kenneth, but their good intentions lead to surprising consequences.
- The Sirens of Baghdad Yasmina Khadra
A young Iraqi student, home from college, sees American soldiers leave a trail of humiliation and grief in his small village. Bent on revenge, he flies to the chaotic streets of Baghdad where the insurgents soon realize they can make use of his anger. Eventually he is groomed for a secret terrorist mission meant to dwarf September 11th--only to find himself struggling with moral qualms.
- Black & White by Dani Shapiro
Clara Brodeur has spent her entire adult life pulling herself away from her famous mother, the renowned and controversial photographer Ruth Dunne, whose towering reputation rests on the unsettling nude portraits she took of her young daughter. Clara has fled the scrutiny of art-world fame for a the obscurity of small-town Maine and is now married with a young daughter of her own. When Ruth Dunne summons Clara to her deathbed, the two worlds Clara so desperately hopes to keep apart must collide.
- A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo
Zhuang has come to London to study English, but soon finds herself trapped in a cycle of cultural gaffes and grammatical mishaps, adrift in a strange world. Then she meets an Englishman who changes everything, leading her with a smile into the world of self-discovery. She soon realizes that, in the West, "love" does not always mean the same things as it does in China, and that you can learn all thet words in the English language and still not understand your lover.
- On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
In 1962, Florence and Edward celebrate their wedding night in a quiet hotel room on the Dorset coast. As they dine, the expectation of their marital duties looms over them. For Florence, the prospect of intimacy elicits a deep anxiety, while Edwards envisions the wedding bed with excitement and a private fear of failure. Unbeknownst to both, the decisions they make this night will resonate throughout their lives.
- Consumption by Kevin Patterson
Born in the 1950s, Victoria knows nothing but the nomadic life of the Inuit until, at age ten, she is sent to a sanitarium to recover from tuberculosis. Six years later, she returns to a radically different world, a stranger to her family and culture. She marries a non-Inuit, and her children gravitate towards mainland pop culture while her husband exploits the economic opportunities that the Arctic offers. Victoria is torn between her family and her ancestors, between the communal life of the North and the material life of the South.
- The Exception by Christian Jungersen
Four women work together for a small nonprofit in Copenhagen that disseminates information on genocide. When two of them receive death threats, they immediate believe they are being stalked by Mirko Zigic, the Serbian torturer and war criminal they have recently profiled. Yet as tensions mount among the women, their suspicions turn away from Zigic and toward each other.
- Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Dana Clarke has married a man she adores, whose august family can trace its heritage back to The Mayflower, and is about to give birth to her first child. When the little girl is born, no one can help noticing the African American traits in her appearance. Dana's husband expresses concern about what other people may think, and she knows very little about her own father--could the traits have come from her, or is it possible that Dana has had an affair?
- Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician by Daniel Wallace
Henry Walker was once a world-class magician. Now he has been reduced to joining Musgrove's Chinese Circus, as their shambling Negro Magician. One balmy Mississippi night in 1954, Henry disappears in the company of three rowdy white teens and is never seen again. Wallace pieces together Henry's incredible life--from a deal with a bone-white devil known only as Mr. Sebastian to the heartrending loss of his sister Hannah--and creates an enchanting tale of love, loss, identity, and the limitations of magic.
- My Ears Are Bent by Joseph Mitchell
Mitchell wrote for New York's World Telegram
from 1930 to 1938, and nearly 400,000 people read his columns daily. First published in 1938, My Ears Are Bent captures the best of Mitchell's pre-New Yorker writing. In writing about evangelists, voodoo conjurers, burlesque performers, and even a seller of racing cockroaches, Mitchell had an extraordinary gift for attracting strange characters and then beautifully articulating their stories.
- Up in The Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell
In his classic reportage for The New Yorker and in his four books--McSorley's Wonderful Saloon, Old Mr. Flood, The Bottom of the Harbor, and Joe Gould's Secret, all included in this one volume--Joseph Mitchell explored a now-vanished New York City and brought to life some of its more unusual citizens. A master of observation and deeply empathetic, Mitchell was a genius at illuminating the extraordinary in everyday New Yorkers.
- The Water's Lovely by Ruth Rendell
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Nine years ago, Ismay and Heather's stepfather was found dead in the bathtub. The police concluded the drowning was an accident, but Ismay has always suspected that Heather might have had something to do with it. When Heather becomes seriously involved with a man for the first time, Ismay's long-repressed memories can no longer be ignored. With painful inevitability, Ismay learns that she's not able to keep the dark truth hidden forever.
- The Great Man by Kate Christensen
Oscar Feldman, the renowned figurative painter, has passed away. As the famous artist's obituary notes, Oscar is survived by his wife, Abigail, their son, Ethan, and his sister, the well-known abstract painter Maxine Feldman. What the obituary does not note is that Oscar is also survived by his longtime mistress, Teddy St. Cloud and their daughters. As two biographers interview the women in an attempt to set the record straight about Oscar's life, the open secret of his affair reaches a boiling point.
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