The Bat by Jo Nesbo

 

So I couldn't help myself and thought I'd start at the beginning, with the first Harry Hole mystery. Getting to see the inspector as a young pup just starting out and beginning his good-natured self-destruction was very fun and dark at the same time, and the premise of this one was every bit as intriguing as The Snowman.

In The Bat, Harry travels to Australia after the movie of a celebrity from Norway is killed. He befriends his "partner" in the police department and learns about the lives and prejudices regarding modern Aboriginals. He also becomes romantically involved with a witness, which adds some spice to Harry's character. Will these relationships get in the way of the investigation? 

This first novel, while a little less polished perhaps than Nesbo's The Snowman, was nonetheless completely readable and unpredictable, and we can really see why everyone fell in love with Harry Hole. Give this series a try!

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

The Valley Book Club chose this Norwegian thriller for its discussion in February, and I was so glad. I had always wanted to read one by this very popular author, and I was not disappointed. It was filled with suspense, cool characters (no pun intended), and a little gore thrown in for good measure. Love it!

Inspector Harry Hole is known for his stellar insights and knowledge of serial killers. (Note that this is the 7th Harry Hole mystery by Nesbo, but don't let that deter you from reading anywhere on the list. It was my first and didn't bother me a bit that I hadn't read others.)This new case began with a little boy discovering that his mother was not at home, and she had left without her pink scarf, an item she cherished. When police find the scarf wrapped around a snowman in the back yard, they discover the gruesome truth, and this calling card leads them to other murders. The last of which gets very personal for Harry.

If you like creepy, dark, and spell-binding, then Jo Nesbo and The Snowman are for you. You may want to go back and read all the Harry Hole mysteries. I know I do.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant is the 3rd and final book in Roth's brilliant, dystopian Divergent series. Divergent fans like me have been waiting what seems like a lifetime for this installment, and although the ending had me almost crying and gasping for air, it did not disappoint.

The post-apocalyptic world in which Tris and Tobias must now live is one divided between the divided Chicago that they knew, where groups or factions were determined by one personality trait, and one they never knew existed. Those who showed proclivity for more than one trait were considered "divergent" and therefore dangerous - that is until now. Tris and Tobias find out that there is whole other world where the government watches the city, researching their lives as part of a huge "experiment" to see if people with "damaged genes" can eventually get back to their genetically ideal or divergent state. Divergence is the only good state to be in, according to this government which wants to abolish the factions altogether. While this seems liberating and just to Tris and Tobias and their rebel friends at first, the means by which genetic purity will be obtained is not so liberating. The labels for people are changed, but the outcomes and civil strife that result are just as damaging as the "experiment."

This is the complicated moral landscape that the characters in Roth's world must navigate. Real-life societal issues come into play when one talks about genetic purity, cleansing, war, and human experimentation. When does the end justify the means, etc.? All of this fascinating stuff is wrapped up in a band of very interesting young characters, Tris and Tobias's love story, and their ongoing family battles over power, love, and acceptance.

The intoxicating combination of these elements is what makes this series one of today's hottest tickets, soon to be a ticket at theaters everywhere. So before the first movie comes out in March, do yourself a favor and get lost in the Divergent world. Read the books. You won't be able to put them down until they're done.

The Power by Rhonda Byrne

When I first heard about the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, I thought to myself, "Oh, my gosh. Another dumb self help book full of fake spirituality." Obviously I wasn't ready for it. Then there came a time when I was. I read The Secret with an open heart - a heart that wanted to change my life for the better. And it helped me do just that. This new book in the series, The Power, is a wonderful extension of the teachings of the "law of attraction" which is now a law I try to live by every day.

When you say the term "law of attraction" to people, they immediately think of romance. But that is really not what the law is about at all. It is, simply put, a way to become a happier person by concentrating and visualizing, using positive thought as a means to draw more positive aspects into your life. If your life is full of negativity, people complaining, adversity, illness, or other struggles, then learning the law of attraction is for you. This book helped to reiterate all the practices and also gave them a deeper and more usable meaning in my life. It teaches that by visualizing and living as though your perfect life has already happened to you, those things can come into being. If you are a positive person, positive people, opportunities, and even wealth and properity will come to you.

So, some of you might say that these ideas are still "dumb self-help mumbo jumbo" but unless you try it, you won't see what it can do for you.If you can't do it, or it doesn't work, what have you lost?

Champion by Marie Lu

This third and final book in Lu's Legend series was much anticipated, and I couldn't wait to start it. I was not disappointed in this YA dystopian thriller which contains romance, sci-fi, and lots of twists.

June and Day are estranged at the beginning of the novel, each struggling to make sense of a new government with new military forces. Day tries to adjust to life with his younger brother who now suffers from the left-over symptoms of the plague. June adjusts to her power and influence as the Princepts-Elect, a high ranking military position. They long to be together, but it doesn't seem possible until new horrors in the government threaten them both, and June must ask Day to make a huge sacrifice in order to save their country.

While there are a lot of dystopian novels and series out there right now, Legend is still one of the most exciting. The books got better with each installment, ending with this one, which I think was my favorite. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Take a woman who literally changes her name to "Strayed" after her divorce and put her on the Pacific Crest Trail - by herself- and see what happens. This is the experiment that the author puts herself through in this unique memoir about the quest for truth, personal understanding, and perseverance.

 When I first heard the premise behind this book, I thought it was extremely fascinating. It almost sounded like something I could do. It almost sounded fun. And then I read the book. The journey that Strayed undertakes is not something I could ever do. It did not sound fun. But what it was to Strayed was a life-changing experience where she learned a lot about herself, other people, and nature. She literally gives up all her worldly possessions except for those in a huge pack on her back. She has so little money, that she sends it to herself in boxes along the trail, $20 at a time, so that she can buy certain necessities, like Snapple and hamburgers.This is not something I could do. But it is something I can learn from.

However, it is Strayed's feet that give her the most trouble on this journey. They betray her at every turn, becoming sore and bleeding, until at many points she has to delay her trek just to give them time to heal. But this battle with her feet is, indeed, the most horrifying part of her journey. And that is what I found most amazing.The people along the trail never disappointed her (well, ok, only once). They were friendly, supportive, and positive, including her and making her part of a strung out family of hikers all doing the same thing for different reasons. No one tried to rob her or kill her or harm her in any way. Nature was her cruelest enemy, and that was a very big, and wonderful surprise to me.

While Strayed was too young to be called "middle aged" in the book, her journey is one that screams "mid-life crisis" or "flower child trying to find herself." But it worked for her. The demons that haunted her throughout life, making her seem like a narcissistic flake to some of our book club readers, came to the surface and hiked along with her. And while she may not have gained closure in all aspects of her life (I mean, that would be pretty difficult for most of us to achieve), the journey gave her a kind of peace that allowed her to move on. And isn't that what we all want to do? So, give Strayed's story a try. You might just find yourself in the pages.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

 

 

I was a little leery of starting a book about flowers. I am not a gardener. I love flowers, but I do not love taking care of them. But this book happens to be about much more than flowers or gardening. It's about the love of flowers, beauty, words, children, and life itself.

 

Victoria Jones was raised in foster homes. Some bad, some OK, and one very good. It is in her brief stay with one motherless mother-figure who teaches her the names and "meanings" of all the flowers that Victoria is able to blossom herself. But the rest of her life is so filled with hurt and tragedy and isolation, that when she is finally emancipated from the social system, she is at a loss of what to do with her life. But then she comes across a florist and her shop. The florist gives her a job arranging bouquets and delivering to weddings, but it is Victoria's knowledge of just what the flowers mean that people are searching for, longing for. The boy from Victoria's past is also longing for her, and as they reconnect, we discover how different people are but how there is, indeed, love in the world for everyone.

 

There is a dictionary of flower meanings in the back of this book that I will treasure forever. What a wonderful language to share with others about how you're feeling and how you're feeling about them. I'll never forget this powerful, beautiful book. Give it a try and let me know which flowers speak to you.

 

 

We're starting off the Valley Book Club this year with this wildly popular legal drama/mystery by William Landay. The characters and situation are very unique, and they really made me think about how far we should go to protect our children, how deeply we can NOT know someone close to us, and how terrible things can, indeed, happen to good people.

 

First, there is a murder victim, a teenaged boy, found in a park. Then there is a DA who tries to approach and solve the case as he would any other, despite the fact that he has a son at the same school as the victim. Next comes the realization by the DA that his son was actually being bullied by the victim. This is followed by a lot of Facebook stalking by the DA, some damning evidence,  and a trial that tears apart their family and the community.

 

Finally, this is the part where you come to the library and pick up this fascinating book and read it for yourself. And better yet, come to the Valley Book Club's discussion on Sept. 5th.  We'd love to hear your insights!

The English Girl by Daniel Silva

 

 

So, I don't usually read too many series that are this long with the same characters. But Gabriel Allon and his cast of black ops spies are just too irresistible. While all series of this kind get a bit formulaic, Silva always manages to entertain me and leave me wanting just one more book.

 

The English Girl is the story of a kidnapping, a murder, some unrelenting memories, and the skilled team behind Gabriel Allon, Israeli spy, that bring them all together. Is the English girl gone for good? Has Gabriel lost? Will he ever become the chief of intelligence for  The Office? All burning questions. All revealed when you read this exciting new thriller by the master that is Silva. Enjoy!



May We Be Forgiven by A.M. Homes

I had no expectations when I started this book, other than I knew that the author won the Women's Prize for fiction. I just learned that she also went to the Iowa Writer's Workshop. No big surprise. Because this is one of the best, funniest, most though-provoking novels that's come along in a long time.

It starts with an ordinary guy named Harold. A nice, married, educated, normal guy. He has an extraordinary brother. Extraordinarily obnoxious, mean, crass, and successful. In comes obnoxious brother's wife who plants a big Thanksgiving kiss on her brother-in-law in the middle of her kitchen. And all goes downhill from there. Or does it?

The kiss and ensuing affair bring on a terrible, horrifying, hilarious chain of events for Harold. The consequences of his actions with his sister-in-law could never be imagined. His life changes so completely in the year following it that the reader is inexplicably drawn in to laugh at the absurdity and cry at the heartbreaking reality. But good guys don't always finish last, and nice guys can learn from their mistakes. Harold is that guy.

I found myself loving Harold's dry wit and tell-it-like-it-is style. He recognizes that his life really couldn't get any worse, so he might as well make it better. The author's writing style in bringing a guy like Harold to life is fascinating, and unique. I loved it, and I couldn't put it down. This kind of dark comedy is not appealing to everyone, including me usually. But I hope you'll give Harold a try. And I hope that you will, indeed, forgive him. I know I did.