A Gift from Us to You ...
Compiled May, 1999
CAS=audio book CD=book on CD LP=large print book Pbk=paperback
Beach Music by Pat Conroy – Full of Conroy’s wonderful word images, dysfunctional but lovable, funny characters and stories within stories. Even if you’ve read the book, don’t miss Frank Muller’s unforgettable audio version.
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks – Faulks is a very good storyteller.
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen – Another outstanding book by Quindlen. Offers insight into a battered woman’s attempt to escape and start a new life. Beautifully written and powerful. Also read One True Thing by this author. (2)
Book of Merlyn by T.H. White
Bruculinu, America by Vincent Schiavelli – We know him as a character actor, but he can also write. Focuses on coming of age in a Sicilian family in Brooklyn—and great recipes to boot.
Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy – Set in Ireland.
Charming Billy by Alice McDermott – Irish-American family and friends reminisce about the charming, but alcoholic Billy. What a delight. An award-winner too! (2)
Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel – Also recommend other titles in the Earth Children Series: Valley of Horses, Mammoth Hunters, and Plains of Passage.
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier – Most impressive fiction I have read for a long time. Poignant novel of a wounded Civil War soldier making his way back home to his love is written in dreamlike, poetic prose.
Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons – This book has a little of everything – suspense, romance, humor—very enjoyable.
Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz – Modern day dispatches from the "war between the states." Written from the heart. Outstanding commentary and insights. Very readable, often funny. Author is a Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent. (2)
The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacqueline Mitchard – About a parent’s worst fear—a kidnapped child—and how an imperfect family tries to cope. Better than the movie.
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells – You will laugh, you will cry, you will leave the plates on the dinner table so you can read this book! (2)
Emperors of Chocolate by Joel Glenn Brenner – Fascinating and informative book about Hershey and Mars and the business of candymaking. Well written. (2)
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman – Life-changing ways of making marriage even better.
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Green Mile by Stephen King – Not a typical King novel. Not as graphic or horrible as his usual fare. Book on tape is read by Frank Muller, an excellent reader.
Growing Up by Russell Baker – Baker has the touch for telling a compelling story about managing to reach manhood despite a controlling mother.
Heat Wave by Penelope Lively – British writer (has been short-listed for the Booker Prize) who studies here the nature of love, particularly among couples.
Howard’s End by E.M. Forster – A lovely book about a lovely house and the people who do and don’t live there.
Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler – Must get to Tyler, a superior talent. Gentle, literary read about a woman who walks away from her life one day only to find herself quickly becoming involved in another family’s life. (2)
Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells – A must for insight into the power of women who care and protect each other.
The Man Who Listens to Horses by Monty Roberts – Forget The Horse Whisperer, this is the real thing. Despite tremendous obstacles, Roberts developed an original and humane method for training horses with compassion and respect. A must read and 500 times better than the forgettable movie.
Martha Stewart: Just Desserts by Jess Oppenheimer – Unauthorized biography showing the "evil side" of the perfect Martha. Not kind, but what fun to read.
Midnight Dreary: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe by John Walsh – Fascinating account of the last days of Poe, the master of the macabre.
My Last Days as Roy Rogers by Pat Cunningham Devoto – Focuses on nine-year-old girl in Alabama during polio season of the ‘50s. Reminiscent of "scout" in To Kill a Mockingbird.
The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw by Patrick McManus –Humorous collection of short stories. Great for those without much time.
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather – An oldie, but a very goodie.
Other People’s Children by Joanna Trollope – With her usual careful observation and sensitivity, Trollope explores family relationships.
Out of the Sun by Robert Goddard – An off-beat thriller in the tradition of Daphne Du Maurier, but with some contemporary hyper-dimensional twists. It is the sequel to Into the Blue.
The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett –My literary find of the year! Reminded me of Anne Tyler. Fascinating characters and storyline. What a talent! Also recommend her other two books Taft and Magician’s Assistant.
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux – My favorite book! It’s such a wonderful story.
Piano Lessons: Music, Love and True Adventures by Noah Adams – "All Things Considered" host writes about learning to play the piano at age 52. Very interesting, lots of musical lore gleaned from his many interviews.
The Pillow Boy of the Lady Onogoro by Alison Fell – Go to Japan for your armchair vacation! Caution: a bit racy.
Planet of the Blind by Stephen Kuusisto – Fascinating memoir by an author who was legally blind, but wouldn’t admit it and modify his "sighted" life until in his 30s.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver – Powerful, fascinating and beautifully written. Get to know this delightful, thought-provoking author. (2)
Red-Tails in Love by Marie Winn – A feast for bird watchers, whether in Central Park or Central PA. In fact, if you never observed birds before, this delightful book will heighten your consciousness and send you for your binoculars.
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam Jr. – A warm and endearing tale of teenage boys from a coal mining town in W. VA, who face the threat of Sputnik by building and launching homemade rockets. Loved it!
The Shunning by Beverly Lewis – Easy, delightful reading that gives an understanding of the Amish culture. (also recommends The Confession and The Reckoning by this author.)
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell – A Jesuit mission to a distant planet has profound effects on the aliens of the newfound planet and provokes a religious struggle within the hearts of the exploring priests. Intelligent, probing, and one of the most holistic descriptions of a culture since Dune. (Also recommend its sequel Children of God.)
Stop Screaming at the Microwave: How to Connect Your Disconnected Life by Mary LoVerde – An easy-to-read, pick-me-up book for parents and others who feel that life in the fast lane is overwhelming!
The Street Lawyer by John Grisham – Deals with issues of the homeless.
The Summer of Black Widows by Sherman Alexie – Alexie is a Native American with an exceptional gift for word play. This book of poetry covers a wide range of topics. There’s a poem here for everyone, even those who don’t like poetry!
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom – Heart-touching. It made me cry.
Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World by Lawrence Goldstone – A true story of a couple’s search for that truly rare book. Tells of their adventures along the way.
Vienna Prelude by Bodie Thoene
Virtues of Aging by Jimmy Carter – Wisdom, wide personal experience, reference to sound research on aging, and much useful advice (including helpful websites) emphasize that, indeed, "the best is yet to come," as we grow older.
Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin – Nostalgia about growing up in New York with the original Dodgers. And for those of us of a certain age, they will always be the Brooklyn Dodgers.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson – Very funny book. Makes you want to hike the trails of our beautiful country. (3)
Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block – Don’t let the YA label fool you. This book is poetic magical realism set in surreal southern California.
Welcome to the World Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg – Delightful read! Funny – touching – outstanding characters.
What Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us: Why Happiness Eludes the Modern Woman by Danielle Crittenden – The editor of Women’s Quarterly provides a thought-provoking, readable critique of feminism and its effects on modern women.
Zabelle by Nancy Kricorian – First novel by a new and exciting author. Armenian girl escapes the Turkish invasion and immigrates to the U.S. to start a new life. Small but exquisite book.
May 1999
Other Lists of Staff Picks
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006