Books that captivate with their exquisite prose and unforgettable storytelling. Perfect for readers who appreciate the art of language.
An Unquenchable Thirst
Mary Johnson, 2013
525 pp.
Book Review by Molly Lundquist
April, 2013
Mary Johnson married at 21, following three years of intensive courtship and study to become an exemplary wife. Sadly, 20 years into the marriage, she divorced.
Years later, sitting with her second husband, Mary glances out a coffee shop window and catches sight of the beard and flowing robe of her first spouse: Jesus. It's Good Friday, and the now ex-nun watches her man shouldering a cross as he leads a procession through her New England town.
Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn, 2012
432 pp.
February 2013
Gillian Flynn hit pay dirt with her third book, a disturbing yet devilishly clever novel that topped the best seller lists as soon as it landed on the shelves. As of this writing Gone Girl remains at or near the top of every list—and for good reason. A mystery cum psychological thriller, Flynn ratchets up the suspense until the very last page.
Faithful Place
Tana French, 2010
435 pp.
Book Review by Molly Lundquist
February, 2013
James Joyce left Ireland in his 20s, never to live there again. Yet Ireland never left Joyce. One of his enduring themes was how the past entraps us, in particular the Irish—how it suspended them in a state of paralysis, unable to move forward.
Ireland's Tana French deals with much the same issue—just when they think they're safe, the characters in all of her novels are pulled back into the tragic events of their youth.
Arcadia
Lauren Groff, 2012
320 pp.
Book Review by Molly Lundquist
January, 2013
Utopian visions have captured our literary imagination through the millenia—from the Biblical Eden and Plato's Republic up through Thomas More's Utopia (which actually coined the word for us), and Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance.
Lauren Groff's Arcadia is the latest in that long line and can stand easily among its celebrated forebears. The novel has landed on many a "Best Books" list for 2012—and deservedly so.
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
Ben Fountain, 2012
320 pp.
Book Review by Molly Lundquist
December, 2012
Acerbic, heart-wrenching, and at times out-right hilarious, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk has been hailed as the new Catch 22 or Slaughterhouse-Five. It's also a finalist for the 2012 National Book Award. (The winner—as of 3/2013!)
The story follows eight young soldiers of Bravo Squad, who find themselves national heroes after fighting bravely in Iraq—action caught on camera by a Fox news crew. Now they find themselves on a Victory Tour of the U.S. to help gin up support for the war.