GOOD READS
Beyond Best-Sellers: What B&ECPL Staff Recommend
The following were recently published titles which were read and recommended by members of our staff in the month indicated. The initials or pen name of the contributing staff member are noted after each review. Click here for more current recommendations.
May 2004
The Chestnut Tree by Charlotte Bingham
Fiction
It's 1939 England . What happens to those left behind when war breaks out? Follow four very different young women's choices and challenges. See how they are changed forever.
Reviewed by MJ
How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
Non-Fiction
This is a remarkable group of powerful short stories. Young girls stand on the brink, straddling the line between childhood innocence and curiosity, and the awakening awareness of an adult world of tough decisions and harsh realities. Family relationships, moral and social issues are all elements of these stories of young people trying to grow up in a complicated world.
Reviewed by ca
Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
Fiction
This is a wonderful work of fiction with astounding insight into the lives of two boys - one white and one black – growing up in NYC during the Seventies. It follows their friendship from the streets of their neighborhood to the present. Gritty and heartbreaking at times, this could be Lethem's best work yet.
Reviewed by swg
Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon
Fiction
While making discreet inquiries into the character of his cousin's future husband, Lord John Grey, a major in the British Army, becomes embroiled in an intrigue, which leads to a double murder investigation. The trail leads to the underbelly of 1750's London , which is richly researched and depicted.
Reviewed by skh
King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography by Chris Crutcher
Young Adult Fiction
Although Award Winning young adult author Chris Crutcher isn't sure how accurately he remembers the facts in the events, which influenced his life and work, this book is very engaging nonetheless. Although it deals with serious subjects like death, religion, and abuse, it is still ridiculously funny, thought provoking, and filled with hope. Crutcher shows how these experiences influenced his writing and provided the inspiration for many of his characters.
Reviewed by MK
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