Written almost thirty years ago by Pulitzer Prize-winning book critic William McPherson, Testing the Current is a gem of a book that has been out of print for twenty-five years. Now reissued by New York Review Book, it is well worth savoring slowly and carefully. The only action you'll find is through the observations of young Tommy MacAllister. And wonderful observations they are! Somehow, like all good writers, McPherson gets into the head of Tommy, and through his perceptions we, the readers - presumably, older and more aware of life experiences than he - watch the progress of life as it unfolds around him. His older siblings, his parents, his neighbors, and his friends all get the introspective judgments we all make about those around us. Bringing back our own childhoods, we understand, sympathize and laugh as he faces what we knew to be true as we grew up. He does not enjoy greeting his great aunts, "...who looked formidable, like craggy fortresses within great unyielding fronts, as if they were all stony bosom from their shoulders to their thighs." and having to "...dutifully kiss their papery cheeks, avoiding if possible Cousin Maud's mole that sprouted long hairs." Dense in introspection, with long paragraphs that seep into your psyche, Testing the Current is clothed in the innocence of childhood. It is a truthfully told family story through the eyes of an eight-year-old who is unaware of the traumatic national recession during the 1930s, nor the rumblings of the coming war in Europe. Like any literary novel, it tests the reader's patience to delve deep, but well worth the effort!

Rising Tide is an amazing chronicle of the great Mississippi flood of 1927. The characters that arose from the debacle are people you may never have heard about but will definitely not forget. The catastrophe catapulted Herbert Hoover to the Presidency in 1930. Hoover was appointed to head the rehabilitation program for the Mississippi Delta area and gained national attention for his efforts. It's politics as usual with all the in-fighting, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the migration of blacks North and the recovery. . .such as it was. Incredibly, over one million people were displaced by the flood. . .and not for just a few days. The role of the government in the catastrophe forever changed the relationship between federal and state responsibilities. Personalities like the Percy family, engineers--Humphreys and Eads and other main players in that era, including the rise of Huey Long make the history of the time come alive. So much more than a story about a flood, Rising Tide is a "tour d' force" of the history of the United States in the first half of the 20th century.

Sometimes a book takes on a life of its own, propelling the reader along like a swift stream, unable to stop or get out of the current. The Last Season by Eric Blehm is just such a book. It is about the life (and death) of Randy Morgenson, a much-loved back country ranger for the National Park Service in the High Sierras of Southern California. Even if this story was only about Morgenson's legendary knowledge of this territory, or of his fascinating childhood, or his friendships with Ansel Adams and Wallace Stegner, this would still be a compelling read. But, add to that the fact that in 1996, at the age of 54, after 30 seasons in the High Sierras, Morgenson, while on duty mysteriously disappears. Not until five years later, after search and rescue by hundreds of people, is his body found. The final pages poignantly memorialize his life and leave the reader wondering why and how his death may have occurred.

Think this might be boring? Too much history? Too much geology? Dry? NOT A CHANCE!! This is an entertainingly written story of a journey taken; of discoveries along the way; of adventure. But, especially it's about the wonderful uniqueness of the Great Lakes from a world's perspective. This is TERRIFIC!!!

Even through this book was written 12 years ago, it has been newly updated and is one of the most concise, unbiased descriptions about the crisis in the Middle East. Tom Freidman is a journalist for the New York Times and was assigned to the Middle East for several years. He has met all of “the players”, including Sharon, Arafat and Sadam Hussein. His telling of the situations that reside there should be required reading by all the leaders of the world and every citizen who cares. His writing is highly informative, straight forward and never boring. Our book club found this to be one of the best books we have ever read!

Graham Greene is one of my favorite authors. There isn't a book of his that I have read that I haven't come away in wonderment at his gifts as a writer. Greene digs into the darkest parts of human souls and somehow puts it all down on paper. The Quiet American is set in Vietnam in the early 50s. The French are still struggling to maintain their political position against the Communists, and the United States has their "toe in the door". Fowler, a British journalist is the main character along with the American - Pyle, whose reasons for being in Vietnam remain vague. The story is multi-leveled; a love story, a political expose, a moral dilemma, a thriller -- take your pick. But if you really read between the lines, you'll feel the turmoil and almost understand what happened in Vietnam. If you have seen the movie only, you will be missing the real essence of this story as well as the fabulous quality of one of the Twentieth Century's best writers.

Sometimes a reader comes to a book with apprehension and a "prove-to-me-I'll-like-it" attitude. That's how I approached The Only Kayak. But after one chapter, I began to realize what a very good writer Kim Heacox really is. His ability to convey the sense of over powering beauty in the remote regions of Glacier Bay, Alaska made this reader want to turn back the clock and explore our land the way it used to be - wide, untouched and full of pristinen beauty. Heacox has much to say and imply about what is happening to our environment, mainly from just loving it too much. As a conservationist and an employee of the National Park Service, his observations and knowledge of those who came before him (in particular, John Muir) make for a fascinating picture of this area of Alaska. His adventures, the people he meets along the way, including his future wife, make this great writing that is sometimes funny, often melancholy and always captivating. If you like Edward Abbey, John McPhee or Thoreau, this book is for you.

The setting is a small museum outside of London, one room of which displays artifacts about some of the more sensational murders that took place between the two world wars in the late twenties and thirties. The museum is owned by the three siblings of the founder and they are about to re-sign a lease for the continuance of the museum. T complicate matters, one of the siblings, Neville Dupayne, has no interest in continuing the business. One of the contingencies of the lease is that all three siblings must sign. Of course, Neville mysteriously becomes the first victim. What happens next is pure James. Slowly she leads the reader down the path of the murderer with clues, however remote, that are there for the reader to catch. Reviews are mixed on this P.D. James mystery but if you're a true James fan, as I am, you will still find satisfaction. There is no one in the mystery field who writes a more literary "who-dunnit", or one who can set a scene so visual that the reader steps through the pages of the book right into the story. As usual, her characters are fascinating. And at age eighty-six, P.D. James is still very "hip" to the times! Even when she is not at her best, she's good.

hough the subject matter of this book is about the fanatics of the Mormon religion, it could be about religious fanaticism anywhere. It just seems disturbing to this reader that some people seem to get themselves caught up in extremes through need, weakness, total innocence or unquestioning belief. As is the cornerstone of all of Jon Krakauer's books, his research is thorough, fascinating and scary! Throughout isolated communities of Mormonism, polygamy is still practiced. Male zealots, answering only to what God tells them to do. . .including murder. . .hold sway over willing participants with Taliban-like power. This is not the book that Krakauer intended to write, but the more he researched the subject, the more he learned about the fanatical Mormons; and not just the Mormons of today, but the past history of the Mormons as well. Reading like a novel, this book is hard to put down and simply unbelievable to comprehend the "hows and whys" of this life style! As Americans, it is important for us to not look the other way and ignore what is going on around us!

At once poignant, funny and exasperating, Sullivan weaves a sympathetic tale told from the child’s point of view about a family struggling during The Great Depression. Lark Erhardt observes life in her family- the relationship of her mother and father. Lark’s mother has always dreamed of owning a Cape Ann style home and is determined to have it. Lark’s Father is a gambler and therein lies the conflict. I loved the characters in this book. They are well told and you find yourself loving some and hating others!

If you like: 1) A challenge! 2) Great writing! 3) To be stretched! This is the book for you! Definitely not a casual read, this book loosely mirrors the political life of Huey Long of Louisiana. This story is steeped in moral issues - loyalty, right, power, love - an incredible piece of literature. It asks the question -does power corrupt? A great classic!!

It's hard to find a more prolific award-winning American writer than Stewart O'Nan. Author of Last Night at the Lobster, Faithful, Snow Angels and many more, his latest, The Odds, is a tiny book with the impact of a sledge hammer! Celebrating their 30th anniversary at Niagra Falls, (the site of their first) Marian and Art Fowler are nearly in financial ruins, both having lost their jobs, soon to lose their house and almost inevitably, to lose their marriage. What follows in the span of two short days is a character study of two people ready to risk it all to their very last dime at the casino. It's hard to like this down and out couple as they fight for their financial and marital survival. But it's not hard to like O'Nan's concise and probing writing into the human psychie. Hard to like...hard to forget!

When you consider that the author, Lily Koppel, was walking down a street in New York City one day when she noticed a pile of old wardrobe trunks being tossed into a dumpster, the reader can only visualize the lost treasures behind the locked lids of those trunks. The management of the apartment building on Riverside Drive had decided to clean out the basement which was full of old pre-World War II trunks that had not been claimed. People were already rummaging through the contents finding flapper dresses, silk gloves, sweaters still hanging from knitting needles. In Lily's case, a doorman at the apartment building gave her a red leather diary he had found in the midst of the mess. It was a five year diary and the name inside said, “This book belongs to...Florence Wolfson.” It had been a present from her aunt on Florence's fourteenth birthday, August 1, 1929. She wrote in it faithfully until her nineteenth birthday. The Red Leather Diary transports you back in time and makes one realize that there is no such thing as an “ordinary life.” It's a wonderful time piece of nostalgia, culture, history and even mystery as the author searches for its owner and actually finds her. A fascinating read!

Although Mrs. Queen Takes the Train won't be published until October, it's one to put on your list if you enjoy rye humor and frequent chuckles. The book is light-hearted, and yet, it makes you pause to consider just what the private life of Queen Elizabeth may be like. Elizabeth has now served sixty years as Great Britain's Queen. Wouldn't you suspect she may just want a little personal adventure of her own...adventure that only she has planned and that no one else knows about? In this warm-hearted novel, Queen Elizabeth is trying to figure out how to use her computer. She has had many lessons, but can't always remember what to do(sound familiar?). She is a bit depressed about this, and to ease her frustration, casually wanders out of her rooms to visit her favorite horse in the royal mews (a horse named Elizabeth. What else!). Along the way, the reader meets her very caring staff, from ladies-in-waiting, personal butlers, to the groom; which truly makes one wonder about personal lives in the service of a Queen. How she manages to get on the train to Scotland all by herself is for you, the reader, to find out. It's a jolly train ride!

Mary, the youngest of four sisters, is born into a family where life is harsh. Her father, bitter from his lack of sons, works the girls from dawn to dusk. Although born with a lame leg, Mary is feisty and outspoken and full of life. When Mary turns fourteen, her father hires her out to the local vicar to help care for his ailing wife. This turns out to be an interesting, if not devastating turn of events. Mary must contend with the vicar's son, who she knows from his dealings with her sister Violet. Yet, there is a source of joy in Mary's life - there are books in the vicarage. There is little else in life that Mary wants to do, but to learn to read and write. Indeed, Mary does learn to read and write, and it is in her hand and her voice that the story is told. But at what cost? This is a small novel that packs a wallop. You will fall in love with Mary and become increasingly devastated with her tragic story. This is compelling and haunting- don't miss it! (And now on a lighter note, allow me to highlight one my favorite Caldecott candidates.)