"Bearpond Books

May 17, 2010

Next time your book group is looking for a great reading suggestion, try this list of our current favorite book group picks.  All these titles are either out in paperback already or will be by early July.  All promise interesting reading and great discussions.  Enjoy!

FICTION

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon A study of the nature of modern identity that reads like a thriller, this book is a favorite of many of the Bear Pond staff.

Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Another page turner from the author of The Shadow of the Wine about the perilous nature of obsession, in literature and in love.

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann A dazzling and hauntingly rich vision of the loveliness, pain, and mystery of life in New York City in the 1970s.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave Gorgeously creative writing telling the story of Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee in London who tries to find the British couple she once met in Nigeria during a tragic incident.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger When two American girls move into their deceased aunt’s London apartment, they find themselves getting to know their aunt who doesn’t seem to have left the apartment or her old life behind.

Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving A classic Irving novel that sweeps through decades, states and generations.  Yes, there’s a bear and an older woman.

Purge by Sofi Oksanen A Finnish book about an Estonian peasant who survives the Soviet occupation only to face the brutal realities of the post-occupation world when a stranger shows up half-conscious in her yard.

Mrs. Somebody Somebody by Tracy Winn An excellent collection of short stories chronicling life in a New England mill town over the last 60 years.

A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert A novel of four generations of women, from Victorian England to Manhattan’s Upper West Side, their aspirations, the limits imposed on them, and the choices they made.

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman This is a novel of three sisters who live in a modern fairy tale-like world – complete with all the dangers found in fairy tales.

That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo A funny yet poignant novel about mid-life, marriage and aging parents written in Russo’s wonderful style.

The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels The poet and author of Fugitive Pieces brings us another beautifully written story about the nature of love about an English couple living in 1960’s Egypt.

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers This novel is based on the true story Abdulrahman Zeitoun, who stayed in New Orleans after the flood to protect his home and rescue people only to find himself arrested and suspected of being an Al Qaeda terrorist.

NON-FICTION

Twelve by Twelve: A One-Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream by William Powers Part Annie Dillard, part Bill McKibben, this book offers riveting armchair travel through a landscape rich with clues to personal and global healing.  (Powers will be at Bear Pond for a reading June 22nd – bring the whole group!)

The Bolter by Frances Osborne Osborne tells the story of her great-grandmother Idina Sackville, a Jazz Age celebrity who had five husbands, numerous lovers, drug-fueld orgies and an adventurous spirit that shocked Edwardian society.

Columbine by Dave Cullen An award-winning journalist’s definitive beyond-the-headlines account of the shocking massacre.

For You Mom, Finally by Ruth Reichl When Reichl found her mother’s letters and diaries after her death, she realized she never really knew her mother and what sacrifices she made so Ruth would have better opportunities than she had.

Goat Song by Brad Kessler The New York City novelist lovingly writes the poetic story of his move to Vermont to herd goats, make cheese and find the beauty in rural life.

I Am Nujood, Age 10 by Nujood Ali The true story of the remarkable 10-year-old Yemeni girl who dared to defy her country’s most archaic traditions by fighting for a divorce.

Lit by Mary Karr In her third memoir, Karr entertainingly and movingly tells the story of her battle with and recovery from alcoholism.

Losing Mum and Pup by Christopher Buckley The tragicomic true story of the year in which Buckley lost both of his parents written with wit and warmth.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen An engaging and funny story of a grown woman returning to her parents and her Mennonite past after her own life bottoms out.

Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes A cleverly conceived investigation of the earliest ideas of deep time and space.

Strength in What Remains by Trace Kidder An unforgettable and inspiring story of one man’s journey that provides brilliant testament to the power of second chances.

April 27, 2010

With Haiti in the news after it’s devastating earthquake, many people are yearning to learn more about the poor island country.   Immediately after the disaster Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains found renewed popularity.  The 2003 memoir is an inspiring account of the work of Dr. Paul Farmer, a global health specialist who founded a groundbreaking hospital and health center in Haiti.

It’s probably not a coincidence that we’re seeing more Haitian literature being published.  Last month saw the first English publication of Love, Anger, Madness by Marie Vieux-Chauvet. Originally published in Haiti in 1968, this book was banned but became an underground success.  It is three novellas about life under the oppressive regime that ruled the island in the 1950’s and an education into the history of that time.  The writing tensely and movingly portrays what happens to communities living under oppression and the bitterness and suspicion that creeps into everyone: neighbors, sisters, and children alike.

Isabelle Allende’s new novel, Island Beneath the Sea, is the story of Tete, a slave woman in French occupied Saint- Domingue (as Haiti was then called) starting in 1770.  The novel follows Tete through the revolution of Toussaint Louverture and as she flees Saint-Domingue to eventually settle in New Orleans with her master to whom she is forever linked.  Rich with history, Allende uses her considerable abilities to describe island life for both the natives and the French. She beautifully captures the spirit of the slaves as they become free and leave the island without ever really doing either.  This is a wonderful book to sink into and feel the heat of Sainte Domingue on your skin.