The Book Jam

Now some of our favorites for people and book clubs who like to discuss fiction.

Substantive Reads – relatively new fiction

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (2014) – This slim volume was a National Book Award finalist and offers a powerful way to meditate on what race means in the USA today.  Using news events, such as Hurricane Katrina or another professional tennis player imitating Serena Williams by stuffing towels under her outfits to enhance her bottom and breasts, Ms. Rankine contemplates both what it means to be Black in the USA, and what part we all play as events unfold and we chose what to acknowledge and feel. I think it is important to note that I did not read this in one sitting; but instead, I picked it up, read a bit, thought, put it down for awhile, and repeated. I recommend consuming this book in the same manner, or in one fell swoop. But no matter how you read it, you will be glad you did. ~ Lisa Christie (and Lisa Cadow)

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (2014)  – Buckle up your backpacks and get ready for playground politics and the modern parenting. The lives of three mothers converge on the first day of kindergarten at an upscale elementary school in coastal Australia. Observant, humorous, a tad bit dark, this “un-putdownable” book explores the lies that we all tell ourselves and each other. Part mystery (someone ends up dead, but who?), part social commentary, part page-turner, this book is sure not to disappoint. ~ Lisa Cadow

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2014) – This is a fabulous World War II novel (yes, dear readers, there is room for another title in this genre) that tells the stories of Marie-Laure, a young blind girl from Paris, and Werner, a brilliant German boy with a gift for math, radios and engineering. Their seemingly disparate lives converge in the seaside fortress town on St. Malo, France in 1944. Many people are describing this as “the book of the year”, and I just might have to agree. ~ Lisa Cadow

My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh (2015) – Rape is a devastating event for the victim, and it also affects the community in which the rape occurs. The rape of 15-year-old Lindy, during the summer of 1989 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, begins this novel — a novel narrated by the 14-year-old boy across the street whose love for Lindy outlines his entire teen existence. With often heart-rending prose, Mr. Walsh creates a tale in which narrative, memory, forgiveness, and love are as palatable as the Southern landscape this novel inhabits. And, he shows how all those items shape a life.

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel (2014) – A collection by Hillary Mantel is probably not the most obvious choice for a post about thrillers. But trust us, many of the short stories contained in this collection are down right haunting, especially as they are portrayed in such a matter-of-fact, plausible manner. From the title story about a man trapped in his flat with a would-be assassin of Prime Minister Thatcher, to a shorter tale about the end of a marriage, to a story of two pre-teen girls spying on a mysterious form, Ms. Mantel’s narrators are a bit warped and the every day situations they encounter unusually framed. As an NPR reviewer wrote “Every other story here makes a permanent dent in a reader’s consciousness because of Mantel’s striking language and plots twists, as well as the Twilight Zone-type mood she summons up.” And, if you have not yet read anything by Ms. Mantel, these stories provide a great excuse to try her work. The New York Times wrote in their review of this collection, “Over the past decade or two, Mantel has made a name for herself — no other way to put it — as one of the indispensable writers of fiction in English.” That description itself provides a very good reason to try anything Ms. Mantel pens. But the bonus for reading this particular book — it is actually a superb and eclectic mix of stories to enjoy. ~ Lisa Christie

Euphoria by Lily King (2014) – Truly terrific. A well-crafted tale of three anthropologists and their time observing and living with the various peoples in the Territory of New Guinea. Set between the two World Wars, Ms. King explores a complex love triangle among three gifted and often confused young scientists. This novel is loosely based upon real life events from the life of Margaret Mead — all from a trip to the Sepik River in New Guinea, during which Mead and her husband, Reo Fortune, briefly collaborated with the man who would become her third husband, the English anthropologist Gregory Bateson —  and it has me searching for nonfiction treatments of her life. The New York Times agrees that this book is a must read this summer. ~ Lisa Christie

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (2013 in Australia/2014 is US) – This haunting tale of Iceland (we at the Book Jam love Icelandic tales), takes the true stories of Agnes – a woman convicted of murdering two men, of the family of four forced to house her while she awaits her execution, and of Toti – the Reverend charged with saving her soul, and then combines them into a fabulous first novel. As winter unfolds, each night after the day’s work is completed, Agnes narrates her version of the events leading up to the murders for anyone willing to listen. The tale she weaves is haunting for all those hearing her; you will remember this novel long after you finish.~ Lisa Christie

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra (2013) – A truly, truly, truly amazing debut novel about the pain and suffering inflicted during the Chechen conflict(s) and the power of love. From the opening pages describing the abduction and disappearance of a man from his home, Mr. Marra connects the lives of eight unforgettable characters – the daughter of the abducted man, the father of a despised informant, a doctor trying to hold together a hospital with only three staff members – in unexpected ways. With incredible writing and gifted storytelling, this is a superb read. I honestly can not praise it enough.

The UnAmericans by Molly Antopol (Feb. 2014) – To start, I HATE short stories. They leave me bereft because just as I am starting to care so much about their characters, they are over.  So the fact I am recommending a collection of short stories is rare and special. This collection is amazing. Each story has unforgettable characters. Each is well written by one of Stanford’s Wallace Stegner Fellows (a sign for the Book Jam of an author who can write – hello Bo Caldwell).  Yes, I was a bit sad at the end of each one because it was over.  How did I survive?  I chose to concentrate on the overarching theme, and look at it as a strangely constructed novel about a variety of interesting “communists”/immigrants to America from the various countries that were once known as those behind the Iron Curtain. ~ Lisa Christie

Ghana Must Go by Talye Selasi (2013) – An incredibly memorable modern tale of a family – The Sais.   Their story (and this novel) begins in Africa, and follows how their subsequent pursuit of the American dream shapes their lives.   Page one starts with the sudden death of the main character  – Kweku Sai, an incredible surgeon, but failed father and husband.  It then unfolds backwards and forwards through the eyes and voices of his first wife and their four children.  It all hinges on Kweku’s reaction to a failure endured in his pursuit of his American dream.  His response shatters his family, yet also makes them all uniquely themselves.  This is a truly global tale — Accra, Lagos, London, and New York.  It is also truly beautifully written; so much so, that we slowed our reading to make it last longer. ~ Lisa Christie

Mudbound by Hilary Jordan (2008) — This novel provides yet another reason to always read Bellewether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction winners.  This story set in post WWII Mississippi is a heartbreaking story of racial relations, poor treatment of returning veterans, and the high price of silence as members of two families living in rural Mississippi collide. ~ Lisa Christie and Lisa Cadow

The Writing on the Wall by WD Wetherell (2012)  –  Three different women from three different eras inhabit a house in Northern New England.  Each is trying to deal with the hand life has recently dealt them. Along the way the latter two residents discover the stories of the woman(en) who came before them.   A gem of a book that truly shows the power of words and stories. ~ Lisa Christie

Distant Land of My Father (2002) by Bo Caldwell – Good for all-men clubs, all-women clubs, mixed gender, father/son and mother/daughter clubs. Gorgeous prose and insight into 21st Century life in China and LA.  The plot?  The consequences that result when a man’s love for China is bigger than his love for anything else in his life. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

The Submission by Amy Waldman  – This book will have your group thinking and talking more than any book in awhile.  The plot – a jury chooses the final design for the 9-11 memorial only to find out that it was submitted by a Muslim.  The reactions to this selection of the jurors, the public a reporter and the architect who submitted the design intermingle with politics, prejudices, emotions and thoughts about art. Somehow this seems like an appropriate book to read in September. ~ Lisa Christie

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (2010) – A superb story of life as an immigrant to America, and life as a doctor.  In this novel, twins Marion and Shiva Stone are orphaned by their mother’s death and their surgeon father’s disappearance. They come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.  Since Mr. Verghese advised John Irving as he wrote the AIDS scenes in In One Person (see review below), it might be a great pairing. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

Into the Beautiful North (2010)by Urrea – It is as if Jon Stewart wrote a novel of gorgeous prose about Mexican immigration into the USA. With this tale you learn about life in a small Mexican town after all the men have left for jobs in the US.  Humor, coyote crossings and apt commentary about all the prejudices we all hold. ~ Lisa Christie

Let the Great World Spin (2009) by Colum McCann – A great look at NYC and 9/11 and characters whose lives touch by coincidence but whose impact on each other is profound. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

 When the Elephants Dance (2003) by Tessa Uriza Holthe.  This novel provides insight into Filipino culture in the waning days of World War II as the Karangalans-a family who huddle with their neighbors in the cellar of a house near Manila to wait out the war – entertain each other with stories in between forays to the outside world for food.  Spellbinding myths and legends abound, and give them much needed resolve to survive. ~ Lisa Christie

Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away (2011) is a novel set smack dab in the oil-polluted, violent back waters of the Niger River Delta. It examines the complex political and economic problems of  this petroleum rich country from the perspective of a twelve-year-old girl named Blessing. She is full of questions about the often perplexing behaviors of those around her: her beloved brother Ezekiel who’s fallen in with a dangerous crowd while trying to navigate the path to adulthood; her mid-wife grandmother a fountain of  Nigerian fables and wisdom but also of cultural contradictions; her own mother who is always working, desperate to escape her impoverished surroundings and to educate her children; her Christian-turned-Muslim grandfather who decides it’s time to take a much younger second wife; and this silly, yet endearing, second wife herself, Celestine. This is a special coming of age story. ~ Lisa Cadow 

Rules of Civility (2011) by Amos Towles. This fabulous novel transports. It’s set in Depression-era  Manhattan and is gloriously atmospheric in the New York it portrays (think flapper dresses, smoky jazz clubs and Great Gatsby-esque Hampton estates with flowing champagne). It is also rich in strong characters and probing in the questions it asks its readers about choices, careers paths and the assumptions we make in life. Towles writing is polished, gorgeous even (hard to believe it’s a first novel), and takes us to 1938 to tell the story of that year in the life of Katey Kontent, a smart, ambitious, working class girl who finds herself rubbing shoulders with the 1%. Besides being a great read, it is a love letter to New York City. ~ Lisa Cadow 

Little Bee by Chris Cleave (2010). It’s dramatic plot (difficult to read at times – especially the scenes on the beach) help to explain the unrest that currently exists in Nigeria and  that continues to create a steady flow of refugees like the character Little Bee to England. It explores what happens when the lives of one Nigerian refugee and several contemporary Londoners intersect. We argued over the writing but the discussions the plot created were superb. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron (2012) – The author’s true gift is that she makes a book about a country torn apart from genocide hopeful, without flinching from the awful truths contained in Rwanda and in the world’s lack of response to the horrors there.  The characters are extremely memorable and often extremely human role models.  The story amptly illustrates the strong ties of family and friendship, and the love that can overcome hatred even as all hell breaks loose; even if ultimately, that love can not save everyone.  Since it is the second of the two winners of the Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction that we have truly enjoyed, we vow to add the annual winners to reading lists. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

The Cove by Ron Rash (April 2012) — A haunting tale about the power of prejudice and love.  Set during WWI in a dark cove in the rural Appalachian mountains of North Carolina, the book follows the life of Laurel and her brother Hank, newly returned and maimed from serving in France.  The story begins as they offer shelter to a mute musician – Walter – who wanders into their home. Due to abundant local superstitions about the Cove and Laurel’s birthmark mark, a visitor is eerily unique. When the outside world intrudes and secrets are revealed, of course tragedy strikes. However, you will enjoy the story that gets you there and the small piece of hope you are left with. ~ Lisa Christie

The Book Of Jonas by Stephen Dau (2012) — A truly spare and haunting book about a young Muslim war orphan whose family is killed in a military operation gone wrong, and of the American  soldier to whom his fate is bound.  The book explores how people adjust to the ultimate tragedy – loss of loved ones. The Book of  Jonas allows the reader to look at the terrible choices made during war, how people deal with the unknown and what happens when disaster appears in your own life. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

Faster reads that are much more than fluff

Em and The Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto (2012) – In a little over 200 pages this author charmed me with his narrative of a son trying to figure out his unusual family, one orbiting the ups and downs of his mother and the manifestations of her bipolar disease. Uniquely and beautifully infused with compassion, grace, lots of humor, insight and love, this gem of a book is a must read for anyone looking for a good story or anyone whose lives are touched by mental illness. (Note: This would make a great Book Club book – well-written, short, and on many levels profound.)

Mr. Churchill’s Secretary: Maggie Hope Mystery #1 by Susan Elia MacNeal (2012) – If you’re a fan of the Maisie Dobbs‘ series by author Jacqueline Winspear, this book is for you.  Set in London in 1940, readers join brainy Maggie Hope who is working below her pay grade as —  you guessed it! — Winston Churchill’s Secretary. Having graduated from the top of her class at her American college with a talent for mathematics, she is under-utilized scribing speeches. However, her work in the highest level of government brings her right up against the people making history and possibly ensnared in a plot to bring  down the empire. This mystery has a little bit of everything: psychological intrigue, budding romance, a fascinating historical setting, unravelling family secrets, and a strong and admirable heroine. Highly recommended.~Lisa Cadow

Sycamore Row by John Grisham (October 2013) – Mr. Grisham is a master at plot and suspense, and has once again created a page-turning story. Since I am a fan of the movie A Time To Kill, spending time with Jake Brigance during Sycamore Row — this time three years after the trial from A Time to Kill — felt like a mini reunion. Again, as with Mr. Iles’s book, other reviewers agree this is a must read. As the New York Times review stated “‘Sycamore Row’ reminds us that the best legal fiction is written by lawyers.” Or as the Washington Post reviewer wrote “‘Sycamore Row’ is easily the best of his books that I’ve read and ranks on my list with Stephen King’s “11/22/63” as one of the two most impressive popular novels in recent years.” Please note: This book ended up on many best of 2013 lists — lists that include authors whose novels tend not to become blockbuster movies  — and it was also previously mentioned by The Book Jam in our 2013 last minute holiday gifts post. ~ Lisa Christie

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (2013) – This engrossing, entertaining story follows a group of friends from the moment they meet at summer camp, through how they somehow stay together as they go to separate colleges, get married – sometimes to each other, try to live in New York City on entry-level salaries, find and lose success, become parents, face an assortment of crisis points and well, just live their lives.  Told from the perspective of Jules Jacobson, a girl from the suburbs who infiltrates a group of sophisticated young Manhattanites when sent to their camp on a scholarship, this novel is populated by complex, and well “interesting”  characters who come together and apart as their lives and their interpretations of New York City change.  In fact, “the City” itself is a character changing as mayors come and go, crime increases/decreases, AIDS epidemic enters, finances collapse and twin towers fall.  ~ Lisa Christie

The Dinner by Herman Koch (2012) – This page-turner will keep you up all night as you race to finish it.  Then, it will keep you up for many nights going forward as you think about the disturbing traits and situations it unearths.  Amidst the dark, dark satire are very uncomfortable truths; it is these and to be honest – the entire premise  – that will leave you slightly reeling when finished. (Of course it could be the lack of sleep reading this caused.)  We can’t say any more because revealing any plot items would be unfair to any future readers.  But note, this would be a GREAT book club book because you are going to need to talk with someone about it.  Plus, it is a quick read – a bonus when cramming for book club discussions. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

Prep and American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld – They provide great starting points for conversations about high school and growing up (Prep) and politics (American Wife). ~ Lisa Christie

The Terror by Dan Simmons– A spooky look at an actual Arctic tragedy will have you thinking about what you would do to survive. ~ Lisa Christie

Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong – An affliction which makes words have taste renders a girl at a loss for words in many situations.  The affliction serves as a meaningful metaphor for all the incredibly important things that the characters in this book can not or do not discuss. ~ Lisa Christie

Vida by Patricia Engel – Connected short stories by and about Colombian-Americans, but hold up on their own as well.  Reminiscent of Jumpha Lahiri’s work.  Provides great insight into growing up in 1970 and 1980s new Jersey, as well as life in Colombia.  A quick read if your club needs one. ~ Lisa Christie

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi Durrow – A novel about a childhood interrupted due to the parents’ bad, bad choices.  A look at the projects, race/bi-racialness and what being poor and/or being black means as you grow up in the USA.  Another winner of the Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, written by a poised and gracious woman. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie