Parrot and Olivier in America, double Booker Prize-winning author Peter Carey’s eleventh book, is a rollicking, rambling, rakish look at unexpected friendship, art and burgeoning democracy.
Loosely based on Alexis de Tocqueville (but don’t let that scare you away) Carey has created the character of Olivier de Garmont, a young, effete French noble still reeling from the slaughter of the revolution, and has paired him with Englishman, John Larrit (known at Parrot for his uncanny ability to mimic), a grizzled former printer’s devil, as his unlikely servant. From alternate points of view we discover America from their vastly different perspectives as we also learn about their vastly different histories. Uniting the two in their reluctant partnership is the looming presence of the Marquis de Tilbot, the one-armed tour-de-force who commandeers both characters in sometimes subtle and oftentimes profound ways. Also uniting the two colorful characters is a love of art, as well as the love of feisty portraitist Mathilde. As they negotiate the daunting new country of America, under the guise of Olivier writing a study of America’s prisons, both men discover as much about themselves as they do about this new democracy.
In 1988 Dexter and Emma spend one night, July 15th, together on the eve of their college graduation. Without actually making that total physical connection they manage to connect well enough that they stay in contact with each other for the next several decades. But theirs is not a simple relationship. Instead, they bounce off each other like billiard balls exploding from the break as they both try to find love in all the wrong places. Like “When Harry Met Sally” meets “Same Time Next Year,” we learn about Dex and Emma’s struggles to find meaning and romance as we check in with the characters on the same day over a period of twenty years. Nicholls deftly combines witty dialog with real soul-searching to create a funny and heartbreaking novel.
Laura
Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? Christopher McDougall begins an investigative adventure into the world of running, ultramarathons, the shoe industry, and the Tarahumara Indians, a reclusive group of “superathletes” known for their running endurance and speed. Informative, inspirational and thrilling, Born to Run will appeal to both runners and non-runners alike.
Heather
What do you think of the casting of a rather unknown actress (from a famous football family) for Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?
If you’re tired of the same old thing you might give this quirky and very British novel a try. It features Balthazar Jones, a London Beefeater (properly titled a Yeoman Warder), his wife, who works in the London Underground Lost Property Office, and a cast of delightful characters, including the world’s oldest tortoise. Toss in some fascinating history of the Tower of London, quite a few chuckles and a serious message about hope and you may find yourself utterly charmed.
Dedra
Prostitutes are being murdered in the parks of Berlin and female police inspector Armina Treffen is determined to find the sadistic killer. Set in 1930, this dark, intriguing novel reveals the dangerous atmosphere in Weimar Germany where information is bought and sold, unlikely alliances are made, and it is impossible to know who to trust.
Fans of The Girl with the Dragoon Tattoo might find this thriller a good read.
Marsha
If reading novels about the Tudors has whetted your appetite for historical fiction about powerful, ruthless families, consider a location change to Renaissance Italy. Francesca’s murdered father was the personal poisoner to the powerful Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia before he was brutally murdered. Now Francesca vows vengeance and positions herself as her father’s replacement. But can she perform the brutal murders the evil Borgia demands? Poison is brimming with historical detail, double crosses and fascinating characters.
Dedra
Jennifer Weiner readers can count on a dysfunctional family usually with polar opposite sisters who, underneath their differences, really care for each other. Fly Away Home’s dysfunctional family includes a woman whose politician husband just humiliated her with his affair with a twenty-something, her older, brilliant daughter whose unhappy marriage has led her into a hot affair with a younger man, and her younger daughter who’s just out of rehab. These three women end up taking a family “timeout” and reconnect with great food, tears and a lot of laugh out loud moments. This one’s a great lazy, summer read.
Dedra
