A fun, engaging work of fiction.  A goldfish names Ian falls out of his bowl and over the balcony of a 27 story apartment building.  During his rapid descent to the concrete street below, he passes and looks into a handful of windows.  As Ian looks in, we, the readers, learn about the characters who inhabit those apartments.  This is a good read for anyone who wants something, quick, enjoyable and not depressing.

A book as lovely as its title.  Like Corelli’s Mandolin and Birds without Wings,  de Bernieres describes how lives are affected by war.  This time he focuses on England before, during and after World War I.  Mr. and Mrs. McCosh and their four daughters live an almost idyllic life on the outskirts of London before The Great War.  Once war begins, all of their lives change in large and small ways.  De Bernieres writes with clarity and compassion about love, family and friendship in a time of upheaval.  I thought this was a wonderful work of historic fiction; however, I must confess that I skimmed several chapters that described wartime aviation.

I am taking a wonderful course title Eros and Gothic Literature.  Two assignments are Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.  There is a reason why these novels have survived the test of time.  They are beautifully written with strong characters.  They are about passion, love, and family with elements of mystery and surprise thrown in.  Both, but especially Jane Eyre, is the perfect summer read for a teenage girl.  I loved rereading both of them after at least a forty year hiatus.

Like its title, this novel is intriguing but difficult to grasp hold of.  The narrative, written in second person singular, depicts a woman who arrives in Casablanca, and after checking into her hotel, discovers that her backpack with her identification,  money and  credit card has been stolen.  Her survival in this very foreign city requires changing her name, peers and location often.  The protagonists dilemma touches on many interesting themes, including identity, honesty,  and self-worth.  If chosen as a book group read, I can see many interesting discussions taking place.

A good, page-turning read for a long plane ride or a beach vacation.  The book begins when a “novel” is delivered to Catherine Ravencroft’s home.   The more she reads,  the more she realizes that it is recounting a time in her life that she has never told anyone about.  With multiple narrators(Catherine, her husband and the man who transcribes the mysterious book),  Disclaimer has its readers wondering who and what to believe while a woman’s life swings out of her control.

Kathryn Ma is impressive.  She was an attorney for most of her adult life, and in her mid 50’s, she wrote her first novel, The Year She Left Us.  It is mainly the story of Ari, an abandoned Chinese orphan, adopted at a young age by Charlie Kong, a single woman.  Ari’s childhood and teenage years and her feeling of incompleteness are the focal point of the novel.  However, Ma gives us insight into her adoptive family through chapters devoted to her mother, aunt and grandmother.  Ari is a complex character-irritating, self-centered and abusive, yet often endearing and kind.

This would be an interesting read for book groups.  There are many issues and themes within the novel.

Part supernatural tale, part historical fiction.part unsolved mystery  this novel takes place in Amsterdam during the winter of 1686.  Nella Brandt has married an older, successful merchant she has just met.  She leaves the rural setting where she lived her whole life and moves into his home in Amsterdam where she tries to find her place among the other occupants-Johannes, her husband, Marin, her sister-in-law and two in help.  She quickly learns that her new home is a den of secrets.  Also, as a wedding gift Johannes presents Nella with a miniature of their house.  Each tiny article delivered hint of the family’s future.  Who is this artisan who can see into the Brandt’s lives?  Burton’s debut novel is interesting and informative but not a must-read.

Every summer I read a classic; this is my choice for this year.  Yes, Henry James is difficult, yes, he can be wordy and complicated, but this novel was well worth the time and effort I put into it.  It is the story of Isabel Archer, a young American living in Europe who suddenly comes into a large inheritance.  Isabel is an intelligent, thoughtful, kind person who has three men who wish to marry her.  How she decides and where it takes her is the main action of the novel, but what Isabel thinks and feels is really the soul of The Portrait of a Lady.  There’s a reason this book has stood the test of time-it’s exquisite.

Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010, Vargas Llosa’s most recent work of fiction is an enjoyable, captivating read.  The book actually contains two discreet heroes, Felicito Yanaque, a man who refuses to be extorted by thugs, and Don Rigoberto, who acts as a witness at his ex-boss’s wedding knowing full well that the boss’s twin sons will seek revenge on him.  In alternating chapters, we learn each man’s point of view, as well as their lives and those of their families.  A thought-provoking page turner which becomes contrived towards the conclusion.

Kent Haruf’s posthumous novel is short,sweet and sad.  With the same direct unpretentious language he used in his other works, Haruf tells the story of Addie and Louis, a widow and a widower in a small Colorado town.  Addie asks Louis to begin spending the night with her because that’s when she is loneliest, and Louis agrees to.  Their relationship turns into something, deep, meaningful, honest and necessary for both of them.  A beautiful heart-felt read.