The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

Alexander McCall Smith has become one of my favorite modern authors and this book drew me in initially. It was recommended and loaned to me by a friend and I thought it was "chick lit". I was totally surprised to meet a character like Precious Ramotswe and learn about Botswana Africa. The series centers around Precious, her detective agency, and her personal life. I love reading about her late father, her views of Africa, and, of course, her work cases. This series is wonderful and has made me want to visit Africa.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

I just finished this book in an airplane to Denver. I started it yesterday. I didn't read it that fast because it was so good, but because it has a reading level of about eighth grade. The story is pretty sappy, but made me care about the main character, Eddie. The book opens at the end of Eddie's life and then proceeds to describe the beginning of his afterlife in heaven. The meeting of specific five people tells the story of his life and help him make peace with it. I bought it because it was a beautifully bound book for $3. I read it because I let my four year old choose my next book to read. I guess she thought it was pretty too.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union

I was just traveling in Mexico and read this book. The main character is Meyer Landsman, who is a policeman, or Noz, in Sitka, Alaska. Although Sitka is, obviously, a real city in the book Michael Chabon has turned it into something different. In 1948 Sitka became the residence of Jewish people from around the world as the nation of Israel collapsed. Among this setting, Meyer is investigating a murder, which takes him deep into the politics of Reversion-the process of America taking over Sitka again. I enjoyed this book, especially after I was told that there is a glossary of Yiddish terms in the back! Very well written and creative.

The Time Traveler's Wife

When this book was recommended to me by a friend (thank you, thank you Mitzi!) I pictured a mass market style sci-fi novel with a really lame picture on the cover. Was I ever surprised when I found it and read it. I actually paid full price at Barnes & Noble for my copy. (I rarely do that. I'm all about finding used copies at interesting places. I also love my library.) The Time Traveler's Wife is Audrey Niffenegger's first novel. She has also written several graphic novels. She must be brilliant to write such a book while also teaching full time at a college. The book takes the reader through the lives of Henry and Clare and the odd formation of their relationship. Henry is a time traveler, but not the kind we often see in movies. He is not in control of his time traveling and is very weary from it. I found myself feeling so connected with Henry and Clare that I cried at the end of the book.

Pride and Prejudice

If you only read one Jane Austen novel, this is the one. Her best, for sure. I didn't think I was interested in Jane until I was reading C.S. Lewis' autobiography several years ago. He wrote about how he enjoyed her novels and I thought, "Good enough for C.S., good enough for me. I'll give her a shot." I wasn't disappointed.