Some new books this week

This week has turned out to be a big week for some fantastic new releases we love:
Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely

This is a very intriguing novel about two families--one the family of an young organ donor in Iowa, the other of the recipient of one of those organs in Chicago. Though typically donations are kept
confidential, an overheard conversation between doctors leads the curious and very grateful Janet, who received a very needed heart transplant to the names and addresses of her donor's husband, who wants nothing whatsoever to do with her, and mother, who embraces the chance to hold on to this last piece of her daughter. This is a very deep book, dealing with all sorts of tough things--the many forms of grief, the dynamics of organ donation on both the donors and the recipients and their families, dealing with chronic illness, the nature of gratitude and responsibility, and much more. The common thread seems to be how we deal with choices--both the ones we make and the ones that others do. Lovely obviously poured a lot of research into this book and it rings true on every page. This book will really make you think. -- Jackie

This is a haunting elegy to love & loss, grief & guilt. Beautifully, compellingly, written. I marvelled at the way Stephen Lovely painted his characters: so real & so flawed. As Jackie said, not an easy read, but most definitely a rewarding one. Especially recommended for folks who want to read about Chicago - some great descriptions of the Andersonville and Pilsen neighborhoods! -- Joe


The Spare Room by Helen Garner

Award winning writer Helen Garner returns to fiction after 15 years to write this short, intense and beautiful novel about friendship and dying. It seems intimately personal since the narrator is also named Helen, and the emotions are so raw and powerful. The premise--Helen agrees to let her friend stay with her for 3 weeks while she undergoes an alternative cancer therapy in Melbourne (where Helen lives). What she didn't know was just how very sick her friend is. Both women are in their 60s and on their own, and it becomes a struggle between needing help and asking for it, wanting to help but knowing what personal limits there are, and the boundaries of friendship and love. The issue of truth comes up again and again--facing the truth of an illness, the realities of a moment, and the sum of a life. This is a quick read, but not an easy one. -- Jackie

Addition by Toni Jordan

After reading a couple of books about people dealing with death, I was SOOOOOO ready for this light-hearted, quirky story, and in fact nearly swallowed it whole on a lazy, cloudy Saturday. This is a story about Grace, who lives with a form of obsessive/compulsive disorder that demands that she count EVERYTHING and live by the rule of numbers. This can be rather demanding, as you can probably guess. But she is absolutely adorable, with an acerbic wit that made me giggle many, many times. This book is all about learning to embrace, and even flaunt, who you are, no matter what. It's a first novel by Australian author Jordan who is bound to set the chic-lit world on it's ear with this delicious down-under treat! -- Jackie


A Rose By Any Name by Douglas Brenner and Stephen Scanniello

I'll start out by fully admitting that I did not read this whole book--I skipped around, sampled, and savored. This book is incredible. It's literally the history of the names of roughly 1200 (of the 15,000 that exist today) rose varieties. The stories are far more interesting than I ever dreamed they could be. I can't wait to see the finished book--the illustrations and photographs are going to be AMAZING. There is politics, intrigue, flattery, mockery, and espionage involved. Who knew?! -- Jackie




Bloodprint by Kitty Sewell

There are so many plot twists, especially in the last hundred pages or so, you might fell like you are on a roller coaster ride. This is the story of two women: Madeleine Frank, artist and psychologist, and the secrets that have formed her and her family's lives; and Rachel Locklear, former prostitute and now devoted mother trying desperately to escape the clutches of a crime family that has owned her for too long. These women meet by chance (that might not be chance) and their stories slowly come together into a hurricane of intrigue and fear that changes who they are forever. The characters in this book are very vivid, even the most minor, which makes an already interesting
story rich with depth and color. In short, this is a fantastic read! -- Jackie

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

This book is painful and beautiful and bound to be HUGE. Little Bee, a Nigerian girl who fled after the murder of her whole village by oil men, ends up in England searching for the two people she knows outside of Nigeria, two people who helped to spare her life once before. Her appearance back in Andrew and Sarah's life sets off a string of events that changes all of their lives forever--though forever is not as long for some of them as for others. There is horror (some of it graphic) and hope in this novel, and it's told in such a strong, fresh voice--you won't forget Little Bee and her story. Governments at their very worst, human beings at their very best and how they clash--it's haunting.

This would make a superb bookclub book! -- Jackie




Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

February might be a short and bleak month, but this year we have the debut of a new, unstoppable, hilarious, hard hitting crime fighting duo--Bernie and Chet--to look forward to. Bernie is a human private investigator with more heart than money. Chet is an almost completely trained police dog (there was an incident with a squirrel during the final field test--he'll tell you about it if he gets time later). And that's the real kicker to this team--Chet narrates the action in a very "dog nation" kind of way. Their current case is a missing 17 year old girl that many people don't want to be found. It's a good mystery with interesting clues, and the charm of the storytelling style just can't be beat. The great news is that this is the first book in what promises to be a popular ongoing series--author Spencer Quinn and his dog Audrey are busy on the next one even now! -- Jackie

I've gotta tell you all that I started reading this book with a raised eyebrow: really, another book narrated by a dog? And then I promptly devoured it! Chet is a great narrator. All dog: there are times when he is on the hunt, focused, and wham! what's that smell? The mystery kept me glued, with all its twists and turns, and had me rooting for down-on-his luck Private Investigator Bernie. Highly recommended! -- Joe

Fool by Christopher Moore

In his latest, Christopher Moore takes on the Bard, Shakespeare, in his hilarious retelling of King Lear. Rip-roaringly funny, with lots of gross-out humor, this book is for any fan of Christopher Moore. Irreverant, while somehow still being respectful of the original, this book had me bent over laughing! -- Joe

Moore is at it again, this time taking on Shakespeare. It follows (relative term here) the plot and characters of King Lear (including the Ghost--there's ALWAYS a bloody ghost), though Moore freely admits to generously borrowing lines from several other Shakespearian plays (to confuse the critics, supposedly). I am no Shakespearian scholar, so I was worried that perhaps I wouldn't "get" this book--but it really didn't matter. The few things that need to be explained are explained and the rest is just rib-achingly hilarious. This is an EXTREMELY bawdy/raunchy/R-rated novel--even Moore feels the need to put a warning at the front of the book. Bodily fluids feature greatly, as do the racier body parts, there is a bit of graphic violence and a great deal more graphic sexual moments. But mostly there is laughter and the sharp, snappy wit of Christopher Moore. This is his homage to British humor more than anything, and I found it spot on! -- Jackie

Whew! I told you it was a big week for new releases! Hopefully there's something here for everyone.