Lorna Recommends...

In this, her 10th Maisie Dobbs novel, Winspear gives us all that we have come to expect and more. More time with our favorite characters, more insight into British society post-World War I, and more of Maisie as shestruggles to make her way in the world and do what is right by those whom she loves.

Pick up this book! It is clever, unexpected and entertaining. This "memoir" follows the lives of an imaginary friend named Budo and his boy Max. Rich in details, it is a loving portrait of a boy, his friend, his family and what it is like to be different. I never had an imaginary friend but if I did I would like him to be like Budo.

Kristin Hannah tackles the tough issues that surround a family when the Mom, a National Guard member, is sent to Iraq. It begins with a marriage in trouble, then got very interesting when the wife was called up for a tour of duty in Iraq. The details of the deployment and what each family member goes through were fascinating. This is when the book finally captured me. I felt it was very realistic and found it quite moving.

There are so many gems to be found in this lovely little volume of animal essays. Translated from the French (some had to be left out because the puns were just not translatable) and collected beginning in 1896, Renard's Histories Naturelles were illustrated at one time by Toulouse-Latrec. They are full of humor, understanding , joy and compassion. Some are so short but also so true, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Start with one of my favorites, The Finch, and you will see what I mean.

I love this book, set in Montana in 1919, it's full of wonderful characters and beautiful writingEvery book lover should read it for the library scenes alone!

This amazing book is Maira's love letter to NYC and America and Democracy. A wonderful companion to her book The Principles of Uncertainty, its hard to describe but easy to appreciate. It's a visual tour through American history and government and politics and issues facing our country today seen through her artists eye and heart.

More than just a cozy quilt mystery, Earlene Fowler covers relationships, racial relations and ranch life in California.

The best of all guilty pleasures - a book featuring identical twins who trade lives. What a soap opera plot but it's good and it's fun. It's been around forever and it was made into a movie starring Barry Bostwick and Stephanie Powers.

Eleven Americans embark upon an art history tour of Burma planned by their recently murdered friend, San Francisco socialite Bibi Chen. Bibi's ghost follows the group as they make changes to her trip and encounter dangers along the way. This isn't your typical Amy Tan but I really enjoyed this trip to Burma.

I really didn't think I would like this middle-reader novel about a 10-year old boy who lives in the woods of Alabama with his survivalist Dad. Left on his own, Moon has to learn how to make his way in a world that is totally foreign to him. This amazing, likeable boy won me over. I loved every minute of Moon's story. I think it's a great book for kids and adults, a wonderful book club pick and a modern classic.

Starting with the title, Dog On It, I knew right away that author Spencer Quinn was a clever man and I found his first book a joy to read. It's a perfect new mystery series with sharp writing, great characters and fast paced action. The narrator is a dog named Chet, an almost K-9 school graduate who likes to ride shotgun with his owner private detective Bernie Little. Chet presides over the action and keeps you informed except of course when distracted by something like a toy at the bottom of a pool, or a smelly parrot, or when he really needs a nap. I never got tired of Chet's narration, the seriously clever, inside the dog's mind view of things is fresh and funny and never takes away from the mystery at the heart of this story. I haven't read all the books that are out there right now that are narrated by dogs but this one is a winner. I look forward to Chet and Bernie's next adventure.

A so small yet so satisfying novel about a girl living on a tropical island torn by civil war. The lone white man in the village agrees to teach the children and begins to read them Dicken's Great Expectations I found this book beautiful and unexpected.

This was the first book by Nevada Barr that I ever read and I loved it! All of her books are set in National Parks. They are filled with interesting information and lots of thoughtful, emotional detail. The information about spurlunking was great too!

The second novel from Leif Enger (read his first Peace Like a River if you haven't already) did not disappoint me. I find his writing to be beautiful and surprising. It's part western, part road trip with a group of wonderful characters that seem so real and unimaginable at the same time.