Twins by Marcy Dermansky

This was another book that surprised me with its subtlety. The beginning reads like a teen novel, but as the story of identical twins who grow up through high school continues, their characters become well developed. While some of the characters are a bit shallow (like the lawyer-parents) and some of the plot turns unusually unlikely, the book as a whole tells an interesting story.

The In-Between World of Vikram Lall by M.G. Vassanji

Thanks to Christie for this book as a holiday gift. It follows Vic, whose family is from India but living in Kenya, from childhood to adulthood. Colonialism puts him and his family in an interesting place in Kenya, neither black nor white. And this in-between-ness follows him throughout life into a life of government corruption. The characters are wonderful and the story is truly a saga, mixing modern-day chapters with the story of his life prior to that. Recommended.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian by Marina Lewycka

This was a great fun read. It tells the story of two sisters who don't get along coping with their aging father's new marriage to a young Ukranian immigrant gold-digger. The characters are funny (particularly the father and his squishy-squashy problems) and the story is quick and charming. There was a book-within-a-book aspect of it I was not crazy about, but other than that I really enjoyed this one. Even better, I have not been satisfied with the ending to a book in a long time, and this one "hit the spot." Recommended.

More, Now, Again by Elizabeth Wurtzel

I was not the only reader dissatisfied with Bitch, Wurtzel's second book. After Prozac Nation, which is an all-time favorite book of mine, I was expecting to love Bitch. When I didn't, I didn't bother to pick up More, Now, Again for a long time. Something compelled me to try it recently, and I'm glad I did. Like Prozac Nation, More, Now, Again invites the reader into Wurtzel's world. This time, it is a world of drug addiction, and it is told without pulling any punches. Her descent into addiction is tragic. And yet her story as a whole seems uplifting and even inspirational. She treats drug addiction with the same honesty, humor, and grit that depression received in her first book. And drug addiction is clearly identifiable as a disease, just as depression was. (The disorganization and structural problems with Bitch are attributable to the drug addiction from which she was suffering while writing Bitch...which explains a lot.) Recommended, if you like Wurtzel.

Oh the Glory of it All by Sean Wilsey

Thanks to Amy for an autographed copy of this book as a gift. Too bad I was on page 50, and finding the story a little far-fetched, and beginning to hate the author's propensity for putting real historical figures in a fictional book before I realized that this was a non-fiction book. Wilsey certainly lived an unusual childhood and troubled adolescence which he rises out of gracefully towards the end of the book. This was a definite page-turner, and I was sad to leave it at home during a business trip with luggage that did not allow for hardcover books! Recommended.

Eight Months on Ghazzah Street by Hilary Mantel

I had enjoyed Mantel's Change of Climate last year and was looking forward this this. It didn't disappoint. It follows the life of a British woman who moves to Saudi Arabia due to her husband's job. Frances adjusts to life in Saudi Arabia, but is continuously disturbed by the misogyny and anti-Western sentiment. She senses that things are not right with her neighbors and begins to find out a big secret about an empty apartment upstairs. This book was very evocative of place and mood. Recommended.

Moo by Jane Smiley

Every once and I while Mer A. and I agree on a book, and this is one of them. What a funny and delightful portrait of a college going through several financial, political, and social crises. The characters were sympathetic and the storylines compelling. Some parts of the book were laugh-out-loud which I self-consciously adore about reading a book. Recommended.

Family History by Dani Shapiro

I thought this would be a fluff book, a quick read. I found it to be more like Prep or a Jodi Picoult novel in that the topic was treated with good writing and a deep investigation of the emotions and motives of the characters. It followed the lives of a family of four, where the teenage daughter experiences such extreme jealousy towards her baby brother that she nearly destroys the family. Well written and a true page-turner. I fell into this category: "One of those books most readers will finish in one sitting . . . because it is so intense you can't take a break." (Linnea Lannon, Detroit Free Press)

All the Names by Jose Saramago

This was a fabulous book. It was about a man who worked in the Registry in an un-named South American city. He leads a very organized and quiet life for years before becoming involved in a mystery involving a woman whose card he comes in contact with. They mystery is interesting, but this magic of this book is the writing style and mood created by the author and by the lead character. Be prepared for a challenge, though: certain paragraphs are longer than a single page, and dialogue is sparse. Recommended. Strangely enough, Elana recommended a different book by Saramago while I was in the middle of this one. I will probably try that one after a break from Saramago.

Hear Me Now by Sophal Leng Stagg

I did not realize this was a children's book when I picked it up; at least, it seems to be written for a young teen audience. It tells the story of a family surviving during the wars in Cambodia. The writing is nothing special, but the author's story is quite compelling and the horrors she survived horrendous. Interesting complement to many of the Holocaust memoirs I've read.