When these words, “as dawn poured over Rambla de Santa Monica in a wreath of liquid copper,” are in the first paragraph of a book, you know you are dealing with something special. The Shadow of the Wind got rave reviews from everyone I know. I loved it in fits and starts, but it often stalled out for me in the middle. However, I am so glad I stuck with it because the last 200 pages were unbelievably wonderful. It was beautifully written and had a compelling and fascinating storyline. This is another good quote: “I didn’t manage to get to sleep until dawn cast a hundred tones of dismal grey on my bedroom window.” I highly, highly recommend it and thank all those who suggested I read it next!

I feel like I am just coming up from air after having spent the last few days immersed in Ayelet Waldman’s Love and Treasure. What a treat! I highly recommend this interwoven story of characters who were affected by the Hungarian Gold Train. I loved the way the individuals’ narratives wove back and forth across time. It was also a topic I knew nothing about, which increased my interest in the book. I will need to pick up her Red Hook Road next, I think.

I have had The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill on my wishlist for about a year. I don’t know how it got there. It was a decent read,  but nothing stupendous and rather disappointing at the end. While I liked that Hannah made a decision that worked for herself as a woman, it made me sad because it was practical, not emotional. If you have an interest in astronomy, you would enjoy this, and that part was certainly interesting, but it wasn’t the most appealing to me. (Special thanks to Will for his help in this response.)

The Story Hour was a wonderful little book. Maggie, a therapist, ends up in an increasingly complex relationship with one of her patients. The connections between the characters, the spare writing, and the plot all made this a winner and one that I very much enjoyed reading each night. I was sorry when it ended. I haven’t read any others by this author, but I plan to. I expect they will be equally enjoyable.

I picked up The Aviator’s Wife on the recommendation of my mom. I was sucked right in and read it in two days. I loved it. I knew some of the details of Anne and Charles Lindbergh’s life, but not nearly as much as I uncovered in reading the book. It made me want to do research about the author and the amount she fictionalized and the amount that was based on fact. I was especially intrigued by the sections on the Lindbergh baby. If you enjoy historical fiction, as I do, grab this one. It’s great!

I really liked The Husband’s Secret, so I was excited to read Big Little Lies, also by Liane Moriarty. Moriarty did not disappoint in this “keep-them-guessing-’til-the-end” mystery where you already knew what happened when you started. I enjoyed the main characters and how their stories wove together, and loved the ending, which I never would have predicted. It was great and I highly recommend it.

I love a good memoir and A House in the Sky was one of the better ones I have read. Spare in style, Amanda Lindhout’s story of her kidnapping and life as a hostage for 460 (!) days in Somalia is incredible. While it is haunting and depressing, at the same time it is compelling and intriguing. I could not put it down and stayed up way too late to finish it. If this selection is not on your list, it should be!

If the title doesn’t suck you right in, then the text will. 2 A.M. at the Cat’s Pajamas is a layered story with three main story lines that weave together for a quick read. It was interesting and entertaining, but not my favorite of the year. I did love how the characters came in and out of each other’s storylines and I liked the spare manner in which the story was told. At the end of the day, however, I was hurrying toward the end to find out what happened to all of them, not sad that I had finished.