THE REST OF HER LIFE: A Novel
By Laura Moriarty
"Laura Moriarty has captured the fears and reality of how a single, innocent action can send our lives into a tailspin. Written with grace and honesty, the story does not shy away from exposing the reader to very difficult questions. This will be an excellent book group selection." -- Amy Gillard, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, MI

HERE IF YOU NEED ME: A True Story
By Kate Braestrup
"God may have a sense of humor, but calling Kate Braestrup into service was no joke. While traversing her own wilderness of loss and faith, a newly single mother of four takes on the spiritually treacherous work of chaplain to Maine's toughest rescuers. Giving of herself with great humor and heart, Kate's story emanates hope and inspires a belief in miracles." --Stacie Williams, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, Milwaukee, WI

THE SEPTEMBERS OF SHIRAZ: A Novel
By Dalia Sofer
"This gripping and heartfelt novel set in Tehran in the early 1980s, shortly after the Islamic Revolution, follows the fates and dreams of a family of affluent, secular Jews struggling to adapt to their rapidly changing, and unforgiving, world. An unforgettable debut." --Tova Beiser, Brown University Bookstore, Providence, RI

THE WORLD WITHOUT US
By Alan Weismanbr> "This examination of an earth without us is a fascinating blend of the sciences, history, and quite plausible speculation. This engrossing book will enable readers to see humans' place in the planet's natural order in an entirely new light. An engrossing read." --Tom Williams, Mendham Books, Mendham, NJ

HOW TO TALK TO A WIDOWER: A Novel
By Jonathan Tropper
"Wallowing in grief and guilt over his wife's accidental death, widower Doug Parker looks for relief in all the wrong places: with his neighbor's wife, at the bottom of a bottle, and on a long run from family and responsibility -- and he takes us along for the tearful, tender, laugh-out-loud ride." --Anne Wagner, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA

ON KINGDOM MOUNTAIN: A Novel
By Howard Frank Mosher
"On Kingdom Mountain brims with humor, history, intrigue, and romance while addressing the issues of love of the land and home (Vermont, in particular), rampant development, environmental degradation, and a vanishing way of life." --Mary Gleysteen, Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bainbridge Island, WA

BAD MONKEYS: A Novel
By Matt Ruff
"Jane Charlotte is an assassin for the Bad Monkeys, a squad dedicated to stopping evil. Or is she? This hilarious, fast-paced novel will leave you checking your dollar bills and posters for mini-cameras and wondering just who is on the other end of the phone line." --Gadiel Schultz, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH

LOVING BREAK: A Novel
By Nancy Horan
"Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress faced insurmountable obstacles in creating a life together. Seeing their love through the eyes of this talented, educated, and strong 'other woman' is a revelation when set against the simmering suffragette movement of the era, and it raises questions still being argued today." --Candy Purdom, Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL

KILLER WEEKEND
By Ridley Pearson
"Pearson's latest -- set in Sun Valley, Idaho -- will grab you by the throat on the first page and hold you until the final sentence. Local lawman Walt Fleming must nab an assassin poised to murder presidential candidate Liz Shaler. You won't want to put this thriller down." --Lillian Kinsey, Bohannons' Books With a Past, Georgetown, KY

MISTER PIP: A Novel
By Lloyd Jones
"A teacher introduces a group of island children to the world of Charles Dickens through Great Expectations and offers them a world set apart from their own war-torn universe. First internally, then externally, lives are transformed magically through imagination inspired by both 18th-century London and their humble teacher." --Elizabeth G. Plante, Water Street Books, Exeter, NH

ALONE IN THE KITCHEN WITH AN EGGPLANT: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone
edited by Jenni Ferrari-Adler
"Twenty-six different contributors (some well-known food writers, others better know for their fiction) talk about their experiences of cooking and dining alone, each exploring the guilty pleasure of not having to explain one's sometimes bizarre choice of foods. Interlaced with recipes, this is great fun to read." --Jan Sloan, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

RED ROVER: A Novel
By Deirdre McNamer
"It's impossible for me to sort out what I liked best about this novel, set in Montana between the 1920s and 2000 -- the appealing characters, the peel-an-onion structure, or McNamer's almost-invisible style, so good you almost don't notice it. Ultimately, it comes down to a story, about the once-youthful, self-styled gauchos, lovers of the long ride, who take us on a memorable one." --Russ Lawrence, Chapter One Book Store, Hamilton, MT

THE ISLAND: A Novel
By Victoria Hislop
"The island of the title is Spinalonga, where lepers from all over Greece were sent to live out their lives. The stories of four generations of the Petrakis family are interwoven with the story of the community on Spinalonga and the eventual discovery of a cure for leprosy in this very satisfying first novel. The unspoken is filled in, old pain is eased, and the right decisions are made." --Julie Leonard, Troubadour Books, Boulder, CO

UP HIGH IN THE TREES: A Novel
By Kiara Brinkman
"Through the spare narration of eight-year-old Sebby Lane, Kiara Brinkman manages to tell a rich, nuanced story that deeply delves into the adult themes of grief, family ties, and friendship." --Arsen Kashkashian, The Boulder Book Store, Boulder, CO

A PECULIAR GRACE: A Novel
By Jeffrey Lent
"Hewitt Pearce, a 43-year-old blacksmith living alone in the wilds of Vermont, is beginning to come to terms with his past when Jessica, a young women with her own demons, appears in his yard and Hewitt's solitary days give way to reconnecting with both himself and his community." --Penny McConnel, Norwich Bookstore, Norwich, VT

DIRTY MARTINI: A Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mystery
By J.A. Konrath
"While mulling over a marriage proposal from her accountant boyfriend, as well learning that the father who she once thought was dead is not, Jacqueline 'Jack' Daniels has to deal with her most deadly foe to date, The Chemist, who has been terrorizing Chicago with his own deadly mixture of toxins." --Bob Connolly, Jabberwocky Bookshop & Cafe, Newburyport, MA

LETTER FROM POINT CLEAR: A Novel
By Dennis McFarland
"After learning that their sister has married an evangelical preacher, an older brother and sister head home to Point Clear, Alabama, to see what is going on. The coming together of the siblings and other assorted characters results in a story that you will think about long after you finish the novel." --Penny McConnel, Norwich Bookstore, Norwich, VT

NIGHT BIRDS: A Novel
By Thomas Maltman
"Based on the 1862 Sioux uprising in Minnesota, Maltman's novel is a gripping tale of this sad event, which ended with the mass hanging of 38 Sioux. Reading Maltman I am reminded of Ivan Doig or Larry Watson: great style, great narrative, and a stunning portrait of the times." --Richard Taber, Village Books, Bellingham, WA

SWIM TO ME: A Novel
By Betsy Carter
"Sixteen-year-old Delores Walker leaves her troubled family behind in the Bronx and rides the bus to Florida, where she has the tentative offer of a job as a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs, a somewhat down-at-the-heels roadside attraction. Hope springs eternal! Betsy Carter's characters understand this -- their efforts to reinvent themselves make this a lively and very funny novel." --Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books, Orinda, CA

THE RIVER WIFE: A Novel
By Jonis Agee
"In The River Wife, Agee presents us with a sweeping epic covering 140 years and several generations of tantalizingly interwoven characters who leap off the page into your mind. This is one of those enticing books that will have you saying, 'just one more page' far into the night." --Nancy Simpson, The Book Vault, Oskaloosa, IA