1. The History of Love: A Novel
By Nicole Krauss
"Krauss' novel is bursting with colorful characters, suspense, true love, and tenderness. Author Leo Gursky is dying, but he's mysteriously found the chance to reach out to the son he never met. Alma is trying her darndest to make her mourning mother happy and, finally, sees the opportunity when the book (The History of Love) that gave her her name suddenly reappears in their lives." --Jenny Davis, Kepler's Books & Magazines, Belmont, CA

Lizzie's War: A Novel
By Tim Farrington
"This strong and moving novel is a reminder that Vietnam was a war fought on two fronts -- the bloody and baffling war in Southeast Asia and the war at home of protest and civil unrest. Lizzie cares for her children while her husband, Mike, serves his tour of duty. Farrington's novel shows their ordinary heroism and love." --Lyn Roberts, Square Books, Oxford, MS

Leeway Cottage
By Beth Gutcheon
"This is an excellent marriage of rich human interest and historical drama. Gutcheon has written a fascinating novel that makes the lives of several generations of people who inhabit a summer home in Maine come to life while, also, interweaving the story of the Danish resistance in World War II." --Leslie Hakala, Best of Times Bookstore, Red Wing, MN

Citizen Vince: A Novel
By Jess Walter
"Vince, an East Coast criminal now in the witness protection program in Spokane, is up to his old tricks. However, excited that with a new identity he can now vote in the 1980 presidential election, Vince discovers that his old life has come back to claim him. Walter has created a wonderfully fun and smart novel." --Luisa Smith, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA

The Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered My Inner Italian
By Phil Doran
"Sit back, put your feet up, and take a vacation with Phil Doran and see how we all can discover our inner Italian -- and stop the American madness. Learn the language, savor the food, drink the wine, laugh and cry. In the end, you'll want to sell your house and move." --Chris Vietmeier, St. Helens Book Shop, St. Helens, OR

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
By Richard Louv
"Well-researched and written in an engaging tone, this important book is a must-read for anyone who cares about children and/or the state of our world. While highlighting the tendency that our society has to separate itself from nature, Louv also offers hope and ideas for reversing this trend." --Jennifer Malinowski, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

Any Bitter Thing: A Novel
By Monica Wood
"In this elegant novel, Wood takes readers on a journey of reconciliation, as Lizzy Mitchell, 30 years old and in a failed marriage, attempts to come to terms with the murky shadows of her past, the detachment of her present, and the uncertainty of her future." --Kathleen Caldwell, A Great Good Place for Books, Oakland, CA

The Mermaid Chair: A Novel
By Sue Monk Kidd
"If you have any doubts about this book being as good as Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, worry not -- it's even better. Jessie Sullivan's return to her childhood home to face her (and her mother's) past by deciding on where her future lies and with whom is a journey to be taken gladly." --Tara O'Donnell, Paperbacks Plus, Bronx, NY

The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories
By Steve Almond
"After indulging his inner Candyfreak, Almond is back with a second, and superb, collection of short stories. This book is a fearless look at love and desire from an exceptional storyteller." --Jamie McMullin, Small World Books, Venice, CA

The Closers
By Michael Connelly
"Harry Bosch has uncovered a case that's anything but cold. A young girl's apparent suicide holds the key to one man's obsession. With crackling dialogue and masterful plot work, Connelly weaves a tale of corruption and betrayal that reaches deep into the abyss called Los Angeles." --Geoff Jennings, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

The Hungry Tide: A Novel
By Amitav Ghosh
"Dolphins, tigers, an itinerant scientist, an illiterate fisherman, and a sophisticated translator are just some of the characters in this fascinating novel set on islands off the easternmost coast of India. The action is fast-paced, the passions high, the writing first-rate." --Betsy Burton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

Big Hair and Flying Cows
By Dolores J. Wilson
"What a hoot this novel is! I just loved this story of Bertie Byrd, mechanic and tow truck driver in Sweet Meadow, Georgia. It's filled with humor; everyday, down-to-earth characters; and family. A wonderful read for women's reading groups, or just to make you feel good." --Linda Vinstra, Great Northern Books and Hobbies, Oscoda, MI

The Harmony Silk Factory
by Tash Aw
"Over 80 years of Malaysian history are seen through the eyes of three narrators -- a boy whose parents are central to the story; his mother, through her diary entries; and an Englishman who loved the mother. Tash Aw has created a lyrical and powerfully dramatic first novel woven with intrigue and deep human emotion." --Peter Marsh, Briggs Carriage Bookstore, Brandon, VT

The Lake, The River, and the Other Lake: A Novel
By Steve Amick
"A delightful depiction of all the underlying tensions, joys, and sorrows in a small community on Lake Michigan, where the real residents resent the summer visitors, but also know they depend on them for income during the season. I hope we will meet some of them again in a follow-up novel." --Nicola Rooney, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI

A Slight Trick of the Mind
By Mitch Cullin
"This well-written novel reveals Sherlock Holmes in a totally different light -- a man struggling with his past, his emotions, and his rapidly fading mental keenness. Awesome!" --Linda Grana, Lafayette Book Store, Lafayette, CA

New Mercies: A Novel
By Sandra Dallas
"I loved this atmospheric, haunting novel of death, rebirth, loss, and discovery. Set in the 1930s, the novel's main character, Nora Bondurant, leaves Denver for Natchez, Mississippi, to escape the memories of her dead husband, only to find herself plunged into the decaying world of the Old South. Time seems to stand still and secrets abound. This is a great story!" --Lori Underwood, HearthFire Books of Evergreen, Evergreen, CO

Robbing the Bees: A Biography of Honey -- The Sweet Liquid Gold that Seduced the World
By Holley Bishop
"Take a fascinating trip through time to reveal how bees, and their honey, have been used throughout history. Holley Bishop has written a wonderfully enjoyable biography of honey (and bees!) that has something for everyone. I'll never view honey the same way again!" --Kelly Dickinson, OSU Bookstore – General Books, Corvallis, Oregon

The Loss of Leon Meed: A Novel
By Josh Emmons
"In turns sad, funny, and wise, The Loss of Leon Meed is an astonishing and unforgettable book. The novel is set in a small town where people tend to get stuck in boring jobs, in bad relationships, and, in Leon Meed's case, in time. I won't soon forget this wonderful novel." --Jan Warner-Poole, Storyteller Books, Vancouver, WA

Raising Hope: A Novel
By Katie Willard
"When infant Hope is left by her father to be raised by his sister and his ex-girlfriend, the two women must put aside their personal differences in order to raise the girl. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll share it with your best friends." --Susan Taylor, Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA

Above the Thunder: A Novel
By Renee Manfred
"This is a powerfully told tale, gut-wrenching and mesmerizing, about the choices one makes and the relationships that are forged through fire and love. It is rich with detail and characters that shout, sing, and dream. I cannot shake this novel's effect on me." --Sheryl Cotleur, A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, San Francisco, CA