Sailing the Open Sea

Sea of Poppies by Indian author Amitov Ghosh is a very weird and wonderful book--weird because this epic saga spends most of its pages building a cast of oddly interconnected characters, and wonderful because these numerous characters are the most colorful and intriguing ones I have ever met. I will admit that it is difficult to keep them all straight. There are many, and they have unusual names (to this American, English-speaking reader anyway) that simply do not roll off the tongue. But they are incredibly well drawn, unique, endearing (some), and appalling (others). The language had me laughing out loud at times--some of the characters speak a language that is a rough combination of English, shipboard slang, and probably some Farsi or Bengali or Bhurundi thrown in. Even if you don't understand the exact words, you know exactly what they meant to say by the context. This author is very skilled at dialogue and at helping you understand what is going on, even if the character is speaking nonsense. The story begins upriver from Calcutta, at the beginning of a journey of the sailing ship the Ibis and takes us down the Ganges and out to the open sea. The Opium Wars have begun, so the Ibis is substituting its normal load of opium with a different cargo this time--coolies to work the plantations on the Mauritius Islands, and convicts to be interred at the prison at Port Louis. I waited to read this book for a long time, because apparently the publisher could not keep up with the demand. The author intends this to be the first in a trilogy, the Ibis trilogy, and I simply can't wait for the next one. I won't give away the ending, but when it comes, you will slam the book shut and immediately call your local librarian to see when the second in the series is coming out. I'll save you that step and tell you: October 2010.

A FUNNY Walk in the Woods

Back in America after 20 years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacqauint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes--and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings. But this book is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson's acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is also the Carroll County on the Same Page selection for 2009.

A Thriller with a Heart

You have got to read this book. Put everything else aside, find a comfortable chair, and start reading. Actually, you won't even need a comfortable chair, because once you start reading, you won't notice where you are or what you're sitting on. This book is that good. This was my first time to read John Hart, and after reading The Last Child, I intend to go back and read his two previous books as soon as possible. It is the perfect blend of page-turning suspense, intriguing plot, and characters that come alive on the page. Johnny Merriman is a 13-year-old boy who has had to grow up way too fast, and Clyde Hunt is the detective who always seems to be one or two steps behind Johnny. (That was my one and only complaint about this book--I was disappointed that it took Hunt so long to figure out what Johnny was up to!) Johnny's sister Alyssa disappeared a year ago, his father left shortly after that, and his mother totally fell apart. Johnny's life is devoted to trying to find Alyssa, escaping the wrath of his mother's cold and heartless "boyfriend" (more like drug supplier) Ken, and trying to watch out for his fragile mother as best as he can. Hunt, who was the lead detective on Alyssa's case, is obsessed with the case and tries to keep tabs on Johnny and his mother. Then another young girl is abducted, and the nightmare escalates. If you like a good crime novel, or a good character-driven novel, you will love this book. Read it.

A Remembrance of Times Past

Remembering the Bones, by Frances Itani, is a delightful book about a delightful woman in a not-so-delightful predicament. Georgina Danforth is on her way to visit the queen when her life takes a big turn. She shares Queen Elizabeth II's birthday, so she is one of 99 who is invited to a big party celebrating their 80th birthdays. On her way to the airport, Georgie, who is excited and distracted, veers off the road and into a ravine. She is injured and unable to move very far. Her car and herself are hidden from the road. She comforts herself by remembering and naming all the bones of the body, which she learned as a child by poring over her grandfather's anatomy books. She also remembers many scenes from her life, and reflects on whether she has lived a worthy one. At least one reviewer has said that Georgie's musings are very awkward and disordered, but wouldn't your thoughts be a little in disarray if you were in pain and lying in a ditch, wondering if you would ever be found? This is a wonderful story about a woman's life, with a tension growing with every page, as the reader wonders about Georgie's fate. This is the Morning Book Club's selection for June. Come and discuss the book with us on June 26, at 9 a.m.

Dark truths hidden in Dark Places

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Libby Day is the sole survivor of a family massacre that took place in 1985. Seven years of age at the time of the murders, her testimony clenches a life-sentence for her brother Ben, 15, who at the time was rumored to have been dabbling with Satanism. Libby, now in her early 30s, is in a financial fix. She becomes involved with a club whose members are interested in true crime and finds that none of the members believe her story. When they offer her cash for digging up her past and investigating key possible suspects, she reluctantly agrees and soon begins to question what she saw or didn't see on that cold and tragic January night.