Lisa Anne Walker

The Ghost by Robert Harris. This is not a ghost story but the story of a ghost writer. It is a wonderfully taut political thriller. A ghost writer agrees to continue the memoirs of an unnamed recently retired British prime minister. The first writer has disappeared and is believed to have drowned falling overboard of the ferry that goes back and forth to the private island off the coast of New England. However, the new ghost writer soon learns that the disappearance may not have been an unfortunate accident. It seems someone doesn't want the memoirs written or doesn't want them written the way the prime minister wants them written. There appears to be an inconstancy in the way the PM tells his story and the information the ghost writer digs up. The ghost writer finds himself not only writing the memoirs dictated to him, but find that he needs to solve the reason why the first writer was killed and what damning information he had discovered about the prime minister and his politics. The inconsistencies begin to point to a strange political cover-up, but the writer is not quite sure what is being covered-up and by who. He ultimately discovers the reason, and it is not what it seemed to be. The writing is crisp and clear, the plot sufficiently twisty to stay interesting but not confusing, and a good ending.

Lisa Anne Walker

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger This is the second book that I always recommend when people ask me to suggest a good book to read. This book is a non-fiction account of the Andrea Gale, a fishing boat that has the unfortunate bad luck to wind up smack in the middle of a rare type of storm off the coast of New England, USA. The book was made into a movie starring George Clooney, but the movie only entails the story of the boat and crew. The book, however, is filled to the brim with very interesting information surrounding the storm. The story of the Andrea Gale is the center point the rest of the book revolves around. For example, Junger did extensive research on the making of this type of storm. He goes into great detail about the meteorology. He also talks about deep-sea rescuers: their training and the work they do. He talks about others caught out in the storm. How a ship can survive the waves caused and how a wave can destroy. There is a lot of information in this book. Junger did a great deal of homework to present every angle of a storm of this magnitude. He even discusses the science adn experience of drowning. Yet the writing is so compelling, never dull, that even die-hard fiction fans will enjoy the read.

Lisa Anne Walker

Life of Pi by Yan Martel (eAudiobook). When people ask me to recommend a book, this is one of the first that I suggest. I love this book. The basic story involves a boy and a tiger stuck on a life raft. The idea may seem absurd, but their attempts to learn to live with each other in a type of harmony is a metaphor for life. Pi is a teen living in India when his life is changed dramatically when his father decides to move the family and the family zoo to Canada. Pi is very curious and observant. In the zoo he finds meaning in the lives of the animals. He is also a seeker. Though he is young, he wonders about the truth of belief, of religion. So he searches out believers to hear what they have to say. The story is never about fast action, mysteries, or romance. Instead it is a quiet book about what it means to not just survive life but to learn to live it and begin to understand it. Martel's prose always borders on poetic while conveying a strange story of acceptance. I have found that people either are bored with this book because of the lack of fast paced action or they absolutely fall in love with it.

Tiera Aubrey

The Husband by Dean Koontz (eAudiobook). I have always been a huge fan of Dean Koontz’ writing and I’m happy to say he didn’t let me down with this novel. The story takes place in California and centers around a man named Mitch who gets a mysterious phone call that tells him his wife (Holly) has been kidnapped. And if that isn’t enough to draw you in, they want her ransomed for two million dollars and he only has a few days to comply – and here’s the kicker… his profession is a gardener. He even goes so far as to state this obvious glitch to the kidnappers – how can a gardener come up with that kind of money in that short amount of time? The reason behind this seemingly impossible demand comes to light throughout the story as well as how Mitch, motivated by his intense love for his wife, tries desperately to keep the kidnappers happy. As a typical Dean Koontz novel – there are several twists and turns as well as his wonderful sarcastic humor. The only thing that would have made this book more enjoyable for me is if Mitch’s childhood wasn’t so dark. The upside of the slow revelations of his past is that it really makes me feel like I had a golden childhood and that I’m the best mother in the world!

Lisa Anne Walker

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel.  This is a sci-fi novel but not quite in the same vain as most sci-fi. Set only a slightly in the future, it is the story of a Jesuit priest, Sandoz, who with a small crew travels to a far away planet. They originally learned of the planet when a beautiful 'song' is picked up on the massive scientific radios of Earth. Sandoz believes the song is of God and that it is his mission to go to this planet (he is a good man who loves to help people). Once the small crew gets to the planet, they meet some inhabitants, but not the ones who sing. So they befriend these. They spend a lot of time working with these and learning the language. They also find these people are oppressed, so they try to help them. Later the crew meets a singer and they are introduced to the city. But nothing is what they thought it would be. The writing is very good and addictive. I found myself reading for long stretches at a time. This is a sci-fi with many deep questions such as faith, oppression, etc. There is no happy ending. This is an excellent book whether you like sci-fi or not.