What’s Bred in the Bone, by Robertson Davies

Davies’s novel is a review of the life of Francis Cornish, an eccentric art collector, as told by Francis’s tutelary spirit, his daemon, to the recording angel. Throughout his life, Francis is transformed by the choices that he makes under the influence of this spirit. The novel is a fascinating portrait of how a life is shaped by choices and outside forces, told in a masterful style. If you like Davies writing style, and his blend of the occasional supernatural elements, try the follow-up story The Lyre of Orpheus, which tells of a graduate student’s recreation of an unfinished opera by 19th century composer E.T.A. Hoffman. Davies portrays academia without sentiment, and does not spare the pompous and arrogant. In concert with the main story, the reader is drawn into the life of Hoffman, whose spirit is reawakened by the effort to complete his work, and who narrates the tale of his own life. Davies combines romance, scholarship, music, and theater, adeptly capturing the vocal patterns of all of his characters, high and low.

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The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin

Reading The Westing Game is like working out a puzzle. Sixteen oddball characters are named as the heirs of dead millionaire Sam Westing, but they have to compete for the million-dollar inheritance by solving eight clues about his death. Is this a will, a murder investigation, or a treasure hunt? A classic because of its twisty plot, humor, and unexpected ending. Even adults will enjoy the clever writing in this children’s book. 1978, JF Raskin, 185 pp.

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The Stand (complete and uncut edition), by Stephen King

Most people think of Stephen King as a Horror writer, but he’s an accomplished Fantasy novelist, too. In this apocalyptic vision, a military-grade bioweapon has been loosed on the world, killing 99.9% of the population. After civilization breaks down, the remainder sort themselves into two communities, following elderly Mother Abigail or the Walkin’ Dude, Randall Flagg, until a final confrontation. Warning: this is a very long book— but if you want Good vs. Evil, you’ll get it on every page. 1990, F King, 1153 pp.

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I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak

Winner of the prestigious Printz Award for young adult literature, this story is unlike any other. Nineteen-year-old Ed Kennedy is a nondescript Australian with no ambition and no prospects. All that changes on the day he accidentally thwarts a bank robbery. That’s when the playing cards start arriving in the mail, each with a mysterious instruction scrawled on the side. Realistic characters, a surreal plot, and an unpredictable ending make this a compelling page-turner. 2005, YAF Zusak, 257 pp.

 

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Three Day Road, by Joseph Boyden

Like Pat Barker, Boyden uses the backdrop of WW I to explore the effects of war and killing on the human psyche. Boyden tells the story of two Cree Indians, Elijah Whiskeyjack and Xavier Bird, friends, who enlist in the Canadian Army as snipers. Their skills as hunters and trackers serve them well, but constant exposure to death and their complicity in it take a heavy toll. Their story is revealed slowly as Xavier, who survives the war, is paddled back to his village in Canada by his aunt, a noted healer. Boyden’s depiction of the horror of war is chilling and rings all too true. 2005, F BOYDEN, 354 p.

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Zia Summer, by Rudolpho Anaya

Like Tony Hillerman, Anaya explores issues of culture and tradition in the American Southwest. His detective, Sonny Baca, and other characters, often find themselves conflicted by the demands of the past and the present. Anaya is a lyrical writer, and conjures up the feel of the land in moving prose. Start with Zia Summer, where Baca investigates the murder of his cousin, and first love, and finds politics and environmental issues impeding his investigation. 1996, M ANAYA, 396 p.

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Early Autumn, by Robert Parker

If you haven’t discovered the Spenser novels, in which questions of honor and doing the right thing are disguised as detective fiction, you ought to give them a shot. The novels are short, fast-paced, and have strong Boston settings. In addition to Spenser himself, they feature his ongoing love interest Susan and his mercenary friend, Hawk. Early Autumn, is a good entry into the series, and finds Spenser protecting a teenage boy who is caught between an unsavory pair of divorcing parents. Spenser is a modern day evocation of the chivalric code. He helps those in distress, and has a strong sense of right and wrong.

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Death at La Fenice, by Donna Leon

The first in Leon’s wonderful series featuring the world-weary Venetian policeman Comissario Guido Brunetti. Set in contemporary Venice, Leon’s descriptions of the city are loving and intimate, and she knows both the main avenues as well as the canals and side streets. Although the mystery stories are always tightly plotted and exciting, the novels are as much about Brunetti’s family and his interactions with his co-workers and the corrupt Italian goverment officials. Brunetti is one of the best of the contemporary policeman, dedicated, honest, ethical, and with a strong commitment to justice. The series opens with Death at La Fenice, which finds Brunetti investigating the death of a conductor during a performance at the famed Venetian opera house. 1992, M LEON, 263 p.

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Blindness, by José Saramago

Pulitzer-Prize winner Saramago should be read for his unique style. It is unlike that of any other writer. Saramago tells bizarre, absorbing stories in the magical realism tradition. Often dark in tone, Saramago forces the reader to consider unanswerable questions or a personal and political nature. A good place to meet Saramago’s leftist politics is with Blindness, a horrific tale of human depravity in a police state. 1998, F Saramago, 294 pp.; trans. from Portuguese.

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The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, by Laurie R. King

Retired to a life of beekeeping in Sussex, Sherlock Holmes is drawn back into detecting by his encounter with an orphan, Mary Russell, who is as keen an observer as he is. Their friendship blossoms, and, despite a significant age difference, Russell and Holmes fall in love. King does an excellent job of presenting an older Holmes, and Mary’s intelligence surprises many people who underestimate her, including Holmes. King clearly knows the original stories, as well as other detective fiction set in the early 20th century. She draws on this literature in an understated fashion, never bringing in a reference that is not needed. 1994, M KING, 347 p.

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Blind Justice, by Bruce Alexander

Alexander’s series has as its main character an historical figure, Sir John Fielding, magistrate of Bow Street and the founder of the Bow Street Runners, London’s first police force. Fielding, who is blind, is assisted in his work by Jeremy Proctor, a young boy who has appeared before his bench unjustly accused of robbery. Fielding sees through the false accusations, and takes Jeremy in, as the boy is a orphan. The pair investigate the apparent suicide of a dissolute member of the House of Lords. Eighteenth century London comes alive with all its smells and sounds. With well-drawn characters and well-told stories, these books are first-rate reading. 1994, M ALEXANDER, 254 p.

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The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill

Nineteenth-century literature meets the superhero graphic novel: characters including Mina Harker, last seen in Bram Stoker’s Dracula; “science pirate” Captain Nemo; adventurer Allan Quartermain; and both Jekyll and his alter-ego join forces to save London’s East End. Detailed panels, cultural allusions, and a witty, complicated storyline make this a stunning blend of literary fiction and science fiction. Sex and graphic violence figure prominently. You may be interested in seeing the movie, too, though be warned that most people did not care for it when it was released. 2002, 741.5 Moo.

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Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

If you like the zany British humor of Douglas Adams, try this collaboration, a light and sarcastic look at the apocalypse. The end of days is approaching, but no one can find the Antichrist, the earthly representatives of heaven and hell have more in common than they thought, and the four horsemen are riding Harleys. Clever dialogue and quirky characters make it a funny read, though deeper themes about religion and politics are lurking just below the surface. 1990, F Gaiman, 384 pp.

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Isabel’s Bed by Elinor Lipman

Lipman delights her fans with gentle satire, witty dialogue, and characters who are hilariously blind to their own faults. Struggling writer Harriet Mahoney’s dull life takes a turn when she is hired to ghostwrite the autobiography of Isabel Krug, the “other woman” in a sensational murder case. Ensconced in Isabel’s bohemian Cape Cod household, Harriet gets unasked-for lessons on the art of writing and the art of attracting men. 1995, F Lipman, 386 pp.

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