A birthday party, two of the most beautiful souls still living today, and a narrator who steps back and just lets these two men converse, all come together in one of the most significant books I have read in many years. Whether you are a person of faith, or no faith, this book can speak to your heart. These two men discuss the many varying processes of how to bring joy into our ordinary life, how to sustain ourselves during times of great grief, and most importantly, how to impart kindness and compassion out into the world. I learned a great deal about two men that frankly I did not know: the struggles of Tutu during the years of apartheid, the grief of rebellion and his refugee status of the Dalai Lama, the delightful and infectious sense of humor of both men, and the incredible quiet they both seek in order to bring them closer to their own souls. This is truly a life-changing book. The Dark Room by Jonathan Moore
Over the years, I have eschewed the American detective story, opting instead for the Scandinavian writers who seem to have a monopoly on twisted, exciting thrillers with well-defined police detectives. However, if you missed Jonathan Moore's earlier novels as I did, you will want to buy them all after reading his latest, The Dark Room. Moore has created some wonderfully complex characters, starting with his main detective, Inspector Cain, one of San Francisco's best investigators. The story begins with he and his partner watching a coffin brought back to the surface after thirty years, to discover upon opening it that another body had been placed inside. Thus the mystery begins that ropes in the current San Francisco mayor, his consistently inebriated wife, the daughter who has a penchant for walking around naked, and a plethora of detectives that bring both humor and tension. My personal favorite was the female FBI agent, in whom Cain trusts and confides. Add to that Cain's personal life with a woman who has some demons in the closet, both literally and figuratively, and you have a gripping mystery that will keep you up well past midnight. 
Winner of the Book of the Month Club "Book of the Year," as voted on by BOTM members. Rated 4.21 stars on Good Reads. Rave reviews all over the place. Yet...I must have missed something, as this is a book I found profoundly disturbing. I typically have no problem reading 'disturbing' books; I will read seriously messed up thrillers, non-fiction books that make one want to take a shower, fiction books that rip your guts out and make you weep, yet this book was beyond all that for me. The main story line focuses on an acutely dysfunctional family: serial cheater father who cooks meth as a business, drug-addicted and mentally ill mother, controlling and inflexible aunt, tragically sad Native American young man searching for love, and a little girl named Wavy who has chosen not to talk or eat, due to the disturbing parenting techniques of her mother. This story sucked me in from the start, and lost me about one-third in as it focused on the burgeoning love story between the twenty-something year old Kellen and young Wavy, culminating in a sexual affair when she is thirteen. As a public school teacher who witnessed the fall-out of behavior like this, I just could not buy into the so-called 'beauty' of this love story, nor the very detailed prose of the sexual acts themselves. And I am not a prude - I just could not stomach this. Nor was I convinced the writing style was so beautiful that it made me ignore the ugliness of the story. And yes, I understand that was the point of this novel, hence the title; it is just not something that I could celebrate.
For lovers of Harry Potter, Six of Crows, or any other fabulous fantasy, this new book out in January 2017, should be added to your "to be read" list immediately. The story begins with two young women, sisters raised by a controlling father, far from other civilization. Scarlet has always dreamed of receiving an invitation to the "once-a-year" game called Caraval, yet the reality is far more sinister than her dreams had led her to believe. The mastermind behind it all, a mysterious man named Legend, has taken her beloved sister, Tella. Thus, her older sister becomes the pawn in a magical, diabolical game and Scarlet must brave dangers, untrustworthy companions, and numerous deadly obstacles save her. The most difficult part for both Scarlet and the reader is discerning what is part of the game, and what is real? Is it all fantasy? What are we to believes? This is a wonderfully creative, beautiful, exciting book; if you are a YA fantasy lover, do not miss this one.Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill
Another YA fantasy to add to your magical "to-be-read" list, this is a solid outing for this debut author. The lead character is a young woman named Britta, left alone by her father's death, shunned by her village for being an outside, and starving to death as the end of the two months of mourning are almost over. Caught poaching on the king's land, Britta must make a deal with the devil, or in this case, a rather unpleasant soldier. Mix in a love story with her father's old apprentice, Cohen, some rather nasty men hunting the two teens, a mysterious illness of the young king's, and a search for Britta's own magical talents in her native land, and it's a good story. I am, however, a bit critical and hope for some further depth in the second of the series, titled Ever the Brave, which is due to come out in December 2017. I want to know more about her father and his need for secrecy; I want to know more about the history between these two countries; I want more on the Channelers and the Spiriters and their influence in politics, etc; I want to know more about the political intrigue at the King's court in the land of Malam; and I want more development of the secondary characters. With that said, I still read this book in just two days, admiring the strength in the female lead and intrigued by the mystery surrounding the magical skills, seeing great potential in the furthering of this series.
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