Ninety-year-old Jacob Jankowski finds himself haunted by memories of his past in the circus and the freaks, exotic animals, and other people he encountered as a performer.

Liz says:

“Alternating between scenes from the circus set in the Depression Era and current day in Jacob’s nursing home, this book has elements of intrigue, history and delves into the topic of aging.”

Perfect also for young adults.

Clare and Henry, deeply in love, try desperately to maintain normal lives even though he has been diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder, a condition in which his genetic clock periodically resets, pulling him through time to the past or future.

Liz says:

“If you can buy into the time travel premise you will be rewarded greatly by a story filled with love, hope and hopelessness. For those from or familiar with Chicago, you will appreciate the setting. This is one of my personal favorites!”

Translation of: Sombra del viento. In 1945 Spain, the young son of an antique-book dealer searches for more books by Julian Carax, an author he has recently discovered, and finds that everything Carax has ever written has been destroyed–and that his search has put his friends and family in danger.

Liz says:

“This story transports you to another time and place and takes you on a journey following the mystery of Julian Carax and his mysterious writings. The story is historically interesting and is also a coming of age story.”

Overweight and nerdy Oscar lives with his Dominican American mother and sister in New Jersey and dreams of becoming a renowned author and finding true love, but unfortunately, a family curse stands in the way of his wishes.

Liz says:

“This is a bit hard to get into but it’s well worth the wait. The reader is purposely meant to feel like an outsider, mimicking the immigrant experience. We don’t even know who the narrator is until well into the book and Diaz uses Spanish and Spanglish words and terms that are unfamiliar. Ultimately, however, we very much get into Oscar’s head and sense the enormity of his personal angst and utter sense of loneliness. Mixed in with all of this is a sense of humor giving the book some levity.”

Tells the parallel stories of Daniel Burnham, the main architect of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and serial killer Henry H. Holmes, discussing the challenges Burnham faced in creating the hugely successful White City, and looking at how Holmes used the opportunities afforded by the fair to lure victims to their deaths.

Liz says:

“This is perhaps one of the best examples of narrative non-fiction I’ve ever read. Larson masterfully weaves fact (including many direct quotes) with dialogue and atmospheric descriptions which bring to life the city of Chicago and the fascinating characters which abound. While some people prefer the chapters that provide the architectural history of the fair, others prefer the descriptions of Holmes’ murderous ways. I actually loved both! (In this vein, I also recommend Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and Caleb Carr’s The Alienist).”

Blends fact and fiction in a historical novel about the love affair between Mamah Borthwick Cheney and architect Frank Wright, who was commissioned by Mamah and her husband Edwin in 1903 to design a new home for them.

Liz says:

“This superbly written book ranks among one of my favorites. More than anything, this is the story of Mamah Borthwick. You will follow her as she begins her affair with Frank Lloyd Wright, leaves her husband and 2 children, travels to Europe, begins a career and returns to live at Taliesin, the famed home that Wright built for her in his native town in Wisconsin. Just as life seems to stabilize for her, an unexpected event occurs.

The group unanimously enjoyed this book and it provided for the best discussion we’ve ever had.”

A tale reminiscent of “Hamlet” that also celebrates the alliance between humans and dogs follows speech-disabled Wisconsin youth Edgar, who bonds with three yearling canines and struggles to prove that his sinister uncle is responsible for his father’s death.

Liz says:

“The writing is superb and while the story is gripping in parts, it disappoints in the end. I feel badly to not recommend something that is clearly fine literature, but for the amount of time it takes to get through this tome, I’m just not sure the ends justify the means.”