The Expected One

The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan is a novel about Mary Magdalene that McGowan researched for two decades. In the same vein as Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, this novel is filled with hidden scrolls, secret societies,  ancient mysteries, symbols, and most importantly, the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

At the heart of the novel is Maureen Paschal, "The Expected One" who is meant to uncover the original gospel of Mary Magdalene. Whether or not you believe the claims that McGowan puts forth in this book, it is a great read, I couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to reading the next two novels in the series.

What Matters Most

What Matters Most is a recent novel by Luanne Rice. Rice is a very prolific writer who has the ability to create memorable characters that readers care for deeply.

Here we meet James (Seamus) Sullivan and Kathleen Murphy. Two orphans who grew up together in a Dublin orphanage and were raised by nuns. We also meet Tom Kelly and Sister Bernadette Sullivan. Their four lives are intricately woven together long before they even know it.

This is a novel about the enduring power of love, faith and family. The story moves from Ireland to New England, from cliffs and seashores in one country to the other. Although not her best novel, it is still an engaging, hard to put down read.

The Piano Tuner

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason is a beautifully written novel that takes the reader deep into the heart of Burma. In the late 1800's, Edgar Drake, a shy, middle aged piano tuner from London is sent into the jungle in Burma to tune a piano for an eccentric army surgeon.

This is a wonderful story that had me hooked from the beginning. I was transported while reading this novel. Mason's details about music, pianos, and piano tuning are fascinating, as well as his descriptions of Burma.

A beautiful, yet sad novel. One that will linger long after the last page is turned.

Maya's Notebook

Maya's Notebook is the new novel by Isabelle Allende. Allende is a master storyteller and I always look forward to reading her novels. However, if you haven't read anything by her, start with something older, as Maya's Notebook was disappointing.

In the front of the book, Allende dedicates this novel to the teenagers in her tribe. All I can think is that this is meant to be a cautionary tale, warning them against the evils of drugs, strangers, and other evils of the world. It is also part love story to Allende's beloved Chile.

Although her skillful writing is present throughout the book, the uneven story and characters didn't draw me in as Allende's novels usually do. Skip this one and read The House of the Spirits, or Eva Luna.

The Writing Circle

The Writing Circle by Corinne Demas is about a group of writers that call themselves the Leopardi Circle. They meet weekly to read and critique each others work, and it was fun to have a peek into this world.

Nancy, the newest member of the group is wary of Gillian, a world famous poet. As the story unfolds, told through several different voices, the intrigue mounts and the plot thickens.

I was deeply engrossed in this novel until the end. I found it ended in a way that was much too quick, unbelievable, and mildly disturbing. It left me wanting a much better ending for what had been an engrossing story up to that point. Disappointing.

The Dressmaker

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott is historical fiction about the sinking of the Titanic and what happened in it's aftermath. This is not a story I had heard before.

Alcott is a journalist. This is her first novel, and it is highly researched. In it, she tells the disturbing tale of selfish and cowardly behavior on the part of several survivors, who were in nearly empty lifeboats, yet refused to turn back and help rescue the hundreds of others drowning nearby.

The story is told from the point of view of Tess, a young dressmaker trying to make her way in America, and caught between loyalty to the woman who could make her dreams come true, and her conscience.

An interesting and illuminating novel.

Breath, Eyes, Memory

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat is a novel about a young girl who grows up in Haiti, then moves to New York to be with her mother when she is twelve..

Danticat is an wonderful writer. She also moved from Haiti to the U.S. when she was twelve and began writing only two years later. Her writing is sparse, poetic, evocative.

The novel is filled with beauty and sadness. A powerful story by an amazing writer. Highly recommended.

Dreaming in English

Dreaming in English by Laura Fitzgerald is the story of Tamila Soroush, an Iranian young woman who marries an American man that she falls in love with while in the States in a tourist visa, then trys to go through the process to stay.

It is an interesting cross cultural novel, however, I found the characters one dimensional and mostly unbelievable. A feel-good novel, where everything works out in the end.

It is an OK read, but for a much deeper look at the immigrant experience, try Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, the semi-autobiographical novel about Kwok's experience coming from Hong Kong to New York when she was young.

Inferno

Dan Brown's newest book, Inferno, is another big thick page turner that you can lose yourself in. It is written in a similar style to Da Vinci Code. Professor Robert Langdon travels around Europe with a pretty young woman searching for hidden clues to unlock a mystery and help save the world. This formula works for him.

Although not as good as Da Vinci Code, it is better than The Lost Symbol. It's worth reading for the fabulous art history lessons alone. I always learn a lot from Dan Brown's books, and although he isn't the greatest writer, I enjoy them nonetheless.