The Bedlam Stacks

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley is a fascinating book set in the mountains of Peru during the mid 1800's. A small party from the East-India company is sent from England to smuggle cinchona tree cuttings out, as their bark is rich in quinine for treating malaria. What they find is truly magical.

Pulley's descriptions were so fantastical that I often struggled to visualize what she was describing, and I found this tiring. The line between what is real and what is myth or fairy tale is blurred. A beautiful, and dazzling book, if a bit slow paced and at times hard to get through.

The Wanderers

The Wanderers by Meg Howrey is a brilliant novel about three astronauts going through a seventeen month simulation to prepare them to be the first humans to go to Mars. Howrey did a great deal of research for this book and based it on an actual trial simulation.

We follow an Helen, Yoshihiro, Sergi and their families during the simulation and learn about the inner life and strength and sacrifice that it takes to venture into space. Beautifully written, transformative; I loved this book.

In the Midst of Winter

In the Midst of Winter is the new novel by Isabel Allende. It brings together three very different people during a snowstorm in Brooklyn. An American professor in his sixties, a young Guatemalan illegal immigrant and a Chilean woman and fellow academic. Their lives intersect after an accident leads to unexpected discoveries that throw them all together.

Told in past and present, Allende is, as always, a brilliant storyteller. However, I have read all of her books and this is probably my least favorite and most likely to be forgotten. It's missing Allende's usual lyrical passages and magical charm.

The Doll Funeral

The Doll Funeral by Kate Hamer is a beautifully written atmospheric novel that follows 13 year old Ruby as she learns shes been adopted and sets off to find her real parents. Set somewhere in a forest town in England, Ruby befriends a group of siblings living on their own who she thinks might help lead her to her real family.

Hamer crosses seamlessly back and forth between the living and the dead as the mystery of Ruby's true family unfolds. A wonderfully hypnotic read.

Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was written in 1959 and is one of the first great novels to come out of Nigeria, a country with a rich literary history, so I thought it was time to finally read it. It tells the story of Okonkwo, a strong man of an Ibo village, a warrior with three wives and many children.

This book gives the reader an inside look into African tribal life, and also shows what happens when the missionaries arrive and cultures clash. We see Okonkwo's village life become divided and things begin to fall apart, leading to an ultimately tragic ending. A beautifully written book full of powerful images that will stay with me for a long time.

Origin

Origin by Dan Brown is the latest in the Da Vinci Code Series. This one finds Professor Langdon traipsing around Europe again with another beautiful woman in search of the answers to the questions "Where do we come from and where are we going?" while trying to prevent an all out war between science and religion.

I've always enjoyed Brown's books and never expected excellent writing, but this one was rather silly. If you're a fan of the series, you'll probably want to read this book, if not, don't start here!

Reluctantly Charmed

Reluctantly Charmed by Ellie O'Neill is a book set in Ireland, and not nearly as bad as the title would lead one to believe. Kate McDaid inherits an estate on her 26th birthday from her long dead great great great great aunt of the same name. First she must publish "The Seven Steps" once a week under her own name in order to receive her inheritance. Her aunt was believed to be a witch and the poems written by Fairies.

What follows is a mysterious journey as Olde Ireland meets modern Ireland and thousands around the world come to see if Fairies really do exist. A mildly entertaining read.