Adult Fiction Book Recommendations

I'm embarrassed by how long it has been since my last post.  However, no use bemoaning my fickleness - might as well move on and pretend I wasn't so unfaithful in my blogging.  

So.  Moving right along.

I have been asked for more book recommendations, and have prepared a list of my favorite adult fiction reads over the past half-year or so.  I gave all of these a 5/5.

• Bohjalian, Chris. The Law of Similars. A prosecutor finds himself tangled in a relationship with a homeopath he is supposed to prosecute. I love the characters and ethical situations in Bohjalian's novels.
• Castillo, Linda. Sworn to Silence. An Amish police chief investigates a serial killer that intersects with a crime in her past. A little gruesome, if you like that sort of thing, but interesting insights into Amish culture. The next book featuring this protagonist is also very good.
• Child, Lee. The Affair. Jack Reacher's final case before leaving the army. Everyone should read the Reacher books – everyone.
• de Rosnay, Tatiana. Sarah's Key. A young girl's experience with the French Vel' d'Hiv' Jewish round-up is interwoven with the journalistic investigation of an American woman living in France. Sad.
• Groff, Lauren. Arcadia. A sensitive boy is raised in a hippie commune. Lyrical and sparse, told from the boy's point of view as he ages.
• Gruen, Sara. Water for Elephants. Romance at a circus in the 1920s. I put off reading this popular book because it didn't sound interesting, but it was wonderful.
• Haigh, Jennifer. Faith. A novel in which the family of a priest accused of child abuse reacts to and investigates the charges. Authentic characters and fair treatment of all sides.
• Halverson, Sere Prince. The Underside of Joy. A stepmother is suddenly widowed and fights the birthmother for custody of her children. Beautiful writing with good characterization. Portrays both sides of the story well.
• Harrington, Laura. Alice Bliss. A young girl and her family continue life after her father is deployed to Iraq.
• Jordan, Hillary. When She Woke. A re-telling of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter set in the future, when criminals are turned red and shamed. (You don't have to know or love classic literature to like this book.)
• Kent, Kathleen. The Heretic's Daughter. In this novel set near Salem during the Puritan witch trials and smallpox plague, a family lives under increasing suspicion and must make difficult choices. Based on a true story and written by a direct descendant of the character Martha Carrier.
• Kraus, Nicola and Emma McLoughlin. Dedication. The high school girlfriend of a now-famous recording artist plots her revenge and has the opportunity to get back together with him. Satisfying ending.
• Lupton, Rosamund. Sister. An American woman returns to England to investigate her sister's murder. Told in police interviews with a surprise ending.  I do love a good surprise ending.
• MacDonald, Patricia. Missing Child. A 6-year-old boy is kidnapped after his stepmother drops him off at school, and the family is suspected.
• Maynard, Joyce. The Good Daughters. Two “birthday sisters” grow up and experience life, discovering how their families are connected.
• McGhee, Alison. Shadow Baby. A precocious child attaches herself to an older immigrant as she seeks her family's history. It was fun to read this adult novel from a beloved children's author.
• Min, Anchee. Pearl of China. Willow, a Chinese girl, grows up with missionary child Pearl (later Pearl S. Buck) and defends her through adulthood to communist China (a novel based on a true story).
• Parkhurst, Carolyn. The Nobodies Album. An author reunites with her estranged rockstar son after he is accused of murder. Fascinating connections between author's life and text.
• Patchett, Ann. State of Wonder. A medical researcher travels to the Amazon to find her missing co-worker and discovers his work and love for the natives.
• Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. A rural priest looks for his son in Johannesburg; a hopeful book about apartheid in South Africa.
• Picoult, Jodi. Lone Wolf. A wolf researcher is in a coma as his family decides how to proceed. Every Picoult novel is well-researched with real, heartbreaking characters.
• Preston, Douglas and Lincoln Child. Gideon's Corpse. Gideon Crewe works against the government to solve a nuclear terrorist threat. I believe one other book precedes this new series.
• Smith, Betty. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Francie Nolan comes of age in Brooklyn – a classic with powerful characters. This is a classic for a good reason.
• Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. A laborer in 1930's California protects his gentle giant friend. An old, thin book, but a goodie.
• Watson, S.J. Before I Go to Sleep. A woman with amnesia keeps a journal of what little she remembers and discovers things are not what she has been told. Excellent psychological suspense. I will definitely look for this author's next book.
• Wilhelm, Kate. The Good Children. Four siblings cover up the death of their mother and must risk exposure to for the mental health of the youngest. Nice mystery until the end.
• Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. A short study on a diverse, working-class family. Classic for a reason.
• Verghese, Abraham. Cutting for Stone. Twin Indian boys come of age in Ethiopia, having been adopted into a medical family. Beautiful writing about relationships and Ethiopian culture.

  Happy reading!  Feel free to leave me comments about what I should add to my book list.  I love new ideas.
 
Soon to come: my recommendations for adult nonfiction and young adult fiction.  Stay tuned.