The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

Perhaps the death of a newspaper would make a good plot for a novel, but Rachman's approach to the story is to focus on vignettes of the personal lives of the paper's employees. This approach makes each chapter of The Imperfectionists almost a separate short story and after awhile the reader wonders if all these characters are going to be melded together into a cohesive story. The answer is no. The writing and character development in this novel are excellent, but I missed having a plot.

The Universe Is Calling by Eric Butterworth

My metaphysics class spent several months hashing over Butterworth's ideas of experiencing oneness with the Universe. Ostensibly this is a book about prayer, but the approach is very different from what most people practice. It is based on the Unity concept that we are one with each other, with the Universe, and with everything in the Universe. It teaches that prayer is not something you do TO God or FOR God. It is an acknowledgement of ever-present divine activity and your part in its creative process.

The Tapestries by Kien Nguyen

I enjoyed Nguyen's memoir The Unwanted so much that I immediately downloaded his first novel, which is called The Tapestries. Once again the exotic setting of Vietnam was fascinating to me, but I was disappointed by the story line which I found hard to believe. When it came to "hidden treasure" and a divided treasure map, I thought "Oh, this is too trite and too much of a stretch," and it made me question how likely other events in the novel were. Not a bad read, but I consider The Tapestries quite mediocre as literature.

The Unwanted; a Memoir of Childhood by Kien Nguyen

The child of a Vietnam woman and an American soldier, Kien Nguyen was born shortly before his father was rotated home to the United States. His memoir describes how his mixed race and some family misfortunes made him an outcast in Vietnam. Much of his life was a simple struggle for existence; food was in short supply and there were always worries in dealing with government authorities. The Unwanted is a compelling and wonderful read, although I mentally questioned how he could recall detail experienced at a very young age. This memoir was Nguyen's first literary attempt, and I liked it so much I immediately bought his second book which is a first novel.

The Social Animal by David Brooks

Half-way between fiction and non-fiction, David Brooks invents an imaginary couple who go through life's various stages while exemplifying psycho-social development in contemporary America. Philosophical, cultural, and intellectual aspects of our society are portrayed with the support of fascinating sociological research and data. The husband's job as a think-tank analyst of public policy leads to broad reflections on political values in America, but the book itself is not particularly political. It is very well written in a way makes the reader feel he is being informed while reading a novel.

Fried Eggs with Chopsticks by Polly Evans

British travel writer Polly Evans takes us on a tour of mainland China in a delightful mix of sightseeing and history-telling. The charm of Fried Eggs with Chopsticks lies in her personality as she reports her experiences in traveling this huge country by bus, train, plane, bicycle, and shanks' mare. Sometimes she takes a taxi, but her goal in using public transportation is to be close to living as the Chinese do. She does, however, give in to her "inner whimp" and seek out familiar foods and nice accommodations. A fun read and interesting glimpse into places most of us will never see on our own.