The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho

A disturbed Russian millionaire starts committing random murders in the delusional belief that his ex-wife will recognize in these acts something that will convince her to desert her current husband and go back to him. The Winner Stands Alone reads somewhat like a thriller, but it is also a commentary on contemporary life. The suspense sustained by the killer's activities is balanced by the author's portraits of people attending social events at the Cannes Film Festival. Coelho's novel is well written and a good read.

Don't Think About Monkeys edited by A.W. Seligman and J.S. Hilkevich

The writing in this book of essays is uneven because the authors are Tourette syndrome victims of varying ages and abilities. However their voices do communicate the pain of being normal people who cannot control abnormal movements and vocalizations. At times the attitudes and philosophies they express are helpful and inspiring to us all.

Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder

Tracy Kidder is a marvelously clear-thinking and straightforward writer whose books (all non-fiction) are some of my favorites. In Strength in What Remains he tells of a young medical student in Burundi who gets caught in the clash between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes; he spends six months of his life running and hiding in the face of the unspeakable brutalities of that war. He manages to get to the U.S. (knowing no one and with only $200 in his pocket) and continue with his education. An extremely intelligent and sensitive young man, he is also emotionally damaged by his experience of the African war. His story is amazing and compellingly told in Kidder's wonderful reportorial writing.

The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan

A house in Jerusalem was built and occupied by an Arab family when the Israeli Army evacuated the town where it was located. The deserted house was then sold to a family of Jews immigrating from Bulgaria. The Lemon Tree tells the stories of these real life families who eventually meet and become friends in spite of their political differences. The personal stories are overlaid with a lot of military and political history which is at times difficult reading, but the insight gained makes it worth persevering. Tolan is Jewish but his book is so well balanced that it feels politically neutral. It inspired in me a greater sympathy for the misplaced Palestinians.

Keys to the Kingdom and the Life You Want by Stephen Hawley Martin

Stephen Hawley Martin lays out his spiritual history and philosophy in a book that is worth reading whether you agree with his thinking or not. Sometimes he is too anthropomorphic for my taste, and he's also a little dualistic in how he presents God and mankind. This runs counter to my core belief in the creator and the created as one entity. He gets pretty specific about "morphic fields" and how karma and reincarnation work; I tend to question anything that's very descriptive of life after death, because I think it's unknowable. However, there is lots of good guidance on spiritual practices and his description of the four stages of spiritual life is interesting. Stage I = life that is chaotic, self-serving, and manipulative; Stage II = a religious life that is bound up in ritual and dogma; Stage III = a questioning and doubting life; Stage IV = a more mystical life that recognizes the universe as connected, a single organism. He also throws in a Stage V for emeritus mystics like Buddha and Jesus.

Room by Emma Donoghue

Room is being read by many book clubs including my own and I'm looking forward to discussing it. The story is that of a mother's relationship with her five-year-old son in both a state of captivity and in adjusting to the greater world. It is told through the eyes of the boy who is very sophisticated in his understanding of language and arithmetic, but entirely naive about how to live in a world beyond the boundaries of his captivity in the Room. The first part of the book made me somewhat squeamish; the second part was a page turner; and the third dealt sensibly with real life issues. A book of some depth and a great read.

Every Last Cuckoo by Kate Maloy

A 75-year-old woman named Sarah adjusts to life as a widow in this novel which I felt to be a little on the sappy side. She lives n a big old farmhouse with barn and cabin in the woods. With no company but her two dogs, she agrees to take in three teenagers who are having a hard time getting along at home; and then she is called upon to help two other young women with children whose circumstances have made them temporarily homeless. Finally an elderly gentleman writer takes up residence in the cabin adding potentional romance to this work of aging gracefully and recovering from grief. Not a bad read but I found it a little too schmaltzy.