Boston Public Library
Staff Selections: November 2008
Booklists for Adults

Books read and enjoyed by librarians in the Reader and Information Services Department, Central Library

Adult Fiction

Drayson, Nicholas. A Guide to the Birds of East Africa.
Two men, who have been rivals since childhood, compete in a bird identification competition all in hopes of having the honor of Rose Mbikwa accompany them to the Nairobi Hunt Club Dance. Fans of Alexander McCall Smith will enjoy this contemporary gentle romance set in Kenya.

Fitch, Janet. White Oleander.
White Oleander is a story about overcoming personal tragedy and struggling with difficult circumstances.

Groff, Lauren. The Monsters of Templeton.
A clever tale of a broken-hearted woman’s return to her hometown and hippie mother, on the mend Willie researches her family tree, encounters a sea monster and discovers plenty of old and new admirers.

Hill, Joe. Heart- Shaped Box.
Judas Coyne, a rock star and collector of morbid artifacts, purchases a ghost online. Coyne quickly discovers that his newly purchased ghost is the abusive spirit of his ex-girlfriend's father.

Hogan, Linda. The People of the Whale.
The love of a Northwest Coastal Indian man and woman is hit by his traumatic Vietnam War experiences and the death of their son during a controversial whale hunt. The wisdom of the elders and the ancestors, however, is ever-present.

Irving, Washington. The Alhambra.
The Alhambra is Irving's poetic description of the well-known Moorish Spanish palace.

Johnson, Denis. Tree of Smoke.
Johnson writes with the soul of a poet. His story is about a group of unforgettable characters during Vietnam. A funny and tragic book that was hard to let go.

Peterson, Traci. A Lady of Hidden Intent.
After her father is accused of slave trading in 19th century England and sent to prison, Catherine Newbery escapes to Philadelphia to begin a new life as a seamstress. A Lady of Hidden Intent, a light, gentle, historical romance, is the second book in the Ladies of Liberty series.

Petterson, Per. Out Stealing Horses.
Out Stealing Horses, an International IMPAC Dublin Literary award winner, tells the story of an older man who chooses the life of a recluse and pieces together his parents' mysterious lives when he encounters a childhood acquaintance.

Silva, Daniel. Moscow Rules.
Israeli intelligence agent Gabriel Allon takes the fight against terrorism to the streets of the new Moscow.

Tey, Josephine. Daughter of Time.
Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, out of commission due to a broken leg, decides to investigate a very cold case indeed - the murder of the Princes in the Tower.

Adult Nonfiction

Alsamari, Lewis. Escape from Saddam: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Journey to Freedom.
Escape from Saddam is the biography Lewis Alsamari, an Iraqi-born actor, who was forced to flee his homeland after being conscripted into the Iraqi army.
CT1919.I78 A47 2008

Armstrong, Kalish Mildred. Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm during the Great Depression.
This memoir by Mildred Kalish Armstrong is wonderful. Armstrong’s happy memories of the Great Depression will inspire everyone. Her tale does not make light of their hardships, but she knows the true value of life is hard work, family and being together. This book is a real treat.
F627.B4 K35 2007

Buchanan. Patrick J. Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World.
Buchanan presents a controversial look at the causes and consequences of World Wars I and II.
D742.G7 B83 2008

Kiernan, Frances. The Last Mrs. Astor: A New York Story.
The Last Mrs. Astor is a biography tracing the life and legacy of Brooke Astor, New York’s socialite and philanthropist.
CT275.A847 K54 2007

Murphy, Caroline. Murder of a Medici Princess.
Through a collection of newly discovered documents, Murphy presents the tragic death of the Italian Renaissance princess, Isabella de Medici.
DG738.14.M35 M87 2008

Phillips, Kevin. Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism.
Bad Money is a wake up call to our current economical times.
HC106.7.P52 2008

Taleb, Nassim. The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable.
Taleb tests the theories of predictions, uncertainty and forecasting.
Q375.T35 2007