Novels Now

A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
In 1988, a plane carrying the President of Pakistan crashed, killing the President - military dictator General Zia, some generals, and the American Ambassador, Arnold Raphel. This book looks at what may have caused the crash and the death of the General Zia.
I had to look up at […]

Popularity: 28% [?]

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There was only one birthday that Gus was getting tired of organizing. Tired, really, of celebrating at all. Her own. Because in short order - March 25 - August Adelaide Simpson was turning fifty. -From Comfort Food, page 4-
Gus Simpson is a huge TV personality on the CookingChannel. After the unexpected death of her […]

Popularity: 27% [?]

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written by Steven Galloway
How do I remember so little about the war in Sarajevo? Yugoslavia broke apart after the Cold War, and I know there were lots of civil wars and the Canadian Peace Keepers were in Bosnia during the 1990s. I guess it’s the same sort of awareness in Darfur now; there is something […]

Popularity: 30% [?]

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The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein
Pages: 325
First Published: May 27, 2008
Genre: children, horror, ghost story
Rating: 3.5/5
First sentence:
Have you ever seen a face hidden in the bark of a tree and known that the man trapped inside wanted to hurt you?
Comments: Zack and his family move to a small rural town. On their property is a tree […]

Popularity: 29% [?]

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Compulsion by Jonathan Kellerman
Mystery/Thriller
2008 Ballantine Books
Finished on 5/7/08
Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Product Description
Once again, the depths of the criminal mind and the darkest side of a glittering city fuel #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman’s brilliant storytelling. And no one conducts a more harrowing and suspenseful manhunt than the modern Sherlock Holmes of the […]

Popularity: 31% [?]

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The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway is a moving story based on fact. It chronicles the few days in Sarajevo during 1992 when the real “Cellist of Sarajevo,” Vedran Smailovic, played his cello for 22 days in the exact spot where 22 people had been killed while waiting in line for bread.
In the […]

Popularity: 28% [?]

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“Why do you suppose he’s there? Is he playing for the people who died? Or is he playing for the people who haven’t? What does he hope to accomplish?” -From The Cellist of Sarajevo-
The Siege of Sarajevo began April 5, 1992 and lasted almost four years. Approximately 10,000 people were killed, and 56,000 wounded […]

Popularity: 46% [?]

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For 22 days in 1992 during the siege of Sarajevo, local cellist Vedran Smailovic played in the spot where a mortar killed 22 people who were standing in line for bread. At any time while he played, he could have been shot by a sniper, but he survived each day, committing a small but significant […]

Popularity: 45% [?]

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A priest, an atheist lawyer and a convicted killer walked into a bar…
Okay, not really, but they did take center stage in Jodi Picoult’s latest book, Change of Heart.
In this book, Picoult chose two hot-button issues, religious beliefs and capital punishment, to explore the following scenario: a man on death row wanted to donate his […]

Popularity: 37% [?]

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Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Contemporary Fiction
Finished on 2/20/08
Rating: 4.75 (Terrific!)
ARC (Book due out on March 4)
Book Description
The acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a spellbinding tale of a mother’s tragic loss and one man’s last chance at gaining salvation.
Can we save ourselves, or do we rely on others to do it? Is […]

Popularity: 37% [?]

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