Carol's Picks

Ann Patchett is in top form with this novel about a miracle fertility drug that would allow women to have babies at any age. It's a page-turning adventure story with salient social commentary on the ethics of science, big pharma and native peoples.

Robert Darnton is uniquely qualified to present the case for books and he does so eloquently in this collection of essays. It's not a rant against all things digital but a reasoned and passionate call for the long term coexistence of printed books and digital material.

I loved this book - it's in turns hilarious and horrifying, hard-hitting and heart-warming. Narrated by the Nigerian "little bee" it interweaves her story as a youngster in the midst of war in Nigeria and the breakdown of a marriage between a couple in England and their endearing young son who refuses to take off his Batman costume. Really a wonderfully told and affecting story.

A charming remembrance of a young boy’s summers on Long Island by a great writer.  Whitehead takes us deep inside the mind of a teenage boy who spends the school year with prep school white kids and his summers with his African-American pals in the Hamptons.

A lovely little book! If you're a birder or a fan of Alexander McCall Smith, this is for you. A humorous and endearing story spiced with a little romance and even some Kenyan politics.

If you missed this one when it came out over a decade ago, read it now! A charming, funny, and extremely romantic story of the lives, loves, and recipes of a magical and memorable Mexican family. Recipes included.

In this beautifully written novel that takes place during a single day, Ian McEwan deftly illustrates the fragile nature of our day-to-day existence. A literary page-turner!