ow do you decide what to read next? Do you scour book reviews, or do you ask trusted friends for recommendations? If you're in a reading group, you probably do a little of both. Allow us to make a few suggestions. Below you'll find a number of outstanding novels, books that will appeal to every taste, books with emotional depth, books that exercise the intellect, and books that are sure to spark some lively discussions.

August 2008

Nonfiction Mysteries of the Middle Ages: And the Beginning of the Modern World by Thomas Cahill The Middle Ages are often depicted as an era of ignorance, superstition, and repression. In fact, medieval Europe saw the rise of intellectual, spiritual, and artistic innovation. Eleanor of Aquitaine, St. Francis of Assisi, Dante Alighieri: These are just a few of the brilliant, rebellious individuals who changed the shape of Western culture, and they're just a few of the personages profiled in the latest installment in Thomas Cahill's Hinges of History. Animated by Cahill's lively wit and original insights, this volume is nothing short of revelatory. Reading Guide Author Interview		Fiction Run by Ann Patchett Ann Patchett's novel spans only 24 hours in Boston, yet it is filled with seemingly effortless observations and characters that speak and act with vivid, imperfect humanity. Patchett is able to explore questions of politics, race, family, class, science, and religion within one novel taking place in one day. The story of Bernard Doyle's family and the incident that changes their lives is a worthy follow-up to Bel Canto. Excerpt Reading Guide Audio: Author Interview Ann's Shortlist: 5 Picks to Read, Watch & Listen To
Fiction The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani Novels such as Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns have educated readers in contemporary life in and around the Middle East. With her debut novel, Anita Amirrezvani provides a historical perspective of the region, vividly re-creating Persia in the 17th century and describing it through the eyes of a 14-year-old female narrator. When her father dies, the girl and her mother become servants in the home of a wealthy uncle in Isfahan. There, the girl displays unmatched talent as a rug maker and struggles to parlay her gift into independence for her and her mother. Excerpt: Text | Audio Reading Guide Author Interview		Fiction In the Woods by Tana French Tana French's skillfully executed psychological thriller marks a memorable debut for the author. Rob Ryan and his partner Cassie Maddox, on the Dublin Murder squad, are called to investigate the murder of a 12-year-old girl in the woods outside a Dublin suburb. As the case unfolds, it holds chilling similarities to a tragic event in Rob's childhood, which took place two decades earlier in the same woods. French keeps readers rapt until the shocking end of the story. Excerpt Reading Guide Author Interview
Young Adult Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares Lena, Carmen, Tibby, and Bridget return for another memorable summer in Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood. The girls go their separate ways after their first year of college, but Ann Brashares proves their bond is stronger than ever as they navigate the rites of adulthood. Based largely on this last book of the Traveling Pants series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is in theaters August 6. Excerpt Reading Guide Author Interview

LATEST EPISODE!

Brunonia Barry discusses The Lace Reader

Towner Whitney, the self-confessed unreliable narrator of The Lace Reader, hails from generations of Salem women who can read the future in the patterns in lace. The disappearance of Towner's great aunt brings her home to Salem and brings the truth about the death of Towner's twin to light. The Lace Reader is a mesmerizing tale that spirals into secrets, confused identities, and half-truths, in which it's nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction. But, as Towner points out early on in the novel, "There are no accidents."