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Best Literary Fiction

Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel
Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share. “Sprawling, stirring, like the richest of stories, and played out on a canvas of heroism and tragedy, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is like one of those iconic World War II black and white photos: a face of hope and tears, the story of a small life that ended up mattering in a big way.” —Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of The One Man. “Action, adventure, love, war, and an epic hero—all set against the backdrop of one of history's darkest moments—Mark Sullivan's Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything one can ask for in an exceptional World War II novel.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Playing with Fire. Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, including the WHSmith Fresh Talent Award, and his works have been named a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year.
Reviews
"Set in Italy during the last two years of the second World War, this story follows the life of a remarkable young man, Pino Lella, who finds himself assigned as the driver of one of the most powerful Nazi officials in Italy. He accompanies this General throughout northern Italy as the war deteriorates and comes to a violent and tragic end. A very worthwhile story that author Mark Sullivan was lucky enough to learn of, then putting several years of research into piecing together as many of the details as he could."
"It is a gripping story of resilience, the indomitable spirit of a young man that knew no boundaries and courage that sustained him during dark hours. The action intensified throughout the remainder of the book, and one is allowed a rare glimpse into the mind of Il Duce - Benito Mussolini - plus the inner workings of the German High Command. Pino Lello witnesses atrocities he wishes he could forget but keeps soldiering on...wisely... Just a gripping and harrowing Kindle First selection which I feel is the best one I have read."
"He takes us deep inside the love story of his discovery, the unknown hero, Pino Lella, and he crafts an epic tale set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Milan and the Italian Alps during World War II that is as intimate and tragic as it is thought-provoking and triumphant."
"I cannot add more to the excellent reviews previously posted other than to say I read this book in one sitting not being able to put it down until 4:00 AM!"
"A well written story dealing with the diametrically opposite qualities of human nature."
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Animal Farm and 1984
Animal Farm is Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution -- an account of the bold struggle, initiated by the animals, that transforms Mr. Jones's Manor Farm into Animal Farm--a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. 'I continue to find the Readers' Guides indispensable for teaching - they really give students a sense of criticsm having a history' - Professor Rachel Bowlby, University of York 'The series looks really excellent - attractively produced, user friendly; and outstanding value for money' - Ronald Knowles, Reader, University of Reading I continue to find the Readers' Guides indispensable for teaching - they really give students a sense of criticsm having a history' - Professor Rachel Bowlby, University of York. 'The series looks really excellent - attractively produced, user friendly; and outstanding value for money' - Ronald Knowles, Reader, University of Reading.
Reviews
"If you are of my age 25+, and have not read the book, I would say give it a chance because it's not bad."
"A sentiment clearly shared by other writer's of his time across a spectrum ranging from despair (Ray Bradbury, Farenheit 451) to hope (Tolkein, Lord of the Rings; CS Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia)."
"If you ever wonder how your revolution can be hijacked by those in the background, Animal Farm is the book for you!"
"This book must be read by those - at leaset i Europe - who tries to rehabilitate one off the worlds most insane and malicious gangsters mister Joseph Stalin."
"One of my favorite books."
"It shows how a revolution, started with good intentions, can turn into a vehicle of corruption and totalitarianism."
"Both of these are topical and relevant as much, if not more, today than when written."
"Orwell's "Animal Farm" is one of those we probably should reread every 10 years or so--even when our English teacher has not assigned it."
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Before We Were Yours: A Novel
Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. Wingate is a master-storyteller, and you’ll find yourself pulled along as she reveals the wake of terror and heartache that is Georgia Tann’s legacy.” — Parade “One of the year’s best books . “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power.” —Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of Circling the Sun. A poignant, engrossing tale about sibling love and the toll of secrets.” — People “ Before We Were Yours is sure to be one of the most compelling books you pick up this year. [Lisa] Wingate is a master-storyteller, and you’ll find yourself pulled along as she reveals the wake of terror and heartache that is Georgia Tann’s legacy.” — Parade. It is almost a cliché to say a book is ‘lovingly written’ but that phrase applies clearly to Lisa Wingate’s latest novel, Before We Were Yours . This story about children taken from their parents through kidnapping or subterfuge and then placed for adoption, for a price, clearly pours out of Wingate’s heart. “This story is heartfelt and genuine, especially as Wingate explores the idea of home and family from a youngster’s point of view.” — Historical Novels Review. “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power. But the real feat of this stirring novel is how deeply Wingate plunges us into the heart and mind of twelve-year-old river gypsy Rill Foss. Rill’s utterly singular voice will stay with you long after the last page is turned, as will Wingate’s courage to follow her anywhere. I’m still basking in the afterglow, in shock at the true-crime elements, in awe at the journey of these characters who seem to have immortal souls.” —Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
Reviews
"It follows the story of the Foss children in the '30s and Avery Stafford in present day, and brings to light a horrifying and shameful real-life scandal. Avery Stafford finds a puzzling photograph that leads her into an ever more confusing story of secrets and lies inside her upright, respected family."
"This is the first book I've ever read by Lisa Wingate, but having read it I will search through her other titles."
"Even though this book is fiction, the true story behind it is heartbreaking. They don't have a "normal" life and even call their dad, Briny and Mom Queenie but they have family love just the same. This story is told every other chapter."
"Children were stolen, warehoused in homes until they could be adopted into "high class" families. When the mother and father return to their houseboat the other five children have been stolen by the authorities."
"The crimes committed against these children are unspeakable often ending in the death of several of the children. This is a true story that everyone in this country should know so as to prevent it from ever happening again.I thank Lisa Wingate for her respectful telling of the story of these brave souls."
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Best Action & Adventure Literary Fiction

Life of Pi
New York Times Bestseller * Los Angeles Times Bestseller * Washington Post Bestseller * San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller * Chicago Tribune Bestseller. Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker ("His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth"). After much gore and infighting, Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat's sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination. A fabulous romp through an imagination by turns ecstatic, cunning, despairing and resilient, this novel is an impressive achievement "a story that will make you believe in God," as one character says. Halfway to Midway Island, the ship sinks into the Pacific, leaving Pi stranded on a life raft with a hyena, an orangutan, an injured zebra and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Martel's potentially unbelievable plot line soon demolishes the reader's defenses, cleverly set up by events of young Pi's life that almost naturally lead to his biggest ordeal.
Reviews
"This is an incredible but plausible story of central and crucial events in the life ofes Patel, shipwrecked with a Belgian tiger, and traversing the Pacific ocean in his company."
"Just like any other book that was made into a movie, it has much more detail, a greater ability to grab you, and it is moving."
"What I found most fascinating is how it grips the reader despite being predominantly a narrative with very little dialogue in the very limited geography of a small boat, where the protagonist finds himself stranded after his ship capsizes."
"This book is mistakenly portrayed as a children's movie, when in fact it's much more graphic with disturbing images of despair. I would not recommend (the book) for sensitive children. I felt compelled to write this review (as a young adult with no children, who hates book censorship) after being disturbed by a 7-year old who couldn't wait to read this on his Kindle after getting out of the theater."
"I was sad and would tear up when he reminisced about his family that had apparently gone down with the boat. And just as Pi was ready to give up on life and die in the ocean, I was thinking “Man, I wish he would hit land soon.”. I give Life of Pi 4 stars."
"This story has stayed with me for years and I have read it 3 times."
"Does God abandon us in these times, or intervene when things begin to weigh too much for us to bear? This book was beautiful in depiction of the struggle of a young man with nothing left to lose attempting to find his way in the vast pacific ocean and his place in the world."
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Best African American Literary Fiction

Small Great Things: A Novel
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • With richly layered characters and a gripping moral dilemma that will lead readers to question everything they know about privilege, power, and race, Small Great Things is the stunning new page-turner from Jodi Picoult. Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong. With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn’t offer easy answers. a fantastic read from beginning to end, as can always be expected from Picoult, this novel maintains a steady, page-turning pace that makes it hard for readers to put down.” — San Francisco Book Review. This is a writer who understands her characters inside and out.” —Roxane Gay, The New York Times Book Review. “Jodi Picoult is never afraid to take on hot topics, and in Small Great Things , she tackles race and discrimination in a way that will grab hold of you and refuse to let you go. An Amazon Best Book of October 2016: Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things is about racism, choice, fear, and hope. The topic of race in America is difficult to talk about, but in in an honest and revealing way Picoult allows readers to draw their own conclusions about how we see ourselves and others in the world. Small Great Things is an important and thought-provoking novel about power and prejudice that deserves to be read, digested, and shared with others. --Seira Wilson, The Amazon Book Review “ Small Great Things is the most important novel Jodi Picoult has ever written. a fantastic read from beginning to end, as can always be expected from Picoult, this novel maintains a steady, page-turning pace that makes it hard for readers to put down. This is a fantastic book not only because it addresses something that happens in America and around the world every day, but it also shows us that change is possible too.” — San Francisco Book Review “A gripping courtroom drama . This is a writer who understands her characters inside and out.” —Roxane Gay, The New York Times Book Review “ Small Great Things embraces . Her best yet!” — New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman “A compelling, can’t-put-it-down drama with a trademark [Jodi] Picoult twist.” — Good Housekeeping “It’s Jodi Picoult, the prime provider of literary soul food. This riveting drama is sure to be supremely satisfying and a bravely thought-provoking tale on the dangers of prejudice.” — Redbook “Jodi Picoult is never afraid to take on hot topics, and in Small Great Things , she tackles race and discrimination in a way that will grab hold of you and refuse to let you go.
Reviews
"Jodi, I read your acknowledgments of how you created this book, and I wish I could meet you."
"One character's life makes you think not only of her outlook but forces you to truly take an introspective look. While you are reading it, it is hard to imagine that it was written by a white, female author. I found myself doubting things that I have said, whom I may have inadvertently hurt or offended with no malicious intent. The story is passionate, intense, and portrays a deep struggle, which you want to read. The title comes from a line in a famous speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s: If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”. The story is about a nurse, no ordinary nurse, but one who is dedicated and well regarded, with a twenty-year career at the hospital where ‘the incident’ occurs. When the nurse comes into their room, to take over the shift of another labor and delivery nurse, upon seeing her, the parents, who are white supremacists, see that she is black and immediately request to see her supervisor, whom they tell, in no uncertain terms, that this woman is not to touch their baby. The extremely racist man is angered to the point of revenge and his wife is shattered and taken to bed and depression. ​I commend Picoult for taking on the writing of a potentially controversial subject and for tackling it with a story that has great depth and feeling."
"She worked there for 20 years and never had a problem until one day, when someone requested that she doesn't take care of their baby because of her race. This request eventually led to a series of events where Ruth finds herself questioning the system she has lived in all of her life, worked in and everything she believed in. As the case winds on, Kennedy finds herself questioning the status quo and realizes that not everything is as black and white as it may seem in the real world. Turk, the white supremacist father, who was so aggrieved at the loss of his baby son needed a scapegoat for his rage and sorrow. Picoult weaves her way through this story delicately as well as making her points without beating someone on the head with the truth."
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Best Biographical Literary Fiction

Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel
Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share. “Sprawling, stirring, like the richest of stories, and played out on a canvas of heroism and tragedy, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is like one of those iconic World War II black and white photos: a face of hope and tears, the story of a small life that ended up mattering in a big way.” —Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of The One Man. “Action, adventure, love, war, and an epic hero—all set against the backdrop of one of history's darkest moments—Mark Sullivan's Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything one can ask for in an exceptional World War II novel.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Playing with Fire. Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, including the WHSmith Fresh Talent Award, and his works have been named a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year.
Reviews
"Set in Italy during the last two years of the second World War, this story follows the life of a remarkable young man, Pino Lella, who finds himself assigned as the driver of one of the most powerful Nazi officials in Italy. He accompanies this General throughout northern Italy as the war deteriorates and comes to a violent and tragic end. A very worthwhile story that author Mark Sullivan was lucky enough to learn of, then putting several years of research into piecing together as many of the details as he could."
"It is a gripping story of resilience, the indomitable spirit of a young man that knew no boundaries and courage that sustained him during dark hours. The action intensified throughout the remainder of the book, and one is allowed a rare glimpse into the mind of Il Duce - Benito Mussolini - plus the inner workings of the German High Command. Pino Lello witnesses atrocities he wishes he could forget but keeps soldiering on...wisely... Just a gripping and harrowing Kindle First selection which I feel is the best one I have read."
"He takes us deep inside the love story of his discovery, the unknown hero, Pino Lella, and he crafts an epic tale set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Milan and the Italian Alps during World War II that is as intimate and tragic as it is thought-provoking and triumphant."
"I cannot add more to the excellent reviews previously posted other than to say I read this book in one sitting not being able to put it down until 4:00 AM!"
"A well written story dealing with the diametrically opposite qualities of human nature."
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Best British & Irish Literary Fiction

The Girl on the Train: A Novel
The #1 New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year, now a major motion picture starring Emily Blunt. The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives, from the author of Into the Water . [It] is liable to draw a large, bedazzled readership.”— The New York Times “Marries movie noir with novelistic trickery. You'll be surprised by what horrors lurk around the bend.”— USA Today “Like its train, the story blasts through the stagnation of these lives in suburban London and the reader cannot help but turn pages.”— The Boston Globe. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. The “girl on the train” is Rachel, who commutes into London and back each day, rolling past the backyard of a happy-looking couple she names Jess and Jason. “ The Girl on the Train has more fun with unreliable narration than any chiller since Gone Girl. The Girl on the Train is full of back-stabbing, none of it literal.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times “ The Girl on the Train marries movie noir with novelistic trickery. The welcome echoes of Rear Window throughout the story and its propulsive narrative make The Girl on the Train an absorbing read.”— The Boston Globe. “[ The Girl on the Train ] pulls off a thriller's toughest trick: carefully assembling everything we think we know, until it reveals the one thing we didn't see coming. “ Gone Girl fans will devour this psychological thriller. But Paula Hawkins’ novel The Girl on the Train just might have earned the title of 'the next Gone Girl .”— Christian Science Monitor. “Paula Hawkins deftly imbues her debut psychological thriller with inventive twists and a shocking denouement. … Hawkins delivers an original debut that keeps the exciting momentum of The Girl on the Train going until the last page.”— Denver Post. “ The Girl on the Train, Hawkins’s first thriller, is well-written and ingeniously constructed.” – The Washington Post “The novel is at its best in the moment of maximum confusion, when neither the reader nor the narrators know what is occurring” – The Financial Times. A natural fit for fans of Gone Girl-style unreliable narrators and twisty, fast-moving plots, The Girl on the Train will have you racing through the pages. “It's difficult to say too much more about the plot of The Girl on the Train ; like all thrillers, it's best for readers to dive in spoiler-free. What really makes The Girl on the Train such a gripping novel is Hawkins' remarkable understanding of the limits of human knowledge, and the degree to which memory and imagination can become confused.”—NPR.org. “[L]ike Gone Girl , Hawkins's book is a highly addictive novel about a lonely divorcee who gets caught up in the disappearance of a woman whom she had been surreptitiously watching. “Paula Hawkins’ thriller is a shocking ride.” –US Weekly “An ex-wife indulges her voyeuristic tendencies in Paula Hawkins’s film-ready The Girl on the Train. In the post- Gone Girl era, crimes of love aren’t determined by body counts or broken hearts, but by who controls the story line.” – Vogue “ The Girl on the Train [is] a harrowing new suspense novel…a complex and thoroughly chilling psychological thriller… The Girl on the Train is one of those books where you can’t wait — yet almost can’t bear — to turn the page. It’s a stunning novel of dread.” – New York Daily News “ The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is a psychologically gripping debut that delivers.” – The Missourian “ The Girl on the Train is the kind of slippery, thrilling read that only comes around every few years (see Gone Girl ).” – BookPage “Hawkins, a former journalist, is a witty, sharp writer with a gift for creating complex female characters.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer. “ The Girl on the Train is as tautly constructed as Gone Girl or A.S.A. Here, The Girl on the Train shines, with its mystery resolved by a left-field plot twist that works, followed, surprisingly, by what you might call a happy ending.”— Newsday. “I’m calling it now: The Girl on the Train is the next Gone Girl . Paula Hawkins’s highly anticipated debut novel is a dark, gripping thriller with the shocking ending you crave in a noir-ish mystery.” – Bustle. But when she sees something unsettling from her window one morning, it sets in motion a chilling series of events that make her question whom she can really trust.”— Woman’s Day “Hawkins’s debut novel is a tangle of unreliable narrators, but what will have readers talking is her deft handling of twists and turns and her eerily fine-tuned narrative. Nothing can be taken for granted in The Girl on the Train , not even the account of the girl herself.”— Las Vegas Weekly. "This month we're gearing up for Paula Hawkins's mystery The Girl on the Train . The Girl on the Train is the kind of book you’ll want to press into the hands of everyone you know, just so they can share your obsession and you can relive it.”—Laura Kasischke, author of The Raising. The Girl on the Train ’s clever structure and expert pacing will keep you perched on the edge of your seat, but it’s Hawkins’s deft, empathetic characterization that will leave you pondering this harrowing, thought-provoking story about the power of memory and the danger of envy.”—Kimberly McCreight, New York Times –bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia.
Reviews
"Rachel is a divorced woman who would do anything for a drink, and like a lot of folks consumed by a love affair with the bottle, one might call her a victim of circumstances. Lest I continue and divulge too much of the plot, let me just say that the twists and turns in the story are many and readers will be easily drawn in, making it easy to devour this book in one afternoon."
"I usually don't read books like this, I usually read a lot of military type books but I saw the movie one night and thought it was good."
"Book is about Rachel Watson, a divorcee and alcoholic, who gets involved in a missing person case in the London area. We get to see how very flawed Rachel Watson is, with her issues with drinking, unable to accept end of her marriage and how she puts herself in middle of a missing person case."
"She rents a room form a former school chum and continues to take the train to London every day, as if she is still going to work. The train ride takes her through the backyards of her old neighborhood, and her old house where her ex-husband Tom lives with his new wife, Anna, and their baby daughter. A good-looking young couple, Megan and Scott, lives a few doors away, and Rachel invents a fantasy life for them."
"For most of this book, all I could think of was "Gone Girl hits the rails" My biggest criticism is that if you are going to write a novel in first person narrative by three different characters, they each should have a singular identifiable voice, which in this book, they do not, and frankly, each are neurotic, different only in degree - it became tiresome, rather than riveting."
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Best Historical Literary Fiction

Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel
Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share. “Sprawling, stirring, like the richest of stories, and played out on a canvas of heroism and tragedy, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is like one of those iconic World War II black and white photos: a face of hope and tears, the story of a small life that ended up mattering in a big way.” —Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of The One Man. “Action, adventure, love, war, and an epic hero—all set against the backdrop of one of history's darkest moments—Mark Sullivan's Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything one can ask for in an exceptional World War II novel.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Playing with Fire. Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, including the WHSmith Fresh Talent Award, and his works have been named a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year.
Reviews
"It is a gripping story of resilience, the indomitable spirit of a young man that knew no boundaries and courage that sustained him during dark hours. The action intensified throughout the remainder of the book, and one is allowed a rare glimpse into the mind of Il Duce - Benito Mussolini - plus the inner workings of the German High Command. Pino Lello witnesses atrocities he wishes he could forget but keeps soldiering on...wisely... Just a gripping and harrowing Kindle First selection which I feel is the best one I have read."
"He takes us deep inside the love story of his discovery, the unknown hero, Pino Lella, and he crafts an epic tale set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Milan and the Italian Alps during World War II that is as intimate and tragic as it is thought-provoking and triumphant."
"I cannot add more to the excellent reviews previously posted other than to say I read this book in one sitting not being able to put it down until 4:00 AM!"
"An amazing epic story of Pino Lella, a true war hero whose story was forgotten and marginalized by history."
"thankdfully, the novel does not leave us in despair and misery, but through the main character Pino Lella, we witness the good still left in people and the human ability to survive and thrive out of the worst conditions."
"Amazing book with a plot line made only better because it is based on a true story during events that changed the world."
"This is compelling story that is beautifully written."
"There was so much substance to the character, that his life became very dear to me: his adventures, his loves, his losses made me grateful for the box of tissue close by!"
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Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction

The Art Forger: A Novel
Almost twenty-five years after the infamous art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum—still the largest unsolved art theft in history—one of the stolen Degas paintings is delivered to the Boston studio of a young artist. Some writers sit down and begin a novel without knowing where it will end, trusting the process to bring their story to a satisfying conclusion. The first time I encountered art collector and museum founder Isabella Stewart Gardner in 1983, I fell in love. I wanted to hang out with her, walk lions down Boston streets with her, buy famous paintings, and do all kinds of outrageous things that would scandalize the stuffed shirts around us. Then in 1990, she burst on the scene, or at least her namesake, Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, did, when two men dressed as police officers bound and gagged two guards and stole thirteen pieces of art, including Rembrandt's Storm on the Sea of Galilee , Vermeer's The Concert , and works by Degas and Manet from the collection. But despite the media taking the theft international, suspects who ran the gamut from the Mafia to the Vatican, and the lack of any arrests, I just couldn't find my story. I was thinking I might do something like Irving Stone or Gore Vidal would, writers whose books I loved, and considered a fictionalized biography. But embracing the entirety of Isabella Gardner's action-packed life was too daunting--some things never change--so, once again, Belle was shelved. Around this time I began taking a series of art courses that toured galleries and museums with a well-known artist for a guide. She opened my eyes, not just to the wonder of what we were seeing, but to the complicated worlds of creating, collecting, curating, and selling works of art. One day, as I was ruminating on how difficult life was for anyone in the arts and feeling more than a bit sorry for myself, my missing link appeared in the form of a question: What would any of us be willing to do to secure our ambitions? So I expanded my cast of characters and gave each one a temptation their egos couldn't resist, including a struggling artist willing to make the ultimate Faustian bargain, and then I added them to the mix of art theft, art forgery, the Gardner Museum heist, and, of course, my buddy Belle. Shapiro convincingly depicts the rarefied art world that lionizes a chosen few and ignores the talented, scrabbling outsiders on the fringe. She knows art history, painting techniques, and how forgers have managed through the centuries to dupe buyers into paying for fakes .
Reviews
"Interesting on so many levels: culturally, historically and politically."
"Claire Roth, the book's intelligent and talented protagonist, lets the reader into her contemporary artist's world, and lets the reader feel the pressure of preparing for a gallery show."
"If you're interested in art you'll find this book very well done."
"Intriguing story with many twists and turns that gives insight to the world of art collecting and dealing."
"Delightful ditty about (obviously) art forgery, its history, and a modern take on the ancient practice."
"I'm not completely through the book yet but I am enjoying it so much that I wanted to tell people who are interested in art and the artworld, it's a great story."
"If you are interested in the art world of galleries, agents, and competition between artists, this is a very compelling read."
"This book is about a talented artist trying to find her way out from under being shunned from the art world from a previous scandal... only to find herself being mixed up in a new one."
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Best Psychological Literary Fiction

Small Great Things: A Novel
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • With richly layered characters and a gripping moral dilemma that will lead readers to question everything they know about privilege, power, and race, Small Great Things is the stunning new page-turner from Jodi Picoult. Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong. With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn’t offer easy answers. a fantastic read from beginning to end, as can always be expected from Picoult, this novel maintains a steady, page-turning pace that makes it hard for readers to put down.” — San Francisco Book Review. This is a writer who understands her characters inside and out.” —Roxane Gay, The New York Times Book Review. “Jodi Picoult is never afraid to take on hot topics, and in Small Great Things , she tackles race and discrimination in a way that will grab hold of you and refuse to let you go. An Amazon Best Book of October 2016: Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things is about racism, choice, fear, and hope. The topic of race in America is difficult to talk about, but in in an honest and revealing way Picoult allows readers to draw their own conclusions about how we see ourselves and others in the world. Small Great Things is an important and thought-provoking novel about power and prejudice that deserves to be read, digested, and shared with others. --Seira Wilson, The Amazon Book Review “ Small Great Things is the most important novel Jodi Picoult has ever written. a fantastic read from beginning to end, as can always be expected from Picoult, this novel maintains a steady, page-turning pace that makes it hard for readers to put down. This is a fantastic book not only because it addresses something that happens in America and around the world every day, but it also shows us that change is possible too.” — San Francisco Book Review “A gripping courtroom drama . This is a writer who understands her characters inside and out.” —Roxane Gay, The New York Times Book Review “ Small Great Things embraces . Her best yet!” — New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman “A compelling, can’t-put-it-down drama with a trademark [Jodi] Picoult twist.” — Good Housekeeping “It’s Jodi Picoult, the prime provider of literary soul food. This riveting drama is sure to be supremely satisfying and a bravely thought-provoking tale on the dangers of prejudice.” — Redbook “Jodi Picoult is never afraid to take on hot topics, and in Small Great Things , she tackles race and discrimination in a way that will grab hold of you and refuse to let you go.
Reviews
"Jodi, I read your acknowledgments of how you created this book, and I wish I could meet you."
"One character's life makes you think not only of her outlook but forces you to truly take an introspective look. While you are reading it, it is hard to imagine that it was written by a white, female author. I found myself doubting things that I have said, whom I may have inadvertently hurt or offended with no malicious intent. The story is passionate, intense, and portrays a deep struggle, which you want to read. The title comes from a line in a famous speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s: If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”. The story is about a nurse, no ordinary nurse, but one who is dedicated and well regarded, with a twenty-year career at the hospital where ‘the incident’ occurs. When the nurse comes into their room, to take over the shift of another labor and delivery nurse, upon seeing her, the parents, who are white supremacists, see that she is black and immediately request to see her supervisor, whom they tell, in no uncertain terms, that this woman is not to touch their baby. The extremely racist man is angered to the point of revenge and his wife is shattered and taken to bed and depression. ​I commend Picoult for taking on the writing of a potentially controversial subject and for tackling it with a story that has great depth and feeling."
"She worked there for 20 years and never had a problem until one day, when someone requested that she doesn't take care of their baby because of her race. This request eventually led to a series of events where Ruth finds herself questioning the system she has lived in all of her life, worked in and everything she believed in. As the case winds on, Kennedy finds herself questioning the status quo and realizes that not everything is as black and white as it may seem in the real world. Turk, the white supremacist father, who was so aggrieved at the loss of his baby son needed a scapegoat for his rage and sorrow. Picoult weaves her way through this story delicately as well as making her points without beating someone on the head with the truth."
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Best Romance Literary Fiction

Before We Were Yours: A Novel
Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. Wingate is a master-storyteller, and you’ll find yourself pulled along as she reveals the wake of terror and heartache that is Georgia Tann’s legacy.” — Parade “One of the year’s best books . “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power.” —Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of Circling the Sun. A poignant, engrossing tale about sibling love and the toll of secrets.” — People “ Before We Were Yours is sure to be one of the most compelling books you pick up this year. [Lisa] Wingate is a master-storyteller, and you’ll find yourself pulled along as she reveals the wake of terror and heartache that is Georgia Tann’s legacy.” — Parade. It is almost a cliché to say a book is ‘lovingly written’ but that phrase applies clearly to Lisa Wingate’s latest novel, Before We Were Yours . This story about children taken from their parents through kidnapping or subterfuge and then placed for adoption, for a price, clearly pours out of Wingate’s heart. “This story is heartfelt and genuine, especially as Wingate explores the idea of home and family from a youngster’s point of view.” — Historical Novels Review. “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power. But the real feat of this stirring novel is how deeply Wingate plunges us into the heart and mind of twelve-year-old river gypsy Rill Foss. Rill’s utterly singular voice will stay with you long after the last page is turned, as will Wingate’s courage to follow her anywhere. I’m still basking in the afterglow, in shock at the true-crime elements, in awe at the journey of these characters who seem to have immortal souls.” —Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
Reviews
"It follows the story of the Foss children in the '30s and Avery Stafford in present day, and brings to light a horrifying and shameful real-life scandal. Avery Stafford finds a puzzling photograph that leads her into an ever more confusing story of secrets and lies inside her upright, respected family."
"This is the first book I've ever read by Lisa Wingate, but having read it I will search through her other titles."
"An amazing read into a true black scar into our history."
"Amazing book."
"Wonderful story."
"The story in this novel reveals some very interesting history of the treatment and abuses of orphans in the US."
"Although it was hard to fathom the reality of what had happened, it was well written and emotional."
"I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book."
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Best Literary Sagas

Before We Were Yours: A Novel
Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. Wingate is a master-storyteller, and you’ll find yourself pulled along as she reveals the wake of terror and heartache that is Georgia Tann’s legacy.” — Parade “One of the year’s best books . “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power.” —Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of Circling the Sun. A poignant, engrossing tale about sibling love and the toll of secrets.” — People “ Before We Were Yours is sure to be one of the most compelling books you pick up this year. [Lisa] Wingate is a master-storyteller, and you’ll find yourself pulled along as she reveals the wake of terror and heartache that is Georgia Tann’s legacy.” — Parade. It is almost a cliché to say a book is ‘lovingly written’ but that phrase applies clearly to Lisa Wingate’s latest novel, Before We Were Yours . This story about children taken from their parents through kidnapping or subterfuge and then placed for adoption, for a price, clearly pours out of Wingate’s heart. “This story is heartfelt and genuine, especially as Wingate explores the idea of home and family from a youngster’s point of view.” — Historical Novels Review. “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power. But the real feat of this stirring novel is how deeply Wingate plunges us into the heart and mind of twelve-year-old river gypsy Rill Foss. Rill’s utterly singular voice will stay with you long after the last page is turned, as will Wingate’s courage to follow her anywhere. I’m still basking in the afterglow, in shock at the true-crime elements, in awe at the journey of these characters who seem to have immortal souls.” —Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
Reviews
"It follows the story of the Foss children in the '30s and Avery Stafford in present day, and brings to light a horrifying and shameful real-life scandal. Avery Stafford finds a puzzling photograph that leads her into an ever more confusing story of secrets and lies inside her upright, respected family."
"This is the first book I've ever read by Lisa Wingate, but having read it I will search through her other titles."
"I do remember hearing the name Georgie Tan years ago, and plan on doing some searches to find out more since reading this book."
"Set in both the 30's and modern day, it tells the story of a group of siblings that were stolen from their parents and illegally put up for adoption. I will say, it is a little hard to follow at first since some of the main characters go by 2 different names, but after a couple chapters you've figured it out."
"Based on a true story of Georgia Tann Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal."
"Loved the fact the stories wove together a story hard to put down even though the truth of adoptions are real I w so we could have found out what happened to the other siblings of May."
"Though sometimes gut-wrenching, I keep turning the pages anxious to solve the mystery."
"A well-written book with developed characters & a well-paced plot - I️ thoroughly enjoyed this story."
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Best Literary Satire Fiction

Atlas Shrugged
Why does he fight his hardest battle against the woman he loves? --Chip Mellor, Institute for Justice ''Narrator Scott Brick takes listeners on a journey so extraordinary they'll hardly notice the book's length. While his performance offers little in the way of theatrics, Brick is capable of garnering sympathy and, perhaps most importantly, devout attention for Rand's plot and characters. On the surface, Brick's voice is a cool, unrelenting force determined to capture every facet of Rand's complex story. The fundamentals of her philosophy are put forth in three nonfiction books, Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology , The Virtues of Selfishness , and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal .
Reviews
"I've recommended it to all my close friends and even bought them their own copies because that's how much I know they have to read this."
"Engrossing read."
"It shows what happens to a Nation when there are too many regulations,an inordinate amount of social engineering and redistribution of wealth."
"Most of the people who review the book focus on the philosophy of the writer, which I too agree with and the author makes a compelling case for her point of view on the world. Second, it is a small but annoying aspect of the Kindle version that there are multiple spelling and punctuation errors in the book."
"As with all Ayn Rands stuff, a bit wordy."
"Rand is the iconic proponent of laissez-faire capitalism, and this is the definitive book relating her personal philosophy of "objectivism.""
"Some parts are kinda onerous, like th soliloquy that goes on for more than two CDs."
"I've heard many many good things about it, and respect the writings of some from the Ayn Rand Institute, so I think I'll appreciate it much. ---. Now that I have read the book, I have mixed and powerful feelings."
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Best Literary Short Stories

All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Ten years in the writing, a National Book Award finalist, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” ( Los Angeles Times ). Yes, there is fear and fighting and disappearance and death, but the author’s focus is on the interior lives of his two characters. Never mind that their paths don’t cross until very late in the novel, this is not a book you read for plot (although there is a wonderful, mysterious subplot about a stolen gem). It is through their individual and intertwined tales that Doerr masterfully and knowledgeably re-creates the deprived civilian conditions of war-torn France and the strictly controlled lives of the military occupiers.High-Demand Backstory: A multipronged marketing campaign will make the author’s many fans aware of his newest book, and extensive review coverage is bound to enlist many new fans.
Reviews
"It has been a while since I have found a book that I wanted to read slowly so that I could soak in every detail in hopes that the last page seems to never come. When reading the synopsis of this novel, I never imagined that I would feel so connected to a book where one of the main characters is blind and the other a brilliant young German orphan who was chosen to attend a brutal military academy under Hitler's power using his innate engineering skills. I was invited into the pages and could not only imagine the atmosphere, but all of my senses were collectively enticed from the very first page until the last. In most well-written books you get of a sense of what the characters look like and follow them throughout the book almost as if you are on a voyage, but with this novel, I could imagine what it was like to be in Marie-Laure's shoes."
"On the other hand, as the author describes it, “It’s also a metaphorical suggestion that there are countless invisible stories still buried within World War II.” Add in a newly blinded French girl who is forced to leave her familiar surroundings, and you’ll soon find yourself in literary heaven. There are lessons about the brain, sitting inside the darkness of our skull, interpreting light; there are lessons about coal having been plants living millions of years ago, absorbing light, now buried in darkness; lessons about light waves that we cannot see—all applicable as the story unfolds. The author also includes connections to the song Clair de Lune, the book 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, and a fictional story about a priceless diamond called the Sea of Flames, whose owner “so long as he keeps it, the keeper of the stone will live forever.”. I cannot proclaim loud enough how much this book means to me; I have been left awe-inspired."
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Best Women's Literary Fiction

Before We Were Yours: A Novel
Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. Wingate is a master-storyteller, and you’ll find yourself pulled along as she reveals the wake of terror and heartache that is Georgia Tann’s legacy.” — Parade “One of the year’s best books . “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power.” —Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of Circling the Sun. A poignant, engrossing tale about sibling love and the toll of secrets.” — People “ Before We Were Yours is sure to be one of the most compelling books you pick up this year. [Lisa] Wingate is a master-storyteller, and you’ll find yourself pulled along as she reveals the wake of terror and heartache that is Georgia Tann’s legacy.” — Parade. It is almost a cliché to say a book is ‘lovingly written’ but that phrase applies clearly to Lisa Wingate’s latest novel, Before We Were Yours . This story about children taken from their parents through kidnapping or subterfuge and then placed for adoption, for a price, clearly pours out of Wingate’s heart. “This story is heartfelt and genuine, especially as Wingate explores the idea of home and family from a youngster’s point of view.” — Historical Novels Review. “Lisa Wingate takes an almost unthinkable chapter in our nation’s history and weaves a tale of enduring power. But the real feat of this stirring novel is how deeply Wingate plunges us into the heart and mind of twelve-year-old river gypsy Rill Foss. Rill’s utterly singular voice will stay with you long after the last page is turned, as will Wingate’s courage to follow her anywhere. I’m still basking in the afterglow, in shock at the true-crime elements, in awe at the journey of these characters who seem to have immortal souls.” —Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
Reviews
"It follows the story of the Foss children in the '30s and Avery Stafford in present day, and brings to light a horrifying and shameful real-life scandal. Avery Stafford finds a puzzling photograph that leads her into an ever more confusing story of secrets and lies inside her upright, respected family."
"This is the first book I've ever read by Lisa Wingate, but having read it I will search through her other titles."
"Based on a true story of Georgia Tann Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal."
"Am recommending this book to my book club as must-read."
"What a fantastic book."
"Very touching."
"The story is well written."
"This was a very, very interesting book."
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Best Tamil eBooks

Ponniyin Selvan Anaithu Pagangal (Tamil Edition)
Kalki was the pen name of R. Krishnamurthy (September 9, 1899 to December 5, 1954), a noted Tamil writer, film & music critic, Indian independence activist and journalist from Tamil Nadu, India.
Reviews
"Though it was daunting to imagine reading a book of this scale, I finally decided to give Ponniyin Selvan a try."
"This is an amazing novel."
"I am not writing about the story-I am sure anyone who knows tamil has either read the book or at least heard of this classic."
"This is the absolute marvel of tamil history novels."
"Fantastic book."
"However I bought this specifically to read from my Kindle device bought from Amazon UK."
"This was a very disappointment, for people who read and speak Tamil this is an epic."
"i will give five stars for ponniyin selvan , but the amazon edition is worst."
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