Although there were many intriguing scenarios in To the Moon and Timbuktu, and the author's descriptions of West Africa were often captivating, my overall impression of Sovich's memoir is unremarkable. Had I been able to make a more emotional connection with the author I may have enjoyed it more. I was much less interested in her personal and emotional journey than her travels in Africa, and for me, too much of her focus was on her inner journey.

Mary Beth Keane has created an intriguing, empathetic portrait of "Typhoid Mary" in Fever. Mary Mallon is a hard working, independent, talented and sympathetic character. I also found the story of Mary's fictional (?) and troubled lover, Alfred, and their relationship captivating. Keane brings the neighborhoods and people of early twentieth century New York alive in this novel. If you enjoy good writing, historical fiction and strong women characters I highly recommend Fever.

Intriguing, original, and exotic are words I would use to describe A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar. The opening chapter, in which three English women encounter a young woman giving birth alone alongside a road outside Kashgar, is captivating. I was immediately engaged in the story of Evangeline (Eva), her sister Lizzie, and their chaperone, Millicent, as narrated by Eva. I found the dual narrative involving Yemeni immigrant, Tayeb, and Frieda, an English woman and their story set in contemporary London less interesting. The stories seemed related only by a thread, especially at the beginning of the book, and I never felt a real connection with either Tayeb or Frieda. I am not a reader who necessarily needs every loose end tied up, but I found myself wondering, “What does this mean? Why is this significant?” For that reason, I think A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar might be a good choice for book groups.

In Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo gives readers a riveting glimpse into the lives of the residents of Annawadi, a makeshift slum near the Mumbai airport. Boo artfully portrays the lives of people living in circumstances I couldn’t imagine. This book impressed me on many levels. Boo spent over 3 years with the people she writes about: Abdul Husain, a Muslim, teenage garbage picker; Zehrunisa, his mother; Asha, a middle-aged mother with aspirations of improving her position in life by taking on the role of slum lord; Manju, Asha’s daughter, who attends a college of sorts, and Fatima, the Hussains’ neighbor whose actions set in motion a tragedy for both families. The end result is narrative nonfiction at its finest and a book you won’t soon forget.

I enjoyed Paula McLain’s poetic depiction of Ernest and Hadley Hemingway’s years as a married couple in Paris. The cast of characters is an interesting one and reading about their exploits is intriguing. In terms of being emotionally engaging, the book fell a little flat for me. Some of it seemed like a laundry list of facts about Hadley and Ernest’s lives: where they lived, what they ate and drank, who they saw. McLain’s Hadley can’t help but be overshadowed by her larger than life husband and some of their friends. The Paris Wife may inspire some readers to read Hemingway’s novels and short stories. I look forward to reading more of McLain’s work.

David Trueba is an intelligent, insightful writer. He brilliantly captures the lives of his characters, which include a sixteen year old girl, a twenty year old professional soccer player, a middle aged man, and his elderly father. His ability to portray the actions and innermost thoughts of such a diverse group of individuals in such detail and so honestly is remarkable. (Sylvia is one of the most mature, self-aware sixteen year olds I’ve encountered in fiction, but nonetheless is authentic and believable.) As much as I enjoyed reading Learning to Lose while I was reading, it wasn’t a book I was eager to pick up once I’d put it down. I found it a little short on action, and at nearly 600 pages, very long, too long. I am happy to have had the opportunity to read this Spanish writer I may not have otherwise encountered; I would recommend Learning to Lose to those who enjoy international literary fiction.

Heidi Durrow explores the issues of identity, race and family in this eloquently written novel. Rachel Morse survives a family tragedy and is forced to examine her identity when she moves to Portland to live with her African American grandmother. Is she white? Is she black? We might not think it matters, but it does, as this novel makes so perfectly clear. Rachel is a smart, gutsy, self-aware girl who comes of age through the course of the novel. The issues raised in this book are particularly relevant in our multicultural society. But the issues don’t get in the way of the story in this deserved winner of the Bellwether Prize. The engaging narrative and characters make it an excellent choice for young adults as well.