TVLVSLoID - What a mouthful! And yet, the author manages to live up to the title. Each chapter is a capsule snapshot of the life of Isaac Dahl, taken every 8 years. Each of those years is significant in history, both for our main character and for the world – catastrophes, wars, social upheaval, etc. And ID's role in them as well as their effect on his life, are explored in sufficient detail to hold your attention throughout. Some characters come and go, some are with us for all or most of ID's life. All are richly developed and authentic. Each chapter is a short story, independent and yet connected to all the rest. Told from ID's viewpoint as an autobiography but with an angle from journalism as his occupation and avocation. Contemporary fiction but believable and very readable. Great for book clubs to open conversations about historical events, family, survival and where we might fit in each category.

Banyan Moon explores three generations of women of Vietnamese origin and their discoveries, loves and lives. It is poignant and direct, inventive, and introspective. It takes place from the perspective of each woman, in Vietnam, in Florida and elsewhere, across the times of each. With the author providing only tangential clues along the way, it also reads like a mystery, looking for connections and intersections between the lives of the women. Relationships exist that struggle to survive despite seemingly unsurmountable odds, generational gaps, cultural wars. I was particularly intrigued by the insights the author provided about war-time Vietnam from the viewpoint of the common resident, trying to maintain a normal life under the stress of multi-year war and strive.

For a book club with multiple generational members, it might spark conversations about family, the Vietnam war, women in times of extreme stress, coping in adversity and other hot topics. For the individual reader, getting drawn into the lives of each of these women was intriguing, thought-provoking, and insightful.

This Other Eden shines a bright light on a racial controversy in history that has eluded most Americans. Set along the Canada-Maine border, it recounts events from 1912 and before, affecting the residents of a small island of mixed-race residents that are marked for removal. It is historical fiction written from a lyrical and poetic viewpoint, at time heart-breaking in scope and dimension. It touches on many contemporary topics of prejudice, cruelty, interdependence, and family. It illuminates and educates, both lovingly and with the cold science of eugenics. It has much 'meat' for discussion and examination for book clubs, for families, for those who are wondering how we got where we are and where we might go from here.

In Fly Girl, Ann Hood shares an insider's view of the life of a flight attendant, seen thru the early days in review, her career in flying and the years of deregulation of the industry. She uses many of the familiar phrases that we hear flying – "tray table and seats in their full upright and locked position." Ann gives us her view on the tension between being a young female in charge of her own destiny and working for a business that capitalizes on her looks and smile. There are shared stories about passengers and events both intimate and general that are part of flying and travel. It reads like a collection of stories from her notes taken between flights. Her transition from a young inexperienced traveler to globe trotter plays well. In conversational tones much like you'd hear on a plane, she shares her travel life but very little of her life after flying for eight years. Good for travelers and book clubs, lots to discuss and use to springboard into talks and thoughts about career, travel, feminism, government intervention in private industry, and flying. I wish there was a picture of the TWA propeller stir stick on the cover!

This was a hard read for me but I'm glad I stuck with it. It gives new insight to the immigrant experience, both as new immigrants and as middle-American residents of the second generation. The author did a great job with portrayal of a multitude of characters in modern but difficult and complicated circumstances. It was serious and funny, at times outlandish and other times, very ordinary. I got bogged down in the middle but stuck with the brothers and their women. A good choice for book clubs, particularly if they read the original Brothers Karamazov first! Lots of meat for discussion.

A New York City, Jewish tale of a family – the long story of how they came to this time and what they did about it. The culture and conflict of being Jewish shines through but often without explanation or translation for the secular reader. There is a distance from the characters but with insight and depth. Some of the actions are improbable or confusing but lead the story along. For the reader intimately familiar with New York City and the East Coast, some of the references to time and space will have more connections. There are contemporary issues of health, aging, profession and connections that will resonate with all.

I was sorry to come to the end of the journey in THE FUNNY THING ABOUT NORMAN FOREMAN. I felt like I lost a friend, it was so engaging and fun. This story about a 12-year-old boy, his mother, his friend Jax and their driver, is a pleasure to read and will be long remembered. Every sentence has something to treasure – so well did the author craft every move and idea. Great for readers of any age older than Norman, this book will take up a warm spot in your heart. Like the conversations between Norman and his mother, this book might open up some very interesting exchanges of ideas and dreams. Indeed, there is so much to like about this book!

If I could, I'd give Raft of Stars more than five stars! Two young boys on adventure in the woods near Claypot, Wisconsin with all the suspense of a cliff hanger. The characters reach out from the page and grab your heart – flawed and perfect, energetic and tired, ready for more and ready to quit.

"Thousands of species are dying right now, and being ignored." And Franny is either going to bear witness to the dying or do something about it. In the vaguely distant future, following the modern trend, we are headed to the extinction of many animals and maybe the last of the Arctic tern. She cheats and lies her way onto a fishing vessel to follow their final migration from Greenland to Antartica. Do you think you could do anything about the extinction trend? Would you risk life and limb to make a difference? Could you convince others to come along for the journey? I loved being admitted to the select society that share Franny's secrets and motivation. Plenty of questions and meat for book clubs and introspection. What would you/could you do to save the animals of the world?

So much of the setting of this wonderful book was exotic to me - I even had to look at a map of India to orient myself. The names of places and clothes and foods made me feel like a tourist and on the far edge of local life. The lifestyle of Grace - multi-national native of India, Italy, and America - is so unexpected. Looking both into her past and trying to guess the possibilities for her future - keeps you on the edge of your seat. Hold tight - it's a wild ride!

Mary Pipher first caught my attention when she wrote about girls and STEM education. Her words rang so true to my daughter's experience. And her newest book about women and aging is also spot on. Her sections on Challenges, Travel Skills and People on the Boat were full of references that resonated with my current life. Even that daughter I mentioned above, who is now 30 years old, found things to inspire, to learn, to reach for and to imagine for her future. Thanks again, Mary!

The Night Tiger – even the title is intriguing! The death that begins the tale, and the introduction of Ren, a very resourceful 11 year old orphan, draws the reader instantly into the time, the mystery and the captivating possibilities of the coming 48 hours. In the next chapter, we meet Jin Li, the young woman who may help solve the conundrum or who will take us to far more inquiries. Careful research, interesting facts about Malaysia and Chinese, a convoluted path of exploration and a tidy drawing of the many strings of the story by the end, make this a very satisfying book. Enjoy the journey to the past, to the mystery and to the exotic.

Care and Feeding seemed more about mystery and wondering to me. I fought to get past the feeling that I should know more, to recognize names and people from the book – and found that even when I found out what I wanted to know, I felt dissatisfied. Does that mimic life? Could we or should we know more? Multiple generations of women, all affected to a varied degree, by trauma and their separate and shared past and future. Hot modern topics – abuse, sexual assault that is either denied or overlooked, African Americans in middle America looking for truth and a place to fit in, families reeling from economic hard times, differences that may seem irreconcilable or insurmountable, eating disorders, coming of age with parents in trouble or in prison. Would be a good book club book with so many things to ponder.

If you ever thought about cats and longevity and belonging, this is the book for you. As you move thru life, we will all take a few unexpected turns along the road. This lovely book is about some of those turns. The companion of the cat visits friends from his past and learns more about himself, about his friends and about his cat along the way. As more and more of the trip is revealed, his insights will have universal appeal for pet owners of all kinds. It has a slightly exotic feel with the Japanese setting and is more intriguing because of it. Loved it!