Reading Guides

• Fiction & Literature
• Non-Fiction

Reading Guides

1. The Abyssinian Proof

   Jenny White

   "An immensely enjoyable read, richly textured and wonderfully atmospheric."—Sarah GravesMore

2. The Age of Shiva

   Manil Suri

   "A stunning novel, proof that Manil Suri is a major storyteller of heart and intelligence." —Amy TanMore

3. The Air We Breathe

   Andrea Barrett

   "An evocative panorama of America...on the cusp of enormous change" (Newsday) by the National Book Award-winning author of Ship Fever.More

4. All Other Nights

   Dara Horn

   “Slam-bang... superb... masterful... gripping... marvelous.”—Washington PostMore

5. The American Lover

   Rose Tremain

   “A collection of stylish daring, tonal mastery and smart, tough love.”—New York Times Book ReviewMore

6. American Salvage

   Bonnie Jo Campbell

   Finalist for the 2009 National Book Award in Fiction
   Finalist for the 2009 National Book Critics Circle Award in Fiction
   “These short stories approach their subjects from an array of perspectives, but what they share is freshness, surprise, and a compulsion to plumb some absolute extremes of American existence.”—National Book Award citationMore

7. Anya

   Susan Fromberg Schaeffer

   Anya is a myth, an epic...[by] a writer of remarkable power.—Washington PostMore

8. Arabian Jazz

   Diana Abu-Jaber

   "This oracular first novel, which unfurls like gossamer [has] characters of a depth seldom found in a debut."—The New YorkerMore

9. Archangel

   Andrea Barrett

   "[Andrea Barrett's] work stands out for its sheer intelligence…The overall effect is quietly dazzling."—New York Times Book ReviewMore

10. Bad Girls

    Ellen Sussman

    “Makes for seriously sexy (and smart) summer reading.”—ElleMore

11. Beneath the Lion's Gaze

    Maaza Mengiste

    "An important novel, rich in compassion for its anguished characters." —The New York Times Book ReviewMore

12. Birds of Paradise

    Diana Abu-Jaber

    “A full-course meal, a rich, complex and memorable story that will leave you lingering gratefully at [Abu-Jaber’s] table.”—Ron Charles, Washington PostMore

13. The Birthdays

    Heidi Pitlor

    "Captivating, moving, painfully funny, and so very, very true."—Julia GlassMore

14. The Bishop's Daughter

    Honor Moore

    “An eloquent argument for speaking even the most difficult truths.” —New York Times Book ReviewMore

15. The Blind Side

    Michael Lewis

    "Lewis has such a gift for storytelling... he writes as lucidly for sports fans as for those who read him for other reasons."--Janet Maslin, New York TimesMore