{New Book Suggestions}

I have a sister who is in a book club in Palo Alto, CA.  She shared some of their recent reads with me and I thought they were definitely worth picking up sooner or later!

The Chosen by Chaim Potok
The Professor's House by Willa Cather
House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

The following books were suggested by the 2010 Summer Edition of the Marriott Alumni Magazine from BYU.
1) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows --A London writer unexpectedly becomes pen pals with a farmer and his friends on the island of Guernsey.  Through their correspondence she learns about the people's struggles during the WWII German occupation--and how literature and potato-peel pies (the only dessert available) kept their hopes alive. --Entertaining story, historical fiction, a pinch of romance.

2) From Poverty to Power, Duncan Green, How active, empowered citizens and effective government can change the world.

3) How Customers Think, Gerald Zaltman, Explains how much of our thinking is unconscious and driven by deep metaphors that organize and frame the way we experience the world. 

4) The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, A little German girl, Liesel, learns she can't resist books and steals them despite not knowing how to read.  Her foster father helps her learn the power of words while she faces the challenges of growing up in WWII Germany.

5) Einstein: His Life and Universe, Walter Isaacson, A Comprehensive biography of Albert Einstein portraying his accomplishments in the scientific field and also his life as a husband, father ,and friend.Written by a former CNN journalist so it's an investigative style which makes it pleasant to read...even for the not-so-scientific.

6) Peace Like a River, Leif Enger, A classic journey story about a young boy with asthma, his younger savant sister, and a faithful father who performs miracles.

7) The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict, The Arbinger Institute, Discovering the root cause of conflict; how we unwittingly perpetuate it and how to trade conflict for peace.