Annotation:On the eve of his death, an elderly Lab-Cross named Enzo, reflects on his life. Compassionate and funny, Stein presents Enzo as a New Age philosopher obsessed with opposable thumbs and television documentaries. One documentary, about Mongolia, convinces Enzo that he will be reincarnated in human form. This book will appeal to fans of domestic fiction and animal literature.

Annotation:For years, vacationers have been coming to Badenheim in Austria for its pleasant air, charming atmosphere, and convivial social scene. In the summer of 1939 the city has taken on a darker mood. The “Sanitation Department” has been measuring rooms, promoting resettlement in Poland, and registering Jews. Increasingly cut off for the outside world, the visitors can do nothing but wait. If you are a fan of Katherine Anne Porter’s “Ship of Fools” or Ann Patchett’s “Bel Canto” you will enjoy this book.

Annotation:On the night of the State of the Union address, a terrorist group unleashes a deadly virus which forces the president to lock down the building, trapping inside all but one of those in line for his succession. With enemies both inside and out, he is forced to rely on virologist Griffin Rhodes, who only 9 months earlier was placed in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison for alleged attempted terrorist acts involving this very same virus. It kept me intrigued from start to finish, and is a great biological/political thriller that you will not want to put down!

Annotation:Long on plot, Mary Gentle’s prequel to her series Ash : A Secret History is a must read for fans of alternative history. Born a hermaphrodite, Ilario is abandoned at birth, fostered, sold into slavery, married as a groom, married as a bride, and gives birth to a daughter – all in the first 300 pages of this epic novel.

Annotation:If you like Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett try this 1940’s mystery. Railroad security agent Hook Runyon must help transport a trainload of dangerous mental patients from California to Oklahoma.

Annotation:With her children evacuated and her husband at the front, Tory Pace is sharing the family home with her irascible mother; working at the local gelatine factory and generally doing as well as could be expected in difficult times. Her quiet life is thrown into turmoil, however, when her prisoner-of-war husband, Donald, makes an outrageous demand, he wants a dirty letter, by return of post! Horrified, at first, Tory’s disgust gradually gives way to a sense of marital duty, and she begins a quest to master the language of carnal desire: a quest that takes a sudden and unexpected turn into far more dangerous territory.

Annotation:A chance encounter in a petrol station causes the narrator, Triton, to reminisce about his life in Sri Lanka. From boyhood, Triton has been in the service of Mister Ranjan Salgado, a marine biologist. Triton’s mastery of household management and his creativity in the kitchen set him far apart from the subservient domestic role you might expect. Eventually, Triton follows Mister Salgado into exile in Britain. The prose is beautifully crafted and the book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Award. Recommended.

Annotation:More wit and wisdom from Precious Ramotswe’s Botswana as the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency tackles problems large and small – problems that invariable yield to a combination of common sense and good manners. And, yes, the wait is over! The reader finally gets to celebrate the long-delayed Makutsi-Radiphuti nuptials. Enjoy!

Annotation:This hilarious and irreverent collection of animal fables owes more to Fractured Fairy Tales than Aesop. These quirky and inventive stories will appeal to fans of Scott Bradfield’s Hot Animal Love, Cornelius Medvei’s Mr. Thundermug or James Lever’s Me Cheetah.

Annotation:This bittersweet and mordantly funny take on teenage self-awareness and angst, is the story of Anne whose self-worth fluctuates with the success or failure of her weight control regimens. As an adult, Anne looks back on a series of fumbling romances and family dysfunction and judges herself wanting. The reader sees her as a witty and perceptive observer of the human scene. If only we could convince Anne. Recommended

Annotation:Teenage troublemakers Zipp and Andreas unwittingly commit murder when they accidentally kill a baby in the course of a petty crime. Unaware, they move onto their next crime. Having followed an elderly lady home, Andreas enters her house armed with his trusty knife. Zipp waits nervously outside, but his friend never reappears. There is no reason for Inspector Sejer to connect the case of the infant's death with the disappearance of the town's troublemaker. .