Though Swedish crime fiction is all the rage, other nations have their own twisted secrets. The Past is a Foreign Country, a new import from Italy’s prize-winning Gianrico Carofiglio, details a law student’s slow descent into darkness while under the influence of a charismatic con.
Check It Out Category: Books
Cathleen’s Pick: I Am the Messenger
Stop one incompetent bank robber, and everyone thinks you’re a hero. Then Ed receives an Ace of Diamonds with three addresses written on it. Why? I Am the Messenger is the unusual story of a likable slacker who tries saving the day one mysterious playing card at a time.
Donna S.’s Pick: The Letters
Sam and Hadley West are recovering from the death of their son – Sam by an Alaskan adventure and Hadley by painting. The Letters by Luanne Rice is the story of their separation and how, through intimate letters, the couple saves their marriage from divorce.
Cathleen’s Pick: I Capture the Castle
Though I only discovered Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle a few years ago, it feels like a book I’ve loved all my life. Cassandra is one of the most fascinating and natural storytellers you’ll ever read, and her cleverness adds spice to this extraordinary coming-of-age tale. Simply enchanting.
John’s Pick: Asterios Polyp
David Mazzucchelli’s outstanding graphic novel Asterios Polyp isn’t notable just for its satisfying story – about an arrogant architect who learns to see the world in a new way – but for the way that story is told: elegant visual devices abound in this thematically rich work.