Sally Recommends...

Believe it or not, starting at Cornell in 1919 there were various university "practice houses" where college students learned homemaking and took turns mothering real babies supplied by local orphanages. Henry House was one of those "practice babies" brought up by multiple "mothers". This is his story and how his unusual upbringing affected his later life, unable to make attachments to any one person. It is fascinating - and irresistible!

After a violent and brutal attack on a Nigerian beach, the lives of Andrew and Sarah, a suburban London couple, and Little Bee, a Nigerian orphan, are forever intertwined. Mesmerizing and beautifully written.

This book tells the stories of 4 Londoners whose lives weave together and intersect in the 4 sections. These sections also reference literary works such as Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, Bronte's Jane Eyre and Charles Dickens. It is an intriguing and satisfying way of presenting a great character study. It's like a jigsaw puzzle when the characters come together in the end.

Some years are better than others. This is a banner year! With stories ranging from the lives of Chinese prostitutes, the quiet horror resulting from an overprotective mother, to memories of friendship long past and the devastation of war injuries -- this collection soars.

Many of these stories are heartbreaking in scope and some will make you hold your breath. But - no one can write a write a story like Alice Munro.

When an Arab surgeon living in Israel learns of a suicide bombing, the casualties start to appear at his hospital. He then learns the impossible fact that his wife was the suicide bomber. Thus begins a frantic and painful search for the truth and discovering that all was not as it seemed. Thrilling and terrifying!

If I ever need a surgeon Atul Gawande is the one I want. And if I want a surgeon who is an amazing writer as well – he’s my man! The case studies that he describes are jaw-dropping and fascinating. These are real life medical thrillers. The Case of the Red Leg is especially amazing – she was my daughter’s roommate at the time! When you finish this book, read his latest one, Better.

This is a completely mesmerizing novel! Is it the intimacy of being inside the dogs' minds, the charm of Edgar who, though mute, was more fully developed than most characters in fiction, or the wonderful language that made the story so intoxicating? Those of us who have read this have all loved it. (And we are very happy for the great success David Wroblewski is enjoying as it has been recommended by Oprah).