The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

I picked up this book because I thought it would be a sweet animal story that I "had" to read because it won a Newbery Medal and was a National Book Award Finalist. This IS an animal tale, but the story is not sappy or simplistic. It is deep, complex, and delves into what it means to be lonely, what it means to love, and what it means to keep promises. The story is lyrically told and demands to be read aloud.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

In this book, Kingsolver and her family move across the country to Virginia to their family farm. Their move was made to enable them to eat only locally-grown or self-grown food, thus joining a growing population of people who are attempting to live more sustainably. Kingsolver's writing is inviting, conversational and quietly compelling. She shares her family’s experiences, month by month, and readers will be delighted with their adventures and may very well be convinced to join them in their quest. If you've ever wondered what it might be like to live sustainably, to grow your own food and maybe even to live off the grid, this is the book for you. I loved it!

Similar books I’ve read recently include Living the Good Life by Linda Cockburn, The Good Life by Helen Nearing, and One Man’s Wilderness by Richard Proenneke.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

This is a modern, literary version of Dracula and features more suspense than action. The characters are intellectual; the setting sprawls across Europe from Amsterdam to Istanbul; and readers will be enthralled.