The Ice Queen

by Alice Hoffman

Every time Alice Hoffman comes out with a new novel, I almost drool with excitement because she's never let me down!  Her novels are full of mind-inspiring descriptions and delicate touches of magic that leave you wanting the novel to go on forever.  I first discovered her when I noticed she had written the novel "Practical Magic," which is a movie I dearly adore.  I've since gone on to read all of her novels and this last trip to the library I was able to pick up her latest TWO!  Like most of her novels, magic is referred to in "The Ice Queen" as a sub-plot and it is left up to the reader to decide if the protagonist lives in a world where magic exists or if they are just grasping at straws to explain events in their life.

The main character (who is unnamed) is a woman who has built a shell around herself and becomes a self-declared Ice Queen.  Her relationships are few and always shaky and she believes her life is dull and seemingly pointless.  After a near death experience when she is struck by lightning, she begins to realize her life was anything but pointless.  She meets a fellow lightning strike survivor and piece by piece they put together their shattered lives with surprising consequences.

Similar Novels: Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman and Run by Ann Patchett
Length: 224 pages
Copyright: January 2006

Run

By Ann Patchett

This book had been sitting on my shelf for almost two months before I started reading it. Once I began reading it, I was upset I let it sit there that long! What an excellent novel! I have read Ann Patchett before and while I enjoy her works, I hadn't read anything of hers that propelled her into my "favorite authors" category. This book made me rethink her status and she might quickly become one of my favorite authors.

The story centers around one family and takes place during a 24 hour period. During a blizzard in the city of Boston, an accident occurs and one family is confronted with truths and long buried secrets. One father decides how far he'll go to protect his family while a son learns that "family" might include people you've never met before. This novel is beautifully written and will inspire everyone to rethink the term "family."

Similar Novels: Digging to America by Anne Tyler and Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

Length: 380 pages

Copyright: July 2008

The Patron Saint of Liars

By Ann Patchett

Another author who is among the ranks of Jodi Picoult, Alice Hoffman, and Anne Tyler. She only has a few novels published and on the shelves, but I've read them all and they're great (try to forget Tony the Tiger sound effects!!). My favorite were Bel Canto and The Magician's Assistant. I found this novel after I had seen the made for television movie on Lifetime and was worried that I would be tainted by the show. I usually like to read the book first so it isn't ruined by the meagerness of the movie/show. The book and the movie were so different that it didn't matter that I'd seen it first. The story lines were similar, but the main events and endings were changed. I assume they did that to make the movie appeal to a wider audience. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book immensely.

Rose finds herself pregnant and in a failing marriage. To save her unborn child from a life of misery and pain, she runs away from her husband and hides in a convent that serves as a halfway house for unwed expectant girls. Rose fits right into the daily life at the convent and manages to keep her history a secret. As she progresses in her pregnancy, Rose finds herself asking questions about why family life is so difficult for her and why she feels she is inadequate for the life she has helped to create.

Similar Novels: Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle and The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood

Length: 336 pages

Copyright: 2003