THE TRUEST PLEASURE
by Robert Morgan

Set in the North Carolina mountains at the turn of the century, The Truest Pleasure examines a marriage fraught with obsessions. Tom's desire is to farm land he can call his own, and Ginny is a "holy roller" who speaks in tongues. This novel, depicting a time, place and people most Americans know only as cartoons, is crafted without any hillbilly stereotypes. The author relies on his characters' decency and humanity to carry the story.

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN
by Jonathan Lethem

Lionel Essrog is a detective suffering from Tourette's Syndrome - an affliction which causes compulsive behavior complete with strange vocalizations at inopportune moments. Lionel is also the narrator and main character of this unconventional and highly inventive mystery novel. 

Investigating the murder of his boss, Lionel encounters sinister, elderly Italian men, a menacing "Polish giant," and a Japanese restaurant that is not at all what it seems to be. These complications are enhanced by Lionel's unique behavioral and linguistic tics. Lethem's fifth novel is a surprising, amusing, and fast-moving read.

TWO MOONS
by Thomas Mallon

Washington, D.C. in 1877 is the setting for this lustrous tale of technology, romance and politics. Cynthia is a war widow with an extraordinary talent for computation. While working at the Naval Observatory she falls in love with a visionary astronomer, befriends a low-born fortune teller and catches the eye of a wily senator from New York. Sheer entertainment mixes well with commentary on war, women's rights, and the powers and pleasures of science.

KARA KUSH
by Idries Shah

Drawing on his own experience as well as eyewitness accounts of participants, defectors, prisoners and victims, the author fashions an authentic and exciting tale of Afghanistan's bloody struggle against the Soviet invasion. Tribal guerillas led by the Eagle, Kara Kush, leave their caves in the mountains to destroy Russian strongholds, seize weapons, and punish the hated occupiers. When the ancient Hoard of Ahmad Shah is discovered, both sides intend to acquire the billions of gold coins. This sprawling novel delivers a gripping adventure and a fascinating insight into a troubled country and her people.

MOTHERHOOD MADE A MAN OUT OF ME
by Karen Karbo

This witty novel is a laugh-out-loud look at pregnancy and motherhood. Brooke is thoroughly in love with her new baby while her husband Lyle is spending more and more time in the basement playing Realm of the Elf with his online buddies. Brooke's single friend Mary Rose is pregnant by a handsome coward with undisclosed impediments to marriage. After Brooke and Mary Rose enjoy a girls-night-out with members of the hometown basketball team, Lyle grows even more distant when he suspects his wife has had an InfideLite (definition: one-night-stand.) The timeless trials of womanhood are presented with well-crafted verve, wry commentary, and the undeniable ring of truth.

THE MAGICIAN'S ASSISTANT
by Ann Patchett

This tender saga of redemption begins with the death of Parsifal, a stage magician with many secrets. Sabine, his loyal assistant and good friend for twenty-two years, had recently married Parsifal after the death of his long-time gay partner. Heartbroken at her loss, Sabine discovers his supposedly dead family alive and well and living in Nebraska. As Sabine uncovers Parsifal's past, both she and his family begin to heal. The author's vividly drawn characters inhabit a world in which fantasy and reality co-exist comfortably and with great charm.

THE SOOTERKIN
by Tom Gilling

The action in the wickedly funny, magical novel revolves around the bizarre birth of a child who appears to be more seal than human.  Set in an Australian penal colony in 1821 and populated by a diverse and seamy cast of characters, the novel poses many possible explanations for the "miracle birth." Then "Arthur " is taken away by a doctor who wants to exploit him as a curiosity, and his family begins a perilous journey to bring him back.

THE LOST LEGENDS OF NEW JERSEY
by Frederick Reiken

Local readers will especially appreciate this tough-minded novel set in Livingston, New Jersey in the late 1970's. The young hero, Anthony Rubin, is surrounded by complex, tangible people looking for love. Dad is having an affair with his close friend's mother and Mom is prone to breakdowns. Anthony himself may be in love with his tough, standoffish neighbor, but she's dating a crass high-school football star. This deeply romantic tale of ordinary people and places is endearing and beautifully told.

November
2002

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MUSEUM
By Kate Atkinson

Ruby Lennox begins her narrative at the moment of her conception ("I exist!") and proceeds to introduce us to her family of scoundrels, malcontents, misfits and cheats. Darkly comic and deeply moving, this award-winning British novel shifts from present to past and back again. Each shift reveals family relationships, secrets, and the genetic inevitability of various (frequently bizarre) character traits. This sophisticated and poetic first novel will reward the careful reader.

December
2002

MAN AND BOY
by Tony Parsons

Harry had it all: a marriage to a beautiful woman, an adorable four-year-old son, and a good job as a television producer. A one-night- stand with a pretty co-worker effectively ends his marriage and temporarily leaves him to care for his son on his own.  Harry copes with help from his parents and a new woman in his life. The struggling single dad grows closer to his own father as he learns to connect with his son.
A best seller in Great Britain, this music journalist's first novel ranges from heartbreaking to uproariously funny.