Read in March

THE BEST:
The Monsters of Templeton
Willie Upton returns to her hometown of Templeton, NY in a state of upheaval and soon finds herself unexpectedly wrapped up in solving the mystery of her paternity and unearthing the long-buried secrets of several generations of her eccentric family. Clues are followed to surprising ends and a host of endearing characters are introduced along the way. The novel is witty and creative, and the writing is wonderful.

Made to Stick
What makes an idea or story unforgettable? That's the focus of this engaging book about getting your ideas through to people and making them 'stick'. The authors propose the cornerstones of simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions, and stories. The research studies behind the principles are fascinating, and the authors put their storytelling techniques to work, creating a book that is as entertaining as it is informative.

The Best American Short Stories 2007
The 2007 anthology, edited by Stephen King, consists of a particularly strong collection of twenty selections culled from a year of published short stories. I loved every piece in this year's edition, and consider it the best of the series to date. (Coincidentally, one of the stories is by Lauren Groff, the author of The Monsters of Templeton.)

THE REST:
Slaughterhouse-Five
Vonnegut's classic "...fashions the author's experiences in the Second World War into an eloquent and deeply funny plea against butchery in the service of authority." (quote from Amazon.com) Throughout the novel, Billy Pilgrim randomly time travels through his life experiences, including a visit to an alien planet and the 1945 firebombing of Dresden, Germany.

Caspian Rain
This is the poignant story of loneliness and class struggle centered on an Iranian Jewish family in Tehran during the years preceding the Islamic revolution.

Daughter of York
A work of historical fiction featuring Margaret of York, sister to the War of the Roses kings Edward IV and Richard III, and wife of Charles, duke of Burgundy.

Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids
Near the end of WWII, a group of Japanese reform-school boys are evacuated to a remote village where the villagers subject them to cruelty and abandon them to plague. Reminiscent of Lord of the Flies.

Bad Monkeys
The twists and turns are fast and wild in this imaginative sci-fi thriller. You never know what to expect as Jane relates the story of her involvement with the Bad Monkeys, an organization devoted to fighting evil.

Night Train to Lisbon
A brief encounter in Bern with a Portuguese woman sets Raimund Gregorius on a journey to Lisbon and to self-discovery through the study of the life and writings of a resistance-era poet and doctor.

Joy in the Morning
Satirical humor from P.G. Wodehouse, featuring Bertram Wooster and the incomparable Jeeves.