In the late 19th century, a seven-year-old Hawaiian girl is diagnosed with leprosy and is taken away from her family to the leper colony on the island of Moloka'i. Rachel is not allowed to live with her uncle, who was sent to Moloka'i before her, but instead is raised by nuns along with other girls taken from their families. As she grows to adulthood, Rachel witnesses many changes in the community and in the treatment of leprosy -- later known as Hansen's Disease. Many of her friends die, but Rachel survives and finds love and happiness for a time on Moloka'i, though she continues to hope that one day she will be able to return home to her family.

A fascinating and poignant account of the impact that one of the many diseases brought to Hawaii by outsiders had on the native population through the eyes of one girl. Hawaiian legends are woven throughout the story, providing insight into the rich history and culture of the islands that became the 50th state.

The founding of America was a process beset by many challenges, including countries and agents that actively worked to either see us fail, or at least severely limit our growth. While Benedict Arnold and Aaron Burr are two of the most commonly recognized antagonists, the story of General James Wilkinson is one of the most fascinating. He was a brilliant strategist both in battle and in politics, but character weaknesses, such as his ego and his failure managing his finances helped to lead him into spying against the country he was sworn to defend. Over the course of his spying career he betrayed military secrets, had Spain send their military against the Lewis and Clark expedition and sought to keep the country from expanding beyond the Mississippi. The force of his personality and intellect were such that he served as the Commander and Chief of the military under 4 presidents even though rumors of his spying for Spain were wide spread. Linklater relates this history in a compelling and accessible manner.

At the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Botswana, Mma Ramotswe is contacted by an American lawyer hoping to find a safari guide who is a beneficiary of his client's will. She is also asked by a friend to find out if her husband is cheating. At the same time, Assistant Detective Grace Makutsi must cope when her fiance suffers a serious accident and is taken in by his domineering aunt, who refuses to let Mma Makutsi see him. The two detectives leave their troubles behind and travel north to safari country to resolve their case. As usual in this charming series, the mystery takes a back seat to the delightful cast of characters inhabiting the beautiful land of Botswana.

William Henry (Hank) Devereaux Jr., is a professor and chairman of a disfunctional English Department at a small eastern college. During a budget dispute he is filmed by a news crew wearing a false nose and glasses, brandishing a goose over his head and threatening to kill a duck a day until he gets a proper budget.This skewering of academia is my favorite work by Russo and one of the funniest books I've read. He has a palpable sense of compassion for the lead character and the successes and failures the we must come to terms with as we age.

In 1951, Henrietta Lacks was a poor, uneducated black woman living with her husband and young children in Baltimore when she developed cervical cancer and soon died. Without her or her family’s knowledge or consent, cells from her cancer were cultured, distributed, and used in thousands of experiments continuing to this day, enabling discoveries in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping. Rebecca Skloot, a noted science writer, uncovers the story of the woman behind these HeLa cells as well as that of her family, who never received compensation for the sale of Henrietta’s cells. The biological, ethical and human elements of the story come together as an engrossing narrative of scientific discovery and its human consequences.

Being the parent of a child who pleads for a dog isn’t easy, especially if your own childhood encounters with canines left you with scars. The choice to allow a dog in the house is hard, but life gets hilariously difficult for journalist Steven Winn when he becomes responsible for the man-hating terrier mix who won the daughter’s heart at the shelter. Como may not be as big as Marley, but he teaches a big lesson about how loving a dog can make a man more human.

A young housekeeper is hired to care for an aging mathematics professor who was seriously injured in a car accident causing his short-term memory to last for only 80 minutes. He remembers everything up to the accident, including complicated mathematical theorems and equations, but each day the housekeeper must reintroduce herself to him.  When the housekeeper’s 10-year-old son begins to accompany her to the Professor’s house, the three form a unique bond, despite the Professor’s impairment. Translated from Japanese, Ogawa’s novel weaves the complexities of math into a simple, touching story.

Alice Tatnall Ziplinsky is a major player at Zip’s Candies, but it wasn’t always that way. Before she was Mrs. Howard Ziplinsky, she was Arson Girl, who had no friends and was estranged from her parents.   But everything changed when Alice applied for a job at Zip’s Candies.  Sam Ziplinsky took her under his wing and encouraged the romance between Alice and his son, Howard. By working at the factory and marrying into the family, Alice learns the origins of Zip’s and their not-so-politically-correct candies. A deliciously funny family saga and peek into the world of candymaking.