"Zorro" by Isabel Allende

Master storyteller Isabel Allende, takes on the iconic legend of Zorro. In her wonderful blend of fiction, history and magic, she introduces us to Diego de la Vaga, and his "milk brother" Bernardo, as young boys in California. Allende follows the brothers through their formative years in Barcelona, to Louisiana, and back to California as adults. With an engaging plot, full of great characters and historical detail, Allende brings the legend of Zorro to life in this captivating novel.

"The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America" by Bill Bryson

Journalist, author and expatriate Bill Bryson, comes back home to Des Moines, Iowa to begin a 13,000+ mile trip across the United States. This book is part travelogue, part memoir and full of Bryson's trademark humor as he seeks to connect with his childhood memories, and find the perfect American small town. At times poignant, irreverent and scathing, this book is full of classic Bryson gems of insight into America. It should also bring back memories to many readers of the classic American road trip.

If you enjoyed this book you may also like: "Blue Highways: a Journey in to America" by William Least Heat Moon or works by Tim Cahill or Paul Theroux.

"Digging to America" by Anne Tyler

Anne Tyler once again delivers her trademark domestic fiction in the novel "Digging to America." She examines the lives of two very different families-- the Donaldson's and Yazdun's-- as they arrive at the Baltimore airport to pick up their adoped baby girls from South Korea. What follows is a wonderful examination of their daily lives, told by various family members, over the years as the adopted girls and families grow closer together. The classic themes of immigration, marriage, family, love, and loss are so well described by Anne Tyler that she makes these themes universal to all. She is a master of the well-written phrase and the well-developed character and her unique "miracles of insight and understanding," make this a novel which is highly recommended.

"The Man Who Loved China..." by Simon Winchester

Author, Simon Winchester, has built a career writing about little-known figures in history and making the lay person aware of their contributions to society. Such is the case of Dr. Joseph Needham, a distinguished professor of biochemistry at Cambridge, who went to China in the 1930's and then proceeded to spend his life writing the definitive work on Chinese civilization and culture. During his time in China he led eleven cultural expeditions and logged 30,000 miles to answer the vexing question: "Why , if the Chinese had been so technologically creative for so very long, and if they invented so much in antiquity-- why did modern science develop not in China but in Europe and the West?"

That is the focus of this very interesting, and fascinating book on the life and work of Dr. Joseph Needham, and how he devoted his life to finding the answer to the question. The book provides great insights into Chinese culture and society from the 1930's to the 1990's and is a great introduction to the impact China continues to have on world events.

"The Cairo Diaries: 2004-2006" by Tom Markus and Linda Sarver

What a delight to have Tom and Linda share their amazing experience of living in Cairo as Tom taught at the American University. This book began as e-mail messages sent to family and friends which were then expanded into this entertaining and witty book. Travel writing is such a great way to explore the world and learn the intricacies of life and culture. Tom and Linda are wonderful observers of human nature and to read their book was a joy! Thank you for being a part of our Mainly Reading Book Club and providing these fascinating insights!

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

To celebrate our 3rd Year Anniversary we chose an award-winning book which examines the importance of words and the transforming power they give us, as we deal with extreme situations of adversity and despair. "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak is a detailed, multi-layered examination of how a small community, and specifically a a group of families living on Himmel Street deal with the realities of World War II. The impact of the war and Jewish Holocaust is narrated by Death, and told from the point of view of a young girl, Liesel. Through these characters and several others we are shown the human side of war and the effect it has on ordinary citizens. This is an accomplished, and thought-provoking novel with strong characters, a unique plot and presentation.

For those keeping track here is the list of books we read in 2009:
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner
The Ayatollah Begs to Differ, Hooman Majd
Three Cups of Tea: One man's mission to fight terror and build nations-- one school at a time, Greg Mortenson
Nine Parts of Desire: the hidden world of Islamic Women, Geraldine Brooks
Mask of Apollo, Mary Renault
Manhunt: the twelve day chase for Lincoln's Killer, James L. Swanson
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Geography of Bliss: one grump's search for the happiest places in the world, Eric Weiner
The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
The Cairo Diaries, Tom Markus and Linda Sarver
The Man Who Love China: the fantastic story of the eccentric scientist who unlocked the mysteries of the Middle Kingdom, by Simon Winchester

"The Geography of Bliss" by Eric Weiner

If you enjoyed this book here are some interesting web sites:

Listen to Eric Weiner report on Bombay's Laughing Clubs:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId+=1147789

The World Database of Happiness:
http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl/

or this book "Stumbling on Happiness" by Dan Gilbert