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    		•  May paperback releases offer good choices for reading groups

    REVIEWS BY JULIE HALE

    Cover The History of Love
    A unique and timeless love story, this critically acclaimed novel spans six decades. An elderly immigrant who fled his native Poland to get away from the Nazis, Leo Gursky is a former locksmith living in New York City. Displaced and lonely, he faces old age with remorse—for his former love, for his missing son and for a novel he wrote long ago and lost. The novel, as it happens, is called The History of Love, and it was published years before in Chile under the name of a different author. Paralleling Leo's story is that of another New Yorker, 14-year-old Alma Singer, who is named after the heroine in The History of Love. Alma struggles to hold her family together, and she describes her efforts daily in her diary, pages of which form part of the narrative. Her mother, Charlotte, pines for her late husband and supports the family by working as a translator. Charlotte receives an interesting proposition from a stranger: She is offered a large amount of money to translate The History of Love from Spanish. Portions of her translations are included in the novel. As the book progresses, Krauss deepens the connections between her cast of characters in a way that's surprising and magical. Chosen for the "Today" show book club, this is a remarkable work about love and loss marked by startling plot twists and singular characters. A reading group guide is included in the book.

    Cover A Wedding in December
    A sharp observer of modern relationships, Shreve continues to produce spot-on romantic novels that resonate with readers. Her latest book follows a group of successful friends as they get together for a special wedding. Bill and Bridget were an item years ago in college at the Kidd Academy, and when they meet again at a reunion, the old flame is rekindled. The two quickly decide to marry. The divorced Bridget has breast cancer, giving the event an added urgency. Old college pals attend the wedding, which is held in Massachusetts at their friend Nora's inn. The unique cast of characters includes Harrison, a book publisher who is in love with Nora; Rob, a gay pianist; Agnes, a teacher; and Jerry, a hard-nosed Wall Street investor. Despite the joy of the occasion, there's a tinge of tragedy, as the group recalls the loss of their friend Stephen, a star athlete who died in an accident years ago. A snowstorm strands the group at the inn, and soon emotions are running high as the characters reflect on paths taken and not taken, choices and decisions, and what might have been. In the microcosm of this special reunion among friends, Shreve captures the human condition, providing sharp dialogue and a fulfilling resolution. A reading group guide is included in the book.

    Cover North
    This noir-ish thriller is a sequel to Busch's 1997 novel Girls. Jack, who appeared in the previous book, has left the New York police force to work as a security guard at a vacation spot on the North Carolina coast. He gets more than he bargains for when he crosses paths with a young woman named Merle Davidoff. A tough, attractive lawyer from Manhattan, Merle enlists Jack to help locate her missing nephew, Tyler, a good-for-nothing sort who kept bad company and disappeared somewhere up north. Jack takes the assignment, heading back to New York only to find himself face to face with memories of his recent past: late wife, lost friends, unresolved issues—the works. Along the way, he discovers another possible case, the disappearance of a child in an incident that adds to his steadily increasing fears about the modern world and the decline of justice. This is an edgy, suspenseful mystery, sinister and stylishly written from start to finish. Busch has created a memorable central character whose motivations and personal relationships have proven well worth exploring over the course of a pair of poignant narratives. At once a detective novel and the story of a man coming to terms with his painful past, North is a tense and melancholy book characterized by pared-down prose, with sentences inspired by Hemingway and Hammett. A reading group guide is included in the book.


    Has your club recently read an excellent book that sparked good group discussion? If so, BookPage would like to hear about it. Contact us at reading@bookpage.com with a description of the book and the reasons for your recommendation. We'll pass the top choices along to our readers.

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