The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows; The Dial Press

“January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb…. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Liz’s Notes: Don’t let the title fool you. This novel brings the period just after WWII to life, and creates characters that are thoroughly believable. The island of Guernsey is a setting one does not often see, and the period emphasis makes this a charming and moving novel.

The Burglar In The Library: A Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery, Lawrence Block; Dutton

“Bernie Rhodenbarr returns in the eighth installment of Lawrence Block’s bestselling Burglar series. After his girlfriend dumps him to marry another, Bernie follows the couple to a New England Inn with his sights set on an autographed first edition copy of Raymond Chandler’s “The Big Sleep,” located in the Inn’s library. But when a dead body appears and all the guests remain snowbound, it’s up to Bernie to solve the case!”

Liz’s Note: Another thoroughly enjoyable entry in this very funny series. In describing this book the author says “Think Agatha Christie at Fawlty Towers”, and that is certainly the perfect description. Bernie is a delightful character and the setting will remind fans of the classic house party mysteries of the past.

The Looking Glass Wars, Frank Beddor; Dial

“When she is cast out of Wonderland by her evil aunt Redd, young Alyss Heart finds herself living in Victorian Oxford as Alice Liddell and struggles to keep memories of her kingdom intact until she can return and claim her rightful throne.”
Robin’s Note: If you like richly imagined fantasy, Frank Beddor’s new series featuring a very different Hatter.  Although the series draws inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Beddor’s version of the players are skewed: Hatter M is a lethal, loyal bodyguard of the lost heir to the throne, Alyss, and his desperate search to find her in our world is plagued by enemies from all side.  There are currently two books in the series, with a third to come.

The Rule Of Four, Ian Caldwell; Dial Press

“An ivy league murder, a mysterious coded manuscript, and the secrets of a Renaissance prince collide memorably in The Rule of Four—a brilliant work of fiction that weaves together suspense and scholarship, high art and unimaginable treachery. It’s Easter at Princeton. Seniors are scrambling to finish their theses. And two students, Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris, are a hair’s breadth from solving the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili—a renowned text attributed to an Italian nobleman, a work that has baffled scholars since its publication in 1499.”
Robin’s Note: If you enjoyed the Da Vinci Code, there are a slew of books that are just as engaging and have a similar, addictive feeling.  Dan Brown’s other books, of course, are always worth checking out (Deception Point, Angels and Demons).  The Rule of Four was published just after the Da Vinci Code, and it has a very similar feel—secret codes, a murder mystery, and a puzzle from generations past.  The college setting makes it a bit younger (just in terms of the protagonists), and there’s a ring of truth to it all as the authors are college best friends.  Another one to try is Katherine Neville’s The Eight, a long but incredibly absorbing quest novel involving chess, mysticism, mathematics, alchemy, and everything in between.

The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde; Penguin Books

“England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in Wordsworth poems, militant Baconians roam freely spreading the gospel that Bacon, not Shakespeare, penned those immortal works. And forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. This is all business as usual for brainy, bookish (and heat-packing) Thursday Next, a renowned Special Operative in literary detection — that is, until someone begins murdering characters from works of literature.”

Robin’s Note: The Thursday Next series, which starts with this first volume, is both a thrilling chase through literary crime as well as a hilarious jab at literary theory, history, and academia.  While the jokes can be more academic, the feeling of these books is as far from typical “literary fiction” as you can get.  Thursday Next is a no-nonsense, hard-bitten civil servant, and her adventures in and out of the famous works of fiction are never boring.