Gretchen
 

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible  by AJ Jacobs

An enlightening and humorous memoir of one man's quest to live all the commandments of the Bible, literally, for a year. A perfect beach read for a vacation, as I laughed a lot and gained insight on diverse religious customs.

Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
A very funny and original tale of adolescence that teens and adult Alexie fans will love. Ellen Fornay’s illustrations are great and really add to the story.



 

Matthew

Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff

The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith

Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid by J. Maarten Troost

Lottery by Patricia Wood

And Then We Came to the End by Jonathan Ferris

The Russian Debutante's Handbook and Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart

Jasper
 

The Captain Underpants series by Dave Pilkey

The Magic Treehouse series by

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace

 

Anne
 

True Patriot by Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer
Inspires you to be a better citizen. Filled with extraordinary speeches from famous people, including Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and John F. Kennedy. Offers suggestions on what you can do for America.

Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre
Perfect for WWII buffs who are curious about espionage. A hard-to-put-down thriller from the first page to the last. Unbelievable story except that it's true.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Engrossing story of life as a politician's wife, based on speculation about First Lady Laura Bush. Alice wins over your heart while you sometimes question her choices. A colorful Grandmother almost steals the story.

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Picoult paints a complicated moral dilemma for a mother of a very sick little girl. Can she accept help from the man who killed her husband and another daughter to save her remaining daughter? A riveting story full of surprises.

 

The Likeness  by Tana French

This book is part whodunit, part psychological thriller with twists and turns and a daring that can make you gasp! I couldn't put it down.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

This book is about survival and helping each other; even if the "other" is your enemy. I kept thinking about this book long after I had finished it.

Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
 

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

An inspiring story of one man’s unwavering determination to do good in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Greg proves that one person can make a difference. My favorite read of 2007.

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
Fans of McEwan will not be disappointed by this small but exquisitely written account of a British couple’s honeymoon night in the early 1960’s. The couples misaligned sexual and marital expectations set them up for the conflict that ensues. Just a fabulous read.

The Work of Wolves by Kent Meyers
A terrific modern set in South Dakota. It has excellent character development, great dialogue, and very unique solutions to the critical plot reads. There is a romance, an ego-maniacal rancher, two Lakota Indians, and our hero Carson, just trying to hand onto his families ranch.

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
A very practical guide for the seasoned cook as well as those new to the culinary arts.