Izzy and Lenore: Two Dogs, an Unexpected Journey, and Me, by Jon Katz. Following Jon Katz’s last bestseller, “Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm”, is another great work filled with humor and insight into the human condition.  In this his latest installment of life on the farm, Jon shares with us Izzy, an abandoned three year old border collie whom he first has to calm, then train.  Under Izzy’s amazing amount of energy and nervousness he finds a wonderfully sensitivity dog.  This sensitivity and intuition leads to work Katz has always considered but never pursued, the work of hospice volunteer.  Lenore, a sleek, beautiful, jet black labrador retriever also joins the farm.  This dog exists to love, and in doing so she succeeds in helping Jon heal some old wounds.  A wonderful, warm, and hopeful book for anyone interested in the bonds between animals and humans and the power of love. (Lori)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. A treasure set in post-war England of the 1940s, this new novel looks back on events of World War II. The authors have woven a winsome tale of discovery and resilience, tinged with the sorrowful after-effects of the German occupation of the Island of Guernsey. Juliet Ashton, a London writer who is also recovering from the War, learns of the existence of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (formed as a cover for a group of Guernsey residents caught breaking curfew by the Germans) and starts up a correspondence with several of the Society’s members.  This historical fiction novel takes the form of letters and telegrams between Juliet, her editor and friends, and some of her new Guernsey friends, as she takes on the task of writing about the Society and its wartime experiences. A rewarding read that would make a great book club selection. Note: The CD-Book version has wonderful narrators who adopt the English and Guernsey accents which add flavor and atmosphere to the story. (Paulette)

The Glass of Time,  by Michael Fox. A very entertaining Victorian mystery.  Esperanza Gorst is sent to the Evenwood Estate disguised as a lady's maid, to gather information about the household and its' family members.  She unravels a series of secrets which change her future.  I enjoyed the way the story was told from the first person point of view, as if the heroine is writing in her journal.  It kept me guessing all the way to the final page. (Nancy)

The Wishing Year: a House, a Man, my Soul: a Memoir of Fulfilled Desire, by Noelle Oxenhandler.  This memoir is the story of a year in the author’s life, but it is also an exploration of the power of wishing, or as she calls it, “Putting it Out There”.  A painful divorce and loss of spiritual community is the stimulus for a mid-life change and a decision to try conscious wishing to get a house of her own, a new man, and heal her soul.  Her journey is thoughtful and sometimes humorous, and involves hope and hard work.  This book will make you think about what you believe about wishing.  (Susan).
Jeeves in the Offing, by P. G. Wodehouse, is great fun to read.  Wodehouse was known for writing farce and social satire, and published over 90 books during his literary career of seven decades.  His Jeeves and Wooster tales are comic send-ups of the idle rich in 20th-century England.  This story follows Wodehouse’s usual plot of Bertram Wooster bumbling through a series of escapades, and being rescued by his effortlessly superior valet, Jeeves.  While staying at his aunt Dahlia’s home, Brinkley Court, Bertie becomes involved in a mix-up of broken engagements, an angry former headmaster, a suspicious mystery novelist, and some missing silver.  Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry did a perfect job of bringing these characters to life for Masterpiece Theatre in the 1990s. (Sarah).

Invincible: My Journey from Fan to NFL Team Captain, by Vince Papale. Tired of overpaid athletes and their oversized egos? Fed up watching guys flit from one team to the next in search of a bigger payday? Be refreshed and inspired by this true story of a hometown football fan who became his team’s captain. I listened to this as a book on CD and found it very entertaining: the story moves quickly from Vince’s poor childhood in Philly and follows him through high school, college and local amateur leagues and onto his unlikely entry into the world of the NFL. Forget the movie version of this tale (lots of style but no substance or character): this is the real deal! (Robert).