Recommended reads July 8

Heather Christman

Job: Warwick’s marketing coordinator

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She recommends: “Some Kind of Fairy Tale” by Graham Joyce (Doubleday; 320 pages; $24.95)

Why? Twenty years ago, 15-year-old Tara Martin disappeared. Then one Christmas morning she appears out of the blue looking as though she were still a teenager and claiming she was lured away by “the fairies.” Narrated by a mysterious and unknown figure with deep insight and untold answers, “Some Kind of Fairy Tale” is a spellbinding story that weaves itself among Tara’s unbelievable account, her family and friends’ attempts to cope and understand, and her therapist’s blunt analysis of her supposed delusion. Readers are kept on edge as they try to answer the question “Where has Tara been?” while navigating through eerie circumstances and secondary characters that enthrall with their blurred edges of reality and unusual perception. A mind-bending psychological narrative filled with mystery and beautifully written prose.

Penny Taylor

Job: Poway branch manager, San Diego County Library

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“Lost City Radio” by Daniel Alarcón

She recommends: “Lost City Radio” by Daniel Alarcón (HarperCollins, 2007; 257 pages; $24.95)

Why? In Alarcón’s fictional country, a brutal civil war is 10 years over, but many people remain lost — some displaced by the war, some hiding in cities or jungles, some missing in action or killed, some simply vanished. The government officially “won” but has done nothing to restore the distrust rampant in the ravaged country. But one radio program is permitted, even though it is a constant reminder of the war. Norma’s program focuses on the lost, as she reads the names sent to her by family and friends. Some have real hope of reconnecting with loved ones; many just want to hear the name and tell their story. Her weekly program has become a beacon and Norma — or rather, the voice of Norma — a beloved national figure. When a young man from the jungle arrives at the station with a list of his village’s lost and Norma recognizes one of the names, her own search for her lost husband resumes. The novel moves backward and forward in time, telling Norma’s story and the long-lingering devastation of war. Both tender and violent, this story is eloquently told and deeply moving. This is a recommended title for California Reads. Meet the author at 6 p.m. July 19 at the Poway Library.

 
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