Debra

Look Me In The Eye: My Life With Asperger's by John Elder Robison

This is an incredible first-person account of what it's like to navigate an already difficult childhood while also dealing with Asperger's.  Robison is the older brother of Augusten Burroughs, who has written extensively about their unconventional (and frankly horrifying) family life.  Robison gives us a bird's eye view of how Asperger's compounded the problems he faced in an abusive home, but also provided him with a ticket out.  We follow him through his adult years, as he negotiates relationships, parenthood, and careers that put his unique abilities to amazing use.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Cirque des Reves appears without warning, is only open from dusk until dawn, and disappears again just as suddenly.  It is full of wonder and amazement, and its devotees follow it across the globe hoping for a chance to experience it again and again. No one suspects, however, that the magical atmosphere is exactly that - magic.  Beneath the beautiful facade, the circus is a battleground between two magicians, Marco and Celia, whose mentors have bound them to their mysterious competition.  Their admiration for one another's creations grows into a forbidden love that threatens to destroy everything and everyone they touch.  This is the perfect winter holiday read.  Grab a cup of cocoa, a warm blanket and enjoy!

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt

Even if Westerns aren't your genre, give this one a try.  Told from the point of view of Eli Sisters, a reluctant hired killer enduring a particularly tricky job with his brother Charlie, it is a dark tale that is touching, hilarious, and occasionally even beautiful.  One of the jacket reviews said it best: "I can't recall ever being this fond of a pair of psychopaths".

Debt-Free Forever: Take Control of your Money and your Life by Gail Vaz-Oxlade

Gail Vaz-Oxlade is the straight-talking host of Til Debt Do Us Part, and she brings that same bottom-line pragmatism to this book.  Find out how to manage consumer debt, plan for retirement, and get real about your financial well-being.

My Milk Toof: The Adventures of Ickle and Lardee by Inhae Lee

My Milk Toof is the story of what happens when your baby teeth come back to visit.  Follow Ickle and Lardee's adventures through Lee's beautifully staged intricate photographs.  This is such a delightful book - a sure bet for kids and adults alike!

The Queen's Lady by Barbara Kyle

Honor Larke has escaped a life of extreme hardship to become the ward of Sir Thomas More and a lady in waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon.  After witnessing a horrible atrocity, she risks everything - and enters into a reluctant alliance with the reckless Richard Thornleigh - to bring down the man she thought she'd never betray.

River Monsters: True Stories of the Ones that Didn't Get Away by Jeremy Wade

Jeremy Wade will put your best fish stories to shame.  In this book, the host of Animal Planet's River Monsters takes you behind the scenes of some of the best episodes of the series, and introduces you to some of the most dangerous, most intriguing - and often misunderstood - creatures on earth.

Previous reviews:

Captivity by Deborah Noyes
Backyard Sugarin' by Rink Mann
One Day by David Nicholls
The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life As An Experiment, A.J. Jacobs
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
Friends Like These: My Worldwide Quest To Find My Best Childhood Friends, Knock On Their Doors, And Ask Them To Come Out And Play, Danny Wallace
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Drood, Dan Simmons
The Lump Of Coal, Lemony Snicket
The Flaw of Love, Lauren Grodstein
The Mother Factor, Stephan B. Poulter, PhD
Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography, Andrew Morton
Shakespeare's Wife, Germaine Greer
What Was Lost, Catherine O'Flynn
Sway, Ori and Rom Brafman
We All Fall Down, Eric Walters
Self Made Man, Norah Vincent
Wonderful Tonight, Pattie Boyd
Apples to Oysters, Margaret Webb
Courage and Craft, Barbara Abercrombie
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Douglas Adams
Jurassic Poop, Jacob Berkowitz
King Leary, Paul Quarrington
Yiddish Policemen’s Union, by Michael Chabon
The Abstinence Teacher, by Tom Perotta
Musicophilia, by Oliver Sachs
Not Quite Dead, John Maclachlan Gray
The Book Thief, Markus Zusak