Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi, 293 pages

  The stuff of great fiction here: princesses, kings, harems, palace intrigue, treason, murder, wrongful imprisonment, struggle beyond understandable human endurance, strong relationships, escape, capture, resolution, and hope. Elements of a great story (and a compelling book), however, aren’t necessarily experiences I would wish on actual people, and certainly not in relation to this particular story. This is an autobiography.

  Through these pages, with the assistance of journalist Michele Fitoussi, almost 50-year-old Malika Oufkir (former Moroccan princess) tells about her life.

  I’m glad that Malika got to tell her family’s story to the world and that I read it. My heart hurts for humanity that the experiences in the book actually happened.

John Adams by David McCullough, 751 pages

  This story was a journey for me, having read more than three-quarters of it before accidentally leaving it behind in a waiting room, losing it, and then mourning my lack of closure with the Adams family on and off for a few years before excitedly finding the book in audio form on our library shelves.

  Political biographies don't typically appeal to me, but I decided to give this one a chance because the piece was set in the context of a family and included people critical to the birth and early years of our nation.

  While John Adams was the first U.S. Vice President, second President, and father of a U.S. President, his service to our country included much more. John (I feel as though I can call him by his first name after all the time I spent with him) was an imperfect farmer, husband, father, neighbor, and scholar who felt a great deal of moral responsibility for his community and the people who lived in the colonies/new nation. His sense of moral responsibility was so strong that he couldn’t bring himself to not use what skills he had whenever called upon; and he was called upon . . . again and again and again. He was a servant who sacrificed personal gain, pleasure, and even well-being for most of his life for the common good. Everyone who lives in the U.S. today benefits because of his service.

 Right next to him was Abigail who was just as wise, kind, hard-working and giving to the point of personal poverty.

  This is the story of Abigail and John together and individually, their families, life, minds, and love. The book is pieced together from their private letters to each other and from other documentation of the time. I’m glad to have learned through the extensive research and writing of David MCullough, and I’m glad to have finally made it to the memorable closure of the book.

Extreme Prey by John Sandford 406 pages

This mystery novel is the latest in the Prey Series with Lucas Davenport.  Lucas is at loose ends and renovating his lake house when he gets the call from his friend the Govenor.  The  Govenor has been hearing disturbing rumors about a threat to female presidential candidate Bowden, on the campaign trail in Iowa.  The local authorities have investigated but Davenport's particular brand of expertise is needed.  Little does he know the hell-hole of crazies he has just stepped into.  Political emotions run hot and when you've, literally, already lost the farm, what else do you have to loose?  This is a real page turner so clear your calendar!

Tell It Like Tupper by J. Mark Powell, 272 pages

"Tell It Like Tupper" is a fun political novel - oh if it could only really be this way in politics.  The mean guy gets his.

J. Mark Powell was born in St. Joseph and moved to Trenton when he was five years old.  He's been a journalist and is now director of communications for the South Carolina attorney general.  He also writes a good story!

Powell knows his way around a political campaign and it shows. This story is set mostly in Iowa, during a presidential primary campaign.  Glenn Tupper is a small business owner and family man who happens to meet a presidential candidate because of a broken down car.  That chance meeting changes both of their lives - and the presidential race.

Night by Elie Wiesel, 115 pages

“Night” is an autobiographical account of a teenage Elie Wiesel growing up during Nazi Germany. It is a terrifying story, in which, he struggles to survive alongside his father in a Nazi death camp. His fight for survival and sanity is a singular story, and the reader can empathize with his struggles to give a voice to those who did not survive.

The story begins with Wiesel, not unlike many teenage boys, dreaming of a future he imagines will soon be his. Unfortunately, his parents and siblings are living in a false belief of security while the world around them is drowning in chaos. As he retells his story, we learn what happens to him and his family on this unthinkable journey, and how he has spent a lifetime trying to make sense of the Nazi’s atrocities.  He even questions the choices he had to make in order to survive.

This personal account is horrifying, unimaginable, and immensely sad. I read his story in one evening, and although I knew he had survived, there was so many of those he loved that did not.

“Night” is recommended by the Oprah Book Club as a must read. I recommend this book for anyone who loves to read the words of a truly remarkable author who bares his tortured soul with his readers.

Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris 275 pages

David Sedaris is one of the funniest authors out there.  All of his works are mostly autobiographical, with the exception of his goofy fake stories/letters from uptight white women.  David's pieces draw largely on his experiences growing up with his family.  Lately, he has been writing more about living abroad, but we still get lots of hilarious peaks into his childhood and formative years.  If you have never read nor listened to a David Sedaris book, I highly recommend Me Talk Pretty One Day, as it remains my favorite of all of his books.  Trust me, you will not be disappointed by any of his works.  Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls didn't have me shaking with laughter as much as some of his others, but it was definitely funny!  Also, I have always listened to him read his own books.  I think there is something charming about him, and listening to how he tells his stories has always appealed more to me.  Other people I know don't like his voice and prefer to read his stuff.  I think they're missing out, but you can be the judge.