1. Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived - Ralph Helfer
the joint biography of a boy and an elephant who were born in a small German circus on the same day in 1896 and who grew up devoted to each other
2. The Rest of the Story - Chris Tarry
one of those rare times that a Twitter follower amazes you - this is a book along with a cd by a NYC bass player, really imaginative and clever writing, plus great music on the cd, unique concept
3. The Informationist - Taylor Stevens
the daughter of American missionaries who escapes from Cameroon at age 15 after a violent incident, and forges a new life in Texas as an "informationist" (gathering information about developing countries for corporations) helps an oil man find his missing daughter
4. Another Cat At the Door
Another Autumn: The Rufus Chronicle - C. W. Gusewelle
a journalist's comical and touching stories of the years spent with his Brittany spaniels and cats
5. Songbird - Walter Zacharius (1st novel at age 80)
a young Jewish woman's struggle with the Nazis, her escape to America, and her return to Europe as a spy
6. Crazy - William Peter Blatty (yes, the author of the Exorcist!)
an 80 year old Bellevue patient begins his memoirs as a youngster on Manhattan's Lower East
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7. The Solitude of Prime Numbers - Paolo Giordano (most recommended)
two scarred people intersect as their lives take a turn toward painful solitude
8. A Race To Splendor - Ciji Ware
a story based on the aftermath of San Francisco's 1906 earthquake and the rebuilding by the first female architect, also tells of Chinese discrimination and forced prostitution
