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1. A Breath of Snow and Ashes By Diana Gabaldon Eagerly anticipated by her legions of fans, this sixth novel in Diana Gabaldons bestselling Outlander saga is a masterpiece of historical fiction from one of the most popular authors of our time.  |
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2. Son of a Witch By Gregory Maguire The long-anticipated sequel to the beloved and hugely successful novel Wicked, now Broadway's #1 smash hit musical. It continues the previous work's homage to L. Frank Baum's Oz books and its cynical commentary on the dirty underside of fantasy novels. |
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3. School Days By Robert B. Parker Lily Ellsworth - erect, firm, white-haired, and stylish - is the grande dame of Dowling, Massachusetts, and possesses an iron will and a bottomless purse. When she hires Spenser to investigate her grandson Jared Clark's alleged involvement in a school shooting, Spenser is led into an inquiry that grows more harrowing at every turn. |
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4. The March By E.L. Doctorow As the Civil War was moving toward its inevitable conclusion, General William Tecumseh Sherman marched 60,000 Union troops through Georgia and the Carolinas, leaving a 60-mile-wide trail of death, destruction, looting, thievery and chaos. In The March, E.L. Doctorow has put his unique stamp on these events by staying close to historical fact, naming real people and places and then imagining the rest. |
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5. Goodnight Nobody By Jennifer Weiner New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner's newest novel tells the story of a young mother's move to a postcard-perfect Connecticut town and the secrets she uncovers there. |
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6. The Divide Now, from the number-one bestselling author of The Horse Whisperer comes an epic thriller of the human heart. Electrifying and heartbreaking, master storyteller Nicholas Evans's new novel delivers an extraordinary tale about the timeless power of nature, and about the yearnings, hopes, and disillusionments that connect and separate all men and women. |
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7. On Beauty By Zadie Smith Set on both sides of the Atlantic, Zadie Smith's third novel is a brilliant analysis of family life, the institution of marriage, intersections of the personal and political, and an honest look at people's deceptions. It is also, as you might expect, very funny indeed. |
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8. Anansi Boys By Neil Gaiman Exciting, scary, and deeply funny, ANANSI BOYS is a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth, a wild adventure, and a fierce and unstoppable farce, as Neil Gaiman shows us where gods come from, and how to survive your family. |
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9. The Da Vinci Code By Dan Brown In an exhilarating blend of scholarly intelligence, relentless adventure, and cutting wit, Robert Langdon (first introduced in "Angels Demons") and his new adventure combines the punch of Robert Ludlum, the intriguing historical touch of Umberto Eco, and the nonstop suspense of Michael Crichton. |
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10. The Historian By Elizabeth Kostova In this riveting debut of breathtaking scope, a young girl discovers her father's darkest secret and embarks on a harrowing journey across Europe to complete the quest he never could -- to find history's most legendary fiend -- Dracula. |
The New York Times® listing--week of October 16, 2005
