Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Arthur Less is a man who stumbles through his own life. He's a semi-successful writer with friends and lovers, but he's a bumbler more than a planner.

When an ex announces his wedding, Arthur decides to run away rather than deal with the pain. He agrees to every offer away from home: a lecture, an award ceremony, teaching, a sabbatical, an article, and more. Circumnavigation of the world (on someone else's dime) to avoid one small ceremony.

Every kind of travel mishap occurs - missed connections, miscommunications, illness, injury, near-death experiences - and yet Less keeps moving, keeps going, deals with it and moves on. Nothing really phases him, and nothing really ruffles him. Along the way, he attracts friends, lovers, and even quaint, harmless rivals.

I'm surprised by how under-the-radar this book has been, despite its Pulitzer Prize. It's engaging, both silly and heartwarming at the same time. I read it within just a few (busy) days because I was so engaged with the story. It's funny and smart, and I enjoyed it immensely.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

A year after his wife's death, while making an attempt to clean out her closet, Arthur discovers a fancy charm bracelet he's never seen.  Why did Miriam keep this hidden? Do the charms mean something?

This is a cute, thoughtful book in the same genre as The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry or A Man Called Ove; Arthur has become stuck in a rut, because if he eats breakfast at EXACTLY the same time every day and if he obsesses about watering the fern then maybe he won't have to deal with the fact that his wife is never coming back and his whole world is different.

The charms lead Arthur on an unexpected journey - true travels, yes, but also an emotional journey through and out of the grief that's been crippling him. He reconnects with the world and his family, and finds a purpose in moving forward.

I've already recommended it once, and it will be popular with library readers. A good, quaint find!

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert Edsel and Bret Witter

Largely forgotten by history, the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives officers of World War II's Allied Forces worked to make sure important cultural relics were not destroyed during fighting, coordinated proper repairs where necessary, and helped track down and reclaim paintings, sculptures, important papers, and other objects of note stolen by Nazi officers all over Europe.

This amazing book recently served as inspiration for a movie starting George Clooney, and our library book club has chosen to read it for discussion later this fall. (We'll also be spinning several other adult-programming events in conjunction with the discussion.)  I cannot wait for the conversation. What an astounding book!

Edsel follows a handful of MFAA officers from the group's haphazard organization through the war and into their vital post-war restitutions work. We learn a bit about these "monuments men" and what drives them - why each was uniquely qualified for their mission, and how it the war affected their later careers.

I have to additionally note that I listened to the audiobook of this one and the narrator, Jeremy Davidson, was stunning. He did character voices, accents, dramatizations ... it's hard to believe it was just one guy, reading all of this so, so well.

Christmas wombat

by Jackie French

French has found a way to take a very simple concept and make it very funny.  All of her wombat stories are best for audiences of at least preschool age.  Toddlers might not get it if there are no wombats in the neighborhood. 
This time, little wombat is ready to do battle for carrots.  The strange creatures who also want them turn up repeatedly on his voyage to find even more tasty nibbles around the world.  Eventually, wombat discovers that reindeer are rather helpful.