King Maybe by Timothy Hallinan

You don't double-cross a double-crosser, and nobody gets away with setting up thief Junior Bender. It's a good thing he's such a quick thinker, because this is a rare Bender book where he's not on his "A" game: he's targeted, burgles are bungled, and he's about to take a big fall. Plus, there are problems in paradise as his lady love, Ronnie, isn't speaking to Junior for much of the book.

I was prepared to say I didn't like this book, and then I actually really did love it. I thought maybe I was growing bored with Junior ... and then I loved the way this story twisted, turned and came around.

Hallinan does a great job with all the ancillary characters in his stories. I love the teenage wiz team of Anime and Lilli, and there's a whole high school drama substory to this book with Junior's daughter Rina. You'll love to hate the bad guys (or gals) in a story where some of the good guys are kind of bad guys.

The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island by Dana Alison Levy

When the Fletchers land at their summer getaway, they discover the historic lighthouse next door is blocked off and inaccessible. Not only does that put a damper on their trip, but it sets in motion a mission: to save the lighthouse.

The Fletchers are modern kid lit's favorite diverse family, and in this book they experience a bit of prejudice and hold a few conversations about being brown in America. It's still appropriate for the age group and not overdone, but serves as a great supplementary storyline in a book full of personal interactions and developing feelings.

But the book's not weighed down with politics - there's also time for teaching cats to swim, fear of bees, acting inappropriately at a fancy dinner, kayaking, Shakespeare, soccer, girls, snakes and other critters.

This series is a WONDERFUL addition to the juvenile chapter book world.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

In a primitive world changed by a flu pandemic, a band of minstrels and actors wander the American midwest performing Shakespeare to the survivors. As the novel's timeline flashes back and forth - before and after the Georgia Flu - we see the interconnectedness of the survivors, whose stories link back to a celebrity actor, Arthur Leander.

This book was on a lot of best of 2015 lists and was a finalist for the National Book Award. The author went on record saying she doesn't consider it sci-fi because there's no technology and gadgets involved. She says it's literary fiction.

While the "no technology" is technically accurate and the traveling symphony-and-Shakespeare troupe offers a bit of high-brow flair, I think it's cutting a pretty fine line to say this post-apocalypse novel isn't really in the sci-fi genre. The book is at heart a look at the invisible links between people, man's ability to adapt to survive, and a look at what the world could be like without "modern technology."

I enjoyed the book. The shifting perspectives keep the narrative moving along without getting bogged down in the minutia of survival, plus allow some dramatic tension as story threads cut out and return again later. I was pleasantly surprised a couple times as the connections back to Arthur were revealed.

Plus, now I know that living in the airport may be the best option, post-plague.

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Even in a marriage, there are two sides to every story. But unlike other books that tell two sides of hardly-the-same-marriage, in this novel it's not about twisting the scene or misrepresenting a shared experience - it's all about the secrets and lies of omission.

Lotto lives a blessed life - his family has money, he's a true lover of the ladies, and he's got a charisma people just can't deny. When he meets and marries the ethereal Mathilde, it looks like his charmed life is on it's way through the stratosphere.

The first half of the book (fates) tells Lotto's story: about his family, his marriage, his successful career. The second half (furies) reveals Mathilde's origin story, plus her life with and without Lotto.

It's a fantastic story, absolutely captivating - I listened to the audiobook while I quilted, and I was really taken by the characters, the friendships, and the story of their lives. And even knowing there was a twist in the unfolding of the story, I was still surprised at the end! A truly remarkable novel.

Niagara Falls All Over Again by Elizabeth McCracken

This fictional memoir tells the life-and-career story of comedian Mose Sharp and his partner-in-performance, Rocky Carter. These vaudeville actors eventually make the transition to radio and film, but it's their long and complex relationship that gives the book its dynamic story.

These two slightly broken men together create a work-marriage that outlasts every other partnership in their lives. It goes without saying this is a dysfunctional relationship and things maybe don't turn out so well. But it's the getting there that's fun.

I loved that this is a story I haven't read a million times over - it seems a fresh look at the relatively common theme on relationships. You love these men, and you want to smack them over the head for their foibles. The story doesn't focus overmuch on their financial success or their business - it's really an old man looking back at the brotherhood and his life. Highly recommended!

Double Feature by Owen King

What if your biggest failure became the thing you were best known for? Sam Dolan used every leverage, favor, and connection he had to make a film right after he graduated from college. It's a semi-fictional coming-of-age story that's also a serious commentary on modern society. And then tragedy strikes.

This novel swivels back and forth through time - hinged upon Sam's filmmaking experience - to tell the bigger picture about Sam's B-movie famous father, his parents' relationship, Sam's childhood, the making of his movie, and what came after.

Perhaps the only person who doesn't love Sam's dad, Booth, is Sam. As a reader you'll understand why Sam has issues with him, but you'll also secretly want to become part of Booth's fan club. Actually, I loved a lot of the characters in this book, which is nice because Sam's sort of prickly: across the timeline he's confused, pretentious, shattered, scared, and really, epically messed up. It's only through the humanity of the friends and family around him you see his potential; the question is, will he do the same?

Great book - it kept me interested, and the shifts in perspective and time continually reveal more to the story. You'll especially love it if you're a cinephile.

Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford

William Eng is the only Chinese child at his Seattle orphanage. On the boys' birthday (they're all celebrated at once - the girls get a different day), William is shocked to see his mother starring in the movie preview for an upcoming live movie-star appearance. You can imagine that a boy like William won't rest until he sees and speaks with the actress Willow Frost.

A few years back I loved Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and this one is just as good. The author does an fantastic job of really putting you into the American minority experience.

Bad things happen to William and his mother, Liu Song, but they aren't solely minority stories; during the depression and 1920s life was hard for many in Seattle and elsewhere, white or otherwise. But the fact that both characters are American-born Chinese (who have never been to China) does add a different flavor and accent to the story.

This story contains heartbreak and misfortune, but also innocence and optimism. And I never knew this real-world history about early American film (before Hollywood became our movie capital). Fascinating, and another great one for your book club to discuss.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

A glamorous woman in a boat arrives in a tiny forgotten Italian fishing village, and that's all it takes for decades of  amazing, wonderful stories to begin. Right from the start, this book's characters will draw you into their tales: a small town and tiny lives in 1960s Italy, huge stars and over-the-top drama of Hollywood lives now and then, a failed 1990s musician and his vices.

The writing is wonderful, and the multiple storylines braid and weave themselves together at a languid pace. The story glides into the future and back into the past, which mean sometimes we know more than the characters, but not always; sometimes Walter leaves us in the dark for a while, a step or two behind the action. We gradually learn about the in-between-times - when a hole in the timeline begins to fill in - and a couple times I thought "when? wait? tell me about that!" Eventually we do hear it all, and puzzling together the pieces is one of this book's great joys.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narration by Edoardo Ballerini was spectacular. He artfully voices these myriad characters, and his Italian really brought those sections of the book alive for me in a way my own reading would have lacked.