The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis

• This novel combines a coming of age story with a Gothic architecture and a love of classic literature.
• The novel follows the main character over several years, and focuses how he changes while at college and law school.
• Throughout the book there are references to classic works of fiction.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

• The cover drew me into this children's chapter book, a genre I rarely read.
• The story follows Pax, a tame red fox, and his owner, a young boy.
• The story is told by alternating between their two viewpoints.

Programmed Inequality by Marie Hicks

• This book details how pre-automation clerical positions morphed into early programming positions.  This change was followed by the insertion of men into previously largely-female roles.
• The societal factors at play are complex and interesting.
• This is written with an academic focus including detailed notes.  It is not for the casual reader.

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

• I absolutely loved this book.  The storytelling and characters were so engaging.
• It is a warmer version of the road.
• With all the post-apocalyptic movies, TV shows, and books published recently, this one stands out as solid literary fiction.

Trump Revealed by Michael Kranish & Marc Fisher

• This book repeatedly demonstrates how Trump created and used his image to his advantage.  Big surprise!
• Kranish and Fisher dig into the details of Trump's Atlantic City properties and their financial performance.
• I found the details about his early career most interesting, as I was least familiar with them.

The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes

• I'm generally skeptical about pop-culture health books. There are so many fads.
• In the end I'm not sure how much of Taubes' work is legimate, or a very reactionary response to fallout after the low-fat diet craze.
• Taubes makes a convincing case looking at sugar consumption and related health indicators over time.
• I was most intrigued by the section of the book focusing on the tobacco industry's use of sugar.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

• Being a Kansan, I was interested in this novel set in Kansas.
• Engel captures the close and long-term relationships between community members in a small town.
• All in all, the premise was so extreme, it was hard to find believable.