We all know how difficult it is to get a room of people to agree on anything. BUT our Standley Lake Thursday Night Book Group agreed on a few titles that everyone loved. We think you might like them too!
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard
This fast-paced true adventure story recounting a little-known episode in Theodore Roosevelt’s life reads more like a fictional page turner than a nonfiction book. After losing his 1912 bid for re-election as President, a bored TR and his 24-year-old son, Kermit, joined an expedition exploring the Amazon river basin where they encountered perilous rapids, poisonous plants, deadly insects, wild animals, and hostile natives. Author Candice Millard adroitly keeps you wondering how any of the expedition party can possibly survive the journey.
Beneath a Marble Sky: A Novel of the Taj Mahal by John Shors
Colorado author John Shors's debut novel is a winning combination of historical fiction and a love story that revolves around the creation of the Taj Mahal – a grieving emperor's monument to his beloved dead wife. If you like Shors's writing style, you may also enjoy his subsequent novels, Beside a Burning Sea, Dragon House, The Wishing Trees, and his latest, published this year, Cross Currents.
Halfway to Heaven: My White-Knuckled and Knuckle-Headed Quest for the Rocky Mountain High by Mark Obmascik
Colorado author Mark Obmascik writes about his quest to scale all of Colorado’s fifty-four 14,000 foot mountains and to do it in less than a year. The results are often hilarious and harrowing at the same time. Follow along as Obmascik bonds with his fellow climbers through “man-dates,” dodges lightning bolts and takes some dangerous tumbles along the way. If you enjoy this adventurous escapade don’t miss Obmascik’s first book The Big Year -now a major motion picture with Steve Martin and Jack Black.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel by Helen Simonson
This British debut novel is a charming tale about the widower Major Ernest Pettigrew and his budding romance with Pakistani shopkeeper Jasmina Ali. Throw in a family fight for a valuable pair of hunting rifles, greedy relatives, and the local country club of snobs and you’ve got yourself a modern comedy of manners. We’re looking forward to hearing more from Helen Simonson in the future.
