Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A life of Christopher Columbus by Samuel E. Morison. B COLUMBUS
After reviewing Columbus’s journals, Morison charters a sailing vessel in an attempt to recreate his voyages.

Art of Possibility by Rosamund Zander. 158.1 Z
Suggestions and advice for changing your outlook on life and seeing obstacles as possibilities.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Sijie Dai. FIC DAI
A suitcase of forbidden books helps two boys survive a harsh existence, and proves the magical power of storytelling.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. 808.02 L
An author’s view on the art and craft of writing can help aspiring writers find their “voice.”

Blue Skies by Catherine Anderson. FIC AND
A chance meeting, an attempt to make things right, and the determination to change a temporary arrangement into something permanent make this a love story to remember.

Book of Q: A Novel by JonathanRabb. FIC RAB
Individuals hoping to damage Catholic church seek an ancient document. A young Catholic priest must decipher the text before they succeed.

Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History by George Crite. 958.1 C
A detailed look at the largest and most successful CIA operation in U.S. history, which grew out of one Congressman’s determined efforts to aid Afghan resistance.

Ciao America: An Italian Discovers the U.S. by Beppe Severgnini. 917.3 S
An Italian newspaper columnist moves to Georgetown and shares his amusing experiences with choosing a long distance service, obtaining parking permits, and other facets of American life.

Come What May by Tracee LydiaGarner. FIC GAR
People from their pasts threaten the happiness of an elementary school teacher and a single father learning to love and trust each other.

Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by Gay Salisbury. 769.9 S
A 674-mile race against time and weather as more than 20 men and 200 dogs risk their lives to save an Alaskan community threatened by an outbreak of diphtheria.

Daughter of the Game by Tracy Grant. FIC GRA
A six-year-old child is kidnapped. His parents, amidst revelations about their pasts, pursue the one thing that will satisfy his kidnappers.

Dearest Dorothy, Are We There Yet? by Charlene Baumbich. FIC BAU
Eighty-seven year old Dorothy Jean Westra tools around town in her 1976 Lincoln Continental, plays bunco regularly, and stays on top of the latest news in town – which is often about her.

Derailed by James Siegel. FIC SIE
A brief encounter on a commuter train leads to an afternoon tryst. Suddenly all Charles Schine values is at risk, and everything in his life spirals out of control.

Desirable Daughters by Bharati Mukherjee. FIC MUK
Three Calcutta-born sisters struggle with the issues of culture, identity and family loyalty.

Easter Island by Jennifer Vanderbes. FIC VAN
Two women from different eras each give their lives to discovering the centuries-old mysteries of Easter Island.

Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish. FIC RAD
Just after midnight, eight women begin walking down a rural highway in Wisconsin, leaving behind all that they know.

Embers by Sandor Marai. FIC MAR
Once the best of friends, two old men meet after a 41-year silence and ponder the secret that drove them apart.

Everything Is Illuminated: A Novel by Jonathan Foer. FIC FOE
A young Jewish American man travels to the Ukraine hoping he will be able to find the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis.

Fox Evil by Minette Walter. MYS WAL
Despite a verdict of not guilty, accusations of murder and other crimes drives a man into a deep depression – until a friend steps in to prove his innocence.

Hidden in Plain View: The Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad by Jacqueline Tobin. 973.711 T
With the help of quilt maker Ozella McDaniels, the authors offer proof that certain quilt patterns were essential tools for African Americans escaping slavery using the Underground Railroad.

Housewrights by Art Corriveau. FIC COR
A unique love triangle develops between a woman and twin brothers in early 1900s Vermont.

Interpreter by Suzanne Glass. FIC GLA
An interpreter overhears a conversation about a possible cure for AIDs, and is put in the midst of an ethical dilemma.

Jennifer Government: A Novel by Maxx Barry. FIC BAR
When an employee signs a multi-page contract without ever reading it, a government agent is put on the case to bring down the wrongdoers.

Learning to Fall: The Blessings of an Imperfect Life by Philip Simmons. B SIMMONS
After being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease at age 35, an English professor returns to his native New Hampshire and reflects on life and letting go.

Little Indiscretions: A Novel by Carmen Posadas. FIC POS
It seems everyone invited to art dealer Ernesto Teldi’s party had a reason to keep a pastry chef from revealing all that he knew.

Maisie Dobbs: A Novel by Jacqueline Winspear. FIC WIN
After putting up her shingle as a private investigator in 1927 London, a young woman gets her first case. It begins as a simple infidelity investigation, but turns out to be much more.

Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling by Ross King. 759.5 MICHELANGELO
A fascinating look at the Italian Renaissance, told in the context of the painting of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.

Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy. FIC TRA
A serial killer duplicates the murders found in a video game. The programmers who created the game study the victims in an attempt to figure out who might be next.

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. 305.56 E
A culture critic investigates the difficulty of trying to make ends meet while working for poverty-level wages.

Seat Beside Me: A Novel by Nancy Moser. FIC MOS
After surviving a crash that leaves 97 people dead, five passengers are left to wonder why they survived – and re-examine their priorities feelings about God

Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon. SF MOO
An autistic man must decide whether he will undergo an experimental procedure that will enable him to lead a life some would consider “normal.”

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. 611 ROA
An examination of what happens to bodies that are donated to science.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. FIC LEE
You read it in high school; enjoy it again as part of the first Fairfax Reads program. Set in the Deep South in the 1930s, race and class are seen through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch.

Tuxedo Park: A Wall Street Tycoon and the Secret Palace of Science That Changed the Course of World War II by Jennet Conant. B LOOMIS
Businessman Alfred Lee Loomis may have made his fortune investing in public utilities, but it was his love of science that changed the world.

Walking Into the Night by Olaf Olafsson. FIC OLA
William Randolph Hearst’s butler of 20 years reveals his hidden past in a series of unsent letters to his former wife.

Year the Colored Sisters Came to Town by Jacqueline Guidry. FIC GUI
When two nuns come to teach at an all-white private Catholic school, 10-year-old Vivien Leigh sees the world differently.