| Pompeii: A Novel | | Robert Harris | | Roman engineer Attilius rushes to repair an aqueduct in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, which, in A.D. 79, is getting ready to blow its top. Attilius meets Corelia, the defiant daughter of a vile real estate speculator, and later fights his way back to Pompeii in an attempt to rescue her. The volcanology is well researched and the plot keeps this impressive novel moving along toward its exciting finale. |  | |
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| Tulagi Hotel | | Heikki Hietala | | A wonderful novel which follows the life of ace US Marine fighter pilot Jack McGuire. Trying to rebuild his life post WW2, he moves to the Solomon Islands, where he builds a hotel on an island he flew over in his combat years. From his days on the family farm and the trauma of the loss of his twin brother, through flying school to his war service and retirement, we share his hopes and disappointments, his exhilarations and despairs. |  | |
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| Life of Pi | | Yann Martel | | Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. The precocious son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths... |  | |
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| The Alchemist | | Paulo Coelho | | A simple fable, based on simple truths and places in a highly unique situation. An Andalusian shepherd boy one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. Then he's off, leaving Spain, literally following his dream. |  | |
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