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The Marriage Plot by Pulitzer Prize winning author Jeffrey Eugenides is one of the "big" novels to come out this fall. Eugenides' previous works include The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex. The novel is a throwback (a classic love triangle, all about marriage, set in the 1980s) and yet quite modern in its approach. The story is set in the 1980s. Madeleine Hanna, an English lit major, graduates from Brown University. Madeline, a daughter a small university president and part of an upscale family, completes her senior thesis on the "marriage plot" that was the centerpiece of many classic novels (e.g., Jane Austen). With the descent and decay of the institution of marriage, the import of the novel declined as well. Madeline becomes deeply involved with Leonard Bankhead, a complicated and brilliant manic depressive. Meanwhile, Madeline also has a relationship with her admirer, Mitchell Grammaticus, who decides to forgo divinity graduate school for a spiritual search through Europe into India. The three characters contend with the challenges of coming-of-age, marriage, spiritual searches, mental illness, feminism, parental involvement, divorce and even careers. Eugenides begins the story with the characters' college graduation, constantly back-filling the story as he slowly moves the plot forward. The story does not move more than a couple of years post-college. The writing is top notch. In some ways, stylistically, Eugenides reminds me (positively) of Jonathan Franzen although The Marriage Plot is a more tightly-focused and far less expansive work than Freedom. One of the treats about this novel for literature lovers is that Eugenides pours literary references liberally throughout the book. It is quite humbling. I enjoyed (but did not love) this novel. Because the novel was so tightly focused, at points, the plot was weighed down by its details, nearly coming to a halt. I also felt that the placement in the 1980s (cultural references and all) felt a bit forced. Perhaps dropping the story into the pre-Internet, cellphone, Facebook/Twitter age simplified some of the social interactions; but, it felt unnatural. With all of that said, the novel was not one I found I had to fight to get through. It was enjoyable, well written and well executed.

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz is a new Sherlock Holmes novel, which is the first officially sanctioned take-off of Sherlock Holmes by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate. For the Sherlock Holmes lover, this is a must read. For everyone else, I'd highly recommend it. Anthony Horowitz is a famed writer of young adult action novels (the Alex Rider series) and also an acclaimed writer of the PBS series Foyle's War (a must see for mystery lovers/WWII buffs). His connections to Sherlock Holmes and the Canon were not as established. Conan Doyle had a distinct writing style (somewhat sparse on detail of Victorian life but more than enough to fill the canvas) and created vivid and memorable characters. Although Holmes solved his share of murders, he also solved all kinds of other crimes and mysteries. Creating the perfect pastiche requires echoing Conan Doyle and remembering that Holmes was not a superhero (as he is portrayed in the Robert Downey, Jr. movies). In The House of Silk, Horowitz gets it right on all counts. The tone, the writing, the characters and even the plotting matches up beautifully with Conan Doyle. Horowitz also brings back other minor characters from the Canon for non-distracting cameo appearances, which is a delight for lovers of the Canon. Yet, Horowitz makes Sherlock his own, creating a story with a bit more action than Conan Doyle gave us, which will keep you glued to the book. The story is a classic tale of Holmes and Watson, with Watson as the narrator. Watson writes the story after Holmes has passed away and seals it away for one hundred years because the story is to explosive to be shared during their lifetimes. From there, the story unfolds with two unrelated story lines, the action builds and Horowitz captures your imagination. If like mysteries at all, this is one not to miss. If you love Sherlock Holmes, this is a must read.

Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks has written a fantastic new novel, Caleb's Crossing, that is one of the better novels of 2011. The novel is set in the late 1600s on Martha's Vineyard. It is the story of Caleb Cheeshah-teaumuck, the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. In the story, Caleb is befriended by Bethia Mayfield, the daughter of an English proselytizing minister. Like Caleb, Bethia, an exceptionally bright, young woman, searches for knowledge and must find a way to access it. They build a lifelong bond. The title of the book is a bit misleading. The story, which is Bethia's diary from different phases of her life, is really about Bethia struggling in a male-dominated world to overcome the blind obedience demanded of women. Bethia first must take on her deceased mother's obligations, which include tending to the home and raising her infant sibling. Then, she is indentured as a housekeeper (i.e., looks a whole lot like slavery) to support her brother. Throughout her life, Bethia thirsts and searches for worldly knowledge. While listening to Bethia's quest through her diary, we watch Caleb cross from his Native American culture to the Christian culture and the costs he must bear. The root of the story is true. There was a Caleb Cheeshah-teaumuck who graduated from Harvard. However, very little is known about his story. Brooks creates a gorgeous story and hangs it on this narrow historical framework. I would add Caleb's Crossing to my list of top books for the year so far. It is an excellent book for discussion. The writing is gripping. Brooks writes the story in the language of the 1600s. Much like Twain's classics, once you adjust to the difference in language, the story flows. This book should have broad appeal. Brooks also paints a lively picture of Martha's Vineyard.

Seth Fried's short story collection, The Great Frustration, is funny, well-written and extremely difficult to put down. With this collection, Fried displays his imagination and skill. In the first story, "Loeka Discovered," a group of scientists discover a prehistoric man, whose release from a deep freeze unfreezes emotions among the scientists. As the narrative of the prehistoric man's life changes based on further discoveries, the scientists' moods swing wildly, creating entertaining results. In the second story, my favorite, "Frost Mountain Picnic Massacre," a town wonders aloud why everyone attends an annual picnic that year after year ends with a massacre. In a third story, "Life in the Harem," an unattractive male clerk shares his tale of living in a sultan's harem. (A preview clip for this story is below). Each story is creative, credible and engaging. This book (under 200 pages) is difficult to put down and will make you laugh out loud. Fried has been published in several prominent literary journals (McSweeney's, Tin House etc.) Read The Great Frustration, laugh and enjoy.

The Dewey Decimal System is a fun, noir murder mystery by first time novelist Nathan Larson. Sometime in the not too distant future, New York has suffered from another terrorist attack, 2/14 as it is called, and a total collapse. The protagonist, Dewey Decimal, has taken up residence in the New York City Public Library. He is a germ freak, is obsessed with Purell TM, has a "system" (he must travel according to specific algorithms), appears to be a former soldier (his memory seems to have been erased) and lives "off the grid." Decimal is assigned by the New York District Attorney to hunt down a man. Rapidly, Decimal finds himself caught in a violent conflict between the DA, the FBI and former Eastern European thugs. Alliances shift, people die and Decimal tries to stay faithful to his internal ethical compass. Throughout, Decimal whirls through post-apocalyptic New York The narration is strong, allowing Decimal to come across clearly. The narrative style reminded me of Ken Bruen's mystery series. While it is clear that "bad things" happened in New York, Larson never conveys exactly what happened. It is effective to keep the reader engaged and avoids the author from artificially entering the story with an explanation. Larson has a firm grasp of New York City, which ends up being one of the key supporting characters in the story. My only critique is that Decimal has a significant surgery early in the book and has a miraculous (and not plausible) recovery. Aside from this slip, the book worked. If you are looking for something light and engaging, this is a good choice. Be aware, like books of this genre, it is appropriately violent.

Bright Before Us is a first novel by Katie Arnold-Ratliff, published by the literary house, Tin House. With this novel, Arnold-Ratliff, an assistant editor at O, The Oprah Magazine, forcefully enters the literary world. The novel's narrator, Francis Mason, is a twenty-something, progressive second grade teacher in San Francisco. On a field trip to the beach with his class, Mason discovers the body of a suicide victim. The trauma of the experience unravels Mason, who becomes lost in memories of his childhood love, Nora, who lost her parent's in a car accident, and forces him to contend with marital unhappiness and anxieties about his wife's pregnancy. Mason rapidly unhinges and becomes slightly paranoid, mixing reality and fantasy, while he contends with choices and understandings about love and loss. Mason ends up on a road trip (see a cool map documenting the trip that Arnold-Ratliff put together on her website) and addresses his fears. While Arnold-Ratliff's uses simple and approachable language, there is nothing simplistic about this novel. Arnold-Ratliff paints a vivid and believable portrait of San Francisco (an excellent choice of back drop for this novel) and paranoia. At one point, Mason's paranoia becomes so intense that the novel begins to feel more like a murder mystery than a literary novel. Arnold-Ratliff effectively switches narrational approaches in each chapter as a way of marking two separate but interlinked story lines. The risk with a novel that explore the inner-psyche of its characters is that the plot stagnates (if there is one at all). Throughout the novel, Arnold-Ratliff maintains authorial command and convincingly propels the narrative forward. I approached this novel with an open mind, was immediately engaged and could not put it down. I was pleasantly surprised by how caught up in Mason's character I was. Bright Before Us is a thoughtful and worthwhile book, which I would recommend reading.

This was a fantastic new book by a new writer. My favorite for 2010.