People, people, people: this quirky novel with a touch of magic transported me out of a dark moment into a world of laughter and pure escapism. I loved it. The story pulses with unique character voices. Consider the opening paragraph: “The Reverend Gershom Sadler had been dead more than half Callie’s life, though they still…

The Wild Trees by Richard Preston is a fascinating and compelling work of narrative nonfiction. It might read like a thriller, but it tells the true story of a quirky bunch of botanists and amateur naturalists who share an almost obsessive passion for the titans of the tree world: the West Coast redwoods. Richard Preston,…