Poul Anderson, Three Hearts and Three Lions

Holger Carlsen is a Danish engineer who joins the underground to fight the Nazis during World War II. When he’s injured and loses consciousness in battle, he wakes up in an unfamiliar environment: in the middle of an ancient forest, next to a stallion decked out as a medieval warhorse. Though unsure of what’s occurred, Holger soon realizes that he has a role to play in his new surroundings. Along with the warhorse, a dwarf, and a beautiful girl who can transform into a swan, Holger sets out to find his way home, fighting various forces of evil along the way. This is an entertaining fantasy tale in the vein of an Arthurian legend. Holger meets all the expected foes: evil Faeries, dragons, trolls, a werewolf, and even Morgan le Fay. Every woman in the story tries to sleep with him, which I found annoying, but the book at least acknowledges that it’s strange! And I liked his instinct to try and understand his predicament scientifically. Overall, there’s nothing particularly unique about this novel, but it’s a good yarn.

Virginia Evans, The Correspondent

This epistolary novel comprises the correspondence to and from seventy-something Sybil Van Antwerp. She spends a significant amount of time writing letters, and her correspondents range from close friends (her brother Felix and best friend Rosalie) to pen pals (author Joan Didion) to complete strangers (the customer service representative at a DNA analysis website). Through these letters, Sybil is revealed as an intelligent, flawed, complicated woman who reflects on her life and discovers it’s not too late to change. I can see why this book has gotten so much good buzz – it’s a really fascinating portrait of an ordinary life. I genuinely did both laugh and cry as I read it. That said, I didn’t like Sybil as much as I think I was supposed to; while the book acknowledges her flaws, it also has more patience for her abrasiveness and unkindness than I did. The subplot about her trying to audit classes at the University of Maryland drove me crazy! I know others’ mileage will vary, however, and I’m excited to pass the book on to my mom, who I think will enjoy it.

Benjamin Stevenson, Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief

Ernie Cunningham and his fiancée, Juliette, have just entered Huxley’s Bank, hoping to get a loan to start a private detective business. But their plans are interrupted when an armed, masked individual enters the bank and takes everyone inside hostage. Strangely, the robber doesn’t seem very clear on his or her demands, and Ernie soon discovers that his fellow hostages all have something to hide. Throw in a missing person, multiple murders, and what looks like spontaneous combustion, and Ernie is on track to solve another sensational case—if he doesn’t get killed first. I’m continuing to enjoy this series. I always like a good heist narrative, and while Ernie isn’t always the most likable narrator, the other characters (especially Juliette) do call him out for his questionable decisions. I’d recommend this book to mystery fans, but the series should be read in order, starting with Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.