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Although we’ve finally turned the page on the ‘90s, readers may want to

return to pages of some of the decade’s best books.

Listed on at least two “best books” lists published by the Los Angeles

Times, The New York Times, Library Journal, Magill’s Literary Annual and

Bowker Annual were these best bets:

“The Grown-Ups” -- After a sudden stroke,

philosopher-turned-TV-personality Dr. Leo Ulm causes friends, wives and

lovers to question their relationship with him. Victoria Glendinning’s

entertaining novel explores the complexities of relationships, the nature

of fame and the limits of individual perception.

“A Soldier of the Great War” -- Mark Helprin conveys the message that

women, with the promise of love and new life, are civilization’s

salvation in war’s tragic aftermath. His sweeping narrative focuses on

one man’s experiences during World War I.

“Jazz” -- Harlem is both setting and character in this lyrical novel by

Pulitzer Prize-winner Toni Morrison. The story begins in 1926, when

50-ish door-to-door salesman Joe Trace murders his teenage lover, whom

his hairdresser wife tries to disfigure at the funeral.

“Einstein’s Dreams” -- MIT physics professor Alan Lightman takes a

playful look at thoughts Einstein might have had while concocting his

theory of relativity. Thirty vignettes portray the great physicist when

he was a patent clerk sorting through dreams in which time runs haywire.

“Millroy the Magician” -- The message is salvation through health food in

Paul Theroux’s parable about a magician, a runaway girl and their

unlikely odyssey. The irresistible tale concludes that America’s

digestive system needs cleansing, that image triumphs over art and that

our best hope is the power of love.

“The Paperboy” -- Pete Dexter’s dark meditation on the responsibilities

of the media examines father-son relationships and the burden of guilty

knowledge. The action involves investigative reporters who reopen the

case against a man condemned to die for murdering the county sheriff.

“The Moor’s Last Sigh” -- Salman Rushdie’s epic encompasses a grand

struggle between good and evil. Speaking through his narrator (the

embodiment of India, who ages at twice the normal human rate), the author

tells his tale with humor and inventive wordplay.

“Straight Man” -- West Central Pennsylvania University English chair Hank

Devereaux is quirky and endearing in Richard Russo’s funny tale about

nonsense that gets in the way of scholarship. Realism and farce are not

distant cousins in this wry skewering of academia.

“Damascus Gate” -- Political intrigue and religious obsession blend in

Robert Stone’s powerful thriller. The multilayered tale involves an

American journalist writing a book about religious pilgrims, a

manic-depressive convinced he is the Messiah and fundamentalist

Christians plotting with Orthodox Jews.

“Losing Nelson” -- A contemporary Londoner obsessed with Britain’s

greatest naval hero is the protagonist of Barry Unsworth’s psychological

novel. The suspenseful narrative ingeniously blends historical details

into the portrait of a disintegrating personality.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with

Sara Barnicle.

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