I just got a finished copy of When We Were Romans (Loved it–read my staff pick here) which I read as a galley and it is so lovely it will get a spot on my bookshelf of “books to keep.” As you can imagine, I read tons of books and most don’t get a spot on that illustrious shelf. A few others that have made it are Life of Pi, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and (of course) all 7 Harry Potters. The package is beautiful: removing the die-cut jacket reveals an exquisite color illustration of Rome. This is just the icing on the cake, the read itself is a gem, perfect to share with young adult readers and fans of books like Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The narrator, nine-year-old Lawrence is so endearing that, despite his poor spelling, I promise: you will love him too.
–Jen