84 Charing Cross Road
by Helene Hanff
Equinox Books, 1974

Twenty years of letters between writer Helene Hanff and Frank Doell, an associate of Marks & Co. Booksellers in London make up the pages of this short but charming book that was originally published in 1970.
Helene embodies what we think of as a stereotypical, somewhat cranky, middle-aged, New York writer. Though somewhat rough around the edges, she is, at heart, a kind and caring individual though perhaps somewhat lonely sitting by the window of her brownstone typing scripts for upcoming Ellery Queen episodes. Discontent with the book selection in New York (?) she notices an advertisement in the Saturday Review of Literature. The ad is for Marks & Co., a London bookseller that specializes in hard to find books in good condition. Helene sends off a “wish list” of books and the correspondence begins. Her main contact is Frank Doell, who does his best to satisfy all of Helene’s literary needs.
Through the letters, years, and World War II food rationing, the reader is immersed in this trans-continental romantic non-romance between Helene and Frank. Funny, poignant, and very worth reading

This Rough Magic
Mary Stewart
Wm. Morrow, 1964

Lucy Waring, out of work as an actress, goes on holiday to visit her sister on the island of Corfu. Finding out that her sister’s neighbor is the famous, but reclusive stage actor Julian Gale is not the only bit of excitement that awaits her on this sunny piece of land floating in the Mediterranean. There’s murder for one. Mystery, intrigue, and Mary Stewart’s particular talent for capturing the magic of exotic lands will keep you guessing as to just whom the murderer is.

A Year in Van Nuys
Sandra Tsing Loh
Crown Publishing Group

A funny look at the eccentricities of L.A. living, and the pressure to be counted among the young (looking). Sandra is a thirty-five year old writer, who lives in a city that, as she notes, “regularly ranks as one of the worst places to live in the country.” Blocked on page 100 of the novel she hopes to write in order to fulfill all of her monetary dreams, she procrastinates via the usual pastimes, though she does write short articles for Amelia.Com, a web-site that is going down hill fast. Through her fear of aging, and imperfection, Sandra wanders through her thirties noticing others assets and her shortcomings – but in an often hilarious way.

Death in Kashmir
by M.M. Kaye
St. Martin’s Press,

Best known for the historical novel The Far Pavilions (a book later made into a television mini-series) M.M. Kaye is a master at creating atmosphere through her words. Slightly less known, but just as enjoyable (maybe even more so?), is her Death in...Mystery series. Six in all, the books take place during the era of British Raj, and are mix of 1/8 romance, and 7/8 mystery and intrigue, set in exotic locales. The characters are well drawn, quirky and interesting, and will keep you guessing as to the identity of the murderer. Though all the books in the series are excellent, Death in Kashmir is my favorite.
These books are addictive and hard to put down, imagine A Jewel in the Crown, written with a lighter hand, as a mystery, and a lot more fun. Other titles include Death in Kenya, Death in the Andamans, Death in Cypress, Death in Berlin, and Death in Zanzibar.
Note: because of the romance angle, and the tone of this book, I'm going to say this is a better bet for women readers. But I also want to add this is definitely a mystery and not a romance novel.

A Passage to India
E.M. Forster
Originally published in 1924

Miss Questead, a young English woman, travels to India with the hope of experiencing the real Indian culture, unlike the majority of her countrymen. With her chaperone, Mrs. Moore, they accept an invitation for an afternoon’s outing from Dr. Aziz, an acquaintance of the family, and a Muslim physician. Their destination - a picnic and the Marabar Caves, a sort of tourist attraction.
Once inside the caves, something happens to the women, a breakdown? Haunted and confused by the strange caves, and the unfamiliar sounds within, they return to town and Adela, Miss Questead accuses Dr. Aziz of assaulting her.
Without much convincing, the English have decided Dr. Aziz’s guilt before the trial, and the racism that was lying just below the boiling point explodes. At the trial, Adela changes her story and Dr. Aziz is freed, but the damage has been done between East and West with no turning back.
Incidentally, this is a very good movie too.