When reading the novels this year, I generally find my mind coming back to the question of "what is the author trying to do here?" This isn't my natural disposition to reading, I would rather get immersed in a story. Perhaps a good story isn't the main purpose of fiction, since many books have political points they want to make, or morals to share, but I far prefer the first.
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett is a very good story. Marina, a doctor, works for a large pharmaceutical company. Her co-worker, Anders, has been sent to the Amazon to follow up on the work of a team under the lead of Dr. Swenson. The company receives a letter from Swenson, Anders has died. Marina must now travel down there, find Dr. Swenson, and discover what is going on.
While it sounds like the latest work of Michael Crichton (author of Jurassic Park, Congo, etc) State of Wonder is an almost believable story. The Amazon jungle is exotic enough without anything extra. While there are political situations in the book, one doesn't feel like the author has an agenda, and can enjoy the story for what it is. Some of the scenes bring one to a state of wonder as to what the world holds and the possibilities therein.
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