Michael Zadoorian's first novel, Second Hand, introduced us to a writer with a brilliant eye for local color, a great ear for dialogue, a wry sense of humor, and characters that hook the reader from the very first page. His new novel, The Leisure Seeker [Morrow, Jan.], is even better. What do you do when the life you've shared for over 50 years is coming to an end? Ella, who has cancer, and John, who has Alzheimer's, leave behind their doctors and grown kids for one last road trip to Disneyland. They follow Route 66 from their hometown of Detroit, visiting former tourist attractions that are nearly as decrepit as they are. With nothing to lose, determined to live their remaining lives to the fullest, they do so with love, humor and charm. Zadoorian's offbeat humor and obvious sympathy for his characters takes a story that could have been grim in the wrong hands and turns it into one of the most delightful books I've read in years.