Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Ah. Recommended by an aunt, found to be wonderful. These are the types of books that I love. Plotline goes like this: All these rich, political people find themselves in a poor country celebrating a Japanese man's birthday, but then they get kidnapped by terrorists within the house. The terrorists want the president, who isn't there, and they keep the hostages for a good while. And what's a book like this without killing? Well you'd have to read to find out all about it. The characters are wonderfully portrayed, well written, and the writing about opera makes me wish I had gone once to see it myself. Oh yeah, they keep an opera singer in the house too, and she sang for the birthday party and then later while they were kept in the house too. An interesting play of characters, if not entirely believable... Great, just great.