This week we have a local boy in Paris, a whole load o’ Zombie, a Stump, more France, a murder, Freud, a bit of gossip, starving models, and an olive grove.

Let us begin!

Barbara M. is back to normal. And frankly I am quite relieved.  “I’m reading Paris, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Downby Rosecrans Baldwin. This is a delightful memoir of an expat adjusting to life in Paris. His writing style is colloquial and very funny. What makes this book especially interesting for me (besides being about Paris) is that I knew Crans when he was in school in Darien.”

The Citizen is also acting true to form.  “I just finished Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry. A lovely tale of sibling hate (and maybe love?), teen angst and Zombies! What more could a girl ask for? Benny is convinced that his older brother Tom is a coward because he did not save their mother from a Zombie attack, and he is not impressed with him being a bounty hunter. However, this is all about to change. A few life lessons are learnt, relationships strengthened, epic fight scenes and of course, Zombies. I just got the sequel Death & Decay. I'll keep you posted.”

Ann reports that she is reading A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash.  “This is an engrossing story of fathers and sons, religious beliefs and family strife.  Stump, real name Christopher, is born mute.  His family loves him but his mother wants him to speak and will let her religious beliefs change the family's life forever.”

Candace says, “When I saw Simon Mawer's new book, Trapeze, I grabbed it!  I loved his historical fiction novel, The Glass House, and couldn't wait to read him again.  At the three quarter mark, I'm totally engrossed in his rich buildup of underground action to stop Hitler in France and England in WWII.  It's sure to have a very exciting ending which I'm in no hurry to discover since I'm really enjoying his style and story.”

The Lovely Priscilla is reading Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann.  “Coming in July this is a captivating first novel. Told from the perspective of 5 people it set on Martha's Vineyard after WWll. In this unsettling story you will find marriage, secrecy, murder and the unexpected. Close cousins Nick and Helena are beginning the next stage of their lives as newlyweds with great expectations. The family estate on Martha’s Vineyard holds many memories for these women and is the setting for most of this book. Get your name on the hold list.  Lisa is the great, great, great granddaughter of Herman Melville.”  I read this one this week also and I am here to tell you it is terrific!

Pat S. has not one but two books going!  ” Hello Goodbye Hello by Craig Brown and Gossip by Joseph Epstein! Hello Goodbye Hello by Craig Brown is a truly witty and informative recounting of 101 meetings between two various stars of art, literature, politics and entertainment in the last 100 plus years. Brown has constructed the format in an equally clever manner by making each of the 101 meetings described exactly 1001 words long. The subjects span a field as broad as Sigmund Freud and Gustav Mahler to Cecil Beaton and Mick Jagger. The marvel of the undertaking is that all of the stories are fresh-with none of the hackneyed variants of tales that have passed into urban myth. This is a genuinely informative and fun read. It comes out in August.  In Gossip by Joseph Epstein we have an exploration of the age old issue-Gossip. What motivates it? Is it good? Is it bad? Why do we castigate it yet pursue it so relentlessly? What effect has the internet and globalization of communication had upon it? I am only half way through but enjoying every moment. It is an interesting historical investigation including some brief biographies of world renowned gossips. As well, a thoughtful discussion of the effect of modern technology upon gossip and how it may have taken what was once benign and turned it into potentially destructive phenomena. This is very provocative.

Jeannie is reading So Pretty it Hurts by Kate White, the Editor of Cosmopolitan. “This is the newest in her Bailey Weggins Mysteries. Others I have liked are A Body To Die For, If Looks Could Kill...there is a theme here. Bailey is a crime writer for the celebrity rag Buzz.  She investigates murders, but there is a lot more glamour, affairs and backstabbing than forensics and lawyers in her detective work.  In a very contemporary New York setting of starving models, ruthless journalists and misguided liaisons, Bailey is determined to find the truth. From the runway to the bar scene; from the office to the bedroom,  White keeps the reader turning the pages with her tales of deceit as Bailey tries to discover whodunit.”

I just began The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santos.  There are five generations of Keller women living on their olive farm in Northern California.  Matriarch Anna is 112 years old and a geneticist is coming to examine her to see if he can discover the secret of their longevity.    What sort of secrets will he uncover?  This one is due out in August.



 

Amanda and Sally's MUOMS

Amanda's Picks

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.  All is not well in 1920's Alaska as a couple lives in near isolation together as they struggle to carve a life out of the forbidden landscape. Then one afternoon they share a playful moment and build a snowchild out of the fresh snow. In the morning, the snowchild is gone with only steps leading away from where the snowchild was. Is the child real or not real? Has their longing created a child out of snow, mittens, and a scarf?

The Tiffany Aching Adventures by Terry Prachett. One of my favorite humorists, Prachett delivers in this series a strong heroine who is practical, forthright, and independent who is trying to learn how to take care of the people in her homeland of the Chalk. She is their witch. However, growing up is hard for a witch and while trying to growing up, Tiffany makes her own share of mistakes and as the books come to the dark climax in I Shall Wear Midnight, Tiffany must face the consequences that came from fixing a prior mistake.

The Color of Earth by Tong-hwa Kim. These three graphic novels are about the author's mother's childhood in Korea prior to World War 2. The fresh honesty and prospective about growing up ring true and solid even a world away in another century. These books are beautifully illustrated and you find yourself turning the pages very quickly as you grow up alongside the heroine.

Sally's Picks

My Year With Eleanor : A Memoir  by  Noelle Hancock. This narrative nonfiction book introduces the character Noelle Hancock who has just lost her job. Noelle realizes that she has no idea what she wants out of life and also realizes that she is afraid of change. She bravely makes the decision to follow the words of Eleanor Roosevelt : "Do one thing every day that scares you". By using this quote as her mantra Noelle learns who she is and what she can become.

She Walks In Beauty : A Woman's Journey Through Poems  by Caroline Kennedy. Caroline Kennedy uses the world of poems to pay tribute to the complex and fascinating subject of womanhood. Her book covers a multitude of milestones including love, marriage, motherhood and grief. Such topics have an introductory page written by her which is then followed by a series of poems that support her thoughts.

Burn Down The Ground : A Memoir  by Kambri Crews. This memoir tells the story of young Kambri Crews, the daughter of deaf parents, and her childhood in rural Texas. Her mother, a kind woman who was fully involved in the deaf community, was a strong contrast to her father: an angry and violent man. This book explores the range of Kambri's feelings toward her father- love and adoration followed by fear and finally acceptance.

Blue Asylum : A Novel  by Kathy Hepinstall. This novel takes place during the Civil War, a time period where a woman's voice is rarely heard. The wife of a Southern plantation owner is arrested by her husband and tried in a court of law. It is determined that she is insane and she is sent to an asylum where she meets and falls in love with a Confederate soldier.

 I Wish I Were Engulfed In Flames  : My Insane Life Raising Two Boys With Autism by Jeni Decker. Jeni Decker's memoir details her life with two autistic sons, a husband who avoids household chores, an Australian Shepard and an albino frog. This sometimes shocking story tells of her determination to raise two healthy kids and hold onto her sanity at the same time. This book is funny and inspiring as we read of Jeni's wish to be the "new normal”

Lady Almina And The Real Downton Abbey : The Lost Legacy Of Highclere Castle by Fiona Carnarvon. This true story is a study in contrasts. First there is the difference between the rich who live an an Edwardian home called Highclere Castle and their servants who keep life there running smoothly. Secondly there is the relative ease of life in the castle and the difficulty of life at war. The main character, Lady Almina chooses to bridge that gap by tending to the wounded soldiers in her home.

This week we have some murder, insidiousness, more than a little Singapore but oddly no Paris (I am more than a little worried about that),  two detectives on two contents, a phenom,  more murder, (must be all this rain!), juicy tidbits,  a couch and an exploding whale.

Let us begin!

Babs B. is a tad cranky this week about Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton. “ I had a real tough time with this story...I'm not crazy about "out of body" experiences and forced myself to finish this book just to see who was responsible for setting the school on fire and attempting to murder someone not once but 3 times!!  I would not recommend this one.”

Citizen Asha has more daisies and sunshine for us this week. “ I am currently reading What They Do in the Dark by Amanda Coe.  Gemma, spoiled but neglected by her parents, and Pauline who is impoverished form a friendship. Pauline is envious of Gemma’s easy life while Gemma has to deal with the aftermath of her parents’ divorce. When Gemma’s favorite star Lallie comes to town to shoot a movie, the girls are ecstatic, however I have a feeling that something insidious is afoot. I’ll keep you posted. “

Barbara M. reports in with the following:  “I'm still reading Girl Reading : A Novel  by Katie Ward. I was about to abandon it after the first story because I wasn’t sure I understood the ending. I decided to give it another try and am now up to the sixth story. The stories are all a bit strange but very compelling. I'm not sure I understand how the stories fit into one another but I've read it this far and so will continue until the end. I'm also reading Fodor's Singapore, Lonely Planet Singapore and The Rough Guide to Singapore in preparation for my trip. I like to know the background of a country and the layout of the land before I go. “

Abby comes to us with a tribe this week and says, “The trio of me, my husband, and mother-in-law must all recommend the newest entry in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series.  In The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection, Alexander McCall-Smith has managed to once again produced a book filled with the warmth and good humor found in previous books from the series.  On the more gruesome side, I am reading the true crime book Midnight in Peking by Paul French. The time: 1937 Peking, China.  Japan is attempting to take over China. China is also dealing with a major influx of immigrants from the Soviet Union and Europe. With this as a backdrop, a nineteen year old English woman, the daughter of a prominent and connected scholar is brutally murdered.  French is doing a tremendous job of setting the mood and explaining the physical layout of Peking. His website also provides good background and visuals to accompany the story.  I look forward to finding out how and if the murder was solved.”

Marianne says,” I just finished The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach and I loved it.  One of the people who attended our discussion the other night said ‘It was an all-inclusive book and everyone was treated fairly.’  Maybe the main story line, young baseball phenom surely headed for the major leagues loses his ability to throw straight, isn't totally new.  But the way the author developed the characters and interweaved the other story lines of college life, coming of age, and old age made for a wonderful read.”

Pat S. brings the following  to the table.   The autopsy table perhaps!  “The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomis is about two young women on the verge of adulthood are involved in the brutal murder of a shared boyfriend. While only one of the girls goes to prison, they are both excoriated in the press as the victim is exalted to sainthood. The story is the gradual unraveling of the facts to the truth of what actually happened-and the truth is haunting. While the writing is only competent, as a psychological thriller it is at the top of the genre.”

Pat T. says “ I am about to begin reading The Red Book by Deborah Copaken Kogan. Harvard University publishes a book titled "The Red Book" every five years with the latest updates on its alumni. In this fictional story, we meet four friends, Clover, Addison, Mia and Jane who graduated from Harvard in 1989 and are joining one another at their twenty year college reunion. What will these friends reveal about their lives, aspirations and disappointments, families and careers since leaving the Ivy Leagued campus as young adults? I hope to enjoy all the juicy tidbits!”

Jeannie who is in the throes of exams brings us this:   I finished Sense of an Ending this week by Julian Barnes. Not a new story, coming of age - badly - in England with boy and girl issues.  Moving through the years fairly peaceably, but then Tony, the protagonist, gets a letter from a solicitor about a surprise legacy and he realizes there are a lot more questions in his life than he has answers to. Barnes has an interesting way of moving the mystery along with Tony's compelling introspection, although he is so obsessed he can't seem to get up off the figurative analyst's couch long enough to get on with his life. While short on pages (only 163) it is a good read.

I am having great fun with Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead.  What more can possibly be done with a Nantucket (though called something else, but trust me on this one, it’s Nantucket) WASP Wedding at the height of the season?  In Shipstead’s hands? Plenty!  For starters the bride is more than a little pregnant, her sister has been jilted by the son of her father’s oldest rival, and their aunt is looking for husband number 5 and a little something to sip on while she does.  There is an exploding whale, a lobster that seems to have some Rasputin –like qualities and the requisite bad behavior by the wedding party.  This is brilliant social satire that would be the perfect book for that trip from Wood’s Hole and it is due out in July.




 

Top Ten Hardcover Bestsellers from the New York Times for the week of May 20, 2012