Books
In this summer rife with the celebration of all things Julia
We need to remember the contribution of Sheila Lukins who died on Sunday.
The Silver Palate Cookbook was in its own way as revolutionary as Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. When it was first published in 1982 it was totally unlike anything else that had come before. From the quirky line drawings, the what was then innovative and original flavor combinations (Chicken Marbella, anyone?), and the food centric quotes and lore in the margins this was a whole new way to cook and entertain. And she and her partner Julee Rosso looked at the whole picture. Advice ran through the book on how to set the perfect buffet to menu suggestions for the perfect country weekend lunch.
After I read the obituary this morning I pulled down my very own copy of The Silver Palate and marveled at what a mess it was. Food splattered and dog eared it had all the markings of a much loved book which is as it should be. And yes, it opened right to Chicken Marbella.
Fall Book Discussion Series
This fall, we’ll be traveling the globe via the written and spoken word! Darien librarians will lead lively and thought-provoking discussions about four recent novels that take the reader to faraway places and different times. Our book selections provide the opportunity to explore distant countries, new cultures, and different eras…without the jetlag!
We’ll wrap up our Book Discussion Series at the Library on Tuesday, December 1st at 7 PM with a special guest lecture by Dr. Mark Schenker, Associate Dean at Yale College, of Yale University. His presentation, “Imagined Travels to Real Places: How Fiction Connects Us to Places We’ve Never Been,” will combine the theme of this series with his literary expertise and is certain to be enlightening and entertaining!
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Little Bee by Chris Cleave Tuesday, September 29, 7 PM |
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A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam Tuesday, October 13, 7 PM? |
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The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein? Tuesday, November 3, 7 PM ? |
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The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery? Tuesday, November 17, 7 PM |
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And don't forget to mark your calendars for this can't-miss event! Guest lecture by Dr. Mark Schenker, Associate Dean, Yale College, of Yale University?Imagined Travels to Real Places: How Fiction Connects Us to Places We've Never Been Tuesday, December 1, 7 PM |
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Disturbing Trend Noted at Weekly Book Order Meeting!!!!!
This week we came to a terrifying conclusion.
We have spent our summer reading about what one wag at the table called “enjoyment of the other, other white meat.”
That’s right.
We have spent our summer enjoying books that contain some form of cannibalism.
What brought this to our attention was Janet Maslin's review of Shake the Devil Off: A True Story of the Murder that Rocked New Orleans by Ethan Brown in yesterday’s New York Times. Many of us had read the advanced readers copy that was floating around the offices. While talking about how much we had enjoyed it we came to the realization that we were rather ghoulish in our summer reads this year. Brown tells the story of Zachery Bowen, who while suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome brought on not only by his survival of Hurricane Katrina, but also by stints as an MP in Kosovo and Iraq, murdered his girlfriend. As if this were not enough he then proceeded to demonstrate something Top Chef has taught us to view as knife skills upon her remains and then portion her out amongst the various pots and pans in the kitchen. This prompted the New York Post headline, Girlfriend Gumbo.
While Zach never went so far as to partake of his handiwork it did make us remember that this was not the first book we read this summer with the idea of loved ones as nutritional option.
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown was a staff favorite this summer. The Donners need no introduction and after reading this book you would not want one. Truly. But we loved the wonky historical details that the author included in this story of survival against all odds. I made the mistake of reading “The Chapter” while eating lunch. Which was chicken salad. I need say no more.
City of Thieves by David Benioff has totally won a place in our hearts and if we don’t see a movie made of this book we will be most upset. Based on the true stories of his grandfather Benioff tells the story of a young man named Lev is caught looting a corpse during the Siege of Leningrad a crime punishable by death. In prison he meets Kolya, a deserter which is another offense punishable by death. But Colonel Grechko has a deal for the two young men. Find him a dozen eggs for his daughter’s wedding cake and they may go free. In their quest they discover a form of commerce in the market place that is a whole lot less than kosher. When a city is starving, how far will the denizens go to survive? Pretty far as it turns out. And it gives us an important lesson. If your city is starving you may want to stay far, far away from folk who are looking a whole lot more healthy that you. This is a lesson some of the Donner party could have told you. Because the chances are pretty good that they are not looking at you as a potential friend; they are looking at you as potential meal. Presidential Bookshelf
On Monday, Whilte House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton announced the President's reading list for his summer vacation.
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The Way Home by George Pelecanos
Hot, Flat and Crowded by Tom Friedman
Lush Life by Richard Price
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
John Adams by David McCullough
Is it some kind of summer camp leftover?
Why do I love to embrace a ghost story in the summer? Is it that I find the goose bumps that they raise to be particularly cooling?
Who knows? But I have had the good fortune to read two this summer that are especially good.
Little Stranger by Sarah Waters tells the story of a crumbling ruin of a house in England after the Second World War. When Dr. Faraday comes to treat one of its residents he becomes totally enmeshed in the decline and fall the Ayres family. Is this decline caused by weakening resources and failing health? Or is there something much more sinister and supernatural afoot? Waters tells a wonderful story that will have you remind of some of the great gothic ghost stories of all time. In fact this one is on the Booker Prize long list! Yes, it is that good!
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger is not due out until next month but I was lucky enough to get an advance copy. This ghost story is also based in England but in the present day. When Aunt Elspeth dies of cancer, she leaves her London flat and entire estate to her two twin nieces who she has never met, Julia and Valentina. Of course there are strings attached. They must live in it for a year and their mother, her twin sister, must never come to visit. The flat is next door to the historic Highgate Cemetery, the final resting place of such luminaries as Christina Rossetti, Karl Marx, and George Eliot. But the creepiness is not necessarily the doings of their quiet neighbors. The girls have a sense that they are not alone in the apartment. Could Aunt Elspeth be watching over them? The ending is something that may not come as a huge surprise, but the sinister intent is so stunning it will leave you breathless. I highly recommend this one.
A jewel in the stacks
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, published in 1992, is based on Shakespeare's King Lear, but the plot unfolds in a way that is so brilliant that you will think this contemporary version is even better than its predecessor! The story centers around the Cook Family, with patriarch Larry as the owner of the most successful farm in Iowa. He is close to retirement, but wants to expand the size of his farm before he hands it down to his three daughters, not all of whom agree with his decisions. Knowing the story of King Lear foreshadows a bit of the ending of Smiley's novel - but how we reach that point is very different - and involves much darker, more twisted consequences - and some incredible surprises.
It's quite a challenging, but rewarding, examination of family dynamics. Smiley begs of the reader to ask the tough questions that seemed so cut and dry in King Lear, such as - should we sympathize with these characters, or should we despise them? What is the bigger tragedy - to live a life of ignorance or to be fully aware of the hideous truth behind a seemingly heroic figure in your life?
Smiley took a risk by writing this book and dared herself to improve a masterful Shakespearean tragedy - not just a comedy about love and silly misunderstandings - but a tragedy that contains difficult themes like the breakdown of family relationships, loyalty, greed, betrayal, abuse of power, the list goes on and on....and in doing so, she created a story with characters that are more intense and faceted than the original while still remaining true to King Lear's core. The risk paid off with a Pulitzer Prize and worldwide acclaim.
Definitely instant classic material!
Road Scholar
One of the basic facts of life here in lower Fairfield County is traffic. It's just something we always have to take into account when trying to get from here to there, even more so than the weather. And admit it, we all have opinions about other drivers, short cuts, and when the best time is to sneak onto I-95!
So it makes sense that someone has finally written a book about traffic and how we drive. Author Tom Vanderbilt talks about the psychology of merging and whether the "late merger" is gaining an advantage or not, traffic calming devices, why it's often impossible to find a parking spot, the concept that driving is actually the most complex skill-oriented task we do, and unique traffic control devices such as "Sabbath timing" in Los Angeles. He also continues the discussion on his blog (don't miss the piece about "bollards" -- traffic-stopping barriers -- in England that are designed to look like children!).
Whether you agree with his theories or not, you'll never approach an intersection, red light, or roundabout the same way after reading this book. Buckle up and enjoy the ride -- um, read!
Green Day at the Library
Usually, our "green" news has to do with our fabulous new green building, but this time it's with a capital G, as in Green, as in George Dawes Green, who was our featured speaker at our Adult Summer Reading Grand Finale last week. In case you don't know already... his newest novel, the fabulously-reviewed Ravens is my favorite book of the summer. When the author agreed to come to Darien Library to speak, I was expecting something really good...possibly GREAT...what we got was AMAZING.!
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There's something about a Southerner being in the room that slows the whole pace down just a bit. When you factor in the remarkable writing and storytelling ability and his skill at provoking thriller-worthy tension for the reader/listener, George Dawes Green was the perfect tonic for the lull of August. Just as he does in Ravens, he drew everyone in instantly. Thrills. Laughter. Pin-dropping tension. His genre is the thriller. His writing is poetic. His storytelling, masterful. This was goosebumps in August.
We can't mention George Dawes Green's incredible storytelling ability without mentioning that he is the founder of The Moth, a not-for-profit storytelling organization. That's the very basic description...if you saw this past Sunday's New York Times, then you know it's much bigger than that. The Sunday Styles section led with a (huge!) fabulous article about The Moth. We are so pleased that George agreed to spend some time with us and share his great talent.
This special author event was the highlight of our Grand Finale for our Adult Summer Reading Program but that night, we also had the drawing for the Grand Prize winners. Considering the hundreds of entries that we had, it was such fun that all three winners were in the audience that night! Here are just a few more shots from this extraordinary event.
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Thank you to everyone (members...staff....George) for making this our most successful Adult Summer Reading Program ever!
Catching up (and keeping up) with "The Girls"
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Back in April, as part of our Grand Opening Author Series, we hosted a "Girls Night Out" that featured authors Ilene Beckerman (Love, Loss, and What I Wore) and Giulia Melucci (I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti). It was a fun and memorable event and since both of these authors have had exciting book-related news lately, it's time for an update!
Ilene Beckerman's Love, Loss, and What I Wore is coming to the New York stage! Tickets go on sale this week for its limited fall run at off- Broadway's Westside Theatre. Based on Ilene's book, the show, a collection of vignettes and monologues, is written by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron. Three different (five-member) casts will perform the play in four-week cycles. Cast members include Samantha Bee, Kristin Chenoweth, Tyne Daly, Katie Finneran, Rosie O'Donnell, Mary Louise Wilson, and Rita Wilson. The show will be in previews beginning September 21st, with opening night set for October 1st (the show will run for 12 weeks). This is a MUST for me. Also a must is congratulating Ilene!
Giulia Melucci, too, has been busy, with her fabulous book, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti making the global rounds. Though the cover has gone through some (um) interesting changes, what hasn't changed are the resoundingly great reviews for her story and her recipes! This is one of my favorite all-around books. Comfort. Comfort. Comfort. (And smiles.) Congratulazioni, Giulia!
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(Covers: United States., Great Britain, Germany, The Netherlands...and, to be continued...)
Seeing Double
What do Alanis Morissette, Montgomery Clift, and Theo Epstein have in common with Tiki Barber, Minnesota's professional baseball team, Fred and George Weasley, and two of the Bee Gees?
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They're all twins! And for over 30 years now, twins of all ages have been flocking to -- where else? - Twinsburg, Ohio every August, to celebrate a weekend of this special sibling bond. The town of Millsville was settled in 1819 by Connecticut twins Moses and Aaron Wilcox, who renamed it Twinsburg, spent the rest of their lives together, and are buried there. Over 3,000 sets of twins will increase Twinsburg's population by nearly 50% this weekend!
We all know at least one or two sets, so best wishes -- times two -- to all twins and multiples on this Twins Day weekend!
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