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The Odyssey Bookshop is one of five independent
bookstores participating in WAMC's Roundtable on Tuesday mornings,
just after the 10:00 news. People from the Odyssey will be on about once a
month, talking about our favorite books. The Odyssey Bookshop 413-534-7307 email odysseybks@aol.com
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Odyssey Bookshop · Hot Summer Books 2008 Original Format (color, pictures, etc) (pdf file) Fiction | Mystery | Non-Fiction | Children/Young Adult UNACCUSTOMED EARTH by Jhumpa Lahiri. Lahiri returns to her stronger short form in this, her second collection of stories of men and women who straddle two cultures. Nobody captures cultural identity and issues of belonging like Lahiri, whose honest, poignantly drawn first-, second-, and third-generation immigrants are simultaneously struggling to maintain connections to the Bengali world they left behind while forging new lives for themselves—a balance that is delicate, indeed. This book is a swift and engaging read from a woman who is quickly becoming one of the most important young writers in the English language. ~ Emily Crowe
THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski. This modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the finest first novels I’ve read in several years. Wroblewski’s treatment of his main character, Edgar, is insightful, engaging, and heartwarming. I hope you’ll find this book as hard to put down as I did. It’s deeply satisfying and will surely mark Wroblewski as one of America’s best new novelists. ~ Emily Russo. Signed Copies Available June 24th. THE GARDEN OF LAST DAYS by Andre Dubus III. Though this book has fewer personal tragedies than his previous one, Dubus does up the ante for tragedy on a grander scale in this novel: he sets it during the last sultry, end-of-summer days leading up to the September 11, 2001 cataclysm. With his trademark characters who relentlessly but helplessly follow the paths to their own self-destruction, we meet April, AJ, Bassam, and Franny, whose lives intersect one fateful night inside the Puma Club for Men in Florida. Dubus manages to keep our interest piqued, despite the fact that we really know how it is going to end. ~Emily Crowe. Signed Copies Available July 23rd.
THE GOD OF WAR by Marisa Silver. The Chicago Tribune calls this a “nearly flawless novel,” and I couldn’t agree more. Told from the perspective of 12-year-old Ares, The God of War is a beautiful story of innocence lost and a reminder to us all of how powerful a child’s imagination, especially under unthinkable conditions, can be. This is a wonderful breakout novel—gorgeously written — one that will stick with you long after you finish it. ~ Emily Russo. Signed Copies Available. PEACE by Richard Bausch. A day and a night in Italy, 1944. Three soldiers and an elderly Italian man, who might be an enemy. Icy rain and snow and a mountain. A sniper. This small, spare book packs an enormous emotional punch as we citizens think about war, and the human costs of killing and mercy. ~ Elli
KUSHIEL’S MERCY by Jacqueline Carey. This is the final book in the second trilogy of the two trilogy Kushiel series. It was definitely worth reading (and honestly, this isn’t what I normally choose to read). Maybe it’s the historian in me, maybe it’s the romantic in me, or maybe I just love a good story, but both trilogies in this series fascinated me, picked me up, and swept me away on a whirlwind of religious history, politics, intrigue, and above all else, love. If you haven’t read the rest of the series, you might be a bit lost, but it’s worth a try – Jacqueline Carey really is a storyteller, not just an author. ~ Rebecca CHANGE OF HEART by Jodi Picoult. Like her previous novels, Picoult’s latest endeavor is a pleasantly easy read that is peppered with philosophical issues — in this case, the death penalty. Shay is the first death row inmate in the state of New Hampshire in decades, and Claire is the little girl he wants to donate his heart to upon his execution. When unexplainable things start happening within the prison walls, warring factions from all over the US flock to the small NH community to demand either Shay’s release or his death. Beyond the death penalty issue, Picoult encourages the reader to suspend disbelief in the face of everyday miracles and concludes with an epilogue that is equal parts hope and redemption. ~ Emily Crowe OUR STORY BEGINS: NEW AND SELECTED STORIES by Tobias Wolff. I’m surprised that it took me as long as it did to read Tobias Wolff. He is a brilliant writer and master storyteller. You forget that it’s his book in front of you rather than Wolff himself. If you have had the pleasure of reading Wolff before, Our Story Begins is a throwback to some of his older stories (reworked in some cases) and an introduction to new ones, which will blow your mind away. Wolff is a man of few words, but the ones that he chooses pack a punch! If you like the dirty realism of everyday life, Wolff's observational details are sure not to disappoint. ~ Nieves
THE OUTLANDER by Gil Adamson. The first few pages of this novel nearly had my heart leaping out of my throat. It’s a fast-paced, gorgeous novel about a young widow—granted a widow by her own hand—who is on the run from her two violent brothers-in-law. Beautifully written, first rate fiction.~ Emily Russo OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout. I’ve loved both of Strout’s previous novels, and this “novel in stories” is the best yet. Olive is an amazing character who breathes from the first pages. This retired Maine schoolteacher is both complex and flawed, immensely kind and sometimes utterly clueless. These small-town stories are an elegant way to reveal Strout’s insights into the universality of human hope, despair, and redemption. ~ Elli Signed Copies Available.
SKELETONS AT THE FEAST by Chris Bohjalian. This novel is not set anywhere near Vermont, which is a departure for Bohjalian. The time is January 1945 and the Third Reich is collapsing. Caught in the cross-fire between Allie forces and Russian militants are Bohjalian's characters: Anna, the daughter of Prussian aristocrats, Callum, a Scottish POW, and Anna's younger brother Theo and her mother Mutti, and Uri, a Jew who escaped a train bound for Auschwitz and has since managed to pass himself off as a Wehrmacht corporal. As the group moves west, every day brings challenges and anguish as they cross this war-torn landscape. I think this deeply moving story is Chris Bohjalian's best novel to date. ~ Joan. Signed Copies Available.
~PAPERBACK FICTION~ DIVISADERO by Michael Ondaatje. “Who recovers from such events?” asks a character in this remarkable novel. Ondaatje gives us two intertwined families, two fathers and their daughters, separated in time and place, all trying to survive passion and circumstance. A wonderful read. ~ Elli THE TENDERNESS OF WOLVES by Stef Penney. This is a complicated, many layered novel set in the Canadian Northern Territory in 1867. It is not a beach read, unless you are suffering in a heat wave and would enjoy being transported to a frozen landscape. It is part mystery: the body of Laurent Jamett, a fur trapper, is found by his neighbor Mrs. Ross in the first few pages. But this book is also more than a whodunit. It is a portrait of a beautiful, but harsh land and the people whose paths cross in this isolated frontier. This group includes Native Americans, half-breeds, Scottish and Norwegian recent immigrants, French trappers, and Yankees. This novel won the 2006 Costa Book of the Year Award. ~ Joan
ON CHESIL BEACH by Ian McEwan. It’s 1962, but it feels Victorian. The newlyweds are virgins and incapable of talking about sex. The prose is subdued, quiet. This novel is compressed, taut with misunderstanding and missed opportunity. ~ Elli AFTER DARK by Haruki Murakami. This captivating slim volume traces the hours between midnight and dawn and those people of the netherworld who keep vigil while the rest of Tokyo sleeps. Murakami uses sisters Mari and Eri Asai to bookend the narrative. We follow Mari as she encounters the most unlikely characters—a former professional female wrestler, a Chinese prostitute, and a young man with whom her sister once tried to set her up on a blind date, and Eri as she passes the night in a fairy-tale like enchanted sleep. What captured me about this novel is the way that it’s like a pond whose quiet, still surface belies the complicated, interconnected, and occasionally dark ecosystem of its inhabitants underneath. ~ Emily Crowe
ON CHESIL BEACH by Ian McEwan. It’s 1962, but it feels Victorian. The newlyweds are virgins and incapable of talking about sex. The prose is subdued, quiet. This novel is compressed, taut with misunderstanding and missed opportunity.~ Elli PALACE COUNCIL by Stephen L. Carter. Fans of The Emperor of Ocean Park won’t be disappointed by Carter’s third novel, Palace Council. It’s a gripping read from the very first page, but like his previous novels, it is also an interesting and engaging commentary on the history of Black America. ~ Emily Russo
THE REAPERS by John Connolly. Throughout John Connolly’s series featuring PI Charlie Parker, Louis and Angel have been there. Mysterious, dark, and loyal, they have been enigmas from the beginning. The Reapers tells their story. In Connolly’s distinctive, exquisite prose style, Louis and Angel are brought to life as never before in a revealing and unbearably suspenseful story of the hunter becoming the hunted when a man named Bliss, an elite killer, returns after many years of being presumed dead to seek revenge. There are few writers in the genre who explore characters in such depth, and fewer still who offer this kind of raw, unflinching look at the darkness in mens’ souls. ~ Neil
~ PAPERBACK MYSTERY~ OBLIVION by Peter Abrahams. Abrahams is a master of psychological suspense and this is one of my favorite PI novels of all time. The PI on a missing person case has a stroke in the middle of the investigation, and recovers, but can’t remember much about the case. This is a brilliant story where the reader is really one step ahead of the hero. The characters are wonderfully portrayed and the suspense will keep you glued to the chair. Enormously entertaining. ~ Neil
THE NARROWS by Michael Connelly. If there is any reader of crime fiction out there who has not discovered Michael Connelly, you’re missing the best police procedural writer in the business. Period. The Narrows has Connelly’s hero, Harry Bosch, now retired, investigating the death of ex-FBI agent Terry McCaleb. He crosses paths with Rachel Walling, an agent who is investigating the return of a serial killer known only as the Poet. They soon discover that they are searching for the same person. Few writers can make the investigation, the characters and the place come so alive as Michael Connelly. ~ Neil GRAVE SECRETS by Kathy Reichs. Both Kathy and her hero Tempe are forensic anthropologists, and in this book, Tempe uncovers present day murders and a twenty-year old massacre in Guatemala. Reichs presents the perfect balance of suspense and authentic forensics, along with some history as well. This is a riveting novel, with an authentic and very likable heroine, and an intelligent, intensely suspenseful plot. ~ Neil ~MEMOIR & BIOGRAPHY~
I’M LOOKING THROUGH YOU: GROWING UP HAUNTED: A MEMOIR by Jennifer Finney Boylan. Fans of Jenny’s first memoir, She’s Not There, won’t be disappointed by this follow-up title. And if you haven’t been introduced to Jenny’s work, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Her work is a tribute to the inner soul and proof that no matter how well you know someone, you can never truly know what lies deep inside another human being. And, to me, that knowledge alone should be enough for the human race to act more kindly to one another. ~ Emily Russo. Signed Copies Available. WITHOUT A MAP by Meredith Hall. In 1965, at sixteen years old, Meredith Hall is pregnant, expelled from school, and thrown out of her mother’s house. Her father and step-mother take her in and hide her away. In near isolation from the outside world, she carries her baby to term. Her baby is put up for adoption immediately. For the next decade she wanders the world alone and extremely lonely. Her suffering nearly destroys her, but slowly she recovers, reunites with her son, forgives her parents, and evolves into an incredibly talented writer. Her prose is honest and beautiful and her story is quietly riveting. ~ Joan. Signed Copies Available.
A SUMMER OF HUMMINGBIRDS: LOVE, ART AND SCANDAL IN THE INTERSECTING WORLDS OF EMILY DICKINSON, MARK TWAIN, HARRIET BEECHER STOWE AND MARTIN JOHNSON HEADE by Christopher Benfey. This new biography/history by Mount Holyoke College’s own Christopher Benfey begins just before the Civil War and chronicles the lives of several famous artists, poets, and writers as they interact together and “count down” the days war is upon them. Rich insight brings each of these prominent historical figures to life, and Benfey’s engaging prose and narrative lends his book to read less like a historical text and more like a brilliant novel. ~ Emily Russo. Signed Copies Available. RAVENS IN THE STORM by Carl Oglesby. Oglesby is first of all a playwright, then one of our foremost ‘60s political writers and SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) leaders and organizers. He’s also a musician. So this memoir is told with such drama and lyricism and dialogue that you are swept into the history. It is a history of a defense worker turned revolutionary and a mass movement turned sectarian. Oglesby skillfully draws you into an exciting movement that has relevance for today. ~ Jon ~ POLITICS & HISTORY ~
ALL THINGS MUST FIGHT TO LIVE by Bryan Mealer. Bryan Mealer is a remarkable young journalist who spent three years traveling and reporting in Congo during a brutal and devastating war that killed over 5.4 million Africans. Most of us have not heard about this war, which has claimed more lives than any other conflict since World War II. From 2003 to 2006 Mealer was one of a handfull of reporters in Congo. He travels by foot, boat, bike, airplane and even on a train that derails—temporarily. This book is heartbreaking and hopeful for a country that is emerging from colonialism and a terrible war. ~ Joan . Signed Copies Available.
~ SCIENCE ~ PHYSICS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE by Michio Kaku. This book is an amusement park for the nerdy nerds in your life; it is so much fun. Kaku takes a broad swath of science fiction standards (force fields, telekinesis, time travel, etc.) and divides them into level of impossibility. Class III impossibilities violate current laws of physics, so becoming possible in the future would represent a fundamental paradigm shift. Class II impossibilities lie at the limit of our understanding, so they need not break laws of physics to occur, but to become possible they would indicate new laws. Class I impossibilities are simply impossible with today's technology, but do not break any known laws of physics and could conceivably become possible in the next couple of generations or centuries. This book has no math but it is full of thorough descriptions of various ideas’ limitations, and what may be necessary to make them work. I would recommend it to all the science fiction people in your life, anyone who thinks about how things work, and anyone with a scientific streak. ~ Darcy THE CANON: A WHIRLIGIG TOUR OF THE BEAUTIFUL BASICS OF SCIENCE by Natalie Angier. This book is a great sort of science summary, “a joy ride through physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy,” according to the publisher’s marketing. Angier races through a basic canon of science knowledge, sprinkling every topic with weird facts (how much carbon we eat on a daily basis, how long DNA would be if it were lain flat) and a charmingly weird sort of perky enthusiasm. This book reinvigorated my love of the scientific worldview, and I am so happy I picked it up. ~ Darcy BONK – THE CURIOUS COUPLING OF SCIENCE AND SEX by Mary Roach. Now this is entertaining non-fiction. Roach is so good at finding topics that are totally captivating and somewhat taboo, then presenting a comprehensive and entertaining compendium of scientific research on the subject. In this newest book, Roach takes us through a history of scientific research into sexual physiology, and it is an educational ride. Somehow Roach manages to avoid any sense of vulgarity, using an occasional splash of cheerful naughtiness to diffuse possibly uncomfortable discussions (artificial insemination of livestock, for example) and clear language to keep the narrative focus on the scientific research at hand. The book is captivating yet calm, hilarious at times, respectful yet adventurous, and ultimately charming. ~ Darcy ~ GREEN LIVING ~
DEEP ECONOMY: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben. Bill McKibben challenges us to rethink our economic direction, arguing that economic growth often comes at too high a price—global warming, inequality, poverty, urban slums, air and water contamination, droughts, and deforestation. McKibben supports the movement toward building local economies and details some of the success stories over the past few years. Farmer’s Markets, for example, are the fastest-growing part of our food economy—growing from 340 in 1970 to over 3,700 in 2004. The discussion of this and other national and regional efforts to change economic direction are fascinating, useful and important. ~ Joan
~ COOKBOOKS ~
MARGARITAS, MOJITOS & MORE by Jessica Strand. Nothing is so satisfyingly summery as kicking back with your friends with a fun & fruity cocktail, and this book will provide enough variety to last until Labor Day. I’ve already tried the Pomegranate Margarita (hey, it’s actually good for you) and I can’t wait for fresh watermelons at the market so I can create a pitcher of Watermelon Mojitos! Are you a cocktail purist? Worry not, this book also has all of the classics, like the Cuba Libre, Caipirinha, and Planter’s Punch. Definitely a must-have for anybody throwing a summer party, a wedding shower, or just wanting a reliable bartending reference filled with mouth-watering photographs. ~ Emily Crowe 101 THINGS TO DO WITH ZUCCHINI by Cyndi Duncan and Georgie Patrick. Growing up I detested vegetables beyond the ordinary level of a kid who pushes her peas under a pile of mashed potatoes, hoping that her mother wouldn’t discover the offending vegetable. This was due in part to the fact that my mother often drenched said food group with butter and cheeses. Perhaps if my mother had had a cookbook like Duncan and Patrick's 101 Things to do with Zucchini, I wouldn’t have spent the first 20 years of my life dreading family meals. Duncan and Patrick’s book is at once easy enough for the busy family cook as well as a great starting template for more advanced chefs. Some of my personal favorite recipes of this book include the zucchini coffee cake and zucchini corn chowder. Don’t be afraid to try out some of the zanier zucchini recipes as well (such as the peanut butter zucchini brownies); they are not only a healthier approach to some favorites but are great trade outs especially if you are trying to watch what you eat. ~ Nieves
SCAREDY SQUIRREL, SCAREDY SQUIRREL MAKES A FRIEND and SCAREDY SQUIRREL AT THE BEACH by Melanie Watts (Ages 4-8). These three books are by far the funniest picture books I’ve read this year. First comes Scaredy Squirrel, the introduction to a squirrel who is (you guessed it!) afraid of EVERYTHING. Next comes Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend – making friends when you’re scared of everything is harder than it seems! Just published this year is the third adventure, Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach, where Scaredy Squirrel dares to make a trip all the way to the beach. The hilarious adventures in all of these books show Scaredy Squirrel that maybe everything isn’t as scary as it seems. ~ Rebecca
CROSS THE ALLEY by Richard Michelson and E.B. Lewis. (Ages 4 –8). This is a gorgeous and optimistic story about family expectations, racial and religious differences, individual talents and dreams, and overcoming prejudice. The story has haunted me for weeks, but in a good way, ahopeful way. ~ Elli
I LOVE MY NEW TOY! and I WILL SURPRISE MY FRIEND! by Mo Willems. (Ages 4-7). Gerald (the elephant) and Piggie (the pig) are back in two new beginning reader adventures from favorite Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, and Elephant and Piggy series author/illustrator Mo Willems. ~ Rebecca
THE PENDERWICKS: A SUMMER TALE OF FOUR SISTERS, TWO RABBITS, AND A VERY INTERESTING BOY by Jeanne Birdsall. (Ages 7-12). Winner of the National Book Award, The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, takes place in Arundel, Maine, where the Penderwicks go on their summer vacation. Their normal vacation spot is booked, so they end up renting a small cottage on the property of a large house. Before you know it, the four sisters are up to their noses in adventures, involving, at times, yes, two rabbits, the boy next door (friend or foe?), a bull, the gardener, the cook, and much much more. It’s an unforgettable summer for the entire family, and it’s sure to be an unforgettable read for you! ~ Rebecca ~ BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS ~
GENERATION DEAD by Daniel Waters. (Ages 13-18). Teenagers have started returning from the dead, and the local high school is struggling to meet their new special needs (which do not include eating brains, btw). No-one knows why some teens are waking up from ‘the big sleep’ when others stay dead, nor why some of the, um, bionically impaired are almost normal while most are sluggish with a blunt affect and some are excruciatingly slow. Goth girl Phoebe has never felt fully at home among the living, but her life takes an unusual turn when she finds herself crushing on an (un)dead boy and finds herself advocating for undead rights. This book is silly and fun, but also deals with serious issues of tolerance and acceptance in a thoughtful manner. These kids didn’t ask to be brought back and don’t know why they have been, but they have to face anger, fear, and hatred every day from people who view them as unnatural, evil creatures. ~ Darcy MY MOST EXCELLENT YEAR by Steve Kluger. (Ages 13-18). The first four pages of this book got me hooked. Then I stayed up until 2 AM reading the rest! Meet T.C. Keller, Alejandra (Alé) Perez, and Augie Hwong – three high school juniors completing a writing assignment entitled “My Most Excellent Year.” As unlikely as it seems, for all three of them, their most excellent year was freshman year of high school. T.C. is obsessed with the Red Sox and Alé. Alé, a diplomat’s daughter, is playing hard-to-get with T.C. and trying not to be the diplomatic good girl all the time. Augie is gay, and though everyone else knows, it takes his first real crush to help him figure it all out. Written in emails, texts, IMs, and their writing assignment diary entries, this book is hilarious all the way through while it makes you think, cry, laugh, and feel for all of them. Welcome to their lives, their loves, their triumphs, their heartbreaks, and most importantly, their most excellent year. ~ Rebecca
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MUDBOUND
by Hillary Jordan. This debut novel from Hillary Jordan is one of the best I’ve
read so far in 2008. Set in rural Mississippi in the late 1940s, and told from
multiple points of view, Mudbound tells the story of what happens when
two broken World War II heroes, one white, one black, befriend each other upon
their return home and the town’s response to their growing friendship. Mudbound
is a haunting reminder of recent intolerance and the pain we inflict on
others. I can only hope we’ll look back in another sixty years
as a nation and be just as ashamed of the different kinds of intolerance we're
spreading today. ~ Emily Russo. Signed Copies Available.
CITY
OF THIEVES by
David Benioff. What a great story! This is my favorite novel so far of
2008; I couldn’t put it down. City of Thieves is the story of a
17-year-old Jewish boy from Leningrad during WWII. The story is linear and
quick, but it has many facets. At times adventure, coming of age,
wartime/winter survival, and character exploration, this book contains scenes of
great horror mixed with moments of joy, flashes of terror with sprinkles of
laughter. Benioff introduces us to a less familiar aspect of World War II,
and it is a compelling story. ~ Darcy. Signed
Copies Available May 27th.
THE
HOST by Stephenie
Meyer. Swapping out her trademark vampires for aliens in her latest novel,
Meyer delivers another book that is nearly impossible to put down. Melanie is a
headstrong young woman who is able to resist the dictums of Wanderer, the alien
soul who has taken over her body. Together they track down Jared, leader of an
underground resistance movement, leading to possibly the first love triangle
involving only two bodies. Meyer once again overlays existentialism on a story
laden with romance, action, and suspense, creating a page turner that keeps you
in its thrall. A great summer read! ~ Emily Crowe
THE
HOUSE ON FORTUNE STREET by
Margot Livesey. Four characters tell us about Dara, each narrative in homage to
a different literary figure. Dara’s best friend Abigail (Dickens), her
boyfriend Sean (Keats), Dara herself (Charlotte Bronte) and Dara’s father, who
shares a creepy fascination with young girls with his idol Lewis Carroll. The
literary references are subtle and add wonderful depth to this complex and
nuanced novel. Livesey’s best yet. ~ Elli. Signed
Copies Available.
THE
BOAT by
Nam Le. They say the short story is dead, but you wouldn’t know it by this
collection. The author’s ability to capture so many different voices and
settings is impeccable. He flawlessly moves from one city to the next (a protest
in Tehran to a small fishing village in Australia ) with so much ease that you’re
left in immense awe. Brilliant. ~ Emily Russo Signed
Copies Available.
BODY
SURFING by
Anita Shreve. Twice-married at age 29, Sydney must reevaluate her life after her
second husband dies, leaving her drifting through painful memories. She takes on
a summer job as tutor to Julie Edwards, in the process becoming entangled in the
dynamics of the girl’s entire family. Caught between sibling rivalry and the
disapproval of the matriarch, Sydney cautiously rebuilds her life, only to have
it ripped apart after finally reinventing herself. Shreve’s novel is a
great beach read, offering compelling human insights, all set against the
backdrop of a New Hampshire oceanfront community. ~ Emily Crowe
FINN
by Jon Clinch. Huckleberry Finn’s father,
Pap, is the eponymous antihero of this first novel, a book that imaginatively
fills in some of the gaps of Mark Twain’s greatest classic. Finn is a man as
despicable and cruel as they come, yet when shown glimpses of his own childhood
growing up under his iron-fisted father known simply as The Judge, it’s
impossible not to also find him pitiable and pathetic. Clearly the literary heir
of Cormac McCarthy, James Carlos Blake, and Tom Franklin, Clinch spins his tale
filled with brutality and violence with such exquisite prose that readers are
left agape at the dichotomy. One of the most impressive literary debuts I’ve
ever read! ~ Emily Crowe
FREE
FOOD FOR MILLIONAIRES by Min
Jin Lee. This ambitious first novel tells the story of Casey Han, an intense
young woman whose father throws her out of the house just one week after
graduating from Princeton because she hasn’t found a suitable job yet.
Resourceful but lacking drive or direction, Casey takes a job as a Wall Street
administrative assistant where she tries to navigate the murky waters of high
finance while her own credit card debt escalates. Lee pays more attention to
social class than anybody I’ve read in quite a while, delving
into Casey’s working-class Korean-immigrant background, her blue-blooded
Ivy League fellow alumni, and the nouveau riche daytraders she works for.
What attracted me to the story, though, was Casey's honest exploration of the
intersections of money & identity, money & love, and love & sex, and
what they all mean to her friends, lovers, co-workers, family, and most of all
herself. ~ Emily Crowe. Signed Copies Available.
CHILD
44 by
Tom Rob Smith. Smith’s first novel is an extraordinary glimpse into Russia
during the years immediately before and after Stalin’s death. Leo Demidov is a
loyal, senior investigator in the State Security force, who must look into the
death of child. The parents say the child was murdered, but murder is not
acknowledged, because it’s considered anti-state. So Leo must investigate a
crime that the state says couldn’t exist. Relentless suspense, sharp character
portraits, and a vivid depiction of the insanity of the era make this book a
fabulous read for the summer or any season. ~ Neil
NOTHING
TO LOSE by Lee Child. If you’re
not reading Lee Child, you’re missing one of the best thriller writers working
today. His hero, Jack Reacher, ex-military police, finds himself traveling
through two neighboring towns in Colorado, Hope and Despair (no one ever accused
Child of subtlety). Clearly, the people of Despair don’t want him there, and
Reacher aims to find out why. So he and a cop from Hope work together to
discover what’s really going on. If you like your hero heroic, with an
uncompromising moral compass and immeasurable courage, in books that spare
little action and suspense, and boast wonderful writing, Lee Child and Jack
Reacher may be what you’ve been looking for. ~ Neil
THE
TWELFTH CARD by Jeffery
Deaver. Picking one Deaver book for a summer list is hard. Every one should make
it. The Twelfth Card brings the world of magic to crime fiction in a
stunning display of sleight of hand and trickery. Lincoln Rhyme, the brilliant
paraplegic criminologist, works the toughest cases in New York, this one being
the attack on Geneva Settle, a young, savvy black girl with an interesting
ancestor and some even more interesting secrets. Every time think you know who
the bad guy is, you find out that you’ve been dead wrong. Deaver weaves magic
and crime together so seamlessly you’ll be going back to re-read sections to
see ‘what the other hand was doing.’ ~ Neil
TELL
ME WHERE IT HURTS by
Dr. Nick Trout. The day begins with a phone call at 2:47am. Dr. Trout is needed
at Angell Medical Center (outside Boston) to perform an emergency surgery on a
dog. Part memoir, part commentary on the veterinary industry, Dr. Trout’s
fabulous story-telling and narration, his humor, compassion and keen insight
into animals and their owners keep readers on the edge of their seats as they
follow Dr. Trout throughout his day. I laughed, I fretted, I had a lump in my
throat. I laughed some more...I simply could not put this book down! –Meredith
A
WOLF AT THE TABLE by
Augusten Burroughs. Augusten Burroughs’s previous books do not prepare you for
this story of his childhood; there is nothing to joke about. There is page after
page of a portrait of a father without attachment, without warmth, without love.
Augusten’s fruitless struggles for his father’s love are so harrowing, you
almost can’t believe such a man could exist, but woven into the tale are
socially relevant warnings about what may have made him that way. ~ Jon. Signed
Copies Available on June 18th.
LEGACY OF ASHES: THE HISTORY OF THE CIA by
Tim Weiner. This is a very important book for all Americans to read. It is a
grim portrayal of what the CIA has done in our name and with our tax dollars—especially
the clandestine operations division. Weiner’s exhaustive research has pieced
together a detailed picture of the CIA’s role in coups, assassinations, and
secret support for fascists in Greece, General Pinochet in Chile, death squads
in El Salvador, the murderer Joseph Mobutu in Congo, and the Bay of Pigs
invasion of a sovereign country—Cuba. This book won the National Book Award
for Nonfiction in 2007. Tim Weiner’s research is prodigious. He read over
50,000 government documents, mostly from the CIA, the White House, and the State
Department, some very recently declassified. He read more than 2,000 oral
histories of American intelligence officers, soldiers, and diplomats and he
conducted more than 300 on-the-record interviews with current and past CIA
officers. This startling expose is now available in paperback. ~ Joan
RISING POWERS, SHRINKING PLANET by
Michael Klare. Five College Professor Michael Klare is extremely good at
compiling data from many sources and presenting his case in accessible language.
The world as we knew it is over and the rise of a new energy world order may
surprise many Americans. The U.S. is one of many energy deficit states, along
with China, Japan, and India. The energy surplus states are becoming petrol
superpowers, and they include Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Venezuela, and
Kazakhstan. As more countries around the world industrialize, and especially due
to the rapid growth in China and India, the competition for sources of energy
becomes fierce. However, the rising demand for energy is also occurring exactly
when there is a dwindling stock of oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium. In 2004
fossil fuels supplied 86% of world energy. We are on a collision course if we do
not work together on a global scale for a rapid transition to a climate-friendly
energy system. ~ Joan. Signed Copies Available.
NOWTOPIA: HOW PIRATE PROGRAMMERS, OUTLAW
BICYCLISTS, AND VACANT-LOT GARDENERS ARE INVENTING THE FUTURE TODAY by
Chris Carlsson. Wow, this book knocked my socks off!! It is an amazing summary
of some of the deeper social movements and living philosophies that are changing
lives all around us. Forget political campaigns and policy changes (for a
minute), this book is about movements that are directly addressing the
fundamentals of how we live. From our food sources to transportation methods to
employment choices, even down to software options, this book is an enthusiastic
exploration of radical movements aimed at changing the way we live for the
better in immediate, concrete ways. Even more than changing ‘this and that,’
it is about shifting your perspective on what choices are possible in your life.
I love this book. ~ Darcy
ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE: A YEAR OF FOOD LIFE by
Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver. This book makes
you really stop and think about where our food comes from and the costs
associated with our eating habits. Americans put almost as much fossil fuels in
our refrigerators as in our cars due to the long distances food travels before
it reaches our grocery stores. Barbara Kingsolver’s family decided, and for
the most part succeeded, in eating either food they grew or raised or food that
local farmers within a 100 mile radius grew or raised. Kingsolver takes us on
their year’s journey of many challenges and many rewards. From making pickles,
to canning tomatoes, braiding garlic, to stuffing turkey sausage, and tending a
large garden. One of my favorite parts of the book, and definitely the funniest,
is about raising heritage turkeys and turkey sex. Kingsolver figures out that
her female turkey is not drooping because she has a disease, but rather the
droopy “crouch” is the first sign of sexual receptiveness in female turkeys.
Eating local food in New England can be a challenge during the colder months,
but as I have learned, canning can be tons of fun and those local tomatoes added
to pastas and soups in January really are flavorful. ~ Joan
THE ART OF MEXICAN COOKING
by Diana Kennedy. Que Sabrosa!
This book is muy deliciosa. I’m glad that this book has been republished
because this classic should be in the house of every cook who demands authentic
recipes and the stories behind them. I first picked up this book from the
library at my college and shared some of these recipes with my Abuela
(grandmother) who hadn’t seen some of them since her childhood. The range of
the recipes span the Mexican map and the culinary tastes of the country. It
contains some of the more traditional ways of preparing foods from scratch,
which challenge new cooks to more knowledgeable chefs. Enjoy the book and the
meals to come! Buen Provecho. ~ Nieves
KENNY & THE DRAGON
by Tony DiTerlizzi. (All ages). Think you know what dragons are like? Guess
again when you meet Grahame, Kenny’s new best friend. Kenny Rabbit and Grahame
the Dragon? Now there’s an unlikely friendship! You wouldn’t be the only one
who doesn’t believe it – the townspeople aren’t ready to believe Grahame
won’t eat them either. Kenny’s other best friend, George, a retired knight,
and Grahame the Dragon, are about to do battle! Can Kenny come up with a plan to
save his two best friends from their duel to the death? A witty and wise tale,
with a imaginative ending, this book is sure to delight (and not fright!) even
the smallest child in your family. ~ Rebecca
PLAYING DAD'S SONG by
D. Dina Friedman. (Ages 5 –8). Emotionally strong but entirely unsentimental,
this book for middle grade readers is a gem. Gus is so real I could smell him -
worrying about the bully at school who calls him "pickleface," hiding
under his blanket to mourn his father, learning to juggle to please his sister,
and through his oboe discovering for himself the healing power of music. ~ Elli
THE PENDERWICKS ON GARDAM STREET by
Jeanne Birdsall. (Ages 7-12). The second book, The Penderwicks on Gardam
Street, takes place back at home on Gardam Street. It’s fall - school time
- and also time for a visit from the girls’ favorite aunt. Soon the whole
house is in an uproar, though, when their favorite aunt suggests the unthinkable
- that the girls' widowed father should start dating again! Everyone, Dad
included, is horrified at this suggestion, and the girls soon hatch the
Save-Daddy Plan. Hilarious incidents insue as the girls try to set their father
up on one bad date after another. Handled with surprising tact and sensitivity
for such a touchy subject, everyone’s heart ends up in the right hands by the
end of this book. ~ Rebecca
AUDREY, WAIT! by
Robin Benway. (Ages 14-18). Audrey breaks up with her ‘in a band with his
buddies, smokes a lot of pot, thinks he’ll someday make it big, doesn’t have
time for her ‘cause he’s always gigging’ boyfriend, the afternoon before a
big show. Six hours later, Evan (the now-ex) and his band, The Do-Gooders (“It’s
ironic,” he says) scream out their new song to a club full of the high school,
the locals, the guy who randomly showed up from a record label, and, of course,
Audrey, who is there one last time to support him. Guess what the name of the
new #1 across-the-country hit is. Yep. “Audrey, Wait!” This is her side of
the story. You won’t be able to stop laughing, or to put it down until you’ve
read all the way to the bitter, bitter end. ~ Rebecca