Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart

Cameron Wilson, 29, unemployed, finds herself at a crossroads in her life. Before she can move forward, however, she must delve into her past. At the request of her recently departed elderly friend/employer, she embarks on a road trip to deliver a package to Sonia, Cameron’s estranged best friend. This request takes Cameron on a journey, both figuratively and literally. Her journey leads her back to the people, places and memories of her past; but it also leads to a journey of self-discovery and growth.

Cameron tells her story in first person, mostly in flashback. As the story unfolds, we learn how Cameron and her best friend spent their high school and college years together, and why Cameron no longer wanted Sonia to be part of her life. Many of the themes in this book are universal; for example, leaving old friends behind, looking back in hindsight and wishing we would have handled things a little differently. The best part of this book is that Cameron gets a second chance, and it’s quite fulfilling and surprising to see how things are resolved. Another great thing about the book is that it’s about more than just friendship; it offers a touch of mystery and romance as well. The book is available on CD too. – DB (WO)

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

This book is a wonderful romp of wealthy young adults in the 1900s. Eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Holland is in love with her family’s carriage driver, but accepts Henry Schoonmaker’s marriage proposal in order to maintain her family’s luxurious lifestyle. Henry makes his proposal in order to appease his father. With Henry safely married, his irresponsible nature should not become a factor in the father’s quest to become the mayor of New York City. But, Henry in fact falls in love with Dianna, Elizabeth’s sister, after having already had an affair with Elizabeth’s best friend. The story is very scandalous, but never graphic. The dialogue and attitudes may be more modern than the real 1900s, but the story development is great! Could also be considered a cross-over for adults who like chick-lit. – DN (WO)

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s by John Elder Robison

John Elder Robison, a successful, happily married businessman and father, recounts his painful journey through a tricky, friendless childhood, his failures in high school, and the discovery of electronics where he finally found his niche. Along the way he battled his wildly dysfunctional family, including his crazy mother (and her even more bizarre psychiatrist) and his habitually drunk father. Eventually, Robison found kindred spirits in the world of rock and roll where he designed the fire spewing guitars for KISS. Before forming a successful business of repairing high end cars, he was hired as an engineer for Milton Bradley as a toy designer. Once labeled a “social deviant,” Robison was finally diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at the age of 40. Despite crushing social difficulties, Robison has found love (twice!) and is married to a woman he affectionately calls “Unit Two.” Be sure to read the foreword written by Augusten Burroughs, author of Running With Scissors, who is Robison’s brother. – KK (WO)

The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

This debut novel by journalist Brooks is a brilliant fusion of history and fiction. With an intensely observant eye, high regard for period detail and elegant prose, Brooks re-creates a year in the life of a remote British village decimated by the bubonic plague. Inspired by the actual town known as Plague Village because of the events of 1665-1666, Brooks tells the story from the perspective of 18-year-old Anna Frith, a widow with two young sons. Anna works as a maid for Vicar Michael Mompellion and his gentle wife, Elinor, who teaches Anna to read and becomes her friend. When bubonic plague arrives in the community, the vicar announces it is sent by God. Obeying his command, the villagers voluntarily place their village in quarantine, cutting themselves off from the rest of the world for an entire year. The vicar behaves nobly as he tends his dwindling flock, and his wife and Anna use herbs to alleviate their pain. As deaths mount, however, grief and superstition cause mob violence against “witches” and those Anna has helped turn against her. This beautifully written and powerful account brings history to life and creates memorable heroic characters who face enormous moral dilemmas. I highly recommend it for book clubs because there is so much to discuss. - LS (WO)

Hot Pots a Hot Spot

I have been to Hot Pots on four different occasions The staff there are all young women who greet you and ask if you have ever been there before. They take the time to explain the pricing and where the materials are located. One design I worked on was a horse for my niece who loves horses. I painted him brown with a darker color mane and white on his nose just like the horse she rides. I enjoy Hot Pots, which is very relaxing. Thursday night is ladies night, when you can bring a bottle of wine and snacks, and the ornament you pick out is half price. - BF (PI)

January/February 2008

January

The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O’Rourke

You don’t have to be a member of the Jane Austen fan club to enjoy the romance and fun. Light enough fiction to be read at the beach or while waiting for your flu shot, O’Rourke’s characters are vivid and interesting. From main character Eliza Knight’s discovery in an old dressing table of what may be a letter written by Jane Austen to Eliza’s encounter with a gentlemen claiming to be Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice, this is a novel with enough gentle twists and humor to keep your interest. Recommended for a tug at your romantic side and a peek into some actual and imagined Jane Austen biography. – JP (CO)

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

Historical fiction at its best, this is the story of a love affair between Frank Lloyd Wright, who is married, and a married woman, Mamah Cheny. It is not only a love story but a marvelous look at life in the early part of the 20th century as well. Mamah is an intelligent, well-educated woman who is interested in more than being a mother and a wife. She leaves her children and husband to join Frank in Europe where she becomes involved in the feminist movement. The book also tells the history of architecture in the United States and relates how radical Frank’s ideas were. The ending is explosive and quite surprising. – AC (CO)

Run by Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett’s latest fictional offering is a novel of dichotomies. Rich and poor, black and white, devout and agnostic, highly educated and just literate, parent and child, issues abound and are explored within the context of family ties both biological and emotional. Patchett writes of a politically connected, wealthy, white widower who has sky-high expectations for his mostly grown adopted African-American sons but who remains distant from his biological prodigal son. Enter the beloved uncle/priest seemingly “blessed” with the power to heal, a possible birth mother toting a younger half-sister and a confusing identity switch making Run itself rather overambitious. Patchett's strength is exploring relationships a la “Bel Canto” and she does a fine job here. Although it suffers with too many competing storylines and a pat ending, overall the book offers an interesting story which asks how well we can ever see the people around us. – LH (HE)

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

It was the setting of this book which intrigued me – Bouganville? Who would know about an island off Papua New Guinea with the world’s largest copper mine closed down by a vicious struggle for independence? The fact it was also a Man Booker finalist just added to its mystery. There is an odd white man in Matilda’s village. And when the teacher leaves on the last boat the villagers ask Mr. Watts or Pop Eye to staff their school. He is a wonderful man, very formal and correct who introduces these kids living in a tropical paradise to Dickens’ London with Great Expectations. What can they have in common? Changed circumstances, for one thing. The village is under constant threat of insurgency and isolated from the rest of the world. Pip’s change in circumstances can only give the children heart as Mr. Watts reads to them. The adults in the village are invited to teach the class lessons from their lives. The sense of whimsy is overwhelming here. We hear stories about broken dreams, how a frigate bird delivered a birthday card from a neighboring island, preserving one’s virginity, the weaving of sleeping mats. And so the story unfolds with humor, tragedy and a final unmasking of their teacher’s life. What a lovely read. – AM (CO)

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Perhaps you would expect a review of Twilight written by two teenage girls to be glowing and admiring. However, we regret to inform you that this book frightened us beyond our wildest dreams. Although filled with passages that subtly promote tolerance of emotionally abusive relationships and stalker tendencies, this book remains adored by naïve tweens and even some middle-aged women.

The main character, Bella Swan, meets the achingly beautiful Edward Cullen, and promptly falls in love with him. Never mind the fact that he watches her while she sleeps, controls her every move, stalks her during school, and lusts after her blood. Bella, all too willing to be manipulated, basks in the attention Edward showers upon her. And while the book was decently written, the perspective was that of Bella’s, whose constant whining and utter dependence on Edward became irritating after a while.

We think this book sends the wrong message to adolescent girls who are convinced that this (barring the vampire bit) is an accurate portrayal of successful, loving teenage relationships. It is not the finer plot detail that we scorn, nor Stephanie Meyer’s interpretation of the vampire, but rather Bella’s total acceptance of Edward’s volatile personality. – EN and NS (CO)

And Never Stop Dancing: Thirty More True Things You Need to Know Now by Gordon Livingston

Livingston, a psychiatrist in Columbia, MD, who graduated from West Point and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and was awarded a Bronze Star for service in Vietnam, has written a second short and very readable book of advice on how to adjust to the inevitable problems of life and to find joy and contentment. He writes with some humor and offers practical, useful wisdom that all could benefit from reading. – PP (CO & HE)

The Dark River by John Twelve Hawks

This, the second book in Twelve Hawk’s trilogy, is set in a future in which the Brethren are moving closer to their goal of knowing and controlling everything that everyone does through the use of surveillance cameras and a vast computer network. Opposed are a few Travelers who have the ability to move to other realms, which are not well identified. A group of warriors called Harlequins defend the travelers. Traveler Gabriel Corrigan, defended by Harlequin Maya, goes in search of his Traveler father who is lost in another realm. Former Traveler Michael Corrigan, now working with the Brethren, is also searching for their father. Because of Maya’s love for Gabriel she solicits the help of an elderly Jewish scholar and eventually travels to Ethiopia, finding a way to follow Gabriel into another realm. Readers are left “hanging” so they will surely want to read Twelve Hawks’ next book. – PP (CO & HE)

February

Thirst by Mary Oliver

Critics of Mary Oliver’s poetry use words such as “uncompromising” and speak of her spiritual journey from poems of nature (collection, Twelve Moon, Dream Work, etc.) to “discoveries of faith” and God. It’s all true and more than this, in her 2006 collection Thirst. She captures the spiritual essence of those major emotions, Love, Faith, Hope, and the dreams of life. If you’ve never read any of Oliver’s poems, when you first start you’ll have to decide if you think she’s a nature poet or a Christian one. I think she’s both and has evolved to find in all the events of her life (and perhaps our own), there must be some capital “C” creator behind all the complexities and delight of all nature holds. From poems titles “Logan Airport” to “A Note Left on the Door,” I think you’ll find Mary Oliver an interesting observer of the world. – JP (CO)

Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky

Once again, we are privileged to have what was thought to be an unfinished work published in its entirety. After the beginning pages of Fire in the Blood (conceivably Irene’s last work) were found along with the epic novel Suite Francaise, the remaining manuscript was later discovered among papers given to her editor in 1942 for safe keeping. Fire in the Blood is set in rural, pre-war Burgundy, where the paysans, or local farmers and townspeople, try to live their lives “in peaces,” a spiritual, not political state of well-being. Family and tradition are strong, as are distrust and suspicion, in this insular community of small towns and countryside. Passion is evidenced only in the young, when the blood has “fire,” when emotions are high and thought for consequence low. Silvio, now old, spent a fiery youth traveling, having affairs and squandering his inheritance, only to return to his hated village to live out his days in solitude. He becomes involved in the present day drama of his young cousin, her marriage, love affair and ultimate tragedy. Family secrets, long buried, are ultimately revealed, the cycle beginning and ending again – passionate youth, dispassionate maturity and old age. Nemirovsky’s theme and characters once again are mythic in nature – birth, love, betrayal, aging and death reflected in the passing seasons of the Burgundian countryside. – DS (HE)

The Truth Behind the Secret, a Reasoned Response to the Runaway Bestseller by Ames K. Walker and Bob Waldrep

Walker and Waldrep give a reasoned Christian response to The Secret. What is the secret and where did these ideas originate? They discuss Esther Hicks and her views of Abraham, a “collection of nonphysical entities” which were included in an early edition of The Secret but removed from the current edition. They quote scientists who dispute her scientific claims and discuss the work of several 19th century new age spiritualists showing how these works relate to Byrne’s ideas. Finally, they discuss monotheism, polytheism, atheism, and pantheism and conclude that Byrne’s secret is not the law of attraction but her secret is that “you are God.” – PP (CO&HE)

Wonderful Tonight by Patty Boyd

Famous model and former Beatle wife, Patty Boyd gives a surprisingly detailed and well-written account of her life from childhood to the present. From growing up in Kenya, Africa with unhappy parents, who came from money but had none of their own, to moving back to England with her remarried mother and step-father, Patty’s description of her childhood and her siblings is particularly interesting and gives a good insight to the kind of person she grew up to be. Spending years in boarding schools, she became independent and open to new ideas and experiences. Working hard as a model and then marrying George Harrison, she gives a fascinating account of life in the 60s. When she leaves George for Eric Clapton, her own life is put on hold as she struggles with Clapton’s drug and alcohol abuse. After years of fame and fortune as well as heartache, she settles into a comfortable life as a photographer. Being herself and sharing good times with her friends seems to have become the wonderful life she needs. This is a great read for anyone who loved the Beatles and grew up in the 60s. – SF (CA)

Everyday Light Meals by Taste of Home

Beautiful full page photographs entice the reader to try these light menus. The chicken marsala turned out as tasty and delicious as the photo in the book. Entrees are paired with salads and tell the reader the nutrition facts. The pork tenderloin and shepherd’s pie were good one pot choices. The indices include low fat, low carb, as well as meatless categories. I liked the book so much I am going to buy it. The only drawback is that it is a little taller than the usual book. Bon Appetit! – CR (CA)

Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky

How does a new baby come to look so very different from her biological parents? Barbara Delinsky’s Family Tree is a very readable unraveling of that mystery that weaves in the various topics of genealogy, knitting and early marriage relationships alongside even deeper themes of family secrets, social class, race in America, and choices that are made in times of crisis that can come back to haunt. There’s much to discuss in this novel of multiple threads which are universal in situation and inspired as well by both current news and family events. Great for book groups. For me, this was an interesting introduction to Barbara Delinsky. – LS (CA)

November/December 2007

November - none issued

December

Beyond Reach by Karin Slaughter

Fans of Karin Slaughter will enjoy her newest book in the Grant County series. From the start she draws you into the intriguing lives of her main characters, Jeffrey Tolliver and Sara Linton. If you’re an avid reader of Karin Slaughter’s previous novels, then you know about the on-again, off-again tumultuous relationship between Jeffrey, chief of police of Grant County, and Sara, the medical examiner.

Their newest adventure involves exonerating one of Jeffrey’s detectives, Lena, from a murder charge. Lena, coming from a troubled childhood, always seems to gravitate toward dangerous and unhealthy situations. What they encounter when they try to rescue her will keep you on the edge of your seat. Readers will not be disappointed with their latest escapade. But be prepared for a shocking ending!  – DA (PA)