We’re thrilled to welcome Sarah Pinneo, author of the new novel Julia’s Child, as the first contributor to “Three Questions”.

Sarah will be appearing at the Norwich Bookstore on Tuesday, January 31st  at 7:00pm where she will talk about her book, a comedy chronicling the success and subsequent challenges that face main character and baby food “momtrepreneur” Julia Bailey.  For more information about the bookstore, upcoming speaker engagements or to reserve a seat, simply click on the following link for The Norwich Bookstore. But hurry because seats for this event are almost full!

Now, her responses to our three questions.

Sarah Pinneo

1. What three books have helped shape you into the author you are today, and why?

I read everything, from classics to thrillers. This was brought home to me one recent evening as I was entering the books I’d just read into GoodReads, and one was by Henry James, and the other by Jennifer Weiner.

Julia’s Child best reflects my appreciation for Christopher Buckley and Carl Hiaasen; those two guys write hysterical, zany comedy, but at the same time their work probes issues about which they care deeply.

2. What author (living or dead) would you most like to have a cup of coffee with and why?

I’d like to meet Alexander McCall Smith. Over coffee, I’d like him to explain to me how he writes four or five novels a year. Come to think of it, he probably drinks quite a bit of coffee. It would be perfect.

3. What books are currently on your bedside table?

It’s a wobbly stack. I am reading Poser by Claire Dederer, Paradise Lust (which is not bodice ripper, but rather a non-fiction account of seekers of the Garden of Eden) by Wilenski-Lanford, and  The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy. I’m also working my way through On Plimouth Plantation by William Bradford.

So if these below zero temperatures make you hungry as you struggle to keep your body temperature at 98.6, then we have a couple of titles to fill you up. The best news of all is that they are both calorie free.

 
White  Truffles in Winter by N. M. Kelby (2011). Luscious. If you could never read the words truffle, champagne, lavender honey and fois gras enough, then add this novel to your list.

In this appetizing story, author Kelby imagines the last days of the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935). It’s clear that she’s thoroughly researched and included many details from his illustrious career (Escoffier was the designer of the Titanic’s menus, one of  Sarah Bernhardt’s lovers, a business partner of the hotelier Cesar Ritz, the creator of the modern restaurant kitchen layout, and the designer of such immortal recipes as “Peach Melba” and “Cherries Jubilee”). But this talented writer pushes further and imagines that which “is left unsaid,” believing it to be the most interesting part of  any life.

The first pages unfold with Escoffier’s ailing wife, Delphine, wishing for him to create a dish of her very own. Though they have been married for decades, he has never named one after her. They are both dying and it is in their family kitchen that a lifetime of love is explored, remembered, savored, and interpreted for the first time.

This is more than just a book for food lovers. It’s a sensuous, poetic story that brings details from this era of history to life so that readers can truly taste it. ~Lisa Cadow

The Hundred Foot Journey (2010) by Richard C. Morais. How did I miss this toothsome treasure when it was first published? Some reviewers have described it as Bollywood meets “Ratatouille.” That’s fitting as this fictional story chronicles the development of a talented chef from his boyhood in India through a brief adolescence in England to a full-fledged culinary career in France. But there is more to it than that.

The main character, Hassan, rises above cultural prejudices, crippling accidents, and jealous competitors to shine in his art despite a cut-throat working environment. Culinary enthusiasts will savor the descriptions of oysters (who knew they could be so tricky?!), French kitchens and country markets. Francophiles will love reading about the Alps and villages of the Jura. But the story really shines once Hassan reaches Paris, the pinnacle of all things epicurean. As a former senior editor at Forbes magazine, author Morais keeps the story moving while seamlessly explaining the fiscal realities, risks, and politics involved in running a multi-million dollar restaurant. This book is an education in flavor, talent, and another tantalizing take on the history of fine dining. Read it and eat! ~Lisa Cadow

So at this time of year, in the bleak of winter, when you might be craving an out-of-body experience, picking up one of these titles will do the job. Right from page one.

Some highlights include:

Rules of Civility (2011) by Amos Towles. Each time I picked up this book it was as if a ’38 Bentley had siddled up to my door to take me for a literary ride. This fabulous novel transports. It’s set in Depression-era  Manhattan and is gloriously atmospheric in the New York it portrays (think flapper dresses, smoky jazz clubs and Great Gatsby-esque Hampton estates with flowing champagne). It is also rich in strong characters and probing in the questions it asks its readers about choices, careers paths and the assumptions we make in life. Towles writing is polished, gorgeous even (hard to believe it’s a first novel), and takes us to 1938 to tell the story of that year in the life of Katey Kontent, a smart, ambitious, working class girl who finds herself rubbing shoulders with the 1%. Besides being a great read, it is a love letter to New York City. Book Group Worthy. ~Lisa Cadow

The Redbreast by Jo  Nesbo (2007). Does watching the Blockbuster movie adaptation of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo have you looking for your next Scandinavian thriller?  Look no further than this first book in Nesbo’s Norwegian series.  What is better praise than the fact it might satisfy that craving for a good thriller?  Well, for me the most satisfying aspect of this thriller is that it transports you to modern-day (OK 1999) Norway.  As the plot switches times, you learn about Norwegian politics during Bill Clinton’s presidency, during WWII, and, ultimately, how Norway’s landscape and history shape the people living in Oslo, Bergen and other small Norwegian towns today.  The book’s main hero, Harry Hole, is flawed and thus interesting. The people he encounters are truly characters in their own right.  And, the plot keeps you reading page after page.  No, this is not high literature – it is a thriller.  But, an even better aspect of this book? If you like it, there are many more in this “Harry Hole” series.   ~ Lisa Christie

11/22/1963: A Novel by Stephen King (2011) – I have not yet finished this tome, but the pacing is superb, the concept fantastic (in the truest sense of that word) and the plot truly does allow you to time travel back to the 1960s.  If this book ends poorly, I will amend this recommendation in the next post.  Enjoy. ~ Lisa Christie

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffinegger (2004). This “oldie but goodie” is eight years old but is still fresh in the story it tells and in the writing style it offers readers. Right away you know you’re in for quite a trip and will have to get your bearings, just as do main characters Henry DeTamble, a time traveling librarian, and his artist wife Clare. This is a unique tale that explores fate and love within a non-linear time sequence. So if you’ve been putting off reading it, January 2012 might just be the perfect “time”. ~Lisa Cadow

Soon there will be time to curl up with a good book...

Ah the holidays… they’re lovely, they’re fun, and they mean special time spent with family, friends and books. Books?

Yes, books. Following the opening of presents, the carving of prime rib and the savoring of the yule log, the days after the relatives have left can mean sinful, precious, pockets of time to read. During those brief spells when you do not want – or have! – to face the dishes, go back to school, work, or regular routines, there are sagas awaiting hungry eyes and tired psyches.

So, welcome to what is now an annual tradition at The Book Jam: a list of books we recommend reading during the peace that descends when the holiday bustle ends. We’ve added some books to our list that we, too, are hoping to tackle “after the relatives have left”.

(Please note that once again we are keeping it local and linking to our town’s gem, the Norwich Bookstore. Future posts will again link to the IndieBound site so that we can support independent bookstores nationwide.)

What We Have Read and Now Recommend to Others 

The Art of Fielding (2011) by Chad Harbach. Reading this book is akin to watching a no-hitter unfold.  You know something special and rare is happening and all you can do is enjoy. While baseball is important in this novel, so are friends and education and learning how to live a good and honorable life. ~ Lisa Christie

East of the Sun (2009) by Julia Gregson. This book caught me by surprise. I picked it up at a bookstore in a train station knowing nothing about it. It turns out it to have been international bestseller written by a Brit and though many people review it as a romance,  I perceived it quite differently. East of the Sun is compelling historical fiction about four British women starting new lives in India in the 1920s. I lost myself in it and couldn’t do anything else but read for two days. ~Lisa Cadow

Hunting and Gathering (2007) by Anna Gavalda. Truly an original, uplifting (though it may not seem so at first!) book set in modern-day France and translated beautifully. It is a story of friendship and connection despite the busy life that swirls all around us. It leaves you feeling good about life. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

Let the Great World Spin (2009) by Colum McCann.   A great look at NYC and 9/11 and characters whose lives touch by coincidence, but whose impact upon each other is profound. ~ Lisa Christie

The Night Circus  (2011) by Erin Morgenstern.  This new, fast-paced novel is magic-filled and has a plot that keeps readers turning the pages. Author Morgenstern is a creative story-teller and a beautiful writer who tells the tale of an ephemeral 19th century circus with one-of-a-kind performers. It’s a love story, an artistic exploration of place, people, time and timepieces.  Think of it as a circus themed Romeo and Juliet story with alchemy, sorcery and a very dangerous game at its core. ~ Lisa Cadow

What WE Hope to Read after the Relatives Have Left

11-22-63  (2011) by Stephen King  – Because 1) I have heard once you get started you just can not put it down.  And, I am intrigued by the thought of altering history so that JFK is not assassinated. I look forward to seeing if my version of  what would happen instead is even remotely related to Mr. King’s.  Because, 2) ever since reading On Writing by Mr. King, I have been a fan of his, even if I don’t usually pick up his fiction as I tend to think the  news has enough terror for my life.  Finally, because 3) reading this would expand my usual choices and experiencing an atypical genre is not a bad way to start a new year. ~ Lisa Christie

Lionheart (2011) by Sharon Kay Penman - Because I just finished one of her other tomes and would love to get lost in medieval England/France/Wales again.  And, time is required for reading this; once you pick up one of her historical sagas, there is little room for anything else. ~ Lisa Christie

Sister (2011) by Rosamund Lupton. This book has been mentioned on many “best of” lists, enough so that I delved a little deeper. It seems like the kind of intelligent, suspenseful tale I look for when choosing a mystery.  Besides, I am always up for a trip to present day London.  ~Lisa Cadow

Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgiveness (2011) by Alexandra Fuller.  Fuller is one of my favorite authors. I loved her last memoir of growing up in Africa in the 70′s and 80′s and look forward to learning more about her  family and about mother’s experience in Zimbabwe. This is a writer not to miss.~Lisa Cadow

Other Recommended Reading – in the Form of a Blog – for after the Relatives Have Left (or Even For While They Are Here as It May Inspire a Good Meal or Two)

A Fork on the Road – http://forkontheroadblog.com. A SUPERB Blog about food and cooking.  A great resource for those of you looking to try some new recipes for the new year or to go on some food adventures.  Latest entry looks at the Met in NYC from the perspective of food. ~ Lisa Christie

What We are Reading Right Now and Loving

West of Here (2011) by Jonathan Evison. ~Lisa Cadow

The Rules of Civility (2011) by Amos Towles. ~Lisa Cadow

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time (2011) by  Mark Adams. ~ Lisa Christie

Great bling for a literary friend: the "banned books" bracelet.

As book lovers (fanatics, really), we feel compelled and excited to recommend this year’s favorites to those in the market for literary presents. We firmly believe that books and book-related accessories make wonderful gifts for anyone. Really – they do – we promise – trust us.

To help you match the perfect gift with the discriminating readers in your life, we’ve created categories inspired by the types of people in our lives. There are matches for historians, fiction fanatics, gardeners, outdoor enthusiasts,  your co-workers, young readers, tough teens and many more. Below are hardcovers and new paperbacks (all published this year), games and even “book bracelets” that will make your holiday gift giving experience learned and painless.

While our regular blog posts link to the national independent bookstore site IndieBound, for the purposes of this special holiday issue we’re “going local” and have linked directly to our favorite neighborhood source - The Norwich Bookstore. And, as always, there’s a little bit of Vermont flair and Green Mountain perspective sprinkled, like snowflakes, throughout post. ~The Book Jam

Fiction for the “I Don’t Know How She Does It” Crowd (Books for Those Who Can Not Spare Time for Bad Fiction):

The style and the story set "The Call" apart from the pack.

The Call by Yannick Murphy. A lovely, funny, touching novel, IndieBound describes it best: “…an absolute delight to read. E.B. White meets James Herriot with just a touch of Jonathan Safron Foer.” Set in Vermont, this is the log of a rural veterinarian’s year and of what happens when his son is injured in a hunting accident. One of the best books of the year. ~Lisa Cadow

Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. A well-crafted tale of how Harvard changed the lives of its first Native American students and how they influenced Harvard.  It also provides an insightful look at 18th century Martha’s Vineyard and Cambridge.  This book has love, faith, magic and adventure. (We like this one so much that we also would recommend it as a gift for some of our other categories – “fiction for wise women” and “men who have enough flannel shirts” – see below for these and other categories.) ~Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

The Language of Flowers by Vannessa Diffenbaugh. It is among the farmers markets and grape vineyards of  California that we get to know Victoria, a young woman recently emancipated from the foster care system and finding her way in the world while supporting herself as a part-time florist. Flashbacks and memories help bring us to the present day where this challenging and challenged character is growing a new life and discovering the possibility of love.  ~Lisa Cadow

Fiction for Wise Women (Those Who Have Seen More than a Few Winters):

Unanimous pick for fiction. Among the best of 2011.

I Married You for Happiness by Lily Tuck. I LOVED the beautiful prose and the compelling characters.  The plot, which reviews the choices each partner makes from the moment of they met 43 years earlier to the instant the male dies, kept me engaged.  I’m jealous of those reading this for the first time. ~Lisa Christie

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka. This slim volume is a masterpiece of efficiency and story telling. Otsuka weaves together the impressions, histories, emotions, and journeys of hundreds (if not thousands) of Japanese “picture brides” who came to the US post-WWI in search of a better life and brighter future.~Lisa Cadow

The Time In Between by Maria Duenas. In this inspiring international bestseller, a Spanish woman turns poverty and severe betrayal into a life of success as a seamstress and then dangerous intrigue as an undercover agent for the Allies.  A great way to learn more about Spain during WWII, something I honestly had not given much thought to before.  ~Lisa Christie

For Men Who Have Enough Flannel Shirts but Not Enough Good Fiction:

Great fiction for the flannel shirt set.

Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. Unique in style and voice, this book provides a page turning look at the lives of “players” in the American music business from the 1970s to present day. (We also believe this is a good choice for the “I don’t know how she does it” crowd.)~Lisa Christie

Doc by Maria Doria Russell. I don’t especially enjoy Westerns, but I picked this up because I have loved Ms. Russell’s previous books.  I am so glad I did; I was fascinated by this look at the lives and loves of Doc Holliday and his contemporaries and the vivid portrait she paints of the American West. ~ Lisa Christie

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. This is another book new to paperback this year.  A fact for which we are grateful as it is a pleasure to recommend this look at Henry the VIII’s court through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell, a member of the King’s inner circle. Others agree as this engrossing read was the Winner of the Man Booker Prize for fiction in 2009. ~ Lisa Christie

For People Who Like to Cook Up a Culinary (Snow) Storm:

Mouthwatering. Nigel Slater's "Tender"

Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater. This best-selling British cookbook will bring summer into your winter kitchen - eggplant, tomatoes, potato cakes and all. Tender is a love letter to British chef Slater’s garden patch. It’s a beautiful, mouth-watering tome of recipes~Lisa Cadow

Plenty:Vibrant Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi. If you haven’t yet cooked with this talented London-based chef, it’s time to start. He’s a wizard with vegetables and combining spices (like za’atar and sumac) and ingredients (fennel, pomegranate, and celery root)  to create alchemy in the kitchen. ~Lisa Cadow

Ancient Grains for Modern Meals: Mediterranean Whole Grain Recipes for Barley, Farro, Kamut, Polenta, Wheat Berries & More by Maria Speck.  If your New Year’s resolution is to eat more whole kamut, this book deserves a spot on your shelf. A little taste of the Mediterranean is always welcome in the deep, dark winter as is a guide to making delicious salads with non wheat-based products. ~ Lisa Cadow

How to Cook Everything (Completely revised 10th anniversary edition) by Mark Bittman. This was new to e-books in 2011 so we snuck it in. Why? Because years after purchasing, I still refer to this tome almost weekly. ~ Lisa Christie

For People Who See Fully Formed Gardens Under Ten Feet of Snow:

For the farmers market fanatic.

Markets of New England by Christine Chitnis. BIG NOTE : We are VERY, VERY PROUD that Lisa Cadow’s Vermont Crepe & Waffle food cart is mentioned in this pocket-sized guide. But all bragging aside, this is great for the glove compartment so you’ll always be able to find a market on your travels.  ~ Lisa Cadow & Lisa Christie

The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food and Love by Kristin Kimball. A wonderful recollection, part love story, part small farming manual, by a Harvard-educated woman whose life takes a sharp U-turn from a city path onto a rural dirt, tractor-lined road. ~Lisa Cadow

This Life is in Your Hands: One Dream, sixty acres and a family undone by Melissa Coleman. An amazing, honest look - from the perspective of a woman who was once a child caught up in it all - at life in the back to the land movement that Helen and Scott Nearing lived in Maine. A family tragedy suffered during this time makes this story all the more poignant. ~Lisa Christie

For People Who Like to Think and Chat While Sitting by the Woodstove:

A must-have book filled with a fascinating take on art, history and culture.

History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil Macgregor. This book is AMAZING, INTRIGUING, MIND ALTERING!  Written by the Director of the British Museum, it will provide hours of perusing, discovery and conversation.  Don’t miss the page with the “weapons chair” from Mozambique. ~Lisa Cadow & Lisa Christie

For Historians Who Love Vermont but Periodically Feel the Need to Hop a Plane to Paris (or hear a good speech)

The Greater Journey by David McCullough.  Armchair travel to Paris, some history of names you have heard of as well as many who will be new to you, and the always reassuring voice that is David McCullough. ~Lisa Christie

Lincoln on the Civil War: Selected Speeches by Abraham Lincoln.  A beautiful rendering of some of the most powerful speeches in the English language. A perfect gift for your favorite history buff or speech writer. ~Lisa Christie

For People Who Always Have a Cat in Their Lap:

This will make your cat lover purr...in French

The French Cat by Rachael Hale. This is my favorite coffee table book of the year and an essential for Francophiles and kittyophiles.  Take time to appreciate the grace and sophistication of these French kitties napping among the olives, slinking down cobbled roads, and lapping from lily ponds.  ~Lisa Cadow

For Those Interested in Looking at The Year in Review Just a Little Bit Differently:

People are just dying to read it.

The Obits: The New York Times Annual 2012 by William McDonald and Peter Hamill.  A unique way to review the year. Superbly written, perhaps macabre, but always full of insight, history and intriguing personalities. ~Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

For People Hungry for a Taste of the Great Outdoors:

A season-by-season guide to understanding the landscape of New England.

Naturally Curious: A Photographic Field Guide and Month-by-Month Journey through the Fields, Woods and Marshes of New England by Mary Holland. This is a perfect book to have on hand up at the camp or cabin…or just in a New England home. Ever wonder what wild flowers bloom in March? Or how to tell a wood frog egg mass from a spotted salamander egg mass? Look no further. Complete with photos, diagrams and easy to understand text.~Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie

For Lucky People Who’ve Just Moved to Vermont:

Tag Man: A Joe Gunther Novel by Archer Mayor. The latest installment in a superb series that provides an entertaining (and perhaps slightly morbid - really, how many murders can a state of .5 million people have?) way to learn about just about every town in Vermont. ~Lisa Christie

For People Who Enjoy Living Vicariously through Other People’s Memories, A His and Hers Set and a bonus selection:

A memoir of Hurricane Katrina.

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. An intriguing look at Katrina and New Orleans. Made me think hard about how we react to disaster. ~Lisa Christie

Just Kids by Patti Smith. This National Book Award winning memoir, just out in paperback, provides a fascinating account of a cutting edge artist’s life in NYC in the early 1970′s. Smith’s engaging writing style and stories evoke and explain an era of political, cultural and artistic awakening. And, it left us wondering - how could one person have been in so many important places with so many important people and survive so many situations and temptations?  ~Lisa Cadow & Lisa Christie

The Man Who Couldn’t Eat by Jon Reiner – A moving look at how disease can shape a life. (Could also be good for sitting by a woodstove.) ~ Lisa Christie

Literary Gifts for Your Hostess/Administrative Assistant/Boss/Co-worker:

Roll the dice and find your inner poet.

Haikubes: An easy way to infuse someone’s life with poetry every day. They’re a poet and they didn’t even know it!

Banned Books bracelets (with a copy of a banned book): What a great gift for all the rebels and accessory-lovers in your life.

For Families with Young Children to Read Together During the First Snow Storm (Oops…We Already Had Two!):

Discovering the world under the snow while on a cross country ski ride.

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner. This gentle picture book explains what is asleep or scurrying about beneath the snow while a father and child ski above. ~Lisa Cadow

My Side of the Car by Kate Feiffer. A funny well-illustrated look at the clash of wills between a father and daughter. ~Lisa Christie

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan.  A great second book in a SUPERB new series by a master storyteller.  Keeps the kid humor, fun adventures and the Greek myths, but adds Roman Gods to the mix. ~Lisa Christie

For Those Beyond Tonka Trucks and Tea Parties, but Not Yet Ready for Teen Topics:

A National Book Award finalist, not just for kids.

Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt. One of my favorite books of 2011. I LOVED this national book award finalist and I sobbed at points in the narrative.  You could pair it with The Wednesday Wars also by Schmidt and which Lisa Cadow and I both loved. (She has not yet read this one so she does not yet know how much she likes it.) ~Lisa Christie

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy. This has a bit of everything: London, the Cold War, Hollywood blacklists, homage to Great Expectations, magic and new friends. ~ Lisa Christie

The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Malone. This was new to paperback in 2011 so we kept it on this list. A superb combination of The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Blue Balliet’s works. ~Lisa Christie

Tales for Teens Who Still Like to Drink Hot Chocolate and Spend Snowy Days Reading : No gender stereotyping intended, but the first books listed we recommend are for young women and the last two are for young men.  That is not to say we’d necessarily stick to that for all teens – it is merely a guide.

The Call by Yannick Murphy. This lovely, touching, funny novel is as comfortable on young adult shelves as it is among grown-up titles. Inde Bound describes it best: “…an absolute delight to read. E.B. White meets James Herriot with just a touch of Jonathan Safron Foer.” Set in Vermont, this is the log of a rural veterinarian’s year and of what happens when his son is injured in a hunting accident. One of the best books of the year.~Lisa Cadow

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Magic, suspense and circuses always seem to prove a winning combination.  ~Lisa Cadow

The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkeness. This is a more adult version of “Twilight” but will appeal to the younger crowd, too (my teen reader couldn’t put it down). Time traveling vampires, zombies and witches spend time between London, central France and Massachusetts. ~Lisa Cadow

Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs by Ron Koertge. Baseball, poetry and even a navigating teen dating component.  Can start with Shakespeare Bats Clean-up if you wish, but it is not required to understand the great characters in this book or to appreciate the poetry and prose. ~Lisa Christie

In the Sea There are Crocodiles: Based on the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari by Fabio Geda. The novel begins in a small Afghan village and chronicles ten-year-old Ena’s harrowing escape from the middle east through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece and finishes in Italy. His ability to survive, to see the goodness in people, to work hard and to learn along on the way is inspiring. Author Geda does a magnificent job capturing Ena’s voice and in creatively telling the tale. ~Lisa Cadow

That is all for this year’s holiday gift giving recommendations. We truly hope they help you find the perfect book for all the people in your life.  Lisa and Lisa

I just read and LOVED I Married You for Happiness (2011) by Lily Tuck. When I picked it up I was intrigued by the idea of a tale narrated by a woman spending the night holding the hand of her recently dead husband.  Once I started reading, I LOVED the beautiful prose and the compelling characters.  The plot -  which reviews the choices each partner makes from the moment of meeting 43 years earlier to the instant the male dies – kept me engaged.  I’m jealous of those reading this for the first time. As a bonus, after finishing this delightful novel, I then realized I had also read and enjoyed the author’s National Book Award winner – The News from Paraguay, another love story of sorts. -Lisa Christie

This charming and original first novel is filled with the voices of young immigrants  Vaclav & Lena (2011), both new to the borrough of Brooklyn and to the challenges of friendship. The reader meets them as ten-year-olds and recently arrived from Russia. Smart Vaclav dreams of magic and of being as famous as David Copperfield while living in his family’s small apartment that always smells of borscht and is filled with the sounds of his father’s Russian TV shows . Lena, his “beautiful assistant,” struggles to overcome a difficult domestic situation, to finish her American homework and to fit in with the popular set at school. For a while it is their friendship with each other that rescues them from the loneliness of their lives as outsiders. Then, Lena mysteriously disappers and the story resumes seven years later when Vaclav & Lena unexpectedly reunite. We fall in love with these strong, kind characters who create magic in unexpected ways and find love in unusual places. I strongly recommend this book. -Lisa Cadow

First, Mr. Levine.  I’d read that Mr. Levine’s work is heavily influenced by Michigan and its auto industry, and was therefore curious to know more about his views of my mother’s home state and of the industry that employed many of my maternal relatives. Thus, I picked up a copy of News of the World  (2009) and perused it this past month.  Due to a rather busy October, I didn’t absorb it all in one setting, but instead enjoyed it periodically over a span of several days.  Sometimes I would start in the middle of the collection. Other times I revisited a poem from a few days before.  And, for some reason, I read section three straight through.  What struck me most were the well-chosen phrases, the pictures of his time spent in Spain and with native Spanish speakers, his scenes from Brooklyn and the honest portraits of lives lived on the assembly lines and in the bars of Detroit, Pontiac and other Midwestern towns. I know the PR prepped me to view his poems as gritty, real and accessible, but I found that they truly are.

I then picked up Shel Silverstein’s last volume thinking it would be more of what I remembered from my childhood and what I knew from reading his poetry outloud to my boys.  I was wrong. Perhaps because Everything On It was published posthumously, I was struck by how many poems in this volume deal with death or looking back on a life.  There are still the silly poems such as “Romance” about how an elephant and pelican marry merely because their names are difficult to rhyme, but many seemed tinged with sadness.  Neither of my sons however noticed this melancholy tone when I shared this volume with them. They merely laughed as usual at Mr. Silverstein’s imaginative verse.  As such, I recommend this for adults taking stock of their lives, but also for kids needing a laugh or two.

And finally, I re-read parts of Julia Alvarez’s (the writer in residence at Vermon’t Middlebury College)  The Woman I Kept to Myself – the first book of poems that showed me the pleasure poetry can bring.  For many years this volume was my favorite gift to give women turning 40.  This time, it was just a delightful read for me.

High School, English assignments left me with the impression that poetry is supposed to provide insight and clarity. So what enlightenment did these three volumes bring? Hmmm.  Ok, one thought:  with reading, we ideally see what we need to learn, or at least what we are ready to see at that time in our life, or at a most basic level what we want to see due to our own biases. Maybe the joy of poetry is that these lessons are reflected more intensely.

On a practical level what did thinking about poetry bring me?  Three volumes of poems with very different focuses, styles and themes, but all worth reading.

Enjoy and happy reading! -Lisa Christie

As I write, my three children are all in class, the washing machine is on its second load of the day and I am my husband’s only wife. Books like “Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away” and “The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives” serve to open up the view to the rest of our world, in this case Nigeria, and support readers in understanding more deeply the conflicts, culture and issues others are experiencing. These two books are excellent and engrossing, balanced with humor and delightful characters so they are as enjoyable as they are educational. And, both explore the effects of and fallout from men having multiple wives, but they have their own unique plots and provide great discussions points (even if only in your own head) when read together.

Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away is a novel set smack dab in the oil-polluted, violent back waters of the Niger River Delta. It examines the complex political and economic problems of  this petroleum rich country from the perspective of a twelve-year-old girl named Blessing. The majority of the story takes place in her family compound with no electricity or running water but  there are occasional glimpses into the preposterously air-conditioned, manicured, guarded  compound nearby that houses foreign oil workers.  I became enthralled by the 12-year old narrator’s voice, full of questions about the often perplexing behaviors of those around her: her beloved brother Ezekiel who’s fallen in with a dangerous crowd while trying to navigate the path to adulthood; her mid-wife grandmother a fountain of  Nigerian fables and wisdom but also of cultural contradictions; her own mother who is always working, desperate to escape her impoverished surroundings and to educate her children; her Christian-turned-Muslim grandfather who decides it’s time to take a much younger second wife; and this silly, yet endearing, second wife herself, Celestine. This is a special coming of age story.

Then there’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin. This novel takes a humorous but disturbing look at the practice of polygamy in Nigeria. Though I found “Tiny Sunbirds” to be more poetically written, “Secret Lives” takes a darker look at what can happen when a man has many wives –four in the case of Baba Segi. The real conflict arises when Baba Segi decides to take as a fourth wife a young woman with a college degree. This throws the household into a state of alarm and confusion, threatening the three other uneducated wives. The reader gets a look into the world of Baba Segi and each of his wives, learning their secrets, fears,  dreams and often sordid plans.

Happy, insightful, educational reading. Enjoy the view.  -Lisa Cadow

I’d love to be able to impress and report that with my non-kid reading time I dedicated my energies to the classics or to edgy modern literature, but alas I did not. Instead, I kept picking up mysteries. I blame this on the fact that I found two series that once started, I was driven to finish in one fell swoop.  And well, that basically filled the summer. But boy did that entail a lot of armchair travel! These two series took me to the ever entertaining French countryside and San Francisco.

The first of these series belongs to the author Martin Walker.  I read the initial book in this set  - Bruno, Chief of Police: a novel of the French countryside - years ago and enjoyed it, but I can’t say I loved it.

That opinion changed when someone put his second novel, The Dark Vineyard: a novel of the French Countryside, in my hands.  In this book, Mr. Walker hits his stride both with both his story telling capabilities and in developing the character of Bruno. I devoured it and then plunged right into reading his third and latest installment – Black Diamond: a mystery of the French Countryside.  In addition to spending part of his year in the south of France, Mr. Walker is the Senior Director of the Global Business Policy Council and as such appears both knowledgeable about the region and well, literate.

The second series of mysteries that kept me occupied – and traveling – was the “Dismas Hardy series” by John Lescroart.  As someone who was lucky enough to live in San Francisco in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I’ll try just about any book that takes place in that city by the bay.

I found this series because my husband reads thrillers.  He gave me one in an airport years ago; I read it and promptly forgot about it. This summer, though, he loaded a few onto my iPad and I was hooked.  As with Mr. Walker’s series, I read the first, then another and a third and kept plowing right on through the entire set.

And, while I often turn my nose down at the thought of a thriller, these thrillers are my new mind candy.  Why?  They allow me to live again in my old hometown, if only for the duration of the novel.  They have two interesting main characters – Dismas Hardy and his best friend, homicide detective Abe Glinsky, each supported by intelligent families.  And as a bonus, and possibly most importantly to me, each plot places you firmly in San Francisco and provides an enjoyable page turner.

My summary – Mr. Lescroart’s novels are great books for anyone missing San Francisco and/or wanting some escapist reading. Nothing But the Truth begins the series, but you can start just about anywhere.

For additional mysteries that transport you to interesting places, I recommend Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache novels set in the modern-day Quebec countryside, Jacqueline Winspear‘s Maisie Dobb’s series set in Post WWI London, Sarah Stewart Taylor’s Sweeney St. George series set in Boston/New England, and Archer Mayor’s Joe Gunther series set in our home state of Vermont.  Luckily, three of the four series have a 2011 installment for you to enjoy.

Happy reading and happy traveling! Lisa Christie

Whew. Summer really flew by – and so did a bunch a great new titles. I just wish I’d had a chance to read them all. Alas, being only a mere mortal I managed a dozen or so, and below I’ve noted a few favorites. The overall theme to my picks seems to be “women adventuring,” whether it’s over the high seas to Egypt in 1861, or to India in 1928, or to start up a restaurant on a wing and a prayer in the late 1990′s.  -Lisa L C

Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton. Books about food are always interesting to me but I think this memoir by one of America’s most respected female chefs transcends that genre. Hamilton holds a MFA in writing  and it shows. She sometimes left me breathless with her creative use of language, her turns of phrase, and well, her fluency. She’s led a fascinating life (heck, she’s only in her mid to late forties) which started with growing up in a crumbling castle in rural Pennsylvania where her parents threw an annual lamb roast party, to working as cook at a summer camp in the Berkshires, to marrying into an Italian family that led her to spend a month of every summer in the boot of that country learning from the natives. Of course, it’s more than food she’s writing about. It’s about struggling to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. It’s about learning how to create her own family, to figure out what happened in her family of origin, and how to manage a fantastic restaurant on top of it all. It’s delicious.

The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger. This short novel is very satisfying and fills the reader in on a little known piece of history. The story chronicles the voyage of real-life Lady Duff Gorden who’s forced to leave England in the 1860′s and travel to Egypt as a result of tuberculosis. It’s told from the perspective of her lady’s maid whose own story is also fascinating (love and intrigue included). Lady Gordon and her domestic servant travel in houseboats on the Nile and live in an ancient palace in Luxor. Author Pullinger researched her topic carefully and based it on a published book of Gordon’s letters  (see http://www.amazon.co.uk/Letters-Egypt-Lucie-Austin-Gordon/dp/0860684555) and it really brings that era, the sights, the sounds and women’s struggles vividly to life. I loved it.

East of the Sun by Julia Grigson. I blindly picked up this book at a bus station shop because I’d temporarily run out of things to read and was on the road. I hadn’t heard anything about it but spent the next few days engrossed in England/India circa 1928. It’s historical fiction (and labelled as romance but it’s not cheesy – really!)  and I learned more about the generation of “Raj Orphans” (see our review of “Old Filth” by Jane Gardam) and about a group known as the “fishing fleet”, women who went over to India to find husbands (and much more).

Happy Reading. Lisa Cadow