Barbara's Picks

The Three Weissmans of Westport

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by Cathleen Schine

Cathleen Schine

I love Cathleen Schine. (Love Letter, The New Yorkers). Her books have

heart, as well as a glint of steel in their eyes. She sees her

characters foibles, but she doesn't judge them or make fun of them. And

oh, what a pleasure to read a book about women in their fifties. The

central story is about a divorce. Joseph, the patriarch at 78 tells

Betty, age 75 that he is leaving her. Of course, it turns out there is

another woman involved. But, the story is actually a long meditation on

marriage, and what it is to be a woman. The plot encompassees the

effect the divorce has on Betty, and her two 50 year old daughters. And

thereby hangs a tale. I think, if you are of a certain age, it will

resonate with you. In the end...it leaves you thinking about the

meaning of the journey we're all on together.Cathleen Schine

I love Cathleen Schine (Love Letter, The New Yorkers). Her books have heart, as well as a glint of steel in their eyes. She sees her characters foibles, but she doesn't judge them or make fun of them. And, oh, what a pleasure to read a book about women in their fifties. The central story is about a divorce. Joseph, the patriarch at 78 tells Betty, age 75, that he is leaving her. Of course, it turns out there is another woman involved. But, the story is actually a long meditation on marriage, and what it is to be a woman. The plot encompassees the effect the divorce has on Betty, and her two 50-year-old daughters. And thereby hangs a tale. I think, if you are of a certain age, it will resonate with you. In the end, it leaves you thinking about the meaning of the journey we're all on together.

Elegy for April

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elegyforapril by Benjamin Black (a.k.a. John Banville)

This third novel, set in Dublin of the 1950's and starring recovering (ahem, he's trying....) alcoholic Quirk and his tormented daughter Phoebe, is wonderful. A smoky, whisky-soaked read, filled with sex and yearning for true love in a corrupt world, where our tormented hero struggles to do the right thing. Ahh.....better then Masterpiece Theater. Banville is a wonderful writer (winner of the Booker Prize for The Sea) and this series is a great, true pleasure. You want to read some of the sentences aloud, just to feel the elegance of them roll around in your mouth. Sort of like a sip of Makers Mark.

Epitaph for a Tramp

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David Markson

David Markson is a real writer. He writes serious, esoteric novels that

win all sorts of awards (Wittgenstein's Mistress etc.) But I, lowly low

brow that I am, discovered this reprint of his first two forays into

fiction and whiled away a riveting 48 hours. The books were originally

written in 1959 and they are fabulous pulp fiction. A smart ass, hard

bitten, lone-wolf detective, an ex-wife who has a small little problem

with being a sex-addict, set in the steamy summer of New York city circa

1959. Its fabulous.

epitaphforatramp by David Markson

David Markson is a real writer. He writes serious, esoteric novels that win all sorts of awards (Wittgenstein's Mistress). But I, lowly low brow that I am, discovered this reprint of his first two forays into fiction and whiled away a riveting 48 hours. The books were originally written in 1959 and they are fabulous pulp fiction. A smart ass, hard bitten, lone-wolf detective, an ex-wife who has a small little problem with being a sex-addict, set in the steamy summer of New York city circa 1959. It's fabulous.

Dog On It

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dogonit by Spencer Quinn

Ok. I love mysteries, and I love dogs. But, seriously, who knew that

there is a new sub-genre of mysteries narrated by dogs. This one,

however, is fantastic. Well written, clever, charming-- not overly

cute. Chet the dog, is Bernie Little's side kick. Bernie is a big

shambling guy. He has an ex wife and a little boy named Charlie, who he

doesn't get to see all that often. He's a Desert Storm vet, and a

really decent guy. He and Chet live in the valley. Its always fun to

read mystery novel's set in Los Angeles. A sort of noir style fifties

thing seems to come over writers when they set their books here. So,

imagine Micheal Connelly' softer side.

Aside from the well plotted mystery that kept me engaged until 2 in the

morning...the benefit of reading this series is that you will never look

at a dog again the same way. I find myself 'understanding' what they

are doing and thinking, and that's just one of the wonders of reading,

isn't it?

This is a perfect summer beach book for a guy, a teenager, (male or

female) and hey, even for yourself. I'd say you could buy it to read

aloud to your 4 legged friend, but as you will soon find out, they

wouldn't remember most of what you read in the first place.

Ok. I love mysteries, and I love dogs. But, seriously, who knew that there is a new sub-genre of mysteries narrated by dogs? This one, however, is fantastic. Well written, clever, charming-- not overly cute. Chet the dog, is Bernie Little's side kick. Bernie is a big shambling guy. He has an ex wife and a little boy named Charlie, who he doesn't get to see all that often. He's a Desert Storm vet, and a really decent guy. He and Chet live in the valley. Its always fun to read mystery novel's set in Los Angeles. A sort of noir style fifties thing seems to come over writers when they set their books here. So, imagine Micheal Connelly' softer side. Aside from the well plotted mystery that kept me engaged until 2 in the morning...the benefit of reading this series is that you will never look at a dog again the same way. I find myself 'understanding' what they are doing and thinking, and that's just one of the wonders of reading, isn't it? This is a perfect summer beach book for a guy, a teenager, (male or female) and hey, even for yourself. I'd say you could buy it to read aloud to your 4 legged friend, but as you will soon find out, they wouldn't remember most of what you read in the first place.

Careless in Red

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Careless in Red by Elizabeth George picks up after the sorrowful death of one of Elizabeth George's most lovely characters. (Now I AM in a quandary, for, if you haven't read the series you will hardly want this plot point revealed) Suffice it to say.....we are in a stormy and windswept Cornwall, where Thomas Lynley finds a dead body washed up on the rocks. As he is the first on the scene, he becomes part of the investigation, along with the mysterious woman who's cottage he breaks into in order to phone the local police.

Stormbreaker

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While on vacation I happened to pick up the young adult page turner, Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. I'd already polished off all the grown up books in my suitcase, and found this at the corner bookstore. I picked it up because so many of our local boy readers gobble up the Alex Rider series that my interest was piqued. I was not disappointed. Anthony Horowitz moves the plot steadily along. His hero, Alex Rider, is a wonderful kid, and the world he gets thrust into by the death of his Uncle - full of spies, good and bad guys, and mechanical gadgets that would make James Bond proud - is vastly entertaining. If you want to start a young boy on a great reading adventure, pick up Stormbreaker. (And don't be embarrassed to read it yourself!)

The Thirteenth Tale

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The stack of books had been sitting on the cart for a little while, and every so often, I'd pick up a copy of The Thirteenth Tale, think about reading it, then put it back. It took Katie saying YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK for me to finally do just that. The Thirteenth Tale is a wonder! An eerie page turner, that has you hooked from the first sentence. The book has the swirling dark feverish mood of Jane Eyre, (which is referenced throughout) and the page turning aspect of...what? A thriller? Hard to say. There are so many twists and turns in this layered and nuanced work of art that it is difficult to categorize.

Nigella Express

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I have about a zillion cookbooks, so I hardly ever feel I need another. My kids gave me Nigella Express for Christmas and I turned out to be wrong wrong wrong! I don't see how I got on without this cookbook before. The recipes are so fast they come together in the blink of an eye and every single one I've tried has been totally fantastic. If you are in an indulgent mood I highly recommend whipping up the leftover croissant french toast (for dinner as Nigella suggests - what a lovely wicked treat!) The recipe is buttery and creamy and custardy and totally fabulous (the slug of bourbon doesn't hurt). Her grilled cheese (now who on earth thinks they need a recipe for grilled cheese?) is a fast satisfying comforting new twist on an old favorite and paired with the mango chutney salad slaw turns a meal that might feel a wee bit unhealthy into an anti-oxident laden feast. All in all...a real find. Fast, lovely food you actually want to prepare and eat.

Getting Rid of Matthew

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Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon

If you are looking for a nice light read that will both make you laugh and make you think about things, please pick up a copy of Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon. Helen is a forty year old "other woman". She has been involved with Matthew, her boss (who is in his late fifties) for four and a half, long, soul-searching, best-friend stay up all night analyzing his every word, years. Suddenly (practically on page 10!) he leaves his wife and shows up on Helen's doorstep. This very odd book, this very humourous odd book, takes off from there. Helen, it turns out, LIKES being home in her apartment alone, eating take out from a container and watching old movies in her pajamas. Suddenly, this thing, this being she wanted so desperately is ALL HERS. And...from there launches our tale.