Reading Ahead: June 2013, part 3

The last couple of posts have been great news for readers of thrillers and suspense.  But what if you're looking for some titles worthy of adding to your beach bag or your vacation reading and you're not a thriller fan?  Never fear!  There are plenty of lower-key beach reads that will entertain your brain while you enjoy the warmer weather this summer.  Here are some, from family sagas to chick lit, that might be just what you're looking for.

Ladies’ Night, by Mary Kay Andrews.  Nothing in Grace's life prepared her for being locked out of her home, her checking account and her business after catching her husband cheating on her.  Okay, so she also drove his sports car into the swimming pool, but is that any reason for court-mandated "divorce recovery" group therapy?  It's being billed as poignant and funny with a bit of a mystery.  Andrews is one of the founding mothers of chick-lit, so I would say it should be a sure thing.

Island Girls, by Nancy Thayer.  Three sisters (who shared a father, but different mothers) all convene in their late-father's Nantucket home for a summer together, a condition of his will if they want to inherit said house.  With a history of jealousy and resentment among them, their relationship is understandably sour.  Until, that is, they need to lean on each other to get through relationship woes and sordid pasts rearing their ugly heads.  A classic light beach read.

Beautiful Day, by Erin Hilderbrand.  Nantucket seems to be a running theme this year.  Two families arrive on Nantucket to celebrate the nuptials of a young couple, the details dictated by a plan left by the bride's late mother.  While the couple themselves are happy, their families are much less so.  Family drama and scandal abound leading up to the big day.  This sounds like quintessential Hilderbrand, who does this brand of beach read with flair.

The Last Original Wife, by Dorothea Benton Frank.  As the last original wife among her husband's wildly successful Atlanta social set, Les is fed up.  His cronies have all traded in their first wives for younger models, and she is tired of losing friends and sick of her husband treating it as a favor to keep her around.  Unable to stand it another minute, Les lights out for her hometown of Charleston, intent on cultivating the life of her dreams.

Sweet Salt Air, by Barbara Delinsky.  Two old friends, separated for years by professional and personal choices as well as geography, get together one summer like they used to, on an island off the coast of Maine.  It is a project that bring them together, a professional collaboration that makes the most of Nicole's culinary passion and Charlotte's travel-writer chops.  But it may be the secrets they've been keeping that destroy their friendship for good.  Reviews have been good so far, my guess is it should be a great addition to your pool-side reading.

Light reads not your thing either?  I've got you covered--I'll be back next week with both the substantial novels and the comedy gold slated for June releases.  In the meantime, happy reading!

Three on Thursday: Warm Weather Wishes

I know that spring isn't too far off now, but I'm feeling rather caught in the winter doldrums. The weather is cold and dreary, we're still recuperating from the blizzard last week, and we are all, I think, more than a little tired of snow and winter.  If you're reading along and nodding your head, then keep reading. 

I'm a strong believer in reading as entertainment, especially reading as a form of escape or travel for your mind.  Sure, it's cloudy and chilly outside, but open a book, and you can be anywhere you like.  Recently, talk at the library has been about winter fatigue, so what better way to entertain yourself with than a novel taking place in warmer climes?

 Autobiography of Us, by Aria Beth Sloss.  This one is a bit of a sleeper hit among recent titles here at the library.  The 1960s was a decade caught between repression and rebellion.  In Pasadena, California, friends Rebecca and Alex bond as they dream of lives beyond their mothers' expectations.  Until, that is, the ultimate betrayal comes between them one sultry summer evening before their last year at college.  Beautiful and gripping, sure to warm the soul.

The Summer House, by Marcia Willett.  Part mystery, part family saga.  Matt's mother has always kept his childhood memories in a wooden box.  But why can't he remember the toys or the clothes, and why is his sister Imogen missing from all of the pictures?  Long in love with a cottage on a grand old estate, Summer House, Imogen leaps at the chance to buy it when it comes on the market, but her husband refuses to move.  Imogen is left questioning the life she's built for herself, even as Matt seeks answers to his own existence.  Could the Summer House hold the answers for both of them?  As full of summer at the English seaside as it is overflowing with mystery.

Burnt Mountain, by Anne Rivers Siddons.  As a young tomboy, Thayer found that the place which felt most like home was summer camp.  Friends, first love...  Years later, Thayer's husband is growing distant and Thayer's carefully constructed life begins to crack.  Finally, it's time to look at why those summers away from home were so idyllic, and the secrets Thayer uncovers about herself, her parents, and now her husband are truly startling. 

Do you have a favorite novel with a summer setting?  I'd love to know what it is!

I'm back next week with what I've been reading (and what got me through the blizzard!).  Happy reading!

Seasonal reading

Busy days here at the Trumbull Library.  It seems that as the days get shorter, they're packed fuller and fuller.  And yet, there are some moments of downtime, even just a few, when we get to relish the change in the seasons.  Autumn is my favorite season.  I love the cool evenings and brisk mornings, the vibrant foliage, trips to the orchard, Halloween and those perfectly clear days where the sky seems impossibly blue.  In celebration of these changes, here are a few books to help you pause during these busy days and savor the season.

With Halloween just around the corner, it's not too late to add some easy, festive decorations.  Check out Artful Halloween by Susan Wasinger for fast and easy crafts, from super-creepy disembodied hands to DIY garlands with a literary touch, to a variety of ways to spruce up your average pumpkin.  (Also, for year-round crafts that are eco-friendly, try Wasinger's Eco-craft: recycle, recraft, restyle, too.)  Feel like you could use a little inspiration for your jack-o-lantern this year?  The library can help!  For kid-friendly guides, try J. Angelique Johnson's Making a Jack-o'-lantern, step by step or Sarah Schuette's How To Carve Freakishly Cool Pumpkins.  But who says that pumpkin carving is just for kids?  If you're really looking for something out of the ordinary, take a browse through Tom Nardone's Extreme Pumpkins II.  Trust me: Tom Nardone knows extreme pumpkin carving.

What would Halloween be without parties and costumes?  Get great ideas for grownup get-togethers with Adult Halloween Parties by Mary T. McCarthy, with tips for themes, costumes, food and beverages or the Better Homes and Gardens compilation of the Best of Halloween Tricks & Treats.  And for the kids, have a monstrously good time with the help of Chris Kullstroem's Making a Monstrous Halloween and Monster Parties & Games, the latter being particularly useful if you wanted to do a monster-movie tie-in.

Lastly, with pumpkin insinuating itself into all of your daily foods and beverages, why not embrace the season with some comfort cooking and baking.  The Seasonal Baker, by John Barricelli will help you use all those fresh-picked apples from the orchard, and make the most of the plentiful pumpkin with recipes for cakes, pies, quick-breads, tarts and crisps.  Think that your food allergy or sensitivity means that you can't enjoy the bounty of the season?  Think again!  Colette Martin's new book, Learning to Bake Allergen-Free, has recipes to accommodate every dietary need.   Finally, if you're looking for something to warm you up on a chilly day, I have to recommend Rick Rodgers' Autumn Gatherings and Comfort Food.  I love his recipes, and use his Thanksgiving 101 faithfully to help me out every year.  These two seasonal selections provide detailed instructions, thoughtful commentary and a nostalgic feel for simpler times. 

Now get out there and enjoy the season!  I'll be back next week with a little monster mash-up guaranteed to put you in a ghoulish mood!

Earth Day Greens

So, I'm a couple of days late for Earth Day 2012.  But spring has sprung, and your yard is probably looking for you to do something a little green.  I know mine is!  It's never too late to plant a tree, make an eco-friendly change, or just spruce things up a little.  Here are some great new green books to get you started!

Landscaping for Privacy: innovative ways to turn your outdoor space into a peaceful retreat, by Marty Wingate.  If ever there was a home and garden book that got rave reviews, this one would be it.  Buffers, barriers and screens of all kinds are covered here, from hedges and fences to tricks and tips to hide everything from noisy neighbors to unsightly sheds.

Whole Green Catalog: 1,000 best things for you and the earth, edited by Michael W. Robbins.  This great resource covers eco-friendly options in areas from building and renovating to recycling to parenting and everything else you can think of in and around your home, including toys and furnishings, too.  Full of changes small to extensive that you can make to be a little greener.

If you're looking to make your gardening practices more organic, or you'd like to know more about natural landscaping, The New American Landscape: leading voices on the future of sustainable gardening, edited by Thomas Christopher is a great place to start.  Meadow gardens, landscaping to attract birds, and creating sustainable edible gardens are just a few of the topics covered.

Finally, get your kids interested in going green, too!  There's a great guide to suggested titles by age range listed over on the Earth Day Network website to get you started.

Early Spring Fever

If you haven't been outside in the last few weeks, you've been missing out on one of the warmest Marches on record.  And not just warm.  The afternoons, in particular, have been gorgeous.  Sunny, cloudless, just breezy enough to keep things comfortable. 

It has been giving everyone I come into contact with a wild case of spring fever.  From early gardening to kids playing outside to some brave souls even going to the beach to walk, people are taking advantage of this early warm streak.  Personally?  I like to go out on the deck in the evenings after work and enjoy the light as long as it'll stick around, book in hand.  So, if you're feeling the need for some spring reads, here are my picks.

If you like family sagas, try The Bird Sisters, by Rebecca Rasmussen.  Elderly sisters Twiss and Milly live alone in the house in which they grew up, tending injured birds and losing themselves in memories.  For Milly, in particular, the memories turn to dreaming of what might have been, before an accident change the course of the sisters' lives.  Poignant and brimming the love and sacrifice that comes with sisterhood, this novel is full of surprises. 

If you're more in the mood for a suspense novel, I have an unusual one for you.  The Book of Lost Fragrances, by M.J. Rose.  When the heiress to a faltering French perfume company with a long history inherits the company, she is plunged back into a world she left behind nearly fifteen years ago.  Her brother, also an inheritor, hints that he has an earth-shattering discovery that will fix the company's financial woes, and then disappears.  It's up to Jac L'Etoile, reluctant heiress and unlikely sleuth, to uncover both what has happened to her brother, and what secret he was keeping.  Full of history and intrigue, this is a beautifully detailed and haunting work of suspense.  Note, if you enjoy Rose's writing, I highly recommend her other work, too!

So, what are you reading these days?

Something stormy this way comes

I’m writing this post (which will go live on Tuesday, 8/30) before Hurricane Irene does whatever it’s going to do.  So I’m hoping we all get through it safely!  But since I’ve got storms on the brain today (as does every patron coming into the building), I can’t think of anything better to write about than stormy weather books!  If you’re sick of rain, though, come back for Thursday’s post this week—it’ll be all about fiction set in perfect weather!

A Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger.  Subtitled “A True Story of Men Against the Sea”, this well-researched reconstruction of the wreck of a swordfish boat during a fierce storm off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1991 is intensely readable.  Junger captures not only the feel of the search and rescue efforts after the storm, but also the fishing industry and the attitudes of rough Yankee fisherman. 

The Tin Roof Blowdown, by James Lee Burke.  Part love story to the South and New Orleans, part illustration of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and part thriller, this David Robicheaux mystery is fraught with tension and danger, both from the storm and its aftermath as well as the murder to be solved.  Burke is a two-time Edgar Award winner and critics hailed this as his best book yet—check it out!

The Cypress House, by Michael Koryta.  Set in 1929 in the midst of the Great Depression, the story follows WWI veteran Arlen Wagner as he attempts to keep his many demons at bay with hard work and hard drinking.  When he and a friend, Paul, are traveling by train in Florida, one of Arlen’s demons rears its ugly head, and no one but Paul believes the outrageous things that Arlen is claiming.  They leave the train, hoping to outrun the danger that Arlen dreads, and wind up on the Gulf Coast, in the path of more than one storm.  Gripping, chilling, and deeply satisfying. 

Best to all my readers, hope you had a good book to read during the storm!