The Vacationers by Emma Straub

17 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by in Fiction, Travel

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Fittingly, I read this while on vacation.  The story follows a family’s summer trip to the island of Majorca, Spain. Each character — parents, children, visiting family friends — is struggling with something painful, but the book is still really funny and a page-turner. And it will make you want to visit Majorca!

“For those unable to jet off to a Spanish island this summer, reading The Vacationers may be the next-best thing. . . . [A] gorgeously written novel  . . . When I turned the last page, I felt as I often do when a vacation is over: grateful for the trip and mourning its end.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Sharply observed and funny, Straub’s domestic-drama-goes-abroad is a delightful study of the complexities of family and love, and the many distractions from both.”—Booklist (starred review)

“A novel that is both a lot of fun to read and has plenty of insight into the marital bond and the human condition.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The Hanging Judge by Michael Ponsor

10 Monday Nov 2014

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This extraordinary thriller written by Michael Ponsor, a senior judge in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts, offers an unprecedented inside view of a death penalty trial.  The novel is based on the experience of the author who presided over the first capital case in Massachusetts in more than fifty years.  Massachusetts readers will be rewarded with many references to the towns of Amherst, Holyoke, Northampton as well as Springfield.

The Honorable Michael A. Ponsor will speak at the Weston Public Library on Thursday, November 13 at 7 pm in the Community Room.

“There are plenty of surprises to keep readers turning pages. Ponsor gives readers a unique look into the workings of a courtroom. But more than that, he demonstrates a feel for how ordinary families are affected by the legal system. Ponsor’s debut would make a great movie.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A marvelous entertainment, a page-turning mystery full of romance and humor, which takes us inside the fraught and rather secretive world of a judge’s chambers. In the best way—that is, indirectly—Ponsor informs us about the facts that ought to inform debate on the death penalty. What impressed me most of all was the book’s authority; it has the heft of authenticity.” —Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains

 “A compelling tale, with a cast of vividly drawn characters and a plot that twists and turns—it entertains, as a good novel should, but even better, it also informs, as only the best ones do.” —Jonathan Harr, author of A Civil Action

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The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction

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The author of this novel offers a poignant but marvelous glimpse into the life of Marina Buriakov, a former docent at the Hermitage Art Museum in Leningrad during World War II, whose mind is now slipping into the shadows of Alzheimer’s.

“Dean writes with passion and compelling drama about a grotesque chapter of World War II.” (People)

“Elegant and poetic, the rare kind of book that you want to keep but you have to share.” (Isabel Allende, New York Times bestselling author of Zorro)

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A House in the Sky: a Memoir by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett

29 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Biography, Non-fiction, Travel

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Be forewarned – this book can cause disrupted sleep.  An avid traveler/cocktail waitress/intrepid spirit/naive backpacker focused on accumulating countries that she’d only read about as a child in the National Geographic makes the decision to enter Somalia in 2008.  A must read memoir.  Harrowing content, guaranteed page-turner, a book you will not forget.

“A vivid, gut-wrenching, beautifully written, memorable book…” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“A well-honed, harrowing account…” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Exquisitely told…[A House in the Sky] is much more than a gonzo adventure tale gone awry—it’s a young woman’s harrowing coming-of-age story and an extraordinary narrative of forgiveness and spiritual triumph….There’s no self-pity or grandiosity in these pages. In the cleanest prose, she and Corbett allow events both horrific and absurd…to unfold on their own. Lindhout’s resilience transforms the story from a litany of horrors into a humbling encounter with the human spirit.” (Eliza Griswold The New York Times Book Review)

“This is one of the most powerfully-written books I have ever read. Harrowing, hopeful, graceful, redeeming and true, it tells a story of inhumanity and humanity that somehow feels deeply ancient and completely modern. It is beautiful, devastating and heroic—both a shout of defiance and a humbling call to prayer.” (Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things)

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Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West by Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon

24 Friday Oct 2014

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9781426202773_p0_v1_s114x166Don’t leave home without this book!  It includes descriptions of author’s houses and museums in the United States and abroad, literary festivals and tours, as well as literary places to lodge, dine and drink.  Imagine yourself in the French Quarter of New Orleans, watching the Stella Shouting Contest (Tennessee William’s Streetcar Named Desire) and then stepping down the street to a bookstore in the Faulkner house (Faulkner House Books) followed by rest and refreshment at the Hotel Monteleone, a favorite of Eudora Welty and Truman Capote.

“Want to explore more than 500 literary landmarks without leaving your living room? Then pull up an armchair and pick up a copy of Novel Destinations. “—Tampa Tribune
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One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak

06 Monday Oct 2014

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Prior to reading this book, I knew that B.J. Novak was an actor and writer on the TV show The Office (and that he grew up in Newton). I had no idea he was an author, and I was surprised and impressed by this collection of short stories. Some were stronger than others, but I really enjoyed his writing and sense of humor. I recommend the audiobook, which Novak reads along with several guest narrators including Emma Thompson, Julianne Moore, and Mindy Kaling.

*Starred Review* Novak’s high-concept, hilarious, and disarmingly commiserative fiction debut stems from his stand-up performances and his Emmy Award–winning work on the comedy series, The Office, as writer, actor, director, and executive producer. Accordingly, his more concise stories come across as brainy comedy bits, while his sustained tales covertly encompass deep emotional and psychological dimensions. An adept zeitgeist miner, Novak excels at topsy-turvy improvisations on a dizzying array of subjects, from Aesop’s fables to tabloid Elvis to our oracular enthrallment to the stock market. A master of cringe, Novak imagines a blind date with a warlord, a Comedy Central TV roast of Nelson Mandela, and a mortifying misunderstanding between mega-best-selling novelist John Grisham and his new editor. Writing with zing and humor in the spirit of Woody Allen and Steve Martin, Novak also ventures into the realm of George Saunders and David Foster Wallace. A boy wins a breakfast-cereal contest and discovers a shocking family secret. A sex robot falls in love. A man reveals the heartbreak behind the universally dreaded math problem about the two trains leaving the stations at different times. Baseline clever and fresh, at best spectacularly perceptive, and always commanding, Novak’s ingeniously ambushing stories of longing, fear, pretension, and confusion reveal the quintessential absurdities and transcendent beauty of our catch-as-catch-can lives.
–Donna Seaman, Booklist

The First Family Detail: Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents by Ronald Kessler

06 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by in Non-fiction

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This book is full of naughty and nice gossip about the Presidents, the First Ladies, the Vice Presidents and their families as seen through the eyes of the Secret Service agents who protect the residents of the White House. The author, who treats Democrats and Republicans equally, also questions the decision making process of the agency that protects the executive branch of the U.S. government.

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Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II by Vicki Croke

24 Wednesday Sep 2014

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A newly published book that is pure joy to read! I have always been intrigued by individuals who are able to communicate with animals.  Meet British Billy Williams who, in the 1920’s, retreats to the Burma teak forests to heal from his service in WWI.  He joins a complex jungle world populated with the largest mammals on earth – many of whom were hurting more than he. Billy convinces the higher-ups to create an elephant “school” and “hospital”.  Through his love and experience with the elephants, he tells us he becomes a better man.   His greatest friendship was with the mighty tusker, Bandoola, who will not fail Williams’ call to lead in an unforgettable WWII rescue of man and beast.  As the famous General Slim said of Elephant Bill – “This is a story of how a man, over the years, by character, patience, sympathy and courage, gained the confidence of men and animals, so that when the time of testing came, that mutual trust held.”

“I have to confess—my love of elephants made me apprehensive to review a book about their role in World War II. But as soon as I began to read Elephant Company, I realized that not only was my heart safe, but that this book is about far more than just the war, or even elephants. This is the story of friendship, loyalty and breathtaking bravery that transcends species. . . . [Vicki] Croke is a natural storyteller. . . . Elephant Company is nothing less than a sweeping tale, masterfully written.”—Sara Gruen, The New York Times Book Review

 “A spellbinding, true story of elephantine and human courage, set in one of the Earth’s most exotic jungles during the Second World War, Elephant Company is a triumph that will make you cheer!”—Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good Pig and Journey of the Pink Dolphins

If this book becomes a favorite of yours, you may want to read Modoc : the True Story of the Greatest Elephant that Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer, My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence, Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh, or Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

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The Orphan Train by Christine Baker Kline

10 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction

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A poignant and heartbreaking tale of two orphaned or foster children separated in time by several generations but who share common experiences. They have both been left at a young age to fend for themselves in a grim adult world.  The lives of Vivian, a ten year old Irish immigrant girl placed on an orphan train from New York City to Minnesota in the 1930’s and of Molly, a present day Goth teenager from Maine who is maxing out of the foster care system, intersect as they both become strong and resilient women.

The historical aspect of the novel is particularly compelling. Between 1854 and 1929, the real orphan trains relocated more than 200,000 orphaned, abandoned or homeless children from large East Coast cities to foster homes in the Midwest where many of the children lived lives of indentured servitude.

In conjunction with reading the book, The Orphan Train, the reader might also be interested in viewing the PBS dvd entitled The Orphan Trains, introduced by David McCullough.

“A gem.” (Huffington Post)

“Absorbing…a heartfelt page-turner about two women finding a sense of home…Kline lets us live the characters’ experiences vividly through their skin…The growth from instinct to conscious understanding to partnership between the two is the foundation for a moving tale.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Kline draws a dramatic, emotional story from a neglected corner of American history.” (Kirkus Reviews)

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One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson

05 Friday Sep 2014

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This was my first time reading Bill Bryson, and now I can’t wait to try one of his other books. This work of non-fiction is incredibly interesting, focusing on a memorable summer in American history. Bryson reveals a series of major events that happened in 1927, including the flight that made Charles Lindbergh famous, Babe Ruth’s amazing season in baseball, presidential politics, and more. The book contains so many stories and facts, and they’re all told in a funny, engaging style.

“Bryson is a marvelous historian, not only exhaustively accurate, but highly entertaining. If you avoid textbook histories because they seem too dry, pick up One Summer, or any other of Mr. Bryson’s books. They are intelligent delights.” —The Huffington Post

 “A wonderful romp . . . . Fascinating. . . . Written in a style as effervescent as the time itself.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Addictively readable.” —The Wall Street Journal

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