July 29, 2023 EVERYDAY I WRITE THE BOOK

John Irving is one of my all time favorite writers. He's won many awards including a National Book Award for The World According to Garp, an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules anda Lambda Literary Award for In One Person. His novels have also found International fame and have been translated into forty different languages. In addition, five of his novels have been made into movies. My personal favorites include: A Prayer for Owen Meany, A Widow for One Year and A Son of the Circus. Irving knew he wanted to be a writer after reading Charles Dickens' classic Great Expectations when he was only fourteen years old. After reading Dickens, Irving said, he wanted to move the reader like Dickens moved him--both emotionally and intellectually.  At the heart of any Irving or Dickens novel is some type of social or moral dilemma--orphans, absent fathers, poverty, sexual identity.  Dickens' influence on Irving is obvious in his obsessive attention to detail that often leads to long, windy sentences, complex plots and a cast of unforgettable characters. Irving's fifteenth novel The Last Chair Lift is vintage Irving. You will feel right at home if you are an Irving fan as he touches on familiar themes including wrestling, New England, Exeter, absent fathers, sexual identity and politics. It's like visiting an old friend you haven't seen in seven years. As this NINE HUNDRED page novel unfolds, Ray Brewster is a slalom skier at the National Downhill Slalom Championships in Aspen, Colorado. After the games, Little Ray goes back home to New Hampshire where she finds herself pregnant. Little Ray and her son, Adam, live with her parents--Nana and grandfather also known as --the mysteriously mute principal emeritus. The novel spans eight decades as Adam grows up and tackles childhood, puberty, sexuality, unconventional families, illness, LGBTQ, death and the Catholic Church. There are so many wonderful characters in this novel--Molly, Elliot Barlow, Nora, Em---who help Adam understand that love and family can come in many forms.  Irving has this amazing ability to make serious, sometimes tragic events LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY TOO. He's a genius. Warning: This is probably not for the first time reader of an Irving novel. It's long (maybe too long) but for the SUPERFAN it is a MUST READ. Let me know what you think. 

July 16, 2023 ONLY SIXTEEN

Can't believe my little Tim is going to be sixteen tomorrow. SIXTEEN. He has an appointment for his driving permit this week. YIKES. Seems like he was just learning to ride his bike??? Time has certainly been a whirlwind. I didn't have Tim until I was 42 years old!!! ANCIENT. Although he wasn't really planned--he's been the greatest gift. Not sure what we would do without him. He keeps us young in so many ways. It's like we got a REDO.  With Timmy around--we still got to decorate for Halloween--go trick or treating----get an Elf on the Shelf--AND believe in Santa again. Good Times.  On to other news. I also had a good time reading Mary Beth Keane's new book The Half Moon. Set in Gilliam, a small suburb of New York City, Malcolm Gephardt is a bartender at the Half Moon who dreams of one day owning the place. After his boss announces that he is going to retire, he offers to sell the place to Malcolm. Although Malcolm really wants to buy the bar, is it really feasible or just pipe dream?  Meanwhile, Malcolm's wife Jess is a dedicated lawyer struggling to come to terms with infertility. They've spent six years and thousands of dollars on treatments that have put a heavy strain on their marriage and finances. As Jess struggles, she begins to question her marriage and choices in life. Keane's observations about marriage and midlife struggles are on point in this story as Jess wonders if the grass is really greener on the other side. -----Will Malcolm get in over his head and buy the bar? Will Jess come to terms with her problems? Will this marriage survive? Find out the answer to these and other questions when you read this 300 page well- written book for yourself. 

July 9, 2023 I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE

 

When I was a kid, my grandparents used to take me to The Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck. I remember seeing Sha Na Na, Jesus Christ Superstar, My Fair Lady, Singing in the Rain, Show Boat etc........Haven't been to this little gem in 40 years--until yesterday. Got tickets to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. It was a REAL stroll down memory lane. The theatre itself hasn't changed much--it's actually a "barn theatre"  that originally opened in 1933 to entertain and create jobs during the Depression. The theatre is actually celebrating its 90th year right now. That's amazing. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical was ALSO AMAZING--as good as any Broadway show! The cast, dancers and orchestra were electric. If you get a chance to check out this little theatre by the sea--you won't be disappointed. In the meantime, you can check out my review of Jane Harper's newest book Exiles. If you like a good crime novel-mystery then look no further. Aaron Falk, the main character, is a Federal Investigator on his way to a small town in Southern Australian to visit his former partner Raco and attend his godson's Christening. The Christening coincides with the one year anniversary of Kim Gillespie's disappearance. Kim simply vanished from a carnival --leaving her infant daughter behind. Falk and Raco start their own investigation and interview the cast of characters in this small town--where everyone knows your name. Why would anyone want Kim dead? Why would a mother abandon her baby? Why was her shoe found in a nearby river? Find out what happened to Kim and the rest of the characters when you read this mystery for yourself. The writing is good--the characters and vivid description of small town life and the landscape--will make you feel part of the story. It's on 360 pages--that I hope you will enjoy. 

June 24, 2023 AMAZING GRACE

Greece. It was amazing. Spent a few days in Athens--Acropolis, Parthenon, Erechtheion, Museum of the Acropolis--did I mention the--food-cappuccino-breathtaking views? It was a whirlwind. Then off to Delphi--the center of the universe for the ancient Greeks--famous for the oracle. Did I mention the cheese, olive oil, tomatoes, honey? Next--to Meteora one of the most incredible sites in the world--The Monasteries in the Sky-- as the monasteries seem to be suspended in midair.  In the 9th century, monks began building  monasteries on top of gigantic rock formations--some 1000 feet high. A total of 24 monasteries were built and today 6 still remain inhabited. It is beyond words. Finally off the Santorini, Fira and Oia. Again, my words will NEVER do justice to the beauty of these islands---by the way--I'm just giving you the highlights of this once in a lifetime trip.  Did I mention the honey?  Plenty of time to read on the 91/2 hour flight so I snuck in a few books including The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James. Yes, I am a huge fan of her books. This one's a mystery, thriller, love story with a bit of creepy and haunted house mixed in. Fun. The main character is Shea Collins. She's a 28 year old receptionist in a doctor's office by day and a cold case blogger by night. One day a patient comes into the office and Shea immediately recognizes her. She is Beth Greer, a woman tried and acquitted in 1977 of the Lady Killer Murders. Shea asks Greer for an interview and she surprisingly agrees to the interview--as long as it is at the Greer Mansion, which is supposedly haunted. The story then shifts back and forth between the two characters from 1960 to 2017 where the reader learns about the history of the two characters and that they actually have a lot in common including some tragedy that has shaped their lives. Did Beth really murder two men in 1977 and get away with it? Or is the story much more complicated? Will Shea employ local private investigator Michael De Vos to help her solve this cold case? Find out the answers to all of these questions and more when you read this delicious thriller for yourself. It's not a huge commitment either--350 pages that fly by. Enjoy. 

June 12, 2023 LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

 

Headed to Greece this week. It's going to be an amazing trip--Athens-Delphi-Meteora-Santorini. Can't wait. Celebrating our thirtieth anniversary. Time sure flies when you're having fun. Seems like just yesterday..........but it's not. It's three kids--one amazing cat--several dogs and a red bellied toad later.  I  do miss the good old days-- when the kids were little. I see young couples now with their kids and  get exhausted just watching them. I hope they appreciate these days because they really are gone too soon. Back to the trip--I'm taking a few books for the flight--it's over 9 hours and I figure I can really get some serious reading done. In the meantime, I'll review the book I just finished. I needed a lighter, easier read this time around so I decided to read Peter Swanson's  new book The Kind Worth Saving, the sequel to The Kind Worth Killing.  I am a fan of Swanson and have read all of his books. They don't require a huge commitment and I enjoy mysteries with a twist or two. As this story unfolds, Joan Whalen has just hired private investigator Henry Kimball to follow her husband as she is convinced he is having an affair with a coworker. Interestingly enough, Joan and Henry have a history. Henry Kimball was once her English teacher in high school when a terrible tragedy occurred. While Kimball investigates Whalen's husband Richard, he gets more than he bargained for---two dead bodies and a feeling that things aren't how they appear. This story is told from multiple points of view with interesting characters who are in many cases deeply flawed. Find out what happens to Kimball and the rest of the characters when you read this 310 page novel that will keep you guessing until the bitter end. Enjoy. 

June 4, 2023 TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME

 

Have you tried playing pickleball? It's really fun. I started playing about a year ago. Even took lessons over the winter. It's a great way to get a little exercise and meet new people. If you've played tennis, table tennis or ping pong, then you're already way ahead of the game.  It basically combines the elements of all three. The rules can be confusing at first but if you stick with it--it finally makes sense. I hear it's the new rave and towns are putting up pickleball courts or fighting about putting them up all over. I actually heard that they are going to make part of the Crystal Mall pickleball courts too??  If you haven't tried it, get out there and give it a whirl. Just try not to get PICKLED and for heaven's sake STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN.  In other news, I Just finished Kate Morton's new book Homecoming. I am a huge fan of Morton and have read all of her books. I even waited patiently for five years for this gem. As the story unfolds, it's Christmas Eve 1959 and a man stumbles on a gruesome scene in Tambilla, Australia. Sixty years later, Jess, the main character, is coming home to Sydney, Australia, to take care of her ailing grandmother, Nora. Upon her arrival, Jess stumbles on some papers about the tragedy from 1959 and realizes she is related to the family. As an investigative journalist, Jess decides to uncover the truth about the events from 1959 at Adelaide Hills but learns more than she bargained for. Morton is a lovely writer whose vivid descriptions of the scenery and house transport the reader through time-- but I will also say that at times I found some descriptions repetitive and too long. As with her other novels, this is also told from multiple points of view so it can be confusing--so pay attention. There are also several characters as the story drifts between two places at two differents of time--but the lovely part is that they all come together and make sense by the end of this mystery/family saga. Again, it was a bit too long, but Morton is a lovely story teller and I really enjoyed the book. 

May 13, 2023 THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

 

Abraham Verghese is one of my favorite writers. It is important to note though that he is first and foremost a doctor. Because of his commitment to medicine, he has only written 4 books--as he only writes in his spare time. Not sure if anyone remembers but way back in 1995 when I was a RTC student at Connecticut College, Verghese's first book, a memoir, was the summer required reading. It was called My Own Country and Verghese actually came to the college to speak about his book and the stigma associated with the AID virus.  At the time, Verghese was an infectious disease doctor in Johnson City, Tennessee and worked with some of the first AIDS patients. His humanity and compassion for his patients still lingers in my memory thirty years later. He also wrote The Tennis Partner and one of my all time favorite books Cutting For Stone way back in 2009. I've been waiting patiently.....(14 Years) for a new book and it was finally released on May 2, 2023. It's called The Covenant of Water and it was incredible. This epic spans three generations and is set in Kerala, South India on the Malabar Coast between 1900-1977. As the story unfolds, a marriage broker has just arranged a marriage between a 12 year old girl and a 40 year old widower with a two year old son named JoJo. The young girl leaves her family to live on a 500 acre farm called Parambil. The family she marries into has a secret called "The Condition". Someone from each generation dies by drowning. The young girl eventually becomes the matriarch of the family and is known as Big Ammachi. This is a beautifully written novel, with so many interesting characters AND an ending I will never forget AND didn't see coming.  It is also rich in historical details including British colonization, WWII,  Independence in India, and the dreaded caste system. Remember Verghese is a doctor so the novel also tackles the development of medicine in India. Again, this novel is about so many things--family, love, loss, addiction, that Verghese somehow weaves together in a novel you will never forget. It is a commitment though--760 pages--BUT who cares. I could read his novels forever. Happy Reading.