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Head to the beach with THEBOOKJEANIE
What could be better than a literary gathering on a picturesque island with sandy beaches, dramatic cliff walks, and delicious seafood? The Martha's Vineyard Book Festival takes place on, August 3rd and 4th, in the towns of Chilmark and Edgartown, sponsored by the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore and the local communities, totally free to the public. Speakers are coming from across the country including Pulitzer Prize winner, Richard Russo, as well as other notable journalists, novelists, biographers, historians and essayists. Many of the presentations will be held outdoors under tents, perhaps with a sailboat skimming by in the distance. If you can't make it this year, mark your calendar for the next festival to be held in 2015. Check out the website and dream. . .
After the death of his wife, eighty-year-old New Yorker, Saul Horowitz, reluctantly takes up residence in Oslo with his beloved granddaughter, Rhea, and her affable Norwegian huband, Lars. Saul is locked in a battle with painful memories and regrets, making him disagreeable and argumentative most of the time. Because he loves Rhea, he tries to understand the foreign culture that he finds himself in, but as with everything, his point of reference is the war that shaped his youth as well as the war that resulted in the death of his only son. One day when Saul hears a loud argument on the stairs outside the apartment, he peers through the spyglass and sees a distraught woman and her young son. Deciding to intervene and not stand by silently in the face of violence as he so often accuses Europeans of doing during the war, Saul manages to hide the boy but witnesses the brutal murder of his mother. Knowing that he has to protect the boy, he sets off with him on a journey across Norway, borrowing boats, walking great distances, and even riding on an old tractor, using only the maps in a Lonely Planet guide. Meanwhile Rhea, Lars, the Oslo police department, the killer, and several underworld Balkan war criminals are searching for the illusive pair. This thoughtfully written novel is as much a reflection on moral decisions and personal responsibility as it is a gripping, heartstopping thriller.
Ever wonder what might go on at night in your local bookstore or library? Take a look at this short video and you are certain to be surprised. . .
Sitting down with an Elinor Lipman novel is as satisying as being served a large slice of chocolate ganache cake after a long stretch of healthy, calorie-counting meals: you savor every bite while appreciating the superb artistry of what you are consuming and marveling at the talent of the creator. Along with the late Nora Ephron, Lipman is able to make us laugh and cry with an abundance of wit and style. The situation at hand in Penthouse B is: after a scandal-ridden trial and divorce from her fertility doctor husband, Margot has lost all her income to a Ponzi scheme and must call upon her widowed sister, Gwen, to move in and share expenses. To add to the mix, Margot invites a young man that she met at a protest outside Lehman Brothers, the handsome Anthony who excels at making a wide range of gourmet cupcakes, to join their household. When ex-husband Charles takes up residence in the same building after being released from prison, the roommates must frequently intervene to keep Margot from doing something rash. Meanwhile, Margot and Anthony are intent on helping Gwen carve out a life for herself, preferably with an eligible man. A perfect book to take with you on your summer vacation - don't miss it!
THEBOOKJEANIE is off on another trip and will return in two weeks. Never traveling so light that books are left out, these titles are sitting by the suitcase ready to be packed:
The Burgess Boys - Elizabeth Strout
Three Came Home - Agnes Keith
Gulp - Mary Roach
Being Peace - Thich Nhat Hanh
A quilt made for auction by Friends of the Wesleyan Library
Happy Reading!
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