Current Picks

Holes by Louis Sachar (1998)

Current Picks — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:45 +0000

Louis Sachar’s Holes is a young adult book with short, bite-sized chapters that make you want to read the whole thing in one sitting—and you do. It follows young Stanley Yelnats who is unjustly sent to a correctional facility in the desert, most likely on account of a 100-year-old family curse, where he is forced to dig holes to “build character.” Every detail in the book is intertwined into a well-crafted plot which bounces back and forth between the present and past. It has quickly become one of my favorite books.

After you read the book, be sure to check out the movie version of Holes.

Paris in Love by Eloisa James (2012)

Current Picks — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:48 +0000

Eloisa James wrote this memoir based on her blog and Twitter posts during a sabbatical in Paris. The entries are filled with wit, wisdom, and insights into motherhood and life in general. Tidbits on daily life in Paris abound. The patient reader is rewarded with a sense of character development in each of her family members over the year. The author even throws in a few recipes, reminiscent of Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard, but it is a very different type of memoir.

After the last tear has been shed, the last laugh chuckled, and the family is safe and sound stateside, James adds “My Very Idiosyncratic Guide to a Few Places in Paris” for all of us who dream of visiting Paris someday. She recommends museums, galleries, boutiques, salons, eateries, chocolate shops, and the like that she frequented during her stay in the acclaimed city. Many include websites, just in case we can’t wait for our next trip abroad.

Paris in Love is my first taste of the author’s work and seems to be atypical. I may have to read one of Eloisa James’s (also known as Mary Bly) essays on Shakespeare or romance novels to complete the picture.

Sutton by J. R. Moehringer (2012)

Current Picks — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:00:44 +0000

William Sutton or “Willie the Actor” led quite a remarkable life robbing banks, stealing an estimated two million dollars during his lifetime. J.R. Moehringer’s characterization of the notorious bank robber in Sutton is of an intelligent “Robin Hood” figure. Told from Sutton’s perspective, the story begins on Christmas Eve 1969 when Willie is released from prison for good behavior and ailing health, after spending half his adult life behind bars. A reporter and photographer from the newspaper get an exclusive with Willie in exchange for room at a luxury hotel. However, Willie insists that they drive him around to locations in New York City as he recounts his story in chronological order. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the actor Dylan Baker who does an amazing job capturing all of the different characters.

The Body in the Belfry by Katherine Hall Page (1990)

Current Picks — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:00:30 +0000

There’s nothing like finding a dead body to cure a case of ennui. Faith Fairchild, a transplanted successful Manhattan caterer, was ruing her dull but comfortable life as a mother to baby Benjamin, and wife to Aleford, Massachusetts’ minister Tom Fairchild when she discovered the dead body of Cindy Moore, in the church’s belfry. When Cindy’s fiancé, a well-liked young parishioner becomes a key suspect, Faith takes it upon herself to “help” clear his name. Readers who enjoy well-written “cozy” mysteries, will enjoy the Faith Fairchild series.

Read The Body in the Belfry by Katherine Hall Page today.

Dream Team by Jack McCallum (2012)

Current Picks — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:00:58 +0000

In Dream Team: how Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the greatest team of all time conquered the world and changed the game of basketball forever, sportswriter Jack McCallum presents a behind-the-scenes look at the creation and execution of the greatest basketball team ever assembled. I was eight during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, so my memory of the events is a bit sketchy. I loved learning about the politics behind the creation of the team (ever wonder why Isaiah Thomas wasn’t invited?), the antics of the players in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, and their post-retirement lives. I grew up idolizing Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen– this is a great glimpse into one part of their storied careers.

The author interviewed each member of the team in 2011, plus he was part of the contingent of journalists following the team in 1992 (and a basketball writer for Sports Illustrated in the years before and after). There’s at least one chapter on each member of the team: 11 of the 12 members of the 1992 Dream Team are members of the Hall of Fame (mindboggling, isn’t it?).

Want to learn more about the Dream Team? Check out a NBA.com article complete with images and video clips.

Enjoy this clip of the Dream Team’s Hall of Fame enshrinement speech:

Monkeewrench by P. J. Tracy (2003)

Current Picks — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:00:27 +0000

This thriller mystery jumps right through cyberspace. A killer begins murdering victims on a computer game. By duplicating each murder exactly, the police department of Minneapolis must try to outwit and out think a psychopathic genius. The story is easy to follow and sure fun to read. Get started with Monkeewrench then read the rest of the series by P. J. Tracy.

Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos (2009)

Current Picks — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:00:10 +0000

Sing Them Home is an imaginative novel that covers familiar themes of loss, grief, and family; a moving portrait of three siblings who have lived with unresolved grief since their mother’s death in the tornado of 1978. When they’re summoned home to Emlyn Springs, Nebraska, after their father’s death, each is forced to revisit the childhood tragedy that has defined their lives.

Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos is a wonderful story – told with a touch of magical realism – of lives connected and undone by tragedy who find redemption by returning home.

Death is a Cabaret by Deborah Morgan (2001)

Current Picks — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:00:26 +0000

This is the first book in the Antique Lover’s Mystery series. Both the premise and the characters have potential, but the plot drags in parts. Jeff Talbot is a retired FBI agent who has turned his passion for antiques into a business. He retired early from the FBI for a little peace and quiet with his wife who suffers from agoraphobia and cannot leave their home. His antique buying trip to Mackinac Island is anything but peaceful and quiet. Jeff finds himself using his FBI skills once again when dead bodies turn up at the Grand Hotel. Morgan adds authenticity to the story with her extensive knowledge of antiques. Download the audiobook of Death is a Cabaret today.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (1999)

Current Picks — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:00:12 +0000

In Stardust young Tristran Thorn grows up in the Village of Wall which lies on the edge of Fairie land. The villagers only enter the land beyond their walled town once every nine years when they mix with magical folk at a temporary market. Following his heart, Tristran embarks on a journey into Fairie which reveals his gifts and subjects him to great challenges. Gaiman’s fantasy is entertaining, at times amusing, and very engrossing.

Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough (2012)

Current Picks — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:00:55 +0000

In the early thirties, Rex Stout created the eccentric private detective Nero Wolfe who lived in a New York brownstone, raised orchids, ate gourmet dinners, drank beer, and solved crimes from the comfort of his chair, aided by the leg work of Archie Goodwin. In this prequel by Goldsborough, we see how this famous partnership started.

Fresh in Depression-era New York from Ohio, Archie is willing and ready. He gets a job with another private eye, solves some cases, and then when the son of a wealthy Long Island millionaire goes missing gets his chance to work with the great man. Archie has all the ironic humor and wry eye we know from the classic series. Check out Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough today.