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What We're Reading Now April 2014
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Long man : a novel
by Amy Greene
History proves that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) did achieve its purpose—enabling flood control and addressing issue s of severely depleted farm land and destitute landowners and tenants.
But when the year is 1936, and certain families, already reeling from the Depression, are advised that the government will purchase their farms and assist them to relocate elsewhere, the advantages of this scheme are not in the least evident.
All Annie Clyde Dodson knows is that her ancestral landholding, the last remnant of her identity and self-respect, is about to be covered by a lake—as is the nearby town.
Evocative and compelling, Greene’s story transports readers into Annie Clyde’s world. It’s a wonderful find for historical fiction fans.
LS
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The secret of Raven Point : a novel
by Jennifer Vanderbes
Star high school student Juliet Dufresne abandons her college plans when beloved older brother, the popular Tuck, enlists in World War II.
Before Juliet has even finished her “accelerated” nursing course, Tuck is reported missing and Juliet consequently volunteers for service in Italy. Her mission: discover Tuck’s whereabouts—or his fate.
But the sheer magnitude of toil and perseverance needed to carry Juliet from one day to the next amid devastating injuries and danger encountered at a field hospital five miles from the front initially sidelines her efforts to locate Tuck.
Then, a clue comes her way. Vanderbes combines a wealth of realistic detail about field hospital conditions and a contemporary sensibility about “different” soldiers for engrossing historical fiction.
LS
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Nothing daunted : the unexpected education of two society girls in the West
by Dorothy Wickenden
Servants to cook one’s meals and launder one’s clothing; society teas; education at Smith College; shopping at all the best establishments—not the ideal preparation for teaching in a small schoolhouse in the mountainous wilds of Colorado.
But New Yorker editor Wickenden’s grandmother, along with her grandmother’s best friend, sought opportunities to experience a bit more of life before they succumbed to their families’ expectations of settling down with the right sort of husband.
Based on over 100 letters sent home during that eventful year, Wickenden’s account of the young women’s adventures—and of rapidly changing life in the 20th-century West—charms and enlightens.
LS
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The economics book
by Inc. Dorling Kindersley
The Economics Book will satisfy the curious as well as the clueless (like me) who struggle with understanding economic ideas and theories.
The genius of the book results from its easily digestible and accessible essays (e.g. “The Cost of Going to the Movies is the Fun You’d Have Had at the Ice Rink”; “Make the Polluter Pay: External Costs”; “Crowds Breed Collective Insanity: Economic Bubbles”). Illuminating sidebars and voluminous supporting illustrations, flowcharts, graphs, and pictures complete the package.
Make this book your first stop in demystifying the subject.
CS
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Under the wide and starry sky : a novel
by Nancy Horan
Horan’s (Loving Frank) immersive fictional biography, inspired by a great deal of primary-source reading, considers the love story of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) and his American wife, divorcee Fanny Osbourne.
Fanny’s “older woman” status; the dynamics of two intense, highly creative temperaments; extended-family issues; the sheer logistics of finding and establishing residences in locales beneficial to Stevenson’s very fragile health—these and other factors are explored as Horan portrays Stevenson’s ascent to celebrity status.
Best of all, Horan imparts “writerly” insights, and not just from Stevenson’s point of view; Henry James, in particular, plays a delightful supporting role.
LS
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My life in Middlemarch
by Rebecca Mead
Does anyone really like Middlemarch—George Eliot’s massive about village life in another time? Is the story relevant to non-English majors?
Mead’s evidence, based both on research and on her own life, supports a resounding “Yes!”
Mead offers a considerable store of historical and critical views regarding Middlemarch and its author. But what makes her book noteworthy is the sharing of her own experiences in village life, love, and creativity—many closely paralleling Eliot’s.
Mead loved Eliot’s story from her first reading; intervening decades have cemented the affinity for her—and potentially for others. While Middlemarch fans (like this one) will savor the book, it’s also recommended for other enlightened readers.
LS
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Little demon in the city of light : a true story of murder and mesmerism in Belle Epoque Paris
by Steven Levingston
As with the recent Sochi Olympic Games, the 1889 Paris Exposition provided its hosts the ultimate opportunity for showcasing their city and country: the just –completed Eiffel Tower, the world’s largest enclosed structure, and other marvels.
Belle Epoch Paris was, in the author’s words, “a stage”, upon which another spectacle, the sordid murder of a beloved father and popular citizen, evidenced another face of the city.
Levingston masterfully interweaves crime solving; bureaucracy; a dark-tinged social milieu (visits to the Paris morgue constituted entertainment ); early discoveries in the field of psychology; a landmark legal precedent; and more for this enlightening and entertaining read. Not just for true crime fans--readers who loved Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City shouldn’t miss this.
LS
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Black moon : a novel
by Kenneth Calhoun
Easy to recognize, they shamble about speaking brokenly and seeking to destroy those who possess the vital capability lost to themselves.
These are not zombies; they’re insomniacs. For whatever reason, sleeplessness has overtaken much of the population. Pharmacies are ransacked and desperate scientific experiments are undertaken in search of the means to induce or enable sleep.
Those fortunate enough to retain the power of sleep are unlucky in other regards; if discovered asleep or even suspected to have the power to slumber, they are pursued by enraged insomniacs who wish them dead.
Calhoun’s imagining of a sleep-deprived world is chilling and compelling.
LS
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I see you made an effort : compliments, indignities, and survival stories from the edge of fifty
by Annabelle Gurwitch
Aging has been described as “the worst thing you can do in America”.
And, as much as Gurwitch decries society’s pigeonholing of the over-50 demographic, she devotes considerable verbiage to the disrespect accorded by one’s own body and by laws of the universe (e.g., gravity).
Doctor visits, casting calls, and encounters with oh-so-youthful Apple “geniuses” supply hilarious fodder for Gurwitch’s laugh-out-loud essays.
Be advised: Gurwitz’s humor is frank and edgy.
LS
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Get a hobby! : 101 all-consuming diversions for any lifestyle
by Tina Barseghian
A guide for anybody who might be interested in trying out something new, but doesn’t know quite what that new something might be.
A quiz in the front of the book can help you to determine your own style of hobby interests. Perhaps you are a patient crafty type, or perhaps you are independent and outdoorsy, or perhaps you just like hobbies you can eat.
Or just skip the quiz and start perusing through the list of interesting and often unusual hobbies. You might just find something you can really throw yourself into.
DS
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American mirror : the life and art of Norman Rockwell
by Deborah Solomon
Norman Rockwell is an American Rorschach Test. To some he highlights the greatest American values while to others his art embodies rose-colored nostalgia at its worst. Your perspective depends on what assumptions you bring to his work.
However, ask people about Rockwell the man and you will get blank stares. In American Mirror, Deborah Solomon does an excellent job lifting the veil on Rockwell’s life. With lively, page-turning prose, she contextualizes his work and documents how social, political, and cultural forces impacted Rockwell and shows him through his art to be a conduit for these changes in mid-20th century American society.
Love him or hate, Rockwell cannot be ignored and Solomon’s book ensures this. Highly recommended not only for all those who enjoy art, but for those who enjoy biography and 20th century American history.
CS
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