I’m writing my reviews sitting on a porch in beautiful Orkney Springs, enjoying the smell of wood burning in the fireplace and the company of good friends. Taking a retreat and finding a place away from the distractions of everyday life gives you plenty of opportunity to read and write. This month’s book choices are an eclectic assortment with a wide range of themes. From a biography, to humor and historical fiction, there is something to appeal to everyone.
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared, is written by Swedish writer, Jonas Jonasson, was a huge hit in Sweden and has even been made into a film. There were many times when I laughed out loud as I read the exploits of a remarkable runaway. Allan Karlsson is fed up with being in the old folk’s home. They are getting ready to celebrate his 100th birthday and he’s decided he’ll be a no show. In his get-away Allan ends up absconding with a suitcase from the bus station. A comedy of errors ensues, with the owner of the money-filled suitcase chasing Allan across the countryside. As Allan is pursued and becomes involved with criminals and kind strangers alike, the reader slowly learns this centenarian’s history. And what a history…from being acquainted with Stalin, Truman and many others, to helping to make the atom bomb and preventing the assassination of Winston Churchill, it soon becomes clear Allan was a participant in many of the key events of the 20th century. I loved the whole story!
Another humorous tale is a memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell, I am not Myself These Days. Being a drag queen isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Filled with memorable, quirky characters it is witty, funny and poignant. There is grace and insight in his prose. This is the unbelievable true tragicomic story of man’s journey through a drag career and beyond. Aqua, Josh’s drag alter ego, will keep you entertained as he takes you on a roller coaster ride through New York City’s alternative lifestyle.
On the other end of the spectrum, there is the book Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayal of a Family Beyond Reproach by Meryl Gordon. Brook Astor was a famous philanthropist who lived in New York City and helped build up the New York Library, along with many other worthy causes. In this biography Gordon explores Astor’s later years and the scandal which rocked the country. Even before her death rumors were circulating about her son, Anthony Marshall, and how he was neglecting his mother’s care and how he seemed to be pilfering artwork and other items from her home. When Anthony’s son sues his father, accusing him of abusing Brook, and stealing her fortune, the media has a field day. Mrs. Astor’s final years were anything but peaceful. This is an American epic which explores the final y ears of her life and is a poignant look at a woman who rose to the heights of the mega rich and social elite and yet was still taken advantage of by those around her. Meryl Gordon does a marvelous job of putting all of the pieces together in a very readable account.
An historical thriller, The School of Night will appeal to Dan Brown fans. Louis Bayard tackles the mysteries of history and in this novel he focuses on the late 16th century scholars who formed a club called The School of Night to discuss forbidden topics. Allegedly it included Sir Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlow, George Chapman and was led by Thomas Harriot. Harriot, an obscure real life scientist was an English astronomer, mathematician, ethnographer and translator. Jumping from modern England to the 1600s, Bayard writes about a treasure that captures the imagination of modern day collectors and leads to murder. I love a story that makes me want to research history and after reading The School of Night I was immediately curious enough to read more about the accomplishments of Thomas Harriot.
I hope I have given you multiple different options for a pleasurable afternoon of reading in this wonderful crisp autumn air. If you can take a retreat and get away from the cares of the world, then take a trip to the mountains and enjoy the beautiful foliage this fall.