Book Worm

By Suzanne Nash

Around this time of year I get “itchy feet” and long to pack a bag and travel to parts unknown.  If you are like me and dream of travel but you can’t get away right now, books are a great way to transport you to other places and other times…at least you will get a mental break!

If you don’t want to go too far afield try In the Shadow of Lakecrest by Elizabeth Blackwell which takes place in 1928 Chicago. It has the flavor of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. A young woman, Kate, looking to escape her past, falls for a handsome young man on a transatlantic crossing.  She believes all her prayers are answered when the wealthy young man is equally smitten with her. She is not, however, the bride his family would have chosen for him.  As the new Mrs. Matthew Lemont Kate finds she has very little say in her day to day life.  Her mother-in-law, Hannah, wielded the real power and was not about to turn the running of the family home over to Kate.  She was also not about to let Kate take her son away from her. Underneath all of the family tension is the sinister disappearance years earlier of Matthew’s aunt Cecily. This is a novel full of twists and turns and I especially liked the way Blackwell ended the story.

Taking place around the same time, but a world away, A Gentleman in Moscow is set in 1928 Moscow.  Amor Towles is a beautiful writer whose lyrical style will be sure to capture your heart. Count Alexander Rustov finds himself consigned to house arrest by the Bolsheviks at the Metropol Hotel. His once sumptuous suite has been confiscated and he is transplanted to a small room near the attic.  Despite being detained and imprisoned, the Count comes into his own through his acquaintances at the hotel.  He is a man of purpose and a true gentleman in every sense of the word.  With style and wit we see the world change around him.  His elegance and aplomb keep him a gentleman to the end.  Through his tutoring and relationships with others we are taught some of the small distinguishing aspects that define a gentleman or lady’s behavior.  Small details of a person’s behavior define who they are and what they value.  Towles has a masterful way with words as he weaves food, love, espionage, politics, philosophy and class together to create a socially captivating tale that will make you feel as if you were right beside the Count as he elegantly glides through the political turmoil of the time.

If you want to bask in warmer climates you may want to investigate The Invitation by Lucy Foley.  The novel begins in 1953 Rome as Hal, a young struggling journalist, gets the opportunity to enjoy an evening in the upper circle of Roman society.  He is enchanted by the privileged life as well as by a beautiful young woman.  A year later Hal gets another lucky break and once more is thrust into the upper echelon of society. An Italian Contessa has hired him to report on a movie she has made that will be featured at the Cannes film festival.  She has invited Hal to travel with her and her entourage on her yacht.  The group includes an Italian actress, an American star, a reclusive director and the young woman he had met in Rome…Stella. Unfortunately Stella is married to a very controlling American and slowly we begin to unravel her tale.   Beautiful descriptions of Rome as well as the lovely Italian coast make this a true escape for the senses but it also wraps multiple stories together in a very readable way. While Foley’s writing style is not as sophisticated as Towles, this is still a thoroughly enjoyable book that will have you feeling the warm summer breezes of Italy.

So if you can’t get away physically this March, try taking a mental break and explore other places through reading.  Just think…you don’t even have to pack your bags!

By Suzanne Nash

Well the year has begun and despite warmer than normal temperatures, I still find myself wanting to curl up by the fire with a pile of books.  Valentine’s Day is fast approaching so I thought this month I’d choose a few to make your heart beat a little faster.

The Keeper of Lost Causes is the first in a series called Department Q by Jussi Adler-Olsen.  I love Scandinavian authors and this author’s books are a combination of the writings of Steif Larsson and Thomas Harris. The protagonist, Carl Mork, is a homicide detective in Copenhagen who is promoted to take over a new department which handles cold cases. Actually the powers that be just want to get Carl out of the way as he is difficult and no one really wants to work with him. He joins forces with his unusually astute handy man, Assad, to tackle the first case which involves the disappearance of a liberal politician five years previously.  Merete vanished from a ferry and everyone assumes she is dead but Carl is not so sure. I just recently discovered that Netflix has several movies based on this series of books and they are very good if you don’t mind subtitles.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena is a New York Times best seller that came out this summer. It has gotten mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it.  It reminds me a bit of The Girl on the Train. Anne and Marco appear to have a wonderful life: a beautiful house, a great business and a new baby.  But when their baby Cora is taken from her bed, their whole world comes crumbling down and everyone starts seeing the cracks. None of the characters are particularly likable…they are all hiding secrets and filled with flaws but the twists and turns of the story create a wonderful ride.  I can easily see this turned into a movie at some point.

Another thriller, The Sign by Raymond Khoury, will make you second guess how you would respond to a miraculous sign. A strange and unexplainable sign suddenly appears above a melting polar icecap and the world takes notice. Is it a sign from God? Are we supposed to be doing something more to protect this earth? Or is this some kind of hoax? Grace Logan and Matt Sherwood are determined to figure out what the sign means and how it may be created. As they race across the globe in search of answers, they are being pursued by dangerous men with a lot of money backing them.  It’s a dangerous game and time is running out for them to get to the bottom of things before the religions of the world come to blows.

I’m not a big reader of romance novels but since Valentine’s Day is all about romance I thought I would give local author Jenny Gardiner’s new romance series, Royal Romeos, a try. The Romeo family owns a vineyard in Italy and in Black Sheep Romeo, Lizzie Moretti finds herself scared, alone, sick and hiding in an outbuilding on the Romeo Estate when Matteo Romeo finds her and the sparks begin to fly. If you are looking for a bit of good old fashioned escapism….this is it. With Italy as the backdrop and a family of Romeos it seems the perfect match for a Valentine’s read! Red Carpet Romeo comes out in February and features the Romeo family’s daughter Valentina (OK yet another Valentine’s Day plug). Valentina is a bridesmaid in her cousin Luca’s royal wedding. It’s the perfect chance to show Luca’s college friend, Parker, that she is all grown up. It’s a natural instinct for most women to want to make that one guy who rejected them regret their stupidity and that’s what this story is all about.  Parker takes one look at Valentina and decides to change his mind about her…but she is having none of it.  It’s a fun romp through the countryside of Italy and made me smile.

So I hope your February is filled with romance and thrills…it won’t be from lack of reading material!

By Suzanne Nash

Happy New Year to Keswick and I hope your year begins with multiple good books to light your way!

We are fortunate to have our very own Fred Shackelford releasing his new novel The Ticket and it’s a great way to start your year off right. Channing Booker has won the jackpot lottery and hidden the ticket in order to make sure he doesn’t have to share his winnings. This character is sleazy but amusing and it’s entertaining to watch him as he searches for the ticket that suddenly disappears along with the book it was tucked into. Filled with twists and turns, it’s a legal drama that will satisfy the suspense lover.

Elizabeth Eaves has an insatiable hunger to travel the world. In Wanderlust:A Love Affair with Five Continents, Eaves covers fifteen years of her exploits as she traverses the globe. From London to Egypt, Paris to Karachi, if you have itchy feet like me, this book will make you long to book a plane ticket. Along the way you will discover how the authors love of travel and adventure is tangled up in her desire for different lovers. She seems to constantly be searching for some experience beyond her grasp and that propels her forward at every turn.

If you want a book that changes her perspective on mental illness and leadership try Nassir Ghaemi’s A First Rate Madness. Ghaemi takes a look at why sometimes sanity is not always a plus when leading a country or corporation through tumultuous times. He covers famous historical leaders such as Churchill, Ghandi, Sherman, Ted Turner, and Kennedy in his attempt to illustrate his theories and I found it gave me a great deal to think about. It will certainly make you see that mental illness may not be a completely negative thing. There’s hope for me yet!

So if you don’t have a New Years Resolution yet, try resolving to read more in 2017 and I hope to see you in the bookstore soon!

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The Virginia Festival of the Book announced recently the 2017 Festival headline events addressing Andrew Wyeth’s influence, real and imagined; family ties, to community and to murder; a realistic look at the state of the American economy, from past influencers to necessary changes; how failure influences science; diner food, traditional to modern; and odes to poets, ancient and contemporary.

Headliners for 2017:

•Neurobiologist Stuart Firestein, author of “Failure: Why Science Is So Successful”, will speak at the Leadership Breakfast on Wednesday, March 22;

•Novelist Christina Baker Kline, author of “Orphan Train” and the forthcoming “A Piece of the World” (February 2017), will speak on Thursday, March 23;

•Detective fiction writer Laura Lippman, author of the Tess Monaghan series and “Wilde Lake”, will speak at the Crime Wave Brunch on Saturday, March 25;

•Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, author of “The Great Divide and The Price of Inequality”, will headline a series on economic inequality

•James Beard Award-winning chef Ashley Christensen, author of “Poole’s: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner”, will speak and lead a cooking demo

•Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander, author of “The Crossover”, and Caldecott winner Ekua Holmes, illustrator of “Voice of Freedom”, will give presentations to local students in addition to a public program about their forthcoming collaboration, “Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets” (March 2017).

In making the announcements, Kulow said, “These authors make up a very short list of all who will come to Charlottesville next March, yet they are representative of the breadth of programs we present in every festival, offering a fascinating take on science, new fiction from a major bestselling author, beautifully illustrated poetry for children, a wonderful new cookbook for foodies, one of our premier crime writers, and a Nobel Laureate in economics. We’re off to a great start!”

Tickets for select events go on sale at VaBook.org on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. Additional authors and events will be announced as they are confirmed.

By Suzanne Nash

Thanksgiving has come and gone and Christmas shopping is in full swing.  If you have book lovers on your shopping list I have a few suggestions…

For your youngest readers,  I often return to three favorites…Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Mechenmaser, Christmas in the Country by Rylant/Gabe and How Six Found Christmas by Tina Schart Hyman.

For grownups who enjoy thrillers, a good fit might be The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.  I know the movie has just recently come out in theaters and many have seen it but the book is a marvelous ride and I admit I didn’t see the end coming.  It builds and builds and with the unreliable narrative you are never sure if you are getting reality or some skewed drunken perspective from the protagonist, Rachel, as she tries to discover what happened to a girl she used to see every day in passing from her commuter train window.

For a story with a completely different feel, take a look at Poison by Sara Poole. Renaissance Rome is the setting for this historical mystery and it follows the story of Francesca Giordano who is trying to figure out a way to avenge her father’s death.  When she takes her father’s place as the poisoner for Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, she is thrust into the middle of political and religious intrigue that rocks Rome from the Jewish ghetto to the Vatican. This is an interesting foray into the world of the renaissance poisoner and the house of Borgia was a keen user of their talents. Poison was a favored type of political assassination since, if the poisoners were skillful, the poison could mimic so many natural diseases.

If you think your reader might enjoy fact rather than fiction The Hotel on Place Vendome by Tilar J. Mazzeo is a wonderful choice. Paris during the occupation was a crazy time and The Ritz Hotel was in the center of it all, quite literally.. While Paris was in the throes of war, those who occupied the Ritz lived a very different life.  Actresses and spies rubbed shoulders with top Nazi leaders. Secrets were traded, murders committed and loyalties were tested. From Coco Chanel and Goring to Hemingway and Dietrich, they all passed through the doors of The Ritz and left a story…and it is all here in this masterful piece of work by the author of The Widow Cliquot.

My latest favorite find is the beautifully written creation by journalist, Sandy Tolen , called The Lemon Tree.  While you might not think another look at the Israeli Palestinian Conflict is something anyone wants to read during the holidays…I found it inspiring and compelling and once I started I couldn’t put it down.  When a Palestinian family has to leave their family home and find they can’t return is upturns their world.  Years later a family member returns to his hometown to meet the current Jewish owners.  It is heart wrenching and will make you look at how two opposing sides can speak with kindness and love in the face of their countries conflict. I applaud the authors attempt to present both sides of the argument with equanimity and gentleness.

May you all experience the love and joy of this season and hopefully I will see you in the bookstore!!

By Suzanne Nash

The heat of the summer is finally breaking and fall is due to arrive soon, and with it comes darkening days…a perfect accompaniment to some spooky tales.Just in time for Halloween!

Catriona McPherson has written a very eerie story that takes place at what was once a school as is now a care facility: Eden. The Child Garden has a very gothic and haunted setting, Eden holds secrets that haunt all the children who used to attend the former school. Gloria Harkness visits Eden regularly because her son resides there, as does Miss Drumm, the owner of Rough House where Gloria now lives. Every evening Gloria makes the trek from Rough House to Eden to read to her son, who no longer responds to any stimulus. One evening a childhood friend shows up with a strange tale of being stalked by a former classmate from Eden.  When they head out in the dark to meet the stalker they find her dead and this leads to a journey back in time to unravel the mystery of the school. One by one the former students of Eden are being killed and Gloria must protect all those she loves from a threat from the past.

The Uninvited by Cat Winters takes place in 1918. Ivy Rowan has just recovered from the great influenza epidemic and has begun to have “the gift” (or perhaps it’s a curse) of “sight”.  She see people who have died prior to someone close to her passing.  When her brother and father kill a young German in retaliation for the death of Ivy’s brother, Billy, in the Great War, she is devastated.  Ivy becomes involved with the young German’s brother, Daniel Schendel.  Her involvement with him is seen with suspicion by the townsfolk, who begin to think she is colluding with the enemy.  This is a book of mystery and uninvited guests.  Flu and war have created panic and unrest. Jazz, passion and freedom abound because each day could be the last and it sets the stage for a compelling novel.

I love a book where I cannot see the twists and turns coming and The Children’s Home definitely delivers. This is a spooky fairy tale built around the idea of loneliness. Morgan Fletcher is a wealthy man living as a hermit due to his disfigurement.  He has two companions, Engel, the housekeeper and Dr. Crane, the town physician.  The story dissolves slowly into a surreal portrait of a man trying to find himself. He is alone until children begin to show up and populate his house. Not only is this story sure to give you chills but it is a commentary on exploitation and capitalism.

Chasing the Devil’s Tale takes place in 1907 New Orleans. Using a historical background with characters based on historical figures, Author David Fulmer has created a tale of intrigue and mystery.  Storyville is the red light district of New Orleans where alcohol, drugs and women are available at every turn. This area is run by Tom Anderson, the acknowledged King of Storyville who keeps a very talented Creole detective, Valentin St. Cyr on his payroll.  St Cyr is following a series of grisly murders very closely.  One of the things I enjoyed most about this mystery is the connection to the history of New Orleans. Lulu White ( a notorious madam), E.J. Bellocq ( A photographer of fallen women), Jelly Roll Morton (a piano player) and Buddy Boldon (a jazz musician) all populate this story and are worth exploring further after you close this book.  Jazz was seen as the Devil’s music and as murders start to take an upswing in Storyville, fingers start pointing toward Buddy Bolden, the famous Jazz musician. As things progress it begins to look looks like the Devil has taken his due from Billy, causing him to lose his mind.

So pull up a chair and get ready to experience the chills that come with the fall and creepy tales. Happy Halloween.

By Suzanne Nash

The heat of the summer is upon us and I returned to a tradition that I instituted when my children were little…a weekly excursion to the downtown library.  There is nothing more satisfying than returning home with a stack full of new books to explore.  Chores are left undone and the bedside light stays on a little later as I indulge myself. There is nothing quite so satisfying! So here are some of my latest finds and I hope they inspire you to make the journey to your local library and load up on mystery and fantasy this month.

In the mystery category, William J. Mann has done a marvelous job recreating Hollywood at the beginning of the film industry (1920’s). Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood takes place when the movie industry was just beginning to deal with the threat of censorship. The murder of a well-respected Hollywood resident, William Desmond Taylor, brings the decadent lifestyle of the stars and producers into clear focus. Mann provides wonderful insight not only into the murder but also explores the men who are responsible for the beginning of the film industry.  He has done an incredible amount of work to give a possible and profitable conclusion to this real life murder.

A Certain Age by Beatiz Williams takes you to the same time period…the 1920s, but on the other side of the United States.  Mrs. Theresa Marshall of Fifth Avenue and South Hampton, Long Island is having an affair with The Boy (Captain Octavian Rofrano). A hero of the Great War, The Boy caught the eye of Theresa while summering in the Hamptons.  Theresa’s husband, Sylvo, keeps himself busy with his mistresses, leaving Theresa to amuse herself. For those of you familiar with opera, this is a re-interpretation of Richard Strauss’ comic opera, Der Rosenkavalier, set in the Jazz Age. It is very well written and the mystery is kept taut until the end.

Another mystery which carries over the operatic theme, Sent to the Devil by Laura Lebow takes place in Vienna, Austria in 1788.  Dupont, who writes librettos for Mozart’s operas, used to be a priest but when his friend, Father Alois, is murdered, Dupont is pulled into the investigation against his will. Memorable characters that you will recognize from history populate this enthralling novel.  Vivid descriptions of Vienna…the parks, the coffee houses and the palaces make this a perfect summer read if you want to be taken on a journey to Europe.

There are several lovely fantasy novels out currently and I always enjoy this genre in the summer so if you have never delved into fantasy before, now is a good opportunity.

The House of Shattered Wings takes place in France sometime after the war between the Houses of Mortals and Fallen Angels.  These houses are now vying for control over the once beautiful Paris. There is a dark evil lurking in the shadows, killing mortals and the fallen equally.  Filled with magic and mystery, this novel by Aliette de Bodard reminded me a little of a Harry Potter for adults.

Erick Setiawan created a mystical world in Of Bees and Mist, where family secrets chain children to past mistakes. Meridia grows up in a cold (very literally cold) home which is haunted by a fog that comes and goes every evening.  When she falls in love with Daniel, marries him and moves into his family home, she believes she has escaped the hard cold existence of her youth. Unfortunately she finds herself in another web constructed by her mother-in-law.  This novel is about three generations of woman who can weave spells of magic to control their world, sometimes with devastating effects.

The Fourline Trilogy begins with The Gateway to Fourline.  It is actually considered young adult fantasy but I loved it…maybe that says something about me. Author Pam Brondos has done a wonderful job creating a world that is alluring, frightening and addicting. Natalie Barnes is struggling to keep her grades up and come up with a way to pay school fees without causing her family to lose their farm.  She comes into contact with some strange characters who offer her a way to solve all of her problems and suddenly she is pulled into an intrigue that encompasses two worlds.  She must learn to fight and defend herself and her new friends in a world with completely different rules.  I enjoyed the first book so much I got the other two in the series and had them read within the week.

So if you are in the mood for literary indulgence go take a trip to the library and grab a selection of titles to tempt you into some late night reading.