Roberta’s Top Picks for Spring Reading

May - June  2013

 

 

      Fiction

 

• The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud.  A wonderful study of a single woman who has been an elementary school teacher, always a reliable friend and neighbor.  A new family moves into her building, and quickly Nora is drawn into the emotions and the intense daily life of the couple, Sandar and Sirena, and their daughter Reza.  We feel the urgency and the compassion of Nora's desire to love and be loved by this wonderful family.  $25.95

 

 

• The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.  In this debut novel, Stedman tells the story about Tom, a WWI vet, his wife Isabel, and a life of loneliness as the lighthouse keeper on an isolated rock off the coast of Australia.  The loneliness is abated when a small baby is washed up on shore.  The choice to keep the baby turns into a tragedy, but we, the readers, care so desperately for their well being. $25; $16 in paperback.

 

 

• The Dinner by Herman Koch.  Koch invites you, the reader, to be a "voyeur" of one family's unraveling.  The action takes place at a dinner table at a chic restaurant where the two couples, related, come together to discuss the act of violence that their two sons (cousins) have committed.  Tolstoy's opening line of Anna Karenina is quoted often, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."  $24

 

 

• Schroder by Amity Gaige.  I loved this book. It is a brilliant study of a first-generation East German immigrant who spends his life in the U.S. trying to change his identity, his bad luck, his ill-starred marriage.  Unfortunately, he exacerbates his situation by taking his 6-year-old daughter on a "trip" without permission and thereby setting up a confrontation that cannot be resolved.  $21.99

 

 

• The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout.  As compelling as her Pulitzer Prize winner Olive Kitteridge, Strout’s new novel once again addresses the core of human connection. It shows her understanding of family ties and how the complexity of one individual affects and surprises others.  A brilliant story.  $26

 

 

• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.  A bit of science fiction, a bit of suspension of belief, but a fabulous tale about Ursula Todd, who is born over and over again throughout the story. It spans WWII, and we live through some pretty weird scenes with Eva Braun and Adolph Hitler—but it all fits together and I loved it. $27.99

 

 

• The News From Spain: 7 Variations on a Love Story by Joan Wickersham.  In every one of these seven stunning short stories is the mention of "the news from Spain!"  But that is not the only link—they range over centuries and continents and yet speak to each other in extraordinary ways.  A brilliant collection.  $24.95

 

 

• Tenth of December by George Saunders blew me away!  His stories cut to the core of human experience, dealing with our own morality, asking questions of what makes us human and what makes us good? His characters are unforgettable. I read this book in one sitting. $26

 

 

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  A favorite of mine for a long time, this thriller will draw you in right from the start until the last page. Amy disappears on her fifth wedding anniversary and her husband, Nick, is the prime suspect. It deserves to be the #1 NYT Suspense Novel!  $25

 

 

• Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende.  Allende never disappoints, her fluid prose and her exciting characters continue to thrill. Maya leads a difficult life, ending up in ugly Las Vegas—but soon her grandmother is able to rescue her from a life of drugs and sex and help her to regain stability in Chile. A beautiful book to read.  $27.99

 

 

• Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra. Told over the course of five days during the Chechen conflict, this remarkable first novel navigates between the brutal lives of eight individuals—with moments of levity that have the reader mesmerized. A magnificent story of love, faith, and the power of fate. $26 

 

 

Fiction -  Paperback

 

• The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro. The backdrop is the true story of the theft of thirteen works of art worth over $500 million from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in March 1990.  In this novel based on that theft, a young struggling artist has been asked to "reproduce" the Degas—actually, to "forge" the painting.  It is the story about Isabella Gardner, Degas, and the blending of art history, deceit, forgery, and one of the most audacious heists in the world of art!   $14.95

 

 

• Leon and Louise by Alex Capus.  Translated from the Swiss, this paperback original is an unforgettable story of two young French people who meet and fall in love at the onset of WWII.  They are then separated until the end of the war, communicating only through letters.  The opening chapter is one of the most stirring and beautifully written episodes I have ever read.  S15

 

 

• Michelangelo's Last Painting, Its Chilling Revelation by Andrew Boemi.  An apocalyptic, demonic thriller that keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. As the quest for the missing masterpiece heats up, "something ominous" looms.   $16.95  

 

 

• My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young.  An evocative novel set against the backdrop of World War I, concerning two men whose lives intersect on the battlefield as well as the women they left behind in England. The novel explores how both men and women were affected by the war experience, along with a very heartfelt love story.  $14.99

 

 

• Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller. A retelling of the Iliad and yet an original work of art by an incredibly talented new novelist.  The story is told with tender care about the friendship of the favored Achilles and his friend, the awkward prince Patroclus. $15

 

 

• Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrich.  A wonderful book following his bestseller A Reliable Wife.  Goolrich has written an intense and unexpected look into the heart of Charlie Beal, a recent WWII veteran, who arrives in a small town and turns it upside down.  A book not easily forgotten.  $ 14.95

 

 

• Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter.  This is a romp through the Italian coast of the Ligurian Sea, shifting to Hollywood and the movie industry—spanning fifty years and a dozen unforgettable characters. It is a gem of a read that is both hilarious and heartbreaking.  Richard Burton makes a cameo appearance. $15

 

 

Non-Fiction General

   

 

• The Future, Six Drivers of Global Change by Al Gore.  This wonderful book offers an important assessment of how our country is dealing with the changing world around us. It is a brilliant analysis of why our middle class has shrunk, the ways in which we can grow in cyberspace, the environment, the economy, education, and other global challenges.  $30

 

 

• And Man Created God: A History of the World at the Time of Jesus by Selina O'Grady.  This is a study of how Christianity managed to grow and emerge triumphant from a world populated by gods and demigods. She describes the conditions that allowed the small sect of Christianity to become a dominant religion in the West. $26.99

 

 

• Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors by Peter Ackroyd. In this, the first of a multi-volume history, the full panoramic sweep of English history, up to the Tudors, is brought to life.  Peter Ackroyd is a master storyteller and an eminent historian.  The result is a history enlivened with anecdotes and wry commentary that add color and richness to a long and complex saga.   $29.99

 

 

• Citizens of London by Lynne Olson.  A favorite among readers of WWII history and the Americans who stood by Britain and Winston Churchill at the beginning of 1941.  It is a look at how the Americans convinced FDR and the American public to enter the war through their ties with Churchill.  Reads like a novel.  $17 paperback
  
• Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America’s Fight Over World War II, 1939-1941 by Lynne Olson. Following her acclaimed Citizens of London (above), Olson turned her attention to the powerful isolationist—and in some cases pro-fascist—forces that effectively delayed the U.S. entrance into the war. The immense popularity of Charles Lindbergh gave credence to the anti-war forces and provided a spokesman of sufficient stature to force Roosevelt himself to walk a very thin political tightrope. Olson brings the immediacy of events and personalities to life.  $30

 

 

• Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo.  Everyone who has read this book has loved it intensely!  Boo spent three years living in Mumbai and seeing life, death, and even hope!  It reads like a novel, beautifully written and fast-paced. On every year-end top ten list and winner of the National Book Award in 2012. $27

 

 

• London: A History in Verse edited by Mark Ford.  An unexpected treat in the category of poetry and history.  The voices of Britain's finest poets praise and condemn the city of London as a place of beauty and culture—plus, it’s a good guide to the city. $35

 

 

• My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read and Shop edited by Ronald Rice. Mike Leonard, from NBC's Today Show, was our "writer" and did a great job! As Richard Russo said in his introduction, "If you haven't been in a good bookstore in a while, the book you now hold in your hand will welcome you home. Mike’s entry is on page 211.  $23.95
  
• Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: the Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan, a Pulitzer Prize winning writer for The New York Times.  In this book, Egan chronicles three decades of Edward Curtis' persistence and ambition in photographing and documenting the vanishing ways of life of some eighty American Indian tribes.  A brilliant book in all ways. $28
  

 

• Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed.  Nancy Randall from The Book Stall picked this as her favorite book of the year, primarily because she felt that each answer in Strayed's "Advice Column" offered a kernel of truth that everyone can benefit from. She also offers vignettes from her own colorful past! We have sold hundreds of copies!  $14.95 paperback

 

 

• What Are You Looking At? by Will Gompertz.  Gompertz asks the questions "What is Modern Art? Why do we either love it or loathe it?”  And “Why is it worth so much money?"  Good questions answered by an expert, the BBC Arts editor.  It is a refreshing, irreverent and always straightforward account about the artists and their art over the last 150 years.  $28.95

 

 

• Fighting for Common Ground: How We Can Fix the Stalemate in Congress by Olympia Snowe. The former United States Senator was known for her ability to rise above partisanship and forge alliances for the common good. A well-told story. $26

 

 

 

Cookbooks

 

• A Time to Cook: Dishes from My Southern Sideboard by James Farmer III. Farmer—a Southern author, gardener, floral and interior designer, cook and garden-to-table lifestyle expert—adds his own twists on traditional Southern dishes. He uses what is fresh and best, gleaned from the land and garden and steeped in heritage. $35




• It's All Good: Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great by Gwyneth Paltrow.   The Oscar-winning actress shares the go-to dishes that have become the baseline for the restorative diet she turns to whenever she feels she needs it. $32




• Monica Pedersen Make It Beautiful: Designs and Ideas for Entertaining at Home. Author, designer, and HGTV host Pederson shares her practical home-entertaining know-how, with ideas that appeal to everyone from first-time hosts to seasoned party-throwers. $35




• Gran Cucina Latina: The Food of Latin America by Maricel Presilla. It’s just been named the James Beard Foundation’s 2013 “Cookbook of the Year,” and deservedly so. Already a favorite at The Book Stall, it unifies the vast culinary landscape of the Latin world to give home cooks, armchair travelers, and curious chefs the first comprehensive collection of recipes from the region. $45




• Fabio’s Italian Kitchen by Fabio Viviani. The star of Chow Ciao! shares the best of Italian home cooking, the story of his hardscrabble childhood in Florence, and the women in his family who inspired him. A perfect introduction to traditional Italian favorites, beautifully illustrated.  $24.99

 

• Art Smith’s Healthy Comfort: How America’s Favorite Celebrity Chef Got It Together, Lost Weight, and Reclaimed His Health. Oprah’s personal chef, with some help from his celebrity friends, shows us how to cook wonderful meals that help promote weight loss.  Art Smith lost 100 pounds on this plan! $27.99
  
  

 

 

 

 

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