Genre: Book
Grade: A-
Notable People: James Lee Burke
Title: Flags on the Bayou
Review: This 2023 standalone novel from the legendary and aged American icon is a wonderfully told story about the damages of war. Focused on the waning days of the War Between the States and told thru the eyes of five compelling characters, the book is classic Burke, one of the most eloquent and evocative voices of his (or any ) generation. Very fortunate to still have him around.
Genre: Book
Grade: A-
Notable People: John McEuen
Title: Will the Circle Be Unbroken: The Making of a Landmark Album”
Review: This beautiful coffee-table size photo and story book came out earlier this year in honor of the 50th anniversary of this 1972 album that immortalized country music for a whole generation. Full disclosure; I am quite biased for anything to do with this record that turned me onto a musical journey and shook my counter culture brain open to a cultural phenomenon I had previously ignored. The recording sessions brought together the prototypical LA county rock band with the surviving royalty of founders/ giants of the bluegrass and country music world in late 1971, and made Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Merle Travis, Mother Maybelle, Roy Acuff, Jimmy Martin and Vassar Clements a new kind of audience and was cutting edge in Its ambition at the time. The book is a wonderful narrative of behind the scenes anecdotes, history and brilliant photos by McEuen’s late brother and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band manager, Bill. I started out perusing the book the local librarian had gotten for me while watching a baseball game on TV, and could not stop reading every inch until I was done and then looked back at all the photos yet again. An absolute must for any fan of the album and a pretty illuminating read for other music fans; only held back a wee bit by it being too McEuen-centric.
Genre: Book
Grade: A-
Notable People: Martin Walker
Title: To Kill a Troubadour
Review: If is not yet apparent, I simply adore these Walker “Bruno” mysteries of the French countryside. Set in the fabled Perigord gourmand region of southwestern France- they ruminate on history, culture, food/wine, and inside dope on the French way of life. Walker is an excellent writer and food/wine connoisseur. This one includes terrorism from Spanish radicals (maybe Russia induced) to undermine the historical Catalan culture that has existed as a Spanish part of France for many centuries- derived from the Occitan language and descended from Elinor of Aquitaine. You will leave these books entertained and informed, and they are hard to put down. After years of barriers the Bruno cookbooks (only previously in German) are being released in English soon- a blessing to us all.
Genre: Book
Grade: A-/ B+
Notable People: John Irving
Title: “The Last Chairlift
Review: this is the Titan of American fictions’ self-proclaimed “last big book”-and BIG it is at around 900 pages. Took me a month to finish it –both because of length and because I kept thinking I was reading every Irving book that proceeded it for the last 45 years. The themes are all there” woman who don’t speak, hating Ronald Reagan, wrestling, AIDS, the Iowa writer’s workshop, the Exeter academy, Vermont (where he lives), Vienna (where he has), bears, sexual identity crisis’ of every ilk). With the addition of Ghosts, and skiing which take up a big part of the book. I will say this a wind down for him, tho it as so familiar and, thus, hard not to like –for a huge fan like me (Did I mention I have a fist edition of every one of his books on my shelf?). the book has 3 massive chapters of screen play prototype, which I found really boring and hard to follow, but Irving’s writing remains crisp, stylish (his own) and insightful. If you are not a fan you will probably give this a lower grade-but it’s the end of an era for me, and felt very sentimental It’s ben na good run, Dr. John.
Genre: Book
Grade: A-/ B+
Notable People: Marie Benedict
Title: “The Only Woman in the Room
Review: Benedicts’ third historical novel focusing on underestimated/under recognized woman behind the scenes of epic moment in history, is a barn-burner. The tale of a most beautiful and enchanting (that is emphasized on every page of the book) young Jewish woman in Vienna in the early 30s who becomes the wife of a dominating, abusive and extremely powerful arms dealer to Hitler and the emerging Nazi powerhouse is an unbelievable story on its own merit-but then add in the fact that she turns out to be one of the most famous movie stars of all time (not giving it away) only adds to the intrigue. The portrait of Australia in the throes of change and chaos is frightening and the portent of Nazi domination is powerfully portrayed. The revelations about this woman are beyond extraordinary. This a book hard to put down. Though I absolutely found the story riveting, Benedict’s writing lacks depth and fluidity to some degree, which slowed me from being drawn in early on. I eventually got focused on the incredible narrative-a most powerful book in many revelatory ways. And my thanks to our Vermont benefactress, Karen, for the wonderful recommendation. Can anyone say major film coming?
Genre: Book
Grade: A-
Notable People: Arthur Miller
Title: Presence
Review: Perhaps the foremost playwright of the 20th century, I have now discovered that Miller was also an accomplished and highly-regarded fiction writer. Found this book in my cousins’ stack of giveaways from her 35 years as an antique dealer. Beautifully conceived and wonderfully written –if a bit dated- Presence is a 2004 posthumous gathering of Miller’s last published fiction, a group of stories that appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, Esquire, and elsewhere. My favorite was “The Performance,” in which a Jewish tap dancer unintentionally enthralls Hitler. A nice surprise from one of Americas most original voices.
Genre: Book
Grade: A-
Notable People: Linda Castillo
Title: The Hidden One
Review: another entry into the wonderful Kate Burkholder series. Kate is the Chief of Police in sleepy Painters Mill in Ohio- in the heart of Amish country, and she is an escaped Amish, having left in her youth, and returned as an adult. This one involves the murder of an Amish bishop in nearby Pennsylvania, and the suspect is someone with whom Kate was very connected to growing up. Filled with passion and nuance and brilliant descriptions of the place and the culture, the books are great mysteries and mini- travel adventures. This is the 25th in this unusual series and no end in sight.
Genre: Book
Grade: A-
Notable People: Martin Walker
Title: Bruno’s Challenge
Review: Walker continues his wonderful and long running Bruno series with this installment of short stories. Brilliantly se in the Perigord/Dordogne region of France and overlaid with a fantastic sense of place, history and culture- Bruno carries out his Chief of Police duties whilst saving damsels in distress, raising half the children in town and coking gastronomically extraordinary meals with his collection of eccentric pals. This series has been going for almost 20 years, and this is just a nice addition with little vignettes from throughout the life of the stories. If you are a serial reader, start at the beginning. If not, this might be up your alley-short, sweet and delightful.
Genre: Book
Grade: B-
Notable People: Anthony Doerr
Title: Cuckoo Cloud Land
Review: got this book as a birthday gift a year ago from my daughter-lost it-searched everywhere and found it while unpacking on mountain return a year later. Thus, was pretty excited to get at it, especially after reading Doerr’s extraordinary Pulitzer-prize winning first novel, “All the Light We Cannot See”. Well, bummer. Firstly, it is over 600 pages, and although I do believe Doerr is quality writer, I was pretty sure I was done after 50 pages. But, being a glutton and stubborn, I pushed through the whole thing-never feign any better really about it. From what I can make of it, it is a takeoff on an ancient Greek novel that was rediscovered in partial form 1500 years ago, and is a fantastical and sci-fi-ish account of a Homeric journey. So, Doerr takes this metaphor or parable or whatever the hell it is, and spins about a half dozen story-lines on differing characters in alternating chapters, in ancient Greece, in 1400s Constantinople, in modern day Idaho and on a spaceship from earth on a 100 plus year journey to another solar system. All of it is somehow related to this Greek text and to Libraries…don’t ask. Give it a try if you are a better reader than i. Dazed and confused-on to simpler things
Genre: Book
Grade: B+
Notable People: Johnathan Kellerman
Title: Serpentine
Review: Kellerman is one of the most published authors of our time with a number of series (some with wife, Faye) and standalones. This was my first experience though I’ve known of him for years. The Alex Delaware series is about a low key, very likeable consulting shrink in LA whose best friend and crime partner is a big, tough, and enigmatic LAPD lieutenant, who defies all stereotypes by being happily same sex married. Mile Sturgis is a great character and the book is tautly written with a wild underbelly of a story involving a 30-year-old cold case going back to the 60s glory of swinging Hollywood. Shrouded in LA hot spots and highlighting the insanity of driving from one place to the next, the book was a gift, and a pleasant surprise. Lots more to choose from, if you are so inclined.
