Books for the Beach

It's rainy and mid-60s today in Boston.  Perfect weather to think about what to read on that beach vacation coming up!!  Here's a list of my top five recommendations for your next beach vacation!!

• Bossypants, Tina Fey-- This isn't just another silly memoir.  This book gives us fabulous insight into a strong, caring, and incredibly funny woman.  I laughed out loud so many times that the dogs started barking at me!  :)

• Heads You Lose, Lisa Lutz and David Hayward-- Lisa Lutz is one of my favorite authors (she wrote the Spellman Files) and here she collaborated with an ex-boyfriend to create a strange and unique experience for her readers.  She and Hayward alternated chapters in this comical murder mystery and they left in their notes to each other at the end of each chapter.  Truly an entertaining read!!

• The Lincoln Lawyer, Michael Connelly-- This was a rather poorly written book, but I'm recommending it anyway.  The story is interesting and the character is developed enough to allow us to actually develop an opinion about him.  If you can get past sentences like "he looked down the hallway and she was standing at the end of the hallway,"  then I actually think you'll find it a pretty good read.

• Slammerkin and The Sealed Letter, Emma Donoghue-- Donoghue wrote Room, which got a lot of attention earlier this year for it's unique premise.  But, long before she ripped the premise of that novel from the Jaycee Dugard case, Donoghue was using headlines as inspiration.  Both Slammerkin and The Sealed Letter are novels based on newspaper articles written in the 1860s in London.  Personally, I've never found that genre overly interesting (Jane Austen aside, of course) but Donoghue's books are really good!!  Unique, intense, gripping, and entertaining, I had a hard time putting either one down.

Ooh, la la-- The Paris Wife

Paula McLain's novel, The Paris Wife, doesn't feel like a novel.  In fact, it feels more like a memoir, and, it almost is.    From the first page, we're invited into a world so full of details that it doesn't seem possible that McLain wasn't seated next to her characters on the beach in France.  Hers is an intimate and vivid portrayal of a family whose patriarch made my life a living hell for a month in high school.

I'm referring, of course, to Ernest Hemingway, whose novel The Old Man and the Sea was the bane of my existence for a month in 10th grade.  Thankfully, McLain's novel takes place decades before Hemingway ever began to think about that awful book. The Paris Wife isn't even Hemingway's story, it's his wife's.  Hadley Richardson was the second woman Hemingway ever loved and the first he married.  Unfortunately, she wasn't the last.  But, their relationship was so pure and beautiful that it remains relevant even today.  In researching whether the book had much basis in truth (which it does,) I came across a quote attributed to Hemingway.  He once said that he wished he'd died before he ever fell out of love with Hadley.  While that's sad on so many levels, to me it's also wonderfully romantic.  It suggests that theirs was a love that made him feel like he had lived his entire live in the short time they were together.  Theirs was a relationship that made him so happy that nothing else compared.  There's something heartbreaking and wonderful about that concept.

The book is written in Hadley's voice.  It is she who tells us about Hemingway's struggles to become a famous writer, about the demons he battled, and the life they led together.  They met and married shortly after World War 1, when the flapper age came to light.  They had no money, but they had each other, as cliche as that is.  And, they had the wonderfully artistic world of Paris.  They gallivanted around with Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, and even Don Stewart, who later wrote my favorite movie, The Philadelphia Story.  They had no money, but they wintered in Austria and summered in Spain.  They visited art museums, spent their days in cafes and their evenings at concerts.  Makes me wish I had no money...

The Hemingways were an interesting and fun couple and the book teaches us a lot about Papa himself. If I had one complaint, it would be that I never really felt that I understood who Hadley was.  Though the book is her story, I never really understood what makes her special.  But, then, I wonder if that's what happens whenever we look at life through someone's eyes.  Perhaps we never have the ability to see what makes ourselves special, so it's impossible to really convey that in our own story.  Or, perhaps McLain didn't develop Hadley enough for my liking.  I'm not really sure which is the case.

What I do know is that Hadley and Hem got more out of life in their five years together than many people get in a lifetime.  Their relationship benefitted us all because, without Hadley, Hemingway would never have gotten the support he needed to begin his career.  And, Old Man and the Sea aside, we're all luckier for having read Hemingway.  That is an amor tres important.

Perfect Stories-- The Imperfectionists

I've never really been much of a fan of short story collections.  I usually find that the stories don't fit together well and, often, that the author slipped in a line or two to completely unrelated subject matters in order to create a collection.  (I'm talking to you Olive Kitteridge...)

Luckily, that was not the case with Tom Rachman's novel The Imperfectionists.  Rachman gives us an insight into many of the personalities who run a fictional English Language newspaper set in Rome.  We meet several reporters, the publisher, a few editors, and even the paper's accountant.  Each has a separate story focusing on his or her personal life.  And, yet, each story melds together so well because we're introduced to the various characters throughout the novel.  For example, the editor who seems so cold-hearted to one reporter is really dealing with a cheating spouse and has no energy to deal with his reporter's incompetence.  Or, the obituary writer is not as lackluster and useless as everyone seems to believe, he simply was uninspired by his tasks.

There is a message to the varied perspectives Rachman offers us, I believe.  The myriad cliches that are swirling through my mind are those about walking in another's shoes or not knowing what goes on behind closed doors.  But, I don't think it's accidental that this book takes place in a newsroom.  No, I think that Rachman wanted us to understand that there are two sides to every story.  That we must force ourselves to remain objective about other people and their situations until we know all the details.  The fact is, as a general rule, we all believe we're the front page story in everyone's life.  We are confident that our every mistake, our every word and our every action is scrutinized by others with as much intensity as we look our ourselves.  The truth is, most of us are lucky if we earn any typeface at all in another's newspaper.  We'd all do well to remember that everyone has their own front page story and their interactions with us are complicated by the headlines in their world.

It's hard for me to accept this view of the world, of course.  I like believing that K Mart was named for me (though I'd prefer Target was my store instead.  And, really, if we're making stores mine, let's go big.  How about Kottery Barn or Krada...?)  I like living in a world where every time a person gives me a dirty look it's because they're reacting to me.  The truth is, to paraphrase Paulie Bleeker (from Juno!!), they probably aren't giving me a dirty look, it's probably just the way their face is.

Rachman's stories remind us that the world is bigger than we are.  That's a pretty perfect message for this imperfect world...

The GodMOTHER- The Company She Keeps

The Company She Keeps-- Georgia Durante

Something about the mafia has always interested me.  I'm obviously not alone or The Godfather, Goodfellas or The Sopranos would never have become such massive hits.  But, as much as I may joke about my grandmother's connections to the Chicago mafia, I'd never actually want to be associated or friendly with anyone who was in the mob.

Georgia Durante obviously didn't have the same conviction.  From a young age, the former model was considered a staple in the Rochester Mafia scene.  If her story is to be believed, and I do believe her only because there are too many names in this book for her not to have written the absolute truth, then she's led a hell of a life.

We all make choices we sometimes regret, but Durante's created a life built upon regrets.  From Rochester, she moved to New York and California, all with her wife-beating, cheating, mafia-connected husband in tow.  She surrounded herself with bad people, acted as the get-away driver for various mob-related hits, and found herself in relationship after relationship with some really screwed up men.

In an effort to straighten out her life, Durante created a professional stunt-driving business and now does much of the stunt work we see in commercials and film.  Though not without obstacles, her business has become successful and she is reputed to be among the best female stunt-drivers in the world.

Durante's story is really interesting!  Many a time, I wanted to climb into the book, sit her down and say "listen, girlfriend, you don't need to go back to him." Or "He's LYING you idiot!!" But, it was fascinating to read about her choices from the perspective that age has given her.  Like The Sopranos gave us insight into the life of a mafia boss, so, too, does The Company She Keeps give us a window into the life of a beauty queen, a battered wife, and a successful businesswoman.  It's an interesting view and one worth peeping into.  Just don't let the cops know you're watching...

"I'm Siiii-ick..." Ah-choo!: The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold

It's only February and I've already had the flu and two colds this year.  I don't get it!  I use hand sanitizer like it's going out of style, eat well, sleep tons, and never share food/drinks.  Why am I getting so sick???

Jennifer Ackerman has some of the answers for me.  Her book, Ah-Choo!: The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold, looks into, you guessed it, the common cold (which, by the way, isn't one strain of a virus, but a plethora of viruses.  That's why we can get sick over and over again...)  I'm sure I'm not alone when I complain that we can put a man on the moon and yet we can't cure the sniffles.  Ackerman meets with the people who have devoted their lives to solving that very problem.  Did you know there are people who volunteer to get colds??  People sign up for studies in which they're given germs and then studied.  Sometimes the researchers give the subjects drugs to test.  Other times, the subjects are studied for the symptoms they present with, the ways in which they spread germs, or the duration of their illnesses.  In return for their suffering, they're given financial compensation.  I really hope I never need money that badly!

Ackerman also tells us how to avoid, and how to treat, the common cold.  To stay healthy, don't touch your nose and eyes.  While many germs can be passed by oral contact- which is why it's never a good idea to share drinks- colds are most commonly transmitted via the nasal and ocular passages.  If you can avoid touching these areas, you greatly enhance your ability to fight off colds.  If you're like me, however, and wear contacts, well, good luck not touching your eyes...

Ackerman's research on treating the symptoms of colds was, in my opinion, both disappointing and useful. She tells us that all those hundreds of cold remedies available at CVS really are worthless.  You'll be just as healthy without Airborne as you would be with it.  Zicam can't lessen the duration of your cold.
Advil Cold and Sinus does nothing but pile a bunch of drugs you don't need in a pill with two you do.

To treat a cold, researchers all offer the same advice:
1- Sudafed or another first generation anti-histamine.   These help dry you out.  The newer stuff doesn't work.  Claritins and Zyrtecs may help with allergies, but they won't help your cold symptoms.

2- Ibuprophen.  The sinus pain associated with colds can be much alleviated with proper pain medications.

3- Sleep.  You're much better off taking a day off work and sleeping off your cold than trying to power through.  (Wish I'd followed my own advice here.  I went to work with both my colds and, boy, was it tough going...)

4- Chicken soup.  Yes, it's true, grandma's old adage really does help.  The liquids in the soup help prevent dehydration and the nutrients from the veggies are good for your body.  And, let's face it, who doesn't feel better with a little chicken soup??

Here's wishing you all a healthy 2011 and beyond!

Mockingbird: Harper Lee's Story

I loved To Kill A Mockingbird the moment I started the book!  I loved the characters, the story, the messages. Atticus Finch is such a wonderful role model; Scout is the type of kid I wanted to be.  I wanted a Boo Radley in my neighborhood (I may have gotten my wish after all these years...)  The story was so vivid and real; I always wondered how much of the story was based on Ms. Lee's real life.  (And, yes, she is Ms. Lee to me.  She's the epitome of a southern lady; referring to her in any other manner would be, to me, a sign of disrespect for my favorite author.)

Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee answers a lot of my questions.  Although there are no first person accounts from Harper Lee herself, the author Charles J. Shields, researched her life so thoroughly that he left little to question.  Lee has had a fascinating life; much of her childhood made its way into her novel.  From friendship with Truman Capote to her experiences in New York City, it would be easy to imagine that she lives the high life after publishing one of the most cherished books of the Twentieth Century.  Instead, Ms. Lee has spent the majority of her life immersed in her small Alabama hometown living with her older sister and attending the yearly church bazaar.  Her life is small and compact and, by all accounts, she loves it.

Mockingbird describes Ms. Lee's childhood, illustrates her process for writing and publishing her beautiful story, and details how the book changed the world, for no one more so than Ms. Lee herself.  I've always wanted another Lee novel and Mockingbird explains why it never came to fruition.  More than that, though, Mockingbird tells us what happened to the real Scout when she grew up.  And, just as I always imagined, she grew up to create a wonderful life for herself, her own way.

Sheer British, Sheer Fun-- Sheer Abandon

I've never been an Anglophile.  Though I enjoy a spot of tea, find British Humor (or Humour) wonderfully entertaining, and found the greatest boot shop in the world in London, I've never put much thought into immersing myself in the culture.  I know that may seem odd, as many of my favorite books are written by British authors and set in England (Atonement, Gurnsey Potato Peel, Saturday, One Day, etc...) So, I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that i was so wildly entertained by Sheer Abandon, a novel by Penny Vincenzi.  Nonetheless, I found myself rapidly immersed in the story and was genuinely disappointed when I finished the book.

Sheer Abandon is the story of 3 women, Jocasta, Martha and Clio, who meet at age 18 on a post-high school trip to far East.  Although they had the best of intentions, they don't remain in contact after their trips and instead meet up again by chance sixteen years later.  As is the case in books like these, all three are incredibly successful and beautiful and everyone around them is equally successful and beautiful.

The book was not, in my opinion, very believable.  Everyone falls in love, everyone has a happy ending (well, almost everyone...) and everyone makes the right choices at the right time.  I usually hate books like these (Jodi Picault, I'm speaking to you) because life doesn't work that way.  Actions have consequences and in stories like these, those consequences are always positive.  Usually that frustrates me.

For some reason, I liked Sheer Abandon in spite of-- or perhaps because of-- it's flawed positivity.  What struck me most about the story was the ability of the characters to forgive and to act so welcomingly towards people they barely knew, or those who had wronged them.  As a person who is not easy to get along with and one who expects her friends to give of themselves as much as she is willing to give to them, I found these women to be completely fictionalized.  However, for some reason, I was willing to suspend my belief and even my criticism, a feat much more rare than it should be.  I liked that these women opened their hearts and their homes to others, I liked that they forgave so quickly and I liked that they so easily empathized.  While I normally want to throw the book out the window when I read about characters who are so ridiculously unrealistic, I actually wished to be more like them.  I credit Vincenzi; her writing is easy enough that I enjoyed suspending reality for a bit.

Vincenzi also gives us an intimate portrait of London in a way that many other English writers haven't.  She immerses the reader so thoroughly in the British culture that I actually found myself telling Andrew that we should put the groceries in the boot of our car.  I felt as if I was an official Brit.  All of the sudden, I wanted to listen to the BBC and eat blood pudding, well, minus the blood pudding... and the BBC...

The point is- Sheer Abandon will never win awards for it's story line, nor will it change any lives.  But, we need books like this from time to time.  The opportunity to read a light book that is well written is a welcome change from some of the heavier books out there.  I highly enjoyed my literary visit to the UK and recommend you all travel there as well.