The Lemon Tree: an Arab, a Jew and the Heart of the

Middle East by Sandy Tolan

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

I was so pleased to hear from the mother of one of my former students recently. I suspect Owen has reached the stage of college visits or may even be off on his next adventure. Hopefully, he is reading. Mom sure is.

   She wrote recently: I am also an incurable reader. I spent my entire teenage years with my nose in a book, and still love to read. I so enjoyed The Lemon Tree: an Arab, a Jew and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan. This is a non-fiction work that tells the story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the point of view of the occupants of a home that was transferred from a Palestinian to a Jewish family. It is truly fascinating, and most people are not familiar with the details of this very important conflict. The book doesn't take sides, but portrays both sides in a human way that is educational and enlightening.

   I also loved Suite Francaise*by Irene Nemirovsky. It is a story set in France during the German occupation. The book is a wonderfully written story, but the story behind the book is also fascinating. You may be familiar with it, so I won't go into the details, but I'm sure if you haven't already read this book you will enjoy it.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout  

Judy is a fellow classmate from high school and college who has contributed often to these book discussions. She recently sent me an article she wrote with several recommendations. I am sharing some here and will share more next month. Olive Kitteridge has been mentioned before but is well worth mentioning again.

   Judy writes: One collection of linked stories that overwhelmed me not long ago was the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winning Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. These 13 stories center around the fictional coastal town of Crosby, Maine, and are bound together by the title character of Olive, an opinionated, retired seventh-grade math teacher.

   Readers see her self-righteousness and her misguided parenting (and dislike her), but we also witness her caring for others and we lament her failures. Some stories focus directly on Olive and her family -- her browbeaten husband and her alienated son; in others Olive plays only a cameo role. She knows everyone in town and most of their secrets. Beautifully written, this collection shows us loneliness and loss, but it also offers us hope.

Mrs. Somebody by Tracy Winn

Judy also wrote about Concord author Tracy Winn’s captivating collection of linked short stories. Mrs. Somebody has been recognized as a finalist in fiction for the John Gardner Book Award, the Julia Ward Howe Award, and the Massachusetts Book Award.

   Ten stories span sixty years in Lowell, Massachusetts, evoking slice of life insights from mill workers to mill-owner families, each with struggles of their own. From the first story in which a baby falls into a canal from an apartment window to the final story of a long-time secret love affair, readers build connections as the characters age.

   The feeling of omniscience provides us compassion for the floundering child who feared being sent to a foster home but grows into a worldly young woman quietly assisting an aging bookie who has a generous heart. Husbands and wives in unhappy marriages are not restricted to one social class. Renowned author Margot Livesey has described the book as "rich in surprises and moments of unlikely beauty. A splendid debut."

Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva

Friend Julia wrote recently about another author with local roots. Bruce DeSilva is another DRRHS alumnus who went on to make his living with the written word. He has had a varied career but it is his latest endeavor that caught her attention. Rogue Island is a crime novel about an investigative reporter in Providence, RI. It is a well-written, uncontrived, page-turner. Nothing goes quite as expected for the main character as he investigates a serial arsonist. The book is written with lots of humor and wit. If you're familiar with the Providence area, all the better. Some well developed characters and no boring spots. Believable.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

     Grandma Sherry and I share a granddaughter, Little Miss, and a love for reading. On a recent trip to Key West she took along Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. These books are listed as mysteries but there is so much more at work here. 

    Maisie was a maid in the household of Lord and Lady Crowan who allowed her to read from their extensive library. Bright and naturally curious, she trains to be a nurse and uses her training during World War I. At the close of the war, she begins a new career as an investigator and psychologist.

    There are many interesting, supporting characters who aid her in solving her first case. A former patient during the war, Billy Beale, recognizes her and soon becomes her assistant. Her mentor, detective Dr. Maurice Blanche, is still present in her life. And her dad, a costermonger, who made the initial sacrifice of sending his daughter to be in service rather than keeping her at home, is still an important part of her life.

    The first book in the series is Birds of a Feather, which was published in 2003 and won numerous awards. I believe there are several other books in the series.

Cold Snap: Bulgarian Stories by Cynthia Morrison Phoel

Author Judy reports she received this recommendation from a friend and we would like to pass it along to you.

  Cynthia Morrison Phoel lives near Boston and wrote her collection titled Cold Snap:  Bulgarian Stories (SMU Press, 2010), based on her experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Central Europe.

   Her six linked stories are about the lives of children, newlyweds, and careworn adults in one town in a mountainous region.   The inter-related characters include an elderly couple living off the land in their village, children struggling to learn English in school, a dentist with a gimmick, and one socially inept grandson excelling in math at college.

    A hairless, stray dog known as Krastivitza (translated as “cucumber”) is known by most, fed by some, and loved by the poor-yet-scholarly Petya who eventually wins a scholarship that takes her to study in Japan. The problems of adults unable to find work, marriages at risk, or women looking for love are universal.

   Both the Communist-block apartment houses with newly attached TV satellite dishes and the crumbling old homes in the village experience extreme heat and cold in season. The cold is brain numbing!

   These stories…. create a unique sense of place, though this setting is more foreign to most of us…., but the family struggles and keeping love alive are quite familiar.

A Walk on the Beach by Joan Anderson

First Friend has had a lot of recent changes in her life: retirement, moving to a new state, and the arrival of a new granddaughter. Like all true Incurables, she has continued to read through all these busy days and recently sent this book selection along.

    Now that I have retired and moved to the Santa Cruz CA beach I got out my copy of A Walk on the Beach by Joan Anderson again. Joan moved to Cape Cod for a year alone and became beach-walking friends with an elderly lady, Joan Erikson, who became her mentor.

    Joan tells her, "The Important thing is to do something, even if it’s as simple as making a pile of pebbles. For it is always the doing that leads to the becoming, and before you know it you're on to the next stage of life.”

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

   The first book on my list is The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen. It has a lovely cover design and this author also wrote The Girl who Chased the Moon. I picked up this book because it was about two girls who had been in high school together and now were crossing paths later in life. Because I have been finding dear friends from my school days of late, it struck a chord.

   There is also a mystery of sorts and I am a sucker for a good mystery. Well, the girls hadn’t been all that close so it wasn’t as though they were rekindling a great friendship and the mystery could easily be solved so in those respects the book was a disappointment to me. But if you are looking for a light summer-or-anytime read with a little romance thrown in this is a good choice.

The Silver Boat by Luanne Rice

    Another book I recently read is The Silver Boat by Luanne Rice. This book is set on Martha’s Vineyard so what could be a better choice for a good beach read? It tells the story of three sisters who are coming together to close the home that had been in their family for generations.

    Each sister brings her own set of memories and present day problems to the mix. Their interaction with each other, the house, and the island is very true to life. Their mother has died from cancer and their father disappeared when they were young.

    These issues coupled with the fact that they are about to lose the home that they all love dearly to modern day developers clouds their time together. Once again, this is a good book to enjoy on a vacation or lounging at the beach.

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman

    The third book on my list is The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman. This is a prolific author of books for adults, young adults, and children. She has written short stories that have appeared in some pretty prestigious literary reviews. Some of the chapters from this book have stood alone and you may have read them.

    It tells the story of Blackwell, Massachusetts, a fictional small town that was first settled in the western part of the state in 1750. The book moves from those first settlers’ stories on through our nation’s history to the present day. Each chapter could almost stand alone; but taken together they make a very good read at any time of year.

    Events that happen early in the book turn into hearsay or legend as the book progresses through time. The entire setting changes through the years and only we remember what was real and why certain things remain important. This was the last of three books I read on a recent trip to Maine and I highly recommend it.

First Friend came to the rescue as she always does when I sent out a request for book ideas. I knew her granddaughter had received a Christmas package that contained a book that was already beloved. Dad Tom reported that the newest Incurable Reader in their home had already “read” the book about one hundred times in the first day she received it. I needed to know what it was for my own newest addition. Here is the answer:

The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia Scarry  

This large Scratch & Sniff Golden Book by Patricia Scarry came out in 1970. Then my two-year-old loved it and my 18-month-old granddaughter loves the 2003 edition now. There are cocoa, gingerbread boys, peppermint candy, Christmas tree, apple pie and orange scents to scratch and sniff. The story goes quickly so pages can be turned quickly. Toddlers love any book that is interactive like this and the big cardboard ones that have fold outs.

Gallop, A Scanimation Picture Book by Rufus Butler Sedor

Children can turn pages of this book by Rufus Butler Sedor and see a different animal in motion on each heavy-duty page.

Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt

Of course, my own first book, Pat the Bunny is still on sale by Golden Books.  It is my all-time favorite to give to babies. And you can now buy a little white stuffed toy bunny that matches the picture on the front of the book.

Richard Scarry’s Books

Little ones always like to point at pictures and have you give the names of all the animals, all the objects. Richard Scarry books are great for this. 

Are there older kids on your list?  Everything can’t be games and music. Try throwing in a book or two for a holiday gift. Although she has first graders in her household, Jenn has teens on her list. She makes these suggestions for the young adult reader:

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Six-year-old Matt lives in hiding with a poor servant of a rich family. One day the rich family’s kids discover him and Matt's true identity is revealed. He is a clone of El Patron, the leader of the family. But most clones are not smart; their brains are disabled at birth since they are used only for replacement body parts to extend the life of the original person. El Patron treats Matt like a king, much to the dismay of the family. Why was Matt allowed to have a nice life even though he was a clone? The author, Nancy Farmer does an amazing job of building Matt's world and bringing to life the characters around him, both those who love him and those who want to destroy him.

Everlost by Neal Shusterman (The Skinjacker trilogy)

I love these two books and can't wait until the third and final book, Everfound, is available next May. Nick and Allie die in the same head-on collision but they collide on their way to the light, which pushes them into Everlost, the world between the living and the dead. Many children's souls exist in Everlost, some are friendly, and some are not. In their quest to find their way back to life or to the light, Nick and Allie learn the strange and wondrous rules of how to survive in Everlost. In the second book, Allie and Nick go their separate ways, but Everlost is preparing for war and Allie and Nick have their parts to play.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (Series)

Grammy Jenson’s granddaughter, Miss Tana, and East Coast Dave’s grandson also would like to suggest your young person might like the works of Jeff Kinney. This author, also an online game developer, was listed in 2009 by Time Magazine as one of the one hundred most influential people in the world, and is also a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Jeff and his family now reside in southeastern Massachusetts and he can be seen signing books at local bookstores. The newest book in the series was released in November. It is Diary of the Wimpy Kid, The Ugly Truth, and you can also get an official wimpy kid journal for your own kid, wimpy or not. This series is sometimes found on reluctant readers lists, but it is for all children. East Coast Dave uses it as a read aloud book for his grandson and Miss Tana, like her mother and grandmother, is an incurable reader in fourth grade. Unfortunately, her book is wet because she took it swimming.  Now that is a truly devoted reader.

Sherran is a gal who knows quite a bit about developing good readers. She was my daughter’s second grade teacher and a reader in her own right.

Water For Elephants by Sara Guren

This is a wonderful story with a great ending.  The novel centers on Jacob Jandowski who joins a traveling circus for 3 1/2 months after dropping out of Cornell University.  He becomes the vet on a circus train in the 1930's and the story offers adventure, mystery, love, and great descriptions of life during the Great Depression.

Willa Cather’s O Pioneers and My Antonia

I read both of these Cather’s books in college and just wanted to revisit them again when it wasn't required reading.  They are well-written and very enjoyable.  Both take place in the Midwest and are about immigrant families as they struggle to survive.

Recently, my first friend, Rocky, came back to Rehoboth for a visit. Actually, she was visiting her sister who lives a few towns over and was helping her put her life back together after the great floods that washed out several bridges in our town. They also washed out much of Nancy’s basement. As usual, we gals got together and were joined by my cousin Gail. It is so nice to get together with friends who have the same lifetime memories.

We had a great time catching up on news of kids, grandkids and books. With Rocky and I, the conversation often turns to books. That is what Incurable Readers often do. Rocky mentioned two books that I had passed on to her. Both of these books were by first time authors and they both shared a special quality: you wanted the story to continue. Sometimes a book so captures you that you are saddened when it ends. You want to know what happens next to these characters. I can highly recommend these books to you.

You will notice that all the books I have posted this month are from my reading list. Even though I read a lot, I cannot read all the time. My husband likes an occasional meal from the five favorite recipes he will eat.  And I do have my tutoring.   So I can use some input from you. Just the title, author, and two or three sentences about the book will do. Please send it to me at mrsr17@comcast.net or mrsrogala@gmail.com.

Leaving the World by Douglas Kennedy

This is the first digital book I read on the iBook.  This author was born in the US but has moved to London. For a man, he has amazing insight into the inner workings of his female character.  I hope I can say this without sounding too sexist.  If you think you’ve had a difficult life, be glad you are not Jane. It is amazing that she has not contemplated suicide by Chapter Three. Our heroine never wallows in self-pity or makes excuses. Her fate is driven by choices she and others make and by uncontrolled chances . . . just like the rest of us. It is indeed a riveting read, full of twists and turns and highly recommended.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

I picked this book based on the words of Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help (reviewed last month).  She wrote, “A beautifully written, thought-provoking novel that I’m telling everyone I know to read.” I couldn’t have said it better myself which is probably why she is the author and I am not.  The Postmistress is mostly set during World War II, in London and in a fictional Cape Cod community so familiar you feel you must have visited. This is a terrifying time no matter what side of the Atlantic you are on. In beautifully written prose, you follow the lives of several people whom you grow to care about.

Painted House by John Grisham

Alyce, an artist and a reader, sent this one:  this is a story told through the eyes of a seven-year-old boy living on a cotton farm in Arkansas in 1952.  He lives with his parents and grandparents who hire Mexicans and "Hill People" to pick the cotton at harvest time.  Luke loves baseball and especially the St. Louis Cardinals and plans to play on their team someday. But right now he has to pick cotton along with the rest of the family despite heat, rain and fatigue.  As a young child he witnesses things that are frightening and that he must keep secret.   It's a sweet and touching, sometimes disturbing, story and extremely well written. 

Larklight by Philip Reeve

From Jenn, mother of the royal pair: If your kids like science fiction, pirates, aliens and British humor then they'll love this book by Philip Reeve.  Art and Myrtle Mumby live in a space house orbiting the moon. Their father receives a strange letter announcing the arrival of a Mr. Webster. But when Mr. Webster arrives, he and his mutant spiders proceed to attack Larklight. Art and Myrtle escape in a lifepod and so begin their adventure. The story is told from Art's point of view with several chapters of excerpts from Myrtle's diary. With the help of their pirate friends, Captain Jack and his crew of aliens, the children set off across the solar system to save it from destruction by the white spiders, the original inhabitants of the solar system who want their turf back.  Middle grade fiction: Ages 10 & up, not just kids

The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

From Pat, a librarian and cook: I would like to recommend this cookbook.  Good recipes, extensive ideas, hints, and suggestions for methods and utensils.  Actually it's a "good read" and I NEVER  "read" cookbooks.  (At least like my husband does!)

Cake Doctor by Anne Byrn

From Holley who grew up in Rehoboth but couldn’t wait for global warming to give us seaside property so she moved to the beach:  I love this book, full of great ways to turn a simple cake mix into a great dessert and it tastes like you made it from scratch without all the work. Lots of bars and squares and just great cakes, like the luscious coffee cake.

Larkin Housewives’ Cook Book and Betty Crocker’s Cooking for Two

From Sherry who is a fabulous cook and who taught her two sons and daughter to continue the family tradition: I have an array of cookbooks including original recipes from my 4-H days. I also have my Grandma Wolfenden's cookbook called Larkin Housewives' Cook Book. It's falling apart, but has great recipes for popovers, fudge and the best recipe for coconut cream pie. I know my mother used cookbooks at times, but she usually relied on herself to put a meal together sans cookbook. We also ate a lot of roasted chicken. I think that's because we had so many running around the backyard. But, my favorite cookbook is Betty Crocker's Cooking for Two that my sister-in-law Karen gave to my mother after we all left the nest.

   If you like to read . . you have books, lots of books.  And after you have read the book, the question becomes, “What do I do with it now?”  You keep it and soon your books move beyond the bookshelves, so you need more bookshelves. Then the books begin to spill out of the shelves and stack themselves in towers on every flat surface in the house. You start to place some in baskets. Because you like to read, you also have baskets and stacks of magazines and newspapers. You begin to fear there may be a reality show about book hoarders and you will be the subject of their next intervention.

    There are some possible solutions. First, use the local library. Let them deal with the storage problem.  Plus the library is economical. You don’t have to take a second mortgage to buy all those books. This is really your best choice, that is if you can stand to read a book and actually give it back.  Libraries often collect used books for their annual book sale. The problem with that is most Incurables go to the sale and buy more books. Oh well.

   There is a wonderful website called paperbackbooks.com.  You list six paperbacks you are willing to get rid of. In exchange you get six credits. If someone wants your book, you mail it at a small fee. You can even print a mailing wrapper. The problem?  You can get a free book for each credit you have. If you list a lot of books, you can get a lot of books back. (If you list me as the person who led you to the club, I will get a free credit and can get another book. Hmmmm. That didn’t solve my problem too well now, did it?

    Another solution has arrived electronically. I have a friend who received an e-book reader because her family feared they might not be able to find her if the book piles toppled over.  After hearing a woman at my hairdresser’s salon enthused about her new Kindle (which had a cute little case), I thought I would give these new books a try. First I borrowed an iBook and downloaded a book, surprisingly cheaper than if I had gone to the bookstore or had ordered it online. It arrived immediately. I liked the fact I could change the print size. It lights up so you can read without a light on. You never have to dust the book and you can locate it quickly for reference purposes. Of course, you can’t lend it to a friend.

   First Friend was shocked I had given up the print form and joy of turning pages. Actually I am torn, but this may work for some of you. There are many devices and apps to choose from, so do some research and find out the best digital path for you. 

Please continue to send your book recommendations, both cookbooks and fiction and non-fiction. If you sent me something and it didn’t appear this time, it should next month. As always, you can contact me at:  mrsr17@comcast.net or mrsrogala@gmail.com.

    My mother was afraid of thunderstorms, but determined that her children wouldn’t be. Whenever a storm approached, she would say, “Let’s read a book.” Then we would sit on the couch, cuddle up to Mom and she would read until the storm had passed. Consequently, my late brother and I grew to love thunder and lightning and books. They all evoked warm, cuddly memories.

    When I was young, I had to read whatever was given to me. There really wasn’t extra money to satisfy my reading appetite. Later, the Attleboro Public Library gave me the chance to select books for myself. My granddaughters never had to wait for thunder to be read to. I think one of my favorite memories is going to be from this past Halloween weekend: My oldest granddaughter was reading The Wheels on the Bus to her new cousin, just home from the hospital. We start them young in our family.

    I got to thinking about selecting books for children when I got this wonderful book review from my friend, East Coast Dave: I recently read Wee Willie Winkie and Raggedy Ann and Andy. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone - not even kids!

   E.C. Dave really hit the nail on the head. Very often, adults select books that we think are classics or books that every child should read. It is hard to pick a book for a child.

    The holidays are coming and I hope you all have at least one book for the younger readers on your list. Hopefully, this month’s edition of The Incurable Reader can help. The first books are for children who like to be read to, children who are beginning readers, or for children seeking chapter books.

   Next time, I would like to continue this theme of books for the younger readers. If you would care to add to the discussion, please send your book recommendations to me at mrsr17@comcast.net. I will be including books for young adults as well. I would be delighted to get recommendations from young readers themselves.

Here is a nice idea if you are planning a baby shower. Ask guests to bring a book for the baby, preferably an early cardboard read-to book, and to sign their name in the book.

Weird School Series by Dan Gutman

Princess Samantha suggests you might enjoy giving books from the Weird School Series by Dan Gutman. Her favorite is Ms. Todd Is Odd which is about the weirdest substitute teacher in the world. These books are aimed at readers who are aged 7 to 10. Other books in the series tell the story of scary Miss Mary, a student teacher, and screwy Mr. Louie, the school crossing guard. A.J. is the main character that doesn’t really like school or girls. Even parents will get a chuckle from these books.

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watts

Another fun series is Melanie Watt’s Scaredy Squirrel. Each book comes with a cautionary note such as “This book is not suitable for unicorns.” These are good books to read to a budding reader. If you have a kindergartener on your list, these books are a good bet. Poor Scary is afraid of leaving the tree, going to the beach, getting through the night, making a friend. These books may also make a good jumping off spot for a discussion about something that may be troubling a preschooler.

One White Wishing Stone: A Beach Day Counting Book by Doris K. Gayzagian

From Judy, an author and grandma comes this suggestion: One White Wishing Stone: A Beach Day Counting Book by Doris K. Gayzagian.  If your little ones enjoyed exploring the beach this summer and learned all about birds and shells, this book published by National Geographic will be treasured. Read it aloud and enjoy the play of lilting rhymes and seaside sounds. “Seven striped scallop shells slide inside my pail.” This is a gentle book with dreamy pictures that makes great bedtime reading.

River Rat by Joe Fleck

Judy and I graduated from D-R in the same year as the next author. Joe Fleck was in the area recently with his book, River Rat, that chronicles his memories about growing up in Dighton and the adventures he had on his raft on the Taunton River. I enjoyed the book, not just because Joe is a fellow graduate of D-R, but also because it promotes good clean values, family love, and working to earn what you get. These good old-fashioned ethics are presented with a clear and interesting memory of Joe’s boyhood in Dighton. There is a second book coming soon, The Gift.

Do you want to provide a good reading experience for middle grade readers? The following three recommendations are from an author Jenn who focuses on middle school and young adult readers.

Among the Hidden by Margaret Paterson Haddix (the Shadow Children Series)

Luke lives in a society that limits the number of children each family can have. Two is the limit. Luke is the third son, a shadow child. He never leaves the house, he sleeps in the attic, and he has no friends. Only his family knows his existence. By chance, Luke discovers another shadow child living next door. She's rebellious and willing to revolt against the Population Police. Will Luke join the revolution, or stay in the shadows?  The author does a wonderful job making a Luke a living, breathing character. As you're reading the story, you are Luke and understand how he views his unfair world.

The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

Following the advice of a fortuneteller, Peter, an orphan, obsesses over an elephant that he hopes will lead him to his missing sister. The language in this story is lovely and the story is sweet. Several quirky characters play their part in bringing Peter closer to his sister. But will he ever reunite with her to bring his family together?

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

After a horrible crime that claims his family, Bod escapes purely by chance. He finds protection in a graveyard where he is adopted by the dead souls buried there. His mentor is a vampire. His teacher is a werewolf. His family and friends are the dead. Bod is safe from the man who killed his family as long as he doesn't leave the graveyard. Will he ever join the world of the living?

    If you are like me, you still have some holiday shopping to do. Actually, I still have a lot of holiday shopping left to do. (Thank you, dear Lord, for sending me Amazon.com and free shipping.) In my family we kicked off the holiday season this past Saturday with LSD.     

   Now let me explain that before you hit speed dial for the police department. LSD in our family means Ladies Stocking Day. On that day the ladies of the family get together to chat, eat things you shouldn’t like cookies, pie, truffles, etc. and the three youngest ladies of the family get to open an early Christmas stocking.

   All the men in the family are off doing men things except for Grandpaparazzi who takes pictures, makes coffee, and retreats to his office with food. So since it involves ladies, stockings, and one day in December,  I call it LSD at Grandma’s.

   So all you Timothy Leary fans can rest assured you didn’t miss anything beyond a really good fruit platter. At this party the newest lady in our family got her own little elf and a book explaining his duties.  Her mother named him Murray.

Books don’t fit real well into our stockings so book gifts have to wait for the actual holiday. I am busy searching for good reads for our little bookworms. If you are paddling in the same boat, you might appreciate some of these good reads for kids:

Little House, Big Adventure by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The royal princesses will be getting their own set of Laura Ingalls Wilder books.  While Little House on the Prairie is the most well known because of the television series, there are actually nine books in the set as Papa Ingalls had a wanderlust gene and moved his family often.  I have a rule that you should read the book before you see the television or movie version. (I once was tutoring a student and asked him if he had read any of the Harry Potter books. His answer was that he would wait to see the movie. Arrrrgh!) Reading a book with a child and discussing it is a real teaching opportunity. Then seeing a film version and comparing it to the book is icing on the cake.

My Truck is Stuck by Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk

Grammy Jenson has taught children from islands off Massachusetts to islands in the Caribbean with a long stop here in town. She knows a thing or two about kids and books. Two of her grandsons would like to suggest My Truck Is Stuck in which a dog-driven truck is ambushed by a pothole. Written by Kevin Lewis and illustrated by Daniel Kirk, this team also worked together on Chugga, Chugga, Choo Choo, and Tugga, Tugga Tugboat. Grammy reports that she thinks the letters are getting blurred because the book has been read so much.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Speaking of Grammy Jenson, she would like to suggest this book for readers in grades four through eight AND their parents and grandparents. Grammy says she is enjoying it like a seventh grader.

This is the story of Winnie who meets the Tuck family. They have found the fountain of youth and can live forever.  Babbitt is an artist and she brings her artistry to the written word. This book is often found on notable book lists and required reading lists but don’t let that turn you away. You might want to add it to your own reading list.

    Well, here we are with another New Year. Hopefully, you have all made and broken your New Year's resolutions. I know I have. It is so nice to get that over with early in the year.

    In the past I would always resolve to be nicer to all people and animals. That would last until the dog, frightened by the sounds of fireworks, pooped on the rug. I cannot say I got really angry but I was not thinking kind thoughts. Then there was the yearly, "I will lose weight," thingy. Why does it happen that New Year's resolutions must be made when the house is full of homemade fudge, cookies, and little cakes? Don't they know how many delicious treats are given to teachers at the holiday season?

     Well, I have solved the dilemma. We do not have a dog at the moment or fireworks in Rehoboth and I retired from teaching so I no longer have lots of packages of fudge lying around. There seems to be no reason for making resolutions if you can't break them so I quit doing that when I retired too.

    I always resolved to read, however, and that was the one I could keep so easily that it didn't really qualify as a resolution. I always had loads of essays and tests and book reports to read and I still got in a book or two for my own reading pleasure.

    We Incurables are like that. Now that I am retired, I have a long list of books that I never quite could get to (stupid report cards) and new ones are being added everyday. May you be so blessed.

I get so excited when someone writes to say that they have enjoyed a book that they learned about in this column. Sometimes more than one person will tell me they enjoyed a book and that's great too. If a book is recommended here and then someone else writes in about it, I will often include that second review as was done this month with Olive Kitteridge. And of course, I am always looking for book suggestions from you. If you send something to me, it may not show up right away so send it again or just wait.   mrsr.17@comcast.net

 The Gift by Joseph Fleck

The book that started my reading in the New Year was The Gift by Joseph Fleck. Joe has been mentioned in this column before when I brought his book, River Rat, to your attention. Do you sometimes get those "nostalgia" emails from someone that start,"Do you remember when the television took time to warm up or when soda came in glass bottles?" Well, Joe remembers and he brings those memories to life. He tells about cramming all the kids into the car in front and back seats with no seatbelts. At one point two friends are seen jumping from the railroad trestle into the water below. Why Joe even had a slingshot!!

   The gift in the title refers to a present that Joe worked and saved for one summer to give to his mother. Along the way, he has more adventures on the river, solves a local mystery, and shares his strong, loving family with us. The gift may have been a birthday present, but the real gift is Joe's ability to bring us back to our own childhoods and to remind us that parental love and guidance, a strong work ethic, and neighborliness are an important part of our roots.

    You may buy this book for a young reader, but I am sure you will enjoy it as well. 

A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

    The next book is for adults and suggested to me by my former boss, Al.  It is good to have a fellow Incurable Reader as a boss. The book is A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. This story is written from the dog’s perspective. At times it is funny and at other times it had me in tears. In the beginning we meet the puppy born to a feral mother. He has three siblings: a sister named Sister, a brother he calls Fast because he gets everywhere first, another brother he names Hungry because all he does is eat and sleep. In the book the dog will go through many owners and names, all the while searching for his true purpose in life. I guess we could call it a canine meaning of life search. Some of us are dog people and some are cat people. It does not matter. You will enjoy the book.

Friend Judy who writes for Colonial Times also sent along these suggestions. At the time she was reading a series of short stories after meeting short-story writer Andre Dubus.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

     Two newsworthy successes in the publishing of short stories connected by a theme come from Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri who wrote Interpreter of Maladies (Mariner Books, 1999). This book of nine short stories won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award in 2000. 

   The settings are India or the United States and yet the state-of-affairs the characters confront transcend ethnic backgrounds. This Pulitzer Prize winner has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, was selected for The New Yorker’s Best Debut of the Year, and is on Oprah Winfrey’s Top Ten Book List.

Tracy Winn wrote to me saying, “I don't know if there is really a trend in linked short-story collections, but it feels as if we are in good company. The NYTimes has certainly been giving them more space.” Perhaps the linked collections listed above have contributed to the reshaping of what a short story is meant to be.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

     Jhumpa Lahiri’s second collection of short-stories, Unaccustomed Earth (Alfred A. Knopf, 2008) like the first collection, reflects how people cope living between two separate cultures. Her eight stories are set in Brooklyn, Cambridge, Seattle, India, Italy, and Thailand; each exploring family dynamics. Through the changes made to the Indian culture in America, readers feel the universal emotions that connect us all – like the bond between grandfather and grandson or the grief of a mother’s death.

  This linked collection explores time and mortality in simple yet elegant prose. Anyone who has grown up to leave home and become a foreigner in a new place will identify with the characters who have crossed borders and made changes. This collection made the New York Times Book Review list of “Ten Best Books of 2008.”

   Jhumpa Lahiri’s books have brought the short story back to the attention of publishers and readers alike.

    Ah, February, the month of love. In my family it is the month of birthdays so I rather expect that the month of love was about nine months back. Even when they marry into our family, they come with February birthdays. As an Incurable Reader, I am never at a loss for gifts. There are always books that are appropriate for everyone on my list, whether they are wanted or not. I assume, that with all this cold, snowy weather all the Aquarians in my family will be thrilled to have a nice warm book to curl up with and so might you.

  Awhile back I suggested that you might want to try this novel idea.  (Pun Intended) If you are planning a baby shower, ask guests to include a cardboard or cloth book for the newborn.

   We had such an event in January and most guests used their book as a card. The givers signed all these books so baby will always be able to connect a particular book with a person.

   The oohs and ahhs from the guests as each book was revealed were almost as loud as those for the actual gifts. Some saw favorites they had read to their own children or grandchildren and others saw some they remembered as kids.

Books by Oliver Jeffers

Lost and Found        Up and Down        Way Back Home

    In January somewhere between the second and third snowstorm I got to be a guest reader at a school near Boston, Massachusetts.

    I wanted to read a fun book that most first graders might not be familiar with. I was supposed to read one but the children and I were having so much fun that I just kept going.

   The author I picked was Oliver Jeffers who is also the illustrator. He is from Belfast, Northern Ireland and his books have received awards in Europe. He has written a number of books but I just read three.

   The first book is Lost and Found about a boy who is surprised to find a penguin knocking at his door. Naturally, he assumes that penguin is lost and decides to row him back home to Antarctica. Both story and illustrations are delightful. Adults will get a chuckle too.

   In the next book, Up and Down, the penguin decided he wants to fly. After all he does have wings. One again, the illustrations add to the story.   

   Finally, in Way Back Home, the boy finds an airplane that he didn’t know he had in his closet and decides to fly to the moon. He meets an alien there while the penguin, sits back home waiting for him to return so they can resume their game of backgammon.

I am always looking for book suggestions from you. If you send something to me, it may not show up right away so send it again or just wait.   mrsr.17@comcast.net

squirrel seeks chipmunk by David Sedaris

     Another book I selected has been on the New York Times bestseller list for quite some time. squirrel seeks chipmunk is written by David Sedaris and illustrated by Ian Falconer. The latter illustrates all those wonderful Olivia books for children.

    Well, Aesop may be well and living in Manhattan but this is not a book for children, nor is it quite like those ancient tales other than the fact that animals are used to point out our many human foibles. In the first story a squirrel and a chipmunk meet and find they enjoy each other’s company. However, this mixed species couple must contend with many prejudices and preconceptions. 

    All the stories are on the mark and the illustrations are too. However, I have hidden the book so that my granddaughters don’t see the illustrator’s name and decide to read.

Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potzsch

    I have always enjoyed history novels so I also read The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potzsch. The author lives in Munich and is a scriptwriter for Bavarian Public Television. He is a descendant of the Kuisls whose claim to fame is that they were one of Bavaria’s leading dynasties of executioners.  Now, that’s something that you don’t hear everyday.

   I am not fluent in Hungarian, but Massachusetts translator, Lee Chadeayne has translated the book for us. Set in 1659 in Bavaria, it tells the story of Jakob Kuisol, his daughter Magdalena, and the local physician’s son, Simon Fronwieser, who work together to solve the murders and disappearance of several young children.

    This is the time of witchcraft and suspicion. It is also filled with crooked politicians, secrets, lies, and great fear, all universal themes. Set against this backdrop and with no modern science, the three race against time to solve the mystery before the Hangman must execute the midwife who delivered his children and who now stands suspected of witchcraft.

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henks

A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid

    The grandmother in me (and the teacher too) means I am always on the lookout for books for little incurable readers. There is nothing better than shutting off that television, computer, and all those other electronic devices and curling up with a little one, fresh from the bath, in clean pajamas, and not quite ready for bed.

    Both of you can wind down and enjoy a good book together. This month, two artists have given us perfect books for bedtime or anytime reading.

   The first is Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henks. Our little hero has a wonderful imagination as he hops about in the great new world. Of course, when he sees a cat for the first time, he is happy to hop back to the safety of mom’s loving arms. 

    In the second book, A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid, our young lady is sure she is ready for a pet. Of course, she will feed it and play with it and walk it and clean up its messes. Unfortunately, she wants a skunk!

   My husband and I have always enjoyed going on long rides. In the past when we were younger and gas was cheaper, we had a Volkswagen bus. We threw a mattress in the back along with his camera and my books and our hiking boots and took off. Consequently, I have seen all the states you can drive to and Canada and Mexico. Oceans got in the way of longer drives.

    In keeping with this long tradition, this winter we threw our stuff into a different vehicle and took off again. Hubby drove. I slept. Hubby drove. I read. Hubby drove some more and twenty-one hours later, we were in Florida. We don’t stop. I tell people we get a catheter before leaving but that’s not quite true.  We make quick pit stops. Hubby should have been a long distance truck driver. A little Schubert or Mozart in the CD player and he is good to go. All I need is books.   

Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva

    My first read on the trip was Bruce DeSilva’s Rogue Island. Friend Julia recommended this last time. I also thoroughly enjoyed the book.  Bruce certainly knows Rhode Island and this is highly recommended for anyone who has ever watched the local news or read the Providence Journal.

    Only the names have been changed to protect the not so innocent. But you don’t have to have lived here to enjoy this crime novel. This book has been nominated for at least two prestigious awards: The Barry Award in the best first novel category and the novel was also short-listed for the Edgar Award. And now it is going international with publications overseas!

    The main character is Mulligan, a reporter for the statewide newspaper who begins to investigate a series of arsons. Like the rest of us, he has some flaws; just ask his ex. Mulligan is set to return in a new crime novel, coming to your Kindle soon.

Please send your own reading delights to me. I am always looking for reviews of almost any genre from others. I will publish your suggestions and put them on my own list of books to read. Send them to mrsr17@comcast.net. There is no period after the mrs; we are all friends here and I like to keep it informal.

     After a long cold winter, we are all getting the urge to enjoy warm weather. The winter snow, which I am afraid to say, stopped as soon as Bill and I departed for warmer climates, has all melted away. The little crocus and daffodils and other heralds of warmer days have all popped up around the big rock in our yard. The deer are all lined up to nibble away the many tulips my husband planted a few years back. Robins are flocking to the feeders although they did that all winter so I don’t count them as true signs of spring.

   As a kid, I knew it was spring because mom and grandma and all the other neighborhood women did real serious cleaning. As a teacher, I knew it was spring because all the state testing began, followed by trips to Hornbine School.

   Now as a retiree and grandma, my grandchildren’s bikes are out and ready to hit the trails with Dad and Grandpaparazzi. That is a sure sign of better weather. I never knew I liked spring until I retired. I found it was a lovely time of year with added daylight hours to read a good book outside.

I’ve had a request for summer reading suggestions for kids of all ages.  If your school has a reading list of summer reading and would like to pass it along, I would be glad to include it. I also would like to include book reviews from kids during the summer months so please encourage your student to write and get “published.” Book reviews for big and little Incurables can be sent to me at mrsr17@comcast.net.

Georgia Bottoms by Marc Childress

   I seem to be reading a number of books about southern women even though I was born and bred a Swamp Yankee. The most recent is Georgia Bottoms by Marc Childress. Miss Bottoms is a genteel Southern lady whose family has long ago lost its fortune. It is up to her to continue their comfortable life, caring for her elderly mother and worthless brother. She has maintained her beauty and reputation as the finest Southern belle in her small town, harboring a secret as she shops at Belk and throws popular social gatherings.

   However, when the local Baptist minister decides to repent his sins while preaching one Sunday morning, his confession could put an end to her lifestyle. He is, after all, her Saturday night. And the five other “nights” do not know about each other.  (She takes one night off.) This book is a quick, funny read.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen

     Incurable Reader Jeanne has written to suggest a book she recently read. This author has been in the news recently with accusations that things may not be quite as advertised. But even the naysayers do not attack the work that that is being done to build schools and educate children in areas where girls have long been denied an education. 

     Jeanne writes, “ I would recommend Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen.  He is the one building schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He started out as a mountain climber.  When he was badly injured, the people in a native village nursed him to health and he promised he's build them a school.  One school has multiplied into scores.  The first part of the book is difficult because the names and villages are unfamiliar to us. 

    This book is required reading now for many collages/universities, government officials, and Special Forces.”

Tinkers by Paul Harding

     Another person who will also always enjoy holding a good book is First Friend. When she and her late husband were first married they spent some of their budget money on an occasional leather bound copy of a classic novel. This is not easy for a newly wed couple.

     Imagine choosing between a leather-bound Tale of Two Cities and a few dinner and a movie date nights. First friend wrote about a debut novel by former drummer of the group Cold Water, Paul Harding.

     Tinkers details a man's last days and Harding’s’ relationship with his father. The thin (191 pages) book was a surprising winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction when it was released in 2009.

    First Friend who lost her own father to cancer reports that this book is a lyrical read that sold out in its first printing. Hopefully, you can find a copy.

The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian

   Another Incurable Reader is Eileen. We worked together for a number of years and she let me share one of her daughters one year when I had her Lovebug in third grade.

    She writes, “I read every day, and, since you asked, two books immediately come to mind for recommendation: The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood and Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. Both authors are New England-based.

    Chris lives in Vermont, (a common setting for his writing) and I think I have read all his books. He travels to support causes that relate to the work. Ann Hood lives in Providence, and I met her at a book signing in Marion, MA. In my opinion she is a survivor and usually writes books based upon her live experience. Are you familiar with these authors?”

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference

The Good Garden: How One Family Went from Hunger to Having Enough

both by Katie Smith Milway

     Another person I know who will always treasure holding a good book is author Judy who has contributed often to this column. A fellow grandma she has two book suggestions for the younger Incurable in your lie to share with you.

   She writes,” Not to leave out young readers, I want to suggest two story books by Wellesley author Katie Smith Milway. Her recent children’s books teach micro-finance and inspire children (ages 5-12) to be better global citizens.

    One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference (Kids Can Press, 2008) tells the story of Kojo in Ghana who borrowed a small amount of money to buy himself a chicken and help feed himself and his mother. The eggs he sold allowed him to buy more chickens and eventually, as an adult, he built a chicken farm that helped his family, his community, and his country. The story is based on the life of Kwabena Darko, who not only raised chickens commercially but also started a trust to loan money to small businesses in Ghana.

    The Good Garden:  How One Family Went from Hunger to Having Enough (Kids Can Press, 2010) is again based on one person who made a real difference in his country.

    This time the setting is Honduras and the story’s main character is a girl named Maria Luz Duarte who works on her family farm. When a teacher in school shows her how to terrace hillside land and add compost to the soil, her crops grow better and the family earns more money at market.

  The Honduran teacher who inspired this story is Don Elias Sanchez who worked throughout his life to improve farming conditions in his country.”

    Recently I was visiting a new mother. I think once you have finished having children of your own, holding a baby is the most pleasant of experiences. For me, it is one of the few things that beat holding a good book.

    This little one is sure to be surrounded by books throughout her life because she has quite an extensive library for someone who has not hit the one-year mark. While I was there, Mom showed me a gift her husband had given her for her first Mothers Day.

     It was not a gift certificate to a spa, or flowers, or the charge card and a trip to the mall. Rather, it was an early edition of Pride and Prejudice. For this mom it was the most romantic, thoughtful gift Dad could have given her.

     As I held this perfect old book with its remarkable illustrations, I had a random thought. As we move from the printed, illustrated, wonderfully bound books into the digital age, are we moving away from the pleasure of holding a good book?

   Will there be autographed copies and leather bound books to be sought out and loved in the future? I do love the handy Kindle where I can download almost anything to read on the plane, but I will never give up my shelves of hardcover books.

     Incurable Readers treasure a good read in any form, but I think at this point we all treasure that hardbound book. I hope this continues for generations to come.

SPEAKING OF YOUNGER INCURABLES

  Young people are well on their way to summer vacation. Be certain, please, to include books in your summer plans. Young readers should have their own library cards and a weekly date at the library. (Rule: no movie or video from the library until books are read.)

    Read to your reader daily and let them see you reading. Even reluctant readers will enjoy that snuggle and being read to. And all those old nursery rhymes and songs with an infant and toddler will make a better reader someday. Take it from a lady who has been handing out unsolicited advice to several generations.

The Incurable Reader will have a listing of required and suggested summer reading from our local schools soon. This will be a handy reference to use when selecting books at the library, bookstore, and electronic reader for all young readers. Book reviews for big and little Incurables can be sent to me at mrsr17@comcast.net.

      As I write, it is cloudy, showery, and a bit nippy. It is definitely not a beach day or even a pool day in New England. However, I keep finding in the newspaper or online, book reviews that seem to contain the tag line, “A Good Beach Read” or “For Your Summer Reading.” I have no idea what this means. Are these lists compiled for people who only read in the summer?  Then, they are definitely not lists for Incurable Readers because we read all year long. Perhaps these books are considered lighter reading than the books we might read the rest of the year.

   Do people pull out their sandals and shorts and switch to more frivolous, “light” books during the summer months? That doesn’t seem right to me either. I am used to summer reading lists put out by schools but these were never light or frivolous when I was in school. (Do they still read Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks in high school?)

   Therefore, I guess I should get on the bandwagon and provide some books for your summer reading pleasure. However, don’t be too upset if they are not all “light” and I won’t be angry with you if you happen to read them in another season.

   I am an Incurable Reader who can read anything, anywhere, anytime. However, there are some books that I can reread with joy. The Red Garden passes the crucial test of a really good book: I was sad to see it end. I wanted more. Books like Edgar Sawtelle or The Help fit into that category for me. There are lots of books that I can happily enjoy on an electric reader . . . but the really good books, I want to hold as a real book to be savored in the real book form.

Please continue to send your good book suggestions to me at mrsr17@comcast.net.  I love to hear what other people are reading. Please note that I only included three books this time to make room for some special book suggestions, the Summer Reading Lists from our local schools.

In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson

     This is a work of nonfiction. William E. Dodd was a college professor, a historian, and a family man when he accepted the post of the US Ambassador in Berlin. He thought this would give him time to pursue his life work, a history of the south after the Civil War from a southerner’s perspective. Unfortunately, this posting came as Hitler solidified his power while the world ignored all the signs. Dodd was not a wealthy man. He was not part of the Yale-Harvard group that was such a controlling factor in the state department. He, at first, turned a blind eye, never wondering why there were so many fabulous, furnished mansions for rent for his family. But he did keep copious journals and letters, giving us a view of his growing concern and horror at the events occurring daily around them. His daughter, Martha, also kept copious notes, letters, and journals. She found this posting a lark. She loved the partying and drinking, flirtations and affairs, intrigue and company. But the entire Dodd family’s growing concerns and warnings fell on deaf ears back in the US where bankers only wanted the debt repaid by Germany from WWI and the

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

     This is the time of summer reading as I mentioned last time. I do have summer reading. It is for the students that I tutor. They each come with a book or two that they must read for the summer. I read it too so that I can help them with their comprehension and projects. (Good advice for parents!)  My first is Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. I read this a very long time ago but I enjoyed coming back to it. It is subtitled, “The Autobiography of a Horse” and that is exactly what it is. Beauty is a beautiful horse, all black except for a white star marking on his forehead. He tells the story of his life in England in the late 1800’s. Sometimes he has good masters and handlers. Sometimes he is abused and nearly dies. Each chapter telling of Beauty’s life or another horse’s tale gives us a lesson on kindness, sympathy, and compassion. The book was not written for young readers but for adults. The stories actually had an impact on the conditions for working animals at the time. I was happy to return to this good book from my past, the sixth best selling book in the English language!

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

     First Friend also sent news of another animal book she enjoyed. I don’t remember she and her sister having a dog when they were younger but as the mother of two boys, she often included dogs in the family. She writes, “Since Shadow, my Springer Spaniel dog, died last June, I've gravitated to dog stories. Fortunately, I didn't read this one till 8 months later -- The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. The story is told by the dog Enzo as he shares how he thinks and feels living with racecar driver Denny.  It is lovely yet full of emotion and tears. The book was listed as “Seattle Times” Best Book of the Year.”

New York by Edward Rutherford

     Another Incurable sent this suggestion along. Unfortunately, I am not quite sure who sent it. Please let me know! This past summer, I spent some serious time reading Edward Rutherfurd's New York. This book took a little time to get into, but was very interesting after the first 50-60 pages. It's about the settlement of New York (primarily the Manhattan area) from the time the Dutch traders were introduced to the Indians all the way to 9/11. This is a historical novel, not unlike Michener, that follows families, rich and poor, throughout the book. I really enjoyed it. The author has also written several other books including London and The Princes of Ireland.

      The Incurable Reader first appeared on RehobothNow one year ago this month. I went back and checked. Before that, it was an online newsletter that I sent out to people I knew who liked to read. I am so pleased with the change.

      First of all, I get to share the book choices with many people I don’t know. Also, I get book suggestions back from so many more people to pass on. A real heady plus is the occasional “fan letter” sent by a fellow Incurable. It’s not quite up there with my granddaughter’s pronouncement, “Grandma, you are the Martha Stewart of pancakes,” but it is still nice to be appreciated.       

   Finally, I look forward to the column each month when it is published. It looks so polished and professional after RehobothNow cleans it up, adds some formatting and artwork, and puts it out there for all of us to read. I do hope you all continue to read this column and send me your book choices to add.

      Please pass this link on to fellow Incurables you know and ask them to join in the discussion. I have never joined any book discussion group, but I know many of you have. I would love it if you would share your club’s reading list so it can be passed along too.

May I stand briefly, once again, on my Teacher Soapbox?

   This month I write about Black Beauty, a book that has been adapted more than once to movies and shortened children’s editions.

   Please, have your child read the true version of book before allowing them to view a film version. You really should insist that a child read and then view later and compare the two perspectives. I cringe every time I hear a student say, “I didn’t read the books but I saw the movies.”

    I gave my children their first copies of The Hobbit when they were in fifth grade. They loved all the Tolkein books long before the movies were made. They also enjoyed the movies and went back to reread the books.

    The movies for the newer Twilight and Harry Potter books came out before the books were all on the scene. It may be tougher to control those. But please try.

    I can recall teaching third grade when the first Harry Potter book came out. Several students really got turned onto reading that year and took great pride in the fat chapter book they kept on their desk.  There was no movie to interfere and it was a thrill to watch real imaginations at work and not a special effects department.

Please continue to send your reading suggestions to me at mrsr17@comcast.net. I am working my way through some summer reading books for kids in grades 2-8 right now so I could use your help!

Griff Carver, Hallway Patrol by Jim Kreig

   The best part of this book is 'how' it is told. Griff Carver takes hallway patrol very seriously and he tells the story like a seventh-grade Eliot Ness. Griff has to uncover the culprit who is

making counterfeit hall passes and he will risk everything to get his man. Dispersed within the pages are transcripts from the school guidance counselor and various incident reports from the school safety patrol. A fun read!

Of course, I recognize that not all of you are lugging a backpack onto a school bus so here are some book suggestions for the rest of us.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

   In nineteenth century China, daughters were considered worthless. What they offered their families was the hope of a profitable, arranged marriage that would benefit their parents.

    This story is told from the point of view of Lily, an obedient Chinese girl. She tells her story starting from childhood when her feet were bound, through her teen years, motherhood, and old age.

    This story is not about how badly these girls were treated. It's a story of the love between two life long friends, Lily and Snow Flower. They communicate through the secret language of "nu shu.”

    But all is not what it seems, and a misunderstanding threatens Lily's friendship with Snow Flower, who is the only person she loves and who loves her. The story is beautiful and heartbreaking.

     If you loved Memoirs of a Geisha, then you'll love Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I couldn't put it down. It also piqued my interest into the torturous process of foot binding and the secret language of "nu-shu.”

Speaking of second graders, the next book review comes from a former second grade teacher, Alyce:

The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips

   This story alternates between the life of a woman physician, Hannah Devlin, and her connection with the court of King Charles in the 17th century, and the present day life of a woman researcher at Trinity College in Cambridge (England).  Claire Donovan is working on decoding Hannah's diary, which is written in a kind of coded short hand.  There is a fascinating intrigue going on in both the lives of Hannah and Claire and it’s interesting how it all comes together - centuries apart.

Tracy Winn and Cindy Phoel jointly recommend another author being published by the Southern Methodist University Press:

Good Dogs: A Novel in Stories by Mitch Wieland (SMU Press, 2009)

   This is another linked collection “that evokes a specific place -- in this case, rural Idaho. “All three of us have chosen the linked story form to bring an out-of-the-way place to life,” writes Cindy. Tracy adds that Wieland’s book “accumulates essentially to a novel. I found it really well written. It is set in Idaho, beautifully.”  Told in chronological order, the “novel in stories” revolves around Ferrell Swan who wants to escape his three ex-wives, a dead-beat stepson, and his life as a high school teacher in Ohio. At sixty he seeks solitude and reflection time in the desert in Idaho, but his troubles follow him.  His angry stepson Levon appears and Levon’s mother Rilla shows up. What went wrong with their relationships becomes the core of the stories and leads to an unsettling climax. 

   Recently I went shopping. I fully expected to see hosts of Back to School displays but that obviously takes place in the spring. All stores were festooned with your basic Halloween decorations. If you are preparing to send your child to day one of kindergarten and you have delayed your shopping, be ready to outfit your little one in orange and black.

     In my family back to school shopping involves getting a supply of books along with those pencils, markers, and healthy snacks. The Royal Princesses always throw a good book or two into the backpack. You never know when the urge to read might hit.

    I always told my students that a good book is a good friend; it will not get you into trouble. I have had to revise that statement. One of the Royal Princesses took her book out into the hallway to read since the classroom was too noisy in her opinion. Teacher was not amused when she realized one of her students was missing. You would think a kindergarten teacher would understand the need to read.

    Here are a few back to school reading suggestions for your young Incurables direct from our family’s new second graders. The reviews this time were written by mom who makes it a point to read what her girls are reading. This is highly suggested although I am not sure just when a busy mom fits this in.

Please feel free to join our discussion of all reading materials you enjoy. It is great fun to learn what others are reading; it opens new doors for us all. Please send your book reviews to me. Remember, I am an eclectic reader and will read almost anything. Also please send your book club’s reading list so that we may see what other groups are reading. In the meantime, Happy Halloween.   mrsr17@comcast.net

Alvin Ho, Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things

by Lenore Look

     Alvin Ho is a funny second grader who is afraid of almost everything, but he loves super heroes, David Thoreau and things that explode. The characters in this book are well crafted and the situations Alvin finds himself in are laugh out loud hilarious. This is a great book for reluctant readers.

The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School

by Candace Fleming

   The fourth graders of Aesop Elementary are legendary difficult, but their new teacher, Mr. Jupiter, can handle them. Follow each student in the class as they learn a solid lesson complete with a moral at the end. I laughed out loud several times reading this book. It's fun and clever.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In keeping with the fantasy theme, Mother of the Royal Princesses, Jenn, sent along this book suggestion:

If you loved Twilight then you'll love the Hunger Games. Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen lives in District Twelve, a poor mining district which serves the cruel Capitol of Panem. The Government keeps the twelve districts under control by forcing them to send 24 children each year to participate in the Hunger Games. Only one thing is certain about the Hunger Games: Only one child will remain alive. Katniss takes her younger sister's place in the games. She is shrewd, kind, and a skilled competitor, so much so that she becomes a favorite contender among the citizens of the Capitol and the other eleven districts.

     This sets off a series of events that could ignite a revolution in Panem, with Katniss as the leader. The book, by Suzanne Collins, is recommended for teens. Parents may want to read the book first. Set in the future, it has won mention on such lists as the “New York Times Bestseller” list and “The Hornbook Fanfare”. Accolades from fellow writers Stephen King and Stephanie Meyers cannot hurt either.

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

Looking for something a little more peaceful? First Friend has sent along this good read:

      I finally read The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. She introduces us to six members of a fictional book club. We come to know each one's quirky habits, all of which relate to themes in Jane Austen's novels. This was a fun read. The book has been made into a movie but please read it first.

Book Group List for 2011-2012

Speaking of book clubs, here is a list from a reader who lives north of Boston. Her book club has set up an ambitious schedule. They eat too at their meetings in each others’ homes.

July    Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet   by James Ford   (Fiction)

Aug.   The River of Doubt:  Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey

            by Candice Millard  (Biography)

September   Cabal of the Westford Knight   by David S. Brody  (Mystery/Fiction)

October   The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton  (Fiction)

November     The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton  (Fiction)      

December    The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garath Stein   (Fiction)

January    Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel   (Young Adult Fiction)

February     Cutting for Stone   by Abraham Verghese    (Fiction)

March     Little Bee   by Chris Cleave   (Fiction)

April      The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp  (Non-fiction)

May      Banishing Verona by Margot Livesey   (Fiction)         

       September is back to school month for our neck of the woods. Actually, it is back to school month for the students. Teachers have been doing back to school in the months previous to September. They have been taking classes and workshops all summer long. When I was teaching, I often dragged my own children to school in the summer to help get my classroom ready. That may be one reason I spawned no teachers.

      There were always signs that school time was nearing. The Rose of Sharon bush would bloom in our yard. Those back to school jingles would start on television and all those fall colored long sleeve outfits would arrive in the stores in mid July. And the back to school nightmares would begin. Not for the kids, for the teachers. It is, I fear, universal among elementary teachers, at least.

     Some things have changed since I retired and some things have remained the same. My husband got sick of trying to mow around the giant bush so he cut it down. I had the dreams for a number of years after I retired and I know of teachers still in the classroom who have reported their annual nightmare. Another change is the increases in summer homework children have now. I remember reading lists when I was in high school but now even the littlest students have summer reading and homework. One thing I never had to contend with is trying to get my classroom ready when there was no electricity for a week thanks to some lady named Irene.

     Another big change for me is that now I have more time for read anything I want. School reading is no longer required and I get to read purely for my own pleasure.  I miss the children and my fellow teachers even after all these years. But I do not miss the curtailed reading.

Please continue to send your book suggestions to mrsr17@comcast.net for publication in future newsletters. I love to know what you are all reading.   mrsr17@comcast.net

A Song of Fire and Ice by George R.R. Martin

     As I have said before, I will read almost anything. I also believe in reading the book before seeing the movie although that is not always possible. This past month, I put both tenets to work. While spending time at my daughter’s, I started watching an HBO series called the “Game of Thrones.” I only saw the last two episodes. I decided to read the book. Not good. There are five books to date and two more scheduled. I could have used a spreadsheet to keep the myriad characters organized. Some people are reported dead and suddenly reappear several chapters later. (Beheaded characters usually stay dead.) It took the author five years after the publication of book four to finish book five. This is not good. I can remember Dorothy Beckwith in her final years saying she had to stay alive to read the final book in John Jakes novels about the early days of our country.

   George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy A Song of Fire and Ice is set in a mythical times filled with characters that make history’s Richard III, Lady Macbeth, and Lucretia Borgia seem mild and kind. Characters are fully painted and even though the book at times may seem wordy, it keeps moving at breakneck speed. All this in dragons too. I just hope he hurries to complete the last two novels in the series. I am getting old.

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French

This novel tells the story of Marylou Ahearn who moves to Tallahassee to kill a retired physician, Wilson Spriggs. She feels she has good reason. When she was pregnant with her only child she was administered a dose of radioactive medicine at a clinic in Memphis. Her beautiful daughter had died at age eight due to this drug, which was given without their knowledge to pregnant women who went to the clinic in 1953. This was part of a government study headed by Spriggs. Now she is 77 and ready to take her revenge. Unfortunately, Spriggs has Alzheimer’s, which means he has no memory of the dastardly deed.  And she is growing increasingly attached to his daughter and her dysfunctional family. Dark humor abounds as you can tell when Marylou adopts the name of Nancy Archer, the name of the title character in an old B movie, “Attack of the 50-Foot Woman” as her name in her new life in the Spriggs neighborhood.

Wonderland by Helen Smith

Second, I selected Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith. Quirky is the perfect word to describe this book. Alison Temple is a twenty something gal who hires an all female private eye detective agency to see if her husband is cheating on her. He is. To get her life back together, Alison decides to become an investigator with the same agency tracking lost objects and wayward husbands. But the characters she meets give a Wonderland quality to her life. Who is real? Who is not? From the psychic mailman to her poetry-writing neighbor to her best friend who says her mom is a depressed witch, Alison and we are never quite sure what is going on.

The Woodcutter, A Novel by Reginald Hill

My third book was chosen because it was billed as a mystery by the author of the Dalzeil and Pascoe series, Reginald Hill. The cover was a bit spooky too. The Woodcutter, A Novel, is well written, tight, and full of twists. The title character, Sir Wilfred Hadda, was once a rich, handsome businessman, married to a beautiful woman he has loved since childhood, father of a beautiful daughter. When we meet him, a psychologist, Alva Ozigbo, seeks to get at the root of the evils he has committed. She is slowly drawing the story of his rise and downfall from Wolf, as he is more commonly known. Not only has he been jailed for fraudulent business practices, but also for being a pedophile. He is deformed due to an accident that occurred when he was trying to escape from police. His wife has divorced him to marry his best friend and former lawyer. And his daughter has died of a drug overdose in France where she was sent to escape her father’s notoriety. This is a fast paced story of betrayal and revenge.  It is not PG rated but I found it to be a great read.

Blanding Book Club

This month I also went to a meeting of the Blanding Library’s Book Club led by Sue Roberts. The group meets once a month on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 pm. I was made to feel very welcome.  In October the book up for discussion was Major Pettigrew Takes a Stand, a book that I had read and presented in an earlier edition of The Incurable Reader.  In enjoying a book with others who have read it, I found that many new insights and questions were brought up, making this a really great opportunity to explore a good read. Next month, the group is discussing The Physic Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe on November 8 at 7:30 pm. I have my copy. If you would like to join in the fun, there are copies on reserve at the library. Just ask at the front desk.

     October, for most children, means Halloween. When I was a child, back in the day, (Oops, that’s an other column) Halloween was very exciting. All the costumes were homemade by some very creative parents. There were always cowboys and cowgirls carrying toy guns with caps for realism. Dale Evans and Roy Rogers were very much in evidence.  Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone were quite popular too.

    I remember quite clearly the child who came as a robot, wrapped in a year’s supply of tin foil. We would all trick or treat in the neighborhood and the highlight would be the Halloween party at school in the cafeteria. We would do the hokey-pokey and bunny hop and then parade around in a big circle so that the adults could get ideas for next year’s costumes. Actually, they said it was to judge the best costumes and there were prizes. Not everyone got a prize but we still seemed to all enjoy ourselves.

      As a mother, I would hit the Singer Sewing Catalog to make costumes for my children. One year, my son was a devil who carried a homemade pitchfork made by Dad. He also made the angel wings and halo to go with my daughter’s angel costume.

   Another year, I made my daughter a “Little House on the Prairie” dress and bonnet, figuring it could do double duty as an outfit for Hornbine School when she went later that year. Alas, due to budget cuts, there were no field trips. She still says I took every child in town to Hornbine School except her.

    Now, I am a grandmother so I do not have to feel responsible for the costume anymore. I love seeing what all the children are wearing. One of my granddaughters went as Mary, Mother of God, last year. Jesus was a swaddled baby doll. Sometimes she got tired of juggling him and her loot bag and we had to remind her to stop carrying him by his feet.

    She is the only Virgin Mary I have ever seen at Halloween in my entire life. Like her Grandmother, she was doing double duty because she had to do a report on a saint for her first grade class and could dress as the saint for her oral report. Her sister in a great ecumenical display went as Venus, Goddess of Love. She had to pick another saint for her report at school because Venus was not on the list.

   In the Halloween spirit, I decided to read a few books that were a bit spooky or strange. The first two I selected purely on the titles which struck my as quirky.

Next month is November. Traditionally I like to include books to buy for children for the holidays. Every child should get at least one good book in December. Please send me all your suggestions for good book gift ideas to give to kids of all ages. I will post them in November and December. Send you favorites to mrsr17@comcast.net

The Elf on the Shelf by Carol Aebersoda and Chandra Bell

The Royal Princesses are excited because it is soon time for their elf, Charlie, to make an appearance.

Be sure your own little reader has a copy of The Elf on the Shelf by Carol Aebersoda and Chandra Bell. The book comes with its own little elf.  He spends the day watching the children of the household and returns to the North Pole each night while children are asleep. He reports to Santa whether  the household youngsters have been naughty or nice and returns in the morning.  Each morning he is to be found in a new observation spot and children have to search for him.  There is an assortment of books, activities, crafts, and recipes to go along with the tradition.

The Hunger Games, Cathing Fire and Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins

Another experienced Grandmother polled her granddaughters for their book suggestions. Like her, they are Incurable Readers.

Lauren is a seventh grader who recommends her all-time favorite, The Hunger Games Trilogy. (Our resident expert on teen-age reading also has suggested this previously.) The three books are The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mocking Jay.  These stories are set in the future with a young heroine, Katiness. Scroll down to a more complete write-up in the last few months. Although Lauren is suggesting it for her age group, I know of several adult readers who have been reading and thrilling to this book too.

The Runaway Train by Peg Kehret

Also on her list of good reads is The Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret. The main character is Sunny who has been in the foster care system for ten years since the death of her mother and grandmother in a car accident. She decides to run away from her current foster home to search for her twin sister. Her adventures should keep readers turning the pages to an unexpected ending.

Charlotte’s Web  -  Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole

Another student critic is third grader Lisa. She says you cannot go wrong if your gift is one of the E.B. White classics such as Charlotte’s Web or Trumpet of the Swan. Isn’t nice to know that these well-written and well-loved classics are still around?  Lisa also suggests A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole. This is the story of a mouse that befriends the creatures being drawn by Audubon in Louisiana.  This discerning reader has chosen a book that was listed by Amazon as a Best Book of the Month in 2010. Cole is an illustrator of some repute so the pictures that accompany this story add to the book.

Pinkalicious  -  Purplelicious by Victoria Kahn

Our third student critic is second grader Sarah. She would get along with fellow second graders, the Royal Princesses, who second her nominations. The series of books by Victoria Kahn begins with Pinkalicious. The heroine here loves pink and when she eats too many pink cupcakes, she turns pink, much to her delight. Not so delighted is Mom who rushes her to the doctor who says the only cure is to eat green food only. Yuck. You will be glad to know there is also a Purpleicious, also recommended by Sarah. By doing a little research, I found there are more books (and colors) in this series and even a doll.

The Wonder of Charlie Anne by Kim Fusco

Our final book suggestion comes from East Coast Dave who calls himself The Reluctant Reader.  The book is The Wonder of Charlie Anne and it has a local connection.   He has passed along a “book report” from Beverly Pettine who is the schoolmarm at Hornbine School:

     In August of 2010, Rhode Island author Kim Fusco’s young adult novel arrived in local bookstores.  The Wonder of Charlie Anne is set in a Massachusetts town during the depression years of the 1930’s. A portion of the story is set in a one-room schoolhouse.      

    As part of her research, Kim visited the Hornbine School in Rehoboth. Her first visit was on a raw, overcast day in the fall of 2008.  Kim sat down and spoke with Evelyn Rose Bois and Frances Magan Jones as they recalled their lessons and adventures at Hornbine School during the 1930’s.

    Kim returned in the spring of 2009 with her mother and her daughter Laura to experience the recreation of a day of school at the one-room schoolhouse.  All three visitors joined a class of third graders who were immersed in a day of school as it might have been in the 19th century. 

     Several ideas that Kim incorporated into her story came from lessons and activities she observed that day. The novel has received outstanding reviews and two awards.  The Wonder of Charlie Anne received a silver medal as a Parents’ Choice Award and it made the American Library Association’s Amelia Bloomer List.  Books are chosen for this designation when the story promotes strong female characters. 

     Don’t miss Charlie Anne and her friend Phoebe as they create a friendship that outlasts hardship, sadness, and racial tension, reminding all readers that courage and a heart that cares can overcome most anything.”

     When I was a child, it seemed that Christmas took forever to come. The stores were never decorated for the holiday until after Thanksgiving. The carols were not on the radio until December and our house was never decorated until close to the holiday.

   Dad would actually go out into the woods and cut the tree with an ax and my brother and I could hang our stockings on the stair rail on Christmas Eve.  Of course, we left cookies and milk for Santa. I recall carolers coming to our home and a service at church, which was a little more attended than the normal Sunday.  An orange in my stocking was always expected and welcome. And my brother and I always knew there would be at least one book from Santa under our tree.

      We do have a pre-holiday party in my family that is meant for all our impatient little people (and equally impatient grandmothers). We have called it Ladies’ Stocking Day since the ladies of the family gather together to enjoy holiday music, food, laughter, and early Christmas stockings from Grandma. This year we have had to change the name of the holiday to Grandma’s Stocking Day with the arrival of the first male grandchild.

     I feel sorry for the children of today. They are bombarded with advertising, music, and decorations long before the actual day. Time does move more slowly for children than it does for those of us with senior discounts, so it must be agonizing when you are only six or seven. Unfortunately, few children today would be pleased with an orange in the toe of their stocking. One tradition that has been maintained throughout the generations in my family, however, is the giving of books to our young readers.  I hope that is the same for you and your little Incurables.

     Therefore, the November newsletter is aimed at providing some reading suggestions for those younger folks on your Christmas list. It is difficult to pick books for children. Often a book you may have enjoyed as a child has no meaning for today’s younger reader. And books we think everyone should read may not be too popular either. Many of these suggestions are from experienced grandparents, teachers and children themselves.

     I hope this helps you on your quest to support the young Incurable Readers on your list. There is nothing like sharing a book with a youngster. If you have a young person on your list who does not yet get too excited about books, there are other possible solutions. A subscription to a sports or nature magazine for children may be a welcome gift. There are many fine children’s magazines. Also, look for some nonfiction books aimed at a child’s interest in science, nature, or history.

Next month I will turn to book suggestion for the more experienced Incurables but I will also include more favorite children book ideas. Please send all your book suggestions for all ages to me at mrsr17@comcast.net and I will try not to lose them.

The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia Scarry

First Friend last year brought this wonderful book to our attention and it is so perfect, I want to include it again. 

She writes, “The Sweet Smell of Christmas, a large Scratch & Sniff Golden Book by Patricia Scarry, came out in 1970. My 2 year old loved it then and my 1 1/2 year old granddaughter loves the 2003 edition now. There are cocoa, gingerbread boys, peppermint candy, Christmas tree, apple pie and orange scents to scratch and sniff. The story goes quickly so pages can be turned quickly. Toddlers love any book that is interactive like this and the big cardboard one has fold outs.”

     This month I have been spending quite a bit of time with a very young Incurable Reader. This young lady is very fortunate in that she is part of a large circle of Incurables. Her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins are all Incurables. Why even her babysitter is an avid reader and has contributed to this book discussion. (I think that was part of the job description.)

      Little Miss has quite an extensive library even though she has just turned one. She has been read to daily throughout her young life. She also sees the adults in her life reading. Most of her books are in a space where she can get at them and pull them close to “read” to herself and she equates books with cuddle time with every adult in her life. She visits the library for Tot Time and will continue to use the library as she grows.  All this just about guarantees that this little person will grow into a lifetime reader. Her parents have taken those first important steps to put her on the path to reading success.

      During this time of gift giving, I encourage all Incurables to foster a love of reading in the young people in their lives. The gifts of a book, a trip to the library, or a library card for a child are all wonderful and thoughtful ideas. Sharing a book with a little one warms your heart too. Magazine subscriptions or visits to special places centered on books are great too.

     Recently two of my granddaughters enjoyed a trip to the Eric Carle Museum in western Massachusetts. And I remember taking my daughter to the site of the Anne of Green Gables series in Canada. Imagine her thrill when we chanced to meet Lucy Maude Montgomery’s nephew at a small roadside museum. This elderly gentleman took such special interest in showing this young fan all around the museum, much to our mutual delight.

    And, of course, I am certain that there might be older Incurables on your gift list.  Perhaps they might enjoy some of books we have listed here in this or past editions.  Or maybe you might want to buy two copies and read a book together.

     I am taking a slightly different tactic to end our reading year. Rather than suggest a book title, I am pointing out authors that some of our fellow Incurables have recommended.

   I am always impressed with authors who continue to put out one good book after another, no matter what the genre. The authors this month include writers of fantasies, historical fiction, works of suspense, and touching explorations of the human spirit. Time after time they are able to capture our imagination and allegiance. Writer Bruce DeSilva who graduated from our local high school says he tries to write at least a thousand words each day. That is overwhelming to me. Imagine doing that and then tearing it up in a revision or having an editor suggest a rewrite of big chunks of text. That’s one reason I am glad I am The Incurable Reader, not an Incurable Author.

     Next month I will be returning to the original format with suggestions of good books. I will be discussing some of the readings selected most recently by our Blanding Library Book Club as well as other fiction and nonfiction suggestions.

     Please, continue to send your reading delights to mrsr17@comcast.net. And don’t forget to stop by the Blanding Library to get your copy of The Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah so that you can join the discussion on January 10, 2012 with Sue Roberts and the rest of the Incurable Readers who meet there.

She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb

Couldn’t Keep It to Myself and I’ll Fly Away published by Wally Lamb

The first author comes to us from the babysitter of Little Miss, Eileen. She has yet to find a book by Wally Lamb that she could not enjoy.  This former high school English teacher was born in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1950 but it wasn’t until he was well into his thirties that he began to write. His first two novels, She’s Come Undone (1992) and I Know This Much Is True (1998) were both #1 New York Times Bestsellers, Oprah’s Books of the Month, and New York Times Notable Books of the Year.  Lamb has several other titles to his credit.  There are also two books published by Lamb of stories written by students at York Correctional Institute for Women in Connecticut. Lamb taught writing to these women and shares their stories in Couldn’t Keep It to Myself and I’ll Fly Away.

Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

Land of the Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel

The next author is Jean M. Auel. I had read and enjoyed her Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth’s Children, Book 1) back in the early eighties. It was an intriguing read and I couldn’t put the book down.  Thirty-one years later comes the sixth and final novel in the series, Land of the Painted Caves, which gives us the final chapter of the saga of Alya, a Cro-Magnon woman and her mate who lived thirty thousand years ago. The amount of research that this author must have done to include such detail and insight into the lives of these early ancestors is astounding. When Grandpa Bob showed up with this book in hand I decided to go back and reread the rest of the series. I am now hoping for lots of snow so I will have an excuse to read. Besides my husband just got a new snow blower.

Books by Robert Parker

The next author comes from one of my Carols. Carol must have been a very popular name in the forties because I have three close friends, all named Carol. They all used to come spend a week with me in Florida when my husband had to fly back to New England. If you weren’t named Carol, you couldn’t come. Anyway, one of the Carols says she came to the stories of Robert Parker only recently. He is famous for two heroes, Spencer and Jesse Stone. Both of these series spawned television series. These suspense novels usually have a New England connection.

Back of Beyond by C.J. Box

Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by C.J. Box

C.J. Box is an author recommended by Incurable Reader, Al.  If you are in the mood for great suspense with a western flavor turn to this author of books such as Back of Beyond, set in modern day Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Compelling characters and tight plots are Box’s forte. Want a good scare? Try his Three Weeks to Say Good-Bye. Box has won the Edgar Award and consistently makes the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Books by Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins is the final author, sent to us from the librarians in Warren, Rhode Island and several of our Incurable Readers.  Her Hunger Games trilogy has caught on fire with teens and seniors alike.  And a lot of people in between like her fantasy world and compare her favorably with the likes of Stephanie Meyers.

     January is the time for new resolutions, as I have noted before. I am not too good at these oaths since I tend to make lofty, almost impossible declarations. Therefore, I gave up the practice long ago. However, as I perused past issues of this column, I realized that I am guilty of preaching to the choir. I am often writing about ways to encourage young people to read. Readers of this column probably are already setting the example and providing opportunities for the young readers in their lives. If you read this column, you are probably an Incurable yourself and know how to pass along that love of reading.

     I resolve that I will not get on my Teacher Soapbox in 2012 and express my opinions on making little people Incurable Readers. I hope that I can maintain this New Year’s Pledge for at least one month, which is better than I usually do with my plans to lose weight, get organized, be nice to everyone I meet, exercise more, etc. Therefore, I am moving right along to book reviews after a two-month hiatus for readers’ favorite authors and holiday buying ideas.

Please, continue to send your reading delights to mrsr17@comcast.net. And don’t forget to stop by the Blanding Library to get your copy of the Blanding Book Club selection for February - Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo.  Join the discussion group held monthly at the library! 

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

My first book suggestion is left over from way back in October when I was selecting books with an unusual twist in keeping with Halloween.  It is a quirky novel, The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. Set in California during the gold rush, Eli and Charlie Sisters, serve as hit men for a strange man they call the Commodore. The two brothers have only known whiskey, violence, and killing throughout their lives and it is not their place to question the Commodore when he orders a hit on a man in Sacramento, Hermann Kermit Warm. The younger brother, Eli, begins to question the way their lives are going. He wants to return home to see his mother back in Oregon but she will not allow her sons to enter her home while they work for the evil Commodore. The novel pays homage to the many western dramas we all grew up with but takes many comic twists as it follows the two brothers caught in the underworld of the Old West.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

New contributor, Linda, says that if you enjoyed reading The Help, you might want to pick up  Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. This is a debut Southern coming of age novel about a twelve-year-old girl who has been caring for her psychotic mother in Ohio. Suddenly, as her mother slips totally beyond reality, CeeCee is whisked off to Georgia by a heretofore-unknown great-aunt. This is another book in which strong Southern women and their relationships profoundly influence a young girl. It is on my to read list.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

The second novel this month comes from our own Blanding Library Book Club. This past fall they read The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and I was happy to join in the discussion. The author, Katherine Howe, is descended from one of the poor souls who were caught up in the fury of the Salem Witch Trials. In her novel, a contemporary graduate student at Harvard is finding she has a connection with Deliverance Dane who was executed in Salem for being a witch. I say contemporary, but it isn’t quite. There is no handy Internet, laptop, or even cell phone to help Connie Goodwin her quest to learn more about her ancestor because this story takes place just before we all went rushing headlong into the information age. Connie has been given the task of cleaning out and selling her grandparents’ house in Salem one summer just as her faculty advisor at Harvard is hounding her to do research for him. The two paths unexpectedly intertwine.  Another descendant of victims of the Salem Trials, Kathleen Howe, took an entirely different approach when she wrote The Heretic’s Daughter, which was presented here in 2011. It is interesting to read and compare the two novels.

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This is either one of the best books ever written or one of the worse. The reviews on this book are decidedly mixed, although they do lean heavily on the “good read” category. The story is set mainly in a strange magical circus where two illusionists are caught in a fight till the death competition arranged by two-master magicians who are fighting over the best teaching style for magicians, of all things. Marco and Celia naturally fall in love as they are pitted against each other in a contest arranged by their mentors. They and the other inhabitants of the circus are in a dreamy, unique world. The circus appears magically overnight and disappears each time before dawn without a trace. It is not the usual circus with three rings and a master of ceremonies. Instead, it opens at dark and closes at light. You wander along miraculous paths and select strange tents, each offering unique entertainment. This is a visual and creative writer who creates a strange new world for her protagonists. Reviewers from the New York Times and NPR were delighted but others were not caught up in the experience. I was. You will have to read it for yourself.

Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo

Speaking of a to read list, you might want to add Dark Tide to yours. This book by Stephen Puleo tells the story of the great molasses flood which occurred in Boston in 1919. Don’t snicker now. Well, that is the usual reaction of many when they first hear the tale on one of those duck boat tours but this was a true, tragic disaster that is part of our heritage. It is also the selected title for the Blanding Library Book Club, when it meets in February, and for the Rehoboth Reads campaign in which we all share a common reading and discussion experience. You can download it as I did fairly inexpensively from Amazon for your ereader or, even better, borrow a copy at the library. Sue Roberts who will lead the discussion in February, has set aside a number of copies. I hope to see you on Tuesday, February 14, at 7:30 pm for the discussion.