Onion Street by Reed Farrel Coleman

If you’re a Moe Prager fan, you’ll know that in the last book he found out he has cancer. In his latest, Onion Street, his daughter, concerned about him, is visiting and asks why he became a cop. That’s the end of the present day. He then begins a long story leading up to his applying to the police academy. The story includes bombs, drug smuggling, beatings, drives through Brooklyn and more.

Reed Farrel Coleman’s books are always a good read and this is no exception, once you get past the implausibility of the situations Moe, as a college student, gets into and the actions that he takes. No college student I know or knew back in the day would do any of the things he did, let alone all of the things he did.  But then again, I grew up in Queens, which although geographically close, psychologically is a long way from Brooklyn. Maybe they did things differently there.

Anyway, as I said, once you get past this, it’s a fun read. Coleman brings up locales and TV shows from the period. Some of them are vivid. Any of you who routinely took the Belt Parkway past the garbage dumps can, even now, visualize and actually smell the noxious fumes. The rumble of the elevated trains never leaves you. The book brought back memories of me and my grandparents walking in Brighton Beach, getting Mrs. Stahl’s knishes, the shadow of the El darkening the street.

So, now that I think about it, Onion Street was more a walk down memory lane for me than a believable mystery. But, so what! I really enjoyed it. That’s what counts.

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Dr. Radway’s Sarsaparilla Resolvent by Beth Kephart

Beth Kephart has billed Dr. Radway’s Sarsaparilla Resolvent as a prequel to her earlier book Dangerous Neighbors. I’d bill it as more a study in contrasts.

So, where do I begin? Dr. Radway describes the energy of Philadelphia in the early 1870s, the energy of factories surrounding you wherever you are, pouring out its dirt and smoke, spewing its noise, the streets full of stray animals and unsavory people and the language of this book matches this sooty energy (a different feeling than I’m used to from Beth). It is about William and his family, a product of this industrial society, which wears you down and spits you out; where it’s a struggle to make ends meet.

Dangerous Neighbors, on the other hand, has a more refined energy (and language)–that of Philadelphia in the midst of its tumultuous 1876 Centennial which drew millions of visitors, which seemed to take away the dirt and smoke and replace it with music and blue skies and prancing horses and soaring birds, although ever present Shantytown abuts the fairgrounds. The language of Dangerous Neighbors is the more refined, descriptive language that I’m used to in a Beth Kephart book and it totally matches the aura of the book.

The former book describes William’s relationship with his older brother, Francis, who would mysteriously provide for his family (the father being in prison) and then with his mother after Francis’ murder at the hands of the police. How William feels helpless in trying to avenge his brother’s death. It describes William’s mother’s descent into depression at the loss of a favored son and her subsequent ascent when there is someone else to care for.

The latter, describes the relationship between twins Anna (the older) and Katherine (the younger) who, in a seeming reversal of roles, looks after her older, more free spirited sister. It describes Katherine’s helplessness at the loss of her sister and her descent into depression and her subsequent rise. It describes their mother, immersed in her worldly causes, to the neglect of her children.

Dr. Radway contrasts William’s life, scrounging for food, while living in the working class section of Philadelphia with Katherine’s upper class upbringing, having a maid (surrogate mother) in Jennie  Bea, going on shopping sprees or to the opera.

What both books do so well is describe one city, Philadelphia of the 1870s, although two different worlds. Both books delve into their main characters, William and Katherine, making them come alive. And both books use language as only Beth Kephart uses language.

It was a luxury reading the books one after the other, because it highlights the contrasts that otherwise would have been hidden. So, Dr. Radway’s Sarsaparilla Resolvent and then Dangerous Neighbors. The one-two punch in books.

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Children’s Book Week

May 13-19 is Children’s Book Week. Per the Book Week Online website, “Brian Selznick – Caldecott winner, 2012 Children’s Choice Book Awards Illustrator of the Year, and creator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck – has created a commemorative masterpiece that beautifully illustrates the idea that books can take you anywhere. The poster pays homage to two of children’s literature’s legends: Remy Charlip, author and illustrator of more than 38 books, including modern classics like Hooray for Me, I Love You, Arm in Arm, Mother Mother I Feel Sick, A Perfect Day, and Fortunately, the latter of which has been in print continuously for over 48 years; and Maurice Sendak, Caldecott Medal winner for Where the Wild Things Are, creator of children’s classics including In the Night Kitchen, Chicken Soup with Rice, Alligators All Around, and illustrator of the Little Bear books.”

So, what are some of my favorites?  There are Rocks in My Socks Said the Ox to the Fox by Patricia Thomas definitely heads the list. As I’ve said before, Lisa, Abbe and I each have our own copy. Her Stand Back, Said the Elephant, I’m Going to Sneeze! is a close runner up. Senkak’s Night Kitchen is a winner. I even have a poster of it in my kitchen. The classic Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown has been a favorite since I was reading picture books to the kids. I still thrill when I find the mouse. Jamie Lee Curtis’ books line my library shelves. (I do have an autographed copy of one.) And Herb the Vegetarian Dragon by Jules Bass holds a special place in my heart. It was picked out by Lisa on one of our picture book shopping sprees. Madlenka by Peter Sis was a recent purchase and well worth it. And finally, Leave Your Sleep by Natalie Merchant, is a charming compendium of older poems for children with Barbara McClintock’s wonderful artwork.

No children’s booklist should exclude Shel Silverstein’s wonderful poems and artwork. Lauren Oliver’s The Spindlers, a new addition to great children’s books, is a thrill. Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz was an Abbe recommendation and was fun. And I’ll close with Brian Selznick’s Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck. The artwork will blow you away.

So, now that I’ve bored you to death, let me say that you’re never too old to read and enjoy children’s books. It’s only been the last dozen years, when I began library school, that I read them as part of my normal reading. If you don’t have a child to read to, don’t be ashamed to read them to yourself. You’ll enjoy the trip.

Monologue over. Get reading. Let me know what are some of your favorite children’s books. My niece has already chimed in with Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett.

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Kiss Me Again, Stranger by Daphne Du Maurier

I’d never read Daphne Du Maurier until I read Kiss Me Again, Stranger, a collection of 8 short stories. “Where have I been all these years?”, I asked myself. Housed in the mystery section of the antiquarian bookstore Westsider Rare and Used Books on Broadway and 78th Street (give or take a block or two), some stories were mysteries and some were just odd, for lack of a better term. All were good.

I did learn something from the book, though. Alfred Hitchcock’s movie The Birds was based on a Du Maurier story of the same name. That and the fact that Du Maurier wrote the story and the screenplay is almost where the similarity ends. One takes place in the U.S. and the other in England. One has a romance and one doesn’t. One is about survival and the other isn’t. I must admit the original story is quite compelling. They are both scary, though!

I’d tell you my favorite story, but they are all so different and as I look at the titles to write this, they all conjure up the story lines and I like them all. Kiss Me Again, Stranger, the story, is about GIs being murdered. The Apple Tree is about a tree taking revenge. The Little Photographer is about a vacation liaison turned bad and No Motive is about a suicide. You see, the stories are all over the place, but once started, I couldn’t put the book down.

I find that Du Maurier’s stories and Vera Caspary’s writings have a similarity in their feel. Contemporaries (Laura by Caspary was written in 1943 and Rebecca by Du Maurier was written in 1938) it is not the mystery that is commanding but the story, the atmosphere created by the authors, the surroundings described by the authors.  These are not ‘police procedurals’. They are creations. A few days ago I wrote about painting a picture with words. I found both Du Maurier and Caspary created canvases.

I know I’ve just rambled but since I couldn’t really describe the stories, I had to find a way to tell you why I like these authors so much. I hope I have and I hope my enthusiasm will rub off on you.

Just a note on Westsider Rare and Used Books. Quite a store. It’s very narrow. It has a second floor and the stairs are lined on both sides with books. Be careful climbing. Books are stacked on shelves reaching  all the way to the 20+ feet ceiling. It’s got a great mystery corner as shown in this photo to the left of the door (the paperbacks are shelved two deep), but it has a very eclectic collection. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by.

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Teen Chick Lit – Beach Reads

Okay, I admit it. I like teen chick lit…well, some of it anyway. Sarah Dessen has always topped the list and I used to get ARCs of her books to review from VOYA. I’d have to finish it in a hurry so Abbe could read it. You know what you’re getting, but that’s okay. Her books are good any time of year, but they’re great beach reads.

So is This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith. If Smith isn’t a teen household name, she should be. Her books are fun and well written. Happy is her latest. Ellie and Graham find out what happens when an email goes to a total stranger. Taking place in Maine, it’s got all the trappings of a good beach read, including a beach.  There’s mystery, romance, picnics, 4th of July festivals. I rest my case.

Smith’s other books that I read include The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and The Comeback Season.

Sarah Dessen’s latest love story, The Moon and More, is coming out in early June. Of course I’ve got my reserve in on that one. But if you’re longing for a good romance, try her previous book, Along for the Ride. Lately she’s been referring to previous characters or situations in her new books, so maybe start from the beginning and see how many embedded references you can find.

I”m sure there are other Beach Read favorites that I have but I can’t think of them at the moment. I’m sure they’ll come to me but in the meantime, let me know your Teen Chick Lit-Beach Read favorites.

By the way, look at yourself in the mirror when you read This is What Happy Looks Like, because, indeed, it is.

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Spring

The invigorating Warwickan sun was beating down on the back deck. Last Sunday was a gorgeous day. The designer of our Warwick home, purportedly Horace Walling, situated the house so that the late morning/early afternoon sun directly hits the back. It was so warm, I was able to luncheon on the deck, soaking in the rejuvenating rays, eyes closed, face poised towards the sun, feeling more energetic as the time passed. (My pate might have evening gotten a little sunburned from my day outdoors, as the top felt a tad tender.)

It’s been a rough winter for our garden. The snow reduced our once chest high Japanese maple to a few spindly twigs but there’s new growth coming. In an effort to dig a drainage ditch, road workers threw gravel on my little sedum garden (the one I’ve been cultivating for the past two years) covering the plants with pebbles. But they are hardy, these sedum, and they’re coming back in full force. The bleeding hearts are sprouting.  Plants that I thought were goners are showing life.

I’m reading a children’s book (yes, I must mention a book) called Plants and Their Children, written in 1896 by Mrs. William Starr Dana. In it she talks, yes actually talks, to children telling them about plant life, how seeds are formed, what buds are, etc. Although the 1896 language is a bit stilted especially compared to today’s lackadaisical grammar and spelling, it is a reaffirmation of the wonders of spring and nature. It is the perfect book to read as we watch the wonders of our garden reveal themselves. So, here’s to gardens and gardeners everywhere, as we tend our little plots of wonder. Enjoy, everyone.

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eleanor & park by rainbow rowell

If you think that Romeo and Juliet is the ultimate love story, then you obviously haven’t read eleanor & park by rainbow rowell. If you have, you know better.

Eleanor is a big boned girl with exceedingly red and exceedingly curly hair who dresses in an exceedingly unique way. On her first day of school, she boards to school bus, only to find no one willing to move over and let her sit. That is until Park, a short, skinny half American, half Korean kid, sitting in the back of the bus, right in front of the cool, taunting kids, takes pity on her indecision and whispers “Jesus-fuck, just sit down“. An auspicious beginning? As you can gather, that becomes Eleanor’s permanent seat.

As the days progess, they ignore each other on the bus and in the several classes they have together. But one day, Park notices Eleanor reading his graphic novels over his shoulder on the way to school…so he reads a little slower, making sure she’s finished the page. Then he starts bringing her comic books from home and leaving it on her bus seat. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

What makes eleanor & park so special? Oh, so many things. The story of course. You know something will happen to thwart their relationship and you kinda know what it is, but you so wish it wouldn’t happen. Who would want to break these kids up?

Rainbow Rowell has so so so accurately described the insecurities felt by the ‘not in crowd’ around self image and romance and sex, it’s amazing. You can picture Eleanor and Park as they hesitate to admit their attraction, hold hands or kiss. The way they see themselves, the fat girl, the skinny Asian dork, is so palpable.

And finally, Eleanor and Park’s individual stories. The degrees of dysfunction. The concept of parental love.

I truly cannot think of a thing wrong with this book. This is no sappy love story. It’s true and genuine and totally entrancing.

I got my copy of eleanor & park signed by ms. rowell at the Mega-Teen Author signing at Books of Wonder a few weeks ago. Of course, Abbe took that copy (it was addressed to both of us, so I guess she has some right to it). Ms. Rowell, in the short signing time, was just as charming as are her book characters. This is by far, one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a long time. I can’t say enough about it.

If you want a totally hypnotizing book, eleanor & park. I did not want it to end.

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Evvie by Vera Caspary

As the photo on the cover of Evvie by Vera Caspary, the author of the amazing mystery and movie Laura, is blurred, so is the atmosphere of the book itself. Written in 1960, Evvie has a 1930s pulp or noir mystery feel to it, although its subject would not have appeared in that genre.

Evvie is set during prohibiton. Louise and Evvie, knowing each other since grade school, are sharing an apartment. The worldly Evvie has been married at seventeen and divorced soon thereafter and is living on, according to her, her alimony. Louise, not so worldly, is a career girl, making a name for herself in an advertising agency. They party and drink at a time when drinking was illegal. They’re independent. They’re not chaste. They like men.

Less a mystery than a life narrative Caspary describes the life of two independent girls in an age when women were not supposed to be independent; rather they were supposed to marry and have children and keep house. Although you know at the beginning that something will happen to Evvie, it takes two thirds of the book to get there and it almost seems incidental. Told in first person by Louise, Evvie is a literary tale of the times. It’s a tale of love, both acknowledged and unrequited. It’s a tale of two young women who thought they knew everything, but in many ways were naive.

Her June 17, 1987 New York Times obituary contained the following: “In her 18 published novels, 10 screen plays and 4 stage plays, Miss Caspary’s main theme, whether in a murder mystery, drama or musical comedy, was the working woman and her right to lead her own life, to be independent.

In her autobiography, ”The Secrets of Grown-Ups,” published in 1979 by McGraw Hill, Miss Caspary wrote, ”This has been the century of the woman, and I know myself to have been a part of the revolution.”

”In another generation, perhaps the next, equality will be taken for granted,” she said. ”Those who come after us may find it easier to assert independence, but will miss the grand adventure of having been born in this century of change.”

Vera Caspary’s works are addicting and once you start reading her, you’ll want to read her entire output. Start with Laura (after which watch the movie and note the differences) and Evvie and Murder at the Stork Club. I’m just at the beginning of Bedelia.

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Beth Kephart

I have been a fan of Beth Kephart and her writing ever since I read House of Dance several years ago. I don’t even remember what prompted me to read it. However, since then I own and have read all of her young adult fiction and most of her adult non-fiction. As I said, I’m a big fan.

This virtual world of ours allows us to become “friends” with people without ever having met them in person or spoken one word to them. And so it has been with Beth and me for several years now. We have let each other into our lives a bit, gotten to know each other through “status updates” and emails and especially through Beth’s blog posts. I’ve come to admire Beth because of her marvelous books, tales of her teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, her ability to balance a crowded business life, writing life, dance life and family life and most of all for her obvious caring about family, friends and fans. All of this through online activity.

Well, today I had the pleasure of meeting Beth in person and it truly was a pleasure. Many of us have had the opportunity of meeting someone we’ve admired from afar and that person has not lived up to the high expectations we’ve set for them. Not so with Beth. I found her to be charming and warm and it felt like we were old friends right from the beginning. Along with being a talented author, Beth nurtures other authors and seeing her banter today with A.S. King makes one understand why writers, both established and novice, seek out her guidance.

I don’t lavish praise often, Beth, but meeting you, finally, has been a highlight. You have made my life brighter through your writing and your friendship. Thank you! I hope our friendship lasts for many years and we meet often.

And for those of you who are uninitiated, while I love all of Beth’s books, I’ll admit that I have certain favorites. In the Young Adult arena, they are (in alphabetical order) Dangerous Neighbors, Nothing But Ghosts and Small Damages and in the adult arena Flow, Ghosts in the Garden and Still Love in Strange Places. Susan’s favorites are Undercover and You Are My Only.

Today was a very special day for me for many reasons, meeting Beth being just one of them. I hope everyone had something special happen to them today. More coming soon.

Goodnight to all.

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Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

There is this atmosphere in New Orleans. The heat and heavy humidity. The moss draped over the branches of ancient trees. The galleries on the second floors of homes. The excesses that mark everyday life. The permissiveness known but rarely discussed. 1950s New Orleans is captured wonderfully in Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys and anyone who has been to New Orleans can picture the scene.

Any book that starts with “My mother is a prostitute. Not the filthy, streetwalking kind.” has something to offer. The narrator, Josie, named after a Madam, is seventeen. She’s been on her own since age seven, sleeping above the bookstore in which she works. She also works every morning cleaning up the night’s remainders after the girls at Willie’s brothel, where her mother works when she isn’t running away with Cincinatti, a dangerous but petty thief.

When the sophisticated and handsome Forrest L. Hearne, Jr. (in from Tennessee for the Sugar Bowl) enters the bookstore and engages her in intellectual conversation, she puts him on the list of fantasy fathers. When he is found dead the next day of an apparent heart attack, she feels something is wrong.

Josie’s longing to leave the Big Easy, disassociate herself with her past, is her overriding goal. She is smart and college is a dream spurred on by an acquaintance, Charlotte, who attends Smith and prods Josie to apply. But how do you leave your mother who is up to her eyeballs in the Hearne affair? How do you leave the gruff but benevolent Willie or the ‘nieces’ in her house? And Cokie, the cab driver who befriended them when they arrived in New Orleans.

There are all kinds of characters in New Orleans and they appear in Out of the Easy; the ones you hate and the ones you love. Sepetys’ writing is vivid. Her story is engrossing. Her characters are your friends. It’s three months into the new year and already my Top 10 lists has a lot of candidates. I’m betting Out of the Easy will make the final cut. It’ll be that easy!

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