WEDDING BELLES (Haywood Smith)

Unfortunately, as I was reading this book I had a minor disagreement with my own daughter, one which led me to imagine all sorts of foreboding future scenarios thanks to Smith's spot-on depiction of a serious rift in the relationship between Callie (the bride) and her mother, Georgia. This is the third in Smith's Red Hat series, the ongoing story of five 50-something friends who have weathered marriages, addictions, children, careers, and crises together. The tone of the book is funny and upbeat, but the relationships between the women, the loyalty and devotion among these 5 friends, is what draws the reader back to Smith's novels again and again. Are the characters and situations realistic? Probably not, but each of them has traits that we have all seen in ourselves or a close friend. These are the kind of friends that every woman of "a certain age" would like to have.

THE SUDOKU MURDER (Shelley Freydont)

This is the first book in a delightful new cozy series . The heroine, Katie McDonald, is a mathematician who returns to her hometown at the request of her mentor, Professor P.T. Avondale of the Avondale Puzzle Museum. Fearing for the future of the museum and its outstanding puzzle collection, Katie agrees to stay on as acting curator (and amateur detective) after P.T. is found murdered. If this novel is any indication, the Katie McDonald series will be a great success. It has all of the essential elements for a successful cozy: an amateur sleuth with a unique talent, some quirky townspeople, an unusual sidekick, and potential for romance between the sleuth and the local chief of police. The mystery itself was quite good. It was not one of those puzzles that is meant to be solved by the reader; we aren't given enough information for that, although a clever reader could figure out enough to identify the motive. The outcome, however, is very satisfying and very logical given the clues that build up to the identity of the murderer. There are no sudden twists and turns and no blatant red herrings, just a group of people who could possibly be guilty of murder. The ending isn't a surprise, but rather an "Of course!" moment. The author is a fan of sudoku, which explains the well-organized, logical feel of the story!

SUMMER READING (Hilma Wolitzer)

The three main characters in Summer Reading are interesting women, each of surprisinging unpredictable, especially given the fact that at first glance they appear to be stereotypes. Angela is the single, solitary retired professor who facilitates reading groups for the affluent women of Long Island's summer community. She is somewhat dowdy and prefers to company of her books to almost anything else. Lissy is the pampered second wife of a wealthy businessman who has two children from his difficult first marriage. She hosts the bimonthly meetings of the Page Turners reading group in spite of her own difficulties with reading and the stresses of her familial relationships. Michelle, Lissy's maid, is the daughter of fisherman who disappeared from his ship a few years ago. Michelle has come to a crossroads in her relationship with Hank, who is divorced but has an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and shares custody of his daughter Kayla.

This might sound like typical women's fiction, but each of these characters has more to her than meets the eye, including issues with intimacy and past experiences that profoundly impact their present relationships. The stories are told in alternating chapters from each woman's viewpoint. Despite their "official" relationships between the women, there is little actual emotional connection among the characters themselves. Somehow, it all works to create and interesting story. I would definitely read another of Hilma Wolitzer's novels.

QUIET, PLEASE! DISPATCHES FROM A PUBLIC LIBRARIAN (Scott Douglas)

If you are a librarian or, in fact, someone who has worked in a public library in any capacity, this book will hold a special place in your heart. Scott Douglas traces his path from library page, through his decision to earn his master's in Library Science, to his work as a full-fledged public librarian in Anaheim, California.

Every library is different, serving a specific demographic and catering to a certain type of clientele. Two things that all public libraries have in common, though, in addition to the obvious materials, services, and budget issues that are universal to all, are quirky customers and equally quirky staff. Who among us (in any profession) hasn't worked with someone who constantly criticizes and downgrades, blaming their own lack of promotion on the stupidity of those in power, or a sweet but clueless person who listens intently to every directive and then proceeds to do something completely different? Fortunately OUR library boasts a fabulous staff that truly understands the meaning of teamwork and customer service, so we don't have to deal with this sort of personality at the moment! Everyone has worked at some point for the boss who just doesn't get it or the coworker who seems to be operating in a parallel universe and Douglas does a great job of describing his dealings with these sorts of people and the evolution of his own attitudes in a way to which the reader can easily relate. When it comes to customers, his stories are both poignant and hilarious. In a city library staff are much more likely to deal with the homeless and mentally ill, while here in Windsor Locks our problems usually extend no further than unruly pre-teens and the occasional curmudgeon. Naturally we deal with the disgruntled, the dishonest, and the clueless on a regular basis as well, but for the most part our patrons are friendly, charming, and honest to a fault, a pleasure to work with.

Overall, I would recommend Scott Douglas' book to anyone interested in what goes on inside an individual librarian's head. I found as I was reading that I wanted to rewrite the book from my own perspective because my experiences, though similar, have taken me on a slightly different, more upbeat path through a librarian's career.

THE SMART ONE (Ellen Meister)

This chick lit novel was not poorly written, nor was it boring, but it really wasn't for me. The book is about the 3 Bloomrosen sisters, all of whom are at transition points in their lives. Clare, the oldest (the pretty one), is dissatisfied with her marriage and contemplating an affair. Bev, the middle (the smart one) sister, has just earned her teaching credentials after one divorce and ten years of trying unsuccessfully to establish herself in the art world. Joey, the youngest (the talented one), is a recovering addict and retired pop sensation trying to put her life back on track. Bev is the primary focus of the story, which involves a newly discovered murder and quite a bit of sex with an old flame who may or may not be trustworthy. There is one jarring moment in the book that seems to have been designed to totally discombobulate the reader, but overall it was a reasonably good read. I think it would probably make a great movie with some quirky, popular star in her mid-thirties playing Bev. I almost think I would like it better as a movie, but I am not sure why. Don't let me keep you from checking out this book, though. As I said, it was not bad, just not quite right for me!

SCROLL OF SEDUCTION (Gioconda Belli)

There were mixed reactions from the First Tuesday Book Club to this very sensual novel by Nicaraguan radical Gioconda Belli. Translated from Spanish, this novel presents the reader with 2 intertwined stories, one of Juana, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabela of Spain, and the other of Lucía, an orphaned school girl of 17 who becomes the love object and obsession of Manuel, a Spanish history professor who is teaching a class on the Spanish princess. Manuel is consumed with the story of Juana, called la Loca (the mad) because of her erratic behavior and obsession with her husband, Phillipe of Asturias (Phillipe the hansdsome). Manuel's ancestors were in charge of caring for Juana, heiress to the throne of Castille, who was the victim of the political machinations of her father, husband, and, eventually, her son, King Charles. Virtually imprisoned from her late 20's, after the death of her husband, until her death at the age of 75, Juana probably suffered from depression, bipolar disorder, or mood swings. She was an intelligent, passionate woman, robust enough to produce 6 healthy children, all of whom lived until adulthood and became rulers of Europe. Due to Lucía's uncanny resemblance to Juana, Manuel invites her to dress up as the young queen and listen to the story of Juana. Eventually the two become lovers, but is the relationship really the result of an emotional bond between 40-year-old Manuel and 17-year-old Lucía, or is it actually a recreation of the intense sexual bond between Juana and Phillipe?

Some of the book group disliked this novel, citing lack of historical references and an aversion to the character of Manuel, who could be viewed as a stereotypical "dirty old man". I personally enjoyed Belli's story. It left me with a lot of unanswered questions, especially about the relationship between Manuel and Lucía. I think what I enjoyed most about the novel is the insight into Ferdinand and Isabela and the treatment of women during the 15 and 16th centuries. I also appreciated seeing some of the events of the time from a different perspective (as opposed to Catalina's view in the Constant Princess). Belli is an acclaimed poet and novelist in her native country of Nicaragua. She was an active member of the Sandanista movement and has led a very intriguing life. She now lives in Santa Monica, California with her third husband. It has been suggested that the character of Lucía represents Belli in her youth.