DEATH BY CASHMERE (Sally Goldenbaum)

Sally Goldenbaum's Seaside Knitters mysteries will charm any and all cozy fans, especially those who also love yarn and knitting.  This is the first in the series that features Izzy Chambers, former lawyer and owner of the Seaside Knitting Studio, and her impossibly perfect Aunt Nell and Uncle Ben, who somehow manage to stay fit, cook divinely, entertain weekly, and enjoy a wonderful love life, all despite being in their 60's. 

In this "episode," Angelina Archer is found floating in Sea Harbor, the victim of an apparent homicide.  Angie had a wild reputation as a teen and has recently returned to town in the guise of respectable researcher, renting the apartment above Izzy's shop.  Who would want her dead?  Could there be any connection between her murder and her relationship with lobsterman Pete, or with recent thefts from Cass's lobster traps, or could it have something to do with her past or her research?  The Seaside Knitters are anxious to discover the answers.

Goldenbaum does a wonderful job of allowing the reader to unravel the clues as her knitters discuss patterns,  yarns, and knitting projects, a perfect combination, as far as I am concerned.  Don't be fooled into thinking that "cozies" are not "real" mysteries.  They may lack the blood and gore of some of the grittier mysteries, but they make up for it in sense of place and characters that make you want to know them better.

THE IMPERFECTIONISTS (Tom Rachman)

A "perfectionist" is one who demands perfection in all aspects of life and in all people that they encounter.  Nothing less will do.  An "imperfectionist," then, must be one who not only tolerates, but embraces, lack of perfection, in this case with dark humor and all too human shortcomings.  Rachman's novel is a compendium of the stories of employees of a Rome-based English-language international newspaper who almost seem to delight in being flawed.  The newspaper is the common thread running through the novel, which spans decades and generations.  The players range from the newpaper's founder, Cyrus Ott, who furnishes a mansion with art to please his lover, to aspiring Cairo correspondent Winston Cheung, who fails miserably in his quest to find a story worth reporting.  Each chapter features an outrageous headline (how DO they connect to the characters?) and treats the reader to insights into one character's dreams, tragedies, and disillusions.  Rachman has succeeded in creating a literary work worth reading, laced with humor and a gritty, realistic ambience.

SWEPT OFF HER FEET (Hester Browne)

You know, there is a time in one's life for every sort of reading.  As a child I read my way through the children's room of the Westfield Atheneum, always several grade levels ahead of where I was supposed to be.  I read all of Noel Streatfield's shoe books, Johanna Sperie, and all of Louisa Mae Alcott's works.  One of my all time favorites was a book called "Loretta Mason Potts" by Mary Chase, the story of a little girl who went off to play at the Potts egg farm one day and then refused to leave, necessitating her adoption by the Potts family.  I read that one 5 times!  When I was a  teenager I enjoyed horror and vampire stories, then as a young adult I gobbled up the classics, philosophy, and all of the angst-ridden memoirs born of the women's movement.  Through it all I managed to fit in all sorts of mysteries, Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, selected nonfiction, and thrillers - medical, political, and legal.  As an older adult I find that women's fiction, cozy mysteries, and good, more mature chick-lit are the most appealing genres to me at this stage in my life.  I refuse to apologize for not currently reading more "meaningful" or educational books.  I already have two master's degrees, two children in or starting graduate school, a 26 year old marriage, and a full time career.  I watch the news every day, read political editorials, and worry about struggling family and friends.  I read for enjoyment and relaxation!

That being said (aren't you glad you asked?), I heartily recommend Hester Browne.  I have written about her novels before and they have never failed to put a smile on my face.  In this, her latest, Evie Nicholson is a single antiques finder and appraiser who is invited, at her sister Alice's suggestion, to Kettlesheer Castle in Scotland to evaluate the family possessions.  The family in question, the McAndrews, including son Robert, are the unexpected heirs to the castle and its land and are having a hard time maintaining the estate in the style to which the community has become accustomed, including hosting an annual ball.  Evie's sister, Alice, is in love with Frasier Graham, whose family estate is a neighbor to Kettlesheer, and she is scheduled to attend the ball..  When Alice mysteriously backs out of the committment, Evie, who has a secret crush on Frasier, is asked to take Alice's place dancing in 8 reels, a difficult proposition for a 30-year-old with 2 left feet.  In the meantime, Evie thinks she is making headway in her quest to find some antiques worth selling at Kettlesheer, or is she?  Is there some romance? Of course.  Are there tradtional Scottish customs and quirks?  Yes!  Do I wish that I could learn to dance reels and spend some time in an old Scottish castle brimming with history and antiques?  I certainly do.  Would I recommend this book?  Absolutely.  I also laughed out loud at times and thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the modern problems of maintaining a crumbling castle in Scotland.  Enjoy it with a nice cup of tea and some authentic shortbread.  You deserve a break!

DANCING LESSONS (Cheryl Burke)

Cheryl Burke, as any "Dancing With the Stars" fan knows, is  professional ballroom dancer and two-time winner of the coveted mirror ball trophy on that show.  I picked up this biography because I am a die-hard "Dancing" fan and there has been some controversy in the press over Ms. Burke in the past few years:  Does she have a drinking problem?  Was she abused as a child?  How does she feel about the nasty comments that crop up from time to time about her "weight problem?"  Is this biography heavy reading?  Of course not.  Cheryl Burke is an intelligent, hard-working young woman who knows when the time is right to capitalize on her fame.  She is an astute business woman who has opened several dance studios on the west coast and a sensitive, loving sister, daughter, and friend who values family  and relationships.

If you are looking for dirt and scandal, skip this book.  Burke is refreshingly candid about her own vulnerabilities and mistakes, but when it comes to lovers, friends, and dancing partners, she is respectful, positive, and delightfully appreciative of the relationships she has formed and the distinctive personalities and talents of everyone in her life.  This is a pleasant alternative to the typical "tell-all" biographies that are published today.  Despite living in a world hungry for drama and scandal, Ms. Burke has taken the high road.  She does talk about being sexually abused as a child and how this fact colored her subsequent relationships with men, but she relates the facts in a subtle, honest manner without sensationalism or embellishment,  She is a class act and an excellent role model for young women.  An extra added appeal is that she relates each chapter of the book and her life to specific ballroom and Latin dances, describing for the reader the background and basic details of each dance in a very simple and understanable way.  Every fan of "Dancing with the Stars" should consider reading this.  If you are looking for positive roles models who have overcome adversity with grace and intelligence, give a copy to your daughter or niece, especially if they are interested in dance.