This must be the right time of year for a good beach read, and this one certainly fit the bill. It was just a coincidence that 2 new Nancy Thayer novels happened to fall into my hands at the same time, but it was a good one. Between the hot, humid weather and preparing for my daughter's move (and our trip) to Tennessee for a year-long internship in Clinical Psychology (plus her recent engagement), visiting friends, and work, I needed a nice romance break.
Thayer always infuses her novels with the essence of Nantucket. Sometimes I even forget that I've never actually been there! This is a fun concept. Two rather disorganized cousins, without consulting each other, rent their jointly owned summer house to two separate families: Sophie and her two children, 15-year-old Jonah and 10-year-old Lacey, and Trevor and his 4-year-old son Leo. Because the house is so large, Sophie, whose husband is now living with another woman, and Trevor, who is a widower, decide to make do and share the house. Would you be surprised if these two fell in love? The usual obstacles fall in their way. Sophie is 6 years older then thirty-year-old Trevor, and has not yet spoken to her kids about the impending divorce. Trevor is highly desired by several female family friends who visit over the course of the summer. Sophie is still married and attracted to a handsome Bulgarian businessman who obviously wants to know her better.
Everyone in this novel is pretty nice, the scenery and food are great (at least they would be if you were actually there), and the developing relationships are warm and appealing. If you are looking for gore and excitement, run in the opposite direction, but if you are looking for a well-written, light, fun read for summer, check this one out.
BIBLIOPHILY
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
NANTUCKET SISTERS (Nancy Thayer)
This week I suddenly found myself craving "beach" reading. To me that doesn't necessarily mean light romances or thrillers, but novels that actually feature the sand and surf and smell of salt air. Nancy Thayer's Nantucket-based novels will always provide that vicarious sensation of having spent some time at the beach.
Emily, daughter of a wealthy family that spends their summers on Nantucket, and Maggie, who lives year-round with her divorced mother and older brother Ben in a rented cottage on the island, have been friends since childhood. Emily's parents have reservations about her relationship with Maggie, who is "not their kind," but the friendship perseveres. Emily falls in love Maggie's handsome brother, Ben, but a handsome stranger eventually disrupts all of their lives.
While this is a somewhat predictable romance with an easy to guess ending, the setting and the interesting characters make it all worthwhile. Maggie's mother and step-father are so appealing and understanding that you want to hug them both. You want to scream at some of the decisions that Maggie, Ben, and Emily make, but you suspect that all will be well when all is said and done. If you love the Cape Cod and Nantucket and want a nice, relaxing read, check out this one!
Emily, daughter of a wealthy family that spends their summers on Nantucket, and Maggie, who lives year-round with her divorced mother and older brother Ben in a rented cottage on the island, have been friends since childhood. Emily's parents have reservations about her relationship with Maggie, who is "not their kind," but the friendship perseveres. Emily falls in love Maggie's handsome brother, Ben, but a handsome stranger eventually disrupts all of their lives.
While this is a somewhat predictable romance with an easy to guess ending, the setting and the interesting characters make it all worthwhile. Maggie's mother and step-father are so appealing and understanding that you want to hug them both. You want to scream at some of the decisions that Maggie, Ben, and Emily make, but you suspect that all will be well when all is said and done. If you love the Cape Cod and Nantucket and want a nice, relaxing read, check out this one!
Monday, July 6, 2015
THE BODY IN THE PIAZZA (Katherine Hall Page)
Imagine the sights, sounds, and delicious smells of fabulous Italian food, all enveloping you as you sit in your armchair reading this delectable mystery, the 21st in Katherine Hall Page's Faith Fairchild series. For those of you not familiar with this series, Faith Sibley Fairchild is a successful Boston-area caterer, married to a minister and mother of 2 children. She also, somehow, manages to get involved in murder on a regular basis, so when she and husband Tom decide to travel to Italy to celebrate a special anniversary, we naturally expect there to be a dead body somewhere. In this case it happens in a piazza in Rome and the victim is the charming man that Faith and Tom had met previously on the roof terrace of their hotel.
After the weekend in Rome the couple travel to Tuscany to participate in classes at a new cooking school just opened by Faith's former assistant, Francesca. Unfortunately, connections to the murder keep popping up and it also seems that someone is trying their best to sabotage Francesca's new business. faith can't help but investigate, can she?
This is a mystery that will appeal strongly to foodies. Page does such an exquisite job of presenting various Italian dishes and ingredients that you can almost smell the sauces and spices. The mystery itself almost seemed secondary to the cooking. Our book club was split between great love (those were the foodies) and indifference (those looking for a great mystery). If you love the series be sure to read it. Faith and Tom are as wonderful as usual. Be prepared to need a snack, though, because the culinary aspects of this novel will certainly make your mouth water.
After the weekend in Rome the couple travel to Tuscany to participate in classes at a new cooking school just opened by Faith's former assistant, Francesca. Unfortunately, connections to the murder keep popping up and it also seems that someone is trying their best to sabotage Francesca's new business. faith can't help but investigate, can she?
This is a mystery that will appeal strongly to foodies. Page does such an exquisite job of presenting various Italian dishes and ingredients that you can almost smell the sauces and spices. The mystery itself almost seemed secondary to the cooking. Our book club was split between great love (those were the foodies) and indifference (those looking for a great mystery). If you love the series be sure to read it. Faith and Tom are as wonderful as usual. Be prepared to need a snack, though, because the culinary aspects of this novel will certainly make your mouth water.
INSIDE THE O'BRIENS (Lisa Genova)
Every time I finish a Lisa Genova novel my first thought is, "Wow!" I wasn't even sure if I was going to read this one because it was just too scary. Although there is no Huntington's Disease in my family, the thought of following someone else's journey through this incurable disease with all the hopelessness associated with it just seemed too difficult. I'm glad that I finally read it.
Huntington's is a hereditary disease that usually strikes between ages 35 and 45, but there are early onset forms as well that may appear in the teens or twenties. There is no cure and, probably, little hope of one, because it is relatively rare. Huntington' is caused by a gene mutation and any child born of someone with the gene has a 50/50 chance of eventually developing it.
Joe O'Brien, a 44-year-old Boston cop, has been experiencing problems with his moods and his movements for a few years and his wife Rosie eventually convinces him to see a neurologist. An active father of 4 grown children, Joe is devastated to be diagnosed with Huntington's. In retrospect he realizes that his mother, always described as having died of alcoholism when he was a young boy, most certainly died of the disease. It's difficult and sad to realize how many people back just 30 or 40 years ago must have been vilified as alcoholics or judged responsible for their own condition when, in fact, they were innocent victims of undiscovered genetic flaws. For Joe, the most horrifying aspect of this disease is the realization that he may have passed Huntington's on to his own 4 children, all of whom are just starting out in life. JJ, the oldest, is a firefighter, 25 years old and married. He and his wife, Colleen, are trying for a child. Meghan is a ballerina and Katie, the youngest, is a yoga instructor and in love with Felix, a man whose race she is convinced will alienate her family. Patrick, at 23, lives at home and seems to be involved in fighting and sleeping around most of the time. Each of the children must decide whether to be tested for the disease, to live knowing what their future holds if they test positive or to live with the uncertainty of whether they will eventually develop Huntington's if they choose not to be tested.
The two words that I would use to describe Inside the O'Briens are heartbreaking and life-affirming. Genova somehow brings us into the inner circle of Huntington's, showing us first-hand both the hopelessness and the hope experienced by a family whose world is nearly destroyed by this devastating diagnosis. Read it, please!
Huntington's is a hereditary disease that usually strikes between ages 35 and 45, but there are early onset forms as well that may appear in the teens or twenties. There is no cure and, probably, little hope of one, because it is relatively rare. Huntington' is caused by a gene mutation and any child born of someone with the gene has a 50/50 chance of eventually developing it.
Joe O'Brien, a 44-year-old Boston cop, has been experiencing problems with his moods and his movements for a few years and his wife Rosie eventually convinces him to see a neurologist. An active father of 4 grown children, Joe is devastated to be diagnosed with Huntington's. In retrospect he realizes that his mother, always described as having died of alcoholism when he was a young boy, most certainly died of the disease. It's difficult and sad to realize how many people back just 30 or 40 years ago must have been vilified as alcoholics or judged responsible for their own condition when, in fact, they were innocent victims of undiscovered genetic flaws. For Joe, the most horrifying aspect of this disease is the realization that he may have passed Huntington's on to his own 4 children, all of whom are just starting out in life. JJ, the oldest, is a firefighter, 25 years old and married. He and his wife, Colleen, are trying for a child. Meghan is a ballerina and Katie, the youngest, is a yoga instructor and in love with Felix, a man whose race she is convinced will alienate her family. Patrick, at 23, lives at home and seems to be involved in fighting and sleeping around most of the time. Each of the children must decide whether to be tested for the disease, to live knowing what their future holds if they test positive or to live with the uncertainty of whether they will eventually develop Huntington's if they choose not to be tested.
The two words that I would use to describe Inside the O'Briens are heartbreaking and life-affirming. Genova somehow brings us into the inner circle of Huntington's, showing us first-hand both the hopelessness and the hope experienced by a family whose world is nearly destroyed by this devastating diagnosis. Read it, please!
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