Good Reads & Views

The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky
Fiction

Rosa Achmetowna simply knows that she is a wonderful, kind, loving and highly intelligent person. Unfortunately, her husband and daughter are the ones who have to bear the brunt of her self-centered and controlling nature. Granddaughter Aminat, on the other hand, is the apple of Rosa’s eye. Rosa’s determination will take the three women out of the Soviet Union and into paradise Germany, a country where “they wash the streets with shampoo there.”  Publishers Weekly called Rosa “a one-woman wrecking crew with no remorse, an acid tongue, and a conniving opportunist's sense of drive and desperation. Bronsky lands another hit with this hilarious, disturbing, and always irreverent blitz.” For those who can take their stories dark and quirky, with a twisted sense of humor thrown in.

Arcadia by Lauren Groff
Fiction

The story of the rise and decline of a Hippie commune in a rundown old New York state mansion - called Arcadia House - is told from the view of Bit, the only child of parents who were founding members of the community. Through heartache and joy, laughter and tears, Bit grows into a sensitive young man who ultimately must find his own way in life. Beautiful prose and memorable characters make this a bittersweet but satisfying coming-of-age tale from the author of The Monsters of Templeton.

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
Fiction   

Narrated by actress Hope Davis this book is a touching story of a mother, MaryBeth Latham, and her determination to go on after the unthinkable happens.  Marybeth is married to Glen and the mother of a beautiful teenage daughter Ruby and twins Alex and Max.  The story is full of the daily life of the Lathams, her landscaping business, her husband’s career as an eye doctor, the drama’s of school, summer camps, prom, Ruby’s writing, Alex’s soccer games and Max’s love of the drums.  After Ruby breaks up with her boyfriend Kirenan, a former neighbor who's become like family, a shocking act of violence forever changes the simple life of the Latham family.  Anna Quindlen does a beautiful job of building the characters and the story leading up to the tragedy and then taking the reader through Mary Beth’s journey of loss, healing and her eventual hope for the future.

What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman
Fiction

Set during WWII and after, this book tells the story of Wyatt, a 17yr old teen, whose parents jump off different bridges the same night because they were both in love with a female neighbor. Wyatt is taken in by his aunt and uncle who live in Middle Economy, Canada. The story takes off from there and involves German u-boats destroying Canadian ships, a German student, a killing, a body disposal, an unplanned pregnancy, and old-fashioned radios, among other things. Not to everyone’s taste, but if you like writing that is matter of fact, and characters who are down to earth and straight forward, you might want to give this a try.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Nonfiction

Considering the title, it is somewhat ironic that this book has created quite a buzz. Written by a confessed introvert who used to work in a decidedly extrovert environment, the reader gets a thoughtful examination of the often second-class status that introverts hold in these not-so-quiet times of take-charge extroverts. Combining the life stories of real people with past and current research, the author makes the point that introverts have been greatly undervalued, to the detriment of society as a whole. She suggests that the over-exuberance of the last decade - driven by extroverts and their often short-sighted thinking and over-emphasis on teamwork – might have had something to do with the near-collapse of our economy in 2008. Introverts, who shun the spotlight and have a tendency to listen, ask questions, and think before they speak, might have made different decisions. An affirming ego boost to all introverts and a mighty good read for those extroverts who know introverts and would like to understand them more.