Recommended Reads
September, 2005

Staff Picks

Throughout the year, our staff selects few titles we've enjoyed and want to share with other readers. For recommendations from previous months, visit our Recommendations Archive.

Fiction
	Bandbox by Thomas Mallon Mallon leaves behind his usual historical fiction (Henry and Clara; Dewey Defeats Truman) for the cutthroat world magazine publishing in the 1920s.  Men's fashion magazine Bandbox has a new rival in Cutaway, and editor Jehosephat Harris is beginning to sweat the competition.  To worsen matters, Cutaway's editor (Harris' ex-partner) is recruiting spies from within Bandbox's ranks, and a nasty battle for circulation ensues.  Throw the kidnapping of a starry-eyed young subscriber, an on-the-make starlet, some bootlegging gangsters, a zealous animal-rights activist, and the antics of Bandbox's quirky staff, and you've got a colorful, witty read.  Recommended by B. Hinton
	These Is My Words: the diary of Sarah Agnes Prine: 1881-1901 and Sarah's quilt : the continuing diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1906 by Nancy E. Turner Inspired by the memoirs of the author's great-grandmother, these novels tell the story of the courageous and resourceful Sarah Prine.  Her life and travels in the Arizona Territory were full of hardships, beginning with the death of her father and the loss of most of the family's property, followed by Comanche raids, flood, fire, and drought.  One beacon is her enduring romance with calvary officer Jack Elliot, with whom she eventually shares a loving, if unconventional, marriage.  Recommended by G. Schaake
	Runaway: stories by Alice Munro Munro shows why she's considered one of today's best short fiction writers in this collection of eight stories, set mainly in rural and coastal Canada.  As usual, Munro focus on relationships--spousal, familial, and neighborly--and how self-realization and chance occurrence can shape and change these relationships.  Few other writers can make small, seemingly ordinary moments add up to so much.  Recommended by B. Hinton
	Saturday by Ian McEwan A Saturday in the life of a London neurosurgeon turns out to be a very unusual day indeed, beginning with a flight that almost crashes at the airport through a minor auto accident that causes a neurologically impaired criminal to appear at the physician’s home. Even prosaic events add to complex character portraits in McEwen’s hands.  Recommended by R. Rosensweig
Thrillers/Mysteries
	Mew is for Murder by Clea Simon Cambridge reporter Theda Krakow plans to interview local "cat lady" Lillian Helmhold, but finds her subject dead in her Victorian home, surrounded by her feline friends.  Though it looks like an accident, the house is repeatedly broken into, and there are rumors of a treasure hidden among Lillian's papers.  This isn't your average cozy--Theda's also an avid rock and blues fan, and there's great detail about the Boston music scene, as well as a real feeling for the Cambridge and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods.  Recommended by F. Feldman-Wood
	Deadly Slipper:  a novel of death in the Dordogne by Michelle Wan Nineteen years ago, Mara Dunn's twin sister, Bedie, disappeared while on an orchid hunt in France's Dordogne region.  Mara, who has relocated there, finds Bedie's camera in a junkshop, film intact.  She enlists the help of orchid enthusiast Julian Wood to analyze the pictures for clues about what happened to Bedie.  Julian's attention is captured by a photo of the extremely rate lady's slipper, and the two set off across the French countryside (encountering menacing locals along the way) in search of further information. Recommended by F. Feldman-Wood
Nonfiction
	Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl Reichl's third memoir (Tender at the Bone; Comfort Me With Apples) recounts her years as the restaurant critic for the New York Times.  Reichl was known for disguising herself in order to dine unrecognized, and for taking some of New York's most prestigious restaurants down a peg.  Here she shares stories of her culinary adventures, her family life, and power politics at the Times.  Her love of food and appreciation for good service are infectious, but what's most captivating is her ability to experience restaurants through the eyes of others, including her alter egos, fellow diners, and her young son.  Recommended by B. Hinton
	Candyfreak: a journey through the chocolate underbelly of America by Steve Almond The improbably named Almond loves candy in a big way.  So big he's devoted a book to it--recollections of his sweets-obsessed youth, nostalgia for the candy bars of yore, and the history of the confectionary industry (much of which was based in Boston at one time).  Though Almond goes overboard (dare I say "nuts"?) in his passion, his tours of factories and conversations with those in the candy business make fascinating reading.  Recommended by B. Hinton
	How to Say it to Seniors: closing the communication gap with our elders by David Solie Geriatric psychologist Solie offers suggestions for removing the stumbling blocks that often hinder communication between younger and older eople.  He presents practical techniques for learning both how to listen and how to present information in an effective manner.   Though geared toward those who deal professionally with the elderly, this book can also be a valuable resource for improving communication with your parents or acquaintances.  Recommended by E. Sathan
Young Adult
	Isaac's Storm: a man, a time, and the deadliest hurricane in history by Erik Larson On September 8, 1900, Galveston Texas was overtaken by a monstrous hurricane that killed over 6,000.  Even U.S. Weather Bureau meteorologist Isaac Cline failed to understand the full impact of the deep-sea swells and peculiar winds that Galveston experienced that morning.  Like many others, Cline soon found himself the victim of personal tragedy.  Using Cline's own telegrams and letters and the reports of many survivors, Larson recounts the story of one of the largest-scale natural disasters ever to strike the United States.  Recommended by L. Hill