Dear Great Book Guru, We had a great outdoor family party this weekend - weather was challenging but everyone had a fun time and, as always, when we gather together conversation turns to our latest book choices. One of the cousins talked about a mystery series by an Irish author and the rest of us were interested but now I’m not sure of the author. Thoughts?   A Bookish Family

Dear Bookish Family, My guess is it’s John Banville’s Benjamin Black mysteries - the latest came out just last month:  APRIL IN SPAIN.  John Banville is a renowned prize-winning Irish author who writes a mystery series under the pseudonym Benjamin Black.  His hero is Quirk, a 1950’s Dublin pathologist. His tortured past and present is the stuff of these literary mysteries. There are eight books in the series beginning with CHRISTINE FALLS. While each novel can stand alone, to see the complexity and evolution of Quirk, they should be read in order. The latest is set in Dublin and the Basque countryside with locations and characters exquisitely described. In the opening chapter we meet Terry Tice who liked “killing people.” In alternating chapters we are with the gloomy Quirk and his long suffering psychiatrist wife, Evelyn. While in some ways this is a simple mystery, Banville’s writing is so beautiful, it is hard not to reread many evocative passages even as we are eager to see how all the story lines come together. A wonderful read and highly recommended!

 

 

Dear Great Book Guru,  While  Halloween is over, I am still in the mood for some suspenseful tales. I would like a good psychological thriller set in   present time.  Any suggestions?  Craving Suspense

Dear Craving Suspense, I recently read a disturbing  literary thriller I think you will enjoy: MRS MARCH  by Virginia Feito. Mrs. March – we don’t learn her first name until the last page- is the wife of George, a famous author who has recently published his latest novel which has received universal praise from both critics and the public. She soon realizes he has based the novel’s protagonist on her- her mannerisms, her appearance, her gloves- and it is not a flattering portrait.  She  begins to think every friend and stranger she passes  has read the book and is aware of her shame. She neglects her young son,  abuses her housekeeper, and we watch in horror as she seems to lose all sense of reality.  When she suspects her husband of being a serial killer, we are quite sure she is delusional but there is always the thought…. perhaps there is some truth in her suspicions.   The lifestyle of this wealthy Upper Eastside Manhattanite is described in exquisite detail and we clearly sense the anger and purposelessness Mrs. March feels.  Neither she nor her husband are admirable characters, but the novel is a compelling read and recommended!

 

Dear Great Book Guru, This past weekend I met up with lots of friends and we all agreed we needed something great to read - something thought-provoking and with a strong story line. Any thoughts? Readers in Search of Meaning

Dear Readers in Search of Meaning, I spent this last weekend with a compelling book, filled with moments of deep insight. This shortlisted 2019 Booker Prize winner is 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak. It is the haunting tale of Leila - victim of a brutal murder in Istanbul, Turkey. Leila explains that for 10 minutes and 38 seconds after death, we are capable of conscious thought with heightened sensitivities and robust memories. The first half of the novel describes Leila’s thoughts as she moves from life to death and we count down the moments we share with her.  She remembers her early life in exquisite sensory detail - her young mother who was forced to give her up at birth, her mercurial father, an abusive uncle, a beloved autistic brother, and her young activist husband. In alternating chapters, we meet each of her five friends who play important roles in her life and death.  These friends like Leila live on the outskirts of Istanbul’s society where gender, violence, and religion combine to crush many. With her death complete, the second part of the book is more a caper but satisfying nevertheless.  A painful tale but well worth reading - highly recommend!

 

Dear Great Book Guru, This weekend we were at a fabulous family wedding. The bride and groom, Shannon and Nick, had a picture-perfect wedding day and… as so happens when our family gets together, the conversation turned to books.  Many of the cousins were excited about a new Booker Prize nominee that was a combination of family drama and sci fi.  Familiar with it?   Happy Wedding Guest 

Dear Happy Wedding Guest, The book you are searching for is Richard Powers’ BEWILDERMENT and a wonderful recommendation it is! Set in the near future, the story follows a father and son on an amazing journey. The father, Theo Byrne, is an astrobiologist recently widowed; the son is Robin, a third grader who is grieving his mother’s death. Robin is a sensitive, gifted artist and lover of nature, who has difficulty controlling his anger especially towards classmates.  When the school authorities suggest medication, Theo refuses and consults with a friend who suggests an experimental neurofeedback therapy. Robin’s parents had earlier been part of an experiment that mapped their emotions in great detail.  Soon we realize Robin is being linked to his mother’s brain patterns. The story line is interspersed with descriptions of planets throughout the galaxy where life may have existed in ways similar to ours – all with differing outcomes. What the outcome of life on planet Earth will be is the underlying theme of this novel.  A challenging but rewarding read - highly recommended!

 

Dear Great Book Guru, Last week I was at the St. Luke’s Fall Fair - such fun with great treasures and a huge array of raffles prizes plus the Church’s iconic jams and jellies! While there, I overheard a group of people talking about a new novel their book club was reading - a criminal justice thriller by a famous politician. I couldn’t hear the title… any thoughts?  Fall Fair Goer

Dear Fall Fair Goer, Stacey Abrams, famed political strategist, is the author of WHILE JUSTICE SLEEPS - a complex legal thriller with many medical and legal twists.  The narrator is Avery Keene, a recent graduate of a prestigious law school who has been hired to clerk for an elderly eccentric Supreme Court Justice, Howard Wynn.  Shortly into the book, Wynn is found unconscious – a victim of perhaps a stroke, heart attack, or attempted suicide. Much to everyone’s surprise (especially Avery’s), the Justice has left instructions that Avery is to be his legal guardian and has given her power of attorney. She soon realizes it is imperative that

the comatose Justice be protected from those within the government who are trying to overturn the power of the Court. Their plot centers on a biotech merger case that will have long term effects on this nation and countries around the world.  Will Avery and her cohorts be able to keep the Justice alive long enough and well enough to prevent this looming biogenetic catastrophe?  A very exciting, challenging thriller!

 

Dear Great Book Guru, I see a long winter ahead and I would like nothing better than to find a compelling series to read - something meaningful, thoughtful, but also entertaining…and I do love a mystery!  Seeking a Series

 Dear Seeking a Series, Just this week I read a book in a series I have enjoyed greatly over the years. Daniel Silva’s THE ORDER is the 20^th book in his Gabriel Allon series and while I had read most of his earlier books, this latest addition might be my favorite.  Allon is a brilliant art restorer and legendary spy who is now head of the Israeli spy organization, the Mossad, referred to as the Office in the series.  Throughout the books there are references to famous art masterpieces in museums, churches and private collections. Interwoven with these art references is the basic plot line of international intrigue and Allon’s job is to prevent catastrophic upheaval with as little mayhem as possible. In THE ORDER, the setting is the Vatican and the plot involves the suspicious death of a present-day, progressive pope.  A secret organization that has its roots in early 20^th century Europe and steeped in anti-Semitism is plotting to have its candidate elected the next pope. Using large sums of money to bribe the electors, the group seems about to change the international power structure when Allon is called upon to right the situation.  The various characters - good and evil - are meticulously drawn and the vivid descriptions of Rome, Florence, and Venice alone are worth the read but the underlying mystery itself is completely enthralling.  A very satisfying, thought-provoking addition to the series…highly recommended!

 

 

Dear Great Book Guru, This weekend is the Sea Cliff Civic Association’s Newcomers Party and I am very excited.  As a newcomer this year, I am very eager to meet up with people who have moved to the Village over the last year or so, but I am not good at making small talk.  I was thinking if I had a good book I could mention, it might make for an easier time.  Any thoughts?  Nervous Newcomer

Dear Nervous Newcomer, I think it is always a good idea to have a book in mind in any situation and I have a great one for you to quickly read in the next few days: A GOOD MOTHER by Lara Bazelon. This legal thriller opens in 2006 on an American airbase in Germany with a transcript of a frantic call from a woman who is being viciously attacked.  Her infant daughter is crying in the background and soon we realize she has killed her assailant. The next entry is three days later in a Los Angeles courtroom and the young mother is awaiting trial for first degree murder. The public defender is a very pregnant attorney with a reputation for unorthodox methods of representing her clients. The rest of the book shifts from the present to the back stories of both the attorney and client. Throughout, we are presented with the question of what makes a good mother. Their families, the public, the court, the press… all weigh in and in the end we too question what makes a good mother.  Highly recommended!