Unbecoming: A Novel by Rebecca Scherm

 Unbecoming: A Novel by Rebecca Scherm. Viking (Penguin), 2015. Adult fiction.




In an unusual tale of art theft, deceit, and love, this debut novel begins in Paris where Grace has crafted a new life for herself as Julie. She checks online everyday for news from her former home in Garland, Tennessee where it seems the robbery of an estate museum has involved and imprisoned people Grace knows very well. Chapters alternate by place, Paris providing clues to her current life and Garland filling in the details of Grace's former life. Peppered with intriguing examples of other thefts and how they may have been committed, the author also weaves a spell of a small town and its citizens, children, and social stratas. What happens if you get what you really want? What happens if you don't? Can you become someone else? Or can you unbecome who you have become?

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Riverhead Books (Penguin), 2015. Adult fiction.      


In three weeks, when I only moved slightly up from 148 on the waiting list at our public library,  I went out and bought this book. Billed as the one to read if you liked Gone Girl, this debut thriller did not disappoint!  


Rachel has her own problems. She has lost her job, but not told her roommate. She drinks too much. She lies. Her husband has moved on with another woman, but still lives in the same house, HER house. In the endless train rides into London which provide the only normalcy in her life, she makes up a fantasy life for a couple at the signal stop, the one just down from her former home. It's impossible  not to stare into the yards of the houses along the train tracks. Before long, Rachel sees something amiss. This leads her into the lives of other people in big and subtle ways. But, is she a reliable witness?


Alternating chapters from viewpoints of Rachel, Megan (the woman Rachel watches), and Anna (her ex-husband's new spouse), the suspense builds. At first, you need a playcard to keep the names straight since even the men's names seem too alike (Tom, Scott, Jason). But, when you are drawn into the drama, you won't be able to stop reading. Words flow across the pages quickly, but the ending does not seem rushed. The threads of the story are twisted together into a smooth yarn. Let's hope that Paula Hawkins' former journalism career allowed her to keep lots of notes on ideas for more novels like this one.

                    

First Impressions by Charlie Lovett

  First Impressions, A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen. Written by Charlie Lovett. Viking, 2014. Adult Fiction.


Sophie Collingwood takes a job at bookstore that sells antique editions. She soon finds herself on a search for a title that may change or even endanger her own life. Very much a modern woman, Sophie alternates thinking about the dashing Winston, the abrasive but interesting Eric who makes her heart race, and the dasterly Smedley who threatens her. In alternating chapters, Jane Austen meets Richard Mansfield and begins her writing career. The intersecting stories involve a manuscript that may prove Austen plagiarized a Mansfield work. It's up to Sophie to find the truth.


Part literary mystery, part love story, First Impressions is a story that not only Jane Austen fans will enjoy. It's fun. It's believable. It's a unique look at Austen. Try it!

Juliet's Nurse by Lois Leveen

Juliet's Nurse by Lois Leveen. Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 2014.
                   Adult fiction.


If you remember reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet only vaguely when you were younger, it's time for an update! In this novel, Lois Leveen gets the setting, the times, the characters, and the tone all pitch perfect in her imaginative retelling of the classic play. The nurse in the title, Angelica, comes to work as a wet nurse for Juliet soon after the baby's birth and stays into the girl's teenage years. This is her story, really, as much as Juliet's as readers learn about her husband and children and her own heartbreaks. What does it take to survive in a city where power, politics, family feuds, and plagues are mainstays of life itself? Modern readers may find much to identify with as these Veronese characters walk tightropes of the past. A teacher's guide is available at the author's website: http://loisleveen.com/index.php/loisleveen/juliets-nurse-for-teachers

Knitting Block by Block

  Knitting Block by Block. by Nicky Epstein.
                             Potter Craft (Random House), 2010. Adult nonfiction.


Nicky Epstein is a rock star in the knitting world and any new book from her creates a buzz! This title is subtitled "150 Blocks for Sweaters, Scarves, Bags, Toys, Afghans, and More". It's a hefty 240 pages of full-color photographs, with diagrams, patterns, and techniques included. The paper is sturdy and the colorful blocks are shown clearly. Knitters can choose different blocks and vary them by color, size of needles, and types of threads. Basic blocks like seed, stockinette, and garter stitches would work for easy dishcloths while the blocks shown on the cover are more complex.  The majority of the patterns are not for beginners. With cables, ruffles, and woven stitches, some of the blocks would be at home on Project Runway clothing! Still, if you need a challenge, Epstein provides inspiration and ideas.














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My Secret Guide to Paris

My Secret Guide to Paris by Lisa Schroeder.
                                  Scholastic Press, February, 2015.
                                  Children's fiction (chapter book).




Some advanced reading copies are just too good not to talk about immediately! Lisa Schroeder's latest title, due out in 2015, centers on Nora's upcoming twelfth birthday and the trip to Paris that she and her beloved grandmother are planning. Unfortunately, her grandmother dies. Nora finds three plane tickets with instructions for things to do, people to meet, and adventures awaiting in Paris. Mom and Grandma Sylvia seemed to not really get along so Nora worries about telling Mom about the trip. And, who will use the third ticket?




Things fall into place as Nora grieves, continues to research Paris, and the trip comes to be. Meeting her grandmother's friends teaches the family more about Grandma Sylvia and just how much she loved them. The book is a bittersweet romp with a little mystery, some new friends, and much love tucked together.




While it could have been maudlin, the death and grieving are presently in a way that seems realistic. The mother/daughter relationship in both generations rings true, too. The fun and adventures in Paris will have readers closely examining maps and photographs of the places the characters visit. All in all, a well written third through seventh grade chapter book that both captivates and teaches.

Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr.

Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr. Ballantine Book, Penguin Random House, 2013. Nonfiction, Adult.


W.A. Clark helped establish Las Vegas. Clark County is named for him. He was, at best, a senator and copper magnate. At worst, he was controversial. Even Mark Twain railed against him! His first wife died. He married again and had two daughters in that marriage. When he died, the children from both marriages stood to inherit literally fortunes.


This book is really the story of his youngest child, Huguette. She lived to be 104. She had mansions in California, Connecticut, and New York City, but she seldom lived in any of them or went to visit. The last decades of her life were spent in a hospital room in New York City, but she was not really sick. She gave away millions. After her death, many people tried to prove that she was senile.  You will come to your own conclusion after reading this tale!


Well researched and with contributions by a family member who often talked by phone with Huguette, this tale will pique your curiosity, challenge how you think about the elderly, and make you think about the values of extreme wealth in new ways.