Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach

Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman. By Alice Steinbach. Random House, 2000. Memoir. Travel.


   When Baltimore journalist Alice Steinbach realizes that she is not as satisfied with her job and her life as she has been in the past, she takes a take of absence and travels. While she has won a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in the past, she really shines in this travelogue and self examination. The writing is clear. The people she meets are interesting. And, her insights on the people, places, weather, and activities are unique, but readers will relate to them. Alice goes to Paris first, then London, Oxford, and Italy,  If you have been to these places, you can relive your own experiences. If you are an armchair traveler only, you will enjoy both the writing and the author.


Check the library for Educating Alice, another book by Alice Steinbach.

Drop-Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker

Drop-Dead Easy Knits by Gale Zucker, Mary Lou Egan, and Kirsten Kapur. Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2016.

From socks to cardigans, from shawls to scarves and hats, this title provides gorgeous full-color photographs and clearly written instructions. The difficulty levels are called Relaxed, Mindless, and Attentive, ratings of concentration required. But, the title is most unfortunate since these are NOT patterns generally for beginners! Beautiful, yes, but some require circular needles and most require knowledge of both knitting and purling.  Easy, not exactly, but if you can already knit and want more of a challenge than basic scarves or simple dishcloths, this may be the book for you.  I received this book from Blogging for Books for this honest review.

• More Info
• Author Bio

 

Britt-Marie Was Here: A Novel by Fredrik Backman

 Britt-Marie Was Here: A Novel by Fredrik Backman. Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), 2014. Adult fiction.


    Britt-Marie is different from most people. When she goes to the unemployment office and is persistent, she finds a temporary job in the small town of Borg. She arrives with her knowledge of cleaning and manages to change herself and the townspeople forever. Britt-Marie knows little about men, but finds herself wooed by two men. Britt-Marie knows nothing about soccer, but she ends up coaching and mentoring and loving the local children who play passionately. Finding out Britt-Marie's secrets is truly like peeling back the layers of an onion, but readers will laugh with her, sympathize with her, and urge her to live her own best life. One person can really change the world as Britt-Marie proves.


The story reads faster than the author's A Man Called Ove and the main character is just as quirky, but totally different. Part of the fun in the story involves the small drawings that precede each chapter. Each represents a happening or object vital to the story. Even the cover illustration is pitch perfect! And, you might just find yourself rearranging your silverware drawer!

The Shipping News: A Novel by E. Annie Proulx

  The Shipping News: A Novel by  E. Annie Proulx. Scribner, 1993. Adult nonfiction.


Set in Newfoundland, this story of newspaperman Quoyle and his small daughters, Sunshine and Bunny who return to the ancestral home with Quoyle's aunt. The poor man is beset with grief over his first wife, problems at work, and trying hard to make a new life. While acclaim has ranged from "astonishingly accomplished" to comparisons with Edith Wharton and John Steinbeck, the novel reveals its secrets slowly. The characters are memorable and have interesting names like Billy Pretty, Ed Punch, Mrs. Buggit, Wavey, and Murchie. The aunt is a wonder with her talents at upholstery and understanding little girls. Definitely read it in the winter when you can appreciate the ice and cold of the setting!

Swan by Frances Mayes

 Swan: A Novel by Frances Mayes. Broadway Books (Random House),
                    2002. Adult fiction.


Travel writer Frances Mayes branched out from her usual Italian memoirs to write this fictional account of small town life in Swan, Georgia. Grown children, J.J. and Ginger Mason, are shocked when the body of their long dead mother is found lying on the ground beside her grave. Even more shocking is that she did not commit suicide, but was murdered. Everyone has secrets and must move past the traumas and tragedies to seek new futures, new loves, and new adventures. The neighbors, friends, and family will remind readers who grew up in the South of people they know. Slow moving story, sort of like sipping an iced tea in the hot summer and reading on the front porch!

Wish by Barbara O'Connor

 Wish by Barbara O'Connor. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2016. Children's chapter book. Fiction.


Set in rural Colby, North Carolina, this tale of Charlie Reese and her search for family, friends, and a dog to love will capture your heart. Charlie goes to live with Gus and Bertha, her uncle and aunt who have no children, when Mama can't get "her feet on the ground" and while her father is in prison. She is not a great student and has a bit of a temper. But, an unlikely friend, Howard, is steady and helps Charlie figure out ways to catch the stray dog that she names Wishbone. Charlie is big on wishes and makes the same one every day.  How her story plays out is not like she thinks, but perfect, after all.


Like in her book, The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester, O'Connor weaves searches for a child's heart's desires with the age-old story of wanting to be loved just for yourself, or even in spite of yourself.  The dialog rings true and the story is filled with believable episodes. Charlie learns that you don't have to do everything right to have everything turn out right.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

 The Woman in Cabin 10  by Ruth Ware. Scout Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2016. Adult fiction.


Lo Blacklock thinks it will be a career advantage as a travel writer to sail on the very exclusive yacht Aurora. While her own life has been careening sideways lately, she finds herself completely wrapped up in a mystery soon after the ship  sails. Lord Bullmer and his young wife, Anne, and several other guests provide much to wonder about...and who is the young woman in Cabin 10 and where has she gone? Was she there at all or is it Lo's imagination?


The atmosphere is captured well with lots of fog, splashes, and small spaces.  Ware makes each of the characters distinctive so it's easy to keep up with identities of guests and staff. The only downside to the book is a caveat to read it on dry land! You may not sleep at all if you take this tale on a cruise!