Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Bill O'Reilly has done it again!  His latest book, Killing Jesus, continues his series of books on how great historical figures were killed.  (See Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy.)  The book is co-written by historian Michael Dugard, who has contributed greatly to the research.  Ancient historians are cited, and Scripture is quoted.  The authors also traveled to Israel and read up on life during the Roman Empire.  Even though most readers probably know the basics of the story, O'Reilly covers every detail, including the back story. As a result, the books begins with Julius Caesar (including HIS assassination) and the establishment of the Roman Empire.  This was the geopolitical environment into which Jesus was born, in a country that was waiting for its Messiah to deliver the people from Roman oppression.  O'Reilly covers the first attempt to kill Jesus when he was just a toddler and continues with the plots to eliminate him that developed when he began his ministry. He also describes the death of John the Baptist at the hand of King Herod, thereby making it clear for the reader that a culture of death was prevalent throughout the Roman Empire.  All of the Roman Caesars and Israeli kings are covered, and their political relationships are delineated.  O'Reilly spends a lot of time exploring Pontius Pilate's role in the story, as he was in the tenuous position of being a Roman citizen assigned as prefect of Galilee.  Readers of all faith traditions will be enlightened by the book.  O'Reilly concludes the narrative with the empty tomb and acknowledges the belief in the resurrection that forms the basis for Christianity.  This is a welcome addition to the book for Christian readers and sets it apart from most historical studies of Jesus.  It will be interesting to see if O'Reilly continues with this series!

Dawn

Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews

Best friends Weezie and BeBe are back in this holiday novella that is both charming and fun.

All is going well with Weezie, except of course for her pre-wedding jitters. Her antique business is in good shape for the holidays, and her fiance Daniel has had an amazing offer to be a celebrity chef at a famous New York Italian restaurant. Everything is fine until she sees an article in her local Savannah paper about Daniel's "stint" that includes a night out with the restaurant's very young, very rich, and very beautiful owner. Now what should she do?

Now out on Tybee Island, BeBe is awaiting the birth of her first child with boyfriend Harry. All is well with her inn and Harry's fishing expeditions. Well, that is, until a stranger contacts BeBe with some very important legal news. Not only legal, but very upsetting. Now what should she do?

Find out how these two cope with their stresses in Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews.

Karen

Read-alikes:  It is helpful to read the others in this series to get the full background on these delightful characters, starting with Savannah Blues.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson

Jenny Lawson is also known as The Bloggess and is the creator and writer of the award winning blog of the same name.  Her book, Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir), details what has made her the way she is.  It starts with her childhood years, living in rural west Texas, with her father who owns a taxidermy shop and occasionally makes puppets out of dead animals, her mother, and younger sister Lisa, as well as an array of pets, including at one point turkeys, who did happen to follow her to school one day (and proceeded to humiliate her).  She winds her way, mostly chronologically, through to her adult life, with her husband Victor and daughter Hailey.  This book is genuinely hilarious and may have you literally laughing out loud. However, there are layers (as with any true life story) that are both heartwarming and heartbreaking; the chapters where she recounts her difficulty to have her daughter, her battles with severe anxiety, and as she realizes her crazy family may be kind of wonderful.  Additionally, the mouse dressed in the Hamlet outfit on the cover, totally makes an appearance in the book.  And if you're looking for a good book to listen to, Lawson does a superb job of narrating the audio book.


Lisa

Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones

I cannot say enough good things about JimHenson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones. The book thoroughly covers Henson’s entire life. The sense of joy that Henson found through creating the Muppets and other less widely known projects comes through on each page.

Years before The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, Henson performed his Muppet characters on several Washington, D.C. TV stations, getting involved in the medium in its infancy. He quickly realized that he did not want his TV appearances to simply be a televised version of a puppet theater performance, which is what other TV puppeteers were doing at the time. He saw “that no puppet theater was needed at all—that, in fact, the space between the four sides of the TV screen was his puppet theater.”  This major innovation, his unique Muppet creations and an often bizarre sense of humor led to an almost immediate devoted following for his early Muppet based show, “Sam and Friends.” Soon, Henson’s Muppets were appearing in a variety of commercials, and some even made their debuts in ads. For example, the Muppet who came to be known as the Cookie Monster first appeared in a Frito-Lay ad devouring potato chips.

Henson’s other interests outside of the Muppets are covered as well, such as a 1966 Academy Award nominated experimental short film called “Time Piece.” Jones also delves into some of Henson’s less successful projects, such as one of my favorites, “The Dark Crystal.” Sadly, Henson died too soon but his Muppets continue on and are likely to be loved for generations to come.

John

Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run by Alexandra Heminsley

One of my friends talked me into running a half-marathon with her in January 2015. The thing is, I’m not a runner. In fact, I’m a couch potato. Thankfully, I stumbled across Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run by Alexandra Heminsley. At the beginning of the book, Heminsley is like me: she’s not interested in running, and then decides that maybe it’s something she can start doing.

Running Like a Girl is the perfect book for novice runners, because it starts with the basics: from buying gear to getting past the brutal beginnings. It’s also very funny. Heminsley shares stories of running mishaps, the details of running, and her experiences she has along the way. This book has all the tips I need to start running. Heminsley has inspired me to give running a try. Maybe someday running will become a release and not a chore.

You can also try Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

Carrie

The Reason for My Hope : Salvation by Billy Graham

Many thought that Billy Graham's previous book, Nearing Home, would be his last.  Not so.  Apparently having received an infusion of the Holy Spirit, he has written The Reason for My Hope : Salvation.  The book was published in October in conjunction with a television broadcast that aired the week of November 7 - just in time for his 95th birthday!  Most of us would be happy to remember our own names and be able to just function at that age, but here is Graham delivering the same message he has been preaching for 70 years.  The book doesn't have a co-author, and presumably it wasn't ghostwritten, so everything is pure Graham.  He has done some research, as evidenced by the 20 pages of notes at the end, the book focuses on the nature of sin and redemption (i.e. The Cross).  The most intense chapter is called "No Hope of Happy Hour in Hell," and I was absolutely awed as I read it.  Anyone who has never read one of Graham's many books or seen him preach would do well to pick up this book.  It may NOT be his last.

Dawn

In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff

Simon Ziele, former NYC detective, has moved to rural Dobson, NY after the death of his fiancée. It is 1905 and he is hoping to find some peace and less violence in his life. This is not to be. A young female graduate student is brutally murdered while visiting her aunt in Dobson and the housemaid has vanished without any of her belongings. When a Columbia University criminologist, Alistair Sinclair, shows up the next day, things take a decidedly odd turn. Sinclair states he believes he knows who the murderer is based on the method. He has a patient he thought was purged of his violent actions by expressing them as fantasies in their sessions; but this crime is too similar to those fantasies and the patient, Michael Fromley, has disappeared. While skeptical of Sinclair’s theory, Simon returns to New York to work with him and pursue Fromley. His return to the city is painful but he is certain the solution to the crime will be found there.

Just as Simon finds himself caught between the old and the new in Sinclair’s early theories on profiling, the city itself is in a great change as well. The streets are a battleground of horses, cars, and pedestrians. Tammany Hall is stealing elections, Grand Central Station is going up, the subway opened recently and the elevated trains run overhead. Simon is both intrigued by and wary of the changes as he pursues his suspect, Fromley, and explores the ideas Alistair proposes.

In the Shadow of Gotham was a totally satisfying book! It is a very good mystery; it has well defined, believable characters; it evokes the New York of the early 1900’s beautifully; the writing style is literate without being pompous. A fines herbs omelette of a book.

CAS

Read-alikes:

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

The Interpretation of Murder by Jeb Rubenfeld

Our Holiday Favorites

The holidays are upon us, and in honor of the season, we've compiled a few of our favorite holiday-themed books. If you'd like to get in the holiday spirit, try one of these!

NPR Holiday Favorites
David Sedaris contributes his now classic "Santaland Diaries," his account of his experiences playing Santa's little helper at Macy's in New York. Susan Stamberg sneaks her mother-in-law's recipe for cranberry relish onto the air--again. Storyteller Kevin Kling finds an invitation to participate in a production of The Nutcracker too tempting to resist. Ghanian-born commentator Meri Danquah shares her thoughts on Kwanzaa. Cowboy poet Baxter Black describes a Christmas cookie with "the denseness of an anvil and the half-life of a radial tire." Robert Siegel goes in search of the correct spelling for December's Jewish holiday. The Thanksgiving tables are turned on unsuspecting Bostonians in "When Turkeys Attack."

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That's just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they'll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty; they won't be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren't even going to have a tree. They won't need one, because come December 25 they're setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences and isn't half as easy as they'd imagined. A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition.

Santa's Twin by Dean Koontz
"Someone has stolen Santa's bank card!" Combining the tongue-in-cheek charm of a modern classic with the timeless magic of cherished holiday tradition, here is a new Christmas story guaranteed to delight children of all ages--including those who pretend to have not grown up. At the request of his fans, bestselling novelist Dean Koontz has created a contemporary masterpiece that is destined to take place alongside "The Night Before Christmas" and Christmas Carol as a perennial Yuletide favorite. Santa's Twin is the hilarious and heartwarming story of two little girls, Charlotte and Emily, who set out to save Santa from his mischievous twin--Bob Claus--who has not only stolen Santa's sleigh, but has stuffed his toy bag with mud pies, cat poop, and broccoli! Plus, he's threatening to turn Donner, Blitzen and the rest of the reindeer into soup! And look at the mess he's leaving under the tree! How the brave but foolhardy sisters fly to the North Pole and rescue Santa from his "deeply troubled" twin is an utterly charming and unforgettable story that will add sparkle to your holiday season.

Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb

Back in his beloved fictional town of Three Rivers, Connecticut, with a new cast of endearing characters, Wally Lamb takes his readers straight into the halls of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School—where Mother Filomina's word is law and goody-two-shoes Rosalie Twerski is sure to be minding everyone's business. But grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner this holiday season with the sudden arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette, straight from Quebec, and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kabakova. While Felix learns the meaning of French kissing, cultural misunderstanding, and tableaux vivants, Wishin' and Hopin' barrels toward one outrageous Christmas.

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

Holidays on Ice is a collection of three previously published stories matched with three newer ones, all, of course, on a Christmas theme. David Sedaris's darkly playful humor is another common thread through the book, worming its way through "Seasons Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!" a chipper suburban Christmas letter that spirals dizzily out of control, and "Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol," a vicious theatrical review of children's Christmas pageants. As always, Sedaris's best work is his sharply observed nonfiction, notably in "Dinah, the Christmas Whore," the tale of a memorable Christmas during which the young Sedaris learns to see his family in a new light. Worth the price of the book alone is the hilarious "SantaLand Diaries," Sedaris's chronicle of his time working as an elf at Macy's, covering everything from the preliminary group lectures ("You are not a dancer. If you were a real dancer you wouldn't be here. You're an elf and you're going to wear panties like an elf.") to the perils of inter-elf flirtation. Along the way, he paints a funny and sad portrait of the way the countless parents who pass through SantaLand are too busy creating an Experience to really pay attention to their children. In a sly way, it carries a holiday message all its own. Read it aloud to the adults after the kids have gone to bed.

 An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor

Barry Laverty, M.B., is looking forward to his first Christmas in the cozy village of Ballybucklebo, at least until he learns that his sweetheart, Patricia, might not be coming home for the holidays. That unhappy prospect dampens his spirits somewhat, but Barry has little time to dwell on his romantic disappointments. Christmas may be drawing nigh, but there is little peace to be found on earth, especially for a young doctor plying his trade in the emerald hills and glens of rural Ireland. Along with his senior partner, Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, Barry has his hands full dealing with seasonal coughs and colds, as well as the occasional medical emergency. To add to the doctors' worries, competition arrives in the form of a patient-poaching new physician whose quackery threatens the health and well-being of the good people of Ballybucklebo. Can one territory support three hungry doctors? Barry has his doubts. But the wintry days and nights are not without a few tidings of comfort and joy. Between their hectic medical practice, Rugby Club parties, and the kiddies' Christmas Pageant, the two doctors still find time to play Santa Claus to a struggling single mother with a sick child and not enough money in the bank. Snow is rare in Ulster, and so are miracles, but that doesn't mean they never happen. . . .


Happy Holidays!

--Carrie

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani

Why was Thea suddenly sent away to a riding camp/boarding school in North Carolina, far from her home in Florida? Thea and her twin brother Sam were born into a wealthy family with a doctor for a father and a beautiful mother who inherited orange groves and loves gardening and horses as much as Thea. Set mainly in 1929 – 1930, it is a story of a world with strict rules regarding ‘proper’ behavior, especially for females, clear social levels, and money – vital but never discussed.

The family lives an insulated life – there are no social equals nearby – and their only regular visitors are Thea's aunt, uncle, and a slightly older cousin, George. As the adults seem oblivious to the maturation of the children, natural biological changes are occurring. The details of Thea’s fall work their way out gradually until almost the end, but a sense of the general nature of them surfaces early.

Once sent to the camp, Thea gradually adjusts to what she believes is only a summer-long exile. She begins to see a world much larger than previously known, learns the ins and outs of the social world of young ladies, and, as the effects of the Wall Street collapse begin to impact the lives and status of other students, sees that money does matter. She also learns that she cannot only survive, but actually thrive as a separate person from her twin and other family members. Her life has veered down a different road just by living in another place without them, and all she left behind is irrevocably altered.

This is a well-drawn slice of a time, place, and a rigid society beginning to shatter. A true coming of age novel, The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls is a wonderfully complex but not confusing story. It was a satisfying reading experience.

CAS

Southern States -- Social life and customs -- Fiction

Southern States--Social life and customs--20th century

Bildungsromans

The Doors by Greil Marcus

The late rock critic Lester Bangs once referred to Doors lead singer Jim Morrison as a “buffoon” and argued that in the history of rock music The Doors were no more important than the Guess Who. This feeling that The Doors were an average band led by a bad poet prone to drunkenness has been echoed by many over the years. Going against this view in his book TheDoors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years, music and pop culture critic Greil Marcus makes a case for The Doors as a talented, serious and sometimes revolutionary rock group.

Marcus’ book is not a biography of the band. Instead, most of the chapters are devoted to an exhaustive critique of an individual song or performance. Quite a few live recordings are analyzed that only the most fervent Doors fans are likely to own, but Marcus describes every beat, note and vocal inflection so well that it isn’t necessary to own these live versions to enjoy the book. The author is also quick to point out weaknesses in some songs or that some songs are just plain weak. In an amusing piece on the song “Strange Days,” Marcus writes that the song turns into trash after its brilliant first seven seconds.

Despite chapters being devoted to separate songs, The Doors still works as a whole, in large part because Marcus works in bits of the band’s history as well as what was happening in the U.S. at the time. While writing about a moment in the song, “The Unknown Soldier,” Marcus best sums up his view of The Doors. “It’s not a sound you’ve heard before, or want to hear again,” he writes. “It was the sound of the times that no one else made.”

John

Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander by Phil Robertson

Okay, I admit it. I have become obsessed with the television series Duck Dynasty. And when I saw that a book had been published on the life of the family patriarch, Phil Robertson, I was thrilled! Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander chronicles the story of a poor young man in Louisiana to the rich owner of one of the largest duck-caller/blind businesses in the world. (By the way, happy, happy, happy is one of his favorite expressions.) You find out so many tidbits of information about this man and his family that you would not even begin to see by just watching the show.

For instance, Phil Robertson was an outstanding football player at Louisiana Tech, but had no interest in pursuing a professional career because he wanted to go home to hunt and fish.

He has a Master's Degree in education, and taught for several years before he started his business, Duck Commander.

He once had a drinking problem, but turned his life around with help form his wife Kay, his four sons, and God.

This is not only an interesting read, but for fans of the show, it is also a very funny book.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Karen

The Liberty Amendments by Mark Levin

Expanding on the principles set forth in "Liberty and Tyranny" and "Ameritopia," conservative radio host Mark Levin presents solutions to America's woes in his new book.  The Liberty Amendments is a collection of ten amendments to the Constitution that Levin is calling on the states to adopt.  He references Article V of the Constitution, which allows "Legislatures of Two Thirds of the Several States" to petition Congress to "call a Convention for proposing amendments."  The ten amendments address term limits for Congress and Supreme Court Justices; the repealing of the 17th amendment (which allows for direct election of senators); the limitation of federal taxing, spending, and bureaucracy; the promotion of free enterprise through a narrow interpretation of the Commerce Clause; the protection of private property; and voting reforms.  The book is a well-reasoned and carefully crafted treatise, and Levin went so far as to write out the text of each amendment!  However, this is an exercise in futility, unless the Red States are reading this book and petitioning their legislatures to take action. Levin even admits that this method of amending the Constitution has never been attempted.   Passing one amendment is hard enough, but ten?? I'd venture to say it's impossible.

Dawn

Johnny Carson by Henry Bushkin

Readers looking for a Johnny Carson biography that covers his whole life will be disappointed with JohnnyCarson by Henry Bushkin. The book was written by Bushkin, Carson’s lawyer from the seventies until the late eighties, and focuses almost exclusively on those years. That being said, I still found the book very enjoyable.

Bushkin was an unknown lawyer when he was recommended to Carson by one of Carson’s associates. In agreeing to work for Carson, Bushkin devoted most of his time practicing law to him and was soon playing tennis and vacationing with Carson and whatever wife or girlfriend he was with at the time. A lot of Carson’s less than stellar behavior is documented in the book, but Johnny Carson is not a hatchet job. There are some odd accusations leveled, such as Bushkin’s claim that Carson’s womanizing ways rubbed off on him and caused his marriage to break up. Buskin is more successful when he tries to figure out what made Carson behave so badly at times.

Carson is in some ways as interesting for its depiction of what life is like for someone in a celebrity’s inner circle as it is for the stories Bushkin tells about Carson. While Bushkin obviously knows he is Carson’s lawyer and later on his partner in a number of successful business ventures, he seems unclear for much of the book whether Carson considers him a friend or if Bushkin considers himself a friend of Carson’s. This question is what ties the book together and moves Carson beyond the airing of yet another celebrity’s dirty laundry.

John

The House of Velvet And Glass by Katherine Howe

The House of Velvet and Glass is one of those novels that has it all - mystery, mysticism and mayhem. The story opens in 1915 in Boston. Sibyl Allston is still mourning the loss of her mother and sister on the Titanic three years earlier, and visits a medium in the hopes of reconnecting with her family. In the meantime, her younger brother is suffering in his own way, by dropping out of college and collecting gambling debts that he cannot repay. Their father, Harlan, deals with his loss by keeping to himself.

When an old family friend (and former beau of Sibyl's) comes back into their lives, he realizes this family needs help in a big way. But what can he do when they are determined to go on living in the past?

Traveling through three different time spans, this sweeping saga will keep you interested all the way until the end!

Karen

Read-alike author: Kate Morton

The Duck Commander Family by Willie and Korie Robertson

OK, folks, my curiosity got the better of me.  I have no desire to watch Duck Dynasty, but The Duck Commander Family by Willie and Korie Robertson looked intriguing.  The book is a quick read, and it's told in both voices, although Willie does most of the narrating.  It's inspirational as both an "only in America" rags-to-riches story and as a testament to the power of faith in God.  Where it falls apart is with its attempts to use food as a metaphor for their lives.  Yes, I know that each episode of the show ends with a family dinner, but just what are these people eating?  Frog legs? Fried squirrel?  Back straps?  (don't ask about that last one)
Just reading about all that oil and grease they consume was enough to make my arteries harden.  And these people in the South wonder why everyone is laughing at them!  Anyway, I really got to know the family, and I even went onto YouTube to watch a summary of one of the episodes and snippets of their hunting videos. Willie talks a lot about how the business has grown and changed over the years, especially once he and Korie bought part of it from patriarch Phil.  Their business model may not be for everyone (running a million-dollar empire out of their home, serving home-cooked meals to the employees, afternoon siestas and fishing trips), but they're successfully filling a niche in "hunting country", and for that I applaud them.

Dawn

Sycamore Row by John Grisham

Jake Brigance is back, and I couldn’t be happier. John Grisham’s first novel, A Time to Kill, featured the young lawyer from Clanton, Mississippi. It’s one of my favorite books. Sycamore Row picks up just three years after A Time to Kill. The story of Jake Brigance and his misfit cohorts is just as good.

Seth Hubbard takes his own life right after he writes a new will that cuts out his family, and leaves most of his fortune to his housekeeper. Seth has appointed Jake to be the lawyer for the estate, which throws Jake into a bitter will contest. You might think that a book about a contested will would be boring. This book is anything but.  As in most John Grisham novels, there are more questions than answers. Why did Seth Hubbard leave most of his fortune to his black housekeeper? Why did Seth choose Jake to fight for the new will? What is the awful secret that Seth and his estranged brother kept for over fifty years? What secrets does the housekeeper have?

The desire to discover the answers to these questions is why I kept reading. I wanted to see what happened to Jake Brigance next. Grisham keeps you guessing as he throws curve ball after curve ball. Once you think you have everything figured out, guess again.

If you liked this book, you might like Fall From Grace by Richard North Patterson. 

Carrie

The Archivist by Martha Cooley

An archive – specifically a collection of T. S. Eliot’s letters – is at the heart of this novel. But it is not about what’s in the letters as much as about the fact that they were written to the ‘other woman’ in Eliot’s life. It is about the archivist, Matt, whose wife, Judith, died in a mental hospital, as did Eliot’s wife, Vivienne. It is about love and betrayal and truth and lies, and the motivations behind them.

Roberta Spire is an Eliot scholar and poet who is trying to persuade Matt to give her access to the letters even though they’re sealed until 2020. There is an immediate connection between them – not physical, really – that causes each to reveal thoughts and secrets never shared before.

There are many parallels in The Archivist. Judith and Roberta are both Jewish and poets; the troubled marriages of Matt and Judith and Eliot and Vivienne; the complexity of Eliot’s relationship with Emily Hale and Matt’s with Roberta. There is much interweaving of themes and actions that keep drawing one further in.

I found myself in sympathy with various characters at different times throughout the book and repelled by them at others. This signals to me a depth of character development that is truly masterful. I dove into this book and didn’t come up for air until its totally surprising conclusion.

CAS 

Eliot, T. S. (Thomas Stearns), 1888-1965 -- Correspondence -- Fiction.

Librarians -- Fiction.

Widowers -- Fiction.

Man-woman relationships -- Fiction.

A Curious Man by Neal Thompson

Prior to reading Neal Thompson’s A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe it orNot!” Ripley, my main exposure to “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” came from the TV show of the same name that Jack Palance hosted in the eighties.  I can clearly remember Palance’s dramatic whispers of “believe it or not” after he finished discussing a bizarre fact. What had always been murky for me is who Robert Ripley was and how the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” franchise has continued in one form or another for over ninety years.

“Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” started out as a cartoon before becoming a successful series of books, carnival sideshows, and a radio program. Late in life, Robert Ripley even had a brief run on television during its early days. At different times in his career, Ripley was earning as much as General Motors executives and movie stars. He also became a celebrity known for throwing lavish parties at his palatial estate and, despite his less than handsome looks and sometimes awkward demeanor, for having beautiful girlfriends. Ripley travelled the world for his material, but he also relied on Norbert Pearlroth, an unsung assistant who supplied much of the material for “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” Pearlroth spent most of his time at the New York Public Library searching through stacks of books for odd facts. I kept waiting for a feud to develop between the two men, but Pearlroth was apparently happy to do his research and live in obscurity. Ripley, on the other hand, would attempt publicity stunts such as trying to buy a volcano.

A Curious Man couldn’t be more entertaining. The book is well researched, the writing is stellar, and I challenge anyone to find Robert Ripley’s oversized life a bore.

 John 

The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop and Cafe by Mary Simses

This novel is just as sweet as the title suggests.

Ellen Bradford has a wonderful life in Manhattan. She has a great career as an attorney and has a prominent,politically connected fiance. When asked to fulfill her grandmother's dying wish to deliver a letter to her first love, Chet, Ellen travels to Beacon, Maine assuming this would be a quick trip.

Arriving in this small town where her grandmother grew up, Ellen quickly learns that things are very different here than in the big city. No fax machine or cell hone service for miles. And Chet will not be that easy to find. However, one bright spot is the beautiful scenery. Ellen is an amateur photographer and one day decides to take pictures of the water off of a pier. A pier, by the way, that has a no trespassing sign. A pier that is not all that secure. Suddenly Ellen finds herself in the water fighting a dangerous current, and realizes that she is in major trouble. That is, until a handsome stranger suddenly appears...

From then on, The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop and Cafe becomes a cozy, charming novel. Yes, there are mysteries, secrets, and drama, but overall it is really the story of first love and small town living.

A very pleasant read.

Karen

Read-alike novels: Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series.

Burial Rites: A Novel by Hannah Kent

Based on a true story, Burial Rites is the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, a woman convicted of murdering her employer and another man in Iceland in 1828. With nowhere to house her while waiting to be executed, Agnes is sent to live with a family in a small village.  At first, everyone is afraid and Agnes is completely shunned by the townspeople, except for a minister who visits to help her find her "spiritual path" before she dies. This is when we learn about Agnes's past and how this has affected what has happened in her life.

Now I know this sounds like a terribly sad book (which in a way it is) but the character of Agnes is so interesting and complex that you begin to hope that this poor woman is shown mercy. But of course, the law had a different opinion.

If you enjoy novels that read more like non-fiction and if you like books set in unique time periods and places, then this well-written tale should appeal to you.

Karen

Read-alike author: Annie Proulx