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Book Corner<br />
by Debbi Honorof<br />
August Beach Reads<br />
Guest Reviewers Share Their Summer Reading Picks<br />
No matter how you are reading these days—<br />
Nook, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, tablet, PC, or even a<br />
good-old fashioned book, August is a great time<br />
to catch up on your reading list. August is also the<br />
time when we ask guest reviewers to tell us about<br />
a book they’ve recently read.<br />
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake<br />
by Anna Quindlen<br />
Reviewed by Saralee Rosenberg, author of Dear<br />
Neighbor, Drop Dead<br />
In her long awaited memoir, Anna Quindlen<br />
confesses that husband, Gerry, never forgets the<br />
names of those who dare to pan her books. He<br />
need not worry. Her latest<br />
collection of essays is her<br />
Drowned offers<br />
a bit more<br />
substance from<br />
what is usually<br />
found on the<br />
bestseller list,<br />
something that<br />
will stay with<br />
you long after<br />
summer is over.<br />
most honest and salient,<br />
diving deep into an ocean<br />
of familiar territory with<br />
her signature style – one<br />
half reporter’s eyes, onehalf<br />
mother’s heart. But<br />
Anna Quindlen<br />
it is her candid exploration of the 3 Ps—parenting,<br />
partners and possessions—where she brings the real<br />
treasures to the surface. Once again, readers will<br />
take comfort in her wisdom and in her clarion call.<br />
We are neither crazy nor alone …just privileged to<br />
be on this journey together.<br />
Relax, Gerry. Anna sparkles as<br />
ever. Long may she shine!<br />
Drowned<br />
by Therese Bohman (translated<br />
from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy)<br />
Reviewed by Carol Hoenig, author of Without Grace<br />
Therese Bohman’s Drowned begins like a lazy summer<br />
day, but soon the air grows stagnant, unmoved<br />
with a hint of a storm on the horizon. Like most literary<br />
fiction, this beautifully written novel at first seems<br />
uneventful, a quiet story where there’s little action occurring.<br />
The cast of characters involve sisters Marina<br />
and Stella, and Stella’s older husband, Gabriel, who<br />
is a successful, charismatic writer. When Marina visits<br />
her sister in Sweden’s rural Skane, a place filled with<br />
a variety of flowers, she soon finds herself drawn to<br />
her brother-in-law, whose behavior is both curious<br />
and disturbing. Stella works in the parks and gar-<br />
10August 2012<br />
den department in town and eagerly shares her<br />
knowledge with Marina about the flowers under<br />
her care. It seems that this is a self-imposed distraction<br />
that keeps her from acknowledging what<br />
is happening at home, but just what is happening<br />
at home It’s all under the surface, with hints<br />
along the way, hints that are reminiscent of a psychological<br />
thriller. My only pet peeve is the continuous<br />
smiling of the characters, a device that I<br />
consider lacking in creativity when showing someone’s<br />
reaction. However, that complaint is minor<br />
since I admit that I was stunned by the disquieting<br />
ending. Drowned offers a bit more substance<br />
from what is usually found on the best-seller list,<br />
something that will stay with you long after summer<br />
is over.<br />
In One Person<br />
by John Irving<br />
Reviewed by Marshall Honorof, professional science<br />
writer and freelance journalist<br />
Best known for unconventional, emotional titles<br />
like The Cider House Rules and The World According to Garp, John Irving<br />
delivers one of his most unusual and intriguing books yet with In One Person.<br />
The story centers on William Abbott, a young man who discovers his bisexual<br />
identity while growing up in a Vermont prep school. Part high school<br />
tribulations, part coming of age story, and part AIDS-related melodrama (as<br />
William grows up), In One Person is hard to categorize.<br />
Like its protagonist, the sometimes-comic novel is full<br />
of contradictions. The plot can feel aimless, and the<br />
characters are absurd (maudlin sexual tragedy trumps<br />
realism in most scenes), but the strength of Irving’s<br />
writing makes it hard to put down. If you’re searching<br />
for a “fun” read, keep searching, but In One Person<br />
is perfect for a summer day that demands a bit of a<br />
challenge.<br />
The Lion Is In<br />
by Delia Ephron<br />
Reviewed by Ellen Meister, author of The Other Life<br />
Delia Ephron’s The Lion Is In sneaked up on me. The<br />
movie-poster cover and plot-rich opening chapters<br />
suggested a light, fun ride. But as the story progressed,<br />
the characters took on depth and layers, and this fast,<br />
funny and charming novel became a psychologically<br />
rich story about friendship and love, touching on everything<br />
from recovery to self-discovery, and what it<br />
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