I was vaguely aware of Ian Garten when given this book as a present so read it mainly out of curiosity. I ended up charging through this easy to read I was vaguely aware of Ian Garten when given this book as a present so read it mainly out of curiosity. I ended up charging through this easy to read memoir about a woman who met her life partner as an unfocused teenager and, with his support, turned a love of cooking and entertaining into a cookbook empire. Both Garten and her husband had successful post-university careers as high ranking government officials until she spotted an ad for a deli/bakery in the Hamptons called Barefoot Contessa. She bought it, worked day and night that first summer, and realized this was the life she wanted. Convincing her husband took time, a trial separation, and counselling but they made it work and Garten succesfully pivoted from her stores and catering to producing a series of successful cook books and a TV series. Her insights into personal relationships, negotiating and knowing when to trust your instincts could apply to any career path. Plus, the book has recipes! ...more
This deceptively charming book is the story of a group of seniors鈥攁nd seniors-in-waiting鈥攚ho decide to downsize, custom renovate a home backing onto aThis deceptively charming book is the story of a group of seniors鈥攁nd seniors-in-waiting鈥攚ho decide to downsize, custom renovate a home backing onto a ravine in Toronto, and become a co-housing community. They share cooking duties (the book also contains recipes), argue, entertain and even endure a member's death. They adapt to Covid restrictions, welcome new members (some temporary) but always provide support for each other. It's a bit of a Utopian view of aging but one that may become more commonplace as Boomers age and seek out alternatives to commercial retirement communities. ...more
Around the same time that Her Majesty notices a favourite painting missing from Buckingham Palace, the body of a long-time servant is found under mystAround the same time that Her Majesty notices a favourite painting missing from Buckingham Palace, the body of a long-time servant is found under mysterious circumstances on the deck of the Palace pool. Could the two events be linked? Once again the amateur detective Queen makes careful inquiries of her staff to lead them on their investigations. In this case they uncover a long-disused tunnel under the palace that might provide a means to smuggle art and sundry items from Buck House. But who benefits from the scheme and is there a connection to the threatening notes left for female members of the Queen's staff, including her stalwart assistant private secretary Rosie Oshodi. Although a lot of loose ends are tied up rather hastily at the end of the book, Bennett's writing is still a delightful portrayal of an aging but still sharp monarch with a soft side she only shows in private....more
Weary Belfast detective Sean Duffy is ready for a new peaceful chapter in his life. He's arranged for him, his partner and their young daughter to leaWeary Belfast detective Sean Duffy is ready for a new peaceful chapter in his life. He's arranged for him, his partner and their young daughter to leave the tumult of Northern Ireland for a new position and home in Scotland. But first he has one more case to solve鈥攖he disappearance of a teenage Traveler girl. Joined by the colleagues he'll soon leave behind, Duffy leaves no stone unturned after narrowing the list of suspects to several men while still dealing with the increasingly desperate pleas from an informant who now fears for his life. That means Duffy's life is in danger too. Will he solve his 'last case' and still survive to create the peaceful life waiting for him across the channel? In his spare, distinctive prose McKinty keeps the reader guessing until the final chapter....more
When a bag containing a human hand washes ashore near Sandringham Castle, it raises more than the usual alarm鈥攖he Queen recognizes the distinctive sigWhen a bag containing a human hand washes ashore near Sandringham Castle, it raises more than the usual alarm鈥攖he Queen recognizes the distinctive signet ring on one of the fingers. It belonged to a cousin, yet the body of the unconventional royal relative is no where to be found. By posing carefully asked questions to her trusty personal assistant Rozie, the Queen and the local authorities begin to piece together a link between the hand, a second body and a critically injured neighbour struck by a car. Once again Bennett crafts an enjoyable mystery that also raises serious issues about the secrets we keep while also casting Her Majesty as the calm centre of a constantly evolving universe of courtiers, household staff and estate neighbours. Solving crimes in between walking the Corgis and managing her husband's irrascible nature seems second nature to the Queen. ...more
Presented as a reimagining of Little Women, I found the only similarity in Hello Beautiful to be the four tight-knit sisters whose lives and interconnPresented as a reimagining of Little Women, I found the only similarity in Hello Beautiful to be the four tight-knit sisters whose lives and interconnection the book explores. The Padavano sisters take turns comparing themselves to the characters in Louisa May Alcott's novel but the character that emerges as the pivotal one is William Waters, an unloved, basketball playing freshman who falls for eldest sister Julia Padavano and is promptly swept up into the family he always wanted. But William's desire to please Julia is eventually overcome by deep wounds inflicted by his childhood leading to rifts between and among the sisters whose sometimes boisterous individualities threaten but never completely overtake their deep bonds forged in their childhood. Napolitano writes beautifully, especially when describing the process of working through grief and while I never figured out which Little Women roles the Padavano sisters played, I wanted to find out whether the challenges thrown their way would resolve themselves. ...more
Steve Millburn is a new father, an early morning radio host and prone to falling asleep at most inopportune times鈥攍ike on air during his show. Real liSteve Millburn is a new father, an early morning radio host and prone to falling asleep at most inopportune times鈥攍ike on air during his show. Real life CBC Victoria morning radio host Gregor Craigie's first novel is firmly grounded in Victoria (he place name drops almost obsessively) and presents a realistic view of sleep-deprived parents struggling with a newborn. But I would have liked to see Steve's challenges at work (he wants to focus on the plight of homeless people; his almost comically right-of-centre boss wants that issue toned down) have higher stakes and peak a bit sooner. Craigie is a skilled writer and he depicts life at a radio station vividly but a lot of action happens in that small studio and I found that made the book a bit claustrophobic. Craigie did write this book while raising kids and pulling down the early morning shift so hat's off to him for that. Given how the books ends, he may have a sequel in the works that allows Steve to be a bit more free-range....more
After a friend attended a retreat in South Africa to support Linda Tucker's initiative, he loaned me this book about her quest to save the country's wAfter a friend attended a retreat in South Africa to support Linda Tucker's initiative, he loaned me this book about her quest to save the country's white lions鈥攁s much as a spiritual as ecological venture for her. Tucker recounts how, while on safari and finding herself surrounded by a pride of lions, an African woman walked through the animals' midst and led the group to safety. Later Tucker tracked the woman down. She proclaimed Tucker to be the Keeper of the White Lions and trained her to be a shaman, prompting Tucker's quest to rescue white lions believed to be sacred and establish them in a sanctuary. Whether you believe Tucker can communicate telepathically with the lions or create a protective 'force field' around them, her story is inspirational and offers an interesting look at the deeply held trophy hunting beliefs of Afrikaaners and how zoos' can harm rather than help conservation efforts. Tucker invested her life's savings and many years of work into her mission. She proved worthy of her bestowed title. ...more
In 1960 Ken Dryden was one of 35 students admitted to an "advanced" class at Etobicoke Collegiate in Toronto. They stayed together for four years. In In 1960 Ken Dryden was one of 35 students admitted to an "advanced" class at Etobicoke Collegiate in Toronto. They stayed together for four years. In his 70s the former Montreal Canadiens goaltender, MP, cabinet minister and author decided to track down the members of "The Class" to see how their lives turned out. The result is a look at Canada in microcosm, albeit a sample that is mainly white and middle class, as they navigated their country's big issues as well as adapted to a changing societal landscape. Virtually all of them went to university and got married. Some continued the interests displayed at Etobicoke Collegiate throughout their professional lives (unbeknownst to me while working there, I knew one who converted his lifelong fascination with snakes into a research position at the University of Victoria). While one of the most recognized members of The Class, Dryden devotes equal time to all his classmates. The Class is as much a look at the Canadian landscape as it is a memoir at a time when baby boomers begin to ponder their mortality and their place in this world....more
After a break of many years from Anne Tyler's prose that focuses on the big issues involving the everyday lives of families I picked up A Spool of BluAfter a break of many years from Anne Tyler's prose that focuses on the big issues involving the everyday lives of families I picked up A Spool of Blue Thread and was glad I did. What starts as a story about a middle-aged couple with grown children and the inevitable conflicts and joy that entails, becomes an engrossing tale of lingering resentments, kept secrets and relationship power plays with unhappy results. In the case of the Whitshank family the focal point is a Baltimore house that both grounds and divides them throughout three generations鈥攁nd possibly beyond. A seemingly tidy home does not produce tidy lives and Tyler expertly and deceptively simply tells their entwining stories in vivid, sometimes heart-breaking prose that turns day-to-day lives into a page turning novel....more
I mistakenly thought this might be a lighter, celebrity autobiography to read over the holidays. Instead Matthew Perry writes unflinchingly about his I mistakenly thought this might be a lighter, celebrity autobiography to read over the holidays. Instead Matthew Perry writes unflinchingly about his nearly life-long struggles with addiction and feeling he wasn't worthy of any of the fame, attention and happiness he experienced. Yes, there are behind-the-scenes stories from the sets of his movies and TV series but mostly it's about his conflicted relationships with his parents and step-father鈥攚ho he eventually thanks for supporting him through his many attempts at recovery. He discusses going to real estate open houses to rifle through the absent owners' medicine cabinets to replenish his drug supply when doctors try to limit him. He confesses to hiding drugs when he's supposed to be in recovery and lying to his caring father about it. But the most crushing aspect is while the book ends on a high note, with Perry declaring himself finally free of all his addictions鈥攁lcohol, drugs and cigarettes鈥攁 relapse within the year eventually kills him....more
After reading this book I'll never look at out-of-season produce the same way again. From pond ice packed in straw to behemoth double-door stainless sAfter reading this book I'll never look at out-of-season produce the same way again. From pond ice packed in straw to behemoth double-door stainless steel refrigerators that dominate suburban kitchens, Twilley expertly and engagingly describes how the quest to refrigerate and freeze food has changed the history of countries and completely re-shaped diets鈥攆or better and worse. The ability to ship meat to the UK decimated sheep farming in Britain allowing its overgrazed grassland to revert to natural vegetation. Irish tenant farmers left their country and those who stayed behind blamed their situation on the British, increasing support for Irish nationalism. Decades later, the advent of refrigerated air freight made it possible to ship "junk fish" tuna from the US eastern seaboard to Japan for use in sushi, which itself soon gained an international following. Bananas, once expensive and rare, became commonplace in America in just a few years due to refrigeration. I learned that the filleted Alaskan salmon that I served recently at a Canadian west coast dinner party had likely already been to China and since filleting there was cheaper鈥攁 feat made possible by refrigeration. And those big fridges? Our deep desire to preserve food actually results in more waste as so much food gets pushed to the back of the fridge and the bottom of the freezer that it looses nutrients, is forgotten and is ultimately thrown out....more
When a former MP is shot and a former Edinburgh crime boss survives a near miss, DI Siobhan Clarke wonders if there's a link. Complicating matters is When a former MP is shot and a former Edinburgh crime boss survives a near miss, DI Siobhan Clarke wonders if there's a link. Complicating matters is the threatening presence of Glasgow gangsters on the hunt for missing goods and a missing man. Who better to help his former colleagues than retired cop John Rebus. Using his former contacts, Rebus starts connecting the dots which lead to a former home for wayward boys and the high-powered men who wanted their visits kept secret. Is the shooter a survivor bent on revenge? And is there a connection between the murders, the shooting of the son of a Glaswegian crime boss, and a team of undercover cops? In one of his most satisfying novels, Rankin expertly weaves the various crimes and characters together, and aided by Rebus' more moderate approach鈥攂efitting a retired cop now drinking and smoking a bit less鈥攁rrives at a satisfying conclusion....more
On the cover of The Postcard it says "a novel" but throughout this poignant book I found it difficult to separate fact from fiction as some of the manOn the cover of The Postcard it says "a novel" but throughout this poignant book I found it difficult to separate fact from fiction as some of the many names that pop up in its pages also appear in the author's biography. Whether fact or fiction this is an important book to read when anti-Semetic action is on the rise. In 2003 a postcard arrives in the Berest family home. On the back is nothing but the names of the recipients' great grandparents and their children Jacques and No茅mie鈥攁ll of whom died in Nazi concentration camps. Their sister, Berest's maternal grandmother, survived and The Postcard is about Berest's search, aided by her mother, to learn the circumstances of her relatives' deaths and the identity of who mailed the post card. It's a sprawling story that involves her ancestors' travels to Russia, Lithuania, Palestine and France. Her descriptions of the slow but methodical constrictions imposed on French Jews are heartbreaking鈥攁ll the more so for the optimism the citizens express to others who flee the country. Berest doesn't dwell on the details of violence of war and oppression. The acts are recounted by survivors who then try to move on. The mystery is not solved with a bang but with a whimper, yet is devastating in its outcome. ...more
In 2016 a fire with a strength beyond anyone's expectations engulfed the northern Alberta town of Fort McMurray. Nearly 100,000 people were evacuated In 2016 a fire with a strength beyond anyone's expectations engulfed the northern Alberta town of Fort McMurray. Nearly 100,000 people were evacuated and despite the heroic efforts of desperate and exhausted fire fighters individual houses were consumed in five minutes, extreme heat vaporized the contents and the fire burned for 15 months. When describing the early response to the fire, Fire Weather reads like a thriller, following first responders working under conditions more like a battlefield than a natural disaster. Vaillant's exhaustively researched book presents the argument that the power of "the Beast" should not have been a surprise based on the conditions that preceded it鈥攔ecord temperatures, low humidity and a surrounding forest primed to burn. Vaillant's vivid writing is a concise primer about Canadian resource development from the early days of contact to the conditions that created the vast tar sands of Fort Mac. At a pivotal moment in 1984 the petroleum industry, after its own self-examination and understanding of its role in hastening global warming, decided to disband its CO2 and Climate Task Force. The world is now seeing fires where there aren't even trees (Greenland) as climate change continues to create incendiary conditions. Vaillant offers hope in Earth's undeniable ability to regenerate, even under apocalyptic conditions, while fires like those that consumed Fort McMurray become the norm rather than the exception....more
Clover is no stranger to death, after witnessing a teacher drop dead in class and losing both parents to a car accident. She is raised by her beloved Clover is no stranger to death, after witnessing a teacher drop dead in class and losing both parents to a car accident. She is raised by her beloved grandfather but after he dies while she's traveling, Clover decides to become a death doula. In easing clients' passage from life she helps them where she couldn't help her grandfather. But while she's highly skilled at assisting people leave their lives, Clover isn't successful at embracing hers. In her mid-30s she doesn't have a real friend, has never had a romantic attachment and creates a fantasy life for the New York neighbours she spies on. This all changes when she's befriended by a free-spirited woman in her building and takes on an engaged but dying senior at the request of her attractive grandson. I like how Brammer gradually forces Clover to breach the emotional walls she's constructed for herself and doesn't lead her into the romance she might be expecting but I did have trouble fulling believing that a woman so skilled in navigating other people's feelings at the time of death had so successfully shut down her own emotions. ...more
With the Covid pandemic increasing fear across America, Lucy Barton's ex-husband William suggests they leave New York City and isolate together in a hWith the Covid pandemic increasing fear across America, Lucy Barton's ex-husband William suggests they leave New York City and isolate together in a house owned by a friend near a Maine village. Lucy is still mourning her late second husband but somehow William and Lucy develop a new relationship based on forced togetherness. I'd only ever read "Olive Kitteridge" so was not aware of how Strout has created an entire literary universe of interacting characters from previous books. Her spare, sometimes plainspoken language does skillfully uncover a multitude of emotions in her characters but ultimately l I found this book depressing. It brought back memories of the early months of the lock down, the panic, confusion, fear of contagion and many, many deaths in places like New York. The unease brought on by the pandemic extended to the book as I felt some of the characters, like William, were using the situation to reassert some control over those around him. But I guess I'll have to wait until Strout writes another book to find out if that's true. ...more
Retired widower Major Pettigrew lives in an orderly cottage in a village in southern England that is only just beginning to feel the pressures of modeRetired widower Major Pettigrew lives in an orderly cottage in a village in southern England that is only just beginning to feel the pressures of modern change鈥攄evelopers are moving in, environmental concerns are being raised and the village shopkeeper is a Pakistani widow. Slowly the Major and Mrs. Ali develop a friendship which is not entirely acceptable to some of the Major's golfing and shooting friends and members of Mrs. Ash's tradition-bound family. When the Major's brother dies, the long-simmering issue of reuniting two heirloom family rifles threatens the harmony of the Pettigrew family, which includes the Major's ambitious, London-dwelling son. Simonson writes a delightful and heartfelt story of later-in-life love, the bonds of family and friendship, and the need to accept change in precise, crisp language that would win the approval of the Major while introducing readers to the sometimes eccentric but always entertaining members of his close-knit village....more
Frances "Frankie" McGrath is raised as a good Catholic school girl in an affluent section of San Diego just as the United States is about to undergo aFrances "Frankie" McGrath is raised as a good Catholic school girl in an affluent section of San Diego just as the United States is about to undergo a seismic cultural and political shift. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, Frankie decides to put her rudimentary nurse's training to use there too. She immediately descends into the hell hole that is camp and field hospitals in Vietnam. Supported by her fellow nurses, hers is a trial by fire which Hannah describes in vivid detail. Frankie endures death, dismemberment, and exhaustion but also acts of kindness that rock her privileged upbringing. But the war is not over for her. When she finally returns home she is spat upon, and finds her military experience unacknowledged in civilian hospitals. She is also suffering from PTSD. This is not literature by any means but Hannah tells a good story that keeps you engaged and wondering if Frankie will ever really re-connect with her family, her country and the men she thought she left behind in Vietnam and whether the women who served in Vietnam will ever get the recognition they deserve....more
Loading...
