In Home Front, Kristin Hannah explores military females serving in war zones. Joleen, a U.S. Army reservist, has been called to active duty. She leaves behind her family, including her shaky marriage, to fly Black Hawk helicopters in Iraq, and nothing is the same when she gets home.
The Orchard by Theresa Weir tells the story of a street-wise girl who marries into an old and well-respected farm family. Insight is given on farm traditions, the standard use of pesticides, its effect on the land, and dealing with the iron will of a family matriarch.
Poorer Richard’s America: What Would Ben Say?, by Tom Blair, touches on current hot topics like the national deficit, prejudice, Wall Street, the auto industry, religion, and foreign affairs. Blair uses Benjamin Franklin quotes to frame the current political climate for enlightening results.
Neil Diamond’s forty years in music have given us many memorable tunes. The legendary singer-songwriter was one of the Kennedy’s Center’s 2012 honorees, and in 2011 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Any of his CDs will get you humming all day long.
In City Island, Vince has plenty of secrets. His whole family does. His son has a fetish, his daughter moonlights as an exotic dancer, his wife thinks he’s having an affair and all Vince wants is to be an actor. The comedy of ill-communication is magnified in City Island.
Susan Mallery’s Already Home follows a couple who searches for the daughter they gave up for adoption thirty-two years previous. The only problem is that their daughter has a life of her own and plenty of problems without having to deal with her birth parents…especially when one has cancer.
The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives, by Katie Couric, is an inspirational, non-stuffy self help book. Couric is an upbeat journalist, author and special correspondent for ABC News. Lessons from politics, entertainment, sports, the arts, business and philanthropy are covered in this great book.
Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, by Gabrielle Hamilton, is a gripping memoir with an eye-catching cover. It’s the sometimes sordid, sometimes spiritual telling of a life in the food industry. If you like Anthony Bourdain, you’ll probably like Blood, Bones and Butter.
Donna S. of Fiction/AV/Teen Services recommends 97 Orchard by Jane Ziegelman:
97 Orchard was a tenement on the lower east side of Manhattan where German, Irish, Southern Italian and Eastern European immigrant families lived. This is the story of five of the families who lived there from 1863 to 1935. Each family introduced their culture and food to their neighbors. It is through early nineteenth century sharing such as this that we now enjoy foods such as pasta, sauerkraut, challah (egg twist bread), knishes (potato pastry), dandelion and other wild salad greens, olives, beer, sausages, gnocchi (potato pasta), corned beef, pizzarelli and delicatessen. 97 Orchard by Jane Ziegelman is a compelling culinary history about the ethnic origins of many “American” foods.
It doesn’t make any difference if you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, George W. Bush’s memoir, Decision Points, is a NY Times bestseller that makes a compelling read. Bush presents his reasoning for decisions made during his life and presidency while reviewing modern, American history.
