THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN (06/16/2013)

                              


Hallie Ephron is an author and an award winning book reviewer for the Boston Globe. Her new novel There Was an Old Woman is a story of trust, betrayal, deception and madness...something for everyone.


K. E. posted this review on Goodreads:

While the cover leads you to believe it will be scarier than it is, the novel is actually a thoughtful piece about two daughters dealing with their mother's illness and death. All the while the sub-plot is about the mystery of why their mother's neighborhood has become so decrepit so quickly.

The story also focuses on the historical preservation of artifacts from fires in NYC, so the plot has a lot going on at once. The neighbor of the ill woman, Mina, is a wonderful representation of the feisty old lady. You like her and feel so badly for her as you realize she is being seriously manipulated long before she does.

 I am always amazed at how life spins you in circles so that you have to come in contact with the past you cannot evade, no matter how much you try. This story has the same message for both the young and old.  

While this is not high art, it was a delightful read - I polished it off in three days. The style is comfortable, the pacing good, and the messages strong.

My Thoughts:
I've read several of Hallie Ephron's books and have found them to be well written, fast paced and always engaging. If you're looking for a summer read, try There Was an Old Woman. You'll be caught up immediately.
 
For More Information:
www.goodreads.com
http://hallieephron.com/

SINK YOUR TEETH INTO IT (06/15/2013)

Did you read American Rust by Philipp Meyer? If not, you should. A debut novel in 2009, it was a comprelling read, well drawn characters and a story about a murder fallout that you won't forget. 

Reviewers claim The Son, a new book by Philipp Meyer is a saga as harrowing and exciting as his first book. A blog reader commented "It's a real sink your teeth into novel."

                       

Here's a Kirkus Review quote:
"The acclaimed author of "American Rust," returns with an epic, multigenerational saga of power, blood, and land that follows the rise of one unforgettable Texas family from the Comanche raids of the 1800s, to the border raids of the early 1900s. to the oil booms of the 20th century.

Part epic of Texas, part classic coming-of-age story, part unflinching portrait of the bloody price of power, The Son is an utterly transporting novel that maps the legacy of violence in the American West through the lives of the McCulloughs, an ambitious family as resilient and dangerous as the land they claim."
Kirkus Reviews

For More Information:
www.kirkusreviews.com
http://www.philippmeyer.net/
To Order Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar.

INDECISION IS FOR THE BIRDS (06/12/2013)

   

I can't decide what to read next. My book group selected When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams... or should I succumb to two intriguing reads reviewed in the New York Times this week?





The  SundayTimes reviewed The Slippage by Ben Greenman and it really appealed to me.

Here's a blurb:
William's slippage begins when he sleeps with a married woman and punches his boss in the nose.

The reviewer calls the prose "fluid and commanding" and "The Slippage lands in John Cheever territory." Very enticing, indeed!

Read the New York Times Review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/books/review/the-slippage-by-ben-greenman.html?ref=books&_r=0


A second review that caught my attention was A Dual Inheritance by Joanna Hershon. I loved Rules of Civility by Amor Towles and reviewers are drawing a comparison.

A Duel Inheritance is a huge sweeping novel with the characters followed through decades starting at Harvard and moving towards Wall Street and lots in between.

Joanna Hershon is the author of several well received novels including the best seller A German Bride.

It sounds like an engrossing summer read..If you love size and substance this is a good choice.

Here's more information:
http://www.joannahershon.com/a-dual-inheritance/


Reality has kicked in and I'll start the book group selection before I get into anything else. I'll try to sound reasonably intelligent at the meeting and not just focus on the food! 

When Women Were Birds is a kind of memoir, unusual format and beautifully told. The author Terry Tempest Williams wrote this book at age 54, the age her mother was when she died. It was prompted by a single statement: "I'm leaving you my journals- but don't read them until after I'm gone"

Enter the title in the Search Box at the top of the blog and you'll be directed to more info about When Women Were Birds.

Or click on the link below:

http://www.themillions.com/2013/03/staff-pick-terry-tempest-williamss-when-women-were-birds.html

SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY (06/08/2013)

There’s something about June. After Memorial Day you can’t help thinking about long days at the beach or sitting by a pool. And what is the most necessary of summer accessories besides a Martini? Without question, it's a good book.

Here's a few book suggestions for summer reads from some trustworthy bloggers. And be sure to check out their blogs..but only after you read mine!





THE LAVENDAR GARDEN BY LUCINDA RILEY

There is much to love about this book, with its focus on the French Resistance and the tough women of the SEO; the depth of its characters and its Gothic elements; its old château and its library. Do you like historical novels set in France during World War II? This book is a must. 
Emma Cazabonne, Words and Peace


INSTRUCTIONS FOR A HEATWAVE BY MAGGIE O'FARRELL

After Gretta Riordan realizes that her husband of forty years has disappeared, wiping out their bank account in the process, her three grown children return home for the first time in years. This reunion awakens a history of bitterness and betrayal, revealing a family rich with issues. In examining the situations that forced this family apart, O’Farrell portrays an insightful examination of the bonds of family, flaws and all.
Jenn Lawrence, Jenn's Bookshelves


ANTONIA LIVELY BREAKS THE SILENCE BY DAVID SAMUEL LEVINSON

Levinson's writing is a dream—lush, cunning, and full of finely crafted characters and carefully placed plot twists that go off like bombs. Whom to root for, who you think is crazy, and what really happened are elusive ideas that shift by the moment in this gripping thriller focused on the literary life.
Nicole Bonía, Linus’s Blanket

COMMENTS FROM BLOG READERS (06/02/2013)

                       

I love to hear from blog readers...I mean people are actually reading this blog..all 25,400.......

Anyway, back to reality.... here's a few comments from readers;


Hi Joyce - I am just finishing The Burgess Boys - Elizabeth Strout. It is wonderful - I do not want it to end! It does not disappoint in any way, well written, beautifully developed characters and timely, thought provoking topic! Enjoy. Kathy



Have you read Where'd you Go, Bernadette? Clever and funny and light yet I wouldn't exactly call it a beach read. Quirky, well developed characters and a plot that, while seemingly absurd, comes together quite well in the end. Susan M.



I’m starting to skip through parts of the Philbrick book. It’s not that I don’t like it, but so far, it’s too much information (Yes, even too much historical information for ME!). Anyway, I love that it’s about Boston with all the references to the way life was back then. Based on my progress (skipping), I’ll be finished faster than I think. Full review to follow.  Gary S. reviews non-fiction and history on this blog.








Please leave a comment at the foot of this post or send me an email. I am eager to hear what you're reading, what your Book Group is reading and any recommendations you may have.

SOON IN JUNE (05/30/2013)

                        


Are you wondering what books are coming out in June? Looking for some summer reads? Bookreporter.com published a list of soon to be released titles. These books can all be pre-ordered directly from this blog by clicking on the  Amazon Search Box in the Side bar. Check out Bookreporter's latest updates....





             

                         
Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

The Carmichaels and the Grahams have gathered on Nantucket for a wedding. Plans are being made according to the wishes of the bride's late mother, who left behind The Notebook: specific instructions for every detail of her youngest daughter's future nuptials. Everything should be falling into place for the beautiful event --- but in reality, things are far from perfect.


On the Floor by Aifric Campbell

It has been 182 days of vodka and insomnia since Geri Molloy got dumped. But it is the autumn of 1991, and war in the Middle East is about to shake up the markets, and maybe also force Geri out of her malaise. Her firm’s biggest client, Felix Mann, an eccentric hedge fund manager in Hong Kong, will only talk to Geri. When she finds herself caught up in a high-stakes takeover, Felix is game for the power play, but his price tag is Geri’s future.


The 9th Girl by Tami Hoag

The ninth unidentified body to turn up in Minneapolis in 2012 is nicknamed Jane Doe 9. Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska take on the case and discover a shocking fact: This victim has been found without any identifiable characteristics, except for those that peg her as an adolescent girl. Before the investigation is through, the case will take the two detectives deep into the life and death of a teenage girl who wanted nothing more than to be “normal.”



FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.bookreporter.com



 

HISTORY BUFF ALERT (05/28/2013)

Have you been waiting for a really good, sink your teeth into Historical read? Nathaniel Philbrick once again gives the history buff a throughly researched, driving narrative about the Battle of Boston titled Bunker Hill.


Here's what Jean-Paul Adriaansen on Goodreads said:

What a masterful account! Philbrick gives us a very detailed and honest account of what really happened before, during, and after the Battle of Bunker Hill.

He brings this story without the usual patriotic brouhaha but he shows all the participants as human beings, sometimes heroic and glorious, sometimes greedy and petty. Witness how some discontent evolves in a full revolution; witness how George Washington grew to be the General as we know him; witness the dilemma for rebels, loyalists, and British officers alike in those civil-war-like circumstances.
History at its best!

    

For More Information:
www.nathanielphilbrick.com

To Order:
Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar

IT'S FINALLY HERE! (05/22/2013)

It's been six years since the publication of Khaled Hosseini's bestselling second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns and I've been eagerly awaiting his latest novel, And The Mountains Echoed. 

Hosseini has said that his new book focuses more on the relationship between siblings rather than tales of fatherhood and motherhood. This is true but it also differs from his previous novels in other ways. (The Kiterunner)

This is an epic multi-generational family saga starting in the 1950s with a variety of settings - from Afghanistan to France, from Greece to the United States. Siblings Pari and Abdullah are devoted to each other but their paths take different directions early on in their lives.

Hosseini uses his skill as a captivating storyteller to weave a complicated pattern of family stories which take off quickly. The narrative is complex, flitting between eras, characters and locations but Hosseini is always firmly in control, pulling the strings and helping the reader move along.

Readers and critics have said it may not be as dynamic as his previous novels, but And the Mountains Echoed has been labeled a "master work by a master storyteller." (Sounds pretty dynamic...) 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://khaledhosseini.com/
TO ORDER:
Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar

YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY... (05/18/2013)

WARNING:
Reading this book may be dangerous to your health!

Salt, Sugar, Fat written by New York Times investigative reporter, Michael Moss shows the serious downside to the convenience of ready-made processed food found in your local supermarket. And by the way, Moss is the guy who brought "pink slime" to the public conciousness. (Remember that controversial beef product?)

Gary S, reviews nonfiction on this blog. He's in great shape, exercises and is not a food junkie. So why did he read this book?
See his comments below....     


I just started reading Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss. I think it’s on the New York Times best seller list. Since my spouse and I are trying to eat healthier—and cut out salty snacks and sugar, I thought it would be an interesting read—and it is.

In my opinion, the big food processing companies operate similarly to the tobacco companies, by doing extensive research to understand how to ‘hook’ the consumer to eat more of their products. Unfortunately these products are unhealthy and contribute to obesity.

Salt, Sugar, Fat is very detailed—and in my opinion, too detailed. I don’t think I can finish it. I'm pretty sure Frontline on PBS could cover all the major points in one or two episodes. Oh well....


WE LOVE OUR CHIPS!!
Many readers were shocked that food corporations have cheated and duped consumers out of a healthier life for so many years. Yes, it's an extremely detailed tome, but for those searching for a healthier way of life, it's a rude awakening.(No guarantee it will make a difference though....)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://michaelmossbooks.com/

TO ORDER CLICK ON THE AMAZON SEARCH BOX IN THE SIDEBAR..

DO WE REALLY NEED SELF HELP? (05/15/2013)

Once again the West Hartford Book Group has read a controversial novel titled How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Moshin Hamid.

This is an unusual book that parodies business self-help books as it follows a young man in an unnamed Asian metropolis. Written in the second person, the book describes a rag to riches climb in business and social status. (And lots of other stuff along the way)

The reviews have been intriguing although some readers found the writing style "off-putting."  Below are comments from Janet, a member of the West Hartford Book Group.


How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Moshim Hamid

What can we say about an author who declares that he's writing a self-help book and then warns the reader to be wary of such books?

Or who, under the guise of instructing someone (the nameless "you") in the art of getting filthy rich, slyly and contemptuously reveals the endemic corruption, poverty and misery in the unnamed city that we're in? Or who ultimately and unexpectedly gets sentimental and provides a (sort of) happy ending?

Well, he's Moshin Hamid who beguiled us with "The Reluctant Fundamentalist". Here, he uses his prodigious talents to bring attention to the seismic changes transforming modern Asia while prodding us to think about the personal cost of getting filthy rich in such an environment.
Janet


Bev G., another member of the group didn't say if it was well received, but judging from the many reviews I've read, it sounds like a thought provoking romp in an original format. I've added it to my much too long To Be Read list.

     

MOSHHIM HAMID WON THE BOOKER PRIZE FOR THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST

                              
                           FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.moshimhamid.com
To order directly, click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar.
                          

ONE TO WATCH (05/11/2013)

Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttellin will be released on May 21st to resounding reviews.

From twenty five year old rising literary star Abigail Tarttelin comes a compelling novel about a boy, a secret, and the single traumatizing event that sends his seemingly wonderful life into a tailspin....

Goodreads wrote the following:

Max Walker is a golden boy. Attractive, intelligent, and athletic, he’s the perfect son, the perfect friend. He’s even really nice to his little brother, Daniel, a decidedly imperfect ten-year-old.

Karen Walker is a beautiful, highly successful criminal lawyer, who works hard to maintain the facade of effortless excellence she has constructed over the years. Now that the boys are getting older, now that she won’t have as much control, she worries that the facade might soon begin to crumble.

Steve Walker is also a successful prosecutor, so much so that he is running for election to Parliament. The spotlight of the media is about to encircle their lives.

But the Walkers have a secret. Max was born with forty-six XX chromosomes and forty-six XY chromosomes, which makes him intersex. He identifies as a boy and so has been raised lovingly that way.........until...


WHY IS IT ONE TO WATCH?

Reviewers have labeled Golden Boy a remarkable tale of a family in crisis, a gripping heartfelt portrait told with compassion and
understanding and a little joy added to the mix...Sounds like a winning combination..


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.abigailtarttelin.com

Golden Boy can be pre-ordered from Amazon by using the Amazon Search Box on the Sidebar.

BEHIND THE BASELINE (05/08/2013)

I've played tennis all my life and love the game. Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, Bjorn Borg, are a few of the athletes I've seen play and admired their focus and skill.
 
Their private lives and how they functioned are another story...and now Jimmy Connors, the original "bad boy of tennis" has written a tell all memoir titled The Outsider. It's an extraordinary read...especially the mother references...Even if you're not into tennis, Connors is a personality worth reading about.

 

Here's a portion of a review by Neil Amdur of The New York Times...

...Jimmy Connors has finally decided to let the real world into the sanctuary he created on and off a tennis court. “The Outsider,” an autobiography to be published by HarperCollins on May 14, is an engrossing five-setter on clay, with intense exchanges and no tiebreakers.

....“The way I played tennis was very frequently selfish,” he writes

He also borrows liberally from his overly protective mother, Gloria Connors, and a loving grandmother, Brenda Thompson, whom he called Two-Mom and who repeatedly told him, “You can get away

with anything if you win." 

......Like the individualists Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Pete Rose and Chuck Berry, Connors was authentic. The book reflects that swagger, as do the lyrics to a classic Berry tune, “Johnny B. Goode.”

PRE-ORDER THE OUTSIDER ON AMAZON.COM. CLICK ON THE
AMAZON SEARCH BOX IN THE SIDEBAR.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.jimmyconnors.net

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/youthful-passion-left-chris-evert-pregnant-jimmy-connors-love-child-article-1.1332476

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/magazine/30Connors-t.html?_r=0

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON (05/07/2013)

Did you know that Stephen King has a son who writes weird and spine-tingling suspense novels? 

I have to admit I had no idea that author Joe Hill was Stephen King's son...nor did I care. His books are reminiscent of his Dad and equally as terrifying. The new novel, described below will be a riviting read and without a doubt as sucessful as any Stephen King tome..I'm a sporadic Stephen King reader, but fans of this genre will be thrilled...literally. 

 

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

"Charles Talent Manx likes to take children for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing --- and terrifying --- playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.” Victoria McQueen, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up now and desperate to forget. But Manx is on the road again and has picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son."


MORE INFORMATION:

www.joehillfiction.com
www.bookreporter.com
www.stephenking.com

NOS4A2 can be ordered directly from the Amazon Search Box on the Sidebar.

DISCLAIMER FROM A REVIEWER:
"Don't read before bedtime...it wil either disturb your sleep or you'll keep reading it all night..." (Joe Hartlaub)

CAN YOU TELL A BOOK BY ITS COVER? (05/04/2013)

 

I was first attracted to this novel because of the unique cover art..but you know the tired but often true saying.."You can't tell a book by its cover." I anticipated a story of "love, family and motherhood" that was sure to be either too painful, a tearjerker or just plain mush...but according to my college friend Nancy B. it's none of the aforementioned....quite the opposite.

Nancy B. wrote:

I'm loving Jennifer Gilmore's new novel, "The Mothers". Her third published work is about a young childless couple going through the painful and convoluted path of the open adoption process.

There is both poignancy and humor in this new novel which is very different from Gilmore's other two works of fiction, "Golden Country" and "Something Red" both of which were on the NY Times list of notable books...

Also you can catch an interesting conversation online between Jennifer Gilmore and Meg Wolitzer. Wolitzer's book, The Interestings is next on my list.


MORE INFORMATION:

Conversation Between Meg Wolitzer and Jennifer Gilmore:
http://therumpus.net/2013/04/the-rumpus-conversation-between-jennifer-gilmore-and-meg-wolitzer/
www.jennifergilmore.com

                               
BOOK ALERT.............
In an earlier post I mentioned The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer.  I am halfway through and finding it a totally absorbing read...great characters, ironic and witty banter and a detailed storyline..Can't wait to get back to it....

Scroll down to find the review or enter the title in the Search Box at the top of the blog. 

WHAT'S TRENDING ON JOYCE'S CHOICES?

BLOG BUSINESS

Click on Look What's Trending at the top of the blog located on the Navigation Bar. You'll find new titles ready to debut momentarily. There's some familiar authors who have had success and some, not so much.

Amazon is still available directly from this blog. Just use the handy Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar. You can order books and anything else that Amazon provides.

Please feel free to leave comments after any post. I really want to know what you think...well, sort of...I cry easily!

ROSE TREMAIN MAKES HISTORY (05/01/2013)

Get ready to laugh, prepare to weep—Robert Merivel is back in Rose Tremain’s magical sequel to Restoration, so says Bookreporter.com. 

Rose Tremain's new book titled Merivel, A Man of His Time debuted this month. It's a sequel to Restoration but can proudly stand alone. For readers who enjoy historical novels, this is for you.



Bookreporter.com wrote the following....

The gaudy years of the Restoration are long gone. Robert Merivel, physician and courtier to Charles II, loved for his gift for turning sorrow into laughter, now faces the agitations and anxieties of middle age. Questions crowd his mind: has he been a good father? Is he a fair master? Is he the King’s friend or the King’s slave?

In search of answers, Merivel sets off for the French court. But Versailles—all glitter in front and squalor behind—leaves Merivel in despair, until a chance encounter with Madame de Flamanville, a seductive Swiss botanist, allows him to dream of an honorable future.

Yet will that future ever be his? Back home at Bidnold Manor, his loyalty and medical skills are tested to their limits, while the captive bear he has brought back from France begins to cause havoc in his heart and on his estate.....

                                                 

Rose Tremain is an award winning British author. She is known for her historical novels and usually approaches history from unexpected angles. Merivel: A Man of His Time is an example of her original point of view and engaging writing style.

RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA (04/27/2013)

                          

Josephine A, a blog follower and free lance writer, left a comment suggesting I include Reconstructing Amelia By Kimberly McCreight on Joyce's Choices. She said that it reminded her of the bestseller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn but thought it was even more inciteful and engaging and had a better ending.

She also included a blurb from the New York Times which I posted below:



RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA

By Kimberly McCreight

In Ms. McCreight’s first novel, a mystery with enough red herring to stock Lake Michigan, Amelia is a teenager who falls to her death from the roof of her Brooklyn private school. It’s ruled a suicide. But her mother, Kate, an ambitious lawyer raising Amelia by herself, receives a text message after the tragedy: “Amelia didn’t jump.”

Chapters that track Kate’s attempts to learn the truth alternate with flashbacks from Amelia’s perspective, in which she struggles against social pressures, including the hazing rituals of a secretive school club. Facebook updates and strings of text messages also help tell the story....



Reconstructing Amelia sounds like a timely read and a riviting debut novel from Kimberly McCreight. Thankyou Josephine A. for the book recommendation.

Please don't hesitate to leave a comment below or email me if you read anything you think is worth mentioning. (Old, new or otherwise!)



For More Information: www.kimberlymccreight.com

                         



REMINDER:
TO ORDER CLICK ON THE AMAZON SEARCH BOX IN THE SIDEBAR 

GET READY FOR SUMMER ESCAPES

It may be the end of April, but before you know it summer will be upon us..Here's a preview of books that will be debuting just in time for beach weather.

Stephen King fans can expect a fastpaced read...no surprise there!  I'm a Curtis Sittenfeld fan (Remember Prep?) and anticipate this convoluted new one! I've never heard of author David Yoon, but  Snow Hunters sounds like an intriguing read.

So get your mindset ready for the newly anticipated books of summer!

 

Sisterland
Curtis Sittenfeld

Hovering in that wildly desirable land where literary meets commercial, Sittenfeld is a writer who has fans waiting for her next novel and this summer delivers a page-turner about psychic twin sisters who have taken different views of “the gift.” They both arrive in their hometown, St. Louis, to confront the fallout from a startling prediction and their own relationship.

 



Snow Hunters
Paul Yoon

In his debut novel, Yoon tells the story of a North Korean soldier who defects at the end of the Korean War, leaving everything behind him to build a new life on the coast of Brazil. The collection Once the Shore showcased Yoon’s piercing powers of story and language; this novel continues his stunning trajectory with prose so pristine it feels supernatural.





Joyland 
Stephen King

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.













For More Information:

www.publishersweekly.com

www.curtissittenfeld.com

www.phillipian.net.News

www.stephenking.com

Thankyou Publishers Weekly for contributing to this post.












PLEASE

KEEP

SCROLLING

DOWN.........


FOR


MORE   BOOK  NEWS.... 

INTERESTING OR UNINTERESTING? (04/24/2013)

I just started The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer and am reserving judgement until I have read more. So far I can relate to the characters, the summer camp theme and the issues that are being addressed in the first few chapters.

What's this all about, you ask? It's a novel about a group of talented teenagers who meet at a summer camp in the seventies. They remain friends and their lives circle one another as the years pass. I would call it a coming of age story...a particular era focused on privileged people dealing with loss of innocense, friendship, art, sexual angst, and envy. (To mention a few..)

I look forward to getting into The Interestings and after a few chapters, I already feel I have a special understanding of the characters. I too had a special group of friends that originated at a summer camp..but that may be the only parallel....

The reviews by fellow bloggers, critics, the New York Times Book Revue have been flawless....

Stay tuned....


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/books/review/the-interestings-by-meg-wolitzer.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

www.megwolitzer.com

PULITZER PRIZES 2013

The Pulitzer Prizes were announced on Monday. Following is the list of winners in Fiction, Drama and History. (Personally I liked a few of the finalists better.)


FICTION
ADAM JOHNSON
“The Orphan Master’s Son”

Mr. Johnson, 45, was cited by the board for an “exquisitely crafted novel that carries the reader on an adventuresome journey into the depths of totalitarian North Korea and into the most intimate spaces of the human heart.”
While writing the novel, Mr. Johnson said, he read propaganda and books approved by the regime. He eventually included Kim Jong-il, the late North Korean leader, as a character in the book. “I came to, not feel for him, but to see a human dimension in him,” he said. “He was a very cunning person, a very witty person. He had flaws like all people. The more I studied him the more I realized that he was a very human figure.”

Finalists Nathan Englander, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank”; Eowyn Ivey, “The Snow Child.”

(I preferred both finalists...The Snow Child was my favorite.) 



DRAMA
AYAD AKHTAR
“Disgraced”

Mr. Akhtar, 42, a Pakistani-American, grew up admiring the films of Woody Allen and longed to set a play “in that milieu of the moneyed intelligentsia of New York — but with a character who shared my ethnicity.” In “Disgraced,” that character is Amir, a successful corporate lawyer whose deep-seated self-loathing is fully revealed at a dinner party that is classic Manhattan, with talk of art and money giving way to suspicion and hatred.

Mr. Akhtar is also a novelist and actor, and is now at work on his second novel while preparing his next play, “The Who & The What,” for its world premiere in California next winter. If “Disgraced” was a metaphorical riff on “Othello,” the next play is a similar meditation on “The Taming of the Shrew,” he said on Monday. “Both plays are about Muslim Americans,” he said, “but the new one is a comedy.”

Finalists Gina Gionfriddo, “Rapture, Blister, Burn”; Amy Herzog, “4000 Miles.”



HISTORY
FREDRIK LOGEVALL
“Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam”

How did the United States get drawn into war in Vietnam, ignoring France’s bitter post-World War II experience there? In a follow-up to a book focused on America’s role in Vietnam in the 1960s, “Choosing War,” Mr. Logevall, a professor of history at Cornell, has provided what his Pulitzer citation called “a balanced, deeply researched history” of that long, unintended slide into a conflict that proved unwinnable
Finalists Bernard Bailyn, “The Barbarous Years: The Peopling of British North America: The Conflict of Civilizations, 1600-1675; John Fabian Witt, “Lincoln’s Code: The Laws of War in American History.”

BIOGRAPHY
TOM REISS
“The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo”

Alexandre Dumas’s famous novel was inspired by the life of his father, Thomas-Alexandre, who was born to a slave woman in Haiti but rose to a general’s rank in the French Army until he incurred the enmity of Napoleon.

“For me the great thrill of this book is that I pulled somebody out of the pages of fiction, who was forgotten about in fact, and showed his exploits to be a true story,” said Mr. Reiss, who learned of his prize while sitting in a dentist’s chair. “It’s swashbuckling, but for a purpose. He was the highest-ranking black leader in a white society until modern times and really a very serious revolutionary.”

Finalists Michael Gorra, “Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece”; David Nasaw, “The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life


 

 

BOSTON MARATHON (04/16/2013)

So many of us have been deeply affected by the recent tragedy at the Boston Marathon. My family is closely involved in the Marathon as participants and as observers. 

One of my sons mentors the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society Team in Training and has also run in memory of a close friend. His kids and wife volunteer, and other family members live and work in the area..... Some were close to the finish line.

It's been traumatic for everyone and I'm thankful they are  physically ok.. the emotional part is another story.

I worry about all our children and those who were affected by this senseless attack. In life there are many questions we cannot fully answer, but there are ways that can lessen the emotional aspects, especially for children.

Hopefully the following will be helpful and contribute to the slow healing process we all face.


Remind children that they are safe. Highlight the special things that make school safe.

Take the time to talk. Let kids talk about their feelings and assure them what they are feeling is normal. Remember that some children may not want to talk about their feelings. Encourage these children to express themselves through writing, art, and other projects.

Use language children will understand. Keep your explanations developmentally appropriate. Young children need simple information they can understand and need to be reminded that they are safe. Older children will have questions and will need an opportunity to express their range of emotions.

Watch for shifts in behavior. It’s important to remember that everyone shows emotion in different ways. Be aware of the changes in behavior and mood that can indicate a child’s level of anxiety or discomfort.

Maintain a sense of normalcy. An important part of helping children feel safe is providing a normal and positive environment. School and routines provides children with the positive structure they need.

Monitor and limit television and news. Developmentally inappropriate information and overexposure to news of the event can cause more anxiety or fear, particularly in young children. Adults also need to be careful of the content of conversations that they have with each other in front of children.

Make sure you take care of yourself. Take time to do the things that make you happy. And don’t be afraid to seek additional help for yourself or for your children.

                                 

                                    

                                       BOOK RECOMMENDATION

TO ORDER CLICK ON THE AMAZON SEARCH BOX IN THE SIDEBAR