About Books, December 26, 2009

Raghavan Iyer, author of "660 Curries" makes the last program of the year a very tasty treat. Iyer, who owns a Twin Cities restaurant called Om, is also an award winning teacher of cooking. His new book tells you everything you could possibly want to know about curries and what is served with them. He says that cooking curries is all about the balance of flavor, color, texture and aromas.

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About Books, December 19, 2009

Sandra Harper's "Over the Holidays" perfectly describes the joys and stresses of Christmas. Two sisters and one sister-in-law have different visions of the perfect Christmas and each struggles (with a lot of wit) to bring her vision to fruition. As one of them says, "Everyone has a relationship with Christmas whether they like it or not." Unwind from all the holiday busyness with this airy look at a family's holidays.

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About Books, December 12, 2009

Stanley Weintraub's "General Sherman's Christmas: Savannah, 1864" opens on Thanksgiving of that year when the "march to the sea" left from Atlanta with the goal of reaching Savannah by Christmas. Read fascinating details of the 1864 election with soldiers voting absentee, the huge burden of feeding and transporting an army of 64, 204 men, the engineering involed in crossing bridgeless rivers and swamps, the treatment of women encountered along the way and the methods used to form the famous "Sherman neckties" from rails. Sherman realized his goal and was dubbed by the Chicago Tribune as "Our Military Santa Claus."

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About Books, December 5, 2009

Kaylie Jones, author of five previous works, is the daughter of James Jones the National Book Award winning author of four WWII novels. Her new book, "Lies My Mother Never Told Me" is about her life with her parents in 1960s Paris and beyond. Drinking was a big part of the social life of the Jones'. Parties included such friends at William Styron, Irwin Shaw, James Baldwin, Norman Mailer and Truman Capote. But alcohlism was denied. Kaylie tells the slow disintegration of her mother due to alcohol as well as her own battle with drink.

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About Books, November 28, 2009

Lauren Weber's book, "In Cheap We Trust: the Story of a Misunderstood American Virtue," tells the story of how "cheap" went from meaning "a good deal" to being "miserly." Some of the book is history; some it techniques of saving. But it's all very interesting and very pertinent to the economical situation we find ourselves in.

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About Books, November 21, 2009

Debra Spark bases her novel, "Good for the Jews," on the biblical story of Esther. The story revolves around Ellen, young and involved with the school superintendent; Mose her older cousin and a teacher, and the new high school principal. The issues faced are anti-semitism, work place harassment, ageism and relationships. All of this occurs in Madison, Wisconsin. Author Spark says she was interested in exploring the idea of victims becoming victimized.

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About Books, November 14, 2009

Murray Brown's "The Book Shopper: A Life in Review" is a part memoir but mostly reading advice. Murray is a newspaper book reviewer who spends a lot of time in used book stores. He has found that most book lovers are not necessarily people lovers. There is good advice here on how to tell a good book store, the differences among book shoppers, and many recommendations for good books to read. There is also a section on giving books as gifts.

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About Books, November 7, 2009

Joseph Kanon continues his fictional work on the post WWII era with a fascinating look at Hollywood. "Stardust" has it all: the luxurious cross country trains filled with celebrities, paranoid producers, flashy cut throat gossip columnists, politicians suspicious of Communists and labor strikes. Among all of that is a soldier snooping around to find out why his brother had a tragic accident leaving a lovely German war bride/actress behind. Reading "Stardust" is like watching a good classic movie.

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About Books, October 31, 2009

Arnie Bernstein's book, "Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing," investigates the first mass murder at a U.S. school. On May 18, 1927, Andrew Kehoe set off hundreds of pounds of explosives at a school in Bath, Michigan. Thirty-eight children and six adults died. This sensitive account of the bomber, his wife, and the townspeople he damaged is very revealing about the impact of an act of violence.

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About Books, October 24, 2009

Kapka Kassabova has written a delightful memoir called "Street Without a Name: Childhood and Other Misadventures in Bulgaria." I was especially interested in the book because the Bettendorf Public Library where I spent so many years has a partner library in Montana, Bulgaria and I had spent a couple of weeks there. Kapka's tale of growing up before and during the fall of communism is captivating. Her home was a cement block complex that had a number but no street name. Her life after she left and when she returns to Bulgaria is also interesting. Kapka now lives in Edinburgh from where I visited with her.

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About Books, October 17, 2009

Diane Ackerman has a new book of essays called "Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day." This is the third time I've interviewed Ackerman and each time I become a bigger fan: of her powers of observation, of her vocabulary and of her optimism. Whether she is welcoming the day in Florida or New York, in spring, summer, autumn or fall, her thoughts will inform you of many interesting things other than what is happening at the moment. Each essay, each paragraph, each sentence is a perfect delight.

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About Books, October 10, 2009

Mardi Link, a former crime reporter, is the author of a fascinating true crime story called "Isadore's Secret: Sin, Murder and Confession in a Northern Michigan Town." The crime scene is Holy Rosary Church in the little town of Isadore. The victim is a very young Sister Janina who disappears in 1907. The players include a Polish housekeeper and her daughter, celibate and not so celibate priests, townspeople, a lady detective and law enforcement officers. It all culminates in an intriguing trial in 1919. Mardi Link's story of discovering and researching this murder makes for an interesting conversation.

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About Books, October 3, 2009

Judith Jones has published a cookbook called "The Pleasures of Cooking for One." It's a delightful cookbook for those of us who find ourselves living alone but who enjoy cooking. In truth, I wanted to talk with Jones not only because she has written such a cookbook, but because she is the publisher of all of Julia Childs' cookbooks including the famous, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." I loved the interview especially her rant about having to buy a whole bunch of parsley when you just need a sprig!

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About Books, September 26, 2009

Christopher Beha's memoir is called "The Whole Five Feet: What the Great Books Taught Me About Life, Death and Pretty Much Everything Else." Beha challenged himself to read the entire Harvard Classics in one year. During that year he not only completed the reading but experienced the death of a favorite aunt and personal illnesses. Through it all he learned the relevance of great literature to contemporary life as well as the fact that we "have to write our own books."

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About Books, September 19, 2009

Dennis Drabelle revisits the Nevada of Mark Twain's "Roughing It" in " Mile High Fever: Silver Mines, Boom Towns and High Living on the Comstock Lode." The Comstock Lode, a large vein of silver, started a silver rush to the Virginia City area and resulted in a bawdy boom, inappropriate treatment of the Native American population and some innovations that we still use today.

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About Books, September 12, 2009

Tom Gjelton, whom you hear on NPR and Washington Week, has written a contemporary history called "Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba." Bi-lingual Gjelton, spent a lot of time in Cuba researching the parallel stories of a family owned rum company and 20th century Cuba. You will meet fascinating characters like Facundo Bacardi, Emilio Bacardi, Pepin Bosch and, of course, Fidel and Raul Castro. And you will learn more about the intervention in Cuba by the United States. It's a wonderful saga of a family and a country.

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About Books, September 5, 2009

Daniel Silva extends his series about Israeli spy Gabriel Allon in "The Defector." The book is a sequel to "Moscow Rules." Silva carefully researches the locations for all the action in his books and exhibits a strong attachment to his characters. He has lots of friends in the espionage business so the action is based in reality. It was interesting to hear him talk about a possible film and how he wants to protect his characters if ever there is a movie.

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About Books, August 29, 2009

Ida Lichter, a cinical and research psychiatrist from Australia and the United Kingdom, has compiled a rich and moving account of "Muslim Women Reformers: Inspiring Voices Against Oppression." The book reveals women's conditions in some twenty plus countries from Afhanistan to Yemen. The strenghth and courage of ordinary women struggling for their rights and against abuse is astonishing and revealing. Reading this book will change your perceptions forever.

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About Books, August 22.2009

David Savran is the author of "Highbrow/Lowdown: Theater, Jazz and the Making of the New Middle Class." Published by the University of Michigan Press, it's an interesting look at the tension between legitimate and popular entertainment. Figuring prominently are Gershwin, Eugene O'Neill, the Theatre Guild and many plays like Shuffle Along and The Adding Machine.

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About Books, August 15, 2009

Dan Hofstadter takes a fresh look at the man who developed the telescope in "The Earth Moves: Galileo and the Roman Inquisition." The telescope led to Galileo's belief in the theories of Copernicus and eventually to his arrest and trial, which can be seen as the beginning of the conflict between science and religion.

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About Books, August 8, 2009

Bryan Burrough writes about crime and the FBI in "Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBi, 1933-34." In it the new FBI battles John Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly, Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd and the Barker gang. This is also the book that this summer's film, starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, was based upon.

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About Books, August 1, 2009

Vanina Marsot sets her first novel, "Foreign Tongue: a Novel of Life and Love in Paris," in her own neighborhood near Canal Saint Martin. In the story, Anna leaves Los Angeles with a broken heart and moves into a relative's vacant apartment in Paris. She speaks French and soon becomes a translator for a mysterious unknown author, falls in love with an actor, visits friends and eats the most mouthwatering foods. There's a lot to think about in this novel, especially the role of culture in translation, the responsibility of the translator and the theory of translation. In the interview Vanina reveals some interesting little known parts of Paris to visit when you are next there.

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About Books, July 25, 2009

Emyl Jenkins, an antiques appraiser in real life, writes a second mystery novel about another antiques appraiser, Sterling Glass. This is not a murder mystery but an investigation at a Virginia mansion whose contents seem to be fake and which suffered a break-in. Along the way you'll learn lots about the antique business. There is also a useful guide "to the Most Popular, and Often Found, Antiques," in the back of the book.

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About Books, July 18, 2009

Peter De Jonge, after co-authoring three James Patterson novels, has published his first solo novel, "Shadows Still Remain." De Jonge managed to obtain the consent of NYPD detectives to ride with them as they worked in the 7th precinct. This real life experience is evident in the very authentic and surprising story of Detective Darlene H'Hara, her partner, Serge Krekorian, and their search for a young woman's killer.

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About Books, July 11, 2009

Michael Perry is a Wisconsin farm lad who writes about country living in "Coop: a Year of Pigs, Poultry and Parenting." His memories of growing up on a dairy farm in a family of many children are interspersed with his account of his life on his own place, building a chicken coop, bringing home a pig, helping deliver his daughter, and many laughs.

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About Books, July 4, 2009

Laura Dave writes about two women in "The Divorce Party." One is looking forward to marriage and one is ending her marriage. They and their partners and friends meet at a divorce party. Usually divorce parties are held by a woman to celebrate her independence but this one is hosted by both the husband and wife and the results are very interesting. So is the setting (Montauk, Long Island) and the descriptions of food. I hate the saying a book would be "good summer reading" but this one would be. Jennifer Aniston has optioned is for a film to be released in 2010.

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About Books, June 27, 2009

Christopher Potter seeks the answers to the mysteries of the universe in "You Are Here: A Portable History of the Universe." Among other things, he writes about the development of measurement, motion, the beginning of science, science and religion, light and creation. Along the way you will meet many scientists including the greats like Galileo, Newton and Einstein. This is the perfect book for the non-scientist who would like to understand what the universe is, what it is made of, where it came from and what it might become.

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About Books, June 20, 2009

Jeffrey Zaslow, a Wall Street Journal columnist, explores female relationships in "The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship." Zaslow had written a column about female friendships and received an email from one of the Ames girls describing a life long friendship among eleven women. Intrigued, Zaslow received permission from all eleven to tell their story. He captures their joys and challenges in this unique biography of friendship.

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About Books, June 13, 2009

Marie Brenner's "Apples and Oranges: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found" is an unusual memoir about sibling rivalry and family history. It helps that Brenner's family has an amazing cast of characters including a Jewish grandfather who emigrated to Mexico and adopted "Don" as his title, an aunt who consorted with the likes of Freda Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and her brother, who grew apples in Washington state. Marie's struggle to understand her family and, above all, her conservative brother makes for very good reading.

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About Books, June 6, 2009

Martha Sandweiss, professor of history at Princeton University, tells the story of a man who lead a double life in "Passing Strange: a Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line." Clarence King was a white 19th century geologist and writer who traveled in the highest circles in Washington D. C. and elsewhere but also lived as James Todd, Pullman porter and husband of Ada, an African American. The book uncovers his life.

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About Books, May 30, 2009

Tom Dean, Special Assistant to the President for Communications and Research at the University of Iowa, has gathered some of his essays into the book, "Under a Midland Sky." Published by Ice Cube Press located in North Liberty, Iowa, the essays are an evocation of midwest weather and place with an added dollop of memoir. It's all packaged with a beautiful cover by Iowa artist Fred Esker.

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About Books, May 23, 2009

Christina Avaness set out to make her husband healthy and, after 5 years of research, writes about what she learned in "Living Beyond Organic : Nutritional Knowledge Redefined." The book includes her philosophy plus recipes for 21 days of Living Beyond Organic meals. It's an interesting book to read even if you don't adopt the lifestyle. I learned a lot about enzymes and the way food is processed in the body. And the recipes are healthy.

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About Books, May 16, 2009

Sandra Harper's "High Tea" is a novel about the owner and staff of a tea room in Los Angeles. Harper first wrote a play about a tea room and then expanded it into a novel. The cast of characters includes Margaret, a Brit, who owns Magpie's Tearoom; Clarissa and Lauren, actresses who make their living as waitresses; Lily, a lesbian who is the chef; and minor characters like Tony, Margaret's gay ex-husband. Read this on a hot summer day.

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About Books, May 9, 2009

Rob Kirkpatrick tells the story of an influential year in "1969: the Year Everything Changed." I had the best time talking with Rob and reminiscing about the things the happened forty years ago. Rob arranges the book in seasons so, for example, in summer 1969 the Eagle landed, Woodstock occurred as did Hurricane Camilla. In the following sections, you'll remember the first ATM, the Viet Nam protest movement, Joe Namath and Super Bowl III, and the beginning of the interest in ecology and gay rights.

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About Books, May 2, 2009

Robin Ryan, career counselor, has written a very useful book for job seekers called "60 Seconds and You're Hired." It is a guide to taking a job interview with chapters on how to prepare for the interview, how to answer typical interview questions, what questions you should ask and pitfalls to avoid. She talks about interview etiquette (don't wear anything sexy,smelly or sloppy, for example) and advises you on negotiation techniques. And, by the way, always send a handwritten thank you.

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About Books, April 25, 2009

Frances Wilson writes about William Wordsworth's sister in "The Ballad of Dorothy Wordsworth: A Life." Dorothy, who never married, devoted her life to her brother. She walked the English countryside with him, entertained his friends (William Wilberforce and Coleridge, for example) and kept journals on which Wilson bases the book. Dorothy seemed to always be the third person, traveling to Europe with Coleridge and Wordsworth and on Wordsworth's honeymoon with wife Mary. The book is a joy to read especially for those of you who have visited Dove cottage.

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About Books, April 18, 2009

Ian Kelly, a writer and an actor, gives us a portrait of another multifaceted man in his book, "Casanova: Actor, Lover, Priest, Spy." Kelly's research in European libraries has enabled him to provide new material. Casanova's own autobiography also enlightens this account of the world famous lover. Besides learning about Casanova the man, reading the book will give you a good idea of what it was like to live in the 18th century. Bt the way, you'll be able to see the author as Hermione's father in the next Harry Potter movie!

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About Books, April 11, 2009

C. Arthur Ellis, in his new book, "Zora Hurston and the Strange Case of Ruby McCollum," takes us to back to the 1950's and the small town of Live Oak, Florida. A murder has been committed there, Ruby McCollum is on trial and the famous Zora Neale Hurston is sent by the Pittsburgh Courier to cover the prodeedings. This true store reveals much about black white relations.

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About Books, April 4, 2009

D. J. Taylor give us the biography of 1920s partygoers in "Bright Young People: The Lost Generation of London's Jazz Age." Who were the revelers? Some names are familiar: the Mitford sisters, Evelyn Waugh, Cecil Beaton, Stephen Tennant. Some are less familiar: Elizabeth Ponsonby and Babe Plunket Greene. But all will be well known by the time you read the last page of this delicious book. A good fictional companion would be Evelyn Waugh's "Vile Bodies."

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About Books, March 28, 2009

Jess Winfield, creator of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" returns to the Bard in his first novel, ""My Name is Will: a Novel of Sex, Drugs and Shakespeare." The book has parallel stories: Willie Greenberg, a 1980's California university student and the 18 year old William Shakespeare. Their adventures and misadventures make for enjoyable reading.

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About Books, March 21, 2009

Dr. Barry Sears, author of "The Zone," talks about his new book, "Toxic Fat: When Good Fat Turns Bad." Much of the book is about the causes of obesity and restates the Sears belief in the Zone Diet which eliminates sugars and starches, encourages eating 5 times a day, and concentrates on good fats, lean protein and good carbs. Included in the text are recipes for 30 days of breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

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About Books, March 14, 2009

Michael Welland's "Sand: the Never Ending Story" will change the way you think about a grain of sand. A geologist with world-wide experience, Welland describes what sand is, the journey of a typical grain of sand, and sand's place in our lives. It is a unique and fascinating book.

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About Books, March 7, 2009

Ella March Chase's " The Virgin Queen's Daughter" pursues the notion that Queen Elizabeth I may have had a child. Melding historical fact with a writer's imagination, Chase gives the reader a detailed and lively account of Nell de Lacey, a brilliant young woman, who is taken from her country home to serve at the Queen's court and gradually discovers her true identity and her true love. Equally interesting is that the author is from Moline, Illinois, and has written many other books under the name of Kimberly Cates.

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About Books, February 28, 2009

William Rodarmor, along with Anna Livia, has edited "France: A Traveler's Literary Companion," a collection of 21 stories that take the reader to all the various regions of the country. Rodarmor, a French literary translator, has translated some of the stories for the book while some were done by his co-editor and others. Not only is the content fascinating but the book is perfectly sized to fit in the pocket or purse of the traveler. "France" is just one of a series from Whereabouts Press including Australia, China, Cuba, Ireland and Israel.

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About Books, February 21,2009

Janis Bell's book, "Clean Well-Lighted Sentences: A Guide to Avoiding the Most Common Errors in Grammar and Punctuation," deserves a spot on every writer's desk whether you are writing for the company newsletter, the church bulletin or the Pulitzer Prize. Bell has been a teacher of writing for thirty-five years. She is very up beat and confident in her skills and will improve yours.

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About Books, February 14, 2009

Ariel Sabar's book, "My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq" is the amazing story of Yona Beh Sabagha, the last boy to be bar mitzvahed in Zakho, Iraq, who eventually becomes a respected scholar of Aramaic in the United States. The author knew little of this father's story and was rather embarrased by him until he became an adult and a father himself. Recently Ariel risked leaving his job to research and write his father's story. It was a successful gamble: Ariel emailed me this week that "My Father's Paradise" has been nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award in the autobiography category.

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About Books, February 7, 2009

Sharon Waxman poses the question of who should own the great works of art in her book, "Loot: the Battle Over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World." Since Rome looted Egypt or maybe even before then, the conquered have lost their art to the conquerors. This book focuses on on the countries of Egypt, Turkey, Greece and Italy who have entered the most demands for the restitution of their heritage. "Loot" is filled with fascinating characters, from Lord Elgin to Marion True, from tomb robbers to sellers of looted antiquities. Enjoy.

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About Books, January 31, 2009

Adam Nicolson, grandson of Harold Nicolson and Vita-Sackville West, recounts the story of four earls of Pembroke in " Quarrel with the King: the Story of an English Family on the High Road to War." Nicolson was inspired to write the book when, on a walk in southern England, he passed Wilton House and went in. There he encountered a large Van Dyck painting, seventeen feet wide and ten feet deep, of the the 4th Earl of Pembroke and his family. As he stood in front of the painting, he wondered what had led to the family's prominence. This book is the result.

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About Books, January 24, 2009

Richard LeMieux, author of "Breakfast at Sally's," changed my attitude about charitable giving. His story of being homeless for eighteen months and the help given him by churches and the Salvation Army is both heartbreaking and triumphant. When I asked him what people should do to help, he said there are lots of organizations with programs to aid the homeless but all need more resources. Everyone should read this book and then give to the organization of their choice.

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About Books, January 17, 2009

Li-Young Lee is a Chinese poet who grew up in Indonesia and now lives in Chicago. He uses his poetry to tell his own story. Li-Young Lee will be visiting both the Bettendorf Public Library and Augustana in January. "Behind My Eyes" is one of his books of poetry and "The Winged Seed" is his memoir.

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About Books, January 10, 2009

Marcella Hazan, author of "Amarcord," is well known for Italian cookbooks. But many do not know her life story. In "Amarcord," you will learn how she grew up in a small town in Italy, endured World War II, became a science teacher, married and eventually taught Americans how to make Italian food. Now in her 80's, Marcella Hazan is wonderful to read about and listen to.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm