Listed below are the books discussed on the Faith Middleton WNPR Radio Show June 19, 2009


Roxanne’s Picks

Look Again
By Lisa Scottoline
This book comes with a very scary premise. A woman, who is a writer, adopts a baby boy. She happens upon an article about a missing baby, who looks very much like her son. She begins to look into the possibility that this missing child is, in fact, her son. How this gets resolved is very intriguing and the author doesn’t disappoint, bringing her usual wit and flair to the table.

Losing Mum and Pup
By Christopher Buckley
The author is certainly well known in his own right but here he tackles how, in one year, both his parents became ill and died. As an only child of very famous people, it was left to him to step up and care for them. It’s clear from his writing that Mum and Pup were not exactly the best parents. Buckley’s connection to them is so profound and the critical values he was brought up with are so dominant that he is able to forgive them and embrace them at the end of their lives. This book is touching but it is the author’s smart humor that also makes this book happy on every dimension.

It’s Not That I'm Bitter... By Gina Barreca
The author was recently at the store and the packed house could not stop laughing. In this book, women of a certain age face challenges and the humor is pitch perfect.

A Happy Marriage
By Rafael Yglesias
In this book the writer meets Margaret and immediately falls in love and there is all of that awkward lustfulness that comes early in a relationship. Twenty-eight years later, Margaret is dying of cancer and the writer is her husband and caretaker. It is the intervening years that make up this engrossing, smart book about marriage. It is much more realistic than other books and it offers a glimpse, in a very beautiful way, into what love and caring look like at the end of life.

The Last Best Hope
BY Joe Scarborough
The author is a former congressman from Florida and currently hosts a television show on Fox News. This book describes his views on where conservatism is headed in this country. He comes across as very respectful and interested in a reasonable conversation about the topic.

A Short History of Women
By Kate Walbert
Just surrender to the exquisite, quiet language found in this book. It involves three generations of women and the passion and beliefs that go on to shape the next generation.

Lee’s Picks

Ulysses
By James Joyce
This is, without a doubt, the greatest novel of the 20th century, in English. It is extremely demanding, but the reader will be rewarded by the deep, powerful feelings generated for Leopold Bloom, one of the principle characters. The curious, interested reader should experience this book by reading the last episode first.

Is This Thing On?: A Late Bloomers Computer Handbook
By Abby Stokes
The author wrote this for her mother to help her become more computer literate. It has a great design and handsome visuals. Lots of Q and A’s. It’s useful for even the more experienced computer user.

Innocents Abroad
By Mark Twain
In this, Twain’s most popular book, he uses his extraordinary eye to give us a different take on Pilgrim’s Progress. What is interesting is the amazing number of prejudices revealed in this book. These are seen in a new light because of our current time. As Twain describes the Holy Land and Arab culture, he is clearly appalled at the violence, tyranny and poverty. He wants this to read as a travel book but what comes through is the way things really are.

Steaming to Bamboola By Christopher Buckley
This is a funny, heartfelt book about the author’s privileged upbringing, most notably at boarding school. It is time spent at that school in Newport, watching the freighters come and go, that sets him on a course to find himself and his independence.

Faith’s Picks

Laura Rider’s Masterpiece
By Jane Hamilton
This is a great beach read! It’s also ideal for book clubs, as it would prompt endless discussions. Sufficed to say, it is a mind- blowing story and to say more would steal the energy from the book. Just read it.

Jetpack Dreams: One Man’s Up and Down (But Mostly Down) Search for the Greatest Invention That Never Was
By Mac Montandon
This is a very interesting exploration of the many attempts to create personal jet packs. Some are currently ready for use, but there are still many challenges. Look for Faith to be one of the first to use them for travel.

Kids' Letters to President Obama
Edited by Bill Adler
The title more or less speaks for itself. You can imagine how cute, funny and perceptive these letters are. One child writes, “Can you lower college prices?”

Overcoming Dyslexia
By Sally Shaywitz, M.D.
This book by a renowned Yale University expert is an extraordinary resource on the subject of dyslexia. It is not only helpful for the child struggling with the problem, but offers excellent advice for adults.

Rose’s Picks

Annie Dunne
By Sebastian Barry
Two aging, unmarried women in Ireland live a vanishing, rural life until a grandniece drops off two children for them to watch over. The story really starts when a handyman comes to help and starts courting Sarah, one of the women. That their world is turned upside down is an understatement. It is Annie, though, the other woman who is the most unforgettable character. With the most poetic prose, Barry describes Annie as “sour as the crabapple she eats”, the author makes us care about these characters.

The Reading List: Contemporary Fiction: A Critical Guide to the Complete Works of 125 Authors
By David Rubel
This is a great resource book as it offers an excellent introduction to writers like Joan Didion and Amy Bloom and then on to more difficult authors. It’s ideal for use by book clubs to choose their selections. (Out of Print)

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of The Supreme Court
By Jeffrey Toobin
This book is especially pertinent as we go through the process of choosing a new Supreme Court justice. Toobin was able to gather the most idiosyncratic about the justices, that only highlights their differences, but also make them more human. The most disconcerting thing about the book is the amount of politics involved. This seemed to be off-limits in the past and is now revealed in a kind of detail that is distressing.

Men and Angels
By Mary Gordon
Beware that this is very different from her other novels. Art historian Annie Foster faces the biggest endeavor of her academic career while her husband is abroad and unavailable to her. Recognizing this challenge, Annie hires Laura, a live in nanny. This is when the plot starts to twist. The interest lies in the counterpoint in Annie’s life and that of Caroline Watson, the painter she is researching. Gordon is adept at conveying the subtle emotions of women and the reader will find this novel very Virginia Woolf-like.