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Staff Reads — April 15, 2016

Book

Your “Staff Reads” for Tax Day and Patriot’s Day!

Lisa: I got of our elevator on my way to look for some easy reading and got distracted enough by Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) (humor writing) from our Comedy display that I decided I needed to read it.

Jeanette:

Jan: I read Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty by Dan Jones. While it may seem dry at first, it’s actually a fascinating account of the way of life in the Middle Ages. It takes you way beyond your memories of sugar cube constructions of castles in school to the story of the injustices of King John’s reign (yes, the King John of Robin Hood fame, mentioned but only briefly.) The quintessential founding document of constitutional government, the Magna Carta became more than a peace treaty between the king, his warring barons, and the Church. It ensured rights that are now enshrined in charters around the world.

Pat A.: Currently reading Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy. I saw her on a television interview. She talks about how we hold ourselves, posturing, has a deep effect on our mind and changes how we present ourselves.
Just finished The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman about a family of women with charm bracelets and the story behind each charm. A “charming” book.

Laura:

  • A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger: In 1960’s Belmont, a woman was found murdered. Was the culprit the Boston Strangler or an African-American handy man? Junger goes into elaborate detail and paints an amazing portrait of race relations (still relevant as ever) and the fear and fascination we all have with crimes. Junger gives the reader a strong sense of place regarding the time period and the area. I loved the detail in The Perfect Storm and was glad to see that this book was similar.
  • What We Find by Robyn Carr: Carr’s latest romance is the story of doctor Maggie Sullivan, who dealing with multiple lawsuits, a broken relationship, and a miscarriage, runs to her father’s campground in rural Colorado. There she begins a romance with Cal Jones, a drifter, who is running away from his own issues. A quick read, though somewhat predictable, the quirky side characters and the romance make it worthwhile.
  • Innocents and Others by Dana Spiotta: Meadow and Carrie are childhood friends who are filmmakers. Throughout the years, their friendship waxes and wanes as they embark on their respective careers. Things come to a head when Meadow makes a documentary about “Jelly”, a woman who calls men but never wants to meet them. This book is either pretentious or making fun of pretentiousness. An interesting look at life behind the movie camera and how film is or isn’t a metaphor for life.
  • I’m currently reading Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. Fanny Price, sent to live with her aunt’s family, has always felt a bit like an outsider among her cousins and struggles to find her place in the family. I love how Austen developed her characters’ personalities through the dialogue rather than descriptions. The dialogue, as in Pride and Prejudice is very witty.
  • Moonrise Kingdom: This has been on my “to watch” list for awhile. This movie is pure Wes Anderson, with its heightened reality and quirky yet fully realized characters. This movie was delightful.

Hannah: The Midnight Assassin by Skip Hollandsworth: Skip Hollandsworth retells the story of America’s first serial killer. Pre-dating Jack the Ripper (in fact, London police wondered if it might be the same person), the Midnight Assassin lurked in Austin, Texas during the year 1885. The killer brutally murdered seven women in the span of a year. More than a dozen men were arrested for the murders, but the true identity of the killer remains a mystery. Whether you love a good mystery or revel in true crime this book is sure to fascinate.

Mary V.:

  • A June of Ordinary Murders by Conor Brady: A serial killer is murdering people during a very hot June in 1880’s Dublin.
  • Death on the Prairie by Kathleen Ernst: A story of two sisters who go on tour to visit various sites memorializing Laura Ingalls Wilder. Of course, there are murders. I liked it so much I read the first two books in the series and plan on reading the others. Death on the Prairie is the last in the series, but there was no problem in reading it out of order.
  • The Governor’s Wife by Michael Harvey: Another new book in a series that I enjoyed and plan to read the earlier books. Of course, there is a murder.

Maureen:

  • Just finished reading:
    • The Widow by Fiona Barton: The Widow is a creepy tale, a bit of a psychological thriller. Jean Taylor is a perfect London housewife, a little untidy. Her husband, Glen, is controlling, they married young and Jean does whatever Glen tells her to do until Glen is run over by a bus and dies. Jean has kept her secrets but now seems to be the time to let it all out of the bag. A little girl had gone missing from her front yard and Glen was the prime suspect. His van was seen in the girl’s neighborhood on the day she went missing, that and other clues lead the police to believe Glen is their man…but was he and how much did Jean really know??
    • New Neighbor by Leah Stewart: Ninety-year-old Margaret Riley is cantankerous, she lives alone on a mountain in Tennessee, and spies on her new neighbor, Jennifer, who lives across the pond. . Both women are keeping dark secrets, and Margaret is on a mission to find out what Jennifer is hiding, she has an obsession, loving to solve mysteries. I was surprised by the ending but felt it was really a good story.
  • Recently watched:
    • Spotlight: This movie is an account of the true story of how The Boston Globe investigated allegations of children being raped by priests in Boston in 2001, and uncovered a world-wide system of child sex abuse that the Catholic Church had been allowing for 30 years. Even being painfully aware of this scandal and it details, this movie brought more facts to light and just how the victims were left to deal with this abuse both mentally and physically.. It’s one of the best movies about investigative reporting I’ve ever seen.
    • Brooklyn: A charming story about young Irish immigrant who comes to New York for a better life. She is torn between the prospect of a new beginning and leaving her much loved sister and mother behind in Ireland. This is truly a tale of two countries, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Best Seller Lists — Week of April 3, 2016

Here are the best seller lists for the week of April 3, 2016: