The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentleman Farmers by Josh Kilmer-Purcell

On the way home from their annual apple-picking weekend, the author and his partner stumble upon the 200-year-old-plus Beekman Mansion in upstate New York. Instantly smitten, they decide to buy it. And then starts their adventure of living in the city, commuting on the weekends, working to make their new purchase financially feasible, and trying to keep their relationship going.

They try everything - raising goats and using the milk to make goat milk soap, raising and selling heritage vegetables, starting a web site. And then the economic crash of 2008 hits and they are suddenly both without jobs, carrying two mortgages, and not sure what to do.

I will admit that I read this book because I had to (for a book club) and ended up finishing it because I wanted to. At one point, I laughed until I cried over their adventures. I cringed at some of the descriptions of life on a farm and worried along with them at the thought they might not be able to keep it. It was a fun easy read and I enjoyed it a lot.

The Long Goodbye by Meghan O’Rourke 155.93

The Long Goodbye by Meghan O’Rourke 155.93

Warning – this book is on the depressing side! It is, however, very well written.The book begins with the death of Meghan’s 55 year-old mother, who died of cancer on Christmas day in 2008. (It’s depressing already, isn’t it.) Meghan writes, “Nothing prepared me for the loss of my mother. Even knowing that she would die did not prepare me.” I think most people feel this way, but she expresses it more eloquently than most of us! She tells her story of when she was a little girl, when her mom was dying and when she faced life without her mom. If you have been through this experience, you will recognize many parts of Meghan’s journey. If you haven’t had to face this yet……well, maybe you don’t want to know just yet……because as O'Rourke says, “Nothing prepares you for the loss of a mother".

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

I have read most of Scottoline's mystery books and her non-fiction and have loved them all. This one is different from her others because it is not focused on lawyers. It was a great read! It will, however, make you think twice about volunteering for anything!
Rose McKenna has volunteered to be a lunchroom mom at her daughter's school. Rose's family is new in town and she wants to make a good impression and also make sure her daughter Melly is not being teased about her birthmark. She finds out that Melly has spent many a lunch hour hiding in the restroom. On this day she hears two girls saying something that sends Melly into hiding once again. She asks them to stay for a minute after everyone else runs out of the cafeteria for recess so that she can have a talk with them. And then there is a terrible explosion with smoke and flames. Rose has to make a split-second decision. Does she help these two girls before searching for her own daughter? Her impulse is to rush to Melly, but she can't leave the two girls. So she sees them to safety first. She is a hero! That is before she became the target of a civil suit and also criminal charges. It was a great book!!!!!!!!

Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson

As always Davidson has brought us an entertaining mystery filled with delicious recipes! If you aren't familiar with this series, here is a little background. Goldy is a caterer. She was married to an abusive husband (called The Jerk by Goldy and his other ex-wife) with whom she had a son named Arch. After her divorce she became involved i n a murder investigation. Fortunately the detective involved, Tom, also became involved with her and they have been happily married for several years. Goldy is a great woman but she always seems to be connected somehow to people who are killed!
In this book there is murder, arson, robbery and worse of all.....a puppy mill. Her books are lighthearted (even with all of the crime!).

I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark

I always enjoy reading Clark's books! One of the fears we face in the 21st century is identity theft and now it has happened to Zan. She has a promising career as an interior designer in NYC - but that is compromised when she finds someone is using her credit cards and messing with her bank accounts. She is worried that her reputation will be ruined. That would be bad enough but things are about to get worse. Her son, Matthew, was kidnapped two years ago when he was at the park with a babysitter who fell asleep. Now on Matthew's fifth birthday a photo is found that shows the kidnapper - but it looks like Zan. She knows she is innocent - or else she is deeply disturbed. She has to fight to clear her name and find out what happened to her son.
Zan gets some help from Alvirah , the lottery winner and amateur detective from a previous book. Mary Higgins Clark - always a good read!

Deceptions by Rebecca Frayn

I enjoyed this mystery. The plot has been seen before, but it was a quick read and I liked the characterizations. Annie is a young widow raising her 12 year old son, Dan, and 7-year-old daughter, Rachel. She has become involved with Julian and they are in love. Things are not without stress because they have some different ideas on things - including housekeeping. (She is the slob.) They have decided to take the next step and get married. Rachel is thrilled because she adores Julian. Dan - well, not so much. It's hard to tell if it is because he is a teen or because he doesn't want this man to take his father's place. Shortly after they make the announcement Dan fails to return home from school. The police do a thorough investigation but can find no clues. Deep down Julian thinks that they will never know what happened. Annie, however, can not let go of her hope. Their marriage plans are put on hold. And then one day Annie receives the call that she has been waiting for. Dan returns to her - but now he is 15 and oh so different.

Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee

On his way to tell his wife, Emily, that he wants a divorce, Sandy Portman is hit by a car and killed. When he pleads for a second chance, he is given it - but in a dog's body named Einstein.

Emily thought their life was good. Oh sure, there were problems but what marriage doesn't have them? Sandy's funeral is hardly over when she learns she is about to be evicted from the apartment they shared. Only the love and support she receives from her adopted dog, Einstein, get her through the next months and all the revelations about her life with Sandy that come out.

Can Einstein right all the wrongs done to Emily by Sandy? Will Emily come to terms with her life and her past? I suppose the answer is "Do fish swim?" But I liked the characters in this book a lot and enjoyed the New York setting. Particularly interesting to me were the references to publishing and the book industry with some inside references that made me laugh out loud. And Emily's route to forgiveness and acceptance isn't necessarily a smooth one so I kept turning the pages to find out how it would end.

Visit from the Goon Squad

Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad recently won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2011 National Book Critics Circle Award. That sentence alone probably caused many of you to decide not to read it.

What is it about books that win the big literary awards that makes so many of us reluctant to read them? Well, for me I'd say that they're often very clever but not particularly enjoyable to read. Does this hold true for A Visit from the Good Squad? Yes and no.

A Visit from the Goon Squad is a collection of interconnected short stories that, taken as a whole, tell a compelling narrative of a group of characters in the music business. The stories switch between characters, time frames, and locales. The style and tone varies (including one remarkable chapter told entirely in powerpoint slides).

The plot is secondary to character development -- which is interesting, to say the least. A minor character in one chapter could appear as a main character in another chapter and what appears to be an insignificant action in one chapter turns out to be important in another.

While I think this book certainly earned its awards, it's not a book I enjoyed reading. Perhaps because the reader doesn't get to know any single character well, it's hard to connect enough to any of them to care what happens to them. There's a thread of melancholy that runs through each chapter which quickly becomes tiresome. That said, it is the most creative book I've read in a long time and I suggest giving it a try.

Three Seconds by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom

Piet Hoffman is an undercover operator for the Stockholm police department working on infiltrating the Polish mafia. When the mafia explains to him their plans for taking over the drug market in Swedish prisons, Hoffman is the one they turn to. At the same time, Ewert Grens, an old-time investigator with the police department, has all of his energies focused on solving a murder case. In the course of solving it, he runs across the name of Piet Hoffman...and things go downhill from there. When Piet finds his identity in prison compromised, he knows that the difference between life and death is three seconds.

That description barely does this novel justice. Swedish authors seem to write grittier, more realistic novels than others. I started this book and raced my way through all 485 pages. The action is fast, the characters complex and dangerous, and the ending not quite a given. If you like the Stieg Larsson books, you'll love this one.

One Hundred Names For Love by Diane Ackerman 616.8 Ack

This is a true love story! Diane and her husband, Paul West, have a wonderful marriage. A big part of it is their shared love of words since both are writers. Paul had been through more than one health crisis, beginning 20 years ago when he was 55. Diane was always at his side and his biggest cheerleader. She found herself in the same position when he was hospitalized with kidney stones and an infection. He was scheduled to be released soon and they assumed their life would quickly go back to its familiar rhythm. But that wasn't going to happen. Paul suffered a major stroke and life would never be quite the same. This is the story of how a man of words was struck dumb and had to fight his way back. It is also the story of the woman who was by his side and working hard, even though she is in just as much pain. It is a touching story and I also learned a lot about recovery from strokes. Particularly touching was Paul's description of the stroke from his point of view.

The Reversal by Michael Connelly

The Reversal includes characters from previous books by this author. I didn't know that when I began this book and I don't think it really mattered! It was a well-written mystery. Mickey Haller is a defense attorney except for this one time! He is persuaded to be a special prosecutor in a case involving Jason Jessup. Jessup has been in jail for 24 years after being convicted of killing a child. Based on DNA evidence Jessup is granted a new trial. The State is so certain that Jessup is guilty they are willing to foot the bill for a new trial. Mickey says he will do it if he can use his own investigator and choose his second chair (who happens to be his ex-wife). This book is part investigation and part trial. It was intriguing and well-paced.