Leland Street Halloween Fest
Plans for the Annual Leland Street Halloween Fest are falling into place. The date is set for Sunday October 26th for all the traditional fun of the Halloween Parade, costume awards, Haunted House, games and buffet dinner. A planning committee met for a delightful luncheon at Mon Ami Gabi.
The lists were brought forth and names were penciled in for various tasks of making the day a success.
We are hoping everyone will mark their calendars and pull out their recipe books or their favorite take out menus and prepare to bring an entree, side dish, salad or dessert to the buffet. We look forward to seeing everyone on the street to enjoy the smiles and laughter and a bountiful buffet dinner.
THE AYAZ FAMILY
Nicole, Tony, Arianna & Sophia
We are finally settled into our new home on Leland Street! As many of you know, we spent much of last winter looking at homes all over the area. One day, after looking at about 8 houses, we came to 4119 Leland St. I was exhausted, the kids were hungry and tired, and we were in and out in about 5 minutes. Later that night after all was calm, Tony and I said we should really go back to that house on Leland Street. So the next day we made an appointment with the Wolfe’s and the rest is history! Truthfully, we fell in the love with the Wolfes!!! We sat with them and talked about their home, how they had raised their family here, and what a wonderful neighborhood this was. Lotte brought out a basket of toys for the girls (Arianna 4 and Sophia 2) and we felt right at home. We also got a chance to read the Leland News and were so impressed with the sense of community in the neighborhood!
We lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 10 years. Tony’s work from Silicon Valley brought us to Chevy Chase. The move has made it much easier for him to do business with clients in the Federal Agencies and on the East Coast, as well as spend more time at home. I am an attorney, currently at home with the girls. After Tony racked up over 200,000 frequent flyer miles last year we decided it was time to make the move to the east coast!
We had a busy summer with lots of visitors. It was a nice way to explore the area and show everyone our new neighborhood. We took a trip to San Diego in July as a reward once the unpacking was complete! We spent a great week at the beach and returned to Leland Street rested and ready to start enjoying our new home. We are looking forward to spending more time with our neighbors now that things have settled down a bit. Arianna and Sophia are both attending the Manor Montessori School. It has been great for them to meet more kids their own ages. They are both really enjoying their new school.
We are looking forward to the Halloween activities and getting to know you all better! Thanks again to everyone for all of the wonderful welcome gifts and wishes.
BATEMAN:
The Bateman home is very quiet and peaceful these days!! (although Rugby is trying her best to expand to fill the void).
Annie and Claire are happily settled at their respective universities (University of Georgia and Vanderbilt) and Will is finishing his last semester at Clemson. The empty nest (which Terry and Jill describe as being quite blissful) may be short-lived as Will is planning to come home for a couple of months to job search after graduation in December (but is hopeful of finding affordable housing soon thereafter!....any leads would be appreciated). Our summer was filled with a lot of time together......cooking dinners at home, visiting grandparents, attending orientations, and spending time at Bethany Beach.
Claire worked as a waitress at Cactus Cantina, Annie volunteered as an assistant art therapist at Children's Hospital, and Will had an internship with Analysis Research Planning Corporation. Overall, it was a great summer, made even more special by the impending college departures.
We are looking forward to fall, the Block Party, and many gatherings with family and friends.
BOLAND:
Summer passed pleasantly, although too quickly for the Bolands. Patrick spent an idyllic and leisurely post graduate summer enjoying his friends and various vacation destinations. He is now actively looking for a job. Monty continues his work as a fitness trainer at The University Club.
Leanne and Jimmy ended the summer with a trip to Sun Valley, Idaho and Vail, Colorado. The fresh air and great weather were wonderful.
We will miss the presence of Dorothy and Henry Bedell on Leland Street, and will remember them fondly.
COSMAS:
Farrell and Bill spent a happy summer welcoming all three Cosmas grown-up children at various points throughout May, July and August.
Lisa came for a long weekend toward the end of May with her two completely fabulous (no pride here) children, Oscar 2 1/2 and Josie 5 months.
Oscar had a wonderful time with his very best friend on the east coast, Matthew Duffy. As you can see from this photo, they are both lively, very funny and just adorable. It was so hard to see these three go! Lisa is an involved and terrific mom.
Jennifer, expecting her first baby on Bill’s birthday, Dec. 15, came to visit for a week in mid-July and stayed with Bill while Farrell accepted an invitation to spend 10 days in Nantucket. Both Jen’s visit and Farrell’s trip were just what the doctor ordered! While Jen was swimming in the Forrest’s pool, cooking and caring for her father, Farrell was in her favorite place on this earth, reading books, sleeping late, walking on the beach and eating lobsters! Will flew over from Boston for a quiet weekend of reading, walking and eating with his very appreciative mother.
The weekend before Labor Day, Will came home for three days of laughter and good times. He’ll be back at the end of September. It’s always a big, happy event for us, but particularly for Bill, to see these terrific children and grandchildren. It’s really too bad that none of them live here!
We are looking forward to Fall and Halloween and to seeing all of our friends on the street more often.
TAPLIN/DELANCY:
We enjoyed the summer as we always do. Both boys participated in sports camps – Russell with lacrosse at Johns Hopkins and at another program in Rhode Island, and Paul with basketball at Duke and Georgetown. Vicky spent the 4th of July holiday weekend with her father and sister on Silver Lake in New Hampshire, where her dad spent summers as a boy.
Vicky had never been there, and was warmly welcomed by many people who knew her dad in the summers there so many years ago. They stayed at a delightful inn right on the lake. With lazy afternoons reading on the veranda, quiet canoe rides, and a break from cooking and laundry, this was the most relaxing part of Vicky’s summer for sure.
The family spent most of July on the coast of Maine, the summer gathering place for Vicky’s family. Russell and Ben had to come and go, but Paul stayed the whole time, busy with the junior sailing program and tennis. We had a wonderful time with Vicky’s nieces and also our new nephew, who was absolutely adorable and crawling all over the place (10 months old). Time seemed to slow down, as we spent day after day swimming, kayaking, sailing, playing tennis, and visiting with friends and family. It’s nice to be away from cell phones and internet for a while!
Russell returned at the end of July to participate as a counselor at Camp Opportunity, a week-long program for abused and neglected kids from Baltimore. He had a great time, both with the campers and the high school and college age counselors he met, and fulfilled of all his community service requirements at the same time!
DUFFY:
We had a great summer. In August we spent some time at the beach in North Carolina, joined by several members of both of our families. We all enjoyed the simple pleasures of the beach - the sun, sand and water, and lots of fresh shrimp. Matthew loved the beach more than ever, and is convinced he learned how to surf.
Bonnie and Charles also went to San Francisco, well-equipped with suggestions from Ben and Vicky for great restaurants and fun stuff to do. After several days in the city, we went north to Napa and a wedding in the town of Ft. Bragg. The wedding activities included a train ride through the redwood forest - it was absolutely beautiful. We loved every minute of our trip, and in between eating and wine tasting we fit in visits with some of Bonnie's Tulane classmates, and with our niece and nephew who attend dental school in San Francisco. While we travelled, Matthew was in good hands with Charles' mother and sisters. Every time we spoke with him he reported "I'm having a great vacation."
One highlight of the summer for Bonnie and Matthew was an opportunity to meet Barack Obama at a town hall meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina. Matthew had some questions for him, such as "are you a good basketball player?" and Senator Obama taught Matthew how to do a fist bump.
FORREST:
Our family’s summer calendar was dotted with a few trips for specific purposes; Illinois for Marilyn Monroe, Connecticut for a wedding and family reunion and then on to Nevada for Jerry Lewis.
We traveled to Chicago for the opening of the Marilyn Monroe, Life as Legend exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center. Nicole has managed this exhibition during its U.S. tour. While in Chicago, we all enjoyed a boat tour of Chicago River and Lake Michigan, sipped cocktails at the top of the Hancock Building from which you can see four states and also strolled Millenium Park. We especially enjoying the wonder of Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor, a 110 ton sculpture of steel plates. The sculpture serves as an arched mirror of the Chicago skyline and at certain angles presents an almost fun house mirror effect of the happenings around it.
Just one week later we gathered in Connecticut for the enchanting garden party wedding of my niece Emily. Rob and Emily asked our son, Zak to be the videographer for the full weekend. Zak’s friend, Chad drove up from Ohio to work with him on the converage. The event served as a wonderful family reunion, with all branches of the family tree staying in the same hotel allowing much more opportunity for talk and laughter over the three days. Zak took advantage of being that far north to drive to Montreal. Zak is now back at work on his own film project as well as working for other productions.
The summer closed with Arthur’s invovlement as Director of the Jerry Lewis Telethon broadcast from Las Vegas. Marcy joined him and then they took three days at Laguna Beach before coming home. Nicole and friend, Leslie also flew in to Las Vegas and highly reccomend the “O” show at the Bellagio.
Marcy and Nicole saw Carrie Fisher’s one woman show, “Wishful Drinking”at the Arena Stage.
It is a witty presentation of her life as a Hollywood child, a life lived in outlandish excess on numerous levels. As Carrie acknowledges with deadpan aplomb, "If you think all of this is over-the-top, you can't even imagine what I'm leaving out!"
HOROWITZ/KAZIN:
The family is patiently immersed in the Obama campaign. Danny, as a senior at Columbia, majoring in Urban Studies canvassed for Obama in Pennsylvania this summer. Michael and Beth convassed in Virgiina for Obama and will continue their efforts right up to election day.
Maia’s politics are quite local, she is President of her senior class at Maret. She is also involved in cross country this semester. Michael reports that Beth is as busy as ever with her work and he is immersed in his next book through a Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
LLOYD:
Florence took in the Afghanistan Hidden Treasure exhibition from the National Museum at Kabul which was on display at the National Gallery through September 7th.
The exhibition explored the cultural significance of the treasures and illustrates the story of their discovery, excavation, and heroic rescue. There were 228 extraordinary artifacts ranging in date from 2200 BC to AD 200, the objects present a rich mosaic of Afghanistan's cultural heritage and are drawn from four archaeological sites.
Recently Florence planted several bulbs in her garden assuring us that we will witness the first glories of spring for her efforts.
PATCH:
The Patches are moving. After 44 years on Leland Street, 4106 is being prepared for sale. It is now being painted, and by November 1 it will be completely empty. Remodeling of all four floors will then take place, to provide five bedrooms and five full baths, including a master bedroom-bathroom suite.
Bob is moving to an apartment:
1420 W. Abingdon Drive, Apt. 434
Alexandria, VA zipcode 22314.
His email remains rjpatch@hotmail.com.
His phone is 703-521-6424, or 703-521-2297 to leave a message.
Daughter Susan has bought a condo:
3333 University Boulevard, Apartment 809
Kensington, MD zipcode 20895.
Her email remains susanpatch@comcast.net.
The sad part of the move, for us, is not so much leaving 4106 as leaving our precious neighbors on this block, all of whom we have loved so dearly. Our gratitude for the rich blessing your friendship will be permanent.
SIMPSON/PAYNE:
Maggie reports that the family had a great summer with trips to France and Charleston as the main highlights. We rented a house near Aix-en-Provence, where my sister lives, and had a wonderful time with the whole family amid the vineyards and beautiful countryside. The next week our our trip in Provence, we rented another home up in the mountains near the Gorges du Verdon. It was a 300 year-old Olive Mill we found online, which we rented directly from the owners. It was quite an adventure as we found many wild boars on the property, in addition to an amazing waterfall and stupendous views, which took our breath away. The kids absolutely loved the whole experience!
In August, we went to our beach house in Charleston and spent a wonderful month with the kids just enjoying lazy days on the beach. Michael and I managed to work from there with a few commutes back to DC.
Jack and Sarah are greatly enjoying their first few weeks of the school year at their new school -- Chevy Chase Elementary. We transferred them from National Presbyterian and so far it's been a great experience for all -- especially for mom who loves waving them goodbye as they walk to school every morning!
KARASIK/RUBASHKIN:
Our family had a lovely summer. We started with a great trip to Yellowstone National Park, and the Grand Teton National Park. We stayed in both parks, and did alot of wonderful hiking. It had snowed 16 inches two days prior to our arrival, so we packed heavy, but fortunately the weather turned the day we arrived, and we enjoyed ten days of cool sunny weather.
We saw all the wildlife you could want, including bison, grizzly bears, moose, elk, and wolves. We hiked the FIrehook River, and watched Old Faithful erupt at least three times! In the Tetons, we took long lovely hikes up into the range, enjoyed a river float down the Snake river, and soaked up the magnificent view from atop Signal Mountain. We spent our last eveing in Jackson Hole which is a lovely town, where the locals ride their horses into the main square!
After we came home, the kids spent several weeks in camp, some as counselors at Calleva, and some as campers at sleep away camp in West Virginia. Hannah spent two weeks learning the details of rock climbing down by the New River Gorge, and except for a tumble off her mountain bike, had a fabulous time. We wrapped up our summer with two weeks in Bethany Beach, where we watched alot of the Olympics, and soaked up alot of sun. Now its back to school, homework, and music lessons!
SOLOMON:
Our brick walk is in disrepair; we'd like to re-surface it with new paving stones. Is anyone familiar with a stonemason or bricklayer who works reliably, skillfully --and reasonably economically? Thanks for any leads!
This summer Fred became very knowledgeable about the strikingly different professional opinions regarding hernia surgery. He thought this would've been a non-controversial area of medicine. (The clear winner among local surgeons: Stephen Evans at Georgetown Hospital.) Fred had surgery just after Labor Day and has recovered well enough to resume driving and return to work.
Dorothy and Fred have been delighted that Rachel Maddow is now on television with her own news show--MSNBC, channel 61, 9:00 PM and repeated at 11:00 PM. Aside from Bill Moyers, she has most intelligent show on TV we've found; and it's lots of fun too (at least for us Democrats). Finally, Dorothy and Fred are feeling virtuous for having signed up for 100% of their electricity to come from WIND POWER. It does add some $$ to the monthly PEPCO bill, but it seems like a basic contribution we could make toward saving the environment. We wonder how many neighbors may have made a similar decision.
STROTHER:
In our family, William had the fabulous trip this summer. He and ninety one other members of the choral group from Saint Albans and National Cathedral School went on a concert tour to South Africa. They covered lots of ground and went from Cape Town to Johannesburg, seeing the sights and learning about the history and culture of the country. They performed at different churches and schools and were guests of the students and parishoners.
Molly worked on her golf game, and in August, the whole family went to Hilton Head and Savannah, which is a stunning city with beautiful squares and many lovely old houses.
STUART: We have really sweet new neighbors; next to me @ 4119 and from Norway @ 4130. I spoke with Sylvia Jones the other nigh. I so miss them, but am very glad they are so happy in California.
I saw the movie version of Brideshead Revisited. I thought it was good, but thought, of course, having hours to do so "thinner" than the series which was more complete in exploring the characters,etc.
* We will all miss Mary’s beautiful weeping cherry tree.
TROCCHIO:
We had great summer with a visit from my nephew, trip to Cape Cod and lots of sun. Jennie started teaching in a brand new school for autistic children in Hollywood, FL and continues to work on her PhD in special education. Elizabeth accepted a new position doing corporate catering sales for Brown Bag, a family owned breakfast/lunch store with 4 locations, including Bethesda @ 7272 Wisconsin Avenue.
DANIELS/WOLFF:
I am writing from the airport in Tel Aviv. Larry and I are returning from Israel. We also spent a sweltering day (over 100 degrees) at the Ramon Crater in the Negev, the largest erosion crater in the world.
Miriam and Larry spent the two weeks in Israel working around the clock on our family project - Mishkenot Ruth Daniel - a new youth hostel and community center in Jaffa. — a new youth hostel and community center in Jaffa, as well as an existing synagogue (Beit Daniel) in northern Tel Aviv. Jaffa is in the southern portion of Tel Aviv and hold the most diverse population in Israel - Israeli Jews and Arabs and Ethiopians and many new Olim - recent immigrants. The photo is of children in an Israeli kindergarten.
We found the time to attend two “iftars,” Muslim feasts held after sunset during Ramadan, one in Jaffa, and one in the Galilee (Gilboa mountains). The Iftar in Jaffa featured speeches by an Imam, a Greek Orthodox priest, and a rabbi who is a member of the Knesset.
We toured a high school and preschool in Jaffa earlier today with all of these diverse elements studying together. We hope that our center will be able to work with these schools in the future. We also hope to host post college students at the hostel who will work with the Jaffa community. The center is the child of Beit Daniel - a very successful reform synagogue in northern Tel Aviv which was built by my parents in the early 90's.
David has been taking care of Toby while we were gone and protecting the house from any hurricanes that might approach Maryland. It will be good to be home. David is at home and continuing to teach at Bach to Rock.
Becky has spent her first week at Microsoft in Seattle and already loves the place. Now that Becky has begun work with Microsoft in Seattle, Larry has changed his home page to MSN and is using Windows Live as his search engine.
VICENTE FAMILY:
The Vicentes celebrated the marriage of Vike's brother, Diego, to his bride Sarah, in Williamsburg in June. As the best man, Vike gave away some of Diego's secrets at the wedding, such as how Diego had bent one of Wendy's spoons while he was living in their basement (apparently, he was trying to make room for it in a square tupperware). Mark (4 1/2 yrs) was the dashing ringbearer, and Peter (2 yrs) was all-around crowd-pleaser, except when he spoke up at exactly the wrong time during the ceremony ('speak now or forever hold your peace') to ask for more Scooby snacks. It was a treat to see another wedding in the chapel where Vike and Wendy were married, and to enjoy it with family from Argentina and other far-away places, including all five of Vike's siblings.
We also enjoyed a week in Washington state with Wendy's family in August. Vike's brother-in-law took Vike for a ride in a small airplane to the San Juan islands, while the kids splashed in outdoor pools, mosquito-free. Sadly, we never even got kiddie pool out this year because the mosquitos have been vicious.
We've enjoyed getting to know all of our new neighbors better, and look forward to Halloween and other fall activities, and many more years of carrying on the Leland Street traditions. Mark and Peter are beginning to appreciate how lucky they are to have four beautiful girls move in so close to their house!
Peter just joined Mark at the Leland Center school, and they are both adjusting well.
The Leland Street Sunday News is happy to file a report from
our foreign correspondant, Mira Bergem.
BERGEM/STENSETH:
By now we’ve gotten settled in Norway, Falk and I have been in school for a few weeks and both Leni and Knut are both into their new jobs. Leni is the head of a unit of the International Humanitarian Aid section of the Red Cross and Knut is an editor at Norwegian Academic Press Most of the pictures are up on the walls and only a few small things remain before we’ve completely finished the “moving in”. Recently we were granted permission to build an extension on our house so if all goes according to plan they’ll start building in a few weeks.
It is challenging to move back to Norway after having been abroad for six years. Naturally it takes time to understand all the ways that they do things differently here. I think both Leni and Knut are quite happy to be back, but for Falk and I, it doesn’t really feel like home. I know we all miss Leland street a lot! Leni and Knut are going to Budapest for the weekend so our grandparents are coming down from Bergen for the weekend which is going to be really nice. One of the good things about being back in Norway is being so close to family. (We live right across the street from Leni’s sister and her family) On Thursday I am going to Poland with my class. We hope everyone on Leland street is doing well
THE LELAND STREET BOOK SHELF
Leland Street Neighbors enjoyed a wide range of reading this summer. When I asked Arthur Forrest what he recommended, he said there was one particular book that he enjoyed, but it was an old book. I said that’s ok, Florence Lloyd read an “old” book, too, Anna Karenina!
Michael Kazin is enjoying a novel by Italo Calvino, Baron in the Trees. One critic’s review reads: The Baron in the Trees is a most enchanting novel. Calvino takes the opportunity to create a world at once steeped in history, philosophy and politics while at the same time illustrating the everyday existence and lives of those around him. Memory, love and history all combine and swirl throughout the story.
The Kazins purchased a Kindle. * A Kindle is a convenient, portable reading device about the size of a paperback with the ability to wirelessly download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers. Available through Amazon.com. The first novel which Michael read on Kindle was My Name is Will by Jess Winfield based on Shakespeare’s life translated by a boy in San Francisco Bay in the 1980’s, bawdy but amusing. The Publishers Weekly critiques the two narratives in Winfield's whimsical debut as unified by their shared irreverence, humor and literary gusto.Winfield uses his deep understanding of Shakespeare's work and times to great effect, and his affection for the material shines throughout.
Beth Horowitz:
I'm currently reading A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare, 1599 which is wonderful history for anyone who is at all Shakespeare-obsessed. ( I also read the very light, but fun novel, My Name is Will, for the same crowd.)
I read my buddy Jane Mayer's book, The Dark Side, which is a brilliant and chilling account of how the Bush/Cheney administration trampled on the constitution. The International Tribune reviews The Dark Side," Jane Mayer's gripping new account of the war on terror, is really the story of two wars: the far-flung battle against Islamic radicalism, and the bitter, closed-doors domestic struggle over whether the president should have limitless power to wage it.
Ann Lee: A couple of other books I read this summer are My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.d., a brain scientist. She talks about her recovery from a stroke and her own control over it. Another book is called All the Way Home by David Giffels about his experience restoring a dilapidated mansion he and his wife purchased--very funny. Belle Elving of The Washington Post states Giffels memoir, All the Way Home, is not only a chronicle of this renovation but also an homage to Akron, Ohio, and an affirmation of his place in it.
Florence Lloyd read two novels with her book club that she has previously enjoyed. Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy’s tale of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and must endure the hypocrisies of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia.
Florence’s second selection was The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. is generally considered the culmination of his life's work. Dostoevsky spent nearly two years writing The Brothers Karamazov, which was published as a serial in The Russian Messenger and completed in November 1880. Dostoevsky intended it to be the first part in an epic story titled The Life of a Great Sinner, but he died less than four months after its publication.
Leanne Boland recommends Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt by David McCullough, a book about the early life of Theodore Roosevelt. Winner of the 1982 National Book Award for Biography,it is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. Hailed as a masterpiece by Newsday, it also won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography.
One of Marcy Forrest’s top picks from the summer was, Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemorovsky. The book follows three interwoven stories across two decades, when the affairs of youth threaten the cool calm of middle age. The author’s own personal history is sadly interesting, too. As the Nazis advanced on France, celebrated writer Irène Némirovsky was taken to her death at Auschwitz in 1942 but her works were smuggled out by her escaping daughters. Marcy is currently reading, Consequences by Penelope Lively, winner of the Booker Prize. This novel opens in London 1935 and explores the lives of three generations showing that life is seen as fragile, full of chance encounters and twists of fate replete with connections that are often invisible, and through our actions we leave traces of ourselves behind.
Arthur Forrest read, The Quickie, by one of his favorite authors, James Patterson,. This psychological suspense novel takes the reader through a maze of twists and turns, on a roller-coaster ride of suspense. Arthur ‘s love of suspense continued with Rules of Deception, a brilliantly conceived, tale of intrigue and deceit written by the master of the espionage thriller, Christopher Reich. Plot synopsis: a surgeon and his wife are climbing the Swiss Alps when she is killed by falling a crevasse. Twenty-four hours later, He receives an envelope addressed to his wife containing two baggage-claim tickets and suddenly finds himself in a life-and-death struggle.
Vicky Taplin highly recommends Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, an amazing man from California ,who drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village in 1993 after a failed attempt to climb K2. Moved by the villagers’ kindness, he promised to return and build them a school. It’s the story of how he’s waged peace and understanding in the land of the Taliban by promoting education, building schools where none existed, not only for boys, but also for girls. I’ve passed this book on to the rest of my family and I think all of them, especially young people, should read it! Ann Lee, Wendy Vicente and Farrell Cosmas also reported this among their most enjoyable books this summer.
Miriam Daniels recommends Three Cups of Tea about building schools in Afghanistan as well as the Last Chinese Chef.
Farrell says two of my favorite summer reads came from the Forrest family Three Cups of Tea and the psychological thriller, Into the Woods by Tana French. Detective Ryan and Detective Cassie Maddox of the the Dublin Murder Squad find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to a previous unsolved mystery. Now, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past. French wrote a sequel to this book, The Likeness.”
The New York Times describes this as a richly atmospheric, stunning in its complexity, and utterly convincing and surprising to the end, In the Woods is sure to enthrall fans of Mystic River and The Lovely Bones.
I also loved the original version of All The King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren, particularly interesting to read during this political year.
Maggie Simpson recommends Devil in the White City. Its fabulous! Erik Larson’s spellbinding tale combines meticulous research with nail biting storytelling. The book brings Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, intertwines the true story of two men, the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World’s Fair, striving to secure American’s place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. And I also read Lionel Shriver’s We need to Talk about Kevin which is a very disturbing book which I would not recommend to the faint hearted -- it's gut wrenching, however, I found it hard to put down..It is about a fictional school massacre, written from the perspective of the killer's mother, Eva Khatchadourian, and documents her attempt to come to terms with her son Kevin and the murders he committed. .
Charles Duffy recommends: 85 Days, by Jules Witcover. The book is about the last 85 days of Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign/life, and is "one of the best books I've ever read." Witcover is a local author and was a long time syndicated columnist.
Wendy Vicente reports, Mark highly recommends any of the Magic Tree House books, which he has been devouring this summer (our voices are a bit sore, and we will be very glad when he can read them himself!). In addition to Three Cups of Tea, Wendy thoroughly enjoyed Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara kingslover, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingslover. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, this book tells the story of how one family was changed by one year of deliberately eating food produced in the place where they live. The sidebars dig deeper into aspects of food -production, nutritional information, meal plans and recipes.
