Catriona discovered running in her 30's and found joy in the movement itself.  She ran her first half marathon after training on a treadmill only.  Although she participates in marathons, she is less interested in the competitive nature of running and more in how running makes her feel, including how much more connected she feels to her surroundings as she experiences them as a runner.  There are some great parallels between running and life.  It's also an enlightening history of the sport from … [Read more...] about The Long Run

We don’t really like to talk about--DEATH. Even the word itself can suddenly cloud a conversation or cause someone to squirm. What makes death so difficult to talk about? That’s the subject of Warraich’s elucidating and provocative new book, Modern Death. Warraich writes, “The very nature of death, the mystery that surrounds it, breeds uncertainty. Uncertainty breeds fear, and contrary to general perception, never has death been as feared as it is today.” Warraich is at once doctor, scientist, … [Read more...] about Modern Death

Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve by Ben Blatt What makes a book great? Are the prize-winning authors really better writers? And what makes them better? In Ben Blatt’s book Nabokov’s Favorite Word is Mauve, he sets out to answer these questions by applying a mathematical and statistical formula for examining the classics, bestsellers, and our own writing. He analyzed thousands of texts by loading them into databases and then letting his hard drive churn through them, seeking to determine if our … [Read more...] about Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve

So what does the story of Adam and Eve have to do with us today? Well, let me tell you, brothers and sisters, a lot. In Bruce Feiler’s fascinating and eye-opening new book, he re-examines the story--its impact through the ages--the authors, theologians and celebrities who have influenced our understanding of the original version in the Bible. Feiler’s book sheds light on how we have defined love based on that story, how we view relationships, marriage, and sex. Each chapter is more engaging and … [Read more...] about The First Love Story: Adam, Eve, and Us

This book captured my attention from the opening paragraph to the very end! What a story and what wonderful storyteller Tinti is. It’s at once a coming-of-age adventure, a love story and a literary thriller focusing on the relationship between a father and daughter. Samuel Hawley is a gruff, gun-toting, bullet-scarred man who is attemptting to raise his spirited daughter, Loo, after his wife’s mysterious and unexpected death. I loved the alternating view points between chapters and the revealing … [Read more...] about The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley

When Mary Byron first arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, she was only 29 and newly married to a U.S. special agent whose job it was to protect the entire American community in the Western Cape Province during South Africa’s transition to democracy under Mandela. What had this midwestern girl signed up for? Madly in love and eager to join her husband Patrick on his mission, this independent career girl would suddenly find herself thrust into uncharted territory as she learned to navigate a … [Read more...] about No Ordinary Life

Why do women drink so much these days and feel the need to hide it?  It’s a really important question, and Glaser’s book offers an eye-opening exploration of the history of women and drinking (especially wine consumption), the lack of research even done on women and drinking, and the limited options women have when they feel they have a problem.  She also provides research and examples of successful alternatives to AA. A very useful and enlightening book. … [Read more...] about Her Best-Kept Secret

Do you remember reading an essay in the New York Times a couple of years ago entitled: “You May Want to Marry My Husband”?  It was an incredible tribute written by Amy Rosenthal to her husband before she died at the age of 51 from ovarian cancer.  I know, I know, but she’s such a great writer and she lived life so joyfully that it’s worth revisiting.  So I was delighted when I finally got around to reading her book Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life and found myself chuckling, laughing out loud, … [Read more...] about Encyclopedia of An Ordinary Life

A brilliant book that captures the harsh realities and nuances of what it means to be an American in 2018 told through the compelling lives of characters who will both enrage you and hold up a mirror of our own flawed, vulnerable seeking selves.

 

Barry is the hedge fund anti-hero of the novel who has achieved it all, a degree from Princeton, despite his troubled upbringing, a multi-million dollar New York lifestyle, a beautiful wife, and, much to his dismay, a three-year-old son with … [Read more...] about Lake Success