Local readers get suggestive: Their favorite books this year, Part 2

Posted 1/13/16

Euphoria’ by Lily King is a favorite 2015 novel of Hill writer Eugene Caffery.[/caption] Continuing from last week, we conclude the series today with Sam Masarachia , a retired physician and …

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Local readers get suggestive: Their favorite books this year, Part 2

Posted

Euphoria’ by Lily King is a favorite 2015 novel of Hill writer Eugene Caffery. Euphoria’ by Lily King is a favorite 2015 novel of Hill writer Eugene Caffery.[/caption]

Continuing from last week, we conclude the series today with Sam Masarachia, a retired physician and Stagecrafters board member from Glenside, who writes, “My reading habits are like a ‘drunkard's walk – a step sideways for every step forward. For example, last week, on the day I finished ‘Thurgood Marshall, American Revolutionary,’ by Juan Williams – a very satisfying biography – I picked up Hugh Gilmore’s memoir, ‘My Three Suicides: A Success Story,’ (2015). I have enjoyed Hugh’s column in the Local for years. Thus, I read his book.

“To say I could hardly put the book down may be a cliché, but it’s true. I heartily recommend it. It describes his progress through the tribulations of life. Although Hugh's humor can be perceived through his writing, it is not a humorous book. Although painful in places, this book should be a blessing to anyone who reads it. I thank Hugh for writing it.”

Right after I received Dr. Masarachia’s contribution, Karen Bojar of East Mt. Airy emailed to say, “Hello Hugh, I really enjoy your books column! Thanks for last week’s book recommendations. I want to offer Elena Ferrante's ‘The Story of the Lost Child’ (2015) – the fourth and final volume of Ferrante's ‘Neapolitan’ novels. Bye.”

Marijane Miller, of Wyndmoor, offered this interesting message: “I have been a follower of your column, but this is my first write-in. I love that you are interested in advancing local authors, as I feel similarly. I recommend 'Many Beaucoup Magics,' by Vietnam War veteran Tom Garvey (2015), not because of its title or subject matter – but because I knew the author had some affiliation with the nifty store Mango, on Germantown Avenue, whose women have wonderful life stories to share. So I gave Tom Garvey’s book a try, though I am a Quaker and do not usually read books on war. However, this book is about a man's development as both a soldier and a human being. After surviving many harrowing situations, he found himself caring about the deeper, more subtle, messages of life. It’s an important story about finding personal peace. Thanks for listening.”

Our stalwart archivist/curator at the Chestnut Hill Historical Society, Liz Jarvis,

writes to say, “I just finished and enjoyed ‘The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion' by Jonathan Haidt (2012). This is a social psychology book that, among other things, provides research on the different mindsets of Republicans and Democrats.”

On an even larger scale of reference, James T. Ranney, a retired Widener University international law professor, offered “(1) Nicholas Stargardt’s 'The German War: A Nation Under Arms' (2015) which contains lots of excerpts from diaries and letters, making it very real. (2) William J. Perry’s 'My Journey at the Nuclear Brink,' (2015) – an amazing book about nuclear weapons and why it’s time to abolish them. (3) 'Hubris: The Tragedy of War in the Twentieth Century,’ by Alistair Horne (2015) – a wonderful book, by an expert re the nature of war.”

Professor Ranney is currently writing “Lasting Peace: A Comprehensive Tripartite Plan for Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, an International Dispute Resolution System, and a UN Peace Force.”

Barbara Scherf, of Wyndmoor, is a frequent Local contributor, author, speech coach and personal historian. She runs CommunicationsPro and does PR for the Patchwork Storytelling Group. “I would give a big YES to TV producer Shonda Rhimes’ new book 'Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person' (2015). It’s both a self-help and coming-of-age tale. It began when her sister muttered to her while preparing Thanksgiving dinner, 'You never say ‘yes’ to anything.' The result is raw, honest and enjoyable. I devoured it in three sittings. With the recent passing of my mother, I’m embarking on my own year of YES, thanks, in part to Rhimes book."

No e-books for Tranda Fischelis. “I prefer hardback books, which I read by the fire in my little farmhouse in Chestnut Hill. Actually, I do as little as possible except for reading and auditing courses in architecture and art history at Penn.”

She says, “I’m absolutely happy to recommend, ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr, a 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winner. Doerr paints pictures when he writes. I don't know when I have ever been more swallowed up in a book, at least not since ‘Devil in the White City.’ Thank you for including my suggestion. Happy New Year.”

Christine Cayer, former Hill resident, now of Glenside, recommends “M Train” by Patti Smith (2015).  “Smith’s ‘Just Kids’ won a 2010 National Book Award and was wonderful. ‘M Train,’ is a different kind of memoir. It mixes present and past with interspersed dream sequences. The writing is beautiful. I will reread it many times. I also loved the novel ‘In Paradise,’ Peter Matthiessen’s last book (2014); he died a few months after its release. The setting is a Zen retreat at Auschwitz. Matthiessen was a Zen master, and attended three such retreats. It is a powerful and sad book.”

Janet Gilmore (no blood relation), a Local columnist, author, fabric artist and costumer for Stagecrafters Theater, offers two books for very different tastes. First, “I really liked ‘Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show’ by Daniel de Visé, (2015). If you loved The Andy Griffith Show, as I did (still do, in reruns) and believe that Barney Fife was one of the funniest characters ever written, as I do, this book's for you. I also loved ‘Collected Tales and Fantasies’ by Lord Berners, (1999). Gerald Berners (1883-1950) was one of those very funny, talented and aesthetic English aristocrats who wrote stories about the problems caused by bad manners, errant sex and misbehaving dogs. All his stories are wonderful, but ‘Mr. Pidger’ (about a dog of that name) is side-splittingly funny. A treat.”

Nathan Sivin, of Chestnut Hill, a retired Penn professor, writes, “I read short books on my computer when there’s no choice. I vastly prefer paper, where I can flip back and forth freely, and make marginal notes. I recommend ‘The First Bourbon: Henri IV, King of France and Navarre’ by Desmond Seward (1971). Henri reigned from 1589 to 1610. His geniality, and his solicitude for the welfare of his subjects, made him the most popular king of France. Seward is an informal but stylish writer, and a master of contemporary documents.

Professor Sivin’s own most recent book is ‘Health Care in Eleventh-Century China’ (2015).

Another Chestnut Hill author, Eugene Caffrey, (featured in a Local article last week) is a retired local businessman-turned-mystery-writer. He says, “Because I'm trying to become a mystery writer, I read a lot of high quality mystery/suspense books last year and discovered Tana French, a terrific Irish writer I enjoy. Her books, all set in Ireland, are written so well they depress me (as an aspiring writer, not a reader). I also liked ‘Brooklyn’ by Colm Toibin, on which the recent movie was based, and ‘Euphoria’ by Lily King, a fictional account of parts of Margaret Mead's work and life.”

Greg Welsh, founder of the Chestnut Hill Book Festival and co-proprietor of the Chestnut Grill, says, “My son is moving to Berlin, so I decided to read more about Germany prior to WW II. I recommend Erik Larson's ‘In The Garden of Beasts’ (2011) as a fascinating nonfiction book about our German Ambassador and his family in 1936. A footnote in another book led me to ‘Every Man Dies Alone’ by Hans Fallada (1947), a novel based on historical events, written just after the war. It’s about an ordinary working-class family's disillusionment with and resistance to the Nazi government.

Claude Epstein, a retired environmental studies professor from Wyndmoor, says, “I enjoyed ‘The Accursed Kings,’ by Maurice Druon, a series of seven novels about the history of the kings of France, from Philip the IV (1268) to Charles the Bold (1342). It describes the vicious struggles for power in the French monarchy. George R.R. Martin (author of ‘Game of Thrones’) describes it as ‘the real Game of Thrones.’ I also recommend ‘The Shardlake Tudor Mystery’ by C. J. Sansom. It consists of six novels (published 2004 to 2011). These stories center on vicious political struggles and some kind of crime. The ‘Shardlake’ of the title is a hunchbacked lawyer living during the reign of Henry the VIII who solves various crimes. There is a lot of very interesting historical detail in these novels.”

And, finally, we present the Chestnut Hill Local’s “Local Life editor” Len Lear, who writes, “The best book I read in 2015 was “The Boys from 8th and Carpenter,” by Tom Mendicino. It is the gripping story of two Italian brothers from South Philly, one gay and one straight, one hyper-successful and one not so much. You might call it a murder mystery without the mystery (since you know whodunit). The writing is brilliant, and the book is full of surprises. It could make a heck of a movie, and I especially like the fact that the ending is not predictable but still believable and satisfying.

Good luck to all the book readers out there and best wishes for a good reading year. HG

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