Debbie's Picks

David Westin worked as the president of ABC news from 1997-2010. In Exit Interview, Westin takes the reader behind the scenes of a chaotic newsroom and presents a candid account of how the media presents the news. Westin divides the book into chapters of noteworthy news events that occurred during his tenure. The news events include Princess Diana’s death, the Monica Lewinsky scandal, the tied 2000 presidential election, the 9/11 attacks, conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and more. He uses the particular news event to highlight points he chooses to make about the news industry and journalism. Westin shares his role as president of ABC news as he decides what news to report, when to report it, how to present it and how to get the facts right. Westin’s underlying question remains – Is it possible for journalists to be both good at their jobs and people of good moral character? The journalistic questions asked and answered are thought provoking and eye opening. This book is a good read for someone casually interested in television news as well as someone pursuing a career, or currently working in the world of journalism. A fascinating read!

I find it hard to describe the quirkiness behind the characters and story of this wonderful novel. It is clever, funny, compelling and a real page turner. As the Wall Street Journal wrote “Entirely winning…a refreshingly weird story about the exuberant weirdness of familial love.” Sunny and Maxon are a young married couple each with their own twisted histories. Nonetheless, Sunny is determined to be a “normal” wife and mom while Maxon is content to be the intelligent, socially unbalanced scientist who is selected to be an astronaut on a NASA mission to the moon programing robots to a new colony. They have an autistic son whom their views on are very different. The characters are strange and likeable. Their relationship is full of a deeper understanding of each other than either realizes. I wanted the best for these two misfits who made me want to read ever faster to understand their unwavering connection to each other.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as the story of Seating Arrangements unfolded. The story takes place over a three day period on a small New England island where two families and friends gather for a wedding. The cast of characters are pleasantly quirky and the relationships that ensue are surprisingly hysterical and occasionally pathetic. This is a story is about family, fidelity, and social class. The writing is fresh, witty, and succinct. I loved it!

This book is a beautifully written story. The Heart of Hearing Heartbeats is a love story between a young blind man and a very brave young woman. The two have a special bond which is later broken. The story is told through the eyes of Julia, the man’s adult daughter. After her father disappears, Julia returns to his homeland of Burma to learn the truth about her father’s past. Julia makes incredible discoveries that further shape the depth of her father’s love to this special woman he once knew. The story is somewhat of a mystery and keeps the reader wondering until the end. This is a book that evokes compassion, curiosity and awe. I loved it and did not want it to end.

The “Line” is literally a line in front of a kiosk in which Russian citizens wait for what they believe is to buy tickets for a one time performance by a famous exiled composer returning to the city. The concert date is unknown, and so is the date that the tickets will go on sale. But, the characters still wait – creating a system in which numbers are given out and shifts are devised to cover the time in line. As the seasons change and the kiosk remains shut, the group of strangers evolves into a community bound together in their desire to experience something wonderful. The characters are well developed and the plot is fascinating. I really enjoyed this unique story.

A historical fiction novel that takes place in worn torn Italy in 1943. Seventeen year old Giovanni Bellini lives in a village in Tuscany with her parents on their picturesque vineyard. Giovanna’s life is turned upside down as German forces invade the peaceful village. The beauty of the Italian countryside is contrasted against the tension and mixed loyalties that the people of this village experience. The Golden Hour is a fascinating read with rich characters and memorable landscapes.

Laura Bell gives the reader a memoir full of rich words and a fascinating journey.  I really enjoyed this book.  As a young adult Laura moves from a traditional upbringing in the northeast to small town Wyoming where she gets a job as a sheep herder.   Bell welcomes the desolate landscape and the demanding nature of the job.  She   meets memorable friends and becomes involved in a relationship that makes her the stepmother of 2 teenage girls.  The relationships, the solitude, the landscape and the challenging physical work force Bell to come to terms with her past, her parents and her decision to escape all that was safe and predictable.  The writing is beautiful and descriptive.  The book reads with a rhythm that is comforting and engaging.  A really great read.

Another great read from Carlos Ruiz Zafon, author of the bestseller, Shadow of the Wind. The Angel’s Game grabs and holds the reader from the first pages. Set in Barcelona,Spain, Zafon takes the reader into a dark, gothic universe, creating an adventure of intrigue, romance and tragedy. This is the story of a young writer, David Martin, obsessed with books, paralyzed with a passion for a woman he cannot have, and determined to penetrate the mystery surrounding the “tower” he calls home. Zafon creates doubt in the reader as to what is part of his story line and what is part of the story being written by the main characer, David Martin. I was fascintaed by this book and could not wait to get home each night to read it!

This is a stand alone title from the famed author of The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency. In La’s Orchestra McCall Smith writes a sweet story of a young woman during WWII who flees London to escape war and a ruined marriage. She moves to a small town where she learns to accept the ways of strangers and finds herself starting an orchestra full of misfits. The characters are delightfully presented and the simple story leaves the reader with a smile. If you liked Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, you should read this book.

 

 

 

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Debbie's Past Picks

Open is a fascinating story and an interesting portrayal of an athlete’s “coming of age”. Andre Agassi tells the story of how he became an incredible tennis player , how he hated the game, and how he found meaning and purpose in his life through the game of tennis. Agassi is not always a likeable person, and he’s the first to admit it. Much of what he writes about himself is not flattering. He bares his soul and the reader cannot help but rooting for him. As a tennis player, I especially liked the way Agassi writes about his matches – dissecting the points and his opponents. I enjoyed reading Agassi’s honest opinion of the other tennis greats he competed against and how much he depended on the trainers and staff who surrounded him during 21 years of tennis. Agassi learns to use his natural talents and personal frustrations for charitable work that allows him to give back and find purpose for his tennis feats. This is a compelling read! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Walls writes this magnificent, true-life novel based on her no-nonsense, resourceful, hardworking, and spectacularly compelling grandmother.

The author captures  the scenic beauty and lonely isolation of rural Idaho during the 1960s. Barnes’ style of writing is soothing and mesmerizing.  This book is beautifully written with complex, flawed characters and an unpredictable and fascinating plot.

In this historical fiction novel, the reader sees a chapter of history many are not aware of or choose to forget. In July 1942, the great Volodrome d’Hiver roundup occurred in the heart of Paris whereby Jewish families were removed from their homes and sent to “camps” from which most never returned. The author,  Tatiana DeRosny , effectively alternates between present Paris, France where an American journalist is researching a news story about the French roundup and 1942  through the eyes of a 10 year old girl, Sarah, who is taken with her family from her apartment in Paris to the camps.  Both stories are captivating – I could not put this book down.  In her research, the American journalist discovers that her life is intertwined with Sarah’s.  The theme throughout is secrets which keep the reader turning pages to find the answers and to understand the characters actions.

This book is based on the extraordinary final lecture by Carnegie Mellon University professor Randy Pausch, given after he discovered he had pancreatic cancer.  One expects to be sad and depressed reading this book, but this is not the case.  Pausch writes his last lecture to his young children to share with them the good things in his life.  I found his words inspirational and his message to enjoy each day and experience as positive and uplifting.