Harriet's Corner
The Bi-Monthly Newsletter of What to Read
Issue #7: In which she tackles some light summer reading...
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Dear Readers,
It's summer! It's time for the beach, for hiking and biking, maybe some lazy afternoons sitting in a hammock, long plane rides to any number of exotic places...all of which means summer reading! I have always looked forward to summer reading...since my days in school when the required reading was finished and the choice of books was all mine! I have begun my summer reading here in Ketchum wrapped in a fleece blanket sitting on my sofa next to the fireplace....not exactly what I was expecting... but a great place to read nonetheless. I do hope that by the time you receive my letter, the sun is back and we can all be reading in the beautiful outdoors. Weather aside, I have some marvelous, light and fun books to share with you. These are books that for the most part challenge your imagination more than your intellect.....but that's okay...it's summer!
Ironfire by David Ball (paperback, $15.00)
Those of you who read "Empires of Sand" which I recommended it in my first newsletter, know that you are in for a treat....David Ball is one amazing storyteller. This time we are in the 16th century for the Siege of Malta which resulted in a surprising defeat for the Ottomans during the final throes of the last Crusade. Malta was a barren, rocky and backward island in a strategic location. The story focuses on four main characters: Nico and Maria Borg, young Maltese brother and sister. Nico is kidnapped by an Ottoman slave ship in the early pages of the book. He is sure that the Knights of St. John (the Knights of Malta) will come to save him. His sister, who has tried every avenue to find her brother, grows into a beautiful (of course) young woman who decides that the only way out of poverty...and out of Malta was to learn to read. The third character (the villain) who actually does have a few sympathetic qualities is Don Salvago, sent by the Church to be pastor to the poor and wretched when he was really expecting a plum position in Rome. And then there is Christien deVries, the young Frenchman who joins the order of the Knights of St. John when his father will not allow him to study surgery, which was a lowly disgusting job in the 16th century. The tension among the characters mounts as tensions mount between East and West and between Islam and Christianity and climaxes in the remarkable Siege. This book is tremendously exciting and a must for any lover of historical fiction.....Trust me....I KNOW historical fiction.
Codex by Lev Grossman (paperback, $14.00)
This book is a bit of an intellectual thriller....Edward Wozny, finds himself in a bizarre world of computer games and literary riddles relating to a mysterious old tome (a codex). On a two week break between his job on Wall Street and his new job in London, the brilliant 25 year old investment banker agrees to unpack crates of old books for a former client in order to locate a book the client is desperate to find for reasons so far unbeknownst to us. As Wozny becomes obsessed with finding the book, he also becomes intrigued by an intricate and vivid computer game given to him by his former roommate. Soon reality merges with dreams and events are foretold by the computer game. There is an exciting race to uncover the facts...in both reality and game. This book has been referred to as one of the emerging genre of literary history thrillers...with stuff thrown in for the techies. A totally original novel.
Alibi by Joseph Kanon (hardcover, $26.00)
It's late 1945 and post-war Venice is a pretty gloomy place haunted by memories and guilt. Into this dark locale comes Adam Miller, a G.I. whose job is to ferret out Nazi war criminals in Germany. He comes to join his rich, widowed mother, Grace, who is trying to recapture the joy and gaiety of pre-war Europe. Grace resumes a love affair with a handsome Italian doctor and Adam falls for a beautiful young Jewish Venetian, Claudia, who did whatever she had to do to survive the war. Things move along at a lovely and lanquid pace in which we really experience all that is post-war Venice. All of that comes to an abrupt end when Claudia meets Grace's boyfriend.....Suddenly the pace picks up, there is a sensational murder and Adam is left to ponder some very major moral dilemmas. Kanon is a seductive writer....we get drawn in immediately and feel the urgency of the situations in which the characters find themselves. Miller is a flawed character...but those flaws make him human and not so different from us when we find ourselves in over our heads. Many novels of this kind lose it at the end. Not this one....the ending is a stunner.
Prince of Fire by Daniel Silva (hardcover, $25.95)
I have become totally hooked on Daniel Silva's books...particularly the series of five about the former Israeli agent, Gabriel Allon, who has gone undercover as an art restorer in Venice. "Prince of Fire" is the fifth in the Allon series. In each book, Allon's former boss comes to him to work on just one more case, deal with some unfinished business relating to Nazi war criminals, Palestinian terrorists or some rigid doctrinaire bishops intent on killing the Pope. In this book, Allon's boss, Ari Shamron seeks Allon out to let him know that his cover has been blown and he is likely targeted for assassination. Shamron urges Allon to come out of retirement yet again to track down and kill a Palestinian mastermind who is responsible for over 100 Israeli deaths in terrorist attacks in Rome and Argentina. What makes Allon different from other spies and political assassins is that although he has killed, he has a conscience.....his angst and his desire for revenge is boldly shown on every page. The revenge is for a horrific attack on his family in an earlier book from which Allon cannot ever recover and is the event that has shaped Allon into the character he is. Amidst the fast paced excitement of this espionage thriller, we get to know a man of compassion, flaws and all. Without sermonizing, Silva delves into the deep seeded hatreds and fears in the Middle East. He has a great narrative style and keeps the tension high throughout the novel. Once you read this, you will definitely want to read the other Gabriel Allon books. It is not necessary to read them in order. However, it is extremely interesting to see how Silva develops as a writer and how his main character develops greater depth with each book. The others are all available in paperback. Here they are in chronological order: "The Kill Artist", The English Assassin", "The Confessor" and "A Death in Vienna".
Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte (hardcover, $23.95)
After what I considered a disappointing slide for Mr. Perez-Reverte, I am happy to report that he is back in top form with "Captain Alatriste".....and the good news is that this is the first of a five book series featuring the Captain. (The five are already bestsellers in the author's native Spain). This time we are in 17th century Spain. Alatriste is a veteran of the Flemish wars and finds himself back in Madrid as a swordsman for hire. When he is hired by representatives of the Holy Inquisition to kill two mysterious Englishmen, the story explodes into a face paced thriller with enough history and action to keep one turning pages at a furious rate. Amidst all the action, the author is able to really bring his characters to life. They are multi-dimensional....the swashbuckling (I just love that word!) Captian even has a touching soft spot in his heart for the son of a comrade felled in battle. That same young man is a ward of the Captain and the narrator of the novel. A completely entertaining way to spend a few afternoons!
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (paperback, $11.95)
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return (hardcover, $17.95, pb due in August)
by Marjane Satrapi
I just finished the second volume of what I really consider one book. When I finished "Persepolis" I just couldn't wait to get my hands on "Persepolis 2". These books are graphic narratives.....which is what we used to call comic books....BUT, be warned, there is nothing comic about these books. The author/illustrator tells the story of growing up in Iran at the time of the overthrow of the Shah and the birth of the Islamic Republic. Ms. Satrapi, fortunately, had very liberal, open-minded parents who send her to school in Europe at age fourteen, since education in Iran had become nothing but religious indoctrination.....and also because they feared for the safety of their outspoken daughter. Ms. Satrapi returns to Iran in the second volume. This narrative gives us a total insider's look at the revolution and what it did to the people and the country. There are very humorous moments and very poignant and tragic ones as well. I love the format! Having not read a comic book since Archie and Veronica oh so many years ago....it took me a few pages to get accustomed to reading AND looking at the pictures. But I did, and what is really amazing is that the text is very simple and the the drawings are very simple....but together they convey an astounding depth of emotion. A wonderful achievement by Ms. Satrapi!
It has been a while since I have come across a really fine entry for my francophile category...but this book was worth the wait!
A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke (hardcover, $22.95)
This is the story of a young Brit brought to Paris to do marketing for a chain of English teashops that are soon to open. Thus begins a comedy of manners and a close look at the idiosyncratic and classic behavior of the French. The more you know about the French, the more you will appreciate this book. This is truly a laugh out loud book.....I was reading it on the plane to Lincoln, Nebraska and felt a little silly since I could not control my loud laughter. (Why I was on a plane to Lincoln instead of to Paris is a story for another time and place.)
And don't forget.....the very best gift item in the valley is Betsy Pearson's A Sun Valley Journal! Betsy's charming watercolors grace the pages of this sweet little book......IF you haven't yet seen it....rush right in to have a look! It makes the best keepsake of a trip to sun Valley.
Join the Iconoclast staff in Ketchum or in Hailey at midnight on July 16. The new Harry Potter book goes on sale at exactly the stroke of midnight!!
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