Friday 5ive- September 10, 2021

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a weekly(ish) blog post featuring five things that caught my attention during the week. I took a long weekend last week, I hope you didn't miss me too much.

1) I'm not a beer drinker at all, but while we were at our favorite lunch spot in Cortez, Tide Tables, we saw a bartender pouring a pitcher of beer from this cool looking tap. It had a pelican head on top that read "Strawberry Orange Mimosa" from South Beach Brewing Company. The bartender gave us a taste and you would swear you were drinking a mimosa (which I like) not a beer (which I don't like). It was light, but contains 5% alcohol so these would sneak up on you pretty fast. I finally found a beer I would enjoy!

2) We had a tasting for a dinner we're hosting at Gotham Hall in October. The new hors 'oeuvres were all fantastic-  a pumpkin mousse tart with goat cheese, fig and pistachio, a duck spring roll with a sake plum glaze, sunny side up blt topped with a quail egg , and a short rib rigatoni. The big winner of the tasting was eggplant meatballs, served over zucchini noodles topped with a marinara sauce. We are not vegetarian, but we would consider serving this a main entree instead of beef, that's how tasty this was. 

3)  I haven't watched Dancing With The Stars in ages, but I will be throwing all my votes to Cody Rigsby when the show returns on Monday. Cody is one of my favorite Peloton cycling instructors, he never fails to make me laugh when I take one of his classes. I hope all the millions of Peloton riders show up to support Cody. 

4) We watched The Chair on Netflix, a six episode series about Ji-Yoon, the first woman of color to head an English department at a prestigious university. The English department is losing enrollment and some of the older professors don't understand how (or care) to reach their students. The cast is fantastic: Sandra Oh is Ji-Yoon, Jay Duplass, Bob Balaban and Holland Taylor (who is phenomenal as always) are professors at the university. The show deals with the current cancel culture, single motherhood, and our society's celebrity fascination, among other topics. We really enjoyed it. 

5) I read three really terrific books. Deanne Quinn Miller's The Prison Guard's Daughter shares her story as the daughter of Billy Quinn, the only corrections officer killed by inmates during the Attica Prison Riot in 1971, the worst prison riot in US history. Twenty-nine inmates and ten officers were killed by state troopers and prison guards during the violent retaking of the prison. Quinn Miller describes her decades long search as a member of the FVOA (Forgotten Victims of Attica) for justice for the widows and survivors of the riot. The FVOA wanted an apology (still waiting for that), counseling made available, and monetary compensation equivalent to what the inmates received in their settlement with New York State. It's a stunning book, cowritten by Gary Craig, a reporter for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. My full review publishes in The Citizen (Auburnpub.com) on September 26th. 

The beach was the perfect place to read Taylor Jenkins Reid's newest novel, Malibu Rising. It's the story of four adult children of 1950's mega-crooner (think Sinatra) Mick Riva. In 1983, Nina Riva, the oldest daughter of Mick Riva, is preparing to host her annual summer bash at her cliffside mansion in Malibu. Her tennis superstar husband has just left her, and she is getting tired of being known as the hot chick surfer with the best selling calendar. Her brother Jay's surfing career is going great, brother Hud is hiding a big secret from Jay, and youngest sister Kit hopes she'll be kissed for the first time at the party. The book moves back and forth in time from the children's childhood being raised alone by their mother June to an hour-by-hour chapter-by-chapter decription of a party that becomes so out of control, Nina's home ends up in flames. Jenkins Reid pulls the reader in with her story and her characters are so well drawn. I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and Jenkins Reid tops that book with this book of the summer. 

Speaking of rising, Katherine Heiny's novel, Early Morning Riser, may just be my favorite book of the year. When new second grade teacher Jane locks herself out of her home, Duncan the town locksmith comes to her aid and doesn't leave. They become a couple, and Jane learns that Duncan is the town lothario, having dated pretty much every woman within a 50 mile radius. Along with Duncan comes his ex-wife Aggie (gorgeous and a great cook but bossy), her new husband Gary (an oddball) and Jimmy, a man who works with Duncan and lives with his elderly mother. The story begins in 2002 and takes us through 2018 as Jane tries not to love Duncan and fails, and when a tragedy brings him back into her life, she realizes it's the family you choose who make you who you are. The characters become your friends, the writing has such humor and warmth, you just want to move to the small town of Boyne City, Michigan (the 21st century version of Mayberry) and hang out with them all. Early Morning Riser is the kind of book that restores your faith in humanity. 

I hope you are all safe and healthy, that you wash your hands, wear a mask, and stay socially distant when possible and that you are vaccinated to protect those who can't be vaccinated yet. It's the only way out of this bad situation.

Two Novels by Wonderful Writers

Reprinted from the Citizen:

March is set aside to celebrate Women’s History Month, and in that spirit, this month’s Book Report will feature novels written by women and set in different time periods.

Elizabeth McCracken’s “Bowlaway” begins at the turn of the 20th century in small New England town of Salford, Massachusetts. A woman named Bertha Truitt is found unconscious in the town cemetery with a bowling ball, a candlepin and some gold bars on her person. 

The entire town is curious as to where Bertha came from, but she either doesn’t know or won’t tell. She marries an African-American doctor, Leviticus Sprague, and opens a candlepin bowling alley in the town. (Apparently, this was a very New England activity.)

She hires two men, Joe and Jeptha, who are considered outcasts in the town. They are fiercely loyal to Bertha, and even when Bertha encourages the town’s women to bowl at the alley, people come to accept this unusual woman and her ways.

Bertha and Leviticus have a baby girl whom they dote on. When Bertha dies in a bizarre accident, Leviticus falls apart and sends the young child away to live with his family. Soon, a man named Nahum shows up claiming to be Bertha’s son from a previous marriage and wants to claim the bowling alley as his inheritance.

This intense story weaves its way through the years. We follow the large cast of characters throughout their lives, all revolving around the bowling alley. McCracken writes the novel with some magical elements within it, and it is a unique story, but she is such an amazing storyteller the reader becomes captivated by it.

Her characters and their journeys are fascinating and heartbreaking. We see how the past influences the present, and how secrets and choices can have such lasting consequences. McCracken’s writing is just stunning and lovely, and this book has received much critical praise.

“Bowlaway” is not for everyone, but if you are looking for a big, sprawling story set in a small bowling alley with characters who are unforgettable, definitely give it a try. McCracken’s previous book, “The Giant’s House,” also featured characters that are outside the societal norms, and is just as wonderful.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s last book, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,”  (my review here) featured an Elizabeth Taylor-like movie star, and her story as told by a young journalist who has been chosen by Hugo to write her biography. It was fabulous and garnered much critical praise. 

Her latest novel, “Daisy Jones & the Six,” is about a 1970s rock band, similar to Fleetwood Mac, who have a meteoric rise and fall after releasing a monster-sized hit album. This story also involves a journalist who writes this book as a series of interviews with members of the band, their producers, friends and others.

Billy Dunne begins a rock band with his brother Graham in their hometown of Pittsburgh. They eventually end up in Los Angeles, where they begin to have some success. Billy writes most of the songs and wants to be the one with final say on everything, something that rankles others in the band (now called The Six), including Graham.

Daisy Jones is gorgeous and a terrific singer. She signs with The Six’s record company and struggles with the fact that she wants to record the songs she has written, but the record producers want her to sing something else. Daisy also drinks too much and ingests too many drugs, and she has no one looking out for her, save her friend Simone (a Donna Summer-like singer).

The record company has Daisy sing a duet with Billy, and the song becomes a huge hit. Soon, Daisy joins the band and they become known as Daisy Jones & the Six, which angers Billy. The band tours arenas throughout the U.S. and Europe, and we see their love affairs, shifting alliances and fights as they become one of the biggest bands in the world.

Through the interviews we see how everyone feels throughout this, including Billy’s alcoholism and struggle to stay sober and faithful to his wife, Daisy’s drug use and many men, and the other band members' frustration at being left out of the creative process. It’s interesting to see everyone’s perspective on events, such as their first big album cover photo shoot.

If you have a worn-out copy of Fleetwood Mac’s famous album “Rumours” in a closet at home, “Daisy Jones & the Six” is for you.

If you read

BOOK: “Bowlaway” by Elizabeth McCracken

GRADE: A

PUBLISHER: Ecco

COST: Hardcover, $27.99

LENGTH: 384 pages

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BOOK: “Daisy Jones & the Six”

GRADE: A-

PUBLISHER: Random House

COST: Hardcover, $27

LENGTH: 368 pages

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Diane La Rue is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and blogs about books at http://bookchickdi.blogspot.com. You can follow her on Twitter @bookchickdi, and she can be emailed at laruediane2000@yahoo.com.

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published by Random House ISBN 9781524798622
Hardcover, $27, 336 pages

Last year I read Taylor Jenkins Reid's wonderful novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and loved it. Her take on an Elizabeth Taylor-like character was so engrossing, I couldn't put it down. So when I heard that her new novel Daisy Jones & the Six was publishing, I put it on the top of my To Be Read list.

Daisy Jones & the Six is a take on a Fleetwood Mac-like band. It is written as a series of interviews with the band members, producers, friends and others, so you get everybody's point of view to the meteoric rise and fall of a rock band.

Daisy Jones wanted to be known as a singer-songwriter, and with her gorgeous look and voice, she quickly garnered attention of men. She also used and abused drugs and alcohol and looked for love in the wrong places.

Billy Dunne started a band called The Six with his brother Graham in their Pittsburgh hometown and build a solid following, eventually signing with a record company. He fell in love with Camilla, and even through the physical separations of him on tour and with his alcoholism, they managed to marry and start a family.

When the record company had Daisy sing a song with The Six, it was lightning in a bottle. Daisy joined the band and wanted to contribute her own songs to the band, something that the controlling Billy wanted no part of. But when their album becomes a monster hit and they have a sold-out arena tour, there is no going back, through the love affairs, breakups and band fights.

Writing the book as a series of interviews works very well here, and at the end of the book you discover why it was written that way. You see the ups and downs of being in the music business from a first-hand perspective.

Jenkins Reid also includes the lyrics  (that she wrote) to all of the songs from their breakout album and reading them feels like songs from the 1970s California rock scene. I wondered if someone will eventually put them to music.

We may find the answer to that- Reese Witherspoon has optioned the book to turn into a 13-part TV series on Amazon. This book is tailor-made for a TV series and I for one can't wait. If you had a worn put copy of Fleetwood Mac's album Rumours, Dais Jones & the Six is for you.

Three Great Titles for the End of Summer

Reprinted from auburnpub.com:

It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over. If you want to get in some good last minute reading before the leaves begin to change, this month’s Book Report has a few suggestions.

Don Winslow is best known for his crime thrillers, (“Cartel”) set on the West coast. His latest novel, “The Force” is set in New York City, and it is a propulsive, action-packed crime novel that will leave you breathless.

Denny Malone is the leader of the Manhattan North Special Task Force, known as “Da Force”. They are the alpha cops, the ones you see on the news, making big drug, gun and gang busts, putting the bad guys behind bars and making Northern Manhattan safer. “If there was a secret Da Force didn’t know about, it was because it hadn’t been whispered about or even thought about yet.” 

“Da Force” are supposed to be the good guys, but when the temptation of all that drug money and their desire to provide a good lives for their families collide, trouble follows. The novel opens with hero cop Malone behind bars himself in federal lockup with a big decision to make- protect his family or his partners.

The novel then tells how Malone got there, and it whips along at a breakneck pace. Winslow so submerges the reader into the grittier parts of Upper Manhattan, you actually feel like you’re right there along with him. And if you think only the cops are dirty, let’s just say that no one gets out of this unscathed.

Stephen King calls “The Force” “The Godfather, only with cops”, and that may be the best blurb I have ever read. It utterly describes the vibe you get from reading this heart-pounding book. Winslow dedicates this novel to the law enforcement personnel who lost their lives during the time he wrote the book, and names them all- the list is two and half pages and is a sobering beginning to this outstanding book, which I highly recommend.

Author Susan Elia MacNeal’s WWII heroine Maggie Hope returns in her seventh adventure in “The Paris Spy”. Maggie goes undercover working with the Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive in Paris during the German occupation. 

Her work is extremely dangerous, and when an agent who has valuable information about the pending Allied invasion is captured, Maggie and two of her colleagues must find that information and get it back to England, all while looking for the traitor in their midst.

Maggie must also deal with competing intelligence agencies who don’t trust each other, and she has a personal mission- find her missing sister, who was liberated from a concentration camp and hasn’t been seen since.

Maggie and her cohorts risk their lives, and there are many tense scenes in this outstanding entry in this historical mystery. At the end of the book, Maggie faces a troubling decision, one that will resonate in the next book, which I can’t wait to read.

MacNeal does impeccable research for her novels, and “The Paris Spy” is no different. She includes an Historical Notes section at the end, which is fascinating to any WWII history buff, and she gives the reader a list of books she consulted, in case you want to continue your own historical reading.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” may put people in mind of Elizabeth Taylor. Evelyn Hugo was a glamorous movie star during the glory days of Hollywood, beloved by millions and married to seven men. She has been out of the limelight for years, and an interview with her is coveted by many people. 

Only Hugo knows why she chose a relatively unknown reporter to secretly write her biography, each chapter about one of her seven husbands. Throughout the story, we find out that the love of Hugo’s life was not one of her husbands, but a complete surprise, a relationship she kept hidden from the public out of fear.

The characters in this fascinating novel are so well-drawn, particularly Hugo herself. She is a larger-than-life movie star and she jumps off the page as she tells her amazing story. It reminded me of Adriana Trigiani’s “All The Stars In The Heavens”, and if you are a Turner Classics Movie fan, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” is a must-read. It’s a heartbreaker.

“The Force” by Don Winslow- A+

Published by WilliamMorrow

Hardcover, $27.99, 482 pages

“The Paris Spy” by Susan Elia MacNeal- A+

Published by Bantam

Hardcover, $26, 301 pages

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”- A

Published by Washington Square Press

Hardcover, $26, 400 pages