Friday 5ive- May 15, 2020

Welcome to the Friday 5ive, a blog post about five things that caught my attention this week. The weather is finally getting warmer and more people are out and about. Please wear your face masks and stay six feet apart.

1) Speaking of social distancing, I saw this sign posted at The Corner Deli, a Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood. "Space Is Your Amigo"

2)  I continued my study of people's bookshelves on TV news, and a lot of my bookish friends are giving high praise to Dr. Anthony Fauci's background. We particularly enjoyed the books stacked neatly on the floor behind him as many of us have the same thing going on in our homes.

3) If anyone is looking for a lovely gift to send to a sick family member or friend, I can highly recommend this gift package from A Spoonful Of Comfort. We received one yesterday as a thank you, and it came with a huge jar of the most delicious chicken soup I have ever had, rolls, and chocolate chip cookies. It even came with a beautiful ladle! 

4)  Sunday was Mother's Day, and we had a lovely takeout dinner from Sergio's Ristorante in Pelham. We called to place an order, they gave us a time slot to come pick it up. While we waited outside in our car for them to bring our dinner, they gave us a Cosmopolitan. Our food was delicious, we had veal, chicken, and shared a risotto and clams casino. I highly recommend them if you are in the area. 

Cheers!

5) I just finished Colm McCann's Apeirogon yesterday, and it is an astonishing novel about two real men, one an Israeli and one a Palestinian, who each lost a daughter to violence in the West Bank. It took me awhile to finish it (it's nearly 500 pages long), and it will be on my Most Compelling Books of 2020 for sure. It is thought-provoking and heartbreaking. My full review will post soon.

On the lighter side, I read Aimee Agresti's The Summer Set, about a summer theater in the Berkshires. Since we can't go to the theater, this is the next best thing. The characters are interesting, and if you like Shakespeare, you'll find some of the same things from his comedies- misunderstandings, love triangles, humor, young love, and frenemies. My full review is here.

I hope you all stay safe, healthy, and home. 

The Summer Set by Aimee Agresti

The Summer Set by Aimee Agresti
Published by Graydon House ISBN 9781525823589
Trade paperback, $17.99, 384 pages

With the world just shut down, there is no live theater to enjoy, and summer theater camps may not open. If you are someone who is missing that, Aimee Agresti's new novel, The Summer Set, just might fill that void.

Charlotte "Charlie" Savoy is a former stage and movie actress who left acting behind. She owns an art movie house in Boston, and leads a low profile life, until the day she accidentally drives her car in to Boston Harbor, while under the influence of sleeping pills.

At her court hearing, she is sentenced to 60 days of community service at Chamberlain Summer Theater, which wouldn't be bad, but it happens to be the theater run by her former lover and director, Nick Blunt. Nick and Charlie had a successful collaboration and relationship until they made a disasterous movie that tanked critically and at the box office.

Charlie has a fiery personality, and she was known as a "wild child" back in the day.  She comes into the Chamberlain ready to shake things up as they stage Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer's Night Dream and The Tempest. Nick needs Charlie's name to help him save the theater. He is desperate to find investors, and if he can't, the theater will close for good.

Nick also still loves Charlie and he has high hopes to win her back. Charlie wants nothing to do with Nick, but being back at the theater reignites her love of acting and more. She takes a young intern under her wing, and reconnects with people she enjoyed working with back in the day.

The Summer Set will bring back fond memories for anyone who worked at summer theater. The highlight of this breezy, charming novel is the staging of the shows. You can feel the excitement and tension in the air as they ready for "places" on opening night.

The characters could be from Shakespeare's comedies- there are love triangles, misunderstandings, young love, and frenemies. I enjoyed the Filmography and IMDB entry for Charlie, it put a nice button on the end of this enjoyable story.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on Aimee Agresti's tour.