BAD MARIE is too good to put down

Some books grab you right away and others slowly seduce the reader. Marcy Dermansky's novel, Bad Marie, gets you from the first sentence, "Sometimes, Marie got a little drunk at work".

Marie is a nanny to her childhood friend Ellen's two-year-old daughter Caitlin. Ellen is a high-powered, hard-charging career woman, and Marie had recently been released after six years in prison for aiding her boyfriend who robbed a bank.

Marie loves Caitlin, but when she falls asleep in the bathtub with Caitlin and Ellen and her husband come home, Marie is fired. But not before she seduces the husband, the author of a book that Marie compulsively read in prison. The book, about a suicidal teenage girl who falls in love with a sick sea lion, was a lifeline for Marie, who identified with the girl.

Dermansky has created a unique character in Marie; she is all id, with no thought to the consequences of her actions. She never thinks beyond the immediate. It's almost child-like, like Caitlin. I wanted to dislike Marie, and should have, but I found it impossible.

I couldn't believe the situations that Marie found herself in, dragging the young Caitlin in tow. This is a book that you will find yourself whipping through to find out what could possibly happen next, yet it is not a plot driven book. It is all about Marie, who is she and how she came to be that way.

Water plays a large role in the book; Marie likes to takes baths, but it seems she can never truly cleanse herself. The character in her favorite novel kills herself by walking into the sea.

Men fare poorly in this novel. Marie's bank robber boyfriend kills himself in prison; the seduced husband is a weak man, and a fraud. Even the hero movie star turns out to be a cad.

Bad Marie is a quick read; the author wastes no words, they are all deliberately chosen to excellent effect. She has said that she was heavily influenced by French films, and the reader can see that influence in this stunning novel. Marie is a role that actresses would kill to play.

Rating 4.5 of 5

Thanks to Harper Perennial for providing an ARC of this book.

Broadway's next fall

The cast of next fall

I finally got the chance to see next fall, nominated for Best Play at this year's Tony Awards. Written by Geoffrey Nauffts, the play so impressed Elton John that he and his partner/husband David Furnish produced the show.

The play was wonderful, so poignant and funny, it is a shame it has closed. The ensemble of actors, Patrick Breen, Maddie Corman, Sean Dugan, Patrick Heusinger, Connie Ray and Cotter Smith, have been deservedly acclaimed for their performances. It reminded me of last season's The Norman Conquests in that way; the relationship between the actors was real and in the moment.

Breen merits special recognition for his portrayal of Adam, who is a 40-something sad sack of a guy. He works in a candle store owned by his friend, Holly, and just can't seem to get his life together. He can hardly believe his luck when 20-something cater waiter/actor Luke becomes his live-in boyfriend.

Luke (Heusinger) is a fundamental Christian who struggles with homosexuality; he often prays after sex and that freaks Adam out.   He hides who he is from his bigoted/racist father for fear that he will not be able to see his younger brother if his family knows he is gay. He tells Adam that he will come out to his family "next fall", when his brother is in college. But next fall never seems to come.

Smith is remarkable as Luke's bigoted, good ol' Southern boy father. He manages to make the father somewhat likeable, and when he uses a vile racial epithet in one scene, the audience audibly gasped.

Luke is involved in a bad car accident and is in a coma. Luke's father, and his mother, Arlene (the amazing Connie Ray) fly to New York, unaware that Adam and Luke have been living together for four years. Much of the action takes place in a hospital waiting room, and anyone who has been there will recognize the powerful dynamics among the loved ones there.

I really enjoyed the flashbacks to Adam and Luke's relationship. Watching it you realize that love and relationships are basically the same, no matter who is in them. People want to be loved and supported by the one who loves them.

 There are so many big things in this play- the meaning of family, love, friendship, loyalty, the role of religion- I found myself thinking about it long after the play ended. The ending is so sad, I sobbed all the way back to the subway.

Friday Five- Volume 5

This week's Friday Five is:
Five Cool Things I've Done in the Last Two Weeks

1. Meeting Pat Benatar- 80s rock superstar Pat Benatar signed copies of her autobiography, Between a Heart and a Rock Place, at the Fifth Ave. Barnes & Noble. No photos were allowed, darn it, but it was so cool to meet her. She is very down-to-earth, and her book is fantastic. I love her music, and have lots of her songs on my Ipod. And she used to eat at our favorite neighborhood diner, Green Kitchen!

2. Meeting the cast of Broadway's Lend Me a Tenor- The cast did a Q&A at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle, and I learned that while watching a farce is very funny, talking about it, not necessarily so. The show is very funny, and it was pretty cool to meet Tony Shaloub (TV's Monk, my mother-in-law's favorite), his wife actress Brooke Adams, Justin Bartha (who is terrific in this show), Jay Klaitz and the incomparable Jan Maxwell, who was nominated for a Tony for her role. If you get the chance to see this show before it closes on August 15th, do so. You will laugh your self silly.

3. Meeting author Carolyn Parkhurst- Parkhurst wrote the devastatingly sad Dogs of Babel, which still haunts me, as well as Lost and Found, which I listened to (narrated by the brilliant Blair Brown) on my Ipod when I used to walk my dog Malcolm.  Her new book is The Nobodies Album, which is another incredible, unique novel. She is not one of those authors who writes a book a year, but the wait for her novels is so worth it. I was disappointed that there weren't more people at the reading, she is one of the best authors working today.

4. Meeting the cast of Broadway's Million Dollar Quartet-  The cast of this show performed three songs from the cast recording at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle. The show is about Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis singing together at Sun Studios in Memphis. They rocked out the place, singing "Blue Suede Shoes" gospel song "Down by the Riverside" and "Great Balls of Fire".  The performers look so young, and Tony winner Levi Kreis, (Jerry Lee Lewis) looks so much like Harry Connick Jr. they could be brothers. And Lance Guest (Johnny Cash) when not in costume, reminded me of Brad Garrett from Everybody Loves Raymond. 

5. Meeting the cast of Broadway's Promises, Promises- Sean Hayes is the funniest man on the planet. Everything that comes out of his mouth is hilarious, and he moderated a Q&A with the cast that was wonderful. Kristin Chenoweth is lovely and so sweet, she spoke so kindly to all of the fans who showed up (and there were over 300 of them- the crowd rivaled the one who came for Liza Minnelli's CD signing last year). Waiting in line over 2 1/2 hours was worth it see this fun-filled event.

Enter to Win Jennifer Weiner's FLY AWAY HOME

So Many Books, So Little Time is giving a copy of Jennifer Weiner's new book,  Fly Away Home.

Contest details here.

Friday Five- Volume 4

This week's Friday Five are five things that made me go WOW.

1. Broadway Boys-  Broadway Boys are six Broadway singers, all tenors, who sang  the most beautiful rendition of "Defying Gravity" from Wicked that it gave me goosebumps. I saw them at the Sirius XM Radio's Live on Broadway taping on Wednesday, and I just saw that they are going to be at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle on July 6th at 5pm. I will be there!

2. Million Dollar Quartet- the performers from Broadway's Million Dollar Quartet performed three songs at the CD signing at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle, and they had the audience almost out of their seats as they sang Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On". I can't wait to see that show.

3. Skinny Cow's Chocolate Fudge Truffle Bar- I can't believe anything this rich and tasty is only 100 calories.  And it's Best Life Approved by Oprah's diet guru Bob Greene.

4. Emma Donoghue's upcoming novel Room- I got an advanced reader copy of Emma Donoghue's Room at BEA, and it took but a few hours to read this incredible, heartbreaking novel. Told from the point of  view of a five-year-old boy who is being held hostage in a room with his mother (who was kidnapped at the age of 19), it has drawn comparisons to The Lovely Bones, but I think it is even better.
The book comes out in September, and I will definitely be reviewing it before then. It is the best book I have read this year.

5. The lobster roll from Luke's Lobster- A new restaurant opened up a few blocks from my apartment, on 81st between 2nd & 3rd Ave., and Luke's Lobster has the most amazing lobster roll. Just a touch of mayonnaise, a little butter and seasoned just right, this is a special lunch treat. It's a little pricey at $14, but worth it.

Naughty Nellie Oleson

Though I wasn't  a big fan of TV's Little House on the Prairie, (I did however, love the books as young girl), I had heard such good things about Alison Arngrim's memoir Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being a Bitch, that I felt compelled to attend a book signing and discussion last week at Borders Columbus Circle store in NYC, and boy, am I glad I did.

The overflow audience was filled with uber fans of the show, and they showed their love to Arngrim when she arrived. Arngrim portrayed Nellie Oleson, the rich mean girl nemesis of adorable Laura Ingalls, played by Melissa Gilbert.

Arngrim enthusiastically greeted the audience, and asked if she should read from the book, or just take questions from the audience. Though most wanted to ask questions, she acquiesced and read from a few chapters.

Arngrim is a funny lady, and she has a standup act to prove it. She answered many questions from excited fans, who asked mostly about other cast members  of the show and where they are today. Most of  the cast seems to keep in touch, with the notable exception of Melissa Sue Anderson, who from reading Arngrim's book, should have played the stuck up Nellie Oleson character.

I immediately went home to read the book because Arngrim was so interesting at the signing.  (And who can resist that title?) Arngrim's parents were involved in show business; her mom was a very successful voiceover artist, working as the voices of Gumby and Sweet Polly Purebred from the Underdog cartoons.  Dad was a public relations agent, though not as successful. Oh yeah, and he was gay, but that was never really discussed too much.

After a start in Canada, they move to Los Angeles. Alison's older brother got work as a young actor, but when work dried up for him as he got older, he became abusive to his younger sister, beating her and sexually abusing her. Alison tried to tell her parents, but they did not want to hear it.

Alison survived it, and when she got the part of Nellie Oleson, she spent most of her days working and away from her drug addled brother. Argrim recalls getting the part because she understood that Nellie was a bitch. Creator Michael Landon and another producer of the show howled when Alison read a line in a bitchy tone that aced the audition for her.

Arngrim gives the reader an insider's view of working on Little House. She and Melissa Gilbert became good friends, visiting each other's homes. She describes working with Michael Landon, who fought for his vision of the show, and had his hand in every aspect of the show, from writing to costumes.

Landon has been described by others as difficult, and Arngrim doesn't shy away from sharing his demanding personality. But she credits him with teaching the young actors the importance of being on time, learning lines, and not expecting special treatment. He expected them to work as hard as anyone else, and they have a saying about how none of the Little House young actors succumbed to the troubled lives of other child actors: "No arrests, no convictions".

Arngrim is a terrific writer, and her her bubbly personality shines throughout the book. She shares the bad, as well as the good, and the fact that she forgives her parents, shows her strength as a person.

Over the years, Alison has used her celebrity and time for good causes. When the actor who played her husband on the show died from AIDS, she became involved in helping raise awareness of that disease. She works tirelessly to get laws passed that help to protect children from sexual abuse and works to get more money for law enforcement to battle child pornography.

Confessions of a  Prairie Bitch is at times sad, funny and moving. You don't have to be a fan of Little House on the Prairie  to appreciate this wonderful book, but fans will be rewarded with the wealth of insider information from this delightful writer.

Rating 4.5 of 5

BASED UPON AVAILABILITY

The storied Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan is the backdrop for a unique novel about the secrets that women carry. Based Upon Availability by Alix Strauss ties eight women's stories into the hotel, with Morgan, a sales manager at the hotel, at the center of the story.

Morgan's life seems to revolve around a tragedy that occurred in her youth. Her older sister Dale died when she was just eleven years old, after a long, protracted illness. Her sister's death has held the center of Morgan's life. Morgan is angry when no one, not even her parents, remembers the anniversary of her sister's death.

Morgan has idealized a relationship with her sister, imagining all they would have shared had Dale lived: boyfriends, husbands, being an aunt to her sister's children. This imagined sisterly relationship is contrasted with an actual sisterly relationship between Robin, a real estate agent, and her sister Vicki.  


Vicki is horrible to her sister, treating her worse than one would treat an enemy. She uses Robin, who only wants a close relationship with her sister. Vicki tortures Robin incessantly. The tables are turned in a horrible incident that takes place in the hotel. One has to wonder if Dale had lived, would their relationship be more like the idealized one Morgan imagines or would they have a dysfunctional sisterly relationship as Vicki and Robin do.  


All of the women harbor secrets, and try hard to hide their dysfunction. Morgan surreptitiously takes room keys from the hotel, and during the day, lets herself into rooms to rifle through guests's belongings. She imagines the kind of life they lead, and when she finds a sexual item, she steals it, hoping no one reports it missing.  


Anne works at the hotel and desperately tries to hide her obsessive-compulsive disorder. Through online dating, she meets an artist who works with "found objects", and he proves to be her undoing.  


Franny was my favorite character. She is in her late thirties, a Southern belle who relocated to Manhattan. She works as a seat filler for award shows and Broadway openings, an exciting, though lonely, occupation. At the end of an exhilarating evening,

getting on a bus or sitting alone in the back seat of a cab dressed in other's people's gowns she'd purchased at consignment shops and on EBay, with no one's hand to grasp, was devastatingly lonely. At home, though she could sit anywhere she wanted, she never found a comfortable spot, a place where her body could just relax.

Sometimes when novels had many characters, they can all blend together in the reader's mind, but Strauss excels at creating unique, individual women with words like that. Of Honor Kraus, a high-powered "PR icon to the stars", Strauss writes "she wears success like the wash boys in the kitchen wear their cheap cologne-strong and powerful-". From those words, you get who Honor is right away. 


 All of these women are sad, and their relationships with themselves and those they love is tenuous. Ellen wants so badly to be pregnant that she convinces herself she is, driving her husband away. Morgan wants a sisterly relationship with Trish, a gallery owner, who has a complicated relationship with Olive, an artist. Franny falls for a neighbor, and wants deeply to be a part of all of her neighbors's lives. 


 This is not a happy book. But the women in it will haunt you, as you ponder what secrets the women you know harbor within themselves. It may even cause you to look inwards at the secrets you keep about yourself.


Rating 4 of 5 stars.

Happening This Week in NYC- Vol. 3

This week is filled with lots of music, and I hope to get to most of them.

Tuesday, June, 22 Pop star Cyndi Lauper signs her new CD, Memphis Blues at J&R Music on Park Row at 12:30pm.

Tuesday, June 22 The cast of the Broadway show Million Dollar Quartet sing and sign copies of the cast recording at Lincoln Triangle's Barnes & Noble at 4pm.

Wednesday, June 23 Author Colson Whitehead discusses his latest book, Sag Harbor: A Novel at Bryant Park's Word for Word Series at 12:30pm.

Thursday, June 24 The cast of Broadway's Promises, Promises, including Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenoweth and Tony winner Katie Finneran sing and sign copies ofthe cast recording at Lincoln Triangle's Barnes & Noble at 5pm.

Friday, June 25 Singer Alicia Keys tapes her CBS Early Show concert at the 59th St. location near the Apple Store at 11am.

Friday, June 25 The cast and creators of Broadway's Next Fall speak at Lincoln Triangle's Barnes & Noble at 5pm.

Friday's Five- Vol. 3

Broadway's Tony awards were handed out this past Sunday, so this week's Friday's Five is:

Five Favorite Broadway Performances- Comedic Category

1. Bill lrwin in Bye Bye Birdie This revival, starring John Stamos, was a bit uneven in my opinion, but two things stood out: the energy of the young performers and Bill Irwin in his role as Harry McAfee, the put-upon father of the teen girl chosen to get a kiss from pop star Conrad Birdie. Every time Irwin opened his mouth, comic gold came out, and his physical schtick was priceless. No one moves like Irwin.

2. Valerie Harper in Looped Harper portrayed the original Hollywood bad girl, Tallulah Bankhead, in this three person comedy. She nailed Bankhead's unique voice and style, yet seemed to make the role her own. Harper deservedly earned a Tony nomination for her role, though unfortunately, the show did not last long on Broadway and people don't have the chance to see how brilliant she was.

3. Jan Maxwell in Lend Me a Tenor Maxwell has but a few scenes in this revival of a farce, but boy does she make the most of them, earning a Tony nomination. She plays the tenor's Italian wife, and her screaming scenes with Anthony LaPaglia, her husband, the tenor, are screamingly hilarious. Her physical comedy excels as well, particularly when she uses a pillow, or rather, it overcomes her. The author should have written her into more scenes.

4. Justin Bartha in Lend Me a Tenor Bartha makes his Broadway debut in this show as Max, the jittery assistant who assumes the identity of Tito, the Italian tenor. Bartha more than holds his own among the talented cast (Maxwell, Tony Shaloub, and Anthony LaPaglia among others), and actually shines. His best scene is the one where LaPaglia teaches him warmup exercises. Bartha just goes for it, and it pays off huge.

5. Katie Finneran in Promises, Promises Finneran won the Tony for best featured actress in a musical for her role. She only has two scenes, but from the moment she opens her mouth in the opening of Act II as blowsy, brazen Margie, she owns the audience. She and Sean Hayes act and dance the hell out of that scene, and I wish they had shown that one on the Tonys. It may have been the funniest scene on Broadway this year.

Feel free to share your favorite comedic performances on Broadway in the comments section.

Last Week In Review

Last week I started posting about fun events happening in NYC. I managed to get to a few of them, and here are my thoughts.

On Tuesday, June 8th, I was invited to a book launch party for Alix Strauss's book, Based Upon Availability, held at the Four Seasons Restaurant on 52nd St. I met some interesting people, including the author who is my neighbor across the street. Alix's mother was there, and we chatted about Broadway, as she is a big fan.

I met Val, an editor at Crain's New York, a business paper here in the city. She is an urban gardner, and I was fascinated by how many different vegetables she manages to grow (tomatoes, eggplant, even lettuce) on her city terrace. I met a few other authors there as well, including Shari Goldhagen, who wrote Family and Other Accidents and Jennifer Belle, author of Seven Year Bitch.

The hors d'ouerves were delicious, and the cocktails, furnished by Crystal Head Vodka, were delightful. Two original concoctions, The Morgan Martini and The Unlimited Lou, based on two characters from the book, were tasty.

The gift bags were fun, featuring something that represents each main character in the novel. It was a clever idea. Thanks to Alix for the invite, and my review of Based Upon Availability will be posted soon.

On Wednesday, June 9th, I saw The Daily Show's Samantha Bee talking about her book, I Know I Am, But What Are You? at Bryant Park's Word for Word Series (pictured above signing books). Sam is very pretty, and I didn't realize that she is pregnant with her third child. Her book is a memoir of sorts, and she talked about how as a young girl, she put herself in dangerous positions with men. More than once, she accompanied a man back to his apartment when she was thirteen. Yikes!

She talked a bit about her work on The Daily Show, and told one howlingly funny story about a man she interviewed who was, shall we say, very well endowed, and how they fought with the network to show what made this man such an interesting interview.

Good Morning America held it's Friday concert at Central Park with Sarah McLachlan and Norah Jones (pictured above right) singing songs from their new CDs. Both ladies were in fine voice, and it was in striking contrast to the last GMA concert I attended- the Whitney Houston fiasco. I really like Sarah's new song, Loving You Is Easy, from her first CD in seven years. The ladies each sang three songs, and it was a great start to the day.

Also on Friday, the Broadway show Hair celebrated its 500th show by giving away 500 free tickets for that evening's performance. I'd never seen it before and it was fantastic. The songs were wonderful, the energy was amazing, and Diana DeGarmo (American Idol) has a powerful, amazing voice. The actors really got into their parts, and Josh Lamon was hilarious in his dual roles as Dad and Margaret Mead, as well as being part of the Tribe.

I feared that the show, set in 1967 and filled with hippies, would be anachronistic, but it is anything but. It is vital, and happy and just a great show. It closes June 27, so hurry and see it; you won't regret it. Oh yeah, Paula Abdul was there that night, dancing on stage at the end with the cast and audience members during the curtain call.

On Saturday, June 12th, my husband and I went to see the new Joan Rivers documentary, A Piece of Work, which is incredible. It gives you a first hand look at what it takes to make in show business. The opening scene of Joan's naked face being made up is a brilliant start to a movie that strips away all of the artifice to show how hard show business is.

Joan is very honest, and love or hate her, she is a fascinating woman. She works very hard, and she seems like such a lonely woman, as I'm sure many women here age (77) are. She has lost her husband and many of her friends have passed away. When she said that no one has ever told her that she was beautiful, it struck me: that is why she has so much plastic surgery. If you don't think it is difficult to be a woman in comedy, you will after you see this movie.

A Piece of Work is so good- go see it if you are lucky enough to have it at your local theater.

Happening This Week in NYC- Vol. 2

This week's events in NYC include the following:

Monday, June 14th- 80s rock icon Pat Benatar signs copies of her autobiography at Barnes & Noble Fifth Ave. store at 12:30pm.

Tuesday, June 15th- Deadspin's Will Leitch signs copies of his book, Are We Winning? Fathers and Sons in the New Golden Age of Baseball, a humorous look at baseball that would make a good Father's Day gift, at Barnes & Noble 86th St. store at 7pm.

Wednesday, June 16th- Star if Bravo TV's Kell on Earth Kelly Cutrone talks about and signs copies of her book If You Have to Cry, Go Outside at Bryant Park's Word for Word Series at 12:30pm.

Wednesday, June 16th- Author Carolyn Parkhurst reads from and signs copies of her book Nobodies Album at Barnes & Noble 86th St. stores at 7pm. I really liked her books Dogs of Babel and Lost and Found.

Thursday, June 17th- The cast of the Tony nominated Lend Me a Tenor, including Tony Shahloub (TV's Monk), Justin Bartha (The Hangover) and the fabulous Jan Maxwell discuss and sign copies of the script at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle store at 5pm. I saw the show last week and it is hilarious.

Thursday, June 17th- Author Sara Waters discusses and signs copies of her Gothic mystery Little Stranger at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle at 7:30pm.

Friday, June 18th- The cast of the Tony winning musical Fela! perform from and sign copies of the CD cast recording at Borders Columbus Circle store at 5pm.

Readin', Ridin', No 'Rithmetic

While reading fellow BEA book blogs, I came across The Zen Leaf blog by Amanda (a really great blog, by the way). She had a post about books she saw people reading on the subway, titled Books in Transit. I liked it so much, with a tip of the cap to Amanda for her fabulous idea, and since I live in NYC and travel by subway and bus often, I am instituting a new regular feature. When I was a little girl, my Dad asked us if we were learning "readin', writin' and 'rithmetic" in school, and it always made me laugh. So I'm calling this:

Readin', Ridin', No 'Rithmetic


This week I saw the following:
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson, seen on the 6 train
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, seen in Bryant Park
The Pirate King by R.A. Salvatore, seen on the 6 train
A Rogue of Her Own by Johanna Lindsey, seen on the 6 train
Light a Penny Candle By Maeve Binchy, seen on the 6 train
The Real Inspector Hound By Tom Stoppard, seen on the 6 train

The only I have read is Maeve Binchy's. I like her books, and have read many of them. Everyone is reading the Larsson trilogy, I have not yet succumbed.

What have you seen people reading on buses, subways and in parks?

Friday's Five- Vol. 2

In honor of the season finale of GLEE (sob!), this week's Friday Five is the

The Five Best GLEE Songs- Season 1

1. Defying Gravity sung by Lea Michele and Chris Colfer. This is the best song from the Broadway show Wicked, and the two best singers from GLEE team up for this soaring rendition. The producers need to give Chris Colfer more solos.

2. Maybe This Time I love that GLEE gives people more exposure to Broadway shows. This song, from Caberet, is also sung by Broadway's best- Lea Michele and Kristin Chenoweth, now performing with Sean Hayes in Promises, Promises.

3. Dream On Matthew Morrison (Mr. Shue) and guest star Neil Patrick Harris belt out the Aerosmith classic. It totally rocked.

4. Faithfully/Anyway You Want It/ Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' sung by the cast. They saved the best mashup for last- a medley of Journey's best songs. A nice nod to all of us 40-somethings who love GLEE.

5. To Sir, With Love sung by the cast. I loved this because it gave most of the cast a chance to get at least one solo line- we heard Tina, Santana, Artie, Kurt in addition to usual soloists Finn, Rachel, and Mercedes. I sobbed when they sang this beautiful Lulu song from the movie of the same name.

What are your favorite GLEE songs this year?

BEA Roundup Part IV- The Authors,- Adriana Trigiani- Swoon!

Celebrities are fun, but it's our favorite authors who make readers swoon. At last year's BEA, I got to meet Adriana Trigiani, author of The Big Stone Gap books, (which I love!) and her newest trilogy features Valentine Roncalli and her crazy, lovable family who live and work in New York City and make gorgeous shoes. My reviews of the first two books Very Valentine and Brava,Valentine are here.

I also saw her at a book signing at Barnes & Noble on 86th St. in February and she was so funny and charming and sweet!

This year, Adriana was again signing at BEA. All of us in line who had met her before were sharing stories of how wonderful she is, when she came down the line with hugs and kisses for all of us. I am amazed that she remembers me, but she does. People at her publishing house said that she truly treasures her readers, and it shows. She makes us feel like we are her friends. She asked if I will be blogging again about this and then said that we have to make sure and get a good photo for the blog post. (What do you think?)

One woman in line had never met her before and after she got a hug, turned to us and said, "Who was that?" We laughed as we told her that was Adriana. "That was the author?", she said, in shock that Adriana would take the time to visit us before the signing.

Adriana is working on a nonfiction book about her family, and I am so looking forward to reading it when it publishes. My favorite part of BEA is always seeing Adriana, and I was very envious of the five bloggers who got to have tea with her after winning a contest. Lucky ladies!

BEA Roundup- The Celebrities- Part III

Celebrities are always a big draw at BEA, garnering long lines of eager fans. I stood in line with many 40-something women to get a photo with 80's rocker and General Hospital star Rick Springfield. We were all 20-somethings again. He popped his gum, put his arm around each woman, smiled, took a photo, signed a CD and off to the next woman. (first photo)

If you can sing, you can draw a crowd. Neil Sedaka also had a huge line, albeit with an older crowd than Rick Springfield's. Broadway diva Patti LuPone drew a large line of theatre aficionados for an autograph on an excerpt from her upcoming autobiography. (FYI- I am not a fan of standing on line for an excerpt of a book. It bums me out when I don't get an entire book as a reward for standing in line.) LuPone was very kind to all of us, not exhibiting the diva behavior we have all heard about. I did enjoy sharing favorite Broadway experiences with friendly fellow fans in line. (second photo)

Political junkies got to see Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough from MSNBC's Morning Joe show. They are exactly as they seem on screen, and very friendly. She is lovely, with fabulous legs. But the funny thing to me was that Joe signed copies of Mika's book! Mika's book is All Things At Once, her story of being a wife, mom and TV anchor. It was fun to meet both of them and hear their banter in person but odd that he autographed her book. (third photo)

Tim Gunn from TV's Project Runway took so much time with his fans, taking photos, chatting, that they had to move his signing line when he went over his one-hour time limit. After all, the guy that wrote the book about growing marijuana has his fans too. (But I'm betting they didn't even realize that his signing was behind schedule.)

If you wanted to find Sarah Ferguson's signing line, just look for the paparazzi flashing away. The day after the story broke about Sarah taking money for access to her ex-husband the Duke of York, she was scheduled to MC the Children's Breakfast and sign copies of her book. All of us in line gave her credit for not canceling her appearance. (fourth photo)

Sports were big too. You couldn't get near Tony Hawk, the skateboarder and there was melee at soccer star Pele's signing table.

While it is interesting to see celebs at BEA, for most of us, it is the literary stars who gets us all excited. That post follows.

BEA Roundup- The Celebrities- Part II

The Adult Author Breakfast held on Thursday of the BEA featured the Daily Show's Jon Stewart as MC, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and authors John Grisham and Mary Roach on the panel.

As we waited in line, Stewart walked by with a wave and loud greeting for so early in the morning. His opening remarks were hilarious, as expected. He thanked the audience for their "tepid response" and poked fun at the "muffin basket" that people paid a lot of money for at the breakfast tables. He also joked about the Javits Center being in one of New York's finest neighborhoods, and that he tapes his show nearby.

He commented on Garrison Keillor's controversial remarks that print books were dead in that day's New York Times. Stewart said that he thought that was funny because he thought that Keillor himself was dead, and that comments like that from someone who tapes a TV show for radio are ironic. He also said when he read the remarks, he thought "Great- I won't have to show up (at BEA) today."

Stewart and his cohorts at The Daily Show have a new book coming out in September titled Earth the Book: A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race. He said that it is "the summation of the totality of the human experience- in 224 pages." It is similar in style to their previous best-selling book America.

Stewart then said that he would read from the science chapter. He opens the book, reads silently to himself and giggles. Then he told us that "the Boat Show moves in at 2pm so, get the hell out".

He introduced former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, whom his show has frequently lambasted, by saying that "I'm not familiar with her work, but I hear good things- Dr. Rice".

Dr. Rice opened humorously by saying that she "now can read the morning papers and I don't have to do anything about it". Her upcoming book is Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family, which is about her grandparents and parents, and how they instilled in her the belief that education has transformative power.

Her grandfather was a Presbyterian minister. He became one because he was a sharecropper who wanted to go to college. Someone told him that the Presbyterian ministers gave scholarships to students who wanted to become ministers, so he got a scholarship and became a minister. And that's how the Rices became Presbyterians.

When her parents tried to vote in Alabama, they were subject to a poll test. Her mother was asked who the first President of the United States was. She answered and voted. Her father was told he had to guess the exact number of beans in a huge jar. He didn't get his question right and couldn't vote. He heard that the county clerk was Republican and trying to register Republican voters in the Democratic South, so he registered Republican. "And that was how we became Republicans" said Rice.

Rice's parents told her that "she could become President even if she can't have a burger at the Woolworth's counter." She found a photo of her standing in front of the White House when she was eight years old. Her parents told her that she said at the time "I may be out here today, but I will work in there (pointing to the White House) someday." She laughed as she told this story, because she did not remember saying that.

Growing up in the Jim Crow South during the 1950s and 1960s, her parents and grandparents instilled in her the belief that if she got an education, she could do anything, and she did. She spoke eloquently from the heart about her family, and if her spoken words translate as well to the written page, this will be a moving book.

When she finished, Stewart stood up, and said tearfully, "Don't. Make. Me. Like. You! That was marvelous. When is the other book coming out?", referring to the book she is writing about her years in the Bush administration.

John Grisham spoke about a book he is working on, a fictional followup to his first non-fiction book, An Innocent Man, about a man falsely convicted of murder and just hours from execution when he is found to be innocent. This next book, The Confession, is a novel about a man who committed a crime that someone else was sent to death row for. Grisham asks in this book, "Do you have the guts to watch someone executed for your crime?" I really liked The Innocent Man, so I have high hopes for this fictional account.

The BEA Roundup 1- The Celebrities (Part 1)- Barbra Streisand's Keynote Address

I know that my roundup of BEA (Book Expo of America) is late, but I hope you will think it worth the wait.

I could not attend many of the early week panels, but I did snag a coveted ticket to the keynote talk with Barbra Streisand interviewed by O Magazine's Gayle King.

It was a coup for BEA to get such a huge name like Streisand, who was promoting her upcoming book My Passion for Design: A Private Tour, which will publish in November. She had a slideshow of a few photos from the book, many of which were taken by Ms. Streisand.

The photos were breathtaking. She has a millhouse, with a huge water mill in front. She brought photos of her Red Barn, which is huge (and gorgeous) as well.

Gayle King seemed very nervous, starting the interview by stating that she had planned on wearing an orange dress until she heard that Streisand hates orange. Streisand told King to NEVER wear orange- or certain shades of yellow. King said that she even had her assistant take out the orange post-it notes that King had placed in her copy of the book she was using as reference on stage. And she changed her orange toenail polish.

I think that King was trying to be funny, but it came off as a little desperate to not incur the wrath of Streisand. (It put me in mind of a literary reference- The Emperor Has No Clothes.) King seemed to fear saying or doing the wrong thing. As the interview progressed, she calmed down.

Streisand has the rap of being a perfectionist, and she did nothing to dissuade the audience from that perception. She spoke of her difficulty in finding architects on the west coast who understood her wish for an east coast-style home in California. She went through several different contractors, including one who tore up a hillside to put in a boulder stairs. Streisand did not want the hillside torn down, and insisted that it was unnecessary in order to create the stairs, no matter what the contractor believed was sound engineering. He was fired.

She stated the importance of the outside garden flowers complimenting the color scheme inside the house. It is an affront to her that someone would have flower colors in their garden that clashed with the inside decor. I said to the woman sitting next to me that I would not want to be Streisand's husband. Her reply: "I wouldn't want to be her daughter-in-law." Funny but true.

She opened up a bit about her childhood and her parents. She clearly idolized her father, who died when she was a toddler, and is less kind about her mother. I get the feeling that if her father had lived, he may have disappointed her as well. Her early years were marked by poverty, and she said that the lack of a couch in her mother's apartment led to her homes today being filled with couches.

Streisand's need for perfection means that this book will be fabulous. It will make a great Christmas gift for people who love design.

Happening This Week in NYC

New York City is filled with lots of fun things to do, and every Sunday, I'll list some of the events I hope to get to each week.

Sunday, June 6th- The 3rd Avenue Community Benefit Festival- 10am-6pm from 66th St. to 86th St.

Monday, June 7th- Taste of Times Square- 5pm-8:30pm West 46th St. between Broadway and 9th Ave.-restaurant tastings and the cast of Broadway's Rock of Ages with Constantine Maroulis performs

Tuesday, June 8th Summer Stage 25th Anniversary Celebration at Central Park-8pm at Rumsey Playfield- various performers (Shawn Colvin, Aimee Mann, Paula Cole, Loudon Wainwright III and more) celebrate the music of Simon & Garfunkel.

Wednesday, June 9th 12:30pm-1:45pm Bryant Park's Word for Word Series Samantha Bee from Comedy Central's The Daily Show discusses her book, I Know I Am, But What Are You? at the Reading Room at Bryant Park 42nd St. & 6th Ave.

Friday, June 11th The highly buzzed about documentary, Joan Rivers- A Piece of Work opens at Cinema 1,2,3 on 60th St. and 3rd Ave.

Saturday & Sunday, June 12th & 13th Big Apple BBQ Block Party at Madison Square Park 11am- 6pm.

Friday 56

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends at http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

My book is Alix Strauss's Based on Availability, the story of eight women and how their lives intersect at the storied Four Seasons Hotel in NYC.
My sentence is:

My interaction with Ellen has left me unsettled, but I push the feelings away and make room for the ones I hope Honor will create.

Friday's Five

To give everyone something to think about before the weekend, I'm initiating Friday's Five.

Every Friday I'll list five things that captured my attention- books, TV shows, best places to find books, places to go in NYC- the possibilities are endless.

My initial list is BEA (Book Expo of America) related. It's
Five Books I'm Most Excited About Getting at BEA

1. As Husbands Go by Susan Isaacs. She is one of my favorite authors, and her Compromising Positions is one the first grown-up books I read. I got to meet her and get her autograph- what a thrill!

2. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. This book has had good buzz and it is one that I have meant to pick up, but did not for some reason. I was pleased to meet the author and get my book signed.

3. Ape House by Sara Gruen. Water for Elephants was her big breakthrough novel, so I guess she figured books with animals are a good sell. I loved Water for Elephants and again, I was so happy to meet her.

4. West of Here by Jonathan Evison. This book was one of the Editor's Buzz books at the panel this year, and Chuck Adams, the editor at Algonquin Books said he has been in the business since 1969 and this is the best book he has read. Algonquin means quality, so I know it will be great.

5. Room by Emma Donoghue was another book at the Buzz panel, and people have compared to The Lovely Bones. It's about a woman and her 5 year-old-son being held in a room by the man who kidnapped the woman and is the father of the boy. Everyone was talking about it, and the subject matter seems timely and serious.

What are your Friday Five books?

Talbots celebrates BEA

I was walking by Talbots clothing store on 3rd Ave. & 72nd St. after the big Book Expo celebration (BEA), and saw that Talbots has used a literary theme for their summer line. It's called Novel Ideas and it features stacks of books. Great timing on Talbots part!

I took these pictures and it put a smile on my face.

I'm working on my BEA recaps and will have them ready by the beginning of next week. It was a fabulous week; I learned so much at the Book Bloggers Convention, met terrific authors, and brought back way too many books according to my sons.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

Most women can recall with fondness reading Louisa May Alcott's Little Women when we were girls. I can still see the cover of my book: chocolate brown, with a color illustration of the March girls. Little Women was one of the first books I can remember reading that gave me a sense that female relationships were important, and that is was OK to be whomever you were.

Kelly O'Connor NcNees has taken the life of Louisa May Alcott and reimagined a pivotal period of her life in this historical novel The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott. All of the sisters are there, and McNees is clearly inspired by the style of Alcott, as in this passage describing sister Anna.

Anna practiced compassion like an art form. She knew how to apply it with a delicate hand, knew its gradations and nuances, could distinguish its authentic form from imposters like sympathy and voyeurism. It came naturally to her, almost like a physical impulse.

The writing here is exquisite.

The summer recounted in this novel is the one in which Louisa meets and falls in love with Joseph, a young shopkeeper. While I enjoyed the story of the Alcott family, I felt that the book really captured me when Joseph and Louisa's love started to bloom. This is ironic, given that when I was a young girl, I liked the March sisters' story much more than the romantic Jo/Laurie storyline. Maybe it is a factor of age?

It is interesting comparing the fiction of Little Women, which was based on Alcott's own family, with the historical fiction of the Alcott family in Lost Summer. McNees did a lot of research, read many biographies of Alcott, and I enjoyed how she weaved biographical information, historical information (such as the publication of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass) with her fiction of Alcott's life.

During a recent online chat with the author at heylady.net much discussion arose about the father figure in the story. Louisa's father Bronson was a philosopher, and working for living to provide for his family was not something he was inclined to do. He believed that working for pay violated his conscience. He seemed to leave it to his wife and daughters to provide physically for the family so that he could live according to his beliefs.

Some bloggers felt that he was shirking his responsibilities, yet he was willing to live off the efforts of his wife and daughters. Others felt that he was living up to ideals. I fell into the camp that he was irresponsible, and it was hard to respect him. How can an able-bodied man sit in his study and read while his wife and children do the hard labor? Louisa questioned this as well.

If you have teen girls in your family, Little Women and The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott would make a great gift for them. Reading Lost Summer sent me to my Kindle to download a free copy of Little Women and remembering the summer I spent reading it on my porch.

This is another Amy Einhorn book, and again she has found another wonderful voice in McNees.
Rating 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin?/ TLC Blog Tours for providing a copy of the book for review.

Beth Fish Reads: Amy Einhorn Books Perpetual Challenge: Information

Beth Fish Reads: Amy Einhorn Books Perpetual Challenge: Information

The Postmistress

Back in March, I posted that I had the great pleasure to attend a reading and book signing for Sarah Blake's The Postmistress, from Amy Einhorn Books of G.P. Putnam's Sons. It was fascinating to hear the creative process behind the book, a fictional novel about three women's lives that collide during World War II.

Blake described the research that she did for this remarkable novel. She began with Iris James, the postmistress of a small community on Cape Cod. Iris took her job very seriously, believing deeply in the order of government, truth and that mail must be delivered.

Emma was a young bride, in love with her young doctor husband Will, who leaves her behind, pregnant, while he goes off to help the war effort in England after an unfortunate outcome for a patient shakes his belief in himself.

The most intriguing character is Frankie Bard, a young female reporter who travels to England and ends up as a war correspondent working with Edward R. Murrow. When I was a young girl, I wanted be like Brenda Starr, the strong reporter from the comic strip. After reading this novel, I want to be Frankie Bard. (Blake wrote in my book "So glad you're a Frankiephile"!)

Frankie fights to bring the truth of the war to her listeners. The most intense, gripping part of the story takes place when Frankie is on a train traveling through France to Spain. The train is filled with people, many of them Jewish, fleeing the Nazis. The tension on the train is palpable, and Blake writes those scenes with such realism, you can feel your heart beating through your chest as these people are praying to make it to safety.

Frankie hopes to get some people to speak into her new recording device, determined to bring the tapes back to England and allow the people of America to hear the truth in the words of people who fear for their lives. (At this point, the American people are not aware of the atrocities the Nazis are inflicting on Jews and other people.)

Blake parallels Frankie trying to bring the truth of the war to Americans who were confused and uninformed with reporters who were trying to bring the truth of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years. She likens the fear in America following Pearl Harbor to the fear and uncertainty we felt after 9/11.

The Postmistress feels authentic, thanks to Blake's research at The Radio & Television Museum in Bowie, Maryland. She listened to recordings made by Mary Marvin Breckinridge, Betty Wason, and Martha Gellhorn, female war correspondents, and they inspired the fascinating character of Frankie.

In the end, Frankie and Iris must make a decision that requires them to question whether they can uphold their beliefs about truth and duty. This gripping novel, filled with strong characterizations, asks us to question our own beliefs in the face of adversity as well.

Amy Einhorn, whom I was lucky enough to meet at the signing, has a gift for finding talented writers with a fresh, strong voice. I've read Kathyrn Stockett's The Help, Diana Joseph's I'm Sorry You Feel That Way, and Kelly O'Connor McNees's The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott from Amy Einhorn Books, and loved them all. I look forward to any book from this imprint.

Rating 4 of 5 stars

I finally saw Broadway's NEXT TO NORMAL

I have been meaning for a very long time to see Broadway's Next to Normal. My friend Paula, who ushers at Second Stage Theatre, saw it off-Broadway and told me how good it was and I said "I've got to see it", but I didn't.

Then a few weeks ago it won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and I said I have to see it. I went to the website and saw that J. Robert Spencer, who plays Dan, the husband, was leaving soon, and again I said "I have to see it". Finally, I got an email offering $50 tickets for a few performances, and when plans that I had for one of those nights fell through, I bought my ticket. And I was glad I did.

The show is about a mother of two who is battling mental illness. Alice Ripley won a Tony last year for her performance as Diana, the troubled mother. The show also won a Best Score Tony. Both awards were very well deserved, as Ripley is fantastic, both humorous and heartbreaking in her showy role, and the music is terrific. It's a rock score, like Rent, and the band actually plays on the stage, well, above the stage.

The play reminded me of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner, August:Osage County, in that the subject matter is a family in crisis, and the story takes the viewer on an emotional journey. You really feel wrung out by the end of the show.

Jennifer Damiano plays the daughter Natalie, an artistic high school high achiever who is struggling with her mother's illness and finds a kind boyfriend in Henry, played in the performance I saw by understudy Brian Crum. Damiano has a powerful voice, and I am sure we will see a lot of her in the future. She hits all the right notes of being a teenager.

Kyle Dean Massey plays son Gabe, and he is a whirlwind on the stage, bringing a huge energy to his dancing and singing, along with his underlying anger at his family. He's very easy on the eyes too.

While the showier role is Diana, the heart of the show belongs to Spencer's father, Dan. Spencer really breaks your heart as a man torn between caring for his wife, who doesn't seem to get any better no matter what kind of therapy she gets, and trying to give his daughter a normal life. I loved his performance; it was full of nuance, sadness, anger and confusion.

My only problem with the show, and this is one I find frequently with rock scores, is that the music sometimes drowns out the singing, and the overlapping singing makes it difficult to understand the lyrics at times. To get the full effect of the show, you need to buy the soundtrack CD, which in this case is a good buy. It's filled with great performances from to bottom, especially "Superboy and the Invisible Girl" a duet between the siblings.

Next to Normal is a near-perfect show; it has the power of a great dramatic play and a wonderful score that makes it a musical not to be missed. Paula was so right!

The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors

Writers are told to 'write what they know' so it's no surprise to discover that Michele Young-Stone is a lightning strike survivor. She titled her first published novel The Handbook for Lightning Survivors, and it's an emotional powerhouse of a book.

Using the conceit of placing a 'book within a book', one of the main characters, Buckley, a young man, has written a non-fiction book titled The Handbook for Lightning Survivors. Parts of his book are sprinkled within the novel, which tells the story of Buckley, who has had brushes with lightning strikes, and Becca, who has been struck twice by lightning.

Becca was struck by lightning as a young child, but her parents didn't believe her because she did not appear to be harmed. When a photograph of Becca appears to have a halo of light around her, her mother starts to believe it may be true. She is struck again when she is teenager, but this time, her boyfriend witnesses the strike.

Becca loves her father, who leaves his wife Mary. Mary falls apart, drinking, taking pills, ignoring her daughter. Becca turns to creating art, and indiscriminate sex, to deal with her emotions.

Although the story is about Becca, an actual lightning strike survivor, Buckley is a survivor in a different manner. His obese mother marries a shady, lazy man, who mistreats Buckley in the name of 'toughening him up'. When Buckley's mom has had enough, she leaves her husband behind with her mother and starts a new life with Buckley far away.

They meet another type of survivor, Paddy John, a Vietnam war vet, who has more than a few problems. But he falls in love with Buckley's mom, and his courtship of her is tender and sweet. Their relationship, and Buckley with his mom's, is the heart of this moving story.

How can you not love a young boy, of whom is written,

Buckley wanted a lot of things, but at the top of his list was for his mother to be happy. It seemed to him that she was always sad. She was a good mom- never a mean word crossed her lips- but like Buckley, she seldom smiled. She was fat, and it was hard for Buckley when they went places to hear people snicker and know she heard it too.

Within the novel are parts of Buckley's book, mostly statistics and anecdotes from lightning strike survivors. One mantra that is repeated is

TREAT THE APPARENTLY DEAD FIRST. Most lightning strike fatalities are caused by cardiac arrest.

The importance of this advice becomes apparent by the end of the novel.

Stone-Young is a wonderful writer. She weaves Buckley's book and the novel together with skill, and her characters are complex and drawn with compassion. You feel that you know these people, and Buckley and Paddy John are two of my favorite characters in contemporary literature.

I look forward to Stone-Young's next effort; she has a talent for creating characters who stay in your heart long after you finish the book. It's also no surprise that this is a Shaye Areheart imprint; her imprint always means a quality book. It's a shame that her imprint is no more.

Rating 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to the publisher for providing a NetGalley copy for review.

Anna Quindlen's powerful new novel

(Reprinted from the Citizen newspaper, Auburn , NY)

Anna Quindlen won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992 for her New York Times column “Public and Private”. Her “Last Word” column that ran in Newsweek magazine for nine years left many readers saddened when she said goodbye to it last year.

Quindlen and her husband raised three children, and many of her columns focused on life as a parent of teenagers, something many of us could relate to, myself included.

Some of her most moving columns dealt with 9/11. Quindlen, a New York City resident, wrote movingly of a friend who was lost in terrorist attacks, and the aftermath of the tragedy on the loved ones left behind.

In her newest novel, “Every Last One”, Quindlen combines the story of a family of teenagers with the horror of an unthinkable act that destroys the family. The act comes out of the blue to devastate, and the result on the family is similar to what happened to people on 9/11.

Quindlen spoke recently at a book signing in New York City, and she described the story of this normal family as going into the basement of your home and finding a small crack in the foundation. You ignore it, then you notice a few weeks later that it is bigger. You ignore it again, and finally you find the basement flooded with water.

Mary Beth Latham narrates the story of her family. Her husband Glen is an ophthalmologist, and she runs a landscaping business. They are dedicated to their seventeen-year-old daughter Ruby and twin thirteen-year-old sons Alex and Max.

Ruby is an individual; she revels in not following the crowd. She has a unique style of dress, drives an old car, and wants to be a writer. She has two close friends, and a boyfriend, Kiernan, whom she has known her entire life. Ruby has recently recovered from an eating disorder.

Alex is typical all-boy; he excels in sports, has lots of friends, and is not so interested in school. Max is quieter, has no friends to speak of, and likes to play the drums. Kiernan is very kind to him, and Max looks up to him.

The Latham house is the one where all the kids hang out, and Mary Beth likes that. She likes the activity, and knowing her children’s friends feel welcome in her home.

Yet for all this typical suburban happiness, something discomforting lies underneath. Ruby’s eating disorder is mentioned, but not the underlying cause of it.

Max’s teachers are concerned about him; he is antisocial and never speaks in class. Mary Beth and Glen finally agree to send Max to a counselor, a man who specializes in helping twins, as he is a twin himself.

Mary Beth is prone to crying, a symptom she attributes to perimenopause, yet she says, “if pressed, I would have to say that they (tears) are the symptom of some great loneliness, as free-floating and untethered to everyday life as a tornado is to the usual weather.”

Ruby has decided that she no longer wants to date her lifelong friend, Kiernan. This is not something he takes well. He believes that he and Ruby are soul mates, and he will do anything to salvage the relationship.

Mary Beth supports Ruby, but it is difficult because Kiernan is always at their home, a part of the family. His parents are divorced, and although Mary Beth was good friends with his mom, something happened to change that.

Kiernan asks if he can move in with the Lathams when his mom has to move away to care for his grandmother. Mary Beth feels badly for Kiernan, but her first loyalty must be to her daughter, and Kiernan can’t seem to accept the fact that he and Ruby are no longer a couple.

The last half of the book is heartbreaking, and it literally took my breath away when the horrific violent act occurred. Quindlen said that this book has reverberations of 9/11, and when it does happen, it recalls the same feelings of that day- utter confusion, a deep sense of fear, helplessness, and grief.

Quindlen really gets the parents of teens vibe right. My generation parents differently than our parents. We spend more time with our kids, are in constant contact with them by cell phone, drive them to school, attend all of their sporting events, send them to expensive summer camps.

And yet, teens still keep secrets from their parents. They do not trust us more because we are more involved in their day-to-day lives. Ruby, Alex and Max are very close to their parents, but they hide things from them that may upset them, things that they feel may cause concern or disappointment.

Quindlen gets the marriage thing right too. Glen and Mary Beth seem like a loving, happy couple, but an unpleasantness in their past is hinted at, and later we find out the truth. This line about their marriage/parenting roles- “for purposes of our union, he carries the stoicism, I carry the concern”, speaks to many marital relationships.

“Every Last One” is a remarkable book, it will strike a chord of familiarity with parents of teens. How Quindlen manages to connect 9/11 and the feelings that evokes with the story of the Latham family is brilliant; it is cathartic to read this deeply moving, emotional story. Your tears will flow like Mary Beth’s by the time you finish.

Rating 4.5 of 5 stars

The NY Pops 27th Birthday Gala at Carnegie Hall

I had the pleasure of attending the New York Pops 27th Birthday Gala, The Best Is Yet To Come: Celebrating The Legacy of Frank Sinatra at Carnegie Hall on May 3rd.

Former Daily News columnist Liz Smith hosted the evening, and after a few comedic attempts to seat herself on a very high chair, she told a few stories about Frank Sinatra.

The opening number was a rousing rendition of New York, New York from the film On The Town that Sinatra starred in. Jesse Tyler Ferguson of TV's Modern Family, Michael Urie of TV's Ugly Betty and John Tartaglia from Broadway's Shrek gave a spirited and exuberant performance. It was a wonderful start to the show.

Handsome Cheyenne Jackson, from Broadway's Finian's Rainbow and TV's 30 Rock walked the center aisle singing Luck Be A Lady. His smooth style and beautiful voice showed why men and women adore him.

Fan favorite Steve Tyrell sang one of my favorites The Way You Look Tonight and then was joined by Hilary Swindal for a duet of Fly Me to the Moon.

Norm Lewis from Broadway's Sondheim on Sondheim and Little Mermaid was smooth as silk in his rendition of Don't Worry 'Bout Me.

Broadway star Michael Cerveris came on stage to sing High Hopes with some special guests, Bad Habit, a group of four young instrumentalists and fourteen members of the Ronald McDonald Choir, all children from Ronald McDonald House. Their music touched the entire audience and resulted in a well deserved standing ovation.

Montego Glover, who received a Tony nomination today for her performance in Memphis belted out a fantastic version of The Best Is Yet to Come. She also looked amazing in a fuschia form-fitting gown.

After Frank Sinatra Jr. performed, looking so much like his father in his later years, he conducted the Pops in Yellow: Laughter, a work commissioned by his father and conducted by him on an album.

Keith Roberts and Tony nominated Karine Plantadit danced to One For My Baby from the Tywla Tharp Broadway show Come Fly Away. I guarantee they sold some tickets to their show that night with their hot dance number.

Michael Feinstein blew everyone away with For Once In My Life, and led the cast in The Theme from New York, New York, featuring middle school students performing with the Pops, and the Young People's Chorus of New York City.

The New York Pops put on a fantastic show, and most people tapped their feet or swayed in their seats. Sinatra's music is the music of America, and it was a joy to hear such incredible performers bring it to life.

I did see a few celebrities in attendance. SNL's Rachel Dratch, looking so beautiful, sat behind me. Behind her was Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet, who plays Cam, to Jesse Tyler Ferguson's Mitchell on the show. He was with Jesse's lovely mother. I was able to speak with both of them, and Jesse's Mom beamed when I told her how much my sons and I love her son's performance on the show. Eric was a really great guy, offering to take a picture with me.

Legacy of a False Promise

Margaret Fuchs Singer was thirteen years old when her college law professor father was asked to testify before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee regarding Communists working in the federal government. She did not know that both her parents used to be members of the Communist party.

Legacy of a False Promise: A Daughter's Reckoning is her recounting of that period of her life. Sometimes books such as this tend to be not so well written, and a bit dry, but Fuchs writes a powerful, interesting story of her search for the truth about her parents.

Fuchs' parents worked in the federal government in the 1930s and 1940s while members of the Communist party. While they believed in their cause, they still kept their politics hidden from their employers, something that I found intriguing. Singer writes

My father did not see in his Party membership a conflict of loyalties or a threat to the United States, but, instead, a way to participate in the nation's economic and social recovery.(p. 117)

That seems to me like a rationalization. If you believe you are truly doing good, you wouldn't have to hide your beliefs.

The Fuchs attended meetings, recruited other Communist Party members as federal employees, and reported back to a man higher up in the Party. When they became discouraged by events in Russia, they left the party. While they thought they had left it behind, when the government held hearings before Congress in the 1950s, Herbert Fuchs was called as a witness.

The government wanted Fuchs to name other Communists who worked in the federal government, but he did not want to betray his former friends. His employer, American University, promised him that he could keep his job if he cooperated. He was told that his wife would be called to testify if he did not cooperate.

With the memory of the execution of accused Russian spies Ethel and Julius Rosenberg fresh in his mind, Fuchs reluctantly appeared before the Committee and gave them the information they asked for, to protect his wife, his children and his job. He agonized over the decision, but felt he had no choice.

The dean of American University reneged on his promise and forced Fuchs out of his job. Many people felt that Fuchs was a traitor to his country, and others felt that he betrayed his friends by naming names. It was a no-win situation for Fuchs.

Singer vividly brings to life that time period in our history through her family's story. Her description of what it felt like as teenage girl, so confused by what was going on, her relationships with her family, and the fallout from her father's decision are heartfelt.

As an adult, Singer works to find out the truth about her parents, seeking out documents and people who can help her. She is conflicted about this, even fearful about what she may find, but can't come to terms with what happened to her family until the truth is known.

Legacy of a Promise will appeal to many different readers; fans of history and politics, as well as those who like personal stories about family and a search for identity.

Rating 4 of 5 stars
Thanks to Robyn at Carol Fass Publicity & public Relations for providing me with a copy of this book.