Page 16 of 29

‘THE LOST VINTAGE’ – WINE & WWII

July 16, 2018 /

This summer I have been pleasantly surprised by the books on my summer reading list, and I have been reading more than ever because these books are keeping my attention, one after another.

Today I’m recommending The Lost Vintage: A Novel.

I admit this book initially caught my attention because it’s about wine!!

Kate is trying to earn her Masters of Wine (M.W) which is awarded after an extremely strenuous and comprehensive exam; only around 300 people in the world hold a M.W. She will have to identify wine blindly naming the exact region it is from and its vintage. Ironically, she is doing well in identifying all varieties except for wine from the region of her family’s vineyard (Burgundy). It’s almost like she has something against Burgundy…

Alas, Kate will need to visit her family’s property in Burgundy to study this wine. And conveniently her first love runs the neighboring winery. This part of the story did not disappoint. But there was a whole other aspect of this story I was not even expecting:

The book that had me crying at the pool.

‘THE SUN DOES SHINE’ – A recommendation & giveaway

July 11, 2018 /

I interrupted my summer reading list to cry my way through (very quickly) The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row (Oprah’s Book Club Summer 2018 Selection).

I read and recommend all types of books and sometimes I very strongly recommend books…a recent example is CIRCE...however there are some rare times when I so strongly want to recommend a book that I decide to GIVE ONE AWAY.

So today I have decided to set up a contest to give away a copy of this book by Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent 30 years on Death Row as an innocent man. You may have seen it advertised as Oprah’s Summer selection. I glad it is her book club selection because I hope as many people as possible read this book.

(I will ship a book to the winner anywhere in the continental U.S. – see contest at the bottom of this post.)

THE REDWOODS

July 10, 2018 /

In the second in a series of posts about my epic summer vacation, I want to write about one of the most spectacular things I have seen in my life: The Redwoods.

Previous vacation post: Oregon Shakespeare Festival

But I’m going to steal words from John Steinbeck who makes me feel better for not being able to fully describe or photograph my experience:

“The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe. It’s not only their unbelievable stature, nor the color which seems to shift and vary under your eyes, no, they are not like any trees we know, they are ambassadors from another time.”

Traveling from Oregon to San Francisco, we stopped in two separate Redwood areas and had two separate experiences – which for the reasons quoted above I can’t successfully tell you about or show you ha!! – so I will give you some details on our itinerary so you can plan to see them for yourself:

The OSF outdoor theatre seats 1,200 people. Photo by Kim Budd and provided by OSF.

MY TRIP TO THE OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

July 6, 2018 /

I recently attended the world-class Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland and thoroughly enjoyed this idyllic town with its Shakespeare-themed attractions. This was the first stop on my epic West Coast vacation.

The Festival is in its 83rd season; each year it presents 3-4 Shakespeare plays and additional adaptions and premieres. Plays run every day during a long season of February through October (except Mondays) in three different theaters. More than 400,000 people attend this event annually.

We decided to see Love Labor’s Lost in the Allen Elizabethan Theatre (an outdoor theatre) and learned that 1) one needs to dress for all types of weather and 2) the show will go on! In our case, it was storming in the hours before and still raining up to the 8pm showtime which made for a dramatic wait (while wondering will the show go on??). You can take wine and beer into your seats and even pre-order your drink for intermission. We also noticed this attracts a very serious audience, and no one moves an inch until intermission. And I was later told the outdoor theatre is the most “relaxed” of the three theaters!! These people are serious about their Shakespeare, and the production here is worthy of this level of respect.

‘THE SUBWAY GIRLS’ – A PERFECT SUMMER READ

July 5, 2018 /

Continuing through my summer reading list, I truly enjoyed The Subway Girls: A Novel.

This charming book is partly historical fiction about two ambitious women in New York City. It is a perfect summer (or anytime) read.

The 1949 character is Charlotte who longs to work in advertising but is constrained by society’s and her family’s expectations for a women’s place in society. When the glamourous opportunity of the Miss Subways beauty contest (a real historical advertising campaign) presents itself, she has tough decisions to make.

The present day character is Olivia who has achieved success in advertising but still faces some misogyny and discrimination in the workforce. While pitching a new strategy to the NYC subway account, she uncovers the Miss Subways campaign and finds that she has a personal connection to a former Miss Subways.
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‘Another Side of Paradise’ is a great vacation read

June 30, 2018 /

I am thrilled to recommend yet another book from my summer reading list:

Another Side of Paradise: A Novel by Sally Koslow.

This book is a fictionalized version of a romance between F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hollywood gossip columnist, Sheliah Graham. I read this book because I was intrigued by F. Scott, but I ended up liking the book so much because of the interesting female character.

JOHN MCCAIN’S NEW BOOK

June 13, 2018 /

I just finished John McCain’s newest memoir The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations as part of my summer reading list.

During the past year Senator McCain has intrigued me. He is one of the very few republicans to call out the President. As a dying man with terminal brain cancer, McCain wants to “talk to his fellow Americans a little more” in this book. I wanted to pay respect to him by reading it.

I believe that regardless of political affiliations, someone who has served his country, as a soldier, a POW, and in Congress for decades, and even running for President of this country has valuable insight. And I was not disappointed. Although the book is HEAVY on military details I found much to like. Here are my most memorable moments:

‘HOW TO WALK AWAY’ – a good start for summer reading

June 11, 2018 /

I started through my summer reading list this week and am happy to recommend one book already: How to Walk Away: A Novel by Katherine Center.

Margaret is so close to having everything she ever wanted – a great job, a loving fiancé, and her whole life in front of her. One tragic event may take all of this away.

This book is notable because it deals with emotional and physical healing and how they intersect. It has elements of romance – somewhat predictable – and family drama – not so predictable. It is an inspiring read and a good reminder of what many of us take for granted every day. It has just the right amount of humor along with these deeper topics.

CIRCE – an enchanting book

June 5, 2018 /

I was intrigued by the book I’m recommending today after seeing a GIF on Twitter of the book cover sparkling in the sunlight (yes this is a beautiful foil cover). And I am thankful for this cover attracting my attention because I really, really enjoyed CIRCE by Madeline Miller, and now I can recommend it to you.

This is a tale of a misfit heroine set among the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. As the daughter of Helios, Titan god of the sun, Circe doesn’t quite fit in with the other gods and goddesses. She is not powerful like her father or alluring like her mother. When she turns to mortals for companionship she discovers she does have the power to use plants to create spells, pharmakis. Threatened and irritated by Circe, Helio banishes her to live out her (eternal) life on a deserted island.

But it is a beautiful island, and this is where Circe’s life really begins!
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New books to read this summer!

May 29, 2018 /

Ahhhh summer reading…I am going to need lots of books to take to the pool, to the beach, to read while traveling, and in my favorite reading chairs.

So, I spent the last couple of days surveying what’s coming out this summer and reading first chapters and previews.

As expected, I found several books I’m excited to read. My list of 12 new books includes historical fiction about a literary figures, a couple of psychological thrillers, a love story, a fairy tale about war, and memoirs from a refugee and a veteran/politician. I’ll be returning to Russia (via book) and France. All and all, I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about one of my seasonal reading lists!!

I hope you’ll join me in reading some of these books. You can click on the titles or pictures to find out more and purchase on Amazon. (Publishers notes are in quote boxes.) I’ll post links to my reviews (no spoilers) as I read through my list.

Leslie's Bookcase

Page 16 of 29

‘THE LOST VINTAGE’ – WINE & WWII

‘THE SUN DOES SHINE’ – A recommendation & giveaway

THE REDWOODS

MY TRIP TO THE OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

‘THE SUBWAY GIRLS’ – A PERFECT SUMMER READ

‘Another Side of Paradise’ is a great vacation read

JOHN MCCAIN’S NEW BOOK

‘HOW TO WALK AWAY’ – a good start for summer reading

CIRCE – an enchanting book

New books to read this summer!

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