What We're Reading Now | 07/25/2008 12:00 am

What is your favorite book of this summer thus far? Why?

Joan Juliet Buck | 07/25/2008 12:00 am

Joan Juliet Buck: Apples and Oranges

Marie Brenner’s Apples and Oranges: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found

0 Comments

Judith Martin | 07/25/2008 12:00 am

Judith Martin: A Renaissance Woman

Venice: Cità Excelentissima: Selections from the Renaissance Diaries of Marin Sanudo. Just out, this is the first translation (from Venetian, not Italian) of the great diarist who made Samuel Pepys look silly by writing 58 volumes. Best discovery so far: He seems to be the first person in recorded history to say (on June 5, 1525, in opposition to a proposal that the age requirement be raised for election to the Quarantia Criminal) "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." The passage: "… I said that if something is not broken, it need not be fixed … The council understood immediately that I was telling the truth. I then concluded that this change should not be made, recapitulating what I had said. Holding everyone’s attention, I gave an admirable speech." Here, here, Marin!

1 Comment

Cynthia McFadden | 07/25/2008 12:00 am

Cynthia McFadden: My Stepson's Book

Loved Marie Brenner’s Apples and Oranges: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found; James Frey’s Bright Shiny Morning; Steven Saylor’s The Triumph of Caesar: A Novel of Ancient Rome; and Fareed Zakaria’s The Post-American World. Adam Davies has a delightful novel coming out in August called Mine all Mine which I think is quite brilliant — with prejudice — he is my stepson. I am currently engrossed in two books: Stephen Carter’s Palace Council and David Wroblewski’s The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.

5 Comments

Joan Ganz Cooney | 07/25/2008 12:00 am

Joan Ganz Cooney's Top Three Reads

Definitely Marie Brenner’s Apples and Oranges. Plus White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters and Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History.

4 Comments

Liz Smith | 07/25/2008 12:00 am

Liz Smith Loves Apples, Oranges ... and Kennedy

Oh, by all means our friend Marie Brenner’s astounding personal memoir Apples and Oranges. But I also have to include Bobby and J. Edgar: The Historic Face-Off Between the Kennedys and J. Edgar Hoover That Transformed America, which is recent history with a difference. So many pertinent revelations here by Burton Hersh about the FBI director, his friend Joe Kennedy and his enemies, the Kennedy sons. Marie’s book is from Farrar, Straus & Giroux. And Burton’s is Basic Books.

Click here on this text to read my nationally syndicated daily column.

6 Comments

Candice Bergen | 07/25/2008 12:00 am

Candice Bergen's Compelling Read

The most powerful book I’ve read (well, am READING) this summer is The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. It is beautifully written and always surprising. Hypnotic in the rendering of the character of Edgar and his instinctual connection to dogs. It is an intimate novel yet great in scope with a mystery at its heart. A totally compelling, heart-wrenching read by a gifted first time novelist. Extremely sensitively observed.

1 Comment

Mary Wells | 07/25/2008 12:00 am

Mary Wells: wOw Keeps Me From Reading

wOw wants me to write pieces with pictures no less and I am also supposed to send answers to questions that invade my life and reveal themselves everywhere, in the popcorn, in the salad, in my telephone bills. I used to read myself to sleep nights but since wOw I go to sleep pondering answers to what will happen to Hillary now, for God’s sake — and now what do I think about Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction — and what will happen if my granddaughter wears a nose ring to school — and what did happen to good old Bill Clinton for heaven’s sake — and are there really angels and is Tom Cruise one — and on and on. I know I have read books because I have piles of them next to my bed and all have corners turned down but obviously none of them got to my psyche. Next year.

4 Comments

Read more about: Books, Marie Brenner, Question of the Day

145 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Frank - I think you need a bigger house!

By Maurine H on 07/28/2008 12:50 am

e-mail alert

Yep, Maurine.—I need to get the hell outta this beige apartment which I loathe—they won’t let me paint the walls another more vital colour—and is too small—haven’t found one yet in my budget level though—wish I were paid in euros—sigh :-)

By Frank Peterson on 07/28/2008 12:58 am

Frank, last night I was on an interview team for a re-entry women’s scholarship offered by my organization. One of our questions was, “What is the last book you’ve read?” One of the candidates said, “I’m always reading at least four books at once. I think it’s because I don’t want to finish any one of them. If I have lots of books in process, then I can delay the ending of each of them.” Sound familiar? It sure did to me! Especially, when any given book is intriguing. Oh, the games we play….

By Maurine H on 07/29/2008 11:07 am

e-mail alert

It’s for me like a small mourning when I finish a book I’ve grown to love—one never wants it to end. Yes the 4 books at once or more—I think I do it to keep from ending them, the good ones. :-)

By Frank Peterson on 07/29/2008 11:25 am

right now I’m in the middle of “1776” by David McCullough. I’m also reading for the second time “The Secret” and for the ? time, “The Little Prince” —— I loved and could hardly put down “The Bookseller of Kabul”……. fiddlesome

By elaine oland on 07/28/2008 8:32 am

e-mail alert

I also love summer reading, but my Mom died on July 3rd after a VERY long illness, dementia and heart failure, broken hip, etc. I am just now able to read and I am trying some short stories and such because my concentration is not great. Our bookclub is reading something quite long and heavy so I go back and forth to that, Mark Helperin’s, A Soldier of the Great War. Mom loved to read many years ago, so she would appreciate this discussion. Thanks.

By judy smith on 07/28/2008 9:34 am

e-mail alert

Ms Smith: Mark Helprin’s A Soldier of the Great War is just marvellous as is his A Winter’s Tale which I highly recommend. I’m sorry to hear of your loss.

By Frank Peterson on 07/28/2008 3:19 pm

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It was inspiring.

By Chari Bonagua on 07/28/2008 11:18 am

e-mail alert

http://www.myspiritualwindows.info/adventuresofmonikobookpage.html Read mine, I will put a guarantee that you will not find the like in this world for reading. The energy will wrap you up, in a way that will leave you wondering how. :-) Blessings, Linda

By Linda Myers on 07/28/2008 12:22 pm

e-mail alert

I should also mention James Agee’s A Death in teh FAmily with that marvelously evocative opening sequence, knowville Summer of 1915, eventually put to music by SAm Baber—I’ve only heard Dawn Upshaw singing it and it’s simple so very lovley.

By Frank Peterson on 07/28/2008 3:16 pm

Frank- too many books crowding you out of your home? I just got a Kindle! I love it. I just got a Kindle!!! It is so cool. No more shelves and shelves of dusty books. All books, newspapaers, magazines AND BLOGS are electronic. And holding the device is very close to holding a book! I love this thing. You can store all of your favorite books in a 10 oz. device. And I can download samples of the books you all recommended - it lets you download about 3 chapters as a free sample to see if you want to buy it. So I checked out many of your recommendations. This is some technology I am really excited about. It also lets me access blogs - WOWOWOW! Although I can’t post a reply because Wow thinks it is spam- add that one to your “to do” list Wow techies. So I can access Wow on the plane, anywhere- doesn’t use internet access so you don’t need “hot spots” to have this work. this thing is so cool.

By Kay Sara on 07/29/2008 4:45 am

e-mail alert

I haven’t read it yet but I know it’s going to be The Last Lecture. Other than that, I’m finishing up Sovereign Ladies about the six queens regnant of England. Elizabeth I rules!

By Darlene Craven on 07/31/2008 3:09 pm

e-mail alert

I to loved Marie Brenner’s Apples and Oranges: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found. But I really am a lover of British mysteries, so I’ve been reading from the Kate Sedley’s Roger the Chapman series, too.

By Chris Broersma on 07/31/2008 10:44 pm

e-mail alert

I thought that Edgar Sawtell was just mesmerizing, and then i met the author and hearing him speak about the process of writing the book drove me to read it all over again. Right now I’m reading Tony Horowitz’s Voyage Long and Strange. Julia Reed’s Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns and Other Southern Specialties made me laugh out loud and made me make jezebel sauce and ham biscuits at 2 am.

By LeAnne Gault on 08/01/2008 4:59 pm

e-mail alert

Great thread ! I just gotten back from a month at the beach ( a shared cottage with my sisters… a way to get all the grown cousins together… lots of cooking, inter-generational conversations ( wow! ), wine, Mojitos, scrabble, and a great new game ,Blokus ) so I’ve missed so much good wowOwow conversation, glad to see some familiar names. Favorite fiction books this summer were: The life and Times of Michael K by Coetzee,( a wonderful little book about the human spirit ). Arthur & George by Julian Barnes ( a great detective-like novel about the creator of Sherlock Holmes, beautifully written ). and Divisidero by Ondaatje ( strange, interesting, layered, totally different than the English Patient) But MY FAVORITE book, which follows my favorite book of last summer ( The Omnivore’s Dilemma ) is In Defense Of Food, both by Michael Pollan. These books will forever change how you eat, shop, think about food and diet. Totally eye-opening and life changing !! Judy, sorry to hear about your Mom. Although it was probably a blessing after a long illness, your Mom is your Mom and you never get over it.

By EKA - on 08/02/2008 8:26 pm