The Monsters of Templeton: A Novel

By Lauren Groff

“The day I returned to Templeton steeped in disgrace, the fifty foot corpse of a monster surfaced in Lake Glimmerglass.”

At first glance, Lauren Groff’s debut may seem like a horror novel, with its mysterious title and cryptic beginning. However, readers who venture deeper will find that it’s really a love story to her hometown: a picturesque, bucolic village that most of us know as Cooperstown, NY (home of the Baseball Hall of Fame), but admittedly renamed Templeton by the author for this novel. Although a strange, enormous sea creature of some kind has been dragged out of the local lake, there are other monsters lurking in Templeton, the town where Willie Upton was born and where she returns at the beginning of the novel.

Some important things to know about twenty-eight year old Willie:
She is fleeing a doomed love affair with her very married archaeology professor after trying to run his wife down with a small plane.
She is carrying the child of previously mentioned archaeology professor.
She is a descendant of the town’s very wealthy founder, Marmaduke Temple and therefore part of one of the town’s most important families, though most of the family money is gone.

Her mother Vi was a hippie living in a commune in San Francisco when Willie was conceived and doesn’t know which of three possible men is Willie’s biological father.

Unsure of her future with her professor, her pregnancy and her status at Stanford, where she has been working on her doctorate, Willie returns to the place she once fled to recuperate, but finds her hometown is not the peaceful town she remembers. Her bohemian mother has found religion and is dating a minister. The discovery of the monster from the lake has drawn throngs of visiting scientists and news media to town, in addition to all the tourists. Willie's best friend and fellow student Clarissa has been diagnosed with lupus and her condition is quickly deteriorating. Then, Vi announces that Willie’s biological father is not a stranger after all, but a resident of Templeton. With Vi refusing to name names, Willie must use a few clues and her research skills to dig deep into the history of her ancestors and the town of Templeton to discover the truth about her past.

Monsters of Templeton is an enthralling book that feels almost like a memoir, with family trees, old photos and even a town map. The author takes us along on Willie’s journey into this charming, idyllic town where secrets and lies hide just beneath the surface. Although some readers will find Willy slightly self absorbed (though I personally like that she has flaws), this is a unique and fascinating story.

The Last Beach Bungalow: A Novel

By Jennie Nash

FOR SALE
The last beach bungalow
The owner of this 1928 original bungalow is seeking a buyer with
heart. What would you give – besides money – to live here? Bring
your offers, your stories, and a promise to preserve and protect.
Winner will pay $300,000.
Open house, Saturday 1 to 4

When April Newton sees the beautiful craftsman style cottage mentioned in this ad, she falls completely in love with it. The first problem is that she is not the only one; hundreds of families are vying for a chance to own this bungalow, with its attractive below market asking price, an enormous stone fireplace with Catalina tiles, and a gorgeous ocean view of Redondo Beach. The second problem is that April’s husband is already working on a dream house that he began remodeling five years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Now, April’s cancer is in remission, maybe gone for good, and their new home is nearing completion. How can she tell him about the bungalow? April and Rick have been drifting apart for some time now, partially because of the stress of the move and remodel, and this could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Even if she can persuade Rick to forget the dream house and buy the bungalow instead, how will she convince the owner to choose them over hundreds of other families? Soon, the cozy bungalow begins to represent the kind of life that April dreams about and the dream house is everything she doesn’t want. An interesting story about family, love and choosing not just a house, but a home. The premise is intriguing and the writer uses her own experiences for much of the novel, but the writing is just okay for me.

Books about "A Lady*"

Lately, I’ve been completely obsessed with Jane Austen, particularly with her novels and the story of her life. I think this is mostly because the movie Becoming Jane left me with so many questions about what her life was really like. So, I put my librarian skills to the test and began searching for more information about this very private and facinating woman.

I started with the book the previously mentioned film is based on: Jon Spence’s Becoming Jane Austen: A Life. This was an interesting book with tons of information, including quotes from both Jane’s letters and books written by her family members. Mr. Spence makes many interesting connections between Jane’s real life and the lives of the characters of her books. The tone is a little dry and academic at times though, and I must admit that I found myself skimming some passages.

Next, I picked up a book titled Just Jane: A Novel of Jane Austen’s Life by Nancy Moser. In Just Jane, the author imagines Jane’s life from age 20-40. I liked the first chapter, but the book went downhill quickly and became extremely unbelievable to me and a little boring. I would not recommend this one.

Finally, I stumbled upon a new title, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by S yrie James. In this novel, the author ponders the question, “What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen’s memoirs were discovered after hundreds of years? What if those pages revealed the untold story of a life-changing love affair?” Although this book is completely fictional, James’ writing feels much more authentic than Moser’s, and follows a love affair between Jane and a mysterious man who she meets while vacationing in the coastal town of Lyme. At the end of the novel, Syrie admits that no lost diary or attic chest has ever been found, but due to her diligent research and seamless blending of fact and fiction, I almost believed that there was. This was a fun and entertaining book.

The more I learn about Jane Austen, the more impressed I am by both her talent as a writer and her courage in becoming an independent thinker during a time period when women were not supposed to think for themselves. It's too bad that she never lived to see her beloved novels become so successful, popular and highly respected.

(*Note: Jane Austen's first novels were originally published anonymously, "By a Lady".)

The Opposite of Love: A Novel

By Julie Buxbaum

Emily Haxby has a feeling that her boyfriend is going to propose to her. Andrew is a catch – attractive, smart, funny, a doctor- and they truly love each other, so she dumps him immediately. Her friends don’t get it and as one person tells her, “It’s like you get pleasure out of breaking your own heart.”

Beneath the tough exterior of this twenty-nine year old successful Manhattan attorney, lies a very damaged person. Emily knows that eventually Andrew will leave her, so she has to leave him first, no matter how miserable it makes her. But without Andrew in her life, Emily is left with the opposite of love- - emptiness.

The Opposite of Love is the story of how Emily finds the courage to face her deepest fears and take control of her life. Buxbaum’s debut is well written, funny, and insightful, with well drawn characters and a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.

Becoming Jane: The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen

Edited by Anne Newgarden

More than two centuries ago, Jane Austen, a clergyman’s daughter in Hampshire, England, wrote six major novels, beginning with the classic Pride and Prejudice. Despite the fact that she lived just 41 years and never married or left England, Ms. Austen wrote about the relationships between men and women in a way that still resonates many decades later. Although she didn’t make much money from them at the time, today her novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, adapted into movies, sequels, plays, ballets, (and more!), and have never been out of print.

Almost two hundred years later, Jane Austen is more popular than ever.

In addition to being a huge fan of Austen’s work, I’m also intrigued by the story of her life, which was recently dramatized in the film Becoming Jane (starring a likeable Anne Hathaway and a dapper James McAvoy, pictured on the cover.) In a time when women were not supposed to think for themselves, Jane Austen had the courage to put her thoughts on paper. In a time when women were not supposed to think of money, Jane Austen was earning money, no matter how small the amount, on her own. In a time when most women had to marry for financial reasons instead of love, Jane Austen refused to mindlessly follow the rules of society. She was determined to either marry for love or live by her pen. She was afraid the demands of a traditional family life would deter her dream of becoming a great writer, a dream that would only be fully realized many years after her death.

This slim book is a collection of quotations from her novels and letters. It also contains a bit of biographical information, just enough to give the reader a sense of what Ms. Austen’s life was like, without being scholarly or overwhelming.
The editor seems to have a genuine appreciation for Austen’s work and writes, “Austen’s men and women – ball gowns, bonnets and breeches aside- are not so very different from men and women today. While they face completely different obstacles in their pursuit of marital happiness, Austen’s favorite subject, their feelings and failings, their vices and vulnerabilities provoke in modern-day readers (or viewers, as the case may be) a nod of recognition.”
She calls Austen a “master of human observation,” adding, “And what do we human creatures love more than to hold a mirror up to ourselves? Reveling in the first blush of love or mourning its loss – remembering who we once were or impatient for who we hope to become – we turn to our own reflection for knowledge, for solace, for pity, for hope, or for the sheer pleasure it gives us. It’s no wonder we keep coming back to Jane Austen over and over again.”

Recommended for Austen fans.

The Senator's Wife: A Novel

By Sue Miller

A portrait of two marriages, one just beginning and the other approaching its end. Meri and Nathan have recently married and are moving into one half of a large, two family home in New England. The other side of the house belongs to the much older Delia and her husband, Tom, a former US senator. Ms. Miller offers a look at both marriages, seemingly at opposite points, yet in some ways, strikingly parallel. As Meri gives birth to her first child and confronts the complexities of motherhood, Delia brings debilitated Tom home for the first time in decades to convalesce after a stroke.

I consider myself a big fan of Sue Miller’s writing, especially The Good Mother and While I Was Gone. The Senator's Wife has been the recepient of much critical praise, but the reviews on Amazon.com are somewhat lukewarm. I have to agree with many of the Amazon readers, who felt this novel was well written, but brought nothing really new to the table.

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaining the American Dream

By Barack Obama

I normally find politics completely uninteresting, but as we approached 2008 and people started talking about the upcoming Presidential Election, I really looked forward to voting for Hilary Clinton. I seriously never thought I’d see a viable female presidential candidate in my lifetime, so this was extremely exciting for me. I’d always voted for Bill Clinton, so Hilary would undoubtedly win my vote this year.
Then, I watched a few debates on television, both Democratic and Republican (just for kicks!), and something unexpected began to happen. I actually found the debates interesting! Especially some guy named Barack Obama.

But wait a minute, I hate politics!

Politicians are all a bunch of liars!
I would never donate money to a politician.

What a waste!
And I would never cast a vote against Hilary!

But Senator Obama changed my mind about all of these things. He is inspiring, charismatic and incredibly intelligent. Come to think of it, he is the exact opposite of our current president. The Audacity of Hope is an inside look at Washington that is both smart and interesting. The idea that Mr. Obama could someday lead our country fills this beaten down liberal with hope. I know that he has to beat Hilary in the primaries first, but I would really like to see Obama’s name on the ballot in November. America needs him and you need to read this book!

All this talk about hope reminded me of a beautiful poem written by Emily Dickinson:

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me