Book Readings and Events
Lucia Greenhouse, Rye resident and author of fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science, will be featured at a Luncheon and Conversation hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters, on November 17th from noon to 2 pm at Coveleigh Club in Rye. For tickets and information call Coveleigh Club at 914.305.6876.
Praise for fathermothergod : “fathermothergod is a heart-wrenching coming of age memoir about the implosion of a family when Christian Science dogma encounters a mother’s grave illness. It’s impossible to read this and not put yourself in the author’s shoes—this will take your breath away.” —Lee Woodruff, author of Perfectly Imperfect and In an Instant
“[A] powerfully affecting memoir . . . Greenhouse’s skill in rendering family relationships under the intersecting stresses of illness and conflicting beliefs make the book worthwhile . . . reading. Greenhouse’s skill in rendering family relationships under the intersecting stresses of illness and conflicting beliefs make the book worthwhile—but difficult—reading. Wrenchingly courageous.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Greenhouse will also appear at the Bedford Free Library for a reading and conversation on November 17th at 7pm. Registration required. For tickets and information call the Bedford Library at 914.234.3570.
Larchmont resident Priscilla Warner will read from her memoir, Learning to Breathe: My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life, on November 20th at 4 pm at the Larchmont Village Center, behind the Larchmont Library. Wine and snacks will be served at 3:30 pm. For information call the Larchmont Library at 914.834.2281.
Praise for Learning to Breathe: “Wise, searching, fearless, and big-hearted, Priscilla Warner’s search for inner peace will resonate with anyone who has ever been anxious or at sea—in other words, all of us. She is a comforting and stabilizing guide through her own life—and ours. This book is a gift.” Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion, A Memoir
“I have always considered Priscilla Warner a dear friend. But after reading her book, I realize she is also a great teacher. When I finished Priscilla’s book, a smile washed over my face and I let out a sigh. I promise you will do the same.” Meredith Vieira
Warner will also appear at the Orienta Country Club in Larchmont on December 9th at 12 noon. For tickets and information call Orienta Country Club at 914.698.2310.
Spoken Interludes Series, Masala Restaurant, Irvington (914) 307-1683 :
For those of you book lovers who are not familiar with this gem of a series, here is a review from Westchester Magazine: Best of the Decade, January 2001:
“Author readings can sometimes be a very sober affair. The writers get up, they clear their throats at the podium, and read their very serious works of fiction. Produced by the friendliest host this side of the South, DeLauné Michel, Spoken Interludes is our favorite reading series because it breaks the stuffy atmosphere. Instead, you’re more likely to think of it as a cocktail party—a very fashionable one, where authors happen to drop by and read their recent work. Folks who have recently dropped by include Frank Bruni, A.J. Jacobs, Sloane Crosley, and Marilyn Johnson. And, man, do their words go down nicely with Chutney Masala’s samosas.”
Award-winning, best-selling author Ivana Lowell will read from her new book Why Not Say What Happened? on November 15th. For information and tickets, call Spoken Interludes at 914.307.1683 or visit them on-line at spokeninterludes.com
Praise for Why Not Say What Happened?: “Shocking and hilarious, this elegantly lucid memoir by Ivana Lowell is that lethal mix of British aristocracy, giant fortunes, huge freezing houses, beautiful women jagged with sophistication, pedophilia, mysterious paternity, cruelty and yes, cocktails. We are reminded of the plays of Oscar Wilde and novels from Ronald Firbank to Evelyn Waugh as we are introduced to a lively and unlikely mix that includes the Queen Mother and Harvey and Bob Weinstein. I am not making this up. The startling thing is how recent all this is and how extreme. Lowell is impressive and touching in sparing us none of this tragicomedy, least of all herself.” Mike Nichols
David Radoff, New York Times bestselling author, will read from his new book, Half Empty on November 15th. For information and tickets, call Spoken Interludes at 914.307.1683 or visit them on-line at spokeninterludes.com.
Praise for Half Empty : “Rakoff has a self-awareness that could be recreated only by a team of geneticists working in a lab. The conviction with which he writes is, at the risk of blowing his jacket, uplifting….Writing like this can only be a positive experience for all concerned…..To file Rakoff under ‘essayist, brilliant’ would be to overlook his formidable gifts as a reporter.” –New York Times Book Review
Book Groups and Discussions
The Rye Free Reading Room will hold a discussion of bestselling author Michael Lewis’s new book Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World, on November 22nd from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Each month the Rye Library chooses a book that covers diverse opinions about events occurring in the world—economic, political, social and international. For Michael Lewis fans, this is sure to be an interesting discussion. For more information, call the Rye Library at 914.967.0480.
Praise for Boomerang: “Mr. Lewis’s ability to find people who can see what is obvious to others only in retrospect or who somehow embody something larger going on in the financial world is uncanny. And in this book he weaves their stories into a sharp-edged narrative that leaves readers with a visceral understanding of the fiscal recklessness that lies behind today’s headlines about Europe’s growing debt problems and the risk of contagion they now pose to the world.” New York Times
Support Local Authors: Make sure you pick up a copy of Westchester Review, a wonderful compilation published annually of short stories and poems by established and emerging Hudson Valley authors. You can pick up your copy at Anderson Books in Larchmont.
This from the publisher:
“There are so many gifted writers here in the county,” I said to my daughter. “Wouldn’t it be something if there were a journal for the many voices of Westchester?” We looked at each other and said, “Why not?”– JoAnn Duncan Terdiman, Westchester Review
Melina Maresca practiced as a attorney in Manhattan for many years. She is an avid book lover who now lives in Rye with her husband and two children.
photo: CCAC North Library
