Friday Five Book FIX

My five book fix is like me... all over the place.  This week's features are a bit of this and that...something for everyone.

1. 

My son, a 7th grader, and I have learned so much from this nonfiction marvel.  Steve Sheinkin deservedly won multiple book awards last month for his well-researched account of how the Atomic Bomb came to be.  I did not know that:

• the bomb began in Germany during WWII.


• Albert Einstein wrote a letter to FDR persuading him to put money and effort into the U.S. creating a nuclear bomb program.


• Convicted U.S. spies for the Soviets were only given 13 years if their espionage activity happened during WWII.

Goodreads Summary:

In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb.

2. 

Yep, it is as good as all the hype.  Oprah and I could be good buddies...we both love dogs, books and a good steady man.  This book choice is hard to believe it is the author's first published novel...excellent writing, creative format, and leaves me wanting to know more about each of these twelve carefully crafted characters.

Goodreads Summary:

In 1923, fifteen-year-old Hattie Shepherd flees Georgia and settles in Philadelphia, hoping for a chance at a better life. Instead, she marries a man who will bring her nothing but disappointment and watches helplessly as her firstborn twins succumb to an illness a few pennies could have prevented.  Hattie gives birth to nine more children whom she raises with grit and mettle and not an ounce of the tenderness they crave.  She vows to prepare them for the calamitous difficulty they are sure to face in their later lives, to meet a world that will not love them, a world that will not be kind. Captured here in twelve luminous narrative threads, their lives tell the story of a mother’s monumental courage and the journey of a nation.

3. 

Every once and awhile, I need a good mystery to take me away from all the wackiness of everyday life.  My mom, a mystery only kind of reader, introduced me to this series which takes place in Venice, Italy.  The seduction of good food, wine, scenery and the debate on who did it has me hooked.

Goodreads Summary:

There is little violent crime in Venice, a serenely beautiful floating city of mystery and magic, history and decay. But the evil that does occasionally rear its head is the jurisdiction of Guido Brunetti, the suave, urbane vice-commissario of police and a genius at detection. Now all of his admirable abilities must come into play in the deadly affair of Maestro Helmut Wellauer, a world-renowned conductor who died painfully from cyanide poisoning during an intermission at La Fenice.

But as the investigation unfolds, a chilling picture slowly begins to take shape--a detailed portrait of revenge painted with vivid strokes of hatred and shocking depravity. And the dilemma for Guido Brunetti will not be finding a murder suspect, but rather narrowing the choices down to one. . . .

4. 

If you have not experienced the coconut pie from the Dahlia Bakery in Seattle, then you have not tasted heaven on earth.  At one of our dear friend's wedding a few years ago, they had pie instead of cake and my life will never be the same after that taste of coconut-induced nirvana.  Now, I have the recipe and I know of someone's birthday in about a month...and it's no joke.  (The bane of having an April Fools birthday.)

Goodreads Summary:

When it comes to delectable, freshly baked cakes, pies, cookies, and muffins, nobody beats the world famous Dahlia Bakery of Seattle, Washington. Owner, Iron Chef, and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Tom Douglas offers up the best loved recipes from this incomparable bread and pastries mecca in The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook--featuring everything from breakfast to cookies and cake to soups and jams and more--demonstrating why the West Coast wonder has long been a favorite of foodies and celebrities, like Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis and Serious Eats founder Ed Levine.

5. 

The cover grabbed my eye due to my love of yellow houses and I am so glad that I checked it out.  Hildy Good epitomizes the addict with her ability to reason away the addiction, to try and control the desire, and to deny the consequences on her and others lives.  With all the frustration that comes with seeing into the mind of an addict, my heart also hurt for the struggle that she encompassed in her battle to overcome.  Wonderful book well worth reading!!

Publisher Summary:

The Good House tells the story of Hildy Good, who lives in a small town on Boston's North Shore. Hildy is a successful real-estate broker, good neighbor, mother, and grandmother. She's also a raging alcoholic. Hildy's family held an intervention for her about a year before this story takes place--"if they invite you over for dinner, and it's not a major holiday," she advises "run for your life"--and now she feels lonely and unjustly persecuted. She has also fooled herself into thinking that moderation is the key to her drinking problem. As if battling her demons wasn't enough to keep her busy, Hildy soon finds herself embroiled in the underbelly of her New England town, a craggy little place that harbors secrets. There's a scandal, some mysticism, babies, old houses, drinking, and desire--and a love story between two craggy sixty-somethings that's as real and sexy as you get. An exceptional novel that is at turns hilarious and sobering, The Good House asks the question: What will it take to keep Hildy Good from drinking? For good.

Happy reading, cooking and playing,