By Carmela DeVito
Book Reviews
Carmela DeVito
Every year I compose a best of list of books that I absolutely, positively, without a doubt loved and recommend wholeheartedly to anyone who expresses an interest in them. Here are my top 5 selections for 2023.
#5 Perfect Stranger by Katherine Center. Center is one of my favorite authors and firmly enshrined in my personal “Mt. Rushmore” of favorite authors. Her female characters are struggling with contemporary issues: juggling family and career, making it in a man’s world and reinventing life after a traumatic event. Her male characters are, well, gorgeous. She infuses all of her characters with humor and likability and her books always end on a positive, joyful, happy note. I’ve read all her books and adore every one.
In this gem Sadie is a portrait artist about to enter a contest which would bring her much-needed cash. As she is preparing for the contest, she suffers brain trauma and wakes up in the hospital not knowing how she got there. She comes to the awareness that she doesn’t recognize anyone, including her best friend. I promise if you read this you’ll love it as much as I do.
#4 The Inside Story of Baseball’s Greatest Team The 1998 New York Yankees by Jack Curry. Curry has been covering the Yankees for what seems like a gazillion years, and his insights and commentary are always spot-on. He doesn’t hesitate to criticize the entire team, from management to players, when things are not going well. Being a Yankees fan of 50-plus years, I needed to include this.
The 1998 team started off slowly, having a losing record in April. When Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre called a team meeting, the Yankees took off winning their division easily and making mincemeat of their playoff rivals. This team was a joy to watch as you knew they would find ways to win. The team was anchored by two Hall of Famers: unanimous choice the great Mariano Rivera and equally great (and who should have been another unanimous choice), the captain and still my favorite Yankee of all time, Derek Jeter.
#3 The Hummingbird by Stephen Kiernan. This treasure catapulted Kiernan onto my Mt. Rushmore. Kiernan is a fabulous writer and I’ve loved every book of his that I’ve read. His characters are damaged in many ways. While they try to come to terms with whatever troubles them, they are written with sensitivity, compassion and humility.
Deborah is a hospice nurse whose husband Michael is a returning veteran. She begins to realize that he is not the same person he was before his military service. Deborah is at a loss at how to help him when his post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis is revealed. Her work with hospice patient Barclay Reed and his many life stories helps Deborah discover ways to help Michael.
#2 Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad. Bay Ridge, Brooklyn is home to many different ethnic groups and cultures. It really is Brooklyn’s melting pot, with many fabulous Middle Eastern shops and restaurants. That is the home of twin sisters Amira and Lina are about to graduate from high school and are not fully prepared for the challenges life has in store for them. Set during the holy month of Ramadan, the teens try to adhere to the requirements of the month as much as possible but experience many challenges and difficulties. That adherence becomes even more difficult when their older brother returns from prison, disturbing the family structure.
There are many reasons I loved this book. I lived in Brooklyn in an area not too far from Bay Ridge and am familiar with the restaurants and other neighborhood highlights. I love learning about other cultures and traditions, and I love books about Brooklyn.
#1 The Glass Chateau by Stephen Kiernan. Once again Kiernan tackles a difficult topic and does it with humility, compassion and sensitivity.
Former French resistance fighter Asher has lost everything in the war: his wife, daughter and cobbler shop. Full of anguish and despair, he sets off to take his life. He is stopped by a woman (and her dog) who informs him of Le Chateau Guardin, a place where he can recuperate and perhaps learn the art of glassmaking. When he arrives, he meets a group of other physically and emotionally damaged men who begin to teach him their craft.
There are not enough superlatives in this world to describe how much I love this book. All I can say is read it and turn yourself over to Kiernan’s remarkable story telling.
Carmela DeVito, a voracious reader, is a retired social worker and a member of the Friends of the Milford Library.