Who We Are & What We're Reading
(Come in and visit The Staff Favorites Shelf)
RHODA CAROL JAN
HANNAH
CHRISTINA
KEVIN JENNIFER
BETTY QUINN
ADAM
RHODA KELLOGG FAUST
| Rhoda was born in 1947, and
is a lifelong New Orleanian who attended lots of schools through no
fault of her own: kindergarten at Henry W. Allen, then Holy Name of
Jesus, Mercy Academy, Benjamin Franklin High School, Neville High
School (in Monroe, LA), Alcee Fortier High School, Washington University
(in St. Louis), Tulane University night school, and UNO. She actually
graduated from Fortier. She worked as a typist in a doctor's office, a receptionist in a lawyer's office, a rental property manager, and as a dandelion clipper in a "sweat shop" for a metal sculptor. For a year or two or maybe a few months she worked as a hippie at the Love Shop in the French Quarter, making leather sandals (tire strips on bottom optional), peace sign necklaces, bracelets that spelled out "LOVE" in silver or gold rivets, and leather weight belts for deep-sea divers that, come to think of it, weren't waterproof. |
 |
She somewhat came to her senses in 1970 when she and two
friends took over running the Maple Street Book Shop, which her
mother and aunt started in 1964. Because she went nuts over an
excerpt she read from A Confederacy of Dunces and to help Walker
Percy get disentangled, she got entangled for many months in 1979
in helping Thelma Toole get her "genius son's" book published.
She
did volunteer work with Operation Mainstream (the YMCA's adult
literacy program) helping with their fund-raising book fairs for several
years. In 1993, she co-founded the grassroots group ERACE that believes
in Eracism( . . . treating people of all colors with love and respect).
These days she balances working at the Maple Street Book Shop,
doing Eracism stuff (including facilitating discussion meetings,
distributing Eracism bumper stickers, and doing presentations with a
different-colored Eracism person), visiting with friends at coffee
houses, spending time with family, fishing now and then (never enough),
and walking almost daily in Audubon Park. After lapsing from
Catholicism for more than thirty years, she now thankfully goes to
mass several mornings a week at a nearby monastery for
Poor Clare nuns. She admits to watching TV (is addicted to "Law and
Order" and "Seinfeld"), but lies to people that she never
watches it unless
she's doing paperwork at the same time. Her love life is a mystery,
especially to her. She reads as often as possible. She is always
happy to talk about books.
Chris Wiltz, Lea Sinclair, Rhoda Faust
WHAT RHODA IS READING:
Jernigan by David Gates (fiction)
Read this, if you can stand reading about a self-destructive,
alcoholic, depressed, mixed-up modern man who is also loveable
and trying to be a good father. The black humor is non-stop and
right on target, and it makes the whole book somehow a joy to
read. It's very reminiscent of Keys to Tulsa by Brian Fair
Berkey, which is even darker-humored and more uproariously
funny, thank God, because it stars Richter Boudreau, who has
no loveable bone in his body.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (fiction)
The narrator of this beautifully written novel, an English
butler, reveals enormously moving clues about himself
as he tells his story. That the most important clues are
subtle and sometimes seemingly inadvertent is what
makes this quiet book compelling to the very end, which knocks
you out.
Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen (mystery)
My favorite thing--a funny mystery--and it doesn't come
even close to being silly the way some funny mysteries do.
Fabulous dialogue along with wacky but believable characters
and several murders to solve make this Florida-set book a
real pleasure.
Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd (fiction)
What a find! This brilliant book has everything and it
all works: an intelligent, amusing narrator, a fast pace, at
least two story lines going at once that come together
beautifully, a love story, mystery, crime, and a good ending.
Foolscap by Michael Malone (fiction)
This well-plotted, fast-paced novel is stunningly
hilarious while, at the same time, it provides enough
weight to make you care about the characters and,
in several cases, love them.
Marquis at Bay by Albert Belisle Davis (fiction)
This is a colorful, very humorous, extremely painful
book that is sometimes joyous. The writing is occasionally
so brilliant that it takes your breath away. It also takes a
lot of your time because it is difficult; you cannot go fast.
I was proud of myself for sticking with it. (Cindy recommends
this book, too.)
The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford (fiction)
If you're willing to work hard to piece together the plot
and information about the four main characters, you will love
this highly acclaimed, self-serving, somewhat autobiographical
novel. It's the slow-moving story about two couples. The husband
in one is having an affair with the wife in the other, which is
revealed long after the fact by the husband of the adulterous wife.
The author makes one thing very clear--how difficult it is to know
the truth and how deceiving appearances can be.
A Traitor to Memory by Elizabeth George (mystery)
For British mystery fans who like long and detailed books, I highly
recommend this huge book. Fans of Dorothy Sayers, Reginald Hill,
and P.D. James like George even though she's American (although
George's books aren't as dour as some of James's). Elizabeth
George's other characters, Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley
and Detecttive Sergeant Barbara Havers, who appear in every
book, are complicated and fun to spend time with. And they are
not a detecting couple, thank God. I hate it when the detectives
are in love with each other.
To say that this is "typical Anne Tyler" is to say that it's a fabulous
literary accomplishment and a heartwarming reading experience.
She writes with grace and humor about batty people whom you
get to know and love. The fact that that don't seem batty by the
end of the book is a testament to how well the author draws the
reader into the world she creates.
Talking It Over by Julian Barnes (fiction)
This book flashed by and dazzled me the whole way. It is told in
the three voices of the participants in a romantic triangle and is
as hilarious sometimes as it is chilling and disturbing other times.
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines (fiction)
How can a novel about a black "hog" on death row being turned
into a man be the most moving, powerful, beautiful and somehow
funny book I've read--maybe ever? I promise. It will fire you up
while giving you hope.
A Simple Plan by Scott Smith (mystery)
"EVIL HAPPENS" would be this accomplished author's dubious
bumper sticker. He attempts to show that evildoing by normal
people for pretty understandable reasons is sometimes easy.
I found this grizzly, sometimes slapstick, novel very compelling.
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (fiction)
Don't be put off by the dry beginning. After a few pages, this
Pulitzer-Prize-winning tale of strong passions within a family
of farmers gains momentum and keeps it up. The author packs
her beautifully written book with insights into human desires,
human frailties and human relationships.
Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley (fiction)
I loved the title, and the savage humor in this book really appealed
to my mean side. The main character is chief spokesman for the
Academy of Tobacco Studies and his job is to defend the rights of
smokers in the "neo-puritanical nineties." This well-plotted and
compelling satire appeals to people at different ends of the
political spectrum, as evidenced by the fact that both
Carol and I loved it.
Boone's Lick by Larry McMurtry (fiction)
This action-filled historical tale set in the Old West drew
me in immediately with its smart, formidable characters.
A woman gathers up all her kids and some other kinfolk
and sets out to find her roaming husband and discover if he
wants her and if she want him. McMurtry's wry telling of their
trek across the country sometimes reminds me of Twain. While
not a wildly rich saga like Lonesome Dove (and not as violent),
McMurtry delivers wonderfully.
The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (fiction)
Up until almost the very end, I loved this book so much I felt
like patting or hugging it. Incredible humor, terrific insight into
fascinating characters in a gripping plot, suspense--what more
could a reader ask of a novel? A better ending! The last six or
eight pages just weren't made of the same stuff as the rest of
the novel. Note: Author Chris Wiltz thought it was wonderful
throughout and discerning customer Helen Wisdom "loved it
from first word to last word."
Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson (mystery)
I'll resist saying that "this is a bonbon of a book" or something like
that. It's light and unusual and I enjoyed it, but the cuteness got
cloying here and there. Yet I recommend it for when you don't fee
like doing any brainwork.
Empire Falls by Richard Russo (fiction)
This rich, joyful, heart-wrenching novel is set in a small,
mostly blue-collar town in Maine. Mike Roby runs the Empire
Grill, the town's main eatery where, except for some of the rich
people who live on the hill, most of the main characters mingle,
eat, drink, and drive each other crazy. This endearing look at
struggling, suffering, stuck, and hilariously funny human beings
is storytelling at its very best. When I think of good storytellers
to compare Russo to, Cheever, O'Hara, Balzac and Trollope
come to mind.
Don't worry if you don't like Westerns--this book transcends
that genre pronto. Don't worry if you don't like fat books
(945 pages). You'll wish it were fatter. Remember East of Eden,
Gone with the Wind, From Here to Eternity? Lonesome Dove
is better! Read just ten pages with an open mind and you'll
thank me until your dying day.
Framley Parsonage and
Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope (classic)
Instead of meditating, I read Trollope novels to calm down.
His ability to bring order out of chaos is very comforting to me.
He is able to present characters and situations that, while set in
England in the mid 1800s, are relevant today. There are
"disruputable people, unscrupulous people, dubious financial
transactions, a vulgar, fast set," loyalty, betrayal, disappointed
love, love triumphant and lots more. Between two covers, he
manages to make some sense of all of the above and make clear
who he thinks the good guys are and why--without being
heavy-handed or preachy.
Blackwater by Kerstin Ekman (mystery)
The publisher's blurb on the advance reading copy said:
"A mesmerizing literary thriller in the tradition of Smilla's
Sense of Snow." I agree and liked it even more than Smilla,
which I found exciting but often too confusing and hard-going.
Blackwater is very complex because the double murder in a
forest in the far north of Sweden took place twenty years before
the novels opens, but it's well worth the effort.
Simisola by Ruth Rendell (mystery)
Rendell's a brilliant mystery writer (she won both the Edgar
| and Golden Dagger awards) and this is one of her best.
Inspector Wexford has to look inside himself as well as
outside at the clues in this fascinating mystery that starts
off with the discovery of an unidentified body. The issue of
race, which is necessary to solving the murder, is handled
with fairness and intelligence. It does not upstage the delicate
plotting of the book but heightens the delicious tension. The
ending is particularly poignant and satisfying.
Moo by Jane Smiley (fiction)
Although the first paragraph threw me--I was unclear
about the word "hegemony" and had no idea what "espaliered"
meant. I read on because I had that exact entry problem
Smiley's A Thousand Acres, and I loved it by page two. Moo
is lighter and funnier, yet it has enough weight to be compelling.
Smiley does a scathing job on academia that reminds me of Lucky
Jim by Kingsley Amis and Foolscap by Michael Malone, two of my
all-time favorites.
The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx and
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields (fiction)
I read both of these Pulitzer Prize winners and marveled at
how brilliant they are. For some reason, though, I don't find
myself recommending them when I am in the shop with customers
when I point out books I love, even though I remember loving them
while I was reading them. Maybe this is because their magic is too
nebulous for me to describe and because there is no way on earth
to answer the question "What is this about?" regarding either book.
They are both imaginative, heart-grabbing, comical and painful.
Please read them and come tell me why you loved them.
Cadillac Jukebox James Lee Burke (mystery)
This stars New Iberia detective Dave Robicheaux, who
Burke introduced six or seven books ago. Far-fetched characters
with names like Clete, Batist, Bootsie, Sabelle, Mingo Bloomberg,
Fat Daddy Babineau, Buford and Karyn LaRose, Persephone
and Dock Green, Mookie Zerrang and No Duh Dolowitz are
made believable through colorful dialogue dished out Louisiana-style.
I really enjoyed this funny, frightening and wise book.
Keeping the Love You Find: A Personal Guide
by Harville Hendrix (self-help)
Admitting to reading this sappy-sounding self-help book is
embarrassing to me and I would have disguised this by calling
it a "psychological study," except the title screams "self-help."
But in truth, it did help me. Now I know much better how I tick
and why I keep doing "crazy things" in the field of love especially,
but also in all of my life. Hendrix brilliantly lays out an incredibly
complicated, convoluted, and yet wholly plausible and logical
explanation of why we do the things we do. I tried reading it a
few years ago and got a headache every time I picked it up.
This time it made perfect sense to me.
Anna's Book and Brimstone Wedding
by Barbara Vine (mystery)
Barbara Vine is Ruth Rendell writing more gothically
and with more attention to character study than her other
fiction. Anna's Book refers to a diary that is presented in
part to the reader along with some trial transcripts and letters
that, put together, will solve a gory crime that took place in London
in 1905. As the main character who is trying to figure it all out says,
"It is a double detective story." Also intriguing is The
Brimstone
Wedding in which parallel situations between two British
women--one living at Middleton Hall, a residential nursing home,
and one working there--become more and more eerie. I thought
I could guess what was going to happen, but the author had more
twists in store than I ever imagined. Extremely compelling.
Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis (fiction)
Having died laughing over the supposed letters between the vitrioloc
head devil and his fumbling trainee nephew in The Screwtape Letters,
I wanted to try a novel by him. The myth of Cupid and Psyche is
brought back to life by the narrator, Orual. She unflinchingly tells
the reader of her own flaws while spinning a brave and rather
heart-breaking story that is quite hilarious at times. The book
flows well, and the author makes you really care about his
extraordinary characters.
Beat Not the Bones by Charlotte Jay (mystery)
I was captivated and charmed by this offbeat and haunting
mystery published in 1952--the very first Edgar Award
winner for mystery fiction.
Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler (fiction)
One of her best, in my opinion. It's funny, poignant, well-plotted
and a total delight from page one to the terrific, not-telegraphed
ending. It reminded me of that fabulous Gabriel Garcia Marquez
novel Love in the Time of Cholera--also about bizarre human
behavior that only makes sense in the context of love and
power struggles. (Just remember the line: "There was soap.")
Trial by Clifford Irving (mystery)
This is a well-written, exciting courtroom thriller with some
well-developed, likeable, witty characters. The action is fast
with several great plot twists.
That's Not What I Meant! How Conversational Style Makes
or Breaks Relationships by Deborah Tannen (psychology)
Do people grimace or recoil when you talk? Well, I'm not saying
they do that to me, but sometimes I wonder why I'm not getting
through and, in fact, seem to be making things worse with each effort.
This highly intelligent book gives the reader not only the wherewithal
to diagnose his own problems, but it also prescribes possible cures for
many types of communication breakdowns.
The Warden by Anthony Trollope (classic)
It is not only a very good book itself, it is the beginning volume
of the six Chronicles of Barsetshire. It makes me feel secure to
know that there are five more beautifully written, intelligent , sane,
and very civilized novels waiting for me. Although the pace is slow,
it is not tediuos. The subject matter, "the behavior of individuals
within
a power structure," is always one of my favorites. Set in Victorian
times, the story takes place in the cathedral town of Barchester.
March Violets by Philip Kerr (mystery)
Gutsy Bernie Gunther is not just up against a few bad guys here
and there in his job as private eye; he's operating against the
background of pre-WWII Germany. The historical setting greatly
enhanced my enjoyment of this entertaining and thought-provoking
book. Bernie is an attractive character who reappears in several
other books.
Fools of Fortune by William Trevor (fiction)
This tragic Irish love story does not move fast, but Trevor
is such a master that the slow pace is all the better for
savoring every word.
The Way Through the Woods by Colin Dexter (mystery)
A very challenging, witty, quintessential British mystery starring
Morse, the chief inspector in Oxford, England, who listens to
opera, drinks too much, and only understands women enough
for them to fall for him.
For the Sake of Elena and A Great Deliverance
by Elizabeth George (mystery)
Several customers have told me to read this author and have
compared her to P. D. James. Finally, I am on the bandwagon touting
these compelling, intricate British mysteries. We learn more about the
reappearing protagonists, Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley and
Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers (and they're not cutely romantically
involved, thank goodness), in each book as they get to know each other
better. P. D. James-like, but with humor!
Children of Men by P. D. James (mystery)
One of my favorite authors comes through with an exciting,
provocative moral tale (in my opinion) tale set in the near future.
Science fiction non-fans, don't be put off--it's more of a philosophical,
mysterious novel.
Harnessing Peacocks by Mary Wesley (fiction)
I found this zany, bittersweet novel about strong characters
and strong appetites (only sometimes held in check) set in
contemporary England to be delightful. I love this author and
recommend all of her books, but this is my favorite.
Strange Loyalties by William McIlvanney (mystery)
This Scottish mystery by an author who writes with great
intelligence and humor should not be missed, but first read Laidlaw,
which introduces his main character.
Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely (mystery)
I was glad to meet Blanche White, a black maid who turns
detective when the situation calls for it. She is a clever, tough,
extra-vulnerable heroine who shows great resilience when in a bind.
She takes flack when she has to, but only in dire circumstances, and
the reader gets to see her real reactions. This charming mystery has
lots of things going for it: good dialogue, offbeat characters, and an
original way of dealing with racial issues.
K is for Killer by Sue Grafton (mystery)
First read A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J, just to get
to know
California P.I. Kinsey Millhone. She's worth spending time with–smart,
extremely hard-working, funny, imperfect, self-aware, and she does
a good job of solving her cases. K is particularly good.
The Night Manager by John Le Carre (mystery)
One of this author's finest. It's got just about everything I ever
wanted in a modern-day "spy" novel. Fascinating characters,
intricate
plot (but understandable–something Le Carre doesn't always
make possible), exotic settings, lots of humor, suspense. I found
it enjoyable even though it got a bit implausible at times.
Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally (fiction)
When this book came out in 1982, I didn't have it in me right
then to read about Nazi Germany and the Holocaust for almost
400 pages, even though the book got extraordinary reviews and
great word of mouth. Now that I have read it, I agree with all the
raves. The subject matter is made bearable by the quality of the
writing. It's a fine book. Put yourself through it.
Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg (mystery)
First of all, and despite what I say next, I really liked this
thriller set in Copenhagen. It was gripping, complicated, magical,
confusing, frightening, difficult to follow, and I was a little disappointed
in the ending. My mother and I agreed that we'd never had to re-read
pages so often in order to figure out what was going on and who was
who. But it was worth it to discover Smilla–a woman of extraordinary
mental and physical abilities, a funny/shocking honesty, and
outrageous courage.
The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley (classic)
This mid-20th century classic British novel is slow but sure. In quiet,
subtle language the author reveals an adult world of deceit, treachery,
and eventual tragedy from a boy's point of view. The reader sees, or
at least suspects, the truth that is often unfathomable to the young
protagonist. Reminded me of two other books I adore: The Good
Soldier and The Remains of the Day.
The Black Echo, The Black Ice, and
The Concrete Blonde
by Edgar Award-winning Michael Connelly (mystery)
Demoted LAPD cop Harry Bosch is smart, good-hearted, cynical,
and the odds are against him since his fall from grace. But that
doesn't stop him from pushing hard, talking tough, and taking
risks. Dry humor and intelligent detecting add to the pleasure
of hanging out with Harry in these three equally good
police procedurals.
Blood Sympathy by Reginald Hill (mystery)
From a veteran British mystery writer who I hope hasn't
gotten sick of writng Dalziel and Pascoe novels comes this fun
mystery introducing Joe Sixsmith. I was captured by novice
detective Joe's observation that "Clients expected to find private
eyes with their feet on their desks, and as short, black, balding,
redundant lathe-operator was likely to disappoint most of their
other expectations, it seemed only fair to satisfy them in this."
A cozy, satisfying, witty book.
Shinju by Laura Joh Rowland (mystery)
This first novel is a gem, a prize, a must-read for everybody,
no matter what your tastes are–fiction, history, romance, or
morality tale. Set in 1698 Japan, the action starts when the
bodies of a man and a woman bound together are dragged
out of the Sumida River. Shinju, a ritual double suicide, is
suspected until Sano, a samurai, comes on the scene. You'll
be pulling for him the whole exciting time.
Barchester Towers, Doctor Thorne, and
He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope (classic)
I have never read a Trollope I didn't love. These three titles
are excellent examples of his wise, well-ordered world of the
mid-1800s. With always kind yet incisive humor on every page,
constant plot advancement (even though mostly baby steps), and
colorful characters, his books are a reassuring refuge from what
often feels like an out-of-whack world. He Knew He Was Right
(not a part of the Barchester novels) is particularly pleasurable
and did not seem overly long even at 930 pages.