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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 10 Volume V, Issue IX February 15, 2002 Hooked on Books New York, New York From Longitude News, February 2002 Want to curl up with a good book by the fireplace? Try one of these bestsellers to keep you awake: “Plain Jane” by Fern Michaels Haunted by her past, a psychotherapist discovers clues to the long ago killing of a homecoming queen. “The Millionaires” by Brad Meltzer - Things go awry when two brothers, who work at an exclusive bank, try to pull off a full-proof crime. “Self Matters” by Phillip McGraw - How to reclaim one’s authentic identity. For Children: “Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon” by Patti Lovell - This is such a beautiful story about how a grandmother’s love and belief in her grand-daughter gave the little girl self-confidence. This is how she was able to conquer the criticism of her looks and actions from other children. “The Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket Children love this series beginning with the “The Bad Beginning.” It is funny and appeals to all children. Note: Book Review provided courtesy of wisebird of eden books and gifts. New York is our adopted and beloved hometown, much changed since the events of September, and yet also very much its good old self. Now that it’s practically a patriotic duty to visit, we felt it was about time we tackled the vast and marvelous literature on New York, and came up with recommendations. History So maybe it wasn’t for $24 worth of trinkets, but the Dutch did indeed manage to wrangle the island of Manhattan (“Manatus”) from its original occupants. The sweeping history of that commercial start to the turn of the century is beautifully told in “Gotham.” It’s rather large, but very rewarding. If that kind of depth is beyond your powers of concentration, though, you might consider a nifty visual introduction to the city’s history told by the way of lavishly reproduced maps, “Manhattan in Maps.” Every important city has its moment, says Jan Morris, and though New York has almost certainly had several, she makes an awfully convincing case in “Manhattan ‘45” that New York’s greatest period was just after the moment of victory in World War II, when the city was awash in excitement. She’s hardly alone in depicting New York in the 1940’s—while Joseph Mitchell makes no explicit claims, his exquisite portraits of local characters from the 40’s and 50’s in “Up in the Have Flakes been accumulating in your yard and unwanted places? . . . . If so call H S U P SNOW REMOVAL -- PUSH SNOWBANKS BACK . . . Reduce & Simplify your driveway or parking lot frustration REASONABLE RATES No Job is Too Small! 745-2309 Licensed & Insured Salt and Sand Available Old Hotel” certainly help make Morris’ case. Literature There has been so much great writing on New York, it’s tempting to throw up ones hands and give in to an anthology. Luckily, there’s a really terrific one called “Writing New York,” edited by Philip Lopate, a fat book with great selections, from the best authors, including Walt Whitman, Poe, Frank O’Hara, Zora Neale Hurston—you get the idea. Another option is just to choose a classic, and go for it. You can’t go wrong with Edith Wharton, for example, whose “House of Mirth” fairly dissects the upper-class milieu of the city around the turn of the century. Crime, Greed, Squalor Underworld New York, especially in the 19th Century, seems to have a special appeal for New York enthusiasts. Luc Sante’s fine history, “Low Life,” covers the territory with much aplomb. And let’s not forget Jack Finney’s nowclassic “Time and Again”—a wildly successful blend of mystery and science fiction that takes place in seedy New York in the 1880’s. After read- ing this book, you’ll see the city in a whole new light. September 2001 And then there was September 11. Time will tell how these events will ultimately change our city, but a slew of distinctive local voices have already checked in, many to be found in “Before and After, Stories From New York,” edited by author and web impresario Tom Beller. The book is printed with two covers: Before, a selection of essays on contemporary life in the city; and After, which collects stories in the wake of the Trade Center attack. And though many books have appeared since the tragic events, a quiet, forceful tribute stands out: “Twin Towers Remembered.” It’s a small book of photographs of the Towers beginning in the 1970s by cityscape art photographer Camilo Jose Vergara. It includes shots from September 11, but the focus of Vergara is on the life of the Towers. One Last Gem New York is impossible to sum up, but if there is one candidate, it is surely “Here in New York,” E. B. White’s timeless essay on the city, now available in a handsome new edition with an introduction by Roger Angell. |