1. HOME & LIFESTYLE
C
hances are, your tastes for
reading are variable, depending
on the time of year. A book
I would pick to read while
snowed-in is different than a
book I would read in the summer sun. In the
summer we have “beach reads,” but we don’t
technically have “snow reads” — at least as far
as the phrase goes.
So how will you select your winter reads?
Will you find a book that reminds you of
the sunny summer warmth, or will you find
a novel that sends an appropriate chill up
your spine? Maybe pick up a copy of a classic
you’ve been putting off?
Here are a few reads that I recommend for
this month (especially if sipped with hot
apple cider or hot chocolate):
THE MERCY OF THIN AIR by Ronlyn
Domingue
For children, ghost
stories are told as thrill-
seeking parables that
usually end with a life
lesson. For adults, ghost
stories are more subtle.
We seek nostalgia and
mystery through stories
of both romance and
haunting.
Domingue writes a
story of Raziela Nolan,
a quintessential
flapper from the 1920s who, like most ghosts,
has unfinished business. Raziela died in a tragic
accident in her 20s, and haunts a young married
couple, Amy and Scott, in the post-grunge-2000s
while she tries to track down her long-lost love.
The couple is equally haunted by tragedies of their
own past, mixing the two stories of lost love into a
dimension of common understanding.
What elevates this story beyond other ghost
stories is the juxtaposition of history in time. Both
Raziela and Amy are haunted by their past, but
they are equally fierce and determined to work
through their demons. What results is a complex
but deep story. It reminds us not only of our
“unfinished business,” but the preciousness of life
and love. Our bodies may perish, but our love never
dies.
EIGHT
HUNDRED
GRAPES by Laura
Dave
Our heroine, Georgia
Ford, finds out a week
before her wedding
that her husband-to-
be has a deep secret
from his past, one that
will challenge their
marriage and future
forever. Georgia runs
home to Sonoma County from Los Angeles to find
solace in her family’s vineyard and to reflect on
future decisions. Can she live with her husband’s
betrayal?
When Georgia gets to the vineyard, she runs into
one of life’s ironies. Just when you think you are in
a place where you can lean on your family during a
crisis, they are experiencing crises of their own.
What I really liked about this book is that the family
dynamics and dialogue are realistic. There are
interruptions, physical slapstick comedy, drunken
fights, and every single part of it is believable. The
book read like a memoir at moments, and I could
identify with falling back on the comfort of family
when your will is tested. The nuggets of facts
about wine country would especially make this a
nice book club read, even well after the grapes are
frozen.
KATE SPADE NEW YORK: ALL IN
GOOD TASTE
As an adult, the
planning that goes
into parties isn’t nearly
as whimsical as the
cartoon-inspired
themed parties of
youth. Usually there is
a blend of electronic
media used to gather
a group of people
together, such as
emails or Facebook event invites. Sometimes a
menu is developed; sometimes flowers are bought
at the grocery store as an after-thought.
This new book, published by the Kate Spade New
York designer team, brings back the traditions and
joy of selecting paper invitations, arranging flowers
and selecting special menu items. The whimsy
is brought back to adult party planning through
suggestions such as selecting a blend of “casual”
vs “fancy” food items — imagine stovetop s‘mores
served with champagne in coupe glasses for
dessert? It sounds divine.
But Sandra — why would I need another book
on entertaining to add to my collection of food-
magazine-based and celebrity-chef-authored
titles? To that I say: Our entertaining and etiquette
are not simply instructional — they serve as time
capsules. Entertaining guides from the past are
snapshots of American culture and style. Who can
suppress a giggle when looking at 1960s aspic
recipes? So, too, does this book provide a snapshot
of entertaining in 2015 — a mix of both classic
and modern. After purchasing this book, I hope to
acquire a few vintage books to keep it company ...
until I pass them on to someone else.
BookNook
withSandraManley
Sandra Manley, LSW, grew
up in Island Lake, IL. She is
an Oncology Social Worker
at the Robert H. Lurie
Comprehensive Cancer
Center, specializing in
Adolescent and Young Adult
Oncology and Solid Tumors.
In her spare time she can be
found roasting vegetables in her oven, enjoying a very
dark cup of coffee, and of course, reading. You can
follow what she is reading on Goodreads: Goodreads.
com/SandraReadsMSW.
Winter Writings
l a ke c o u n ty j o u r n a l . c o m /m a g a z i n e22 | DECEMBER 2015 | LAKE COUNTY MAGAZINE
LC Mag December 2015 .indd 22 12/3/15 2:46 PM