Economics made fun!

Predictably Irrational, by Dan Ariely (2008)

If economics has never turned you on, you may want to try this book anyway. Ariely explores our human nature and why we do what we do, why we might purchase Item A instead of Item B, and how marketers can take advantage of our basic human nature.

Written in non-economic language, this book is a fun look at ourselves. It will certainly make readers more savvy in the marketplace and in all aspects of one's life.

Families, families, families

Body Surfing, by Anita Shreve (2007)

I was already a big fan of Anita Shreve's book, having devoured Fortune's Rock, The Pilot's Wife, A Wedding in December, and others.

This book kept me up until the wee hours as I did not want to put it down. The story revolves around a young woman, Sydney, who seeks out a quiet tutoring position in New Hampshire. Followed the turmoil of being a divorcee and a widow, the last thing she is looking for is romance.

However, her plans for rectitude are disrupted when she meets the two adults sons of the family who both fall in love with her and draw her deeper and deeper into their family. The portrayal of all the members of the family are rich with detail and the plot line has enough twists to make this a terrific read.

A terrific cast of characters

Crossing California, by Adam Langer (2004)

An amazing cast of characters muddle through life together in Chicago in late 1970s and early 80s. A book based on transitions in teens, adults, families, and the city itself. Whether divided by California Avenue which marks the transition between old and new, between safe and slummy, between hope and poverty, the characters in the book will draw you in and keep you reading.

For Art Lovers....

Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper, by Harriet Scott Chessman (2001)

As a lover of Impressionist paintings, I couldn't wait to read this fictionalized account of the relationship between artist May Cassatt (1844-1926) and her sister Lydia.

Chessman has managed to create a voice for both women that echoes the style and feel of an impressionist painting. She brings depth to the lives of the two sisters with faint brushings of words and glimpses of a three-year period of their life together in France. As Lydia faces the reality of her failing health, her sister May tries to capture her image unwilling to lose her beloved sister and companion.

The book also contains five reprints of May's painting allowing for a close examination of the artist's style, interpretation, and use of colour.

A Blast From the Past

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir, by Bill Bryson

Taking a very humourous trip down memory lane, Bill Bryson recreates life in middle America in the 1950's and 1960's with style and finesse. While changing names to protect the innocent, and the infamous, Bryson brings a quirky band of characters to life.

From summer vacations, led by his Dad who preferred to save a dollar and avoid line-ups by going to out-of-the-way holiday spots, such as "battlefields of the little-known War of the Filipino Houseboys" to the attraction of the "stripper tent" in the yearly carnival, Bryson coats childhood, Des Moines, and post World War II America in a sugar-coated veneer. While his reminiscences of a perfect small-town boyhood may seem a tad too-sugary at times, Bryson's smooth writing style and wonderful sense of timing make this memoir enjoyable and a must-read for anyone old enough to reminisce about anything!

Another Great Independent Film....

New Year Baby, by Socheata Poeuv

Another wonderful independent film, this documentary follows the Cambodian-American Poeuv family. When daughter/filmmaker, Socheata, discovers that her older sisters are actually her cousins and her older brother is really a half-brother, she sets out to unravel the puzzle of her patchwork family.

Socheata convinces her parents and brother to accompany her on a trip to Cambodia, revisiting old friends and families, and helping her understand the devastation that the Khmer Rouge brought to Cambodia and how her parents survived the forced labour camps.

Directed by Charles Vogel, produced by Broken English Productions

Must See Movie!

Everything is Illuminated, directed by Liev Schreiber

Based on the book of the same title, written by Jonatahn Safran Foer, this is an amazing and very poignant and offbeat independent film.

Everything is Illuminated stars Elijah Wood as Jonathan Safran Foer, a young Jewish man who wants to learn how his grandfather escaped from the Nazi incursions into Russia. He flies to Europe and hires a tour guide of a young man and his crotchety grandfather. The car trip to Odessa envelopes the lives of the three men in ways that will change them forever.