Flutist’s lyrical memoir uplifts
I am no dope I see how my family notes my lapses and losses of appropriate words or a name or the date and it makes me fretful to be forgetful so I try to hide it So begins one of the first poems in Eugenia Zukerman’s book Like Falling Through a Cloud, which her publisher describes as a “lyrical memoir of coping with forgetfulness, confusion and a dreaded... READ MORE
Ideas for gift giving this holiday season
The Bibliophile A thoughtful gift-giver should consider the interests of the recipient in selecting an appropriate present. Here are several suggestions. All’s Fair in Love and War: The Ultimate Cartoon Book by the World’s Greatest Cartoonists, edited by Bob Eckstein, 144 pages, Princeton Architectural Press hardcover, 2020 This witty and sophisticated anthology of captioned... READ MORE
Cookbooks add creativity to your kitchen
The Bibliophile Spend time with these cookbooks and expand your culinary skills. Joy of Cooking: The Trusted Kitchen Classic for a New Generation of Joy: Revised and Updated, by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, John Becker and Megan Scott, 1,200 pages, Scribner hardcover, 2019 The classic encyclopedia of home cooking dating back to the 1930s has been revived... READ MORE
Stories well-told by television celebrities
The Bibliophile Enjoy the perspectives of each of these articulate entertainers as they master the written word as authors. The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life, by Alex Trebek, 304 pages, Simon & Schuster hardcover, 2020 Alex Trebek, the host of TV game show “Jeopardy!” beginning in 1984, faces his own mortality in his 80th year: He is under treatment for late-stage... READ MORE
Books about World War II in the Pacific
The Bibliophile September 2 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. These books cover with clarity and intensity the conflict in the Pacific theater. Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World, by Chris Wallace and Mitch Weiss, 320 pages, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster hardcover,... READ MORE
Author brings history to life with tours
Normally at this time of year, author and historian Garrett Peck of Arlington, Virginia, would be leading his popular walking tours throughout the greater Washington area, and having a drink with the participants afterward. Now, due to the pandemic, he’s had to go virtual. Peck, 52, established his walking tour business in 2006, exploring Prohibition-related sites in Washington, D.C. A ... READ MORE
Recommended reads from local authors
For many of us, the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have afforded more time to enjoy quieter pastimes like reading. Social distancing has provided extra hours and space to discover new authors, reread old favorites and escape to another time and place. Local author Kathleen Reid, who wrote A Page Out of Life, Paris Match and, more recently, Sunrise in Florence, has... READ MORE
Novelist’s unique take on crime
George Pelecanos is the award-winning writer of 21 novels set in and around Washington, D.C. — all researched, he said, “in the street rather than the library.” Pelecanos, 63, prides himself on prowling mean inner-city streets to get the most accurate descriptions for his crime novels. Lately, though, the resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, has been relegated to the woods of... READ MORE
A life filled with spooky work and stories
Columbia resident Alma Katsu cannot be constrained to one occupation. She’s a former analyst for the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. She’s a consultant for emerging technologies in the government and private industry. But she’s also an award-winning author who can’t even be contained within one literary genre, with novels in romance, historical... READ MORE
Start 2020 with these books and calendars
The Bibliophile Begin the new year with a healthier lifestyle and an optimistic outlook. Observe the world around you while making each day count. What to Eat When: A Strategic Plan to Improve Your Health and Life Through Food, by Michael Roizen, M.D., Michael Crupain, M.D., MPH, with Ted Spiker, 352 pages, National Geographic paperback, 2019 This book focuses on... READ MORE
