My 2011 Top Ten(ish)

There are hundreds of "best of" lists out there to remind you of your favs, or tell you what you missed, so you hardly need my humble list to guide your reading choices.  However, the compilation of the list is practically book-blog law, and it's mostly for my own reference and entertainment, so here goes . . .

This year I broke the list into categories - Best New Books I Read, Honorable Mention New Books I Read, Best Books I Read Published Prior to 2011... (Catchy titles, don't you think?)  And since we're not strictly adhering to the rules, there are eighteen books on my list, rather than ten.  'Cause that's the kind of free-spirited rebel I am!

So, the Oscar goes to . . .

Best New Books: (in no particular order) 

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

11/22/63 by Stephen King (review not written)

Honorable Mention New Books:

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern
Litigators by John Grisham
Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson
Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews

The Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

If You Were Here by Jenn Lancaster

A few I really liked that weren't so new:

  

Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
Still Alice by Lisa Genova  

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

And a Couple of Excellent Rereads:

Soaring Eagle by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Mrs. Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico

Father of the Bride by Edward Streeter

Meet Stanley Banks, a normal fellow who’s about to embark upon a heroic ordeal that will take him and his bank account to the limits of endurance. For, you see, he is the father of the bride…and the wedding circus has just begun.

The basis of the 1949 movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Spencer Tracy (and the 1991 remake with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton), Edward Streeter’s Father of the Bride is the hilarious novel about a bewildered man who’s tossed from crisis to crisis—from the dreaded meeting of the in-laws to the rising costs of, well, everything—when his little girl tells him she’s getting married. 

Complete with original illustrations, this is a classic in every sense. You’ll laugh with sympathy and enjoy every word.

I've never seen the 1949 movie version of this story, but love the Steve Martin remake, so when Doubleday Book Club offered the 85th Anniversary volume of the book that started it all, I jumped.  It's a cute story about a father who is totally lost in the world of out-of-control, over-the-top wedding preparations.  Although wedding customs have changed in the past 85 years, the obsession with "the perfect wedding" hasn't - If you doubt me, watch just one episode of a wedding reality show, and you'll see my point - so the story still feels current in spite of outdated protocol.  A fun read - especially for those who have ever tried to give their daughter everything she wants, only to have her want something totally new.

The Litigators by John Grisham

The partners at Finley & Figg—all two of them—often refer to themselves as “a boutique law firm.” Boutique, as in chic, selective, and prosperous. They are, of course, none of these things. What they are is a two-bit operation always in search of their big break, ambulance chasers who’ve been in the trenches much too long making way too little. And then change comes their way. David Zinc, a young but already burned-out attorney, walks away from his fast-track career at a fancy downtown firm, goes on a serious bender, and finds himself literally at the doorstep of our boutique firm. 

With their new associate on board, F&F is ready to tackle a case that could make the partners rich without requiring them to actually practice much law. An extremely popular drug, Krayoxx, has recently come under fire after several patients taking it suffered heart attacks. Wally smells money. A little online research confirms Wally’s suspicions—a huge plaintiffs’ firm in Florida is putting together a class action suit against Varrick. All Finley & Figg has to do is find a handful of people who have had heart attacks while taking Krayoxx, convince them to become clients, join the class action, and ride along to fame and fortune. With any luck, they won’t even have to enter a courtroom!  It almost seems too good to be true.  And it is.

Years ago, I got hooked on Grisham's writing with The Firm.  It was my first legal thriller, or maybe my first thriller of any kind, and I loved it.  It was followed by The Client and The Pelican Brief, and my ardor dimmed.  All three stories were basically the same plot with varying protagonists - a male attorney, a child, a female law student.  Then I discovered A Time to Kill, actually written before The Firm, and was head-over-heels all over again.  Since then, Grisham has written a string of legal thrillers - with divergent and varying story lines - and I've enjoyed every one.  All this to preface my initial disappointment with his newest book, The Litigators.

Throughout the first half of the book, I was reminded of The Rainmaker, and lamented that, once again, Grisham was rehashing a plot.  The idea of a young, talented attorney joining up with a bad-rep, ambulance-chasing firm to fight "the giant" - in this case a pharmaceutical behemoth rather than an insurance company - was annoyingly familiar.
But shame on me for doubting - the last third of the book destroyed my doubts.  The ending I had predicted never happened - twists and turns led down an entirely different path.  Even after the resolution of the law suit, surprises continued to pop up.

And the lesson we've learned once again:  This is why (insert name of famous author here) makes a living writing books and I don't.

Merry Christmas

We will return to blogging after Christmas.  We wish you each a Merry Christmas!

Brownville Christmas Gala

Totally by accident, we recently discovered an unusual "oasis" of sorts among the small towns of Southeast Nebraska.  Brownville had a population of 146 in the 2000 census, yet it hosts a string of Broadway veterans and produces an annual Repertory Theater made up of music/theater majors from across the country.  Both are housed in former churches which have been remodeled and updated to accommodate performances.  We got our first taste of the Brownville Concert Series with the finale' of the 2011 season, The Christmas Gala.

Specially created and staged for Brownville by acclaimed singer and director Eric Michael Gillett, The Christmas Gala brings together two Brownville cabaret veterans with new faces and talents from the Broadway stage.

These five talented artists put on a wonderful show of Christmas tunes - old standards and some new tunes.  I still can't quite believe we found a show of this caliber less than twenty-five miles from Green Acres.  I am looking forward to the 2012 season which kicks off in the Spring.

Brownville, the oldest town in Nebraska, is also home to galleries, book shops, the River Inn Resort (a bed and breakfast aboard a paddle-wheel boat on the Missouri River), a vineyard and winery, the Spirit of Brownville - available for scenic river cruises - museums, restored historic homes and, of course, the summer theater I mentioned earlier.  I foresee many hours of enjoyment in Brownville.  Regardless of how it sounds, I'm not a paid spokesperson for the city of Brownville, so I'll let you click the links to find out more for yourself.

Here's a brief rundown of the musicians who were part of the Christmas Gala:

Eric Michael Gillette was seen on Broadway in the original casts of “Kiss Me Kate”, “Sweet Smell of Success” and “The Frogs.”  He has appeared in movies such as “The Brothers”, “The Producers” and “Maid in Manhattan.” Gillett appeared on TV in “Law and Order".

Valerie Lemon has performed across the United States as concert soloist for Academy Award-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch for 12 years. 

Raissa Katona Bennett performed the leading role of Christine in “Phantom of the Opera" and appeared in the Actor’s Fund Benefit Concert of “Chess” with Josh Groban.  She appeared in the first national tours of “Cats” and “Parade”.

T. Oliver Reid's Broadway credits include, “Chicago”, “Kiss Me Kate”, “Follies”, “Thoroughly Modern Milllie”, “Never Gonna Dance”, “La Cage Aux Folles”, “The Wedding Singer”, “Mary Poppins”, “Damn Yankees” and the 25th anniversary concert of “Dreamgirls.” 

Jeff Cubeta is in demand as a vocalist, musical director, pianist and vocal technician.  As a vocalist he performed the tenor solo in Orff’s Carmina Burana with The Three Rivers Choral Society.  (Personally, I don't know why they don't list credits as a pianist - he is amazing!)

Six Word Saturday

Holiday Flash Mobs to Entertain You

We're coming down to the wire on Christmas preparations, so I'm sure you need a break from all the business.  Watch the videos below and enjoy.  Merry Christmas!

Six Word Saturday is sponsored by Cate at ShowMyFace.  Want to play along?  Just describe your life (or something in it) in a phrase using exactly six words.  For more information click here.  You can add an explanation, a video, a song or nothing at all.  Visit Cate's blog to link your entry or to read all entries.

A Holiday Treat . . .

You'll either have a tear or a big grin . . . or maybe both.