Betty Recommends...

Manhattan, 1938, is the setting for this wonderfully satisfying tale of the rich -- and the not so rich! Amidst the glitter of New York are some unforgettable characters and a story that dazzles and lingers. We couldn't put it down.

Curious about the inner lives of dogs, I picked this up and finished it in record time. Tender AND terrifying, this story is about an abandoned child in Moscow, who in desperation takes to the streets and is sheltered by a dog pack for 4 years. A compelling story. Read it so we can discuss the ending.

A book I have often heard about, The Tender Bar was every bit as good as had been reported. J.R. Moehringer's memoir about growing up fatherless in Manhasset, Long Island is more than a coming of age story. It is a wonderful amalgam of unusual characters, dysfunctional family life, striving and setbacks, and a love affair with writing. Guided by his single mother, JR ricochets between her ambitions for him and the influence of Dickens the bar that dominates the story. The writing is gorgeous and the plight of a boy trying to define himself is a compelling one.

A frothy little tale of a mother and two daughters forced to fend for themselves when the man of the family (her husband, their stepfather) leaves them for another woman. Of course the daughters are 50 and 52, still they gather around their mother and retreat with her from Manhattan to Westport, CT. There they get caught up in a social swirl that comes and goes (and sometimes explodes). With a cast of characters where one is more eccentric than the next. There are charmers, predators, and plenty of amusements. Schine is a talented comic writer and this is her most popular book to date. Like eating candy.

Of the five days I was gone, I spent three completely under the spell of Her Fearful Symmetry. It is the most wonderful ghost story I have ever read. I loved the characters, each more quirky than the next. I was mesmerized by all the twinness. The English setting added to the charm, and the story line was just fantastic enough to keep me levitated without dropping me. To those adventurous readers willing to trust me, I beg you to give this new entry by the author of The Time Traveler's Wife a try. You will be rewarded with a kooky but contemporary tale of what happens when you mess with the fates. And you'll learn some interesting historic facts about cemeteries while you're at it. And, its not creepy at all. Reading Her Fearful Symmetry is time well spent.

A literate complicated dilemna is posed in The Post-Birthday World. What if things had gone the other way? Go with Irene McGovern as she explores her options. A very rewarding book!

Written by a member of an elite writing family, this coming of age novel set in a prep school in the '60's has a tone that resonates today. Issues of privelege and class, alliances vs. friendship make this a provocative book for group discussion. Beautifully written.