Field trips to author's homes near Boston

Field trip, book clubs! Summer offers an opportunity to visit literary locations. Concord is a big one, home to houses lived in by “Little Women” author Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Boston publisher Daniel Lothrop, whose wife, Harriet (Margaret Sidney), wrote the “Five Little Peppers” series.
It’s not as far away as Salem, where the actual House of Seven Gables is located, or Hartford, Conn., where Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) lived and wrote, and Concord has nearby shops and restaurants.
The Wayside — the first literary site added to the National Park Service — was first built around 1717 as home to Samuel Whitney, a Revolutionary war soldier. The Alcotts lived there after moving from communal living in Harvard. Louisa’s father, Bronson Alcott, was an eccentric who wanted no part of it (having not recovered from his failed living experiment at Harvard’s Fruitlands, another neat spot to visit).
They named the house Hillside. Neighbor and fellow author Ralph Waldo Emerson helped them find it, even loaning the family some money toward its purchase; Mrs. Alcott paid the rest. She would later tire of Concord and move the family toward Boston, selling to Nathaniel Hawthorne, for $1,500! It was Hawthorne who renamed it the Wayside.
Hawthorne lived there from 1852-1869, writing “The Scarlet Letter,” “House of the Seven Gables” and other fiction.
The public may visit; the house is part of Minute Man National Historical Park and located at 455 Lexington Road. These writers tackled issues familiar to Americans who know their history — the Alcotts sheltered at least two runaway slaves, becoming part of the Underground Railroad network. They lived in the house from 1845 to 1852, and this was where Louisa May Alcott envisioned much of the childhood portrayed in her book, “Little Women.”
Daniel and Harriet Lothrop and, subsequently, their daughter Margaret, owned the house between 1883 and 1965. While lesser known, Margaret’s “Little Peppers” series was a huge hit in the early 1900s. In 1965, it became part of the national park.
More summer club suggestions:
Katherine Howe, “The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs.”
The author of “The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” returns with the story of a New England history professor engaged in a race against time to free her family from a curse. Look for it on shelves now.
Tom Phillips has released “Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It all Up.”
The fall book club discussion will be lively and unquestionably funny after the group reads this collection of “wish-you-were-there” moments from history, spanning culture, science, politics and war. It details how infamous screw-ups in human nature came at just the wrong moment, entertaining the rest of us for decades. Samples: The Taiwanese general who stored gunpowder in his palace before a lantern festival, and an army attacking itself after a little too much alcohol consumption. Students sweating out history courses might enjoy this book as well. Nonfiction.

Summertime reading choices

Summer offers time to squeeze in books you’ve wanted to read or something new and quirky. I stock the sunroom bookshelf with short stories, novels and nonfiction, as well as a stack of unread magazines and the summer Fiction Issue of The New Yorker.
Too many books, too little time — so this list is short and by no means exclusive. There are no baseball memoirs, heavy plots or historical tomes — just a few good reads.
I’d like to share your suggestion for a great summer read. Send it to the address below. For the moment, put up your hair, grab a cold drink and relax.
Jennifer Weiner, “Mrs. Everything”
For book clubs, this may be a perfect summer read: Jennifer Weiner’s “Mrs. Everything” penetrates the lives of two sisters from the 1950s to the present as the world changes around them. This story of women’s lives over the ’60s and ’70s and later decades, offers more than a light read. Publication date is June 11. Fiction.
Barbara Bourland, “Fake Like Me”
I didn’t expect to like this one but ended up devouring it. Bourland tells a well-informed story about a young artist who loses her work in a fire three months before a break-out show. Her attempt to recreate what’s been lost takes her to an artists’ colony where death, ego and dedication co-exist. The book reveals fascinating, insider details about the artist’s process, and the callous business of art collecting they must negotiate. There’s a mystery, too, and a bit of romance amid details of making art which only the initiated can provide. Fiction.
Jenna Blum, “The Lost Family”
Blum is out in paperback with the story of a family haunted by World War II experiences across several decades. There’s guilt and tragic loss, but also the beginnings of love and hope in a story that penetrates the shadows of war in succeeding generations. Blum wrote the wonderful “Those Who Save Us,” so I expect a lot from her in this one. Historical fiction.
Dani Shapiro, “Inheritance”
DNA testing seemed like fun in the early days. Now, it’s being used in criminal investigations and revealing family secrets. Novelist and memoirist Dani Shapiro took a DNA test casually, only to discover that her deceased father had not been, in fact, her biological father, and that her blonde, Scandinavian appearance signaled more than a fluke in her Orthodox Jewish family. Her search for her past leads her to memories and questions that unsettle her life. Nonfiction.
Kilgariff and Hardstark, “Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered”
Watch enough news shows and you’ll run into Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, hosts of the “My Favorite Murder” podcast and now authors of “Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered.” This book’s packed with humor amid the in-your-face reality of women’s lives — depression, eating disorders, addiction and the like. Yet, somehow, it’s funny. For a sample, tune in to their podcast. Author Jenny Lawson calls it “the best advice your mother never told you.” Humor.
Elizabeth Gilbert, “City of Girls”
Gilbert’s “Eat Pray Love” became a best-seller. Now, she switches to the fleeting nature of life and pleasure in this story of a young woman in 1940s New York City, who discovers she doesn’t have to be a “good girl” to be a good person. “City of Girls” is flavored by the impending entry of the U.S. into World War II.
Enjoy. By the way, if you haven’t yet read them, try: Delia Owens’ “Where the Crawdads Sing;” Martha Hall Kelly’s “Lost Roses;” Louise Penny’s “Glass Houses” and Susan R. White’s “A Place at the Table.”

Book clubs choose Fall '17 recommendations

         The fall-to-summer book season has started (yes we know some of you go all year round!), and suggestions for clubs to read during the next year are coming in.

"There was a very good book we read last year in the Leominster UU Church book group called "The Rent Collector," said one reader. "It's about a young couple struggling to survive, with a very sick child, in Cambodia, based on a true story by Camron Wright."

At Bannister Library in Brookfield, members suggest "The Invisible Thread" by Yoshika Uchida.  In Yoshiko Uchida biography, she describes growing up in Berkeley, Calif., as a Nisei, second-generation Japanese-American, and her family's internment in a Nevada concentration camp during World War II.

Ann Young, at Heywood Library in Gardner, recommends "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematorium" by Caitlin Doughty, and "A Hope More Powerful than the Sea" by Doaa Al Zamel, a nonfiction account of her escape from Syria. Club member Pat Darby recommends "Pay It Forward" by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Off-Track Bookies in Lancaster recommends Trevor Noah's "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood."  Noah's book is by turns inspiring and amusing, told with the wit he employs as host of "The Daily News" show on Comedy Central. Born to white and African parentage, he was ostracized by people of both races at a time when apartheid still clung to the nation. He describes it this way: "You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can run them all."

Individual readers suggest several books: a World War II novel, "The Lilac Girls," "Waking Up White," a nonfictional exploration of racism by Debbie Irving, and Tess Garritsen's "The Bone Collector" among them. Also mentioned, Kate Moore's "The Radium Girls," about the women who were employed inside radium dial factories during the early stages of radium's introduction to the nation, and the dire impacts of radium on these "shining" women.

"The Underground Railroad," imagined as an actual railway used to transport slaves to freedom, is another novel making the rounds. Ann Young at Gardner's Heywood Library says they'll read it this year. Author Colson Whitehead (he also wrote "The Intuitionist") is now the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and several other prestigious awards for the book.

In 2017-18, Holden readers will meet frequently, says Betsy Johnson. This season, she said, "We'll tackle 'Daniel Deronda' (Eliot), 'Angle of Repose' (Stegner), 'Everybody's Fool' (Russo), and 'State of Wonder' (Patchett), as well as a few short Trollope stories.  We meet weekly, with a few breaks, so we digress, but always in pertinent ways."

FSU, Leominster visit 'Girls of Atomic City'

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, Leominster Public Library readers participated in the Fitchburg State University discussion of "The Girls of Atomic City," a selection that is popping up in book club suggestions and is sure to stimulate conversation.
This program will also be offered at Fitchburg Public Library on at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 17.

 Professor Rob Carr, of the FSU Department of Communications Media, will moderate a discussion as part of the university's 2017/18 community read. Deborah Kiernan wrote the book, a true story of the top-secret World War II town of Oak Ridge, Tenn., and the young women brought there unknowingly to help build the atomic bomb. Registration is required. Free copies of the book are available to registrants and can be picked up at the Information Desk at Leominster Public Library. For more information call 978-534- 7522, ext. 3.

Self-published books a mixed bag, but don't count them out!

Books by self-published authors are a mixed bag, and members will have to sort out their thinking as to what kind of books they want to read, and how perfectly edited they are. You could find a diamond in the rough … or not. Writers at every level are self-producing books.

As e-publishing gains strength—and I think it has—editors and formatters are joining the mix, offering their services to individuals who really want what they write to be at its best. I welcome that from the bottom of my iddy biddy pinch-y editor's heart.

A caution: There's a big difference between an individual self-publishing, and books produced by small, independent publishers or groups that self-publish their members' work. "Indies" are usually professional, well executed and edited.

No, we're talking lone rangers here. And here's the rub: I generally find them under-edited and over-written. Too little fix-finding and too much detail, repetition, confusing points of view and wandering prose. Poorly laid out too, which gives off a stench of amateur publishing.

But if you find a book you believe your group might like, or even if you'd just love to have a local self-published author show up at your book club meeting and talk about what he or she is doing and how, consider these points:

* Is the story good? Does it keep your interest, feed you ideas, leave you feeling changed or enlightened? Is it unique, such as an account of something only that particular writer could tell? More importantly, is it something the group would enjoy discussing?

* Does the writer or the lead character have a strong, interesting voice?

* Is it a satisfying read? Can you get through it without distracting errors that make you wish for a red pencil? Does it flow? Does it stick to the main characters and not veer off in different directions?

* Is it supported by any organization or institution that adds legitimacy to the author's effort? Read the copyright page carefully. Is there an editor on board? Check the author's website, if there is one, to see what else the author has written.

* Google the book title to see if you can find reviews. There are customer reviews for many books at goodreads.com and amazon.com. It's a good idea to read these.

* Typos—a moniker for print errors—are annoying. Outright errors of fact or knowledge make me doubt an author. Regardless, I look for a quality story peeking from beneath the clouds of confusion. If it's there, I might finish the book.

There's a world of possibilities. After all, Mark Twain did it on his own, though he was an accomplished newspaper columnist. Consider—not everyone gets the editing treatment a star writer might receive. I've read quite a few independent authors, and some are pretty good. Moreover, most of them—after paying an editor and finding a publisher—struggle to get their book out there, so your club's interest would be a boost to them.

Dave Eggers, whose McSweeney's magazine/publishing house has created beautiful new ways to publish, chose self-publishing recently. After his awarded traditionally published books, "Zeitoun" and "A Heart-Breaking Work of Staggering Genius," he chose to self-publish "A Hologram for the King." Others are realizing there's more money to be made if they can get the public to buy their book without having to go through the traditional agent-editor-publisher grind. But Eggers is in a class of his own: award-winning, himself an editor/writer, he already has a readership audience.

It's a busy world, and few have the desire to read a book that's not ready for prime time and never will be. So do your homework, and hope to find a winning book.

***

Oprah's newest book choice:

Oprah Winfrey, maven of perhaps the nation's most famous book club, has picked a new one for summer: "Behold the Dreamers" by Imbolo Mbue.

Oprah's description: "It's got everything that's grabbing the headlines in America right now. It's about race and class, the economy, culture, immigration and the danger of the us-versus-them mentality." All of that wraps around a story of family love and the pursuit of happiness.

I like Oprah's instincts. She seeks out quality writing and themes, plus a good story. Even better, "Behold the Dreamers" is available in paperback and as an e-book.

Searching out collector books

What books do you collect, thinking maybe one day to discover their value or sell them at a high price? I know; I do too. Unless you really know your books, however, chances are you're wasting bookshelf space. You may make money on the genuine item, but most rare book dealers will tell you they're the exception, not the rule. I keep some books out of nostalgia—for instance, various editions of "A Christmas Carol"—and that's as good a reason as any. There's also a shelf of 19th and early 20th-century novels from my grandparents' house, probably with little value to anyone else. But I like them.

Some people, not so many these days though, like the look of old books around the house, and collect them for that reason. They're fun for others to browse, so if you have the room, go for it.  

Would-be collectors may search for the publication date of an old book when they come across a valuable-looking specimen in a thrift shop or bookstore. Maybe they buy it for a few dollars, thinking they've perhaps found a priceless edition of Dickens or Melville. Don't count on it. You can end up a hoarder that way. I suggest buying books that truly appeal to you as a reader, out of love, not greed.

A book's value depends greatly on its condition, content, scarcity and author. Is it a first edition? So much the better. There has to be customer demand for it, as well. And, remember: Not all valuable books are old. You really have to find out what's in demand. To familiarize yourself with what goes into a book's value, stop in at a rare book dealer, such as Brattle Book Shop in Boston. Ken Gloss presides over the store's collection of rare and unusual books. Gloss often speaks at libraries and clubs across the region—I saw him in Lancaster's Thayer Memorial Library last year—to better inform the public about what makes a book valuable. He also looks over the books his listeners bring in. Most aren't worth much, but once in awhile there's a good result. Similar antiquarian book stores are scattered about the region.

For a current listing of individual book dealers, check the Southern New England Antiquarian Booksellers, which maintains a listing of its members, many of whom are in this area and deal in special interests areas; often they operate out of their homes. Members of SNEAB hold an annual book sale is April 17 in Lexington.

Most libraries try to vet the books donated to them for resale, in the hope of not selling a rare book for $2. They may use online services, or set up a connection to a collector. But since there really aren't enough volunteers at most libraries to research book value, the good books sometimes go right through to the book sale piles—and your chance to pick up a winner.

Some booksellers maintain web sites to help you determine if your books are worth anything (abebooks.com is one such site).

***

Money, anyone?

I'm just weird enough to wish that I had the funds and time to visit bookstores all over the country. What fun that would be—were it not for writing groups, grandchildren and volunteer obligations. But here at home you can be a bookstore fan as well. I always find peace with a cup of coffee and a book. Here's a chance to win a gift card AND a $3,000 contribution to your favorite book store. Indie publisher www.landmark/sourcebooks.com is conducting a "recommend your bookstore sweepstakes." Frankly, it's easier to locate the sweepstakes by doing a Google search for sourcebooks. The contest closes on Friday, Feb. 19. Their site also offers an annual review of book choices for the year, which may interest clubs hoping to preview what's coming up.

In a similar vein, www.readinggroupchoices is offering a gift certificate for books to readers who nominate their favorite recent books. What the heck? Give it a try.

The value in a book collection

What books do you collect, thinking maybe one day to discover their value or sell them at a high price? I know; I do too. Unless you really know your books, however, chances are you're wasting bookshelf space. You may make money on the genuine item, but most rare book dealers will tell you they're the exception, not the rule. I keep some books out of nostalgia—for instance, various editions of "A Christmas Carol"—and that's as good a reason as any. There's also a shelf of 19th and early 20th-century novels from my grandparents' house, probably with little value to anyone else. But I like them.

Some people, not so many these days though, like the look of old books around the house, and collect them for that reason. They're fun for others to browse, so if you have the room, go for it.  

Would-be collectors may search for the publication date of an old book when they come across a valuable-looking specimen in a thrift shop or bookstore. Maybe they buy it for a few dollars, thinking they've perhaps found a priceless edition of Dickens or Melville. Don't count on it. You can end up a hoarder that way. I suggest buying books that truly appeal to you as a reader, out of love, not greed.

A book's value depends greatly on its condition, content, scarcity and author. Is it a first edition? So much the better. There has to be customer demand for it, as well. And, remember: Not all valuable books are old. You really have to find out what's in demand. To familiarize yourself with what goes into a book's value, stop in at a rare book dealer, such as Brattle Book Shop in Boston. Ken Gloss presides over the store's collection of rare and unusual books. Gloss often speaks at libraries and clubs across the region—I saw him in Lancaster's Thayer Memorial Library last year—to better inform the public about what makes a book valuable. He also looks over the books his listeners bring in. Most aren't worth much, but once in awhile there's a good result. Similar antiquarian book stores are scattered about the region.

For a current listing of individual book dealers, check the Southern New England Antiquarian Booksellers, which maintains a listing of its members, many of whom are in this area and deal in special interests areas; often they operate out of their homes. Members of SNEAB hold an annual book sale is April 17 in Lexington.

Most libraries try to vet the books donated to them for resale, in the hope of not selling a rare book for $2. They may use online services, or set up a connection to a collector. But since there really aren't enough volunteers at most libraries to research book value, the good books sometimes go right through to the book sale piles—and your chance to pick up a winner.

Some booksellers maintain web sites to help you determine if your books are worth anything (abebooks.com is one such site).

***

Money, anyone?

I'm just weird enough to wish that I had the funds and time to visit bookstores all over the country. What fun that would be—were it not for writing groups, grandchildren and volunteer obligations. But here at home you can be a bookstore fan as well. I always find peace with a cup of coffee and a book. Here's a chance to win a gift card AND a $3,000 contribution to your favorite book store. Indie publisher www.landmark/sourcebooks.com is conducting a "recommend your bookstore sweepstakes." Frankly, it's easier to locate the sweepstakes by doing a Google search for sourcebooks. The contest closes on Friday, Feb. 19. Their site also offers an annual review of book choices for the year, which may interest clubs hoping to preview what's coming up.

In a similar vein, www.readinggroupchoices is offering a gift certificate for books to readers who nominate their favorite recent books. What the heck? Give it a try.

Book group meetings:

The Short Story Reading Group at Clinton's Bigelow Library meets at 10 a.m. the first and third Saturday of each month. Up for February are stories by Anton Chekov. Visitors and prospective members are welcome to come listen.

Two book groups at Gale Free Library in Holden meet monthly. The Contemporary Book Group meets on the first Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Up next: "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson on Feb. 2 and "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng on March 1. The Classics Book Group meets on the last Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Slated are "Tender is the Night" by F. Scott Fitzgerald on Feb. 25, and Richard Wright's "Native Son" on March 31.

Readers at Haston Library, North Brookfield, have scheduled Adam Johnson's "The Orphan Master's Son" on Feb. 23.

The book club at Crawford Memorial Library in Dudley will discuss Christina Baker Kline's "Orphan Train" at 6 p.m., Feb. 4. Up for March: Actor Tony Danza's autobiography: "I'd like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High."

Thayer Memorial Library, Lancaster, will discuss Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" in its Evening Adult Book Group, at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 23.

The Worcester-based audio book group, Speaking Volumes, has slated Scott Anderson's "Lawrence in Arabia" for 8 p.m., Feb. 2 and Kate Atkisson's "Life After Life" for March 3. Call 508-752-0557 for details.

Northborough Library's Friday Morning Book Group will discuss Simon Winchester's nonfiction book, "The Men Who United the States" at 10 a.m., Feb. 12.

Boylston Public Library readers will discuss Anthony Doerr's "All the Light We Cannot See" at a 1 p.m., Feb. 3 meeting. The March 2 meeting will focus on "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Ariely. For information, contact Lynn Clermont at (508)869-2371 or lclermont@boylston-ma.gov.

"Me Without You" by JoJo Moyes is the Feb. 8 choice for the Women's Issues Book Group. Meeting is at 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 541 Lincoln St.