ALL BOOKED UP A Whimsical Potpourri of Words and Ideas

VENUS ENVY

By Shannon McKelden
$12.95 Forge
www.tor.com

What would you do if Venus, the goddess of love suddenly appeared before you offering to introduce you to your very own Prince Charming? Would you believe she was real or go running for the hills? This is the very quandary posed to us in the marvelously entertaining new book by Shannon McKelda, VENUS ENVY.

Rachel Greer, mild mannered banker and charity do-gooder extraordinaire is minding her own business when Venus, dressed to the nines in designer threads, appears in her path, offering her services. She claims to have been thrown off of Mt. Olympus by her father Zeus who was all in a rage over her infidelities and decided to teach her a lesson by re-making the Goddess of Love into a Fairy Godmother. Venus tells Rachel she has the power to fix her sadly lacking love life with a wave of her hand. According to the plan, once she has done this she will be one match closer to regaining her spot on Mt. Olympus, again returning to Goddess status. There’s only one little problem. Rachel doesn’t believe her story and will have none of it.

It doesn’t take long for Venus to prove that she is really Venus, but even then Rachel stubbornly refuses to take part in the scheme to attach her to the man who already has begun wooing her, handsome firefighter Luke Stanton. Not only is he gorgeous, funny, and generous to a fault, but he has been smitten with Rachel for weeks. He’s been trying to convince her to go out with him, but without any success.

On the surface, this appears to be an easy task for any Fairy Godmother worth her salt, but Rachel puts up road blocks at every wave of the magic wand, much to the chagrin of Venus and Luke who do not give up that easily. Even though Rachel does finally agree to date Luke, she is not convinced that she can ever love again, which leads Venus to pull out all the stops and certainly keeps Luke on his toes. This delightfully funny read will keep you on your toes as well, wondering when and if Rachel will ever come to her senses and where you can get a Fairy Godmother of your own.

THESE THREE REMAIN

A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman
By Pamela Aiden
www.simonandschuster.com

”Pride and Prejudice” is one of Jane Austen’s greatest literary achievements, written mostly from the perspective of its heroine, Elizabeth Bennet. In THESE THREE REMAIN, author Pamela Aiden re-tells this enigmatic tale from the point of view of Mr. Darcy, the object of Elizabeth Bennet’s disdain and desire.

The third book in the series of this re-telling of “Pride and Prejudice” begins with Darcy’s journey to Kent to visit his aunt. He has previously met the lovely Miss Bennett and is already preoccupied with her, much to his surprise and dismay. But he is still keeping his feelings a secret from her and everyone he knows, due to the disparity in their stations in life and his fear that his peers will disapprove of his feelings.

Upon seeing her again however, his heart takes the lead and he does pursue Elizabeth after all. He proposes, but she finds him arrogant, and because of a series of misunderstandings proceeds to turn him down in a most insulting manner. For those of us who know this story, we already know Elizabeth’s reasoning, but here, we are instead treated to Darcy’s viewpoint and swept away by the vigor and complexity of his emotional state upon her rejection of him and all that he is.

By adding new characters to this already familiar tale and weaving several political issues of the day into it, Pamela Aiden expands our knowledge of Mr. Darcy and gives us a look into the mind of a character who was, up until now, more of a mystery than an open book. She allows us to see the vulnerable side of one of the most complex characters in Austen’s literary arsenal and it is an interesting and enjoyable view, to say the least.

Eight years of research and work stand behind this and the previous two volumes, “An Assembly Such As This” and “Duty and Desire” that make up this trilogy, taking “Pride and Prejudic”’ a step further than Jane Austen did. It is so in keeping with her tone and writing style, that I would surmise that Miss Austen herself would have been pleased with its outcome. Even if you only read this volume of the trilogy, you will find it hard to put down and a delight with every turn of the page.

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD

365 Things You Can Do For Yourself and Your Planet
By Julie Fisher-McGarry
$14.95 Conari Press, www.redwheelreiser.com

The word “green” has taken on new meaning in the last few years. Once relegated to describing the color of envy or your lawn, it now pertains to how eco-friendly something or someone is. If you are already living life with a “green” perspective or even if you are a novice to the concept, you will truly enjoy BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD: 365 Things You Can Do For Yourself and Your Planet

For years, Julie Fisher-McGarry compiled journals containing bits and pieces of information, recipes and helpful hints about living a better life. But as her stack of journals grew, she realized that this wealth of information she had compiled should be shared with other women everywhere, and in this book she has done just that. Written in date-book form, a daily entry suggests new ways of doing your part to make the planet an eco-friendly place to live. For instance, the January 23 entry lists ways to save water while January 25 is titled ‘Save the Air’. The April 1 entry says ‘Laughing is Good for You’ while on July 4, ‘Take Care of Your Furry Friends’ reminds us to safeguard our pets from the noise and dangers of fireworks displays.

Peppered throughout the book are wonderful recipes such as Spicy Ladies Date Cake which falls under the January 18 heading ‘Baked Goods That are Good for You’ and on January 19 ’Making Memories’ has a recipe for Ginger Molasses Cake that looks out of this world. August 8 heralds several days of ‘Mega-Healthy Meals’ such as Andalusian Gazpacho and Toucan Bean Salad with Lime Vinaigrette and October 5 gives us a head start on ‘Autumn Baking’ with a recipe for Baked Apples that is sure to draw a few oohs and aahs from the crowd.

‘It’s Never Too Late to Begin Getting Fit’ is a great way to leap into spring on April 4 and the entry ‘Take a Nap’ on November 9 sounds like a cozy way to spend a cold, blustery afternoon. No matter what day of the year you choose, even random selections from this handy little book will be well worth reading, reminding us to take care of ourselves, our planet and the ones we love.

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE

My Life Recording The Music Of The Beatles
By Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey
$15.00, Gotham Books
www.penguin.com

Many books have been written about The Beatles over the years, but none has told the tale of the very early years of their recording career like HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE: My Life Recording The Music Of The Beatles.

As a fifteen year old, Geoff Emerick came to work at EMI studios in London. This facility was to become Abbey Road Studios a few years hence, but in 1962, it was the place where many popular bands recorded and it was just another day in the studio when John, Paul, George and Ringo came to record.

From that first session, where Emerick acted as assistant engineer to their producer, George Martin, Emerick knew that the Beatles had something special, and by the time they began recording “Revolver” in 1965, he had become their first engineer. His ingenuity and innovations in sound enhancement, such as the time he placed a microphone in such a way as to give John Lennon’s voice the eerie quality of being on a mountaintop in “Tomorrow Never Knows”, earned him the respect of the band and ensured him a place in their lives from that moment on.

Emerick and George Martin continued their innovations but suddenly at the beginning of the “Sgt. Pepper” sessions, The Beatles made the decision to quit touring, which meant they were free to do things in the studio, which they would not have to re-create live. This decision was to transform their careers forever and Emerick was witness to the awesome chain of events that continued to unfold at theAbbey Road Studios, from the writing of the songs that made musical history that happened right before his eyes to the emotional ups and downs of the Fab Four which ultimately led to their demise.

The detail with which he describes the genius and folly that made The Beatles who they were is truly eye opening, making HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE a must read for anyone who wants to know even more about the Beatles and the creative process that changed the music of a generation.