Reading with Raymond

Perestroika in Paris
By Jane Smiley
Knopf $26.95
What a marvelous imagination the author has. Imagine touring the most inviting locations in Paris guided by a racehorse, a dog, a pair of delightful ducks and a raven with a mind of its own. Paras, short for Perestroika, had just won her big race and everyone, her jockey, trainer, everyone, were off to celebrate, except her groom, Rania, last to leave and unaccountably, leaving the stall door unlocked. Paras, much to her surprise, found she could now leave her stall and venture through the city finding new friends along the way. What happens to this curious group of sight seekers will delight young and older readers.


The Sentinel
By Lee and Andrew Child
Penguin Random House $28.99
Whenever Jack Reacher finds himself stranded in a small town, he finds trouble. More exactly, trouble finds him, and Jack is not shy about taking it head on, starting on one night with a bar operator cheating his band or the next day, sending four bums flying for attacking one helpless guy. That guy he learns is Rusty Rutherford, the most hated man in town blamed for the breakdown of everything in town … the town is kidnapped, ransom demanded; Rusty, the IT guy is blamed. But Reacher’s not buying it and proceeds to find the kidnappers.




Face to Face
By Camilla Grant
Knopf $75
This oversized, heavyweight volume is remarkable only for the faces it does not include since the face of every celebrity or would-be celebrity has been seen as familiar as the photos on Mama’s wall. Yet what’s so refreshing about the photographs in this voluminous volume is that even those pictures appear to have a “just taken” look. Here are the famous and infamous, at work and at play, on guard and off. Candid shots the way we’d like to have ours look. Here’s a lot to enjoy and learn.



The Bright Book of Life
By Harold Bloom
Knopf $35 
Where was Harold Bloom when I really needed him back in school? I sure could have referenced a volume like this (just as I do now.) In those ancient days we relied on Cliff Notes to give us a head start on a book’s content, a quick skim and you were at least in the ballpark. Professor Bloom, on the other hand, gives readers a strong urge to actually read the book and once there, he guides them over the bumps. And guess what? They find reading is fun!





People Who Love to Eat Are Always the Best People
By Julia Child
Knopf $18.95
And now, for our dessert, Julia Child dishes (pun intended) up bon mots with tips on, “Butter, don’t ever forget it, the French never do.” “I was 39 when I started cooking; up until then I just ate.” “No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize.” The absolutely perfect gift for any hostess or occasion.