Falise Platt of
the 24/8
Book Club shares her top picks in new books. A voracious
reader with diverse interests, Falise chooses the best from
fiction and nonfiction alike, creating a selection that is both
fun and intelligent.
 More
summer reads because, after all, for many spots in the country,
the summer has only just begun.
 Sundays
at Tiffany’s
By James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Grand Central Publishing, 2009
Jane Margaux is the only child of famed producer Vivienne
Margaux. Jane and her mother have a Sunday ritual that starts
at the St. Regis and ends at Tiffany’s. Jane sits at a separate
table from her mother, but she doesn’t mind because she has
her imaginary friend, Michael.
On her ninth birthday, Michael breaks Jane’s heart, telling
her he has to leave. Because imaginary friends cannot remain
with a child past eight years. He tells her he will be reassigned
and that all of her memories with him will be erased.
Fast forward: Jane is now 32 and struggling to bring her
story Thank Heaven to the big screen. Michael is back in New
York on a new friend assignment when he sees Jane and the
unthinkable happens—she remembers him. At the same time,
Michael starts to notice that he is experiencing things for
that first time that he’d always believed could only happen
to mortals, like bleeding when he nicks himself shaving.
All in all, this sweet, heartwarming beach read lets your
imagination revisit childhood, with a modern, grown-up twist.
 The
Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë
By Syrie James
Avon, 2009
This lovingly researched novel blends historical fact and
fiction, through the imagined pages of Charlotte Brontë’s
journal. Its pages are filled with intimate feelings, reflections
and struggles, and captures the back story to the Brontë
sisters’ classics. It will certainly make you grab your
copy of Jane Eyre by Charlotte, Wuthering Heights
by Emily and Agnes Grey by Anne and revisit them.
Thinking about taking a trip, planning a staycation or
just enjoy reading about different destinations? Take a look
at these good travel reads:
 My
Favorite Place on Earth
By Jerry Camarillo Dunn, Jr.
National Geographic, 2009
Author Jerry Camarillo Dunn, Jr. posed the question, “What
is Your Favorite Place on Earth?” to celebrated people
and shares their answers in this lovely guide. Contributors
include actors, writers, singers, entertainers, chefs, spiritual
figures and more.
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin selects Tranquility Base on the moon.
While not a spot we are likely to visit, it is an honor to
see it through his eyes. Actress Natalie Portman answers with
her birthplace Jerusalem. She continues to hold this place
in her heart and feels a very close bond no matter where she
travels. Alex Trebek, TV host, offers Haworth, England, often
referred to as Brontë Country.
 Travel
Therapy: Where Do You Need to Go?
By Karen Schaler
Seal Press, 2009
This travel guide reads a little like an engrossing self
help book. Each chapter begins with a quiz that guides the
reader into one of the sections in the chapter. Chapters featured
include: Reinvent, Pay It Forward and Just Do It!
One of the extras in this guide is the “Do Not Enter
Zone” presented in each chapter just after the quiz.
Here Schaler discloses destinations to avoid if you decide
on that specific Travel Therapy. For example, in the
Ready for Romance chapter, the first warning is to avoid the
family-friendly destinations.
 50
Best Girfriend Getaways in North America
By Marybeth Bond
National Geographic, 2009
The destinations presented are spread across the country
and there is likely one or more near you and your pal. Bond
includes her picks in activities, accommodations and dining
suggestions for each spot, organizing the chapters by emotion
or events, like Spirit Boosters or Birthday Blowouts.
Of special interest to this reader was the Retail
Therapy chapter, featuring shopaholic destinations, like Santa
Fe, NM, Door Country, WI, Berkshires, MA, Carmel, CA, and
Scottsdale, AZ. From the first chapter to the last, you’ll
be thinking about which friend, sister, mother, daughter,
grandmother or aunt to grab for a getaway.
 Fearless
Critic
Fearless Critic Media in conjunction with Workman Press, 2009
Calling all foodies—whether you’re planning a trip,
staycation or just a night on the town, this is a different
kind of restaurant guide. The fearless critic crew pays for
their own meals and do not accept restaurant advertisement
of any kind. They are serious about keeping their independent
eye and irreverent tongue.
The guide highlights food of all genres and restaurants that
run the gamut of price points. The rating system consists
of two components: food and feel. These critics never lose
site of the diner in their gastronomical quest or their sense
of humor. Look for selections in Washington DC, Austin, TX,
and Houston, TX, with more on the way.
Still have some entertaining left to do this summer? Check
out the cookbook that will make that day a little smoother
and inspire you with so many recipes.
 The
Vegan Table
By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Fair Winds Press, 2009
These delicious vegan recipes work well for daily dining
or special life moments. The chapters are divided by the seasons,
and tips, facts and entertaining suggestions are scattered
throughout.
In Formal Dining for Six to Ten, we are treated to an eggplant
and caramelized onion “lasagna,” a delicious alternative
your mother’s lasagna. In Feasts for the Holidays, the
Passover pizza is sure to please the big and little kids during
this celebration fraught with food restrictions. The cookbook
provides new inspirations and ways to think about combining
foods for anyone seeking to make informed food choices.
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* The Good Reads Girl was drawn by
Denise Simon, a Chicago-based freelance illustrator.
Check out her work at deniseannsimon.com.
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