NOTHING DAUNTED : THE UNEXPECTED EDUCATION OF TWO SOCIETY GIRLS IN THE WEST
by Dorothy Wickenden

In 1916, two close friends from childhood, Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamund Underwood, left their home in Auburn, New York to teach in Elkhead, Colorado. Their actions scandalized family and friends because they were "society girls" and were expected to settle down and marry well, not gallivant off to the Wild West. They were bored with their cosseted life and were ready for adventure. Neither of them had ever taught before yet they were up to the challenge.
Dorothy and Rosamund lived with a homesteading family and rode on horseback to the school every day even in blizzards; deflected amorous cowboys who hoped to marry them; learned how to break up fights amongst contrary children.
Until the end of their lives, they never forgot that year and how it influenced them.
Author Dorothy Wickenden (granddaughter of Dorothy Woodruff) found letters (written almost one hundred years ago) in an old desk and from these she wrote the story of the women's incredible journey.
I did not want this book to end. The writing is superb and Wickenden captures the picture of the American West succinctly. Life was hard but the two women embraced the environment that surrounded them and in turn the lives of the children and their families were enriched.
Very highly recommended.

STEALING REMBRANDTS : THE UNTOLD STORIES OF NOTORIOUS ART HEISTS
by Anthony M. Amore and Tom Mashberg

Rembrandt van Rijn is the most stolen artist in history. He put out over 2,000 pieces of which 80 of them have been taken from museums, galleries and private homes. Rembrandt was quite prolific because he worked in three mediums: oil paintings, drawings, and metal etchings. Everything that he produced encompassed Dutch life in the seventeenth century. Whatever he saw would become a work of art: autopsied bodies, children playing, hangings, beggars, hay farmers, artisans, blacksmiths, etc.
He had such an eye for detail. His portraits are superb. The faces are not flat but are full of emotion and you can see the creases in the forehead, the lines in the cheeks, the cleft in the chin. Due to the fact that he painted anything, his art is very recognizable and encourages theft.
Stealing Rembrandts is quite interesting. You are taken on a tour around the world at all of the locations where the heists took place; how the robbers planned their M.O. (Motive of Operation); how museums that are steeped in security are still stymied by multiple break-ins; the investigations of the police, the FBI and INTERPOL. There's actually an interview between one of the authors, Tom Mashberg, with Myles J. Connor Jr., a well-known art thief. Museums should take notice and pay close attention.
Even if you're not well-versed in art, this book will definitely keep your interest afloat. Some historical information about Rembrandt's life is included and to make it even more appropriate, his home in Amsterdam has been robbed numerous times.
The other author, Anthony Amore, is head of security at the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum (they had thirteen works of art stolen back in 1990 that have never been recovered) and is very knowledgeable about the shady dealings of priceless masterworks.
Amore and Mashberg did a great job in presenting all of the information. There's even a website for updates and more details: www.StealingRembrandts.com.
A very good read.
Recommended.

THE PERFECT NAZI : UNCOVERING MY GRANDFATHER'S SECRET PAST
by Martin Davidson

What did Bruno Langbehn do during World War II? For the family, it was always a deep, embarrassing secret. Not until he died was the truth finally discovered by author Martin Davidson, his grandson.
Bruno's childhood was heavily influenced by the military. Columns of marching soldiers were a part of his life right outside his window. His indoctrination began with the uniform. School lessons were mostly about fighting in wars. By the time World War I was over and with the humiliation of Germany's defeat, Bruno knew that he wanted to join some kind of group that could give him the fulfillment that he needed.
On May 17, 1926, Bruno joined the Nazi Party at the age of nineteen. He also affiliated himself with the SA (storm troopers). Several years later, Bruno would be in the SS.
His fanaticism, egotistical views, unwavering support for National Socialism and unrepentant attitude lived on within him until his last dying day.
The Perfect Nazi is both an important and disturbing book. Davidson is a terrific writer and seamlessly weaves together the history of the two world wars. (His background is an editor for the BBC and has produced many documentaries.)
Anyone who is interested in the Third Reich must read this story.
Recommended.

SEASON TO TASTE : HOW I LOST MY SENSE OF SMELL AND FOUND MY WAY
by Molly Birnbaum

Although she majored in art history while in college, Molly Birnbaum spent most of her time reading cookbooks and checking out recipes on the Internet. Being a chef was her passion. Before being trained at the Culinary Institute of America, she got a job at a restaurant and started to learn the true basics in the preparation of food. Molly loved being challenged. Soon she would get more than she bargained for.
While out running, Birnbaum was hit by a car: her pelvis was broken, her knee totally torn up and her skull was fractured (it went through the windshield). Everything eventually healed except her sense of smell. There went her dreams of being a great cook. If she can't smell, she can't taste.
Birnbaum goes to doctors who tell her that there is no hope, no medications, that she has to live with her loss. Not content with this news, she visits scientists who study olfaction and pheromones; meets neuroscientists, one of them being Oliver Sacks; goes to a flavor lab in New Jersey; and takes a two week course in southern France at a renowned perfume school. She is determined to understand what is going on with her nose and how to compensate.
Who knew how important scent is in our lives? Just reading about her descriptions of rosemary, cinnamon and lavender and how the brain processes each molecule for a complete entity is fascinating. Never take your nose for granted.
Birnbaum's writing is superb. Her perseverance and strength brought her success. She changed careers but didn't lose her love of cooking and can obviously do each one quite well.
Recommended.

CHASING APHRODITE : THE HUNT FOR LOOTED ANTIQUITIES AT THE WORLD'S RICHEST MUSEUM
by Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino

Museums have dirty little secrets and American ones are the worst offenders. For years, they spent millions of dollars buying classical art that was stolen from ancient tombs in Greece and Italy. Curators dealt with deceptive middlemen, smugglers and corrupt art dealers. The objects had fake histories of ownership (known as provenance) and would be displayed with a short commentary of where the piece originated, how old it was, and where it was bought from. Everything was a lie. The CEOs, the directors, the board members, all knew that the antiquities were looted and yet they approved the purchases. All they cared about was buying the next big masterpiece.
The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles took center stage with their acquisitions. Over forty years, they spent an enormous fortune to get a bronze athlete, a funerary wreath and many others. The seven-and-a-half-foot statue of Aphrodite would cause the Getty's demise and create a huge scandal.
Felch and Frammolino are investigative reporters and they did a heck of a job exposing what goes on behind the scenes that the public never gets to see. What they found, through their intensive research, is astonishing. Over and over again, antiquities were bought, illegally, and international laws were violated through greed, arrogance, hypocrisy and deception.
Chasing Aphrodite is a terrific read. It's quite a tale and will make you think twice the next time you walk into a museum.
Recommended.

MY KOREAN DELI : RISKING IT ALL FOR A CONVENIENCE STORE
by Ben Ryder Howe

A preppy editor who works for George Plimpton's Paris Review is married to a Korean-American, a former corporate lawyer. The two of them live in the in-laws' basement (in Staten Island) so that they can save money and get their own place some day. Gab, the editor's wife, decides to give her mother a gift for what she had sacrificed in coming to America. They blow thirty thousand dollars and buy a deli in Brooklyn.
From looking to find the right store, dealing with the customers and the regulations, it's enough to make you never want to buy one in the first place.
Kay, the mother-in-law, is one tough cookie whose energy level is nonstop; Dwayne (he came with the store) is a great employee but very rough around the edges; Gab, so devoted to her mother, will keep the store open during a blizzard while everyone around them is closed. As for Ben, he thinks that the whole idea is terrific but when it comes to the cash register he's all thumbs.
My Korean Deli is both a funny and quirky book. Between residing in someone else's basement where people just barge in without knocking, learning about Korean culture and the characters that congregate in the deli makes for very enjoyable reading.
Recommended.

HOW TO EAT A SMALL COUNTRY : A FAMILY'S PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, ONE MEAL AT A TIME
by Amy Finley

Back in 2007, Amy Finley sent in an audition tape for season three of The Next Food Network Star totally on a whim. She was a professional cook and stayed home with the kids while her husband worked. Amy thought her life was mundane and decided to try something different. She was stunned when she won but only did six shows and then walked away from it. Why? Her French husband, Greg, was not happy and didn't want her to do this in the first place because of the celebrity status and their life being open to prying eyes. He wants her home with the children and their marriage falters. So, to revive and reunite, Amy suggests they move everyone to France (that is where, after all, she and Greg first met). Ironically, he is the one who paid for her cooking classes from hard-earned money.
They live in the Burgundy region in an old farmhouse and food, of course, is the central theme. Traveling all over rural France savoring the known specialties of the different regions, you salivate with every bite. Upon their return to their rustic abode, Amy cooks what she ate on their adventures.
Amy's writing is terrific. Besides talking about the cuisine, she describes the towns, the history, the people and how the way of life that used to be is disappearing. Modernization is taking over (one store, called Picard, sells only frozen food), raw cheese is falling by the wayside with the old-timers hanging up their aprons and retiring, many products are not even produced in France and are now being imported (aghast!) from China and elsewhere and restaurants that used to be creme de la creme are now only mediocre with indifferent waitstaff.
If you're a foodie, you'll love diving in. There are no exact recipes printed but Amy describes how she prepares the cuisine so that you get the gist of what to do.
Absolutely delicious and a wonderful read.
Recommended.