What We Are Reading

By Nancy K. Crevier

People involved in the news business at any level share a common fondness for the written word. So it is not surprising that Newtown Bee workers can often be found talking about their favorite books with each other. Are you curious what the cooler talk is about at 5 Church Hill Road?

School reporter Eliza Hallabeck is reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Husseini. “I had read his book, The Kite Runner, a while back and meant to read this one. But I didn’t want to read them too closely together. I like it alright, so far,” said Eliza. “It’s a nice read, probably good to bring to the beach or read beneath a tree this summer.”

“I am reading an Elmore Leonard book, Cuba Libre,” said Anne Kugielsky, the assistant Antiques and The Arts Weekly editor at The Bee. “What brought me to this book is not having something to read and finding it on my shelf at home. It’s about the Cuban Revolution and the American war against Spain in the 1890s. It’s about Americans in Cuba during that time, and I am enjoying it,” she said. Anne is also reading the third of the Stieg Larsson books, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. “I loved the other two, so I’m excited to have this one to read now,” she said.

“I just read a great one,” said Newtown Bee editor Curtiss Clark, “Tinkers by Paul Harding. It won the Pulitzer for fiction this year. At 192 pages, it’s the biggest little book you are ever likely to read. Intense, mystical, wholely original writing about two men — a father and son — who lived difficult lives in New England. There are fantastic word pictures in this one, which press the reader’s understanding of this mortal realm of ours far beyond where the words stop. I will be reading it again within the year.”

Mix up mystery and cooking, two of Newtown Bee graphic artist and layout designer Don Miner’s favorite subjects, and you come up with his perfect summer book. “I’ve been reading a couple of books by Diane Mott Davidson,” he said. “They are mysteries, but the main character is a caterer, married to a cop, and she helps him solve his mysteries. It’s a neat concept. At the back of the book are all the recipes that she has in the novel. It’s something different,” said Don, “and they also always have a good ending, which I like.” (He has yet to try one of the recipes.)

Bee reporter Andy Gorosko has picked three books for his summer reading. “I’ve selected three reference books, including illustrations and photographs of the subject matter,” said Andy. He’ll be diving into The Hammond Atlas of World Religions, Stuart Murray, editor, for an overview of the history of religions ranging from 400,000 BCE to the present time; National Geographic Concise History of Science and Invention: An Illustrated Timeline, a chronological review of technology; and The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray. “It’s a profusely illustrated description of the periodic table of the elements,” said Andy, and added, “These books are both enjoyable to read, and informative.”

Kate Sasanoff works in advertising for Antiques and The Arts Weekly, and because she has just finished a course in Appraising Antiques and Fine Arts at Rhode Island School of Design, she hasn’t cracked open much besides a textbook the past several months. But she has borrowed Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen, from a friend. “Now that I’ve graduated,” she said, “I’m looking forward to reading something besides a text book.”

Antiques and The Arts Weekly ad manager Sue Capponi is currently reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. “I love it and recommend it 100 percent,” she said. She recently read an intriguing nonfiction book, as well, that will especially appeal to anyone interested in the antiques world. “Aesop’s Mirror, A Love Story, is by Maryalice Huggins. Someone at an antique center recommended it to me. It’s the story of a woman looking up the history of an antique mirror, and it’s incredibly good,” said Sue. It is also exciting, she said, to see Antiques and The Arts Weekly mentioned in the novel.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski, is office dog Deeke’s recommendation. An epic novel covering several years of a young mute boy’s lifetime, as well as that of the many special dogs his family breeds, it is a fascinating part fantasy, part informational, part love story, part mystery book that kept Deeke’s tale wagging through all 576 pages.

Summer is the perfect time for indulging in the pleasure of reading. Check back — The Bee will periodically take a look at what we are reading. There is nothing like sharing a good book.