nomadreader

narrated by Madeleine Maby The basics: Wednesday Martin is an anthropologist, originally from Michigan, who moves from the West Village of New York City to the Upper East Side and turns her anthropological training on Upper East Side mommies. My thoughts: Since having a baby, I find myself drawn to narratives I might not have been before. I'm fascinated by how people raise their children, in this country, throughout different times in history, and around the world. (See also: How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm , How Not to Calm a Child on a Plane   and Bringing Up Bebe . ) As a mom, I find myself remarking, "these people are crazy!" as often as I do "I can't believe I think this is normal now!" So much of parenthood seems to be finding people with whom you agree and finding people whose choices make you feel better about your own. To that end, Primates of Park Avenue  is both. It's entertaining,  at times alarming, and informative. A few chapters...

The backstory: Indiscretion  was one of the featured titles at the Harper Collins Book Buzz event at ALA last June. I read it on the plane home from California and was even smart enough to write this review last June while it was fresh. The basics: Indiscretion  is the story of Maddy and Harry Winslow. Harry is a National Book Award-winning author, while Maddy is beautiful, smart and kind. They're a couple revered by all who know them, and the two love to entertain at their home in the Hamptons and at their New York City brownstone. Yet as the title indicates, the marriage may not be quite as strong as it appears. My thoughts: Indiscretion  is an intelligent vacation read. There are elements of an upper-class soap opera, but there are also elements of high-brow literature. The combination works well and keeps the novel from becoming either too serious or too frivolous. This novel also sits somewhere between thriller and domestic fiction. Adding intrigue to the story...