LemuriaBooks

Ok Folks, Here are some more books that I think that you will enjoy on your summer vacations or if on a "staycation" these books will transport you to another time and place!!

Murder of a Medici Princess by Caroline P. Murphy
"Like the Kennedys or Windsors, the Medicis are a dynasty brimming with biographical
gold, and this supple, smart account of a lesser-known daughter will engage modern
readers as it vivifies both Renaissance Florence and an extraordianary women who paid
ultimate price for flouting her era's traditional gender roles." --Publisher's Weekly

The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz
" A unique literary adventure, intimate, exotic; wonderfully imagined and achieved.
The narrative impels the reader from first to last, immersing us in its flow of ancient
acceptances and new demands. Splendid."--Shirley Hazard, author of The Transit
of Venus and The Great Fire


The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi
"Douglas Preston fulfilled a lifelong dream when he moved with his family to a villa in
Florence. Upon meeting celebrated journalist Mario Spezi, Preston was stunned to
learn that the olive grove next to his home had been the scene of a horrific double
murder committed by one of the most infamous figures in Italian history. A serial
killer who ritually murdered fourteen young lovers, he has never been caught. He is
known as the Monster of Florence."
FYI: Thomas Harris based his character Hannibal Lector on
The Monster of Florence and the surrounding circumstances.

The Dummy Line by Bobby Cole
"Jake Crosby, a troubled stockbroker, has planned a weekend escape at his hunting
camp with his nine-year-old daughter, Katy. In the middle of the night, a gang of
redneck drug dealers attempts to break into the remote camp. The gang's display of
heinous intentions toward Jake and Katy causes Jake to make gut-wrenching
decisions."

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
"The House of Riverton is a sweeping debut novel set in England between the
wars. It is the story of an aristocratic family, a house, a mysterious death and a
vanishing way of life, told by a woman who witnessed it all and kept a secret for a
lifetime."

Master of the Delta by Thomas Cook
"Cook writes powerful layered novels, with original heroes who choose to walk down
paths that quietly, inexorably, lead them to even darker places in the human heart,
and ultimately to breathtaking and revelatory surprises at their journey's end."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune

The Red Leather Diary--Lily Koppel
Lilly Koppel 'rescued' a red leather diary from the garbage dumpster in front of her
apartment building in New York. She took it home and after reading it realized she
must find this girl who wrote it. She hired an investigator and the rest is history!
"The young woman who emerged from the diary's pages had huge ambitions, even if
chasing them proved daunting. February 21, 1931. Went to the Museum of
Modern Art and almost passed out from sheer jealousy-I can't even paint an
apple yet-it's heartbreaking! January 16, 1932. I couldn't study today & went to
museum to pass a morning of agonizing beauty-Blown glass, jade and exquisite
embroideries. April 10, 1932. Wrote all day-and my story is still incomplete.
September 2, 1934. Planning a play on Wordsworth-possibilities are infinite.
October 12, 1934. How I love to inflict pain on my characters!
What she craved most was to be enveloped in a grand passion that would
transform her life. July 3, 1932. Five hours of tennis and glorious happiness-all I
want is someone to love-I feel incomplete."

There are some wonderful new biographies that have arrived in the store recently.

Sidney Poitier's latest book entitled: Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter, is a perfect example. Poitier draws upon perspective and wisdom gained from memories of growing up poor in the Bahamas; experiences of racism upon coming to the United States; raising a family; breaking the racial barrier within theatre and film and ultimately the satisfaction of achieving great sucess in Hollywood. He also speaks from his years as a diplomat and humanitarian. He shares his thoughts and dreams through letters with his great-granddaughter and extols the virtues that helped him through tough times and how he gained a powerful sense of purpose. These letters are filled with stories about the people of courage he has met along the way and how all of these factors led him to find true meaning in his life.

 Another new arrival that has garnered much talk within the book world is: The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel. This is a story about an actual diary which was rescued from a dumpster outside of a New York apartment building. It had resided inside an old steamer trunk that had been stored in the basement for over half a century. When new owners took over, they had everything cleared out and thrown away but it was spotted and rescued by Lily Koppel, a young writer who just happened to be working at the New York Tim

es! The diary paints wonderfully vivid pictures of 1930's New York and the reader can't help but fall in love with its author, a young, headstrong woman whose thoughts and emotions fill every page; from tea at Schrafft's to riding horses in Central Park; to summer excursions in the Catskills; this story harkens back to a time long forgotten. Remarkably, the story ends with Lilly Koppell locating and reuniting the diary with it's original owner and author. This book is a wonderful read!

The last book I will mention is entitled: Mistaken Identity by Don and Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Coleen and Whitney Cerak. This is the actual story of an horrific accident involving two vans full of college students from Taylor University in which two girls, Whitney Cerak and Laura Van Ryn were misidentified at the crash scene. One of the girls was killed in the wreck and the other had broken bones and a severe head injury. For the next six weeks no one knew that they had been confused for the other and their families were thrust into a nightmare situation that is too inconceivable to be believed. This is the first hand account written in alternating chapters, by their families and friends, as the truth is eventually discovered and the faith and strength of these families is put to the ultimate test. A truly inspirational story that will have you in tears one minute and amazement the next.