Pizza City, USA by Steve Dolinsky

PIZZA CITY, USA by Steve Dolinsky is a totally fun and VERY comprehensive review of pizza places around Chicago. In fact, he profiles enough restaurants to give “101 reasons why Chicago is America’s Greatest Pizza Town.”  The pictures throughout are fabulous (mouth-watering is not an exaggeration) and accompany a one to two page description of each establishment, often offering a bit of local history as well as what makes the pizza distinctive.   

Local readers will recognize Dolinsky’s name as “The Hungry Hound” on Channel 7 and I enjoyed the brief biographical information he provided.  Dolinsky also readily acknowledges that not everyone will agree with his assessments (and I did not!), but he carefully explains his criteria and definitely still makes this a clever and informative book. There are separate chapters on recommendations (with maps) for Tavern (or Chicago Style thin), Thin, Artisan, Neapolitan, By-the-Slice, Deep Dish/Pan, and everyone else (Stuffed, Sicilian, Roman and Detroit-style).  PIZZA CITY, USA would make a great gift, especially for someone moving to the Chicago area.  Dolinsky is coming to The Book Stall on Thursday, Sept. 27 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm (free pizza available, of course!).

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny

I just finished reading A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny, the latest (August 30 release) in her Chief Inspector Gamache stories set in the tiny village of Three Pines in Quebec. By chance, I came across some notes and an appropriate quote from Penny’s earlier work, When the Light Gets In:

“Armand Gamache had always held unfashionable beliefs.  He believed that light would banish the shadows. That kindness was more powerful than cruelty, and that goodness existed, even in the most desperate places.  He believed evil had its limits.” A Great Reckoning describes yet another test of those beliefs, as Gamache takes on the responsibility of leadership at Quebec’s Surete Academy, seeking to reform the educational experience of future law enforcement officers.

In the process, he has to solve a murder and protect four young cadets, one of whom seems to despise him and another for whom Gamache seems to have a strong connection.  All four young people spend time with the inhabitants of Three Pines and all struggle to find themselves as adults and professionals. A mysterious map of Three Pines offers insight into the village history and provides additional twists for the reader.

While A Great Reckoning is another terrific story about Armand Gamache, it was made even more special by the author’s note and recognition of the personal difficulties which Louise Penny has faced while continuing to write about her beloved character.  I would recommend this series to mystery fans and since A Great Reckoning is one of my favorites in the series, I am pleased to note that this new title received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus AND Library Journal. 

Mystery fans may also want to mark their calendars since Julia Keller (Sorrow Road) and Elsa Hart (Jade Dragon Mountain) will be appearing locally at the Bookstall next Thursday, August 25 at 6:30pm. 

Although Sorrow Road is one of at least a half dozen novels in the Bell Elkins series, it is the first one I have read. Keller skillfully fills in the background about the characters: prosecutor and Georgetown Law School grad Bell Elkins, her much younger boyfriend Clay Meckling, her daughter Carla and other West Virginia residents.  However, I was disappointed since based on the title’s description, I expected much more about WWII and felt that the pace was a bit slow. Professional reviewer opinions were split:  Kirkus says that Sorrow Road “isn’t the best of Keller’s deeply nuanced, beautifully written examinations of life and death in hardscrabble coal country” while Booklist gave it a starred review.  Jade Dragon Mountain is set in the mountains of China and Tibet in 1708 and features Li Du, a former imperial librarian who works to solve a murder. Hart’s debut novel (a second work about Li Du will be released soon) is on my “to read” list and has received generally positive reviews, including one from Louise Penny.

The Girl I Used To Be by April Henry

I am in the midst of reading the newly released The Girl I Used To Be by April Henry and just learned that she will be speaking at The Book Stall TODAY at 4:30pm.  The program offers free pizza – but you do need to call ahead at 847-446-8880 to reserve a place so that The Book Stall orders enough pizza!   Stop in after school and hear April Henry talking about writing The Girl I Used To Be and about what it takes to write a suspenseful crime thriller – she’s an expert, having also crafted student favorites like The Body in The Woods and Girl, Stolen.

The Girl I Used To Be starts with a life and death chase through the woods and then we shift back in time with Olivia Reinhart (originally named Ariel Benson) to learn about the brutal murder of her parents fourteen years ago when she was only 3 years old. New evidence suggests that the killer is still around and Olivia/Ariel, now an emancipated adult having exited the foster care system, decides to return to small town Medford, Oregon. There, her inquisitiveness and tangled memories lead to kidnapping and ominous danger. This very suspenseful book is a quick read, full of cliff-hanger chapters, and fast-paced action.  If April Henry reads the first chapter aloud today, you will be lining up to get a copy and solve the mystery…