The Art Forger

The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro, 360 pages

Three years ago, painter Claire Roth became a pariah in the Boston art scene, thanks to her role in a scandal that called into question exactly who created a buzzy new painting. Since then, she hasn't been able to exhibit or sell her own work, and is instead working for an online company that creates reproductions of famous works for its clients. But while she's doing this, she gets an offer that's as dangerous as it is incredible: can she duplicate a long-lost Degas painting so that one copy can be sold to a foreign collector and the original can be returned to the museum from which it was stolen?

Loosely based on the 1990 real-life theft of 13 paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, this novel gives insight into Gardner and her antics, Degas and his techniques, and the world of contemporary art, both legitimate and forgery. I loved learning about the ways in which forgers make paintings pass authentication tests (though they have certainly changed since this book was published in 2012), as well as the techniques artists use to create different effects. And I especially enjoyed learning about a few real forgers from history, whom I may have to research more (especially the guy who fooled Nazis with his forgeries). There were a few "I don't buy it" moments, but all in all, this was fun.

The Woman in the Library

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill, 265 pages

A mystery novelist attempting to find the muse in the Reading Room of Boston Public Library's main branch begins observing the people around her, concocting their intertwined stories. Suddenly, a woman's scream pierces the room and all of the room's occupants are ushered outside. Bound by the scream they overheard, the novelist and the three people she was observing start a fast friendship, based on discovering who screamed and what it has to do with a woman who was later found dead in the library. That's the kernel that starts the book within a book in The Woman in the Library. The rest of the book is epistolary, filled with emailed commentary on each chapter from the author's Boston-based acquaintance (the author is based in Australia, apparently).

While that description may not make sense, the book is well-structured and it's easy to tell if you're reading the book or the book within the book. Unfortunately, I felt like the structure was the most interesting element of the book. We know next to nothing about the author whose chapters we're reading, nor do we know much about her acquaintance, though we're able to pick up a bit as the book goes on. And the book within the book? It's interesting, but not deep. If you want a complex and twisty book-within-a-book mystery, stick to Anthony Horowitz. This one doesn't hold a candle to Magpie Murders, though it made me wish I was reading that again instead.

The Apocalypse Seven

The Apocalypse Seven by Gene Doucette, 384 pages

When Robbie wakes up the morning after his first college party at Harvard, the dorm is so quiet he's sure he's slept through his classes. Turns out it's quiet because nobody else is there. Everyone is simply gone, and Robbie keeps finding other strange things — crumbling buildings, empty supermarkets, overgrown plants, a TON of wildlife that usually isn't in Cambridge. When he eventually does find a few other people, they band together in a joint effort of survival and solving the mystery of what is going on.

Doucette does a pretty good job of incorporating the realities of regular people facing brutal survival situations, something that isn't always realistically portrayed. I particularly liked his inclusion of a blind woman, whose disabilities and strengths were even more pronounced in a difficult situation. That said, there are some definite problems (such as the assumption that a random public library would have a large Braille section — those books are both huge and expensive!) and a somewhat disappointing ending. The first 90% of the book is great though; just wish he could've finished as strong as he started.

The Hour of the Witch

The Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian, 405 pages

In 17th Century Boston, unhappily married women have very few options when it comes to divorcing their husbands, particularly when the man has not been unfaithful or deserted her. But that's exactly what Mary Deerfield would like to do after five years of increasingly violent outbursts from her much-older husband Thomas. The final straw comes when Thomas takes one of the newfangled three-tined forks (meant for eating, not carving, and imported by Mary's father) and stabs it through her hand. But even with an injured hand, the divorce trial is difficult, particularly since so many of the Puritan magistrates see the weapon as "the Devil's tines" rather than an eating utensil. Mary must walk a fine line to seek an end to her marriage without bringing a charge of witchcraft down upon her head.

This is a fascinating exploration of the limitations upon women in the 1600s, as well as a pointed look at how little things have changed over the past 400 years. It's well-researched, well-written, and has a compelling plot that moves it along much faster than your average 400-page historical fiction novel. No wonder it has so many people waiting for it at UCPL!

36 Arguments for the Existence of God

 36 Arguments for the Existence of God by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein (2010) 402 pages

In this work of fiction, Cass Seltzer, a professor at Frankfurter University in Boston has written a book titled "The Varieties of Religious Illusion," and has surprisingly (to him) garnered acclaim, with his book translated into 20+ languages. He's been interviewed numerous times and dubbed "The Atheist With a Soul" by Time magazine. He has been offered a position at Harvard after teaching several years at Frankfurter, where he obtained his doctorate.

The plot weaves back and forth in time, showing his life growing up with a mother who had fled her Hasidic roots, getting his premed undergrad degree from Columbia University, and his life's course abruptly changing when he follows Professor Jonas Elijah Klapper to Frankfurter University to study in the Department of Faith, Literature and Values. He has finally gotten over his divorce and is currently in a relationship with Lucinda, a hyper-competitive expert in Game Theory who is known for "fanging" lecturers.

The characters teem with quirkiness, especially Professor Klapper, a pompous teacher who disdains the sciences; Roz, an old girlfriend who spent years studying a tribe in the Amazon; and also Azarya, a Hasid child who figured out for himself–by age 6–prime numbers. I needed to keep a dictionary handy for this novel, even on my third trip into this academic world, but it was so worth it.

The Pursuit of Alice Thrift

The Pursuit of Alice Thrift by Elinor Lipman (2003) 269 pages

Alice Thrift has always been an excellent student, but she is finding that good academics (graduating second in her class at Harvard, for example) isn't enough to make her a good doctor. In fact, she's waiting for the other shoe to drop, doubtful that she'll be asked to stay for a second year in the residency program at the Boston hospital where she has been training. If only she weren't so socially awkward, that could help.

Alice finds herself being wooed by Ray Russo, a 45 year-old candy salesman who says he was widowed in the past year. Ray's kind of a slimy dude, always making a sales pitch, telling lies, or worse, telling everyone he sees that Alice is a doctor. This novel shows the progression of Ray's courtship of Alice, as well as her budding friendships with Leo, a nurse she's sharing an apartment with, as well as a couple of doctors she meets along the way.

Saints for All Occasions

Saints for All Occasions / J. Courtney Sullivan, 335 pp.

The story of two young sisters, Nora and Theresa, who leave Ireland in the 1950s and head to Boston.  Their paths diverge quickly when one of them becomes pregnant by a married man.  The consequences of their rift play out over generations, and a kind of resolution comes only years later at the funeral of Patrick, one sister's son.

Sullivan writes using straightforward, plain language, which gives an emotionally-charged tale nice balance.  The excellent sense of time, place and people here would lead me to pick up another Sullivan novel.   My only objection to Saints was a later chapter or two detailing the travails of Catholic women religious in the U.S.,  a cause with which I am wholly sympathetic; but the inclusion felt forced and was unnecessary to the plot.

The Boston Girl

The Boston Girl: a novel by Anita Diamant  322 pp.

Eighty-five year old Addie Baum answers the question put to her by her granddaughter: "How did you get to be the woman you are today." With a lot of humor and honesty she relates her life from about age 15 through her marriage. As the daughter of Jewish immigrants growing up in the tenements of Boston in the early 20th century she lived a hard life with until her eyes were opened to the world around her by joining a club for young women. Soon she learns to stand up for herself against her unhappy, domineering mother, survives man trouble, World War I, and the flu epidemic, to become a true "Boston Girl", working and supporting herself with the help and encouragement of other strong, modern women. It's a touching picture of a time when the roles of women began to change drastically and Addie revels in it.  I listened to the audiobook read by actress Linda Lavin (tv's "Alice") and she gives Addie the perfect voice. This book is as enjoyable as The Red Tent but in an entirely different way.

Cook the Books by Jesssica Conant-Park

A really great mystery read especially for the holiday season. I found it on our display on the first floor. It is part of the Gourmet Girl Mystery series, and this is the fifth book in the series. I haven't read the others, but I enjoyed this one so much that I am tempted to read the others in order. Chloe Carter the main character is a real hoot as she tries to solve the mystery of who killed a popular chef in town. This is the season for food and cooking and this book fits right in.