Reading in the Garden

Beautiful Book Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter begins in 1962 in the beautiful Cinque Terre section of northern Italy with a few scant homes and one small hotel clinging to dramatic cliffs in a small village overlooking the Ligurian Sea. This picturesque setting is where we meet innkeeper Pasquale Tursi who welcomes an American actress, Dee Moray, working on the movie Cleopatra being filmed in Rome.  We quickly discover that the actress is dying.  It is this brief three-day encounter that sets the stage for the rest of the book that takes turns explaining the backgrounds of people who were in some way connected to Pasquale and Dee, directly or indirectly with regards to this timeframe. The book is a reminder that sometimes the lives we briefly touch can stay with us a lifetime.  In the chapters that flip from 1962 to present day, we learn that nothing is black and white; all is not what it seems. As we read on, each person’s story slowly develops like a roll of film until we see

It’s a Zoo Out There Zoo by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge is an action-packed, page-turning thrill. Animals are turning against the two-legged population in alarming numbers. Jackson Oz is a biologist who is studying the Human Animal Conflict (HAC) that seems to be gaining momentum all over the world.  Weird incidents start sporadically.  A pride of lions attacks wide-eye, adventure-seeking tourists in an African Safari. Sorry, no refunds if eaten by the wildlife.  But then it goes global and cute little family dogs like Chunk, Nikko, Waldo, and Gertie suddenly morph into Cujos.  Puppies are marked off Christmas wish lists as they run in packs attacking families and strangers alike. And they don’t just bite the hand that feeds them; they chomp down and eat both hands, feet, and eyeballs. They lick the platter clean.  If graphic descriptions of animals feasting on humans make you squeamish, then this may not be the book for you. If it sends electrifying quivers up and dow