Reading Corner: Keep books in mind for holiday gifts

By Arlene S. Bice
   Books, old, new, signed or not, make wonderful gifts that are sometimes kept for an entire life. Many books become cherished by the reader, remembering just who it was that gave such an everlasting gift.
   Claude G. Berube came to the Bordentown library to give a talk on the remarkable life of Charles Stewart. Thanks to Celeste Poinsett I received a copy signed and inscribed to me. It’s a book I treasure dearly. “A Call to the Sea” by Claude G. Berube and John A. Rodgaard published hardcover by Potomac Books in 2005 is an important book for anyone interested in Bordentown’s history.
   It tells the most complete story of Charles Stewart, affectionately called “Old Ironsides,” of the USS Constitution that I’ve been able to find. A list of Stewart’s sea battles is plentiful but finding an accurate and in depth story of his life is rare.
   He was born in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War period, going to sea at age 13. He served all presidents from John Adams to Abraham Lincoln and tendered on every type of warship during his eleven sea commands. His daring battles on sea are legendary. While in his 80s he served as pallbearer at President Lincoln’s funeral.
   Delia Tudor, the daughter of General George Washington’s judge advocate and a Boston debutante won his heart and became his wife. But her foolishness on board ship nearly caused his court-martial from the Navy. Fortunately our own Joseph Hopkinson advised him successfully and acted as his attorney in the celebrated case. Their daughter Delia became the mother of Charles Stewart Parnell, hero of Irish advocacy for freedom. Their granddaughter Fanny became famous in her own right with her support of the same cause for freedom.
   Reading of the “Commodore’s” battles at sea is like reading a novel. This world famous man who fought pirates, associated with royalty and befriended kings chose Bordentown as his home. A huge thank you goes to the authors of this book.
   ”No Clue at the Inn” by Kate Kingsbury published softcover in 2003 begins during the Christmas season of 1912. Still considered newlyweds, husband and wife Hugh and Cecily Baxter sold their Pennyfoot Hotel in the country to Edward Sandringham. He turned the hotel into a Country Club. Unfortunately he needed to be in South Africa for the few weeks that included Christmas.
   A telephone call inquired, “Would you both be willing to manage the place until I return?” However he didn’t mention that the last manager came to an unseemly end. The Baxters gladly accepted and invited some of their former employees to enjoy a Christmas holiday treat on them. The invitation was accepted with delight having no clue that in the near future they would be taking over their old duties to replace missing and unsatisfactory service staff.
   Problems arise at the Country Club where gaming is now legal. Questions tickle Cecily’s mind when mysterious happenings go on. A diamond hatpin is found in a haystack in the barn, pearls are missing from a guest’s room and a maid goes missing. Cecily’s friends become employees again, bringing their personal problems for her to solve. The death of the former manager is declared murder. Hugh is not happy having his wife in a working status.
   This is a fun holiday read for the mystery lovers.
   Naomi Epel, driving her red LeBaron convertible, was a literary escort for authors arriving for personal appearances and book signings in Northern California. While taking them from one appointment to another she engaged them in conversation to keep them relaxed. Dreams were often the subject she introduced since she also conducted a radio program called, “Dream Talk.”
   From her own dream came the idea of putting these conversations and more into “Writers Dreaming” published in hardcover in 1993.
   I read how William Styron woke one morning to a lingering image of a woman he knew in his youth, standing in a hallway, arms full of books, a tattooed number on her arm. Sophie’s Choice was born from that dream.
   Sue Grafton used her dreams in solving a problem while writing, “B is for Burglar” in her alphabet series. She also admits to living with a ghost in her house. Stephen King uses dreams as one might use mirrors to look at the back of your head to see your hair. He’s also sure that his subconscious continues creating his stories in his dreams while he sleeps.
   Maya Angelou, Clive Barker, Spalding Gray, Elmore Leonard, Anne Rice, Maurice Sentak and Amy Tan are just a few of the 26 interviews included in the book. The book reveals another aspect to dreams and how they affect our waking hours.
   I was looking for something inexpensive with a little holiday spirit to it at Barnes & Noble when I spotted “An Irish Christmas” by Melody Carlson, published in hardcover 2007.
   A special bonding takes place when a mother and adult son can spend vacation time together. Colleen plans to spend Christmas in Ireland with her 21-year-old son because she feels he’s been drifting away from her since her husband passed away last year. She plans the holiday, setting the stage to tell him of a secret long held by her that will affect him. She isn’t sure just how he will react to it but feels he needs to know.
   What she doesn’t realize is that her son has a secret of his own. He also plans to use this holiday to expose all to his mother. He isn’t sure how she will accept the knowledge he intends to spring on her.
   Spoken words between the two are often wildly misconstrued before they even get close to confessing their secrets. It takes interaction with folks in a foreign country to close the gap between them. While exploring this new territory they find their way back to a shared love. Enjoy!