Tag Archive: columns

  1. Top 10 Books of the Year

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    In the last year, I have written 15 book reviews for WEEKEND. These reviews have been, of course, a labor of love. Emphasis on the love. And the labor. Finding time in our busy college schedules for pleasure reading is tough, but every now and then we can set aside an hour, curl up next to the boarded up fireplace, and whip out the Kindles. Our second grade selves might be shocked, but, today, pleasure reading is a treat — a special privilege for only the especially dedicated or those with just enough free time. (Or those with an Audible.com account; I’m serious, books on tape are the way to go.)

    ’Twas just one year ago that I wrote my first installment of “This year’s 10 must-reads.” Now, 12 months later, I’ve decided to try my hand at a second list. The following books are compiled in alphabetical order by author, as I did not rank within my list. And as with last year’s piece, this collection of titles is super subjective. Alright, disclaimers done — so enjoy!

    1. “The Cuckoo’s Calling” by Robert Galbraith: Cormoran Strike was just your run-of-the-mill depressed British sleuth when the murder of a supermodel propels him to fame, misfortune and maybe death? In this explosive novel — by a first-time author and one-time policeman — we meet unforgettable characters, observe heartbreaking strife and witness the rare magic of a really good detective story. Oh, and Galbraith is actually a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling.

    2. “The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century” by Joel F. Harrington: Truly interesting diaries are rare — especially those of everyday people, and definitely those from 500 years ago. But this historian has discovered one such diary, that of Meister Frantz Schmidt, who served as a professional executioner for Nuremberg for nearly 50 years. “The Faithful Executioner” deconstructs its subject’s sentences, discovering the shame and brilliance and dare we say compassion lying beneath. This is a book about life — those taken and the one Schmidt tried so hard to live right.

    3. “And the Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini: In this brilliant and cathartic novel, Hosseini weaves together a series of vignettes to produce a complex and unforgettable story of love and hate, family and friendship, life and suicide. Hosseini takes his reader from a tiny, dusty village in Afghanistan to the windy streets of San Francisco to the cobblestones of Paris. He indirectly and slowly reveals what happens when a father must give up his daughter in the hope of securing for her a better life.

    4. “The Opposite of Loneliness” by Marina Keegan: This is the only title on this list that I have not read. (Amazon is shipping as we speak.) But I am familiar enough with Keegan’s work to write that this will be a consequential book. Indeed, anyone who has read one of her essays — including those in the News — has surely realized that she possessed a fresh and distinctive voice. Keegan, who died tragically in a car accident in 2012, just days after graduating from Yale, was a stunningly good writer. I’m excited to read “The Opposite of Loneliness” not to lament what could have been, but to celebrate the beauty that she could create in such a short time.

    5. “Book of Ages” by Jill Lepore: In this stunning biography of Benjamin Franklin’s youngest sister Jane, Lepore, perhaps the nation’s preeminent historian of early America, creates a portrait that is both touching and thrilling, uplifting and depressing. Lepore uses a tellingly spotty record to plot the few definite moments of Jane’s life, and then uses her considerable skill as a writer to fill in the gaping archival holes with context and beautiful imagery. We know virtually nothing about Jane, but Lepore convinces us that, but for the discriminatory strictures of her time, Jane might have been as great as her brother.

    6. “TransAtlantic” by Colum McCann: This novel is an initially confusing series of poignant and enigmatic vignettes, tied loosely together by the many generations of one Irish-American family. It takes the reader from the swamps of rural Ireland to the icy lakes of the American Midwest, from the travels of Frederick Douglass to the voyage of Sen. George Mitchell. McCann’s is a story as much about poverty and loneliness as it is about Irish politics.

    7. “The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America” by George Packer: In this thick, meaty book, an acclaimed journalist spins together several small biographies and vignettes to form a cohesive map of the United States since the late ’70s. The America Packer observes is one in which the people have lost faith in both the public and private sectors, in their leaders and in their laborers. A whirlwind of color and emotions and verve, Packer’s portrait is both depressing and energizing.

    8. “This is the Story of a Happy Marriage” by Ann Patchett: In this beautiful collection of essays by one of America’s most gifted novelists, the reader follows Patchett as she scales a wall with the LAPD, impulsively adopts a dog on the street and befriends an aging nun. Patchett, who began her career by writing for magazines so that she did not have to work as a waitress any more, has built up an oeuvre that is as smart as it is funny.

    9. “Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish,” a novel by David Rakoff: This is Rakoff’s first — and last — novel. Rakoff, who was a wry and funny critic, passed away last year after a lengthy battle with cancer. He tells the story of a loosely connected group of characters whose lives span a hundred years — with a downtrodden Irish immigrant, a prim secretary, an artist dying of AIDS, Rakoff redefines America. His novel, written entirely in anapestic tetrameter, is just 113 pages. It rhymes, it sings, it moves, you can finish it in an hour or two. But you won’t read it just once. And you won’t stop thinking about it for a long time.

    10. “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt: This mammoth book truly is best saved for last — but only because you’ll want a nice long time to savor it. Though “The Goldfinch” is nearly a thousand pages long, it’s the sort of quick, feverish read that makes you want to push it on all of your friends. It is a kind of bildungsroman; it’s main character, Theo Decker, survives a terrorist attack that kills his mother and upends his life; he moves from Park Avenue to Vegas to the West Village to the dark world of art theft. “The Goldfinch” is a story of class, love, loss and one boy’s captivation with a famous, potentially dangerous, painting.

  2. A Glass of Cab to Keep Away the Cold

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    There are few things I enjoy more during these winter months than sitting next to my nonfunctioning fireplace and savoring a big glass of robust red wine. And for me, no wine screams snowy weather more than Cabernet Sauvignon. The driving force behind Bordeaux’s best, the king of Napa Valley, Cab reigns supreme, producing arguably the most complex, expressive (and expensive) wines in the world. 

    Cabernet Sauvignon in particular has extraordinary aging potential: The greatest Bordeaux evolve beautifully in the bottle for decades and decades after the grapes are harvested. When drunk young, Cab has a reputation for tasting a bit “tight,” meaning its flavors seem compacted or closed-off. One easy way to combat this problem is through aeration, a process that exposes the wine to oxygen, also known as allowing the wine to “breathe.” Aerating is easy and literally begins the second you uncork (or unscrew) the bottle. I will often pour red wine into a decanter — a special vase for wine — to reveal more surface area and speed things up. Decanters come in all shapes and sizes — some are truly works of art — and can add extra flair to the table next time you host a wine night. But if you’re a chronic procrastinator, a nifty (albeit somewhat controversial) device called an aerator will get the job done on the spot. Since I only have one decanter and two Cabs, tonight I’m using my Soirée aerator, a round glass bulb with spiky indentations that attaches to the end of the bottle, softening the wine as you pour.

    This evening, my friends and I are starting off with a bottle of Bordeaux before enjoying some Napa Cab. Situated on the southwestern French coast, Bordeaux is France’s largest wine region. Its chateaux collectively produce more than 700 million bottles a year, ranging from historically and internationally celebrated first-growths to food-friendly table wines. Whereas its rival region Burgundy creates single-varietal, hyper-terroir driven wines, Bordeaux firmly believes the greatest wines are created through blending a combination of five different grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The Gironde River divides Bordeaux into the right and left banks. Traditionally, a left-bank Bordeaux will be primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, while a right-bank will feature more Merlot. Although supplying a very similar flavor profile to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is often described as rounder and more velvety. Nevertheless, even wine experts have difficulty differentiating between Cab and Merlot in blind tastings. Cab Franc, the third most important varietal, notably contributes violet and spice notes.

    But, despite being from the left-bank, the Château Hanteillan 2010 I’m sampling has a pretty even split between Cab and Merlot. 2010 has been revered as one of the greatest vintages of all time for Bordeaux, and this bottle does not disappoint. A silky, luxurious Bordeaux, the Château Hanteillan exhibits a bouquet of blackberries and mocha, paving the way for an earthy experience on the palate. This wine will taste great today or after a few years in the cellar.

    The saying goes that “Cab is King” in Napa Valley. The most widely planted red grape in California, Cabernet Sauvignon is responsible for bringing international acclaim to the American wine industry. Napa winemakers will often make Bordeaux-style blends with California grapes, sometimes titled “Meritage,” but are more likely to offer a single-varietal wine. That said, American law states that for a wine to be labeled as a varietal, only 75% of the wine must be that grape. So, a lot of California Cabs are secretly blends as well. The Aviary Vineyards “Cabernet Sauvignon” 2011 that I’m drinking tonight is indeed 88% Cab, with hint of Merlot and Petite Sirah. In the Napa fashion, this Cab is more succulent and masculine than the Bordeaux. The wine boasts aromas of plum, currant, tobacco and pepper on the nose, all of which carry to taste. A powerful and classic California Cabernet, the wine demonstrates a long, lush finish.

    So when you buy your valentine a box of chocolates next Friday, consider picking up a bottle of Cab to go along. The traditional rule for pairing with dessert is never to have the food be sweeter than the wine. Doing so will cause the wine to taste unpleasantly bitter, even if that truly isn’t the case. Cab drinks beautifully alongside dark chocolate, and together they can provide all the right ingredients for a decadent and romantic Valentine’s Day for you and that special someone — or to warm you up during any chilly night in with your besties.

     

    Both the Château Hanteillan 2010 (Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux) $21 and the Aviary Vineyards “Cabernet Sauvignon” 2011 (Napa Valley, California) $20 are available for purchase at The Wine Thief (181 Crown St., New Haven).