Library Books

• Dream When You're Feeling Blue, Elizabeth Berg
The story of a close-knit nuclear family, with three girls and three boys, during World War II. Lively Kitty, sandwiched between her older sister Louise, who is engaged to Michael, and younger sister Tish, matures as her boyfriend and Michael go off to war. Later she gives up her job to do war work, and falls hard for a soldier she has been writing to. Chock full of period details, this is just the day-to-day life of an average family during the war, but a surprise is in store at the end.

A Paper Life, Tatum O'Neal
My mom used to get the "National Enquirer" and my godmother, next door, subscribed to "The Star," so they would always swap papers when they got done reading. It was in this way I saw bits and pieces of Tatum O'Neal's unconventional, and ultimately sad, upbringing, with a narcissistic father and troubled, alcoholic mother. This is, as Paul Harvey always intoned, "The rest of the story." A rather depressing look at what goes on behind the "glamour" of the movies.

Buckingham Palace Gardens, Anne Perry
The newest Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novel sees precious little of Charlotte, as Pitt is assigned to find out who killed a prostitute provided for the entertainment of the Prince of Wales' guests. The Pitts' maid Gracie is secreted in the Palace as a servant, but much of the point of view of this novel is taken up by the wife of one of the Prince's guests, who is in love with the prime suspect in the case. Elaborate mystery with much of the action taking place belowstairs, where the servants keep the royal facade smoothly running—and the secrets, too. Biggest mystery: the title, since "Gardens" have absolutely no connection with what happens!