Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MARCH 8 - 14, 2023 UCW 5 OPINION Among the characteristics of winter — blessings in many ways — are early sundowns and late dawns that promote reading since we are not likely to be outdoors. I read in the evenings and in the mornings with my coffee until it is light enough to take Lulu, the doodle, out. Here in no particular order are some of the books that spoke to me this winter. "Billionaire Wilderness" by Justin Farrell details a phenomenon I had never considered, the takeover of the American West by very wealthiest of the 1%. If, like me, you think billionaires congregate in New York City and other high-rent enclaves, you would be wrong. e richest county in America is Teton County, Wyoming, home to ultra-rich Americans who buy up pristine landscapes and turn them into conservation areas, which also removes their avail- ability to mere mortals. Per capita income in Teton County is just over $250,000. "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah. Born to a tribal South African mother and a Swiss German father when apartheid was still in effect and his birth really was a crime, Noah has the native intelligence and devel- oped the street smarts to negotiate his way around both during apartheid and after, ultimately becom- ing a talk show host in the United States. If we ever think that racism is a thing of the past in any part of the world, Noah disabuses us of that belief right out of the gate. "e Latecomer" by Jean Hanff Korelitz. is is a beautifully written and richly nuanced novel about family dysfunction in a wealthy New Yorker family with a set of test tube triplets, who seemingly have nothing in common with each other. Enter late- in-life 4th and 5th children, stir in marital woes, and you have a surprising tale of love and family renewal. Art lovers will also enjoy an underlying theme of 20th century modern painting. "Vanderbilt: e Rise and Fall of an Ameri- can Dynasty" by Anderson Cooper. One of CNN's favorite anchors writes about his mother's storied family and how over time it squandered the fortune amassed during America's pre-income tax Robber Baron stage. Cooper pulls no punches about any of his high-rolling relatives, including the mother he clearly adored, and makes it clear that whatever he may have now, he has earned himself. "Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds" by Huma Abedin. is, too, is a book about surviving and prevailing over humiliations life delivers. Abedin, you might remember, was a long-time aide to Hill- ary Clinton who fell in love with, married, and had a child with the hilariously and unfortunately named Anthony Weiner. Congressman Weiner could not quit taking phone pics of his body parts and sharing them, and ultimately served prison time. Abedin's account of trying to get through all this is sometimes difficult to read, but she emerges with at least some of her dignity. And, finally, a real treat for lovers of all things British, especially the royal family, comes, "Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown" by Anne Glenconner. Lady Anne, now 90, grew up with the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, Princess Margaret, and served as a Lady in Waiting to the Princess. Along the way, she mar- ried a Baron, a volatile, abusive and unpredictable man who ultimately cut her and their children and grandchildren out of his will. Her account of her 1956 wedding trip to Paris included her husband of only a few days taking her to a sex show involving "doughy French people." What she reported saying to their request that she join them made me laugh out loud all by myself. I would like to tell you, but it would be better if you just read the book. Lady Anne has just published a sequel. I am on the waitlist at the library. Recommendations for your reading time by MARGARET DICKSON MARGARET DICKSON, Columnist. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. (910) 484-6200. FTCC Corporate & Continuing Education Call: (910) 678-8432 www.faytechcc.edu/geer Prepare for your professional future with the GEER II Scholarship! Your tuition and training program fees could be fully covered! Scan QR Code for information