CityView Magazine

CityViewNC .com | 51 During that time, Renseng taught himself to read - everything from Winnie-the-Pooh to Homer. en he meets three women, who have a plot of their own, and the course of his career changes "The Coronation" (Russia) by Boris Akunin Winner of the Russian Anti-Book Prize for 2000, "e Coronation" is part of a series of historical detective stories about Russian police detective Erast Fandorin. Written in a style reminiscent of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "e Coronation" finds Fandorin entangled with the Romanov royalty. Grand Duke Georgii Alexandrovich is in Moscow with three of his children for the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II when one of his children is kidnapped. Fandorin and his Japanese sidekick Masa are there, and the investigation commences in a wonderfully entertaining manner. (Oh, I think I've found my new mystery series!) "Death is Hard Work" (Syria) by Khaled Khalifa If your father's last wish before he passes away is to be buried in the ancestral family plot, who are you to deny him? But what if you are basically estranged from your family and the cemetery is a two-hour drive from the hospital in Syria where he dies – in the middle of a war zone? Youngest son Bolbol hears his father's final wish and proceeds to grant it. With his older brother Hussein and sister Fatima, they commence a long drive through their war-torn country from Damascus to the village of Anabiya. During their journey, we hear of the siblings' loves, losses, hopes, and disappointments. We also hear the stories of human frailty, strength, and cruelty within their culture. What should have been just a simple bittersweet journey becomes a terror- ridden trip to fulfill their father's wish. "Acts of Infidelity" (Sweden) by Lena Andersson e main character of this novel, Ester Nilsson, had a disastrous affair in Andersson's previous novel, but she seems to have learned nothing from it. In this new book by one of Sweden's award-winning writers, Ester falls madly in love with a married actor who is performing in one of her plays. Ester convinces herself that he will leave his wife, even though he insists that this is not going to happen. Filled with pathos and humor, we see that acts of infidelity are oen the same across all cultures. Except for the settings, these stories could have been written about people in just about any country. e human experience is not unique to one culture. Reading a novel by an author born in another country, living there day-to-day, experiencing life in that country, gives us added perspective. In a sense, it is like traveling around the world without leaving home. And it's fun! Diane and her husband Hank Parfitt are the owners of City Center Gallery & Books in Downtown Fayetteville. ey can be reached at 910-678-8899 or citycentergallerybooks@gmail.com Incentive Programs: 4 Using an ENERGY STAR® Smart Thermostat 4 Replacing inefficient appliances with ENERGY STAR® models 4 Replacing older HVAC units with ENERGY STAR® models 4 Choosing LED lighting (and seasonal LED lighting too!) 4 Making your home's insulation and/or ductwork more energy efficient 4 Using a Rain Sensor to reduce outdoor water use Other Tools: 4 Home Efficiency Audit Program (HEAP) 4 Online Energy Use Calculators 4 My.faypwc.com Customer Web Portal You've got the power to save! Visit the Programs section of our website for details. Handy Tools for Lowering Your Bills 17008 8/2020

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