By Cathleen Towey Merenda
There has recently been an uptick in publishing of illustrated art books and fiction with an art theme. The Westbury Library has been adding well-written and beautiful volumes to our collection. The community has also expressed their commitment the arts with the inauguration of the Greater Westbury Council for the Arts. The titles here are a sample of the quality books that have become available at the library in 2015.
Florence: The Paintings & Frescoes, 1250-1743 by Ross King and Anja Grebe (Black Dog & Leventhal, 2015). This sumptuous volume includes almost 2,000 works from the Pitti Palace, Accademia, the Duomo and 28 other churches and museums in Florence. It’s simply gorgeous and will be enjoyed by art lovers who have visited Florence and by those who dream of going someday.
The Mystery of the Lost Cezanne by M.L. Longworth (Penguin Books, 2015). In the apartment that once belonged to Paul Cezanne, a retired postal worker finds what might be a painting by the artist, then the postman turns up dead. This cozy mystery is set in Aix-en-Provence, France, and moves between the present investigation of the crime and the story of Cezanne and a mysterious, red headed women that he loved.
Painting Central Park by Roger F. Pasquier (The Vendome Press, 2015). A breathtaking historical and cultural view of New York City’s treasure, Central Park. A talented group of painters and photographers have used the park as a subject through the years, including William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, and George Bellows. Borrow this beautiful book from the Library or buy it as a holiday gift for someone who loves art and New York.
Playing with Fire by Tess Gerritsen (Ballantine Books, 2015). This page-turner is outstanding psychological suspense. Two violinists, one the mother of a small child, and one a young man living in Venice during World War II, are connected by a piece of gypsy music, the Incendio waltz. The music is tied to the fate of the Venetian man and his family and the mother and her child.
White Light by Vanessa Garcia (Shade Mountain Press, 2015). This first novel is about Veronica Gonzalez, a Cuban-American painter who has been told that she will have her first solo show in Miami, which may make Veronica’s career. Barely able to enjoy the good news, Veronica’s father dies and she must work through grief as she prepares for the show. This story is about family, creating art and looking for love. I especially enjoyed the familiar paintings and touches of color used to illustrate the book.
Cathleen Towey Merenda is the Director of the Westbury Memorial Public Library and served on the Carnegie Medal Committee for the American Library Association in 2014.
