Jennifer Petty Mann

Fact is often better than fiction.  Have you ever looked at a brightly colored fish or flower and thought, "It is not possible that that just appeared in nature.  I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it.” Fact is like that too.  Imagination is contained by our perceptions so it makes sense, but some plots are so wonderful you think they must have been monkeyed with.  … [Read more...] about ‘Little Chapel On The River’ by Gwendolyn Bounds

Lots of people think that the book our Jen selected this week, "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle," by David Wroblewski, is very good, including Stephen King who noted he doesn't re-read many books, but will be doing so with this one. Yet again Jen's review has tickled our fancy too and we think we'll also be reading it very shortly. I had dinner a few weeks ago with a gentleman … [Read more...] about “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” by David Wroblewski

Our Jen was—along with (in our unscientific opinion) approximately half the population of the Lymes—sick last week.  We're so glad to learn that she's now recovered and here she is back again for your delight with the revealing (and riveting) antithesis to her earlier column on why she reads. Here is the companion piece to the ever-popular,” Why I Read.”  It is fair to say … [Read more...] about Why Sometimes I Don’t Read

Old Lyme resident Richard Conniff lives the life of which most of us mere mortals can only dream.  He travels to exotic places, meets interesting people ... and animals, writes or makes movies about them ... and on top of all that, gets paid for doing it.  Jen Mann chose his most recent book as her review pick for this week. This is very amusing.  I am a big fan of personal … [Read more...] about Swimming With Piranhas at Feeding Time My Life Doing Dumb Stuff by Richard Conniff

We felt Jen's book review this week is suited for a Sunday. For those not familiar with Nobel Prize-winning French author Jean-Paul Sartre, his theme is existentialism, which preaches, in Jen's concise words, "life is a done deal before you started, so what's the point?"  Sartre is a hard sell, but Jen makes us want to try him one more time. The Chips Are Down ( Les Jeux … [Read more...] about “Les Jeux Sont Fait” by Jean Paul Sartre