READ
If you’ve never read a Kate Morton novel, you’re in for a treat. The new queen of dual-time storylines, Morton is consistently flawless at weaving a present-day and historical plot together into one intriguing package. In The Lake House, the present-day story revolves around Sadie, a talented yet reckless police detective, and Alice, an octogenarian mystery author. While on a forced leave from her job, Sadie is intrigued by the mystery of a young boy’s disappearance decades ago. Alice, the boy’s older sister, is still haunted by the tragedy and might know more than she’s letting on. Excelsior Bay Books.
-Raela Schoenherr is a fictions acquisitions editor. She loves to talk books on Twitter at @raelaschoenherr.
DRINK
I love a versatile wine, so I always have a few bottles of Le Hameau Sauvignon Blanc ($10.99) on hand for my guests, or to bring to parties. Le Hameau is a sauvignon blanc from southern France. It is made from fruit gathered from several different vineyards across southern France; this method of winemaking is called the co-op style. Fruit from across the region is brought to a customized crush facility, where the grapes are processed and many different wines are being made all under one roof. This one has moderate alcohol content, and is light and crisp with clean, flinty minerality. It also has the fruity and herbal notes that are typical of sauvignon blanc. I recommend pairing it with salads or other foods that call for unoaked wine, including white fish, oysters and other seafood. Wayzata Wine and Spirits.
-Kevin Castellano is the general manager of Wayzata Wine and Spirits and a respected wine and liquor expert.
LISTEN
With musical contemporaries who include ultra-technical bands, the supremely tasteful execution of The Shape of Colour by Intervals comes as a pleasant surprise. The wholly instrumental effort is a guitar showpiece but manages to deftly walk the line between simplicity and technicality. While there are a few similar-sounding passages, standouts such as the supremely poppy “Sweet Tooth” and tonally epic “Fable” temper any déjà vu. The end result is a breezy 34 minutes of groove, hook and melody that exists mostly in a major key, making it not only an easy listen, but an uplifting one as well. Barnes & Noble.
-Alex Skjong has written for a number of publications in the Twin Cities, Chicago and Atlanta. He is a music lover first and an unreasonably tall human being second.
