What is Lorna Landvik reading?

Featured at Writers Read: Lorna Landvik, author of Last Circle of Love: A Novel.

Her entry begins:

I've been having a gay old time reading Shy: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers by Mary Rodgers and Jesse Green.

In this witty (so witty), illuminating memoir, the daughter of legendary musical theater composer Richard Rodgers regales us with tales of her privileged (but angst-filled) childhood when her father worked with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein; her years as a young mother (three kids before the age of 26) scrambling to get work as a composer and writer herself, and her various careers as a renowned children's book (Freaky Friday) author, philanthropist and chairman of the Juilliard school.

Ms. Rodgers circle is a wide one and she doesn't just drop names -- she offers rich and vivid stories about Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Hal Prince, etc. (And the etc. is a long list!).

Reading this book is like...[read on]

About Last Circle of Love, from the publisher:

A funny, heartwarming story about a feisty group of women who shake, spice, and heat things up with a “recipe” book for romance, from the bestselling author of Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons.

Newly installed at All Souls Lutheran, Mallory “Pastor Pete” Peterson soon realizes that her church isn’t merely going through turbulent waters, but is a sinking ship. With the help of five loyal members of the Naomi Circle, the young, bold minister brainstorms fundraising ideas. They all agree that the usual recipe book won’t add much to the parish coffers, but maybe one with all the ingredients on how to heat up relationships rather than casseroles will…

Pastor Pete has her doubts about the project, but it turns out the group of postmenopausal women has a lot to say on the subject of romance. While Charlene, the youngest member at fifty-two, struggles with the assignment, baker-extraordinaire Marlys, elegantly bohemian Bunny, I’m-always-right Velda, and ebullient Edie take up their contributions enthusiastically. After all, their book is really about cooking up love in all its forms.

But not everyone in the congregation is on board with this “scandalous” project. As the voices of opposition grow louder, Pastor Pete and these intrepid women will have to decide how hard they’re willing to fight for this book and the powerful stories within―stories of discovery, softened hearts, and changed lives.

Visit Lorna Landvik's website.

My Book, The Movie: Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes).

The Page 69 Test: Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes).

The Page 69 Test: Last Circle of Love.

Writers Read: Lorna Landvik.

--Marshal Zeringue