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"The View from Lake Como" by Adriana Trigiani voted Club Calvi's next Readers' Choice
"The View from Lake Como" by Adriana Trigiani voted Club Calvi's next Readers' Choice

CBS News

timea day ago

  • Entertainment
  • CBS News

"The View from Lake Como" by Adriana Trigiani voted Club Calvi's next Readers' Choice

Please consider joining our Facebook group by CLICKING HERE. Find out more about the books below. Club Calvi's new book will take your imagination to Lake Como -- New Jersey and Italy! We asked you to vote for one of our Top 3 FicPicks, and "The View from Lake Como" by Adriana Trigiani came out on top as the Readers' Choice. In a video message, Trigiani said she was proud to be a finalist for the club. "The View From Lake Como" became an instant New York Times bestseller a few days after its release in early July. The book is about a woman who is a dutiful daughter, newly divorced and living with her parents in Lake Como, New Jersey. When her family has an unexpected loss, she moves to Italy, where she carves out a new life, and possible love, for herself. You can read along with Club Calvi through August. You can also read a free excerpt, and get the book, below. The CBS New York Book Club focuses on books connected to the Tri-State Area in their plots and/or authors. The books may contain adult themes. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ From the publisher: Jess Capodimonte Baratta is not living the life of her dreams. Not even close. In blue-collar Lake Como, New Jersey, family comes first. Recently divorced from Bobby Bilancia, "the perfect husband," Jess moves into her parents' basement to hide and heal. Jess is the overlooked daughter, who dutifully takes care of her parents, cooks Sunday dinner, and puts herself last. Despite her role as the family handmaiden, Jess is also a talented draftswoman in the marble business run by her dapper uncle Louie, who believes she can do anything (once she invests in a better wardrobe). When the Capodimonte and Baratta families endure an unexpected loss, the shock unearths long-buried secrets that will force Jess to question her loyalty to those she trusted. Fueled by her lost dreams, Jess takes fate into her own hands and escapes to her ancestral home, Carrara, Italy. From the shadows of the majestic marble-capped mountains of Tuscany, to the glittering streets of Milan, and on the shores of enchanting Lake Como (the other one), Jess begins to carve a place in this new/old world. When she meets Angelo Strazza, a passionate artist who works in gold, she discovers her own skills are priceless. But as Jess uncovers the truth about her family history, it will change the course of her life and those she loves the most forever. In love and work, in art and soul, Jess will need every tool she has mastered to reinvent her life. Adriana Trigiani lives in Manhattan. "The View From Lake Como" by Adriana Trigiani (ThriftBooks) $22 Chapter 2 The Family Business The red taillights on Uncle Louie's chartreuse Impala blink as he backs the car out of his garage on his way to pick me up for work. He and Aunt Lil live in the last house on the corner lot before the intersection of Surf Avenue, which leads to the beach. Their Cape Cod, the most landscaped home in all of New Jersey, stands out among the mix of white split‑level and soft blue saltbox houses that hug the curve of the shore of Lake Como like a rope of shimmering opals. Through the years, Aunt Lil and Uncle Louie have installed every manner of ornamentation and architectural interest on their half‑acre lot. There's a koi pond, a three‑tier marble fountain, and a walkway of gold‑streaked pavers that swirls up to the front door like a yellow brick road. The backyard has a replica of the Parthenon built out of Carrara marble where they host the Knights of Colum‑ bus Weenie Roast every July Fourth. "My home is an advertisement for my business," Uncle Louie says. "Italian craftsmanship and American elegance?" he asks, before he answers, "I'm your man." If he's your man, then I'm your wingman. Uncle Louie is my boss at Capodimonte Marble and Stone, our family business since 1924. My uncle pulls up to the curb. I inhale the chill of the morning air. It tickles my nose and fills my lungs, which causes me to sneeze with my whole body. I fish through my purse for a tissue. "Jess. Are you serious?" Uncle Louie says through his open win‑ dow as I wipe my nose. I climb inside and snap the seat belt. He rolls his fist. "Leave your window down so any germs blow out." "I'm not sick. It's the temperature." "Now you're a scientist? If you don't catch a cold, it won't catch you. Words of wisdom from my mother." "Your hypochondria flares up whenever the seasons change." "You noticed, huh?" Uncle Louie's mouth curves into a smile. I see everything, but there's no point in bragging about it. A worldview doesn't do you much good when you live in a small town, unless your passport is current. When it comes to Lake Como, New Jersey, the Capodimonte and Baratta families own North Boule‑ vard. My Cap grandparents lived two houses down while the Baratta grandparents lived three houses down in the other direc‑ tion. They're all gone now; the Baratta homestead went to our cousin Carmine in 2019, while the Cap house has not been touched since Grandma died in 2022. We call it the Lake Como Museum because it remains intact; not a single teaspoon has left the premises since her death. Around the loop of the lake, the rest of the houses are filled with relatives. Whenever we had a block party, we closed down the street and became a version of the Villa Capri in Paterson on their All You Can Eat Family Night. We were an Italian American a‑go‑go mi‑ nus the floor show, free hors d'oeuvres, and two‑drink minimum. Beyond our social lives, our family shares the street, a canoe, and our devotion to the Blessed Mother. A statue of Mary can be found in every yard on the lake. It may appear the patriarchy is thriving, but Italian Americans know it's the mother who has the power. Philomena Capodimonte Baratta, my own mamma mia Madonne, is proof of that. "What's with the jacket?" Uncle Louie gives my outfit a once‑ over. "Connie gave it to me." "You're still in your sister's hand‑me‑downs?" "Does it look bad?" I smooth the navy linen with my hands. I am not up to Uncle Louie's sartorial code. Never have been. Louie Cap is the last of a group of Italian American men who came up on the Beatles but never forgot Louis Prima. He's a sharp dresser, Rat Pack debonair. He wears size 8 suede loafers like Frank Sinatra and three‑piece suits like Jerry Vale, altered for a streamlined fit on his trim frame. He is never without a fitted vest under his suit jacket because he likes the feeling of being cinched in. "Clothes make the woman," Uncle Louie reminds me. "What the hell happened over here? You're Depression Central." "I'm working on it. I signed up for Thera‑Me. It's an online ther‑ apy program. I got so many Instagram ads for it I must be in their target market." "Whatever that means," Louie groans. "My goal is to make it into the arms of my Savior without having to install another app." "I was assigned to Dr. Sharon over Zoom." "Is she a real doctor?" Uncle Louie asks. "Board‑certified. She had me draw a self‑portrait. And she asked me to journal. Wants me to write down my memories, the happy ones and the painful times. She said past experience is the founda‑ tion of future mental health." I show Uncle Louie my self‑portrait. Uncle Louie glances over as he drives. "That don't look like you." "What do you mean?" "I'd take another run at it." Uncle Louie makes a face. "Too late. I already turned it in." "Is this therapy operation expensive?" "Around the cost of a gym membership." "Hmm. What a racket. Why do you need a therapist when you have me? I'm like a priest. At my age, there isn't anything you could tell me that would even slightly shock me." "There are things I can't talk to even you about." "Even though I have a very sensitive female side?" "Not funny, Uncle Louie." Uncle Louie's phone rings. He taps speaker. "Yo, Googs." "I got a couple sleeves of black granite. You got a need?" Googs sounds far away, like he's calling from the moon. "Putting a floor in over in Basking Ridge. How much you got?" "Ten by six. Looks like I have six sheets total. Foyer? Small?" Uncle Louie looks at me. I confirm that we could use the stock. "For a price," Uncle Louie says into the phone. "Don't soak me, Googs. I'm not in the mood." "Text the address and I'll deliver." Rolando "Googs" Gugliotti hangs up. He is one of Uncle Louie's oldest work colleagues. He would be the Joey Bishop in Uncle Louie's Rat Pack. He shows up, does his business, and disappears like a vapor until you need him again, or he needs you. I look down at my phone. "How does he know exactly when to call? It's creepy." "Not in the least. He's an intuitive salesman. Make a note." I scroll to the notes app on my phone and await instructions. Excerpted from The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani. Copyright © 2025 by Adriana Trigiani. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Return to top of page

Fiona Phillips makes very rare appearance amid Alzheimer's battle after husband opened up on devastating condition
Fiona Phillips makes very rare appearance amid Alzheimer's battle after husband opened up on devastating condition

The Sun

time4 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • The Sun

Fiona Phillips makes very rare appearance amid Alzheimer's battle after husband opened up on devastating condition

FIONA Phillips has made a rare public appearance after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The popular TV star, 64, appeared in a brief Instagram video shared by her husband Martin Frizell, 66, to thank fans for reading their new book, Remember When. 4 4 Looking in good spirits as she ate an ice cream in a London park, Fiona said: "Hello, thank you for reading my book. It's really good of you. Hope you like it. OK. Bye." Davina McCall commented: "Oh Fiona!!! So great to see your face ! We've missed you !e and Michael and sending you huge love !!!" Anna Williamson said: "Sending Fiona so much love. She really looked out for me in my GMTV days, my telly mum and I will never forget how she comforted me when I was going through a tough time in my relationship." Trisha Goddard wrote: "Sending you lots of love, Fiona. You were so kind to me when you came up to my house in Norfolk to do my first interview after I was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2008. More than just a colleague… A truly kind, talented and beautiful person!" Fiona was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer' s in 2022 and her condition has deteriorated since. In her new book, Martin heartbreakingly reveals how she failed to recognise her eldest son Nat, 24. He told how Fiona became distressed when she asked 'who the man was in the kitchen'. In an extract published in The Mirror, Martin wrote: "One weekend, Nat was home from the Army and making tea in the kitchen while Fiona and I sat watching television." He added: "She became terribly distressed. 'Who's that man in the kitchen?' she asked me. 'That's Nat', I said gently. 'Our son. He's home for the weekend'." Martin went on: "She was in such a state that she didn't even seem upset that she had asked the question." Fiona Phillips' husband Martin Frizell gives devastating update on her Alzheimer's battle as he appears on This Morning He then said that Nat would have been "devastated" to hear his mother was unable to recognise him. Last week, former This Morning editor Martin returned to the show to discuss the book, but Fiona wasn't well enough to join him. He told hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary: "She's got bad depression because she wants to work, she's not well enough today to come and talk to you." Angry over the lack of coverage given to the condition, which is the biggest killer in the UK, Martin's initial plan to write a few paragraphs soon became 24,000 words. He said: " It started off when we knew it was Alzheimer's. It was to give her a purpose, to give her something to do. This is a bubbly smart, fearless woman, very modern woman and all of a sudden it stops. "I just get very angry no one talks about it. We become invisible with Alzheimer's, no one wants to talk about it." Opening up about Fiona's current condition, Martin said: "She's got anxiety, she's got a secondary problem that causes her to be in a lot of pain, which adds to the confusion." Tragically, he told how Fiona thought he had kidnapped her just weeks ago as they posed for a photograph outside he family home. Martin said she suffers from delusions, though does still recognise him, even if she isn't aware of their marital status. n a candid moment of self-reflection, Martin admitted he wasn't Mother Teresa and was prone to getting frustrated, which sometimes leads to arguments. He accepted some of his work is provocative as he said: "I wish she got cancer, at least there would have been some hope. It's not a sexy disease, the pictures aren't great, on your deathbed you look bloody awful." Fiona, whose late mum and dad both had Alzheimer's, left GMTV in December 2008 to spend more time with her family. She took on small jobs such as a stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 and presenting a Channel 4 documentary titled Mum, Dad, Alzheimer's And Me in 2009. But Fiona admitted she never felt 'completely right' and became 'disconnected' from her family. She was also starting to struggle with mood swings, erratic behaviour and an inability to complete everyday tasks, such as going to the bank. Things came to a head with Martin in 2021 and he moved out of the family home, accusing her of 'zoning out' of their marriage. After three weeks apart, the couple met at a hotel and agreed they wanted to stay together — but that things had to change. Fiona had initially suspected the exhaustion, anxiety and brain fog she had been battling was a side-effect of Long Covid. She contracted the virus in 2020. But by then, Fiona was wondering if her symptoms were down to menopause. Martin urged her to talk to telly doctor Dr Louise Newson, who specialised in the menopause and recommended a course of hormone replacement therapy. But after several months of seeing little change, Dr Newson recommended she be properly assessed. In 2022, a consultant broke the heartbreaking news to the couple that Fiona, then 61, had early onset Alzheimer's. 4 4 Other major Alzheimer's breakthroughs While experts have warned that dementia diagnoses in England have reached record numbers, there have been a number of recent advances against brain robbing diseases. From "game-changing" drugs gaining approval to blood tests that can spot the condition years before symptoms, here are other major Alzheimer's breakthroughs. A "game-changing" Alzheimer's drug called donanemab, that slows mental decline by up to 60 per cent has been approved in the United States. A UK decision on whether the drug will become available to patients in the UK with early symptoms is expected imminently. A blood test that detects Alzheimer's up to 15 years before symptoms emerge is set to be made free on the NHS within a year. The new test is cheaper, easier and at least as accurate as the current diagnosis options and works by measuring levels of a protein in the blood called p-tau217. Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind test that could predict dementia up to nine years before a diagnosis, with 80 per cent accuracy. It involves analysing network of connections in the brain when it's in "idle mode" to look for very early signs of the condition. Scientists have also put AI to the test, developing machine learning models were able to spot early warning signs of the memory-robbing condition up to seven years before Alzheimer's symptoms appear. A woman who has evaded Alzheimer's disease despite half her relatives getting it could hold the clues to how to prevent it, with scientists pinpointing a particular gene which they think could help prevent Alzheimer's from progressing.

A Brisk History of How Greed Became Good
A Brisk History of How Greed Became Good

Bloomberg

time5 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Bloomberg

A Brisk History of How Greed Became Good

Paul Vigna's The Almightier: How Money Became God, Greed Became Virtue, and Debt Became Sin (St. Martin's, July 22) bats .333 on its subtitle, which is all-star level in baseball and good enough for this book. In tracing how greed became virtue, or at least not obviously sin, Vigna implores his readers to look freshly at the world and to move through it in a mode other than blind acquisition. 'The idea that greed is a bad, dark impulse indulged in only by bad, dark people is deeply embedded in our most revered moral tales and religious texts,' Vigna writes. 'And yet greed endures.'

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