Fixing glacial golf

The pace of golf can range from sluggish to slow-and-steady, but it doesn’t have to be that way, insists Sam Dunn in his book The Art of Fast Play: Solving Golf’s Maddening Problem of Slow Play (Vineyard Stories). “Keeping the pace is essential for one reason only,” writes Sam, a recreational golfer for forty years and an architect and builder who divides his time between the Vineyard and Washington, DC. “A golf course is like a one-lane bridge. It really isn’t possible to pass.” His book lays out some clear concepts with practical tips and illustrations to guide motivated readers toward the elusive four-hour game. (Yes, non-golfers – four hours is considered fast.)

Naked she rides

Island author Nicole Galland takes another romp through history in her new novel, Godiva (William Morrow). Revisiting the classic tale of Lady Godiva, who protested unfair taxation by riding on horseback au naturel through the English countryside,
Nicole brings her fans an adventure filled with courtly intrigue, back-stabbing, and, of course, romance. Perfect ingredients for a captivating summer beach read – especially at Lucy Vincent or Gay Head.

Alphabetic animals

Tara Reynolds, an Island-born illustrator and writer, guides young readers on a lively alliterative meander in Alphabet Zooup, her first children’s book (Vineyard Stories). Tara’s whimsical painted-paper collages depict Nick the Newt dreaming of nachos while he naps, and the watermelon wallpaper of Wilbur the Walrus, among other fanciful scenes – just the ticket for a rainy afternoon or an I’m-not-tired-yet bedtime diversion.