Smile
Tonia Tecce
(Self-release)
On Smile, Gladwyne’s Tonia Tecce lends her emotive, lilting soprano to classics like “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” Tecce has commanded the stage everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the Kimmel Center. Yet, when paired with these well-known tunes, she’s never sounded so intimate and effortless. Easy listening with heart and soul.
The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book
By Carolyn Wyman
(Running Press, 175 pages)
Local junk-food aficionado Carolyn Wyman took on the enviable task of researching what she considers our “greatest gift to American society”: the cheesesteak. In doing so, she avoids the typical—and controversial—ranking of the establishments in favor of a more informative and colorful take. Among the local spots that made the list: Pepper Mill in East Goshen, Larry’s Steaks & Hoagies and Mama’s Pizzeria in Bala Cynwyd, Dakota Pizza Company in Wynnewood, Chubby’s and D’Alessandro’s in Roxborough, and Lou’s Sandwich Shop in Norristown.
The French Mistress
By Susan Holloway Scott
(NAL Trade, 400 pages)
The latest from Paoli’s Susan Holloway Scott proves that truth really is stranger (and more fun) than fiction. Told in the first person, The French Mistress unravels the story of Louise Rene de Penancoet de Keroualle, the mistress of Charles II. With 40-plus historical romances to Scott’s credit under the pseudonym Miranda Jarrett, this is the first written under her actual name.
