Read:
In her compelling and beautiful novel, The Life of Objects, Susanna Moore explores the powerful hold that art has over collectors. Seventeen-year-old Beatrice “Maeve” Palmer leaves her home in Ireland to work as a lacemaker for Felix and Dorothea Metzenburg in Berlin. It is 1938 and Germany is on the verge of war. Innocent Maeve is a reader of novels, not newspapers. Her new employers put Maeve to work packing porcelain, silver, paintings and lace for a move to their country estate. The war will take everything from Maeve and the Metzenburgs, except the refuge of love amid inhumanity.
—Maureen Millea Smith is a librarian at Edina Library and a Minnesota Book Award-winning novelist.
*Available for $15 at Barnes & Noble in the Galleria.
 
Drink:
For centuries, wine has been depicted through art. From ancient to contemporary times, wine drinkers have been shown drinking, worshipping and even sacrificing the beverage. Whether pink, white, red, bubbly or still, the beverage is universal. This month I’m featuring a delicious pink bubbly to celebrate the life of wine. The Astoria Lounge Rosé from the prosecco capital of Italy, Veneto, is a favorite late-summer sipper. Made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Prosecco, this slightly pink sparkling wine is a treat for all. Ripe with notes of sun-kissed strawberries and fresh summer mint, the palate finishes dry with a subtle note of honeydew and citrus—succulent to the last drop and a perfect pairing for these last summer days.
–Leslee Miller is a certified sommelier and owner of local wine consulting firm Amusée.
*Available at all Edina Liquor locations for around $15.
 
Listen:
In keeping with this month’s magazine themes, nutrition and the arts, I thought about Soulfood, the name of a label and its musicians, whose sounds are clearly food for the soul. Soulfood is an artist-owned, independent label that hails from the Twin Cities. They’ve made it their mission to create music influenced by the world’s indigenous cultures, with respect and connection to nature. The award-winning artists come from a variety of musical traditions, including classical, jazz, indigenous and pop. Many have charted on Billboard’s Top 15 (New Age chart). Their current feature, Yogi Chill, features music for meditation and yoga. Browse the site and you will find a menu of music to nourish your soul.
Patty Peterson, award-winning vocalist and Jazz 88-KBEM radio host shares her CD pick of the month. Visit her atpattypeterson.com.
* Available online at iTunes.