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- Saturday Dad Reads Week of September 13
Saturday Dad Reads Week of September 13
An escape of a series, A Celebrity Hotspot and my current book stack
Welcome to this week’s edition! Here’s what we’ve got lined up:
📕 This week’s Book Summary and Review: Son of Stone
🧑🦰 Author Bio: Stuart Woods
💣️ Dad’s Knowledge Bomb: Elaine’s: Stone Barrington’s Favorite Haunt
📣 This week’s Dad Rant: Current Read
Summary: Son of Stone
In Son of Stone by Stuart Woods, Stone Barrington, ex-detective, lawyer extraordinaire, and connoisseur of the finer things in life finds himself thrown into unexpected fatherhood. Long questioning whether the “son” of Stone’s frequent sexual dalliance, Arrington Calder and the late movie star, Vance Calder, might actually be his biological son, Stone learns that he is indeed the father of Peter Calder. Stone quickly embraces his new role, helping Peter change his last name, backdate his birth certificate, and navigate elite social and academic circles, including a path toward Yale’s drama school where he can continue to develop as a film directing prodigy. In the midst of learning to be a father to a teenager, Stone rekindles his relationship with Arrington, eventually proposing marriage. Their reunion is complicated by Arrington’s past, including suspicions surrounding her late husband’s death and a jealous former acquaintance in Virginia who just happens to be responsible for the architectural renovations of Arrington’s country estate.
📕 Review
I’ve read 21 of these books. That’s more than any series I’ve read to date with the exception of the Goosebumps series way back in elementary school. There’s something about this series that keeps me coming back, book after book and I’ve finally been able to put my finger on it.
The Stone Barrington series is like Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut knows that you can absolutely get better pizza out there. However, they know that sometimes that stuffed crust with pepperoni is just what you need. Same with this series. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and doesn’t try to be something it isn’t. It’s escapism at its finest. It’s rich people doing rich people things and getting richer. You know Stone and Dino are going to eat at Elaine’s (see the knowledge bomb) at least once and Stone is probably going to spend an evening with at least one beautiful woman. These books are great for breaking out of a slump and nearly every time I start one, I think, “There’s no way this is going to be good” and then end up finishing it thinking, “That was actually pretty enjoyable.”
Son of Stone was no different. Stone finds out he has a son who is a film-making savant and whom the media is bent on turning into a Page 6 spectacle. Arrington and Stone, for the sake of their son, decide to finally tie the knot.
But wait, that won’t be good for business. No one picks up these books to read a story about a monogamous Stone. They stick with it, in some cases, to see who his next fling is going to be a la the different “Bond Girls” in the James Bond films. Stone being tied down by the proverbial ball and chain? May as well end the series here. So much for the unfettered bachelor lifestyle that we’ve come to know and love since New York Dead, the first book in the series.
Thankfully, Stuart Woods recognized the importance of Stone staying single and (spoiler alert) decided to kill off Arrington at the end of this book at the hands of a jilted former lover who just happened to be her personal architect. As a reader of the series, I did not have mixed feelings about Woods killing off her character. In fact, I was in favor of it. For as good looking and alluring as she was supposed to be, she was even more boring when she popped up throughout the series and acted as the proverbial “wet blanket.” She took an inordinate amount of naps whenever she appeared and her name change once married to Stone was going to be a disaster (even though Woods figured out a way around it). Woods had to kill the character to save the series.
Overall, this was a decent escape that I read over the course of a single weekend: ☕️☕️☕️
Stuart Woods (1938–2022) was a prolific American novelist best known for the Stone Barrington series. Born in Manchester, Georgia, Woods graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in sociology before embarking on a career in advertising. His early professional life took him from New York to London and eventually to Ireland, where he began writing his first novel while living in a converted barn near Lough Cutra Castle. Woods was also an avid sailor, and his passion for sailing inspired his first published work, Blue Water, Green Skipper, a nonfiction account of his solo transatlantic race. His breakthrough came in 1981 with Chiefs, a crime novel inspired by his grandfather, which won the Edgar Award and was later adapted into a television miniseries
Over the course of his career, Woods authored more than ninety novels, many of which became New York Times bestsellers. In addition to the Stone Barrington series, Woods also wrote several other series, including those featuring Holly Barker, Will Lee, and Teddy Fay. Beyond writing, he was a licensed pilot and continued sailing throughout his life. Known for his disciplined writing schedule and love of travel, Woods maintained homes in multiple states and enjoyed a lifestyle that mirrored the sophistication of his characters. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 84.
💣️Knowledge Bomb:
Elaines: Stone Barrington’s Favorite Haunt
Elaine’s was a legendary bar and restaurant located on New York City's Upper East Side at 1703 Second Avenue. Founded in 1963 by Elaine Kaufman, it quickly became a cultural institution, known not for its food but for its vibrant atmosphere and celebrity clientele. Kaufman, a tough and charismatic figure, ran the restaurant until her death in 2010, after which it closed in 2011. Elaine’s was a magnet for writers, actors, artists, and politicians and regulars included Woody Allen, Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, and Mia Farrow. It was famously referenced in Billy Joel’s song “Big Shot” and featured in several Woody Allen films, including Manhattan21.
The restaurant was more than a dining spot. It was a social hub where New York’s cultural elite gathered nightly. Elaine Kaufman was known for her blunt hospitality, often rearranging seating to favor her preferred guests and famously refusing to serve hamburgers. Woody Allen once said he ate there every night for ten years, describing it as one of his fondest memories. Elaine’s hosted Oscar night parties, late-night poker games, and countless literary and artistic conversations. After Kaufman’s passing, longtime manager Diane Becker closed the restaurant, stating, “There is no Elaine’s without Elaine.” The space has since changed hands, but the legacy of Elaine’s remains a cherished chapter in New York City’s cultural history.
📣 Dad Rant: Current Read
There are few, if any, authors whose entire catalog I’ve read AND owned. However, if there is one author at present whose books I want to have on my shelf, they are the books of Eli Cranor.
This dude can write. His stories are powerful and have plot twists that hit like sledgehammers. You will fall in love with some of his characters and loathe others. When reading Cranor’s novels, as much as I wanted to find out how they ended, I found myself letting the book sit unopened for a stretch of days because I wasn’t ready to leave the setting and characters behind. If you love beautiful storytelling, you cannot go wrong with Cranor. I’m currently reading his third novel, Broiler, and plan to pick up his newest novel, Mississippi Blue 42, within the next few weeks. If you want to pick up a copy of any of Cranor’s books, I put the Amazon links below. Enjoy! Trust me on this one.
Saturday Dad’s Rating System
I’m not a published author. Therefore, I’m never going to shit all over something that someone poured themselves into. That being said, each book will be rated on a scale of 3-5 coffees. Here’s what that means:
☕️ ☕️ ☕️ - You’re going to want to get comfortable and fill that cup up 3 times. This one’s solid!
☕️ ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ - You’re going to want to give yourself a few hours of alone time. Fill that bad boy up 4 times and buckle up.
☕️ ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ - Send the kids to grandma’s house and call off work. You’re not going to be able to put this one down. Make a whole pot and settle in for the long haul!