Garlands member and long-time professional book reviewer and discussion leader, Lanny Ori, grew up in White Plains, New York, in, as she fondly recalls, “a house full of books where dinnertime discussions were a regular family activity.”
After graduating from college with a degree in Art History, Lanny worked at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and later for Time Inc. in New York City, with an eye on eventually living, working, and traveling in Europe.
Happily, she was chosen for a position with the U.S. Army Special Services in Germany where she created after-hours programs for the enlisted men. On an Army base in Mannheim, Lanny met her husband, Pete, and, within the year, the couple moved to Tirrenia, Italy, not too far from Florence and its treasures.
A few years later, back in the USA and living in Glenview, Illinois, Lanny was invited to initiate a Junior Great Books Discussion program in the Glenview Public Schools. Leading book discussions and sharing ideas soon became a passion for Lanny as did hosting book reviews for various adult groups.
After moving to Barrington, Lanny continued her involvement in the schools and at The Barrington Area Library, where she led book discussions for more than forty-two years.
Now living at The Garlands of Barrington, Lanny is delighted to share her enthusiasm for literature by presenting book reviews on diverse subjects. Most recently she shared the book Endurance, a classic by Alfred Lansing about Ernest Shackelton’s legendary expedition to the Antarctic, which she calls “one of the most thrilling adventure stories of all time.”
Earlier reviews included Ada Louise Huxtable’s highly praised biography of Frank Lloyd Wright, and Bill Bryson’s At Home, a “history of the world” based on different rooms in the house.
