Tulsa Book Review April 2013

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INSIDE!

Book Review 4 7

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

F R E E

April 2013

NEW AND OF INTEREST

C H E C K

The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel

I T

Loving landscapes Page 2

My Beloved World A passion for life fed Page 6

O U T

Froggy’s Worst Playdate Not a good day Page 8

Black Lament

(A Black Wings Novel)

Defending Jacob

By William Landay Delacorte Press, $26, 421 pages Hear a more in-depth review of this book at Books Sandwiched In on April 15. See Page 2.

I grew up watching Perry Mason on TV, a lawyer who never lost a case. I’m also a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense fi lms. Perry and Hitch would certainly appreciate Defending Jacob by William Landay. The novel is a roller-coaster ride. And like all good roller coasters, it has highs and lows and unexpected twists and turns. The legal thriller appropriately begins in the courtroom. Andrew Barber, a highly regarded assistant DA, finds himself on the witness stand, testifying to save his teenaged son Jacob, who has been charged with

murder. The grizzly crime produces a media circus. Jacob is deemed guilty before the trial starts. Andrew is fiercely protective of his family: Jacob, a loner, a misfit, and Laurie, his fragile wife. Colorful characters populate the novel, including: Bloody Billy Barber, Andrew’s father, in prison for murder; Father O’Leary, who is NOT a man of the cloth; and Neal Logiudice, the preening assistant DA whom Andrew despises. The author, a former district attorney, See Defending Jacob, cont’d on page 5

Being the Devil’s daughter is deadly. Page 10

Energy Healing: The Essentials of Self-Care Energy to the nth degree. Page 14

48 Reviews INSIDE!

Book Reviews Category

Mystery SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Trouble With Charlie By Merry Jones Oceanview Publishing, $25.95, 288 pages Check this out! The Trouble With Charlie by Merry Jones is a classic murder mystery involving an unreliable narrator. Indeed, a better title would be The Trouble With Elle because she’s so messed up, she can’t remember whether she killed her husband. And then she may have killed another man in self-defense. The fact she could make a shiv out of a wire hanger to defend herself when attacked was just a lucky break. And this just proves to be the start of her problems. Fortunately, she’s got some really good friends and the top-class shrink diagnoses a dissociative disorder, so everything should be going her way. Except she has motive and opportunity to kill her husband. There’s also that fresh wound on her hand caused by the knife used to kill him. If only her memory would return, all these little misunderstandings could be cleared up immediately. After all, she’s just an ordinary housewife, teaching school, without a single homicidal bone in her body. Naturally, she tries talking things through with her dead husband, but even he doesn’t know who killed him. Until the end, of course, when the fog clears just enough, we can all see what happened. This is great fun! Reviewed by David Marshall The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel By Alexander McCall Smith Pantheon, $24.95, 259 pages Check this out! As this ninth book in the Dalhousie series opens, Isabel Dalhousie is feeling sunny and blessed. As always, she is Smith’s vehicle for musing on philosophy and art and she is more than equal to the task.

A neighbor asks Isabel to assist a country gentleman art collector, whose home has recently been robbed of one small, very valuable painting. His insurer is balking at investigating and the probable ransom demand. Holding paintings hostage has become a crime growth area. Isabel is perturbed by the ethics of the situation. Does paying a ransom for a piece of art encourage a proliferation of art theft? Are lawyers who negotiate for art thieves merely thieves themselves? Does it change the equation if you learn that the valuable painting in question is to be donated to the Scottish National Gallery? In the midst of this dilemma, Isabel discovers that Grace, her housekeeper, has begun teaching math to Isabel’s three year old, Charlie. Is Charlie old enough? Will he learn bad habits? Isabel asks Grace to desist. Grace quits her job. All is eventually well. The charm and ease of Isabel’s world is restored. This is a sweet book. Reviewed by Elizabeth Benford Target Lancer (Nathan Heller) By Max Allan Collins Forge Books, $25.99, 320 pages Check this out! November 22, 1963, is a date never to forget. But we know almost nothing of November 2, that same year, when the horrendous deed was first scheduled to happen. Maybe. Warning: Once you get started on this book, you’ll most likely not want to put it down—not for even a moment—until you reach the very last page. This is the very best sort of ‘true crime’ – a masterful blending of fact and fiction with the proper attention paid to each of those facets, resulting in a splendid tale you won’t soon forget. Mr. Collins has produced thirteen prior books about the Chicago detective Nathan Heller, plus a book of short stories, and one with three novellas. He’s also produced an amazing assortment of other highly-readable books, many of which are just such a combination of fact and fiction as this one. Many larger-than-life real persons walk through the pages of this story. Among them are Jimmy Hoffa, Jack Ruby, Sally Rand, Frank Sinatra, and Bobby Kennedy. If you’ve read –or heard– anything at all about

any of these folks, you won’t be disappointed in their appearance here. It all begins on October 25, 1963, in Chicago, when Nate is asked by a friend to accompany him as he delivers a strange small packet to an even stranger person. Ordinarily that task shouldn’t have required the services of a private eye, but the delivery was in a rather shabby area of town, to a rather shabby affi liate of Jimmy Hoffa. Nate hasn’t had a lot of luck being a bodyguard, but Tom Ellison is a friend of long-standing. Several days later, Tom is dead. Heller is personally insulted by this criminal act, and sets out to find out the why behind it all. Thus, he gets drawn into a very strange conspiracy, involving several Cubans, plus a few veterans of either the Korean or Viet Nam battles. It’s amazing how many slender, buzz-cut blondish guys there are out there who all seem to be the same size, same age, and with the same general paranoia about politics. Not to leave out all the various law enforcement agencies. You may think you know where this is going, but then, President Kennedy decides to visit Chicago for the annual Army/Navy football game at Soldier’s Field on Novem-

ber 2. His travelcade from the airport to the stadium will take him through several notso-pretty areas of Chicago, with one area in particular that would make a perfect place for an ambush. Will there be such an attempt? Not if Nate can stop it. He forms an unlikely alliance with the Secret Service in an all-out effort by several government entities to stop whatever might be in the works. ‘Lancer’ in this case is the code-name for the targeted President. The Secret Service has all the power, even over the FBI, which doesn’t sit well with certain personages. It might have happened just this way, but for whatever reason, at the very last minute, the trip was cancelled. But not before Nate had managed to de-fuse the very real guys with guns. By the time you’ve finished reading this tense thriller, you’ll swear it could have happened just as it’s written here. The ambiance of Chicago in the early 60s is so real, so lifelike – well, I guess you had to be there then to really appreciate it all. Either way, you won’t soon forget Target Lancer. Reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz

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April 1

April 8

April 15

“The Power of Habit”

“Johnson’s Life of London”

“Defending Jacob”

by Charles Duhigg Reviewed by Steve Turnbo, chairman emeritus of Schnake Turnbo Frank PR

Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 2

by Boris Johnson Reviewed by + %*ƫ !! $Čƫ associate professor and head, Digital Initiatives, OSU

5ƫ %((% )ƫ * 5 Reviewed by Daniel Boudreau, retired Oklahoma Supreme Court justice

Tulsa

Book Review

IN THIS ISSUE Mystery .........................................................2

Tulsa City-County Library 400 Civic Center Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 Ph. (918) 549-7323 EDITOR IN CHIEF Ross Rojek ross@1776productions.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Grayson Hjaltalin

Fiction ...........................................................4 Historical Fiction...........................................5 Romance ........................................................5 Biography & Memoir .....................................6

grayson.hjaltalin@1776productions.com COPY EDITORS Lori Freeze Robyn Oxborrow Holly Scudero Kim Winterheimer Cathy Lim Karen Stevens Audrey Curtis Annie Peters Amy Simko Jamais Jochim

History & Current Events ..............................7 Picture Books ................................................8 Teen Scene .....................................................9 Tween Reads ..................................................9

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Adrian Girth Alaa Shabouni Audrey Curtis Christopher Hayden James Rasmussen Jonathon Howard Marie Clementi Megan Rynott Samantha Herman Toni B. Willis

Fantasy .................................................. 10, 11

WEBSITE TulsaBookReview.com

Mind & Body Fitness .................................... 14

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The Tulsa Book Review is published monthly by 1776 Productions, LLC. The opinions expressed in these pages are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Tulsa Book Review or 1776 Productions advertisers. All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders. All words ©2012, LLC.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER The University of Central Connecticut recently announced its annual rankings for most literate cities. Tulsa again placed in the top 25. In the specific categories that make up the ranking, Tulsa bested 25 in only two categories: magazine and journal subscriptions, No. 15; and libraries, No. 10. These two categories vaulted Tulsa to the No. 22 spot and for this we at the Tulsa City-County Library are particularly proud. But we are most proud of our community for the continued support and usage the library system receives. With 25 locations serving more than 10,000 people per day, circulating nearly 6 million books per year, Tulsa County has an incredibly well used public library system. But the library is more than just books. The library offers almost 7,000 free programs annually, makes available at no charge nearly 700 public PCs and free Wi-Fi, as well as offers free online classes, a free language-learning smartphone app, free online homework help, free job coaching and a free résumé editing service, as well as our newest service: free downloadable DRM-free (digital rights management-free) music, including some of today’s most popular artists. Tulsa County residents should be proud of their very robust library system that is changing lives every day, as well as its status as one of America’s most literate cities. Keep reading and we’ll see you at the library soon!

Science Fiction .............................................11 Popular Culture ..................................... 12, 13

Gary Shaffer Tulsa City-County Library CEO

Cookbooks ...................................................15 Nature & Science..........................................15 Free Music Downloads .................................16 Always Available eBooks ..............................16

Coming Up! Tulsa City-County Library’s Summer Reading Program kicks off May 20 and continues through Aug. 3. “Dig Into Reading” is the theme for the children’s program; “Beneath the Surface” is the theme for the tween/teen program. Youths will earn great prizes and coupons for participating, plus hundreds of awesome free events are planned to complement the programs. Check the May issue of the Tulsa Book Review for more details.

Book Reviews Category

Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Three Sisters (Blackberry Island) By Susan Mallery Harlequin MIRA, $14.95, 352 pages Check this out! The three sisters of the title are three great Victorian-era houses in a small culde-sac of an island village off the coast of Washington State. They are each owned by a woman, unrelated to each other, except for the fact that they’re women. Boston is an artist, whose first child Liam died suddenly six months ago at the age of seven months. She inherited her house from her parents. Deanna’s family has owned her house since it was built more than one hundred years ago. She is married with five daughters, but her life is falling apart because she is more like her mother than she ever wanted to be. New to the forlorn, abandoned middle house is Andi, a 32-year-old never-married pediatrician, who is considered a failure by her over-achieving family. Andi has had only one boyfriend, and he left her at the altar, which precipitated her move to Blackberry Island. Outwardly, the houses are nearly identical, but their inner personalities are vastly different, as are the women. When they combine their strengths, they achieve small miracles, with each of them somehow finding exactly what they most needed. Sharing, giving, and taking: such is the nature of women. Three Sisters is a very enjoyable look at how women work little miracles nearly every day. Reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz Ignorance By Michèle Roberts Bloomsbury USA, $25.00, 240 pages Check this out! Jeanne and Marie-Angèle were friends of a sort once. As the only full-time boarders at the convent school, the two spent their weekends together, received their lessons from the priest together, and found ways to entertain themselves together. While

they wore the same uniforms and learned the same catechism, the girls remained divided by their lives outside the convent. Marie-Angèle’s pious family owned Ste. Madeleine’s grocery store; Jeanne’s widowed mother washed clothes and converted to Catholicism in hopes her Jewish ancestry would go unnoticed. When the girls finish school, their lives diverge, and they lose touch. The German occupation of France changes their lives for the worse and forces them to make difficult decisions. Ignorant of all the facts, the women suffer and cause each other suffering with their choices. The women of Ste. Madeleine narrate this tale of the occupation of a small village in France. Each woman is single-mindedly focused on the people she loves, so the narrative is fi ltered through a lens of duty and longing, sacrifice and constant emotional hunger. The characters attempt to sidestep difficult truths and skittishly skirt the painful memories that haunt their dreams. Ignorance is poetic and powerful and shockingly stark. Reviewed by Tammy McCartney

In this gothic tale, a strange trio is on the hunt for a sacred text out of ancient history that must be recovered, known as the Blood Gospel. The story begins with a devastating earthquake in Masada, Israel, killing many, but also revealing the hidden location of a sacred tomb. The trio is assembled: Sergeant Jordan Stone, a forensic expert working for the military; Father Rhun Korza, a strange priest sent by the Vatican; and Dr. Erin Granger, a brilliant archaeologist who had been working nearby at the time. Within the tomb they find the strange, crucified body of a young, mummified girl. Before they know it, the trio finds themselves under attack by some very strange characters, some of which don’t appear to be human, but they survive. This begins the chase to track down the secret location of the Blood Gospel. The enigmatic Father Korza reveals some important details about this sacred text and why it is important, and perhaps who some of these unusual characters they’ve been running into are. As they track down clues, using their individual skills as well as plenty of intuition, the search leads them deep into the heart of Europe, within an ancient German castle.

The Blood Gospel: The Order of the Sanguines Series By James Rollins, Rebecca Cantrell William Morrow, $27.99, 496 pages Check this out! Many readers are familiar with James Rollins, known for his best selling Sigma Force novels, as well as his standalone thrillers like Sandstorm and Amazonia. Not as many people may know the name James Clemens, which is in fact a pseudonym for Rollins. Under this name, he has published seven fantasy novels. The Blood Gospel, a new novel from Rollins collaborating with Rebecca Cantrell, author of thrillers like A Trace of Smoke and A City of Broken Glass, is the first in a new series known as The Order of the Sanguines, and marks Rollins’ return to the world of the supernatural and the fantastic.

Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 4

As the story continues to open and reveal its parts, like a beautiful, sacred tapestry, the authors do a great job of ratcheting up the suspense and action, making things tougher for their characters, as well as revealing more of the back story, which has a history reaching back thousands of years, to the time and origin of some strange beasts, which bear an uncanny resemblance to their current enemies. The Blood Gospel is an impressive collaboration between Rollins and Cantrell, revealing a complex and fascinating tale, as well as an intriguing world that sucks in the reader from the start. Each main character has his or her own point of view, adding a depth and intricacy that is not usually common in these types of thrillers. Unique answers that fit the story are presented to questions like: Why are Catholic priests sworn to celibacy? Why do they wear pectoral crosses? Why is wine consecrated and transformed into Christ’s blood during Mass? And what is the real story behind the raising of Lazarus? Whether you’ve tried Rollins or Cantrell before, The Blood Gospel will be the ride of your life. Reviewed by Alex Telander

Book Reviews

to let go of the memory of her late husband. The love story is heartfelt and effectively tied into the espionage plot. As in her earlier books, Willig’s well-rounded characters will charm the reader. Reviewed by Laura Tarwater Scharp

Category

Historical Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Midwife’s Tale By Sam Thomas Minotaur Books, $24.99, 320 pages Check this out! Life was complicated for seventeenth century midwives. In addition to assisting at childbirths, they were charged with forcing young unmarried women to reveal the names of their rapists, after which the women would be publicly flogged. A midwife was also required to conduct a full-body examination in the jail when a woman arrestee “pled the belly,” thus postponing punishment. Lady Bridget Hodgson, a sought-after midwife, is substantially smarter and more ethical than the males of her acquaintance.

In the midst of a siege in the City of York, she stubbornly seeks justice for a friend accused of murdering her husband. Lady Hodgson is assisted in her avocation and her search by Martha, a housemaid with a murky past. The plot is full of mysteries. Why is the Lord Mayor so determined to convict and burn an innocent woman? Why are the powerful men in the community so resistant to logic? Why do so many resourceful women tolerate the abuse of their brutish husbands? Why does Lady Bridget have no suitors? And, most important, what can God be playing at? This is an entertaining, fast-paced story, hopefully the first in a series. Lady Bridget has enough skills, interests and a remarkable range of friends and acquaintances to entertain us through any number of prequels and sequels. Reviewed by Elizabeth Benford

Easy By Tammara Webber Berkley Trade, $15.00, 336 pages Check this out! This is a cliche-buster of a romance. Easy is no Grease or even Twilight. It exists in the real world, where rumors of a girl’s sexual availability can affect her reputation and the way she is treated. When Jackie, a college student, is sexually assaulted by an acquaintance at a party after breaking up with her boyfriend, she’s rescued by loner Lucas. But Lucas is no uncomplicated alpha male himself. Indeed, Webber spends the rest of the novel teasing out the halting growth of the complex and ambiguous relationship between Jackie and Lucas, who has his own issues from the past. Easy takes sexual assault and rape seriously and deconstructs the romantic fantasy of women being saved by men with a history of violence. At the same time, Webber manages to create two memorable and realistic characters for whom readers will root. Despite the serious topics it touches

Category

Romance SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Garden Intrigue: A Pink Carnation Novel By Lauren Willig NAL, $15.00, 448 pages Check this out! The ninth in the Pink Carnation series of historical novels, The Garden Intrigue contains a heaping serving of Napoleonic-era intrigue, gentlemanly (and ladylike) spies, and sweet romance. This episode’s main characters are Emma, an American who stayed in France after her French

husband’s death, and Augustus, an English spy who hides his activities under the guise of a foppish poet. Emma’s friendship with Hortense, Napoleon Bonaparte’s stepdaughter, complicates loyalties as Napoleon declares himself Emperor and considers invading England. Augustus and Emma are forced to spend time together as Emma writes a play to be performed at Napoleon’s court and Augustus is drafted by Emma’s friend, Jane, to help her write the verses. Augustus becomes confl icted when the simple assignment to use Emma to find out what Napoleon’s engineers are planning turns complicated as he begins to genuinely care for her. Emma, in her turn, struggles Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 5

on, Easy is also an endearing and enjoyable read with well-drawn protagonists and secondary characters. Easy has made a big splash in the publishing world, having originally been independently published by the author and recently republished by Penguin/Berkeley. It deserves all the accolades it has received. Reviewed by Laura Tarwater Scharp

Defending Jacob, cont’d from cover incorporates his judicial expertise to good effect. Verbatim courtroom testimony is peppered throughout the book, providing authenticity and tension. While outside the courtroom, Andrew desperately tries to solve the mystery that is Jacob. Landay’s no-nonsense style, his ingenious premise and wholly unexpected plot twists make for a fine ride! Unlike those Perry Mason episodes, I could have never predicted the ending of this book. Reviewed by Wayne Hardy

Book Reviews

Although Gray includes a short biography of Poincare, his focus is on Poincare’s scientific work. Sections include Poincare’s work in fluid dynamics, electricity, function theory, topology, and thermodynamics. As Gray points out, Poincare’s contributions to physics have been given short shrift, since most of his work was published just before Einstein’s theory of general relativity was developed and revolutionized the field. At the time, however, it was an important step in the development of modern physics. Henri Poincare: A Scientific Biography is an comprehensive assessment of Poincare’s work and its importance, essential for anyone interested in Poincare’s scholarship or the history of mathematics. Reviewed by Laura Tarwater Scharp

Category

Biography & Memoir SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

My Beloved World By Sonia Sotomayor Knopf, $27.95, 336 pages Check this out! Justice Sonia Sotomayor is the third of only four women who have been appointed to the United States Supreme Court. From childhood, Sotomayor harbored a secret wish, though “farfetched,” to become a judge, and even then considered becoming a Supreme Court Justice: “the remotest of fantasies.” A kernel of inspiration, hope, and steadfastness of a dream throughout her childhood and early adulthood became reality in August 2009. The drive to make this aspiration a reality is not the subject of her recent memoir; rather, My Beloved World is a journey of self-discovery, an individual’s search for identity and belonging, and a coming-of-age story reflective of the melting pot that is our nation. Sotomayor’s memoir is not a lesson in her political beliefs or a looking glass into her judicial leanings. What the reader will find is a prism of her sense of self in and of this world, her sense of place and belonging as one who can make a difference for good and the betterment of not just society, but community. She speaks candidly of her struggle learning her own way in the world coming from an impoverished home in a family marred by alcohol addiction that nonetheless was one of love and synergy with each other. The clash with other cultures just a neighborhood or few blocks down the road plays out against the foreign land of Ivy League education balanced with her family homeland and heritage of Puerto Rico. Long before she was Justice Sotomayor, she was seven-year-old Sonia, confronted with her own mortality and the daily requirement for an insulin shot if she wanted to live, a shot her family was ill-prepared to give her. She determined to give herself the shot and did so. This begins the story of the crucible that formed the future justice. As with most memoirs, her childhood, upbringing, school

and work experiences, and key family and friends are introduced and woven into a tapestry of what brought her to the book’s conclusion, when she is sworn in to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. What was most interesting was the inclusion of her inner thoughts and beliefs about the impact different experiences created internally for her, thus guiding her trajectory forward and internalizing a moral code. Her insecurity, self-doubt, and questioning all along the path, especially during her education and at the start of each major career stage, are revealing and instructive, given the constant stream of derogatory messages girls and women receive in today’s media. Sotomayor overcame, so you can too, is a perhaps unintended, subtle theme. What is revealed is a lesson in determination and sheer mental discipline from a very early age that the future justice would accomplish what she chose or what was set in front of her, regardless of whether she knew what to do. In the words of another great American woman: “Failure was not an option.” From poverty to the highest court in the land, hers was a dream dreamed, a passion for life fed. Reviewed by Vicki Hudson

Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter: A Memoir By Melissa Francis Weinstein Books, $26.00, 304 pages Check this out! Not all child stars end up train wrecks like Lindsay Lohan. Melissa Francis, who spent two years on “Little House on the Prairie,” went to Harvard and became a news anchor. In spite

Henri Poincare: A Scientific Biography By Jeremy Gray Princeton University Press, $35.00, 616 pages Check this out! French mathematician Henri Poincare (1854-1912) returned to the news recently when his “Poincare conjecture” in topology, originally posited in 1904 and one of the Millennium Problems in mathematics, was solved by Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman in 2003. Poincare was more than just a theoretical mathematician; he made significant contributions to physics, astronomy, and the philosophy of science. Gray’s comprehensive biography details the branches of Poincare’s scholarly work, as well as its receipt and legacy. Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 6

of her dysfunctional childhood, Francis became a survivor. Melissa and her sister Tiffany grew up in a comfortable middle-class home in Southern California. Under the comfortable facade, the girls were ruled by their erratic, driven, perfectionist mother, who was possibly bipolar. As Francis herself says, her mother was “the Hollywood version of a tiger mom.” Both Melissa and Tiffany were attractive children, so their mother pushed them into commercials, which in Melissa’s case turned into acting on television. Tiger Mom was relentlessly critical of everything they did and demanded perfection. But each girl reacted differently. Tiffany’s self-confidence eroded, while Melissa was compelled to be a winner. Among many wrongs committed, Mom was too lazy to clean the house or shop, so there was frequently nothing to eat. When Mom had one of her many outbursts, the girls had to pay the price. Although there was some physical abuse, psychological abuse was the norm. This book is eminently readable, fascinating, and hard to put down. Its main character is someone to be admired and emulated. Lindsay, take notes! Reviewed by Leslie Wolfson

Book Reviews Category

History & Current Events SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Round About the Earth: Circumnavigation From Magellan to Orbit By Joyce E. Chaplin Simon & Schuster, $35.00, 560 pages Check this out! There have been many books written about the notorious explorers from history, like Columbus, Magellan, Cook, and even Darwin. There are also now a fair number of people who can make the claim that they have circumnavigated this globe. Joyce E. Chaplin presents readers with the first full history on those who have traveled around the world and told their story. Divided into sections, Chaplin presents the series of historical tales starting with Magellan, giving the ups and downs of the journey. She points out that it wasn’t until the twentieth century that these round-theworld trips actually returned to their starting point with most of the crew still alive. All the greats make it into this book, such as Francis Drake, William Dampier, LouisAntoine de Bougainville, and James Cook. When sea travel became safer, people like Charles Darwin made the journey, as well as some notable women like Lady Brassey. With the advent of encompassing railroad travel and exotic cruise ships, round the world journeys became much more achievable and common for a lot of people. And with the advent of the space race, a new concept of circumnavigating the globe came into play, with an elite few to achieve it. Chaplin has fun exploring these many journeys and why people seem driven to achieve it. While her writing can get a little dry and long-winded at points, Round About the Earth still represents and interesting foray into this unique group of travelers. Reviewed by Alex Telander The U.S. Senate: Fundamentals of American Government By Tom Daschle, Charles Robbins Thomas Dunne Books, $19.99, 224 pages Check this out! Tom Daschle served in the U.S. Senate from 1987 to 2005. In 1994, he was chosen

Majority Leader. So he has a viewpoint on the workings of the Senate, as well as a wealth of personal anecdotes that no outside observer could possible have. His target audience is high school and college students, the students who he hopes will feel the desire to serve their country, possibly even in the U.S. Senate, He and journalist Charles Robbins have produced an easily understandable, concise book that will give any reader a good layman’s knowledge of how and why the Senate works when it does work, and how it becomes dysfunctional, an outcome that the writers acknowledge is happening all too often in recent years. They effectively show that overcoming the gridlock and accomplishing the work of the Senate involves bipartisanship; creating alliances, building coalitions, basically the art of communication, which includes listening. They note that whereas Congress today is held in lower esteem even than Richard Nixon at the end of his presidency, the Senate is still the place where, as Senator Robert Dole once said, “if you don’t keep your word, it doesn’t make much difference what agenda you try to advance.” Reviewed by Paul Mullinger Bet the Farm By Frederick Kaufman John Wiley & Sons, $25.95, 266 pages Check this out! This book begins with a simple question: why, when the world is producing more food than ever, are people still going hungry? The answer, as it turns out, is not so simple. F o l l o w - ing this inquiry to fast food behemoths, advanced genetic laboratories, stock exchanges, and more, Kaufman tells about his investigation as if it were a story. He artfully weaves together his various experiences on the way to truth and adds a narrative touch to a journalistic endeavor. He also very artfully presents most of his

subjects in a way that lies deftly on the border between respectful and mocking, managing to present each person as honest and hardworking while still pointing out the deep flaws and ironies of the system as a whole. Bet the Farm is an enjoyable and informative read. I learned a lot about what happens to food on its way from the farm to the consumer (luckily, there are no descriptions recalling Sinclair’s The Jungle) and about why food costs what it does. Kaufman describes the global food problem in a thoughtful, logical manner. My only complaint is that he provides no notes citing where he gets his numbers. Luckily, most of his information comes from interviews with experts and personal experiences; things that require no notes and provide a much richer reading experience. Reviewed by Audrey Curtis Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior: A New History By John Man William Morrow, $21.99, 304 pages Check this out! The ninja is one of popular culture’s favorite archetypes, along with pirates, cowboys, and other figures that have gained mythic status over the centuries. But where did our conception (and miscon-

ceptions) about the ninja come from? The image of a black-clad assassin bares little resemblance to the historical record, so how did we get here? Those questions serve as the centerpieces of John Man’s Ninja: 1000 Years of the Shadow Warrior, an illuminating and expansive history of the ninja culture that gamely endeavors to separate fact from fable. From the societal and political circumstances that inspired the first ninjas to the development of the modern ninja archetype, and from the role James Bond played in expanding the modern myth to the effect ninja-style training had on World War II tactics, Man dispels misinterpretations left and right. Highlighting the ninja’s roots in rural farm territories and the focus on disguise, stealth, and spycraft over combat skills, Man strips away the magical and legendary skills and stories, leaving in his wake the equally impressive history of a fascinating and dedicated clan that helped shape the future of Japan. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas

Traveling the Mother Road this Spring?

Download the Guide to Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives for diners on this route and many others.

Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 7

Book Reviews Category

Picture Books SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart By Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton, Christine Davenier (illustrator) Little, Brown BFYR, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! Julie Andrews and daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, have authored another Very Fairy Princess installment. Through Gerry, the Very, Fairy Princess, this enticingly pink children’s book series addresses the real, everyday issues kids encounter. Just in time for Valentines’ Day, this is a wonderful book for the toddler you love, especially if she loves princesses. Gerry has worked especially hard to create a personal valentine for each of her class mates, even the ones she may not particularly like all that much. Sadness and disappointment ensues when she discovers she doesn’t have her valentines when it is time to pass them out. With pluck and creativity, she rescues the situation giving each classmate a very special valentine. (Fairy princesses must be excellent problem solvers of the unexpected.) Christine Davenier’s illustrations are bright and colorful and convey the sparkliness of a very, fairy princess throughout the book. Andrews and Hamilton tell a good story while showing young children a positive representation of friendship, dealing with the unexpected, and seeking acceptance. Although missing some of the subtle humor in previous editions of the series and with fewer asides regarding proper very, fairy behavior, this is still an excellent read for story time. Reviewed by Vicki Hudson Penny and Her Marble By Kevin Henkes Greenwillow Books, $12.99, 48 pages Check this out! When Penny the mouse finds a blue marble outside Mrs. Goodwin’s house while taking her doll for a walk, she believes it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. She loves the way it looks, moves, and feels.

However, doubts soon cloud Penny’s happiness. If she found the marble in Mrs. Goodwin’s yard, does that mean it belongs to Mrs. Goodwin? Will Mrs. Goodwin be angry? Has Penny done something wrong? Penny’s guilt weighs on her all day; she feels sick and is unable to eat. At night, she has nightmares about the marble. Only when Penny tries to return the marble to Mrs. Goodwin – and discovers that the marble was free for the taking after all – is her conscience eased. Henkes masterfully captures how tiny doubts and problems can become largerthan-life matters of right and wrong in the world of a child. Even adults will empathize with Penny’s all-consuming uncertainty and guilt, as well as the relief she feels when she finally tries to make things right. As in all of Henkes’s work, the illustrations are charming, and fans should be eager to add Penny’s new adventure to their libraries. Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell Grumpy Goat By Brett Helquist HarperCollins Children’s, $17.99, 32 pages Check this out! This children’s book by Brett Helquist is beautifully written and illustrated. The story begins at a sunny country farm that is fi lled with lots of happy animals, until the grumpy goat appears, that is. Grumpy Goat has never had any friends in his life. When he arrives at the farm, he is hungry and grumpy and doesn’t want to share or be bothered. The various other farm animals, like pigs, cows, and sheep, attempt to get the grumpy goat to come and play with them, but he is not having any of it. That goat gets in the farmer’s garden by knocking the fence down and eating the food, and then he turns towards the orchards. He just keeps going until he realizes he’s out of food and all alone on top of a mountain peak. This is where he finds a beautiful flower all alone

like him. He waters it and nurtures it until one day the wind blows all the leaves away. He becomes so depressed even though the other animals try to cheer him up. The goat stays at the top of that hill days and nights, and his friends watch over him until one day he finds something… can you guess what it is? A very good read for little ones! Reviewed by Penny Via Froggy’s Worst Playdate By Jonathan London, Frank Remkiewicz (illustrator) Viking, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! It is Saturday and Froggy can’t wait to get out and play with his friends. He hops out of bed and gets dressed fast. He flops to the kitchen for something to eat and eats a chocolate fly cookie. Mom suggests he should go back to bed and sleep in, but Froggy wants to go out and play. He checks to see if Max can play, but he’s gone to his grandmother’s. Matthew isn’t home either. He’s gone to play golf with his dad. Travis is off at a tuba lesson. Froggy heads home. Mom tells him that she has set up a playdate with Frogilina to see The Frog Prince movie. Froggy doesn’t want to do that! He goes to his room and

slams the door. He practices his saxophone, and then throws a ball against the wall for a while. Finally, he decides to go on the playdate after all. Froggy and Frogilina get into a popcorn fight at the movies and– horror of horrors – she kisses him. Could things get worse? This is a goofy, silly story with equally goofy, silly illustrations. Kids five or six years old will probably get a kick out of it. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Exclamation Mark By Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Tom Lichtenheld (illustrator) Scholastic Press, $17.99, 56 pages Check this out! Rosenthal and Lichtenheld return with an uplifting story about an exclamation mark: yes, an exclamation mark. This exclamation mark just doesn’t fit in, what with a long, thick, black line atop his head. He doesn’t fit in with the plain old periods and feels rather down. Then he meets the ever-inquisitive question mark. Excited to meet someone new, question mark peppers poor dejected exExclamation Mark, cont’d to page 13

, CHILDREN S NONFICTION

COMING SOON

Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.

Becoming Babe Ruth by Matt Tavares

Before he is known as the “Babe,” George Herman Ruth is just a boy who lives in Baltimore and gets into a lot of trouble. But when he turns seven, his father brings him to the gates of Saint Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, and his life is changed forever. At Saint Mary’s, he’s expected to study hard and follow a lot of rules. But there is one good thing about Saint Mary’s: almost every day, George gets to play baseball. With vivid illustrations and clear affection for his subject, Tavares sheds light on an icon who learned early that life is what you make of it.

A City Through Time by Steve Noon

Readers are invited to follow the progress of an imaginary city through six key periods of time, each captured by a scene of the city and zooming in on key buildings like a Roman bathhouse, medieval castle and a modern skyscraper. Illustrations provide a unique history of city life, while pullouts surrounding the illustrations introduce the reader to the people who lived there.

World Rat Day by J. Patrick Lewis

Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 8

Nobody should ever forget ewe on Ohio Sheep Day (July 14). If you’ve never heard of Dragon Appreciation Day, International Cephalopod Awareness Day or Yell “Fudge!” at the Cobras in North America Day, it’s not because they don’t exist, it’s simply that they needed someone to spread the word. Luckily, the fantastically zany poems of J. Patrick Lewis and Anna Raff’s equally hilarious illustrations have memorialized these holidays forever.

TulsaLibrary.org

918.549.READ

A FREE mOnThLy guIDE TO yOuR COmmunITy LIBRARy, ITS pROgRAmS AnD SERvICES

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Read a book from Sue grafton's Kinsey millhone mystery series and then join us for this lively discussion. For adults.

Join librarian and reading guru Adrienne Teague as she tackles that important question: "What do I read next?" For adults.

For ages 12-18.

Discover Russian culture through authentic food, music and activities. For all ages. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust and hispanic Resource Center.

Books Sandwiched In

Calling all cogglers. Don't know what that is. Join us and find out as we discuss our favorite steampunk novels and authors. We also will create fun, outlandish and decorative gizmos, gewgaws and trinkets based on the steampunk world. For ages 12-16. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7655 to register.

Are you interested in discussing current issues with other people in the community? If so, join us for a lively discussion on "humanitarian Intervention" on April 10 and "Iran" on April 24. For adults.

Books Sandwiched In Tulsa City-County Library can help you and your family discover a new and exciting world through collections, digital resources and more. Whether you come for homework or job searches, help with citizenship issues or finances, adult education classes or to find the best books for young readers, the library is a great place to spend quality time and connect with loved ones and friends.

Steve Turnbo, chairman emeritus of Schnake Turnbo Frank pR, will review "The power of habit" by Charles Duhigg. For adults and teens. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries.

Daniel Boudreau, retired Oklahoma Supreme Court justice and consultant, Dispute Resolutions Consultants Inc., will review "Defending Jacob" by William Landay. For adults and teens. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries.

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Robin Leech, associate professor and head, Digital Initiatives, Oklahoma State university, will review "Johnson's Life of London: The people Who made the City That made the World" by Boris Johnson. For adults and teens. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries.

All levels of knitting expertise are welcome to join us for a fun and instructional afternoon. For adults.

Join our fun group of readers for a lively discussion! For adults. Patchworkers

The Broken Arrow Sidewalk Astronomers invite you to learn about the planet Saturn. Afterward, we'll go outside for some sky gazing (weather permitting). For all ages.

update your rĂŠsumĂŠ, search for jobs online or explore a new career in this special computer lab just for job seekers. you will have access to microsoft Office software and the Internet. uSB flash drives are available for purchasing, or you can bring your own to save your work. Standard printing charges apply. Library staff and resources will be in the lab to provide assistance. For adults.

If you are a beginner or an experienced quilter, join us for an informative and fun evening. For adults.

TO SEARCh FOR EvEnTS, SCAn ThIS CODE uSIng yOuR mOBILE DEvICE AnD QR SCAnnER App.

Hearing loop available. Switch hearing aid to T-coil.

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genealogy Center Associate Carissa Kellerby will show you how to locate and use the resources and databases featured on the genealogy Center's Web page. For adults.

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Join attorney Rita Foster as she discusses wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney and other estateplanning documents. plus, learn how to avoid probate. For adults. Seating is limited. To reserve a seat at the seminar, call 918-549-7363. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.

Tulsa City-County Library's Ruth g. hardman Adult Literacy Service needs volunteer tutors to help adults improve their reading and writing skills. This workshop is for those specifically interested in working with English-asa-second-language students. Tutors must be 18 years of age or older and have graduated from high school. Each trained volunteer is matched with an adult student to provide one-toone tutoring once or twice a week. volunteers are asked to make a oneyear commitment to tutor. Tutors must complete all sessions of this workshop. Registration is required. The registration deadline is Friday, April 12. To register for the workshop or for dates of additional workshops scheduled throughout the year, call 918-549-7400 or go to TulsaLibrary.org/literacy. For adults. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust and Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries. Make in their estate Plans Will your family be one of those casualties? Join Karen L. Carmichael, estate-planning attorney, and discover how you can avoid mistakes in these key areas: (1) probate costs and delays; (2) nursing-home costs; (3) divorce; (4) remarriage; (5) creditor protection for children; (6) incapacity; and (7) loss of tax benefits. For adults.

All 25 Tulsa City-County Library locations are now official Safe Place sites. Safe Place sites provide runaways and other youth in a crisis a safe place in their own neighborhoods where they can seek help with issues like abuse, serious family conflicts and other dangers. With the addition of the Tulsa CityCounty Library locations, local youth now have access to 216 Safe Place sites in the Tulsa-metro area. Safe Place is a program of Youth Services of Tulsa.

Seating is limited. To reserve a seat at the seminar, call 918-549-7363. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust.

In the morning sessions, Linda Woodward geiger will cover the following topics: "u.S. Territorial papers" and "using Tax Lists to Solve genealogical problems." In the afternoon sessions, she will discuss "Beyond the Draft Cards: Additional Selective Service Records" and "When There Are no Civil vital Registrations: Alternative Sources." For adults. Patient Protection and Jan Figart, associate director of the Community Service Council of Tulsa, will discuss the provisions of the patient protection and Affordable Care Act. For adults.

We will discuss "The Snow Child" by Eowyn Ivey, and other novels and memoirs that combine great storytelling with the fierce beauty of Alaska. For adults. Refreshments will be provided. Sponsored by the Friends of the helmerich Library.

find practical ways to deal with pain and fatigue, discover better nutrition and exercise choices, understand new treatment choices, and learn better ways to talk with your doctor and family about your health. Refreshments are provided. Registration is required. Class size is limited. Call 918-549-7400 to register. Sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, in partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of health. Funded by a federal Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Institute of museum and Library Services. For adults.

With Chronic Conditions If you or someone you love is living with a chronic condition such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic pain or anxiety, you are invited to attend this workshop, which is part of a six-part series. At this workshop, you'll get the support you need,

participants should read the selected book prior to the program. Call 918549-7570 for book title. For adults.

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Do you read manga or love to doodle? If so, join us and learn to create your own manga character. Bring your sketchbook to show off to your friends! For ages 10-18.

Show off your mad gaming skills. Join us for Wii and Xbox games. Refreshments are provided. For ages 10-18.

Enjoy music with a salsa flavor. For all ages. Sponsored by the hispanic Resource Center.

Join us for nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 open gaming, including the Xbox Kinect. For tweens and teens.

Bring your e-reader, tablet or smartphone, and get assistance checking out and downloading eBooks and audiobooks from the library's collection. If you don't have one of these devices yet but are curious about the process, we will have several kinds on hand for you to try. For all ages.

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Wizard tracker Become a wizard's apprentice! Study the stars, the wizard's workshop, and the benefits of animal familiars. For ages 10-15.

Join us and make a duct-tape wallet, rose or a project all your own. For tweens and teens.

Stuck in a mystery rut? Come for coffee and share what you've been reading. For adults.

If you're living with diabetes, you also may have high blood pressure or struggle with your weight. metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that occur together and increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke and diabetes. you won't want to miss this vital class, where we'll learn more about metabolic syndrome and how to defeat it. For adults.

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Celebrate national poetry month by creating a poem to free your soul and mind, and enhance your life. For adults and teens. Seating is limited.

munch on pocky and meet up with other manga fans to discuss your favorites. For sixth-graders and up

Bring your Kindle and get assistance with checking out and downloading eBooks and audiobooks from the library.

help plan library services and programs for teens, plus talk about your favorite books. For ages 12-18.

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As a wizard's apprentice, learn about magical beasts, flying carpets and brooms, and magic amulets. For ages 10-15.

Compete against other teens to see who will be the winner! For ages 12-18.

Rita Williams-garcia continues to break new ground in young people's literature and is known for her realistic portrayal of teens of color. her works have received several awards including the Coretta Scott King Award, newbery honor Book Award, pEn/norma Klein Award and parents' Choice Award, among others. She is on the faculty at vermont College mFA Writing for Children and young people. A book signing will follow. Copies of her works will be available for purchasing. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust and African-American Resource Center. For teens and adults.

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Learn how to create formulas, use automatic fill and change basic formatting. really Basic PC Class

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Join us for Wiii and board games, plus other fun activities. For tweens and teens.

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Read "Rain, Rain go Away" by Tulsa author Stormi Bradley and then join us for this lively discussion. For adults and teens.

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Join us for Wii, Xbox 360 and other fun activities! For ages 10-18.

Raising chickens is a great way to stay healthy and become more self-sufficient. Learn from experienced chicken owners how to keep chickens in your own backyard no matter where you live. For all ages. Seating is limited.

put your imagination to the test building your own world in the popular computer game minecraft. For ages 10-18.

This class is designed for new pC users who have little or no experience using Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little knowledge of basic computer terms. MS Word 1 Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents.

Learn how to create and edit formulas, and apply functions and advanced formatting to your spreadsheets and workbooks.

Want to keep in touch with friends and family? Interested in knowing about Facebook but don't know how it works? Join us for an introduction to this widely used social networking service. you'll learn how to set up an account, edit your Facebook profile, select privacy settings, and find and add friends. If you want to create a new Facebook account, please have a working email address before class.

Learn how to create visual representations of spreadsheet and workbook data. Learn how to create charts, apply conditional formatting and control the appearance of printed spreadsheets.

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Learn how to create group presentations and slide shows.

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This class is designed for new computer users who have little or no previous experience using computers, Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms. MS Word 1 Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents.

Learn how to set up a free account and how to use it to send and receive email.

Learn how to create and format tables, use bulleted and numbered lists, and apply and format columns in a document.

Learn how to create formulas, use automatic fill and change basic formatting. MS Word 3 Learn how to create and use borders and shading, headers and footers, page numbering and drawing tools.

Explore mail merge, use tables to perform calculations and create on-screen forms.

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computers, Windows, a mouse or the Internet, and little or no knowledge of basic computer terms.

Learn how to create various kinds of documents; use the toolbar; set margins; apply spell check; and preview, save and print documents.

Learn how to navigate the World Wide Web and use the libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online catalog and resources.

Learn how to set up a free account and how to use it to send and receive email.

For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.

For ages 3-5. Stay and Play After our regularly scheduled storytime, join us for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 3-5.

lIBrary have you always wanted to learn to use a computer but were afraid to try? This series of four classes is designed especially for older folks who need a slower-paced, encouraging atmosphere in which to learn new skills. April 3, "hardware Boot Camp"; April 10, "Beginning Internet"; April 17, "Fun With Files"; April 24, "Email 101." Registration is required. Class size is limited. Call 918-549-7683 to register. For ages 55+.

childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s events BIxBy lIBrary For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.

For ages 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds. Bugs Ice Cream Travel Favorites

For ages 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds.

For newborns to 18-month-olds and their caregivers.

Enjoy stories, action rhymes, fun flannel, music and bubbles. For ages 3-5.

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Bobber, a u.S. Army Corps of Engineers water safety dog, will present water safety. For ages 5 and younger.

For ages 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds.

For newborns to 24-month-olds and their caregivers.

Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 7-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

Join miss Dana for a fun craft project. For ages 5-12.

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Stay and Play For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! Enjoy storytime and then stay after for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 5 and younger. Sponsored by Cox Connects Foundation.

Share a story. Sing a song. We hope you'll come along! For 18- to 36-montholds and their caregivers.

Join us for stories and songs in English and Spanish, plus a craft. For ages 5 and younger.

For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.

For ages 3-5.

Learn colors and greetings in other languages as we celebrate children. We'll play a parachute game, read stories and make a paperbag kite. Each child will get a free book. For ages 3-5. Sponsored by the hispanic Resource Center.

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Join us for stories, songs, crafts and more. For newborns to 4-year-olds and their caregivers.

Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust.

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after for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For newborns to 2-yearolds and their caregivers. Join us for songs, rhymes and books. For ages 5 and younger.

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Join ms. Josie for stories, songs and finger plays. For ages 2-3 and their caregivers.

For ages 3-5.

Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-10 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Class size is limited.

It's a pajama jammy jam with ms. Kristen and mr. David! Wear your pajamas and join us for bedtime songs, stories and rhymes. For ages 3-8.

Buckle your seat belts and fly with us in search of dragons with stories and fun activities. For ages 4-10.

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Sensory Storytime is an interactive and educational program that can be enjoyed by all children, but is especially designed for children with sensory integration challenges. It combines books, songs, movement and therapeutic activities to stimulate all five senses and promote learning. If your child has difficulty sitting through one of the library's other storytimes, this inclusive program of stories, songs and activities may be just what you are looking for! For ages 1-7 and their caregivers. Registration is required. Seating is limited. Register online at http://kids.tulsalibrary. org/sensorystorytime or by calling 918-549-7542.

For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.

For ages 3-5. April Showers Crazy hair! Slimmy Frogs and Bumpy Toads Kites

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Enjoy stories in English and Spanish. For ages 3-5.

Join ms. Karen for stories and other fun activities. For all ages.

For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.

Join us for stories, music and activities. For ages 3-5.

Learn about drumming and rhythm from many cultures. For all ages. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust and hispanic Resource Center.

Join us for books, music, math and more! For all ages.

For ages 3-5.

For babies and toddlers, playing is learning! Enjoy storytime and then stay

Tulsa City-County Library can help you and your family discover a new and exciting world through collections, digital resources and more. Whether you come for homework or job searches, help with citizenship issues or finances, adult education classes or to find the best books for young readers, the library is a great place to spend quality time and connect with loved ones and friends.

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games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 1-5 and their caregivers.

(Kendall-Whittier Library continued)

Enjoy stories in English and Spanish. For all ages.

Discover Russian language and culture through stories, rhymes, music and more. For all ages.

Create a beautiful, personalized collage using various fabric pieces, buttons and glue. Come early as materials are limited. For ages 6-12.

Wizard tracker Enjoy stories, songs, and activities in English and Spanish. For ages 5 and younger.

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Become a wizard's apprentice! Study the stars, the wizard's workshop and the benefits of animal familiars. For ages 10-15.

As a wizard's apprentice, learn about magical beasts, flying carpets and brooms, and magic amulets. For ages 10-15.

For ages 3-5. Stay and Play After our regularly scheduled storytime, join us for

Read books, play games and make crafts with miss heather. For first- through third-graders.

Enjoy stories, songs, and activities in English and Spanish. For ages 5 and younger.

tulsa city-county library locations 1

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m-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5, 551 E. Fourth St., Sand Springs, 74063

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3219 S. 113th W. Ave., Sand Springs, m-Th, 10-8; Fri.-Sat., 10-5

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5202 S. hudson Ave., Suite B, 74135

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2224 W. 51st St., 74107 918-549-7683 m-Th, 9-9; Fri.-Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5

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Celebrate Kid's Day by exploring cultures from around the world with crafts, activities

c h i l d r e n ’ s and music. Each child will receive a gift book to take home. For all ages. Sponsored by the hispanic Resource Center and Tulsa Library Trust.

Join us for stories, finger plays, mother goose rhymes and dancing. For ages 5 and younger.

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patrocinado por el Centro hispano y el Fideicomiso de las Bibliotecas de Tulsa. Informes al 918-549-7597.

para toda la familia

Cuentos, actividades y diversión de la cultura rusa. programa en inglés y... ¡ruso!

oWaSSo lIBrary Cuentos y canciones con César para celebrar a los niños en su día For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.

Abrimos el salón de cómputo para los que quieran aprovechar el tiempo para practicar con el teclado y con el ratón o para practicar navegar el Internet, llenar formularios o aplicaciones. La maestra estará presente como personal de apoyo. para todas las edades.

For ages 3-5. Stay and Play After our regularly scheduled storytime, join us for games, toys and activities that foster critical early literacy skills. For ages 1-5 and their caregivers.

We invite homeschool families to enjoy stories and a craft. For ages 5-12.

Join yoga instructor micah Davis for stories and yoga poses. please bring a yoga mat. For ages 1-5 and their caregivers.

Join us for stories and then leave your stuffed animal for overnight fun! Come by the library on Friday to pick up your stuffed animal and see pictures of the fun they had at the sleepover. parents: We recommend you do not bring your child's favorite stuffed animal as they may not want to leave it overnight. For ages 2-6.

Esta clase es para las personas con poca o ninguna experiencia usando computadoras y el Internet. Los familiarizará con el uso y la terminología de la computación. para todas las edades.

Celebramos a los niños y los libros con Salsabor.

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Celebramos a los niños y los libros con el baile folclórico.

clases de informática MartIn

Recursos hispanos, encontrar libros, música, recursos para prepararse a tomar el examen gED, el examen de ciudadanía, mejorar tu inglés y mucho más. La maestra estará presente como personal de apoyo. para todas las edades.

Fidelia los invita a escuchar cuentos en inglés y español. para niños de 0 a 5 años.

Esta clase te familiarizará con los usos "gratis" del internet para encontrar recursos para hacer tareas, buscar trabajo y mucho más. para todas las edades. para Principiantes

John trae sus tambores para celebrar a los niños y los libros.

programas infantiles

En esta clase, identificarás qué servicios puedes encontrar en tu vecindario, ciudad y que servicios puedes accesar via internet en tu biblioteca más cercana y/o desde tu casa. para todas las edades.

Les enseñaremos cómo crear una cuenta de correo electrónico y cómo usarla para enviar y recibir correo. para todas las edades.

Esta clase te enseña cómo crear una cuenta de correo electrónico y cómo usarla para comunicarte con tu familia, amigos y el mundo. para todas las edades.

Disfruta cuentos, canciones, y actividades en inglés y español. para niños de 0 a 5 años.

Te damos un 'pasaporte' para jugar a viajar a lugares exóticas de cinco continentes. habrá actividades divertidas, golosinas para probar de cada cultura, música y manualidades.

Celebramos a los niños y los libros con los cuentos de gwendolyn. para niños menores de 5 años.

John trae sus tambores para celebrar a los niños y los libros. para niños menores de 5 años.

Cuentos para el Día de los niños/Día de los Libros con miss Becky. para niños menores de 5 años.

This event celebrates the revival of problem solving through creative and critical thinking. Select students in grades K-12 were invited to devote their minds and might to find solutions to struggles faced by the homeless in our community. The public is invited to visit with these young engineers and inventors and see their inventions. Sponsored by the Tulsa Alliance for Engineering, Tulsa Day Center and Tulsa City-County Library.

c h i l d r e n â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s (Owasso Library continued)

girls ages 9-12 and their mothers are invited to join us to discuss a great read. Copies of the featured book are available at the library. participants should read the selected book prior to the program. Registration is required. Call 918-549-7624 to register.

e v e n t s

storyteller and give away a free book to each child who attends. For ages 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds. Sponsored by the hispanic Resource Center.

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c o n t i n u e d activities. Refreshments will be provided. For ages 8-13.

Join us for stories, songs, rhymes and a craft. For ages 6 and younger. Splishy Splashy puddles Beautiful Bugs! Kittens and puppies Author Day, Jane yolen

For ages 3-5. Does your child have difficulty sitting through storytime? If so, this inclusive, interactive program of stories, songs and activities may be just what you are looking for! Sensory Storytime focuses on learning with all five senses and is especially designed for children with a variety of learning styles or sensory integration challenges. Registration is required. Register online at http://kids.tulsalibrary.org/ sensorystorytime or by calling 918-5497624. For ages 1-7 and their caregivers.

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For newborns to 2-year-olds and their caregivers.

Join us as we explore an awesome book through reading, discussion and a fun activity. For first- through fifth-graders.

lIBrary Registered therapy dogs are excellent listeners. Kids ages 5-12 are invited to read their favorite books to a furry, four-pawed friend. Each reader will receive a free book provided by the Tulsa Library Trust. Books and More

Join John Dellavedova from Salsabor for this celebration. For all ages. Seating is limited. Sponsored by the hispanic Resource Center.

have fun with books, ideas and activities. For ages 5-12.

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Celebrate Day of the Child with a performance by Tierra mestiza. For all ages. Sponsored by the Tulsa Library Trust and hispanic Resource Center.

Enjoy fun and imaginative stories and then stay after for games and activities that foster important early literacy skills. For ages 5 and younger.

Join us for Lego building fun! Legos will be provided, but you may bring your own. For ages 5-12.

Enjoy stories from around the world that celebrate children and reading. For ages 5 and younger.

Come and listen to delightful springtime stories and stay after to create your own garden of flowers using foam shapes and other materials. For ages 10 and younger.

For ages 2-5. An adult must accompany 2-year-olds.

Learn about Arbor Day and make a sponge-painted tree. For ages 5-12.

We will have a special

Join us after school for fun and sometimes educational

Free and Open to the public If you are hearing-impaired and please call the library 48 hours in advance of the program. The Tulsa Book Review and Tulsa City-County Library Event guide are printed on partially recycled paper.

The Tulsa City-County Library Event guide is produced by the public Relations Office of the Tulsa City-County Library.

Book Reviews

Category

Teen Scene

Category

Tween Reads

SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Shades of Earth: An Across the Universe Novel By Beth Revis Razorbill, $18.99, 400 pages Check this out! This was an amazing and perfect conclusion to a wonderfully woven and intriguing series. We find ourselves right where A Million Suns (book two) ends. Elder and Amy are about to land on CenturiEarth and discover that what is waiting for them is more terrifying and stunning than they ever dreamed possible. They face challenges that they never thought possible. The truth of it all is more frightening and more astounding than they ever imagined. After landing on Centuri-Earth, Elder needs to decide how big of a role he wants to play as leader because he’s not the only one who will take on this role. I was a bit disappointed that he wasn’t more aggressive when it came to this, but ultimately I understand why Ms. Revis gave him a more laborious and complicated path. I was, however, really impressed with Amy’s growth in Shades of Earth. I found that she grew by stretches and that made her so much stronger than she thought possible. I loved this series more and more with each book, AND this, the third and last book, really brought the whole series together. I will definitely be picking Beth Revis’ next novel. Reviewed by Patricia Mendoza Ask the Passengers By A.S. King Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 296 pages Check this out! A.S. King (Please Ignore Vera Dietz, Everybody Sees the Ants) hits it out of the park with her newest, Ask the Passengers. Confused about her place in life, Astrid Jones has made a habit of sending her love to the passengers flying in the airplanes over her house. Lying on the picnic table in her backyard, she sends her questions and emotions up to these unknowing recipients, who in turn have moments or memories related to what Astrid is feeling or thinking. And Astrid is thinking about a lot. Her mother prefers spending time with her 16-year-old sister Ellis (for “Mommy and

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Me” nights), her father isn’t much interested in anything she’s doing, and she is keeping a big secret from her friends, making her feel more disconnected than ever. This secret, which starts to take over Astrid’s life, is that she might be in love with a girl. Soon, Astrid is living moment to moment until she can see Dee again. With the help of Frank, a philosophical but imaginary vision, Astrid tries to find a balance between her friends, family, and love life. A.S. King has a writing style that instantly connects the reader to the protagonist. From page one, we fall into step with Astrid’s ability to tell a story, following her stream of consciousness as she describes her surroundings and thoughts. As her life begins to unfold, our support for her grows, and our wish for her to find some sort of solution that is the best of all worlds continues until the last page. Each character in Ask the Passengers has a distinct personality and place in the story. While it’s clear that Astrid has to balance her friends and family, it’s her sister and parents that form a particularly compelling group. The dynamics between her mother and sister paint a portrait of her home life and what she must overcome to make herself feel like she’s a complete member of her family. What pushes King from a great to outstanding author is her ability to manipulate text and story telling. While Astrid’s story could have easily been told with a normal format, King takes it a step further and incorporates several techniques that elevate the emotions and connections the reader has to the text. The most prominent of these is Astrid’s connection to those to whom she is sending her love. Several times throughout the novel, Astrid gives her love, and in return we are able to have a few moments with the recipient, adding memories and depth to the emotions Astrid is so willing to give away. These stories are directly related to the emotion Astrid is giving in that particular moment, but the stories told by the passengers spin into many different dimensions as they each have a different story to tell. It shouldn’t be a shock to anyone by now that A.S. King has written another masterpiece with Ask the Passengers. The depth and growth of Astrid through her own selfdiscovery accompanied by friends, family, and the girl she falls in love with make this a book worthy of any shelf. Reviewed by Shanyn Day

Road Trip By Gary Paulsen and Jim Paulsen Wendy Lamb Books, $12.99, 128 pages Check this out! Ben and his dad aren’t getting along well these days. Dad quit his job to start a business and tells Ben they may not be able to send him to hockey camp, a promise made a long time ago. Dad pulls Ben out of bed early one morning and announces they and their dog Atticus are taking a road trip to rescue a border collie pup. Ben knows his dad is trying to mend fences, but Ben won’t make it easy. He invites his friend Theo, who looks like a thug but isn’t, along on the trip. Before they’ve gone twenty miles, the truck breaks down. The crusty mechanic, Gus, joins the group, and they take a bus Gus owns to con-

tinue on. When they make a stop, Ben and Theo help out a girl named Mia, who is being given a rough time. The guy giving her the bad time, it turns out, has a serious grudge against Theo. The group invites Mia to come along, and she does. The bad guy is following them, and things get pretty interesting. This wacky, funny story is told from two points of view – Ben’s and Atticus’s. Kids will love this book. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck

YOUTH FICTION COMING SOON Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.

The Nightmare Affair

by Mindee Arnett Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare – literally! Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder. Then Eli’s dream comes true. Now Dusty has to follow the clues – both within Eli’s dreams and out of them – to stop the killer before more people turn up dead.

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Loki’s Wolves (The Blackwell Pages) by K.L. Armstrong and

M.A. Marr In Viking times, Norse myths predicted the end of the world, an event called Ragnarok, that only the gods can stop. When this apocalypse happens, the gods must battle the monsters – wolves the size of the sun, serpents that span the sea beds. The gods died a long time ago. Matt Thorsen knows every Norse myth, saga and god as if it was family history – because it is family history. Most people in the modernday town of Blackwell, S.D., in fact, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt’s classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke. When the rune readers reveal that Ragnarok is coming, Matt, Laurie and Fen’s lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team to prevent the end of the world.

Book Reviews

Faery court where it definitely doesn’t pan out as they had expected, leaving them in a deadly situation and Maddy wanting her father deader than ever. Not having read the previous books in this series, I was easily able to jump into the riveting story line that swept me away into this other world of turmoil and so much desperation. Maddy is an ideal heroine, and having a Nathaniel as her sidekick empowers and validates how confidant and independent a leading female role can have upon a reader. I definitely want to start back at book one, and look forward to future books in this series. Reviewed by Kim Heimbuch

Category

Fantasy SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

The Mage’s Daughter (A Novel of the Nine Kingdoms) By Lynn Kurland Berkley Sensation, $7.99, 376 pages Check this out! Another one of Lynn Kurland’s stories in the “Nine Kingdoms” series is yet another captivating story. In this one you will meet Morgan and Miach, two unlikely souls who meet and fall in love. Morgan believes herself a shieldmaiden, and yet she is so much more. She has lost so much of her life through blocking it out due to the great horrors she has seen and experienced. Miach is a prince of Neroche who portrays himself to Morgan as a simple farmer. He knows who she is upon meeting her because she looks so much like her mother, yet he continues to deceive her because of what she’s been through and because she just wasn’t ready for remembering and discovering what her true destiny is. Miach, too, has a great destiny before him as Mage of the Nine Kingdoms, but he desires to follow his heart, so he follows Morgan into some very unlikely places. Ultimately, they do unite and discover what their true destines are and just how entwined they are. Through all the great trials, will their love stand the test of time? When other family members find out and become involved, will they be allowed to be together and love each other as they do? Only time will tell, and only time will tell what roles they plan in the realm and whether they are worthy of the task at hand. \Follow the two and come to love them as all the other characters in the Nine Kingdoms. Reviewed by Penny Via The Inexplicables By Cherie Priest Tor/Forge, $14.99, 368 pages Check this out! Rector Sherman is haunted by the spectre of the young man he helped sneak into the walled city of Seattle, Zeke Wilkes. A Blight orphan and sap dealer (and addict) on his own at age 18, Rector has followed Zeke into Seattle for lack of a better plan. But beyond the Blight and the Rotters, other

threats await him inside: a strange creature haunting the mists, invaders plotting against the city, and the addiction that could easily kill him. After glimpses of New Orleans and other locales in her alternate America, Priest returns to Seattle to re-center the series and explore some of the second-tier characters. Some intriguing threads dangle, promising more to come, and the Clockwork Century cast of rogues is richer than ever. Admittedly, the Inexplicables themselves aren’t really an important enough aspect of the narrative to merit title consideration; it mostly felt like an unnecessary (but neat!) subplot to justify Miss Angeline’s presence. And it is a little obnoxious to see Rector struggle to familiarize himself with aspects of Seattle life that loyal readers have already internalized. Despite the rough spots, I can’t wait to see what Priest has for us next. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Black Lament (A Black Wings Novel) By Christina Henry Ace Books, $7.99, 288 pages Check this out! Having Lucifer as a father can be daunting… and dangerous. Maddy Black finds out she is pregnant soon after losing the love of her life, Gabriel, at the hands of her father, making her unborn child a powerful creation of two of Lucifer’s bloodlines. While still mourning his loss, Lucifer decides he can unite the bloodlines, tossing Maddy a curve ball and demanding the child. Vowing to keep her and the baby safe, even from her father, Maddy gets a small reprieve when Nathaniel has been tasked as her protector, albeit by Lucifer himself. The downside is he obeys Lucifer as of late and vowed to keep Maddy alive at all costs. While she doesn’t trust him, does she really have any other options at the moment? As she faces down assassins sent from Oberon and Titania, Maddy and Nathaniel go in front of the

Crown of Vengeance By Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory Tor Books, $27.99, 608 pages Check this out! Lackey and Mallory have created a read-late-intothe-night novel of intrigue, magic, betrayal and confl ict with this latest book, a first in the Dragon Prophecy series. If you can get past the slow pace in the first hundred or so pages and maintain tolerance for Lackey’s knack for unpronounceable, multisyllabic names throughout the epic journey of the transformation of orphan Varuthir, who sees her dream of becoming a knight crushed by an act of vengeance for her birth as last of a great High House that reached too far, this book is one you will find hard to put down. Fate’s pathways are unpredictable, and Varuthir becomes Vieliessar; the prison that was intended for her placement at the Sanctuary of the Star becomes so much more than a place to live out her life alone among many. She finds true friends and also enemies. She is the Child of Prophecy, who would unite the hundred kingdoms into one and lead the forces of Light against the Dark. Yet she must craft peace from all war without quarter, break tradition and betray an oath, all while building the greatest army ever that the forces of Light will overcome impending Dark, while fighting the very Houses she must unite. Reviewed by Vicki Hudson A Memory of Light By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson Tor Books, $34.99, 909 pages Check this out! It’s here. It’s finally here. Rand al’Thor, known as the Dragon Reborn, finally faces the Dark One in the Last Battle in the long-anticipated final volume of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time. It has been twenty years since the first book was published, and while our patience has been tested, I don’t think many fans of this epic series would tell you that it hasn’t been completely worth it. A Memory of Light,

Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 10

a massive 909-page volume, is dedicated to the Last Battle in bloody and glorious detail. The story is told from many points of view, some familiar, some new, which is only fitting because the Last Battle is fought on many different fronts, all of them vitally important to the fate of the world. Rand’s confrontation with the Dark One may be the central component to the plot, but it is not the only one, and it is certainly not the one that gets the most attention from the authors. I don’t want to be giving away any spoilers in this review, but suffice it to say that the forces of the Shadow are attacking, and the forces of Light have allied to fight back. The Age’s great generals have been brought about to command. The Aes Sedai, led by Amyrlin Egwene al’Vere, are lending their mastery of the One Power to the battle, as are the male channelers of the Black Tower. The armies of all nations, including even the invading Seanchan, are adding their strength. Much of this book describes the battle itself: tactics, charges and retreats, victories and defeats. It is frenzied and fast-paced, and the inherent intensity makes A Memory of Light hard to put down for even a moment. As the series progressed, I watched as the story got more complex, more complicated. More and more characters were added, more storylines diverged from the main plot. I loved every minute of it, but, like so many of Jordan’s fans, I wondered how everything could possibly be sorted out by the end. That, perhaps, is one of the most satisfying aspects of A Memory of Light: loose ends have been tied up. The Forsaken. The Seanchan invasion. The divisions within the White Tower. The treachery within the Black Tower. That’s not to say all is cut-anddried. What’s next for the Children of the Light? What of Lan and the Malkieri? How will all the cities that have been destroyed rebuild themselves? These answers are hinted at, leaving just enough uncertainty that readers can be left dreaming of the future. And of course, with this being the Last Battle and all, it is only to be expected that some major characters, people we’ve been reading about and growing with for the entire series, will meet their demise in this novel. That doesn’t make such losses any less painful to read about. Everyone is giving this fight their all, and some of the deaths were like a punch in the gut. I freely admit that I cried on more than one occasion. On the other hand, thank goodness for Mat; his carefree attitude managed to lighten the tone at times without reducing him to the level of pure comic relief. I am not the first to say so, but it bears repeating: Brandon Sanderson, with the assistance of Jordan’s wife, has done an amazing job finishing the series started so long ago. Some parts of this book were written by Jordan himself, who passed away in 2007, and Sanderson’s writing meshes seamlessly with that of his predecessor. A Memory of Light is a fittingly epic conclusion to a fantasy series that many consider one of the best of all time. Reviewed by Holly Scudero

Book Reviews Red Country By Joe Abercrombie Orbit, $25.99, 464 pages Check this out! A woman named Shy South has returned home with her cowardly father-inlaw to find her farm burned and her siblings kidnapped. She swears to track the culprits down. At the same time, a mercenary lawyer named Temple is disgusted with his employer and sets out on his own with a company of angry mercenaries in pursuit. Their journey is the sort that you might expect to emerge from the pen of Joe Abercrombie: a bloody trail that will not leave anyone the same. The fun of this book lies in Abercrombie’s ability to reinvent his characters and his world. This is the same world that host-

ed his previous works, and fans will recognize some familiar characters, even some whose names go unmentioned though they may have grown and changed since their last appearance. The world that previously hosted a fantasy trilogy and a classic revenge story has found in these pages a place to draw inspiration from the classic western genre. The lawless frontier that unfolds throughout the book is as gritty as any that Abercrombie has written, and no one will escape it unscarred. This is fantasy at its best: strong character, action packed, and moving all at once. Reviewed by James Rasmussen

Category

Science Fiction SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Doctor Who: The Wheel of Ice By Stephen Baxter Ace Hardcover, $26.95, 320 pages Check this out! The Doctor is an alien explorer, finding himself in all sorts of misadventures across time and space, accompanied by his faithful human companions Zoe and Jamie. When an anomaly in time brings them to a mining operation set amid the rings of Saturn, the Doctor is immediately intrigued by the mysteries awaiting him. Who is sabotaging the station? Is there any truth to the rumors of blue ghosts roaming about? And what lurks beneath the ice of Mnemosyne?

The Wheel of Ice is an impressive feat, combining a classic sci-fi mystery with the trappings of decades of Doctor Who storylines, and never missing a step. I was totally unfamiliar with the Second Doctor or his companions, and Baxter deftly sheds light on these characters and their past adventures without resorting to obnoxious info dumps. There are numerous little jokes and references for fans of classic Who. Baxter truly manages to thread the needle here, creating an engaging story that feels both innately Doctor Who and serves as a complete standalone novel in its own right. While it takes a little while to put all the pieces in place, the time invested is more than worth it. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas

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BESTSELLERS COMING SOON Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.

The Highway by C.J. Box

When teenagers Danielle and Gracie Sullivan take a clandestine car trip to visit their friend in Montana, little do they know it’s the last time anyone will ever hear from them again. The girls and their car simply vanish. Cody Hoyt, who’s just lost his job and has fallen off the wagon after a long stretch of sobriety, is in no condition to investigate. But his son Justin, who the girls were going to visit, and his former partner, Cassie Dewell, convince him to drive south to their last known location. As Cody makes his way to the remote stretch of Montana highway where the girls went missing, Cassie discovers that there have been scores of similar disappearances in the state. There’s a serial killer out there roaming the highways, and Cody and Cassie must find him before he takes more lives.

Hotshot by Julie Garwood

Peyton Lockhart and her sisters have inherited Bishop’s Cove, a small, luxurious oceanfront resort, but it comes with a condition: The girls must run the resort for one year and show a profit – only then will they own it. A graduate of a prestigious French culinary school, Peyton has just lost her job as a food critic. Out of work and in a bad place personally, a year doing something completely different sounds wonderful. There are countless challenges and too many people who want to stop the sisters from succeeding. Among them are Peyton’s contentious cousins, who are outraged that they didn’t inherit the resort, as well as a powerful group of land developers who have been eyeing the coveted beachfront property. It’s soon apparent to Peyton that their efforts are being sabotaged, but she refuses to let the threats scare her – until she’s nearly killed. She calls on her childhood friend and protector, Finn MacBain, now with the FBI, and asks for his help. He saved her life once; he can do it again.

Mistress

by James Patterson and David Ellis In James Patterson’s scariest, sexiest stand-alone thriller since The Quickie, Ben isn’t like most people. Unable to control his racing thoughts, he’s a man consumed by his obsessions: movies, motorcycles, presidential trivia – and Diana Hotchkiss, a beautiful woman Ben knows he can never have. When Diana is found dead outside her apartment, Ben’s infatuation drives him on a hunt to find out what happened to the love of his life. Ben soon discovers that the woman he pined for was hiding a shocking double life. And now someone is out to stop Ben from uncovering the truth about Diana’s illicit affairs. In his most heart-pumping thriller yet, Patterson plunges us into the depths of a mind tortured by paranoia and obsession, on an action-packed chase through a world of danger and deceit.

The Girls of August

by Anne Rivers Siddons Every August, four women would gather together to spend a week at the beach, renting a new house each year. The ritual began when they were in their 20s and their husbands were in medical school, and became a mainstay of every summer thereafter. Their only criteria was oceanfront and isolation, their only desire to strengthen their far-flung friendships. They called themselves the Girls of August. But when one of the girls dies tragically, the group slowly drifts apart and their vacations together are brought to a halt. Years later, a new marriage reunites them and they decide to come together once again on a remote barrier island off the South Carolina coast. There, far from civilization, the women make startling discoveries that will change them in ways they never expected.

Book Reviews Category

Popular Culture SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Fit: An Architect’s Manifesto By Robert Geddes Princeton University Press, $19.95, 124 pages Check this out! Fit: An Architect’s Manifesto by Robert Geddes is a fit-in-your-front-pocket slim volume that leads the reader through all sorts of discussions. There are times the book seems to meander along a subject. Several pages later, the reader realizes that Geddes has brought us to this particular point and increased our understanding of the subject that, moments before, seemed meandering. Geddes’s point that We are all designers…. Designing means creating, organizing, placing, setting things to achieve a purpose. is strengthened as he focuses on approachable subjects. The author’s depth of understanding as an architect, urbanist, and teacher is illustrated in the topics he approaches, such as fashion, Henry David Thoreau, and the environment. Geddes’s book, incorporating eight pages of color images, is divided into three sections: The Origin of Architecture Is Nature, The Task of Architecture Is Function & Expression, and The Legacy of Architecture Is Form. Geddes, dean emeritus of the Princeton School of Architecture, provides the reader with a look at understanding architecture in relation to society and life. Geddes’s book is for anyone who is interested in the intersection of society and architecture and how it all fits together. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the Kennedys By Kitty Kelley Thomas Dunne Books, $29.99, 229 pages Check this out! Kitty Kelley brings readers back to the Camelot days of President John Fitzgerald while introducing the man behind the images in the book.

Stanley Tretick was a photographer who captured unique images of the Kennedy family. He captures the magic in that Presidency which his widow Jacqueline compared to Camelot after JFK’s assassination. Many of Tretick’s over 200 photographs are ones not seen before by the public. Kelly shares that “Stanley established a warm rapport with JFK … He developed such a good working relationship with Kennedy during the 1960 presidential campaign that he was offered a job at Look …to cover the President, his family, and his administration in an out of the White House, which he did assiduously, producing some of his most memorable work.” Her friendship with the photographer adds a depth to the writing, giving readers an inside look at the man behind the lens of the camera, as well as at the Kennedys he photographed. Where Tretick’s photographs capture an intimate look at the Kennedys, Kelley’s writing shares an intimate look at Tretick while describing his time with the Kennedys. Capturing Camelot will be a collector’s prized possession. Reviewed by Angie Mangino The First Four Notes: Beethoven’s Fifth and the Human Imagination By Matthew Guerrieri Knopf, $26.95, 359 pages Check this out! The first four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony -- Da Da Da Dum -- are now so ubiquitous, that it seems they have come to define the entire symphony. This delightful book takes a tour through the meanings attributed to this work, and especially those first four notes, since its premiere. Beethoven’s Fifth seemed musically revolutionary and was soon conscripted as the theme for both revolutionary and antirevolutionary forces from post-Napoleanic France to World War II. Strange myths have grown up around its inception, some of which have been remarkably resilient in all manner of literary and musical commentaries. The Fifth has been used in victory

campaigns, advertising campaigns, movie themes, and cell phone ring tones and has been used as support for diametrically opposed ideas, frequently at the same time. This book ranges widely, across philosophy, history, music theory, literature and art. The author has carefully researched incidences of Beethoven’s Fifth, which turn up in several surprising places. After following each rabbit trail to completely unanticipated ends, he deftly wraps back around to the beginning; his fun, finely crafted writing is very enjoyable to read. These simple first four notes have had an incredible influence on human culture for the last two hundred years, and still have relevance today. This history is an entertaining journey showing how and why. Reviewed by Gretchen Wagner Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies By Christel Schmidt (editor) University of Kentucky Press, $45.00, 288 pages Check this out! The first thing one notices about the book Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies is its attractiveness. It’s coffee table sized, weighs about six pounds, and has a winsome photo of Mary Pickford on its slick cover. Inside its heavyweight, glossy pages are 244 photos of movie stills, glamour shots, fi lm posters, costumes, and more. It is a book that needs protecting; the use of gloves while turning the pages is recommended. In addition to its luscious photographs, many in color, the content is fascinating. It is biographical but not in the chronological sense. Each section covers a different aspect of Mary and is written by well-known fi lm historians, authors, and critics. The topics include America’s Sweetheart, Mary Pickford’s Use of Costume, A Modern Marriage, and Mary Pickford’s Journey from Breadwinner to Businesswoman. She was a remarkable woman, especially considering the times. After her father died, Mary’s mother was forced to support three young children. All three began acting on the stage, but Mary (real name Gladys Smith) shined. By the age of ten, she was the primary breadwinner. She took it upon herself to save the family from hard times. Along the way, Mary became fascinated by her craft and driven to be the best actress possible. At 15, she stormed Broadway producer David Belasco’s office, insisting that he grant her an interview. When asked by Belasco about her urgent ambition, she replied, “I’m the father of my family and I’ve got to earn all the money I can.” By 17, she had left theater behind and began acting in motion pictures at Biograph studios with renowned director D.W. Griffith. She was one of the first actresses to be recognized by name (at that time, performers were unbilled.) In spite of the overacting

Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 12

of many fi lm actors of the silent era, Mary was considered a talented and naturalistic performer with lots of spunk. She was so beloved that she was dubbed “America’s Sweetheart.” Her popularity lasted well into her 30’s. Although she is often remembered for playing children (while in her 20’s and even 30’s!), she actually played a variety of roles from prostitute to society woman, and she became an astute businesswoman. While still in her 20’s, she became both producer and fi lm distributor. Along with her husband Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, and Griffith, they created their own company, United Artists. Unusual for the era, Fairbanks admired her business sense and independence. Sadly, once talkies came on the scene, Mary was forgotten and even ridiculed by the critics who once praised her. Certain that nobody would be interested in silent fi lms, she withdrew her fi lms from distribution and locked them away, ordering in her will that they be destroyed after her death. Fortunately, the public rediscovered Mary’s fi lms years later, and she donated everything to two institutions. Today, the public can view her fi lms at the Margaret Herrick library in Beverly Hills and at the Library of Congress. Over fifty artifacts from her fi lms are on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. This book is a must-read for both Pickford and silent fi lm fans. Reviewed by Leslie Wolfson The Parent App: Understanding Families in the Digital Age By Lynn Schofield Clark Oxford University Press, $29.95, 291 pages Check this out! Parenting today is completely unlike parenting was in the past. Our culture is constantly connected and the amount of i n for m at ion — a nd challenges—out there are innumerable. It’s not unusual to see ten-year-old children surfing the internet on their smart phones, chatting with their peers, and sharing everything with the online universe on a social networking site. By the age of eleven, ninety five percent of American kids have Internet access. Does this inter-connectedness make life better, or simply more challenging? Where is a parent to turn to make sure they are doing what’s best for their children? In her book The Parent App- Understanding Families in the Digital Age, Author and Associate Professor Lynne Schofield Clark interviewed multiple families of all socioeconomic backgrounds and races and compiled their stories into one fascinating volume. Clark analyzes the strategies different families use when coping with media in their family lives. She tackles a wide

Book Reviews

Popular Culture

MYSTERIES/THRILLERS

COMING SOON

variety of pertinent topics, including technology monitoring, online predators and bullies, social networking, strict versus lax parental rules, and family communication. While written like a text book, Clark’s work is absolutely fascinating once you get into it. After the first few chapters, I couldn’t put it down. We parents often joke that it would be nice if children came with instruction manuals. Now, when it comes to technology use and digital challenges, they just might. Reviewed by Jennifer Melville Portrait Inside My Head: Essays By Phillip Lopate Free Press, $26.00, 292 pages Check this out! The wonder of essay collections, including Portrait Inside My Head: Essays by Phillip Lopate, is that readers are transported into someone else’s head. Or as Lopate, who starts this essay collection with the introduction “In Defense of the Miscellaneous Essay Collection,” writes, “it shows you how a particular mind moves through the world.” As if to prove his point, Lopate divides his collection—with at least five essays per section—into The Family Romance, The Consolations of Daily Life, City Spaces, and Literary Matters. As you traverse Lopate’s perceptive essays, you dip into baseball, “Tea at the Plaza,” his native Brooklyn, fi lms, and James Agee. Lopate’s final piece, “Coda: The Life of the Mind,” draws you in, placing you in his writing space, and you feel his impatience to get to the page and draw you into his mind and through his world. Lopate heads up the graduate nonfiction writing program at Columbia University, edited The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present, and wrote Waterfront, among other works. This is an engaging collection of personal essays. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey Alone in America: The Stories That Matter By Robert A. Ferguson Harvard University Press, $27.95, 296 pages Check this out! Loneliness may be characterized as a state of detachment from the mainstream, whether it be family, country, culture, or the enclosed surroundings. Robert Ferguson, professor of law, literature, and

criticism at Columbia University, has provided a dynamic analysis of the forces engendering isolation in familiar characters plucked from American fiction. Within ten engrossing chapters, he portrays the protagonists along with their failures, defeats, fears, losses, breakdowns, changes... those elements that are termed ‘the lords of life’ and depicts how they respond to these pressures. Hawthorne’s classics as well as Washington Irving’s mythic Rip Van Winkle are dissected to illustrate how culture molds behavior. Louisa May Alcott and Mark Twain cover literature and manners of the young. Edith Wharton and Henry James have their complex characters scrutinized. Feeling isolated in the new world, the immigrant saga portrays the tension of not belonging. Especially stirring for this reader is the chapter on racial discrimination, using the works of Faulkner and Toni Morrison. Who are more alone than the old, and Saul Bellow describes this aspect of aging and death. Follow through with Walt Whitman and the rejection of his poetry throughout his life. For those who love literature, the insight provided by this vibrant review of American classics with a view of the culture influencing actions and behavior will excite the literature lover. Reviewed by Aron Row

Exclamation Mark, cont’d from page 8 clamation mark with a flurry of questions driving exclamation mark to assert himself. “STOP!” Exclamation mark surprises himself: “He didn’t know he had it in him.” First tentatively trying on a “Hi!”, then a bigger “Howdy!”, then an even bigger “Wow!”, exclamation mark realizes his potential to add feeling to words. No longer confused, flummoxed, and deflated, exclamation mark is off to make his mark. With a clever design of short sentences on a background of lined handwriting paper, this book hits the mark. Tongue and cheek throughout, it begins with a melancholy tone. Once our hero discovers his gift for making words more exciting, the words dance on the page in a colorful spray of elation: “there was much exclaiming” among the punctuation marks. Finding one’s way is indeed cause for much exclaiming. This book serves as a reminder to kids and adults alike that we each have strengths worth celebrating. Reviewed by Africa Hands

Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 13

TO TULSA CITY-COUNTY LIBRARY Search the library’s catalog at http://tulsalibrary.org to reserve your copies now.

Eleven Little Piggies

by Elizabeth Gunn Chief of Detectives Jake Hines’ new-parent nightmares about an impending ecological disaster on a Minnesota farm have a deadly real twist. Forced to choose between the land they love and the easy money they’d get if they sold it to sand miners for oil drilling, a hard-working Minnesota farm family resorts to loud family fights. But when the body of the best farmer of the group is found in the trees behind the field where Hines is hunting geese on his day off, the discussion becomes deadly serious.

Marbeck and the Double-Dealer

by John Pilkington A new century, 1600, dawns in this new historical series. War with Spain has dragged on for 15 years, the conflict in Ireland for six. Unease stalks England in the dying years of Elizabeth I’s reign, and Elizabethan intelligencer Martin Marbeck is bored. Then a message from his spymaster, Sir Robert Cecil, arrives: The existence of a spy has been discovered, code-named Morera, and Marbeck must uncover the true identity of this traitor quickly, before rumors of the young King Philip III forming a new Armada prove themselves to be true.

Blood, Ash and Bone

by Tina Whittle After her exboyfriend shows up while she is trying to take a break from the detective business, Tai Randolph tries to unravel a 150-year-old mystery that has ties to a modern-day killer.

The Tamarack Murders

by Patrick F. McManus Bo Tully, sheriff of Blight County, Idaho, has seen his share of small-town crime. But when he and his deputy hike into the deep woods, tracking a suspected bank robber, little do they realize that they are about to witness a murder and that, in turn, will lead the sheriff on an intricate trail, a series of twists and turns demanding his utmost attention and keenest crime-solving abilities.

Fear in the Sunlight

by Nicola Upson Summer 1936: Josephine Tey joins her friends in the resort village of Portmeirion to celebrate her 40th birthday. Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, are there to sign a deal to film Josephine’s novel, A Shilling for Candles, and Alfred Hitchcock has one or two tricks up his sleeve to keep the holiday party entertained – and expose their deepest fears. But things get out of hand when one of Hollywood’s leading actresses is brutally slashed to death in a cemetery near the village. The following day, fear and suspicion take over in a setting where nothing – and no one – is quite what it seems.

Jackson Park by

Charlotte Carter It is the spring of 1968. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the city of Chicago is a powder keg ready to explode. Against this tense backdrop, there is Woodson and Ivy Lisle, an elegant couple living in a shabby chic apartment hotel in Cook County’s Hyde Park. Both are proud patriarchs of a large, extended family, which includes their 20-yearold grandniece, Cassandra, a college student standing at the crossroads – and on the brink of a troubling mystery involving the missing granddaughter of an old family friend.

Book Reviews

pounds in the first two weeks. The remainder of the book helps you to develop healthy eating habits and to eradicate the unhealthy ones. The very first table is a quick reference guide in which you can quickly find whatever you are looking for in the book. At the end you will find menu suggestions and a complete calorie intake per serving size of most foods. This is a superb diet book. Reviewed by George Erdosh

Old ways of operating parallel with this new way of doing things. The remaining five chapters elaborate on how to hone these five skills, with practical examples to help readers tailor the suggestions to their own lives. Following the conclusion are 101 productivity strategies that concisely emphasize ways to become productive via activity management. Reviewed by Angie Mangino

erers who roamed the plains and forests, eking out a subsistence existence, had relatively few diseases or other health issues. If one looks to them for guidance, one will understand where Mikki Reilly, a personal trainer, came up with her thesis for improving strength and health over all: live the Paleo lifestyle like a caveman. No, one doesn’t have to literally live in a cave or roam through the land hunting for mammoths, but one must eat a diet high in protein and good fats and low in carbohydrates while getting a good amount of vigorous, strength-building exercise. Reilly’s book is less daunting than some of the Paleo books on the market today. The layout is inviting and her real-life examples of people’s success in following her program are inspiring. Clear photographs and instructions for exercises along with daily meal plans and recipes make it easy to find one’s own success. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck

The Unapologetic Fat Girl’s Guide to Exercise and Other Incendiary Acts By Hanne Blank Ten Speed Press, $14.99, 224 pages Check this out! It isn’t easy being fat, but for many, it’s a fact of life. You can choose to hide and do nothing about feeling stodgy and slow, or you can choose to find ways to get some exercise and look and feel better about yourself. Maybe you will do it on your own or find a partner or join a class. Maybe you want to be outdoors or maybe just stay home. Yes, you can even get some exercise while you are sitting in front of the television. What kind of clothes do you need, and where can a fat girl get them? How do you deal with letting others see you flailing around? Do you really have to give it 110 percent? Heck, no. You can do pretty well with only eighty percent and still feel good about yourself. Blank even provides a list of 101 things you can do to get a little exercise, such as scratching your own back or playing tug-of-war with a dog or painting your toenails. They all count because you are moving and stretching burning up some calories. This sometimesirreverent and often humorous approach will be a real blessing to fat girls everywhere. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck

The Mayo Clinic Diet By Mayo Clinic (corporate author) Good Books, $17.95, 270 pages Check this out! Having seven highly qualified authors and their combined talent to collaborate on a diet book is one enormous step to produce a first class volume. Being part of the staff of the famed Mayo Clinic adds further to its weight. The Mayo Clinic Diet is a beautifully produced, profusely illustrated book focusing to motivate you on your weight loss and to keep you motivated for a lifetime for the same goal. This large trade paperback is of high-quality production and consists of three major parts (shorter chapters within): Lose It!, Live It! and All the Extra Stuff. The book is fi lled with easily understandable tables, charts (“What’s your BMI?”) and many informative and helpful sidebars. The first part assures you that you can take off six to ten

Attack Your Day!: Before It Attacks You By Mark Woods and Trapper Woods FT Press, $19.99, 200 pages Check this out! When is a time management book not a traditional time management book? When the focus is on managing the activities rather than the time. Attack Your Day! Before It Attacks You offers a simple, practical guide to increasing productivity by focusing on activities instead of on the clock. Immediately, in chapter one, the authors explain to readers that each day offers three gifts: time, energy, and choice. Time is there to do activities, energy is essential to do them, and choice is the ability to decide which activities to do. Right up front they share the five skills of activity management: choosing, tracking, arranging, flexicuting (a word they coined to mean adapting to changes without letting them throw you), and focusing on activities.

Fast Minds: How to Thrive if You Have ADHD (Or Think You Might) By Craig Surman, Tim Bilkey, Karen Weintraub Berkley, $25.95, 352 pages Check this out! FAST MINDS is an acronym for Forgetful, Achieving below potential, Stuck in a rut, Time challenged, Motivationally challenged, Impulsive, Novelty seeking, Distractible, Scattered, and it couldn’t be any closer to the truth. As an adult sufferer of ADHD, I have spent my entire lifetime struggling with the vast majority of these symptoms and, for the most part, it is not fun. It’s tiring, emotionally and physically draining, frustrating, and often causes a lot of rifts in both my personal and professional life. I have never been professionally diagnosed, but the awareness of it has been there since my teens and I have done my best to cope with it on my own, avoiding the Western medicinal approaches to ADHD. Now my own nine-year-old daughter is having the exact same difficulties in life and I have reached out for help, as I don’t want her to go through the struggles I still deal with on a daily basis. While the thought of medicating my child was always taboo, being open with her doctor and sharing my feelings have brought us to a halfdose regimen and life coach therapy each week to help her channel herself in the best ways. This book was empowering from page one to the last, and I found myself asking the book itself where it has been the past thirty years when I needed it most. With checklists, questions, and a plethora of information, this book is a must have for all parents, educators, and therapists alike. Reviewed by Kim Heimbuch

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Mind & Body Fitness SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Energy Healing: The Essentials of SelfCare By Ann Marie Chiasson Sounds True, $16.95, 328 pages Check this out! We live in a time when previously unchallenged thoughts and ideas are more likely to be examined with an open mind. New and different perspectives look back and embrace ancient medical concepts. In Energy Healing: Essentials of Self-care, Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson leads the reader to a basic understanding of the energy which surrounds us. Based on the concept that good health depends on a merger of the physical, emotional and mental, the reader receives indepth explanations of the types of energy available for self-healing. Chaisson maintains that all of us are connected to a unified energy field flowing throughout the universe. This energy- the shamanic field- is a unified field of awareness that determines what information we have access to, concerning our health. Using anecdotal stories, and in-depth explanations, Chiasson provides examples of self-healing practices and photographic examples to show proper healing techniques. At the end of the book is a list of health issues with recommended healing practices for pain, specific illnesses and conditions, including depression, heart disease, hypertension, respiratory problems, TMJ, viral illnesses and women’s reproductive health. The novice healer will be rewarded with greatly increased appreciation and understanding of how to harness energy for health and wholeness. Reviewed by Alicia Latimer Your Primal Body: The Paleo Way to Living Lean, Fit, and Healthy at Any Age By Mikki Reilly Da Capo Lifelong Books, $17.99, 240 pages Check this out! An aging population wracked with heart disease, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, and other health problems should be a clarion call to all to examine how we eat and how we live. Our long-ago ancestors, hunter-gath-

Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 14

Book Reviews Category

Cookbooks SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

Pati’s Mexican Table: The Secrets of Real Mexican Home Cooking By Pati Jinich Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $30.00, 288 pages Forget everything you ever learned about Mexican cooking at the hands of Americanized pseudo-Mexican restaurants: this book is the real deal. Fresh, simple, and bursting with the flavor and originality of Mexico, this book is a thorough primer on Mexican cooking, and the home of many recipes that Americans and Mexicans alike have been hankering to make. Based on the hit TV show of the same name, recipes are designed to astound and please. Aside from an affectionate in-

troduction from the authoress and a closing index, there are ten chapters divided by food group: Salsas, Pickles and Guacamole set the foundation from which many recipes begin. We move on through Salads (try Avocado and Hearts of Palm: “No one who has tried it ... has left without the recipe”), Soups, Anytime Vegetarian, Seafood, Poultry, Meat, and Sides. The Desserts chapter introduces us to the concept of frequent but small helpings of sweets to satisfy the desire for dulce, and a chapter on drinks closes the book on a refreshing and exciting note. Lime and Mint Water or Spiced Sweet Mexican Coffee will satisfy guests sitting down to a helping of your Chunky Poblano and Tomato Salsa, Grilled Cheese and Bean Heroes, or Picadillo Empanadas with Charro Beans and Red Rice! Bring the adventure of Mexican cooking alive in your own kitchen! Reviewed by Andrea Huehnerhoff

the politics that have sabotaged American superiority in the field, Taylor proves himself more than capable of leading the next space revolution. With strong opinions about defense against comet and asteroid incursions, the resurrection of SETI, and a plan for Mars, he offers an engaging read and a manifesto all at once. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Angst: Origins of Anxiety and Depression By Jeff rey P. Kahn Oxford University Press, $34.95, 294 pages Check this out! The age of anxiety was formally heralded in 1948 by poet W. H. Auden. Angst takes a much more scientific and in-depth look at this malady. Anyone who has ever felt their heart race and panic overwhelm them knows the helplessness that is engendered. Knowledge is power, and Dr. Kahn has detailed all aspects of this disorder in a very readable book. Dr. Kahn traces the evolutionary aspects of our biology and chemistry. For example, early man may have heard a bush rustle: is it potential food or a predator? Obviously, in these situations tentative exploration is a good thing. There are these types of uncertainties in our world causing stress, anxiety, depression, and other ailments. Traits that

may have assured our ancestor’s survival are still with us and may unaccountably run on hyper drive. Dr. Kahn lists six such instincts and their origins. The good news is that humans are uniquely able to override biological instructions. Surprisingly, Angst is a very readable and entertaining book on a fascinating subject. Dr. Kahn is a witty and clear writer whose vast clinical experience provides credibility on this subject. Reviewed by Julia McMichael

Category

Nature & Science SNAP IT for additional book summaries.

A New American Space Plan By Travis Taylor, Stephanie Osborn Baen, $15.00, 218 pages Check this out! America may have won the Space Race, but in the long term, we’ve fallen way behind in the Greater Space Race. The Space Marathon? Okay, that’s not a perfect metaphor, but it’ll do. Anyway, we’ve mothballed the space shuttle, tossed aside five years of Bush-motivated development on a new extraplanetary platform, and essentially ceded the future of space exploration and study to the Chinese, the Russians, and other nations. Thankfully, Travis Taylor has a plan to restore America to

the vanguard of spacebased innovation. A New American Space Plan is a perfect kick in the pants for both astronomy enthusiasts and those who’ve lost interest in the final frontier. Taylor’s drive, amateur know-how, and undeniable, infectious enthusiasm are on marvelous display here, as he talks a better game than any politician in progress’s way. With a thoroughly impressive grasp of both the history of space exploration and

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Tulsa Book Review • April 2013 • 15

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Visit and use your Tulsa City-County Library card to download up to three free songs a week into your iTunes account or to your smartphone, PC, Mac or any other MP3 music player.

đ Choose from 3 million songs and more than 10,000 music labels, including Sony Music. đ Download selections in a high-quality, DRM-free MP3 format. đ Find new songs and music labels added weekly. đ Keep songs forever!

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