Sacramento Book Review - November 2010

Sacramento

Nov 2010 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3

Book Review F R E E

NEW AND OF INTEREST

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Fannie’s Last Supper: Re-creating One Amazing Meal from Fannie Farmer’s 1896 Cookbook Moderately written, but chockfull of good information Page 10

The New Connoisseurs’ Guidebook to California Wine and Wineries

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An enchanted Christmas in the land of enchantment, New Mexico!

By Susan Weber Gibbs Smith, $19.99, 96 pages New Mexico is known as the land of enchantment, and Santa Fe, the state capitol, has always held a culturally rich aura, steeped in tradition, and a unique blend of ethnic flavors. Author Susan Topp Weber has put together a wonderful reference book to entice travelers to venture to the 400 year old city for a delightful and diverse holiday experience. Weber gives a good account of the history of Santa Fe, and an explanation of the mix of descendants of the original Spanish colonists and the indigenous Pueblo Indians. This book is filled with gorgeous full color pictures and one gets a real sense

of the flavor of the festivities that start with the Thanksgiving weekend and run through New Years. Readers will even find a recipe for Biscochitos, New Mexico’s “State Cookie”! Weber has really done her homework, and includes website addresses and phone numbers for various businesses so travelers can get all the latest information on various events to make the most of a holiday visit.

For visitors interested in seeing a pueblo dance, there are events outside of Santa Fe city limits, where visitors can brave the winter winds and watch the dancers and listen See SANTA FE, page 5

Must-have for professionals and enthusiasts Page 14

301 Ways To Use Social Media To Boost Your Marketing Plug in to profit Page 17

The Transformation of Things A predictable look at suburban life Page 24

92 Reviews INSIDE!

Art, Architecture & Children’s Books Photography How To Read World History In Art

By Burkhard Schwetje & Flavio Febbraro Abrams, $35.00, 391 pages From the Code of Hammurabi to John Trumbull’sThe Declaration of Independence to Jack Whitten’s 9.11.01, co-writers Flavio Febbaro and Burkhard Schwetje embark on a labyrinthian journey into the history of the world through art. Rather than focusing on famous masters like Manet, Goya, Picasso and Warhol, this book offers a detailed glimpse of anonymous works of art while examining the complex relationship between art and history and the way art retells and reinterprets significant historical moments.

In How To Read World History in Art the authors explain how works by Jacques Louis David, the ‘official’ French Revolution painter came to symbolize specific historical episodes while works like Salvador Dali’s The Face of War, a hideous face surrounded by angry snakes, depicts a radically changed world during the Second World War. They pay close attention to the era of militant art, art that glorified political and social changes in progress. Art influences the way we look back at history and how various works of art depicting the same event can be seen from contrasting perspectives. An engaging read for history buffs and art critics alike.

Reviewed by Wendy Iraheta Cottage and Cabin

By Linda Leigh Paul Universe, $35.00, 333 pages Linda Leigh Paul presents the best of the North American cottages and cabins that have been featured in several of her previous books. These 40 dwellings run the gamut from a tiny one-room retreat on a postagestamp lot to an assemblage of structures that work together as one that sits 200 feet from the high tide shore of the Pacific Ocean. Each of the dwellings embodies the notion of retreat from the busyness of weekday life. There are exterior and interior photographs along with a drawing of the layout or floor plan. A thoughtfully written biography accompanies each example. Often the scenery is so spectacular that the interior tends to be on the simple side. After all, why not let Mother Nature be the decorator? It’s no surprise

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that the West Coast is heavily represented given the spectacular scenery we sometimes take for granted. Categories are used to divide the book by setting (woodland, coastal, island and lakeside). The publisher, Rizzoli, is renowned for lush, high quality picture books. Cottage and Cabin lives up to the reader’s expectations.

The book would make a lovely present and comes well recommended.

Reviewed by Ruta Arellano Sophie Crumb: Evolution of a Crazy Artist

By S. Crumb and R. Crumb, editors Norton, $27.95, 279 pages Sophie Crumb never knew a day without art, being the daughter of the famous Robert Crumb; she began drawing at the age of two. Her parents Robert and Aline, being artists themselves and incredibly proud parents, kept the majority of Sophie’s drawings until Sophie began using sketchbooks. Sophie Crumb: Evolution of a Crazy Artist is a compilation of drawings from toddler to adulthood, intended to give the viewer a feeling of growth and understanding of the artist herself.

Once you move past the childlike drawings, which are no different from any other toddler’s creations, the majority of the book is filled with drawings expressing the frustrations and hormonal swings of your typical young adult. This is not a book you should leave lying around for children to see. It is full of drawings heavily influenced by sexual desires, drug-induced weekends, and the violent visions of the immature adult.

Certainly followers of Sophie will truly embrace this book; however, personally I think it was about twenty-five years too soon. Though the technique of the craft certainly developed as Sophie matured, her sketchbooks of the next couple of decades would surely show the woman that Sophie is today and the true Evolution of a Crazy Artist.

Reviewed by Doreen Erhardt

You are the Best Medicine

By Julie Aigner Clark with illustration by Jana Christy Balzer + Bray, $16.99, 32 pages Cancer survivor Julie Aigner Clark writes a gentle story letting children know that sharing their love is one of the best things for a person with cancer. In this story the author recounts the many ways their child’s love helped her cope with cancer treatments. Her opening lines set a sweetness carried throughout the story: “When I tell you I have cancer, I will be sad. I will be sad because I am sick, but I will be happy because it is not a sickness that you can catch from me, and so you can still kiss me and hug me and love me.” Clark artfully clarifies what cancer is and isn’t and reassures a child that they will not ‘catch’ it. Woven into the mother’s memories, are suggestions a child can do to help, like, “’…bring me tea with honey and … sit with me and tell me stories of your day.” Clark also speaks of the future “... happy times we are going to have together tomorrow, and the day after that and the day after that.” You Are the Best Medicine is a comforting story for both child and parent. 100% of the author’s proceeds from the book will go to cancer research.

“When I tell you I have cancer, I will be sad. I will be sad because I am sick, but I will be happy because it is not a sickness that you can catch from me, and so you can still kiss me and hug me and love me.”

Reviewed by Susan Roberts

The Berenstain Bears’ Computer Trouble

By Jan Berenstain, Mike Berenstain HarperFestival, $10.99, 33 pages This latest in the Berenstain Bears’ books about computers offers children 3 to 7 years a valuable lesson in a fun way, making it a worthwhile addition to every child’s bookcase; adults will also enjoy reading this.

Computers have their uses- they’re great for work or play. But it’s not a good idea just to stare at them all day!

Stan & Jan Berenstain began writing their famous bears’ books in 1962 with over 300 books in the series. Stan died in 2005 and now son Mike joins his mother, allowing Jan to continue the series that has been not only a family writing tradition, but the delight of many generations of children.

In Computer Trouble, the bear family finds themselves absorbed in their computers, spending more time in front of the screen, instead of outdoors or talking with the family. While not discouraging computer use, this story does stress the need for limits and gives children a reasonable solution to a problem that has a way of silently creeping into family life for both adults and children alike.

The illustrations, as usual, capture children’s imagination as they highlight the text. The last page lists Brother and Sister Bears’ eight Internet rules for cubs that serve as a gentle reminder to children of the need for online safety.

Reviewed by Angie Mangino See CHILDREN’S, page 4

Music & Movies Tale as Old as Time: The Art and Making of Beauty and the Beast

By Charles Solomon Disney Editions, $40.00, 176 pages Having been pretty much raised a Disney fan, I absolutely love coming across books like Tale as Old as Time: The Art and Making of Beauty and the Beast. This beautiful book contains preliminary drawings of the characters, as well as behind-the-scenes accounts from the sound booth. One of the most interesting parts of the book is the history of the tale of Beauty and the Beast and how cultures all over the world have dif-

ferent versions of the story. Walt Disney had wanted this to become a film but couldn’t quite figure out how to depict the story. He had become heavily involved in projects such as theme parks and live-animation films as opposed to the traditional animated films for which he became famous. This book is rich with the kind of information you won’t find elsewhere.

With the recent release of Beauty and the Beast on BluRay, this will be an excellent companion book. Charles Solomon’s Tale as Old as Time: The Art and Making of Beauty and the Beast will make a wonderful addition to any Disney fan’s coffee table or bookshelf.

Reviewed by Jennifer LeBrun

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Sacramento

Book Review 1776 Productions LLC 1215 K Street, 17th Floor Sacramento, CA 95814 Ph. 877.913.1776 info@1776productions.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Ross Rojek ross@1776productions.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kaye Cloutman kaye.cloutman@1776productions.com GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Heidi Komlofske heidi.komlofske@1776productions.com Rowena Manisay COPY EDITORS Joe Atkins Megan Just Lori Miller Megan Roberts Sky Sanchez-Fischer EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Jen LeBrun Mary Komlofske WEBSITE/SOCIAL NETWORKING/ APP DEVELOPMENT Ariel Berg Gwen Stackler DISTRIBUTION Sacramento Distribution Service ADVERTISING SALES larry.lefrancis@1776productions.com

IN THIS ISSUE Art, Architecture & Photography................... 2 Children’s....................................................... 2 Music & Movies............................................... 2 Biographies & Memoirs.................................. 5 Mystery, Crime & Thrillers............................. 6 Romance......................................................... 7 Sequential Art................................................ 8 Expanded Cooking, Food & Wine............... 9-14 Young Adult.................................................. 15 Science & Nature.......................................... 16 Relationships & Sex...................................... 16 Humor-NonFiction....................................... 17 Business & Investing.................................... 17 Historical Fiction.......................................... 18 Religion........................................................ 19 Travel........................................................... 19

The Sacramento 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 Sacramento Book Review or Sacramento Book Review advertisers. All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders. All words © 2010, 1776 Productions LLC

Subscriptions Send $18.00 for 12 monthly issues to 1776 Productions, 1215 K Street, 17th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814.

FROM THE EDITOR Well, the Holiday season is upon us, and in the book world that means two things: plenty of new cookbooks and holiday coffee-table books. For November, we’re focusing on the former, with our Cooking, Food & Wine insert. Some great books to choose from, practical guides to cooking and some books more designed for looking at and reading. Plenty of new wine books to choose from as well, guides to local and regional wines and wineries. Associate editor (and Book-It columnist), Kaye Cloutman has a two-page Food and Wine Report.

Next month will be our annual Holiday gift guide with plenty of book suggestions for almost everyone on your gift list.

We probably can’t help you with the ones who don’t like books, but we’ll do our best.

The latest Audible Authors (audibleauthors.net) interview is with Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He talks about writing the latest book in the series //The Ugly Truth//, where Greg starts trying to figure out puberty and takes a health education class. And in the style of the previous books, Jeff has plenty of art and situations for adults and kids alike. You can also listen to the interview through the free Kids Book Review App on the iPhone.

Also in this issue of the Sacramento Book Review, and online weekly at SacramentoBookReview.com is a new column written by writers, about writing. The Column is called “The Back Page” and an article included in this month’s print issue is “Does Publishing A Book Make You an Author?” by Susan Henderson, author of //Up From the Blue//. We hope you enjoy learning some about the book writing process from the other side of the business.

Self-Help....................................................... 19

Thanks again for picking us up. Let us know if you any comments at – info@1776productions.com.

Poetry & Short Stories.................................. 20

Happy reading,

Science Fiction & Fantasy............................ 21

Ross Rojek —Editor-in-Chief ross@1776productions.com 1776 Productions

Tweens......................................................... 22 History......................................................... 23 Modern Literature........................................ 24

Coming Up...

Don’t miss our ever-popular Holiday Gift Guide in the December issue.

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Children’s Books Claude Monet: The Painter Who Stopped the Trains

By P. I. Maltbie, Jos. A. Smith Abrams Books for Young Readers, $18.95, 32 pages The name Claude Monet calls to mind many images — water lilies, Japanese bridges, dappled light on water. Arguably the most famous of the Impressionists, Monet cultivated his technique at a time when such a style was highly unfashionable; critics considered it unrefined compared to the precise, realistic work popular at that time.

But Claude Monet focuses on a little-known incident that breathes new vibrancy into Monet’s biography.

When Monet’s friend, the artist Gustave Caillebotte, invites him to be part of a large exhibition in Paris, Monet decides to find a new subject — something that will appeal to the masses and lead to healthy sales. Recalling his young son’s excitement over trains, Monet negotiates with the director of the Saint-Lazare train station to set up his easel on the train platform — and even delay the trains’ departures so he would have ample time to capture the light.

His train paintings are a great success.

With detailed watercolor illustrations that hew closely to life in Monet’s day, this book provides a brief, lively introduction to a painter who young readers may already have encountered. It is a welcome opportunity to gain insight into the man behind the water lilies.

Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell

Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix

By Gary Golio Clarion Books, $16.99, 32 pages Before Jimi Hendrix became a superstar, he was a young boy living in Seattle with his father, who had a hard time keeping a job. Hendrix found inspiration in the world around him, and he used his artistic talent, vivid imagination and love for music to escape the streets of Seattle and transform himself into a legendary guitarist.

Introducing Jimi Hendrix to a new generation unaware of his legendary status takes courage, creativity and a wise approach. Author Gary Golio has successfully taken on the task, and he keeps both reader and audience coming back for more.

Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow is a book that will keep music loving children listening attentively and creative minds will run wild. Through Golio’s almost lyrical storyline, changing fonts and upsidedown writing, it feels as if Hendrix’s music comes alive through the pages.

Javaka Steptoe’s plywood and mixed media illustrations are unique and dramatic, and they complement the expressive storyline and add extra dimensions to Golio’s writing.

As the story ends, an abrupt transformation takes place and leads the reader into reality when the author’s note provides a look into Hendrix’s substance use and his untimely death.

Reviewed by J Rodney

The Church Mouse

By Graham Oakley Kane/Miller Book Publishers, $16.99, 34 pages The Church Mouse has endured for several decades as one of the most renowned children’s books of all time—one that surely every so often is slid out of a stack of wellworn favorites. Oakley’s witty, deliciously smarmy prose, paired with bright, beautiful drawings, makes this classic one of the very best. This new edition enhances the drawings and while keeping true to the original, updates it for the next few generations. This new version will also, hopefully, spark awareness in the U.S. where it is relatively unheard of. Although the themes of the book have repeatedly cropped up in children’s books long before, Oakley manages to establish the simple lesson of tolerance while giving the reader an opportunity to giggle (a refreshing change from the monotony of the newer children’s books), and yes, you will. This is recommended to all ages: old, young, or teen. It is a guaranteed enjoyment.

Reviewed by Sophie Masri

The Complete Adventures of Curious George: 70th Anniversary Edition

By H. A. Rey HMH Books, $29.99, 422 pages Many people have either grown up reading or having their parents share Curious George with them at some point. He is a timeless character with a lasting lesson, a curious little monkey that sometimes gets into trouble, but in the end learns his lesson and does a good deed. This collection binds all of his adventures into one hard back book, along with two audio CDs. While on the road you can put the CD into your car stereo and you and your little ones can listen to the adventures of Curious George. We get to know George as he learns to read, a plus for kids just learning the alphabet. He then learns to ride a bike, but gets into trouble and joins the circus.

From there he gets a job but his curiosity gets him into trouble there, as well. This is for all the little, and big, kids that like to be curious. It has been 70 years; the messages are enduring and will remain so for many years to come.

Reviewed by Kevin Winter

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Biographies & Memoirs A Journey: My Political Life

By Tony Blair Knopf, $35.00, 699 pages Tony Blair’s introduction to the American edition of his memoir defines the word ‘politician.’ So captivating, one is tempted to ignore the rest of the book but then bask in the realization that his personality and charm will illuminate the pages that follow. A Journey is a compelling tale. Blair’s hegemony as Britain’s prime minister covered a period of substantial issues, none more telling than his role in 9/11 and, perhaps more lastingly, his continued belief in war being the safest way to quell global terrorism.

For American readers, his foreign policy may be more captivating than the domestic issues though these are at such variance with American politics that they present a distinctive perspective on leadership. With diplomatic words for all recent American presidents, Bill Clinton alone ranks a grade of A-plus.

Self-effacement is not a term in Blair’s vocabulary, but his deft writing and humor tone down likely criticism of brashness. One note jars: his referring to American politicos by their first names. Brits don’t speak this way. The book is a cathartic personal vindication. Unlike many other tell-all political books, it is very entertaining as well as instructive.

Reviewed by Jane Manaster The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse

By Jennifer Ouellette Penguin (Non-Classics), $15.00, 318 pages The Calculus Diaries is indeed about calculus, but it is presented with the perfect mix of humor, mellow good nature, and sincere empathy for those of us with deeply ingrained math anxieties. Like any good teacher, Ouellete takes a dry, intimidating subject and turns it into something intriguing and relatable. She openly admits to her own former loathing of math and includes the reader on a journey into the unknown, coming out with a new perspective of how calculus works.

“There is no such thing as ghosts creeping up behind me on the stairs, but there is such a thing as a polynomial monster, and it has hooked teeth and causes chronic yeast infections, I’m sure.”

The title pretty much spells it out; zombie attack, shooting craps, and weight loss are covered. The weight loss chapter, “Body Heat,” is applicable immediately. Google the Harris-Benedict equation, plug in your numbers, and find the exact caloric intake number that will drop those last ten pounds.

If I were to change anything, it would be to take the equations that were purposely placed in the back of the book and bring them right into the text. The author did this to keep readers reading instead of calculating, but to actually apply the math while reading would have made for a richer, real time experience. Even if you have no intention of taking calculus or even learning one equation, this book is an entertaining read.

Reviewed by Stacy Kuning Secretariat’s Meadow

By Kate Chenery Tweedy, Leeanne Meadows Ladin Dementi Milestone Publishing, $29.95, 160 pages Here is a heartwarming overview of a racing dynasty that produced one of, if not the most famous thoroughbred racing horse of all time – Secretariat. This coffee tablesized, visually appealing book focuses on the history of the Chenery family and their meadow, the Virginia breeding farm where many top thoroughbreds got their start.

From the Civil War-era to the 1970s when Secretariat became their Triple Crown winner, the stories and photos of the family and their farm are unique and fascinating, sure to appeal to history buffs, horse breeders, and just plain horse lovers everywhere. One enlightening chapter is devoted to the African-American stable hands who did everything from mucking out stalls to training the colts, to working as exercise jockeys, to handling valuable breeding stallions (often not an easy task), and finally, to being head groom and companion to the big red horse that captured not only a nation, but the world. For those readers, like me, who can’t get enough of the big, chestnut horse, you may be disappointed at the dearth of photos of Secretariat himself, as he was not only one of the great legends of all time, but he was a hell of a magnificent looking stallion!

“In the end, it was the land that made them all. This land, rooted deeply in our souls, a land that gave the world a peerless horse with an enormous heart, will always be Secretariat’s Meadow.”

Going to Windward: A Mosbacher Family Memoir

By Robert A. Mosbacher Sr., James G. McGrath TAMU Press, $30.00, 336 pages Before there was Facebook, there were charismatic individuals who were on a first name basis – thus “real friends” – of many in high places. Kings, prime ministers, and presidents were on the friends list of Robert A. Mosbacher Sr., who spent most of his life in Houston. His father Emil was a highly regarded financier on Wall Street when operations were held on the curb outside the stock exchange. Emil never forgot the lessons he learned there, and quickly imparted them to his sons, who followed his example throughout their adult lives. Robert was one of the more competitive men of our time. In fact, he frequently played hardball when the rest of the players engaged in softball.

He never cheated, although he might have gone right to the edge of legal and/or proper.

He meant to win – and win, he did. At every level of every endeavor he ever attempted.

He won in sailing, over a great expanse of years, qualifying as an alternate for two Olympics, but then declined the position. He won impressively in larger as well as smaller boats, thus meeting many of the crowned heads of Europe. He won in oil exploration in Texas and the rest of the world, founding a large energy company – Mosbacher Energy – which kept itself afloat while Enron went down the drain. Mosbacher provides the most cogent explanation for this collapse in his fascinating book.

And, finally, he won (most of the time) in politics, when he became the principal fund-raiser for long-time friend, George Herbert Walker Bush, otherwise known as POTUS – #41. (The other Bush president is #43.) Because of his business successes, Mosbacher was named to the Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce, where, among other things, he helped create NAFTA, and then worked with President Clinton to get it put into effect.

Years later, he came out of retirement to work for John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. Along the way, he volunteered for several charitable institutions in Houston and elsewhere. He will not soon be forgotten.

Going to Windward is a sailing metaphor for using the wind to get where you’re going. Bob Mosbacher did that with brio! This Mosbacher Family Memoir was written with James G. McGrath, and is almost impossible to put down.

Reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz The Last Hunter: An American Family Album

By Will Weaver Borealis Books, $24.95, 192 pages Novelist Will Weaver reminisces on his life as a hunter and on what that aspect of his life means to him in The Last Hunter, a thoughtful examination of nature, sport, and family. Weaver, a Minnesotan, has earned much praise over the years for his writing, which includes several novels and short story collections. The Last Hunter itself feels a bit like a collection of personal stories. Though it seems to take a few chapters for Weaver to get his footing, once settled in this introspective memoir is both evocative and thought provoking.

Through the lens of his life as a hunter, Weaver examines his relationships with his father, with nature, and with his children. He explores how his life as a hunter has affected other facets of his world as an outdoorsman, writer, husband, and father. He shares his surprise when his children express no interest in hunting, breaking a tradition generations in the making.

At a time when so many of us are finally realizing that meat doesn’t magically appear in the grocery story on a Styrofoam tray wrapped in cellophane, Weaver’s reflections on hunting seem especially timely and poignant. Regardless of one’s position on hunting, The Last Hunter is an intriguing tale, richly drawn in deep detail.

Reviewed by Kelli Christiansen

SANTA FE, cont’d from page 1 to the drums and singing. There are a number of pueblo settlements, perhaps the best known being Taos, all within an easy driving distance from Santa Fe. Reviewed by Laura Friedkin

Reviewed by Christina Forsythe

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Mystery, Crime & Thriller Between Summer’s Longing and Winter’s End: The Story of a Crime

By Leif G.W. Persson Pantheon, $27.95, 551 pages Crime profiler and author Leif Persson was adviser to his country’s Department of Justice 25 years ago when Sweden’s prime minister was assassinated in the streets of Stockholm, a fact this American edition’s dust jacket does not mention, but which makes this novel of political intrigue and crime all the more intriguing. Classic crime stories begin with a victim and end with a perpetrator. Between Summer’s Longing and Winter’s End begins with an apparent suicide, but stands the classic formula on its head.

“When they went through the contents of [his] wallet. . . they found . . . a handwritten text. ... ’You should die when it’s the most fun.’”

Deft characterization and dialogue introduce a motley crew of off-beat investigators: the reticent, middle-aged bachelor Lars Johansson, head of Sweden’s equivalent of the FBI; Police Superintendent Waltin who prefers his sex kinky; Waltin’s oblivious boss, Berg, engrossed in weekly reports on government security threats; Officer Backstrom, corrupt, incompetent, and shrewd; Detective Inspector Goran Wiijnbladh cuckolded repeatedly and in odd places; Inspector Danielson, known in police circles as Jack Daniels for his inordinate thirst; the taciturn spies Kudo and Bulling; and the charming American Sarah Weissman, in possession of a document pivotal to the case. In the tradition of the intellectual crime novel, familiar to Henning Mankell readers, Persson tells a story that keeps us alternately bemused, aghast, and guessing to the end.

Reviewed by Zara Raab The Shadow Woman: A Chief Inspector Erik Winter Novel

By Ake Edwardson, translated by Per Carlsson Penguin (NonClassics), $15.00, 338 pages Once in a great while, I come across a writer whose work is so compelling that I have to work hard to suppress the impulse to immediately buy

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more of the author’s works on completing my current read. I’m delighted to write that Swedish author Ake Edwardson produces exactly this effect with The Shadow Woman.

In this fine example of Swedish noir, we follow Chief Inspector Erik Winter, an intensely driven but complex character, as he attempts to solve the murder of a young woman found in a park. From there, Edwardson takes the reader on a truly suspenseful ride through a progressively complicated plot revealing the racial tensions and gang violence rife in Swedish society during the Nineties. Add to that just a faint hint of the supernatural, and The Shadow Woman becomes increasingly difficult to put down.

Compared favorably to Stieg Larsson, Edwardson is an awardwinning author in Sweden, and his Erik Winter series has been translated into twenty-one languages.

Having read The Shadow Woman, these accolades seem amply justified.

Reviewed by Annie Peters Pretty Little Things

By Jilliane Hoffman Vanguard Press, $25.95, 360 pages Lainey Emerson represents thousands of teenagers who plug in every night, caught in a fiber optics web of lies and assumed personas. The 13-year-old-who-looks-16 meets on-screen boyfriend, Zach, IRL and learns appearances can be deceiving. When Lainey doesn’t come home for 48 hours, her mother finally notifies police, who report the troubled teen a runaway, a statistical probability in South Florida.

FDLE agent Bobby Dees gets called in to investigate. Taunted by news reporter Mark Felding, Dees questions the difference between a runaway and missing child case. Felding begins receiving horrific paintings that depict a crime scene and feature a young girl. Then, the body count begins.

Haunted by the one-year anniversary of his daughter’s disappearance, Dees races to find Lainey and daughter Katy before the girls become a statistic of the serial killer called Picasso. Will Dees outwit his psychotic and brutal nemesis? Or will evil destroy the pretty little things we take for granted?

Pretty Little Things by Jilliane Hoffman is a fast-paced psychological thriller. Despite a few unexpected twists, Hoffman manages to keep readers riveted to the story by creating multidimensional characters and applying a healthy dose of reality.

Pretty Little Things may be the most disturbing books that parents and chil-

dren (even grandchildren) need to openly discuss. We live in a Facebook world, but crime shouldn’t be faceless. Hoffman’s novel proves that.

Reviewed by LuAnn Schindler

ingenious attacks upon the Colombian drug cartels and the associated web of criminal organizations and individuals from South America, Africa, Western Europe and the U.S.

The Best American Mystery Stories 2010

By Lee Child, Otto Penzler, Editor Mariner Books, $14.95, 416 pages Famed mystery author Lee Child serves as the 2010 editor for this year’s best mystery stories. Continuing a sequence initiated in 1997, this is the 14th edition of this popular series. It must have been an arduous task to pick the twenty finalists who are featured in this volume, selected from submissions of published works in literary publications during 2009.

If you are an avid short story enthusiast who is especially enamored by plots filled with crime, sadism, puzzles, adventures, moral questions and whose themes also challenge and whet your imagination, this collection of stories will be especially appealing. It can be picked up and read in short spurts, or if a thriller addict like myself, once started it will be difficult to put the book down. While many of the authors may be new to the mystery reader, the stories are remarkable for their uniqueness and writing agility. One of the longer selections

by Kurt Vonnegut has a Grimm’s fairy tale quality that at the same time bewitches and terrifies the reader. Crime, mystery, detection, blood and gore fill the contents, and some of the stories will lead to a chuckle, while others will definitely thrill you with a chill.

Reviewed by Rita Hoots

“Did you really think the creators of cocaine would switch to jelly beans if we asked them?”

The Cobra

By Frederick Forsyth Putnam, $26.95, 384 pages The unnamed, Obama-like President of the U.S. resolves to go after and destroy the cocaine industry that plagues the U.S. once and for all. Acting mainly through his chief-of-staff, he brings in an ex-CIA special ops man called the Cobra, to develop and execute an aggressive, bold plan to accomplish this assignment. The Cobra is given carte blanche for anything he needs for this assignment -- no boundaries, no rules, no questions asked. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout this Frederick Forsyth masterpiece, as the Cobra begins his preparation thoughtfully, then proceeds with detailed,

One wonders where real life ends and fiction begins in this stark, cold, world of the international illegal cocaine trade, as gangsters seem to have more power and control than the political leaders of advanced nations. The Cobra ends so unexpectedly that even the most experienced thriller reader will feel a shock. That shock comes not only from the dramatic denouement, but also from the realization that there is a point where idealism falls by the wayside, trumped by political survival.

Reviewed by Christina Forsythe Fly By Wire

By Ward Larsen Oceanview Publishing, $25.95, 301 pages In this thriller, retired Air Force fighter pilot Frank “Jammer” Davis finds himself investigating the crash of a C-500, “the world’s safest cargo plane.” The C-500 is fictional, for the uninformed, a cargo plane with” fly-by-wire” design, hence the title. A dictionary entry in the book’s preface informs us that “fly by wire” means “… utilizing a flight-control system in which controls are operated electrically rather than manually,” which suggested to this reviewer that the plane was somehow automatically piloted. However, two human pilots are killed in the crash.

“Why would this plane fall out of the sky?”

The plot is global, taking us from Texas towns to the Mideast. Davis and fellow investigators begin to suspect that the crash was not caused by pilot error, even given the pilot’s alcoholism, but by terrorism. Then suicide bomber attacks on oil refineries across the world cause massive panic, and Jammer finds himself recruited by the CIA. The descriptions of the crash scene and of Jammer’s investigative work are masterfully done, and there is a superb fight scene or two with Jammer and cohorts. Even so, the story drags at times. Scenes in bars between major characters discussing the case go on for pages. In the end, Jammer uncovers the culprits.

Reviewed by Stacia Levy

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Romance Sinful in Satin

By Madeline Hunter Jove, $7.99, 357 pages Celia Pennifold’s name precedes her. Her mother Alessandra was one of London’s most famed and notorious courtesans, and Celia was raised to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She runs away from the lifestyle to live in safe obscurity. Her quiet existence is rattled when her mother dies and she inherits a townhouse, which comes complete with a handsome tenant who’s not about to leave.

Celia starts a new and independent life growing and selling plants with several of her female friends.

Still, she cannot hide completely from her past. Her former and now married loveinterest returns and demands that she become his mistress or he will blackmail her and cause her to lose her home. Her tenant Jonathan Albrighton protects her from harm, and private moments together cause their mutual attraction to grow. Mounting debts force Celia to consider taking up her mother’s profession, but there’s now only one man with whom she wants to practice the erotic arts.

This book hooked me from page one and I loved Hunter’s deeply complex characters and complicated plot line. My only complaint was that there wasn’t much real chemistry between Celia and Jonathan.

This doesn’t ruin the novel though. You’ll instantly be drawn into the time period and be left begging for another book in Hunter’s series to be released so you’ll know what happens next.

Reviewed by Jennifer Melville Dark Viking

By Sandra Hill Berkley, $7.99, 283 pages Athletic and independent stuntwoman Rita Sawyer is recruited into the Navy Seals because she’s the best of the best: unbelievably fit, determined, and patriotic. A sea operation goes awry near the end of her training, however, and she is transported back into time to Viking Norway. She’s discovered and captured by Steven of Norstead, who is highly suspicious of the “mermaid” and locks her in a cage. Rita escapes and begins warming her way into the hearts of the castle’s inhabitants.

Steven and Rita quickly end up in bed and enjoy each other’s company very much.

The local witches re-

veal that she’s prophesized “light” sent to make gloomy Steven happy. Yet how can their love last when neither knows if she’ll be there the next day? Will Rita give up her life in modern America to stay with her Viking forever?

If I had to sum up this book in three words, they would be silly, unrealistic, and degrading. There was no real chemistry between Rita and Steven, just lots of rampant sex and plenty of degradation. For example, Rita is punished by being led around in a dog collar and chain! The line dancing, countrymusic-singing Vikings were just too much. I found the hero one-dimensional and crude, the time-traveling far-fetched, and the humor cheesy.

Reviewed by Jennifer Melville Seducing the Duchess

By Ashley March Signet, $6.99, 314 pages Seducing the Duchess is a reunited lovers story, pitting the wild Duchess of Rutherford against her husband Philip, who promises to give Charlotte a divorce if she teaches him to be a better husband for the woman he hopes to marry.

March’s writing is lush and lyrical, and she skillfully paints a portrait of two people who are so right for each another, but refuse to see beyond the years of betrayal and humiliation to come together. However, though the conflict between Charlotte and Philip is believable and well-written, the tension between them is mostly erotic, and the plot sags in the middle when the two spend more time dancing around the bedroom than developing as full-fledged characters, and the premise on which the book began is tossed to the wayside. In the process, the characters sink from their initial colorfulness into the mundane, fitting into the mold of characters typically seen in historical romance.

Ultimately, Seducing the Duchess is a competently written quick read, enjoyable enough to spend a few hours with, and March’s inventiveness is intriguing. Seducing the Duchess is recommended for readers drawn to reunited lovers’ plots, and those who like their historical romances a little spicy.

Reviewed by Angela Tate Safe Haven

By Nicholas Sparks Grand Central Publishing, $25.99, 340 pages Sparks has fashioned dozens of stories that have failed to disappoint readers, and Safe Haven is in the running league. Southport is a small town on the shores of North

Carolina—relatively peaceful with the given quirky townsfolk habits and rich hereditary tales. It is obvious, then, that when the attractive new girl, Katie, moves into town, acceptance is tinged with curiosity, and if it weren’t for Katie’s adamant silence, they would have had a story that would last them decades. Katie’s past also keeps her seemingly immune to all love interests. That is, until she meets Alex, a matured widower and father of two. Trepidation doggedly follows her as she begins to fall for him against her will. Her cataclysmic past, however, is not willing to let go, and is slowly taking its first steps to catch up with her.

The book’s demure title and innocent cover conceal the inside, which, although not heartbreaking, does contain fast-paced action. Safe Haven gives readers a unique feature by displaying a glimpse of human behavior and insight into psychological instability. Surprisingly, the novel works very well and I found that although Sparks strayed from his usual style, it was every bit as satisfying as his other novels, and exactly what I looked for.

Reviewed by Alex Masri Improper Ladies (Signet Eclipse)

By Amanda McCabe Signet, $6.99, 440 pages Publishers insist that traditional Regency novels don’t sell, ergo, they’re dead.

Very few new such stories are being published these days, but Signet, which was the pace-setter for them during the last 30 or so years, is still publishing them, just not new ones! They bundle two of them together in one volume and voilà! New books! If the discerning reader studies the copyright page, the original publishing info may be found there.

Thus, Improper Ladies by Amanda McCabe, which consists of The Golden Feather from 2002 and Rules of Love from 2004.

This is not necessarily a bad idea, but why can’t they at least fix the typos and/or other mistakes before re-publishing? There’s no excuse for a widow with only unmarried sons to say “I am Lady Lyndon; well, I suppose I am the Dowager Lady Lyndon now.”

How can she not know who she is?

However, Rules of Love was a truly delightful example of the genre. Rosalind Chase owns a conservatory for young girls, and to help her students, as well as oth-

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ers, she’s written “A Lady’s Rules for Proper Behavior”. The book becomes a runaway best-seller, and everyone is quoting from the anonymous tome. Rosalind’s younger brother greatly admires Lord Morley, who lives by his own rules, until he discovers Rosalind and the very real value of proper behavior.

Reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz Bayou Moon (The Edge, Book 2)

By Ilona Andrews Ace, $7.99, 480 pages Ilona Andrews continues the tales of the Edge, the dangerous and hardy world between the Broken—the real world—and the Weird—the magical world—in Bayou Moon.

William was introduced in the first book, On the Edge, as a fierce and cold-eyed warrior changeling, who straddled the worlds of the blue-bloods and the unwanted shape shifters of the Weird. He now lives in the Edge after Rose and Declan take her brothers into the Weird, adjusting to life as a semi-outcast until his past returns in the form of an assignment for The Mirror, a secret service unit, to assassinate his archenemy Spider, who has kidnapped a powerful Edger couple.

He joins with a reluctant woman, Cerise, whom he meets on his journey, who happens to be the daughter of the kidnapped couple. Andrews’ skill with world-building and lyrical prose returns, making Bayou Moon her most engrossing and awesome book yet. She delves deeper into the mythology of the Edge and the Weird, and its inhabitants, and though the plot deals with the personal issues involving Cerise’s powerful family, the pace never slackens, and the action, when it happens, is tense and exciting. Also exciting is the romantic tension between William and Cerise, which complements the supernatural world and makes the resolution of both the plot and their romance highly satisfying.

Reviewed by Angela Tate

November 10

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Sequential Art The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel

By Diana Gabaldon Del Rey, $25.00, 224 pages If you love Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, get ready for the awesomeness that is The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel.

“We’re going home, Sassenach. to Lallybrock.”

The story begins in 1743, slightly before World War II nurse Claire Randall wanders through the stones.

Told from Jamie and Murtagh’s perspective, Jamie has just returned home from France to the viper’s nest made by his scheming uncles and the larger political climate. His godfather, Murtagh, swore an oath to Jamie’s parents to protect their son, but this red-haired Scot makes Murtaugh’s job daunting, especially when another traveler precedes Claire through the stones, falling backward in time and joining forces with Claire’s enemy, the witch Geillie Duncan.

Surrounded by enemies, Jamie’s calculating uncles and the English dragoon captain who wears the face of Claire’s husband in the future. Frank, Jamie and Claire’s passion for each other unfolds amidst political turmoil and self-serving men of power. The story-telling magic Diana Gabaldon is lauded for seeps from the beautifully illustrated pages of this graphic novel, encircling the reader as completely as any Old One could have.

Reviewed by Axie Barclay Fist Stick Knife Gun

By Geoffrey Canada and Jamar Nicholas Beacon Press, $14.00, 127 pages The problem with gang violence is that it is rarely explored in a personal fashion, and from the perspective of the black male as a victim of his society. Fist Stick Knife Gun is an exploration of one man’s personal history with violence, and how it escalates throughout his life, finally culminating in a choice that defines who he is and where he stands.

The graphic novel is an excellent personal story and has a nice flowing narrative; it is nice to see an autobiography that also works as an actual story. More to the point, it also works as a warning, as he explores his feelings toward the various escalations and why he feels that is necessary to use the particular weapon at that time, and his final rejection

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of that lifestyle, as it leads ultimately to death. In the afterword, he points out that the work to eliminate violence from urban culture will be long and hard, but well worth the effort.

Reviewed by Jamais Jochim Library Wars: Love & War (Vol 2)

By Kiiro Yumi Shojo Beat, $9.99, 192 pages Iku Kasahara continues her training as a member of the Library Defense Task Force both in the classroom and on the job. As she begins to trust her instincts and rely on her teammates, she also learns that defending the libraries and the books they contain from government censorship is a bigger job than most people realize. As she deals with suspicious temporary head librarians and Media Betterment Committee raids, Kasahara starts to come into her own.

In volume two of Library Wars: Love & War, Kiiro Yumi continues to develop an engaging storyline of a girl trying to develop as a person while pursuing a deep-held passion. Yumi’s art is clear and thoroughly enjoyable; her ability spans the entire spectrum from serious drama to light-hearted comedy. The characters may be a little stereotypical at times, but that does not prevent them from being well-rounded and likeable. The plot is becoming more intriguing in all aspects, and the romantic aspect does not detract at all from the seriousness of Kasahara’s work in the Library Defense Force. This series is shaping up to be thoroughly addictive.

Reviewed by Holly Scudero Che Guevara: A Manga Biography

By Kiyoshi Konno Penguin (Non-Classics), $15.00, 192 pages The life of Che Guevara is one of myths, legends, and controversy. What is his legacy? Do people who wear shirts with his picture on it even know what he stood for?

College students hang up a poster with his picture and protest for revolution, but do they understand his message? The answer to these questions is that the majority of people do not know what Che stood for, or even what his message was. Instead they wear his image like a pop art icon, and espouse some nonsense about revolution for the masses. This biography is not going to help with that either. It is from Japan, and in the tradition of manga biographies

such as Buddha, but unlike Buddha this falls apart. This attempts to tell the life story of Che in a short amount of time, but the art is a disappointment with hard to follow characters and everyone starts looking the same. Also the story jumps about randomly. If you pick this up

looking for a life of Che and what he was, do yourself a favor and put it back.

Reviewed by Kevin Winter

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Sacramento

Book Review E X P A N D E D

Nov 2010

S E C T I O N

Cooking, Food & Wine Fresh From the Market: Seasonal Cooking with Laurent Tourondel

Pigs in a Blanket “Ritz Carlton” This is my French twist on one of the most delicious American treats I have ever had. I find it absolutely impossible to eat just one. Make sure to use a very high-quality puff pastry or try to purchase some from your local baker, as it will make all the difference.

Laurent Tourondel with Charlotte March, contributor Wiley, $35.00, 328 pages

SERVES 6

2 sheets store-bought frozen puff pastry, preferably Dufour brand, thawed 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons whole milk 6 Schaller and Weber wieners (beef and pork) 2 cups grated Roth Käse Grand Cru Gruyère cheese 1/2 cup sauerkraut, drained 1/4 cup Raye’s yellow mustard

U surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the pastry to a 1/4-inch thickness and cut it into nfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured, cool

6 rectangles that are about 7 x 3 inches.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and whisk together the eggs and milk in another shallow bowl. Roll 1 wiener in the flour and then dip it into the egg mixture and place it on a piece of puff pastry.

Repeat with the remaining wieners.

Top each wiener with 1/4 cup of the cheese and then wrap the puff pastry tightly around the wiener, pinching the ends to seal completely.

Place the pigs in blankets, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet; brush them with the remaining egg mixture and evenly scatter the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top, pressing to adhere.

Bake until the pastry is golden brown and completely cooked through, about 25 minutes. Slice each pig in a blanket into 6 pieces and serve with the sauerkraut and a dollop of mustard on top.

Wine Sug gestion What’s better with this American classic than a cold, frothy beer? I recommend serving a Belgian-inspired witte (wheat) beer with these addictive treats, such as Ommegang “Witte,” Cooperstown, New York.

Seasonal cooking is enjoying a renaissance it seems. A number of new cookbooks have come out this year extolling the joys and delights of following the seasons and alterations of the year in your kitchen. Laurent Tourondel’s thrown his hat into the ring with Fresh from the Market, an inspiring cookbook that provides recipes for truly beautiful and delicious food. The book is divided by season and the recipes centerpiece seasonal produce as well as iconic ingredients. A lot of the dishes focus on meat, but there are plenty of vegetables as well. The accompanying pictures are vibrant and the ingredients are both seasonal and unique. The inclusion of wine recommendations is a wonderful addition for those of us who love wine, but have failed to get the hang of pairing it with food.

Keeping with the theme of the book, my wife and I decided to make a few recipes in the Fall section. Thankfully, Tourondel provided sample menus to go with the recipes in each section. After looking over the menu, we decided to make a full three-course meal and cocktail: Pigs in a Blanket “Ritz Carlton” for the appetizer; Dry Aged Roasted Prime Rib with Caramelized Onion-Pacini Bread Pudding for the main course; Honey Crisp Apple Cake with Pumpkin Spice ice cream for dessert; and Red Apple and Bourbon fizz cocktails. Looking over these recipes and others in the book, I have to admit I was a bit intimidated. The long recipes include some fancy ingredients, not all of which I was able to find at the local market, farmer’s market, or food co-op. This might not be a problem for people who live in large metropolitan areas with specialty or boutique markets, but for people in the suburbs it presents the problem of finding good substitutions. To our surprise, we discovered that while the food and the recipes looked intimidating, the instructions were very clear and detailed. Putting the meal together took five hours – you can’t make a masterpiece in thirty minutes or less – but at no time did we fumble with the instructions or find ourselves at a loss as to what to do.

At this point, we were too invested in the food to be impartial; we needed an outside opinion so we invited over some of our foodie friends to help. Despite my personal worries about the food (preparing the bread pudding was definitely off-putting), everything turned out great and the meal, as a whole and each course individually, received two thumbs-up! Fresh from the Market will enjoy a place on the top-shelf of our cookbook bookshelf and in all likelihood on our friends as well!

Reviewed by Jonathon Howard

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E X P A N D E D Meat Smoking and Smokehouse Design

By Stanley Marianski Bookmagic LLC, $19.95, 316 pages Barbeque aficionados take note: Meat Smoking and Smokehouse Design, by Stanley, Adam and Robert Marianski, is a complete reference manual divided into two straightforward parts: the first focuses on smoking various kinds of meat and the second focuses on smokehouse design. The authors— a father and his two sons—have expertise in old-world style European meat smoking; their knowledge is both vast and impressive. The book seems intended to bridge the gap between the expert and the layman, though some might say it’s closer to the expert. The information is not only useful, but even surprising in some instances: along with expected information (best temperature for smoking, etc.) we get data that is lesser known, such as complete details on cold and wet smoking and things such as beneficial bacteria. The second part of the book (on smokehouse design) seems more intended for the aficionado, laying out as it does many diagrams and illustrations on the evolution of smokehouse structure.

While not exactly irrelevant, this is the part of the book that seems more theoretical and less directly useful, though of course a broad appreciation never hurts.

Reviewed by Aaron Stypes The Art of Making Fermented Sausages

By Stanley Marianski Bookmagic LLC, $19.95, 262 pages Preparing a good sausage at home is like repairing your own crashed computer — a task best left for the expert. Yet the authors of this book hoped to persuade interested readers to make their own sausages in their home kitchen.

“This book aims to convince the reader that he can make any kind of a fermented sausage and the finished product will be both safe and tasteful.”

This is a highly technical book most suitable for food scientists, though the writing is good and easy to understand. It starts with dis-

cussion of fermented, cured, dried and salted meats and sausages, reviewing their history; then proceeds systematically through fermentation, smoking, ingredients, safety and equipment. The fifty-one recipes com-

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prise sausages from international traditions, mainly from Europe, but some from Asian sausage makers.

Only the most dedicated home cook would attempt these recipes; the required equipment and many hard-to-obtain ingredients would discourage most of us. Fermented and smoked sausages are also timeconsuming to prepare.

The book sorely lacks good editing and errors in the text are not uncommon. Layout could also be much improved by a professional.

The recipes lack page references to less-known ingredients, and some of these are missing from the index. Monochrome illustrations are only fair. Index is inadequate.

Reviewed by George Erdosh The Pure Joy of Monastery Cooking: Essential Meatless Recipes for the Home Cook

By Victor-Antoine d’Avilia-Latourette Countryman Press, $35.00, 271 pages Brother Victoire-Antoine defies the image of aesthetic monks who eat sparingly.

Even a cursory flip through the pages show that his new book, The Joy of Monastery Cooking, is appropriately titled. Frozen peas and over-cooked cabbage are never featured and appetites, whether vegetarian or carnivorous, will be rewarded by following his recipes. He benefits from access to produce grown in the monastery gardens, but supermarkets need not be spurned if no farmers’ market is nearby.

The Jubilate loaf, Portobello’s in port wine sauce, and the surprisingly delicious parsnip-orange puree invite weekend cooks to turn their back on the television, don an apron, and prepare feasts that don’t require the expertise of a gourmet chef.

Brother Victor grew up in the French Pyrenees where his early skills included vinegar making. His repertoire has grown and while his followers know he devoted an entire book to soups, here he chops and stirs all the way to desserts, often with ingredients combined in unexpected ways. In some instances the dishes, swathed in fragrance as they cook, taste even better a couple of days later as the flavor develops.

Reviewed by Jane Manaster

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Cooking with Italian Grandmothers: Recipes and Stories from Tuscany to Sicily

By Jessica Theroux Welcome Books, $40.00, 296 pages

Chef and health consultant Jessica Theroux had a mission: travel throughout Italy for a year, meet bona fide Italian grandmothers, and learn from them the secrets of real Italian cooking. With little more than a handful of personal contacts—but with a clear idea of what, and whom, she was looking for—she traveled from town to town, seeking out incredible home cooks, earning their friendship, and learning their most beloved recipes. The result is a gorgeous, heavy volume rich with rustic Italian recipes; lovely pictures of Italian homes, foods, and countryside; and stories about the women who brought these recipes to life.

The twelve Italian grandmothers featured in the book are generous with their time and cooking techniques, providing over a hundred recipes ranging from caramelized baby artichokes to blood orange gelato. These are not thirty-minute meals—but ease of preparation isn’t the point; this is about tradition and nourishment in their very best forms. Cooking will make readers long for an Italian grandmother of their own— but provides the next-best way to get succulent Italian food on the table.

Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell Fannie’s Last Supper: Re-creating One Amazing Meal from Fannie Farmer’s 1896 Cookbook

By Christopher Kimball Hyperion, $25.99, 260 pages Christopher Kimball is founder of Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen, and he tackles the cuisine of the late Victorian era, as well as the social history behind Fannie Farmer, cooking, and Boston in Fannie’s Last Supper.

As you read the book and look at the marvelous color photographs, you can see the monumental task Kimball had before him, and it is intriguing to see how similar and how different things are between today and 1896.

The structure of Fannie’s Last Supper is great; Kimball uses each dish on the menu to explore the history behind such items as oysters, or punch, or jelly molds, as well as Fannie’s influence on the emergence of the domestic science movement. With so much information at his disposal, Kimball didn’t hold back, though at times, this overwhelmed the message of each section and chapter. He also indulged in a bit of disruptive speculation of Fannie’s talents and failed to acknowledge the role played by women in the growth of American cuisine, which lessened the impact of the information shared in the book. Nonetheless, Fannie’s Last Supper is a great addition to the library of a cook, or historian, or foodie, and the recipes provided by Kimball make

it easy to attempt to re-create a genuine Victorian meal.

Reviewed by Angela Tate A Taste for Absinthe: 65 Recipes for Classic and Contemporary Cocktails

By R. Winston Guthrie, James F. Thompson Clarkson Potter, $24.99, 176 pages A Taste for Absinthe is a visually sumptuous, informative history of a drink that most of us haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying. The authors dispel the superstitions brought on by a century of propaganda and turns absinthe into a very tempting beverage choice. The photography is gorgeous; all drinks are subtly lit so as to take the reader back in time to an old speak-easy or maybe a private corner of the Moulin Rouge.

Primarily a recipe book, the instructions are clear and concise, ranging from the very simple tradition of the Absinthe Drip, to the intimidating laundry list of eleven exotic ingredients, like the Blue Rhone Fizz.

Bartenders across the globe have been experimenting with absinthe. Since its recent legalization in the United States, the West Coast has a large variety of establishments to try these signature drinks and is listed in the back of the book. If you want to try absinthe in the comfort of your own living room, the buying guide on page 160 gives detailed descriptions and important pricing information for brands available in the U.S., all extremely helpful to the absinthe virgin.

Reviewed by Stacy Kuning

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E X P A N D E D The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook: A New, Healthier Way to Cook Everything from America’s Most Trusted Test Kitchen

By America’s Test Kitchen Boston Common Press, $34.95, 520 pages I’ve been a longtime fan of America’s Test Kitchen. My cookbook bookshelf has half a dozen or more of their magazine collections, and every recipe I’ve ever tried has not only been clearly presented and easy to do but absolutely delicious! I’d been tempted on numerous occasions to buy their all-in-one cookbook but found it too hard to justify until they released the Healthy Family Cookbook.

Not only did I get a cookbook full of delicious and easy-tomake food but every recipe comes with the serving size and nutritional information covering calories, fat, saturated fats, cholesterol, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and sodium. Scattered throughout the text are tips for which utensils, store bought foods, pots and pans, and methods worked best in the Test Kitchen. Despite being full of recipes that ask for whole grain, brown rice, wheat flour, and non-fat milk, there wasn’t a single recipe I tested that didn’t taste great and elicit compliments.

If you need a new, all-in-one cookbook or are looking for one as a gift, I highly recommend The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.

Reviewed by Jonathon Howard The Complete Mushroom Hunter: An Illustrated Guide to Finding, Harvesting, and Enjoying Wild Mushrooms

By Gary Lincoff Quarry Books, $24.99, 192 pages The author correctly identifies most of us as mycophobes (afraid of mushrooms) while in other cultures wild mushrooms are highly prized and collected.

“If you take this book along with you, a walk in the park or the local woods will no longer be a simple exercise or a way to pass time.”

This beautifully produced book is not only pretty, it provides fascinating reading and is a good mushroom identification guide. Of

the hundreds of wild mushrooms a mushroom hunter is likely to encounter, about 20 edible, 19 poisonous and 12 medicinal mushrooms are listed.

This guide was meant to give correct identi-

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fication for specifically those mushrooms.

Serious wild mushrooms hunters never rely on a single book — mushrooms vary in their characteristics and for an absolutely positive identification they look identifying features and illustrations in two or three good guides. This book is an excellent choice to be one of those guides.

Color photo illustrations are excellent and with each mushroom you find a good description of where that mushroom grows and what it may be mistaken for.

In a comprehensive mushroom identification book, dozens of mushroom characteristics are described for each mushroom that an identifier goes through as a checklist. In this book, a mere three to five of those are listed.

This is a particularly good book for beginners.

Reviewed by George Erdosh Dessert: Recipes from Le Champignon Sauvage

By David Everitt-Matthias Absolute Press, $36.95, 160 pages Dessert is a book suitable for adventurous cooks and will likely be a bit intimidating for the average home cook. The recipes blend both traditional and modern techniques, flavors and presentations and, more often than not, contain a handful of obscure, difficult to obtain ingredients.

Chef David Everitt-Matthias, highly regarded for his culinary creativity, has no formal pastry training, yet has gained notoriety

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for his use of unusual flavors and his passion for foraged ingredients. His recipes are not terribly complicated, nor do they generally require highly advanced equipment, and while many do incorporate intimidating ingredients such as carrageen powder, agar agar, and soy lecithin, most of these are simple to use and are probably more difficult to procure, than they are to incorporate into the recipes. Some recipes are more basic, as with a pistachio and dried apricot tart or upside down plum cake, while others are modern twists on classics like lemon meringue tart or warm chocolate mousse. There are also a number of recipes that focus on savory ingredients, such as jerusalem artichoke cheesecake or white asparagus creme caramel, and a section devoted to wild and foraged ingredients. Recipes are written in metric measurements and many will contain ingredients not familiar to non-British readers.

Reviewed by Andrea Rappaport The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour

By Kim O’Donnel Da Capo Lifelong Books, $18.95, 237 pages Author Kim O’Donnel had heard about the “Meatless Monday” movement, and was eventually inspired to try it out when she learned how big of a difference it could make for the environment. As a blogger and columnist, she challenged her readers to try it too, and began offering recipes designed to satisfy even the staunchest meat lover; those recipes and more have been collect-

S E C T I O N ed in her new cookbook, The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook. O’Donnel makes

no apologies for her love of eating meat, but simply encourages readers to step out of their comfort zones and try one her satisfying recipes. They are seasonally organized,

with each section offering recipes and meal plans that highlight the fresh produce available at that time of year. Try Rocket Lasagna in spring or Black Bean-Sweet Potato Chili in winter. Savor summer with Sesame Rice Noodles & Melon-Herb Salad, and warm up on a cool fall evening with a Mushroom-Spinach Scramble. The author specifically labels certain dishes as being kidfriendly, or vegan, or even dishes where the leftovers taste just as good tomorrow. This cookbook surely contains recipes that appeal to everyone on the dietary spectrum.

Reviewed by Holly Scudero Opus Vino

By Jim Gordon, editor-in-chief DK Publishing, $75.00, 800 pages Opus Vino, a full-color, 800-page doorstopper, is the ultimate reference book for wine lovers, from the most knowledgeable wine aficionado to the curious wine drinker eager for new ideas. This beautiful volume includes maps, photographs, recommendations, listings, and explanations of wines,

See OPUS, page 14

A Perfect Gift for t he Holidays!

“...a good working cookbook for chefs interested in expanding the use of alcohol in their dishes.”

! w o n ble a l i a v A 5 9 .

4 1 $

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--San Francisco Book Review Sacramento Book Review

November 10 11

the FOOD & WINE report

By Kaye Cloutman THE FLAVOR SCOOP - This month’s gastronomic

PHOTO BY LULU DEL ROSARIO

picks are filled with recipes that evoke nostalgic memories that every kitchen aficionado will truly appreciate.

Stock up on these titles this month to ensure a hearty gourmet feast for the holidays.

The Filipino Cookbook | Miki Garcia

A Feast at the Beach | William Widmaier

Tuttle Publishing, $18.95, 112 pages

3L Publishing, $14.95, 144 pages Widmaier will warm his readers’ hearts with beautifully poignant narratives in every chapter of this food travelogue and memoir. The wonderful Provençal recipes included in each chapter are a tribute to his grandparents where he spent some of his fondest childhood summers. Live life through the inspirational stories of Widmaier and discover your own joie de vivre.

Recommended recipes: Le Pesto et Le Pistou, Lemon and Olive Chicken with French Green Beans.

Gooseberry Patch Keepsake Cookbook | Gooseberry Patch

Miki Garcia whets the appetite with some authentic Filipino recipes in her latest volume that is guaranteed to transport your taste buds to the many regions of the Philippines. From north to south, she delivers a smorgasbord of the celebrated vegetable, seafood, noodles, poultry and meat dishes this country is known for. Readers will truly enjoy the eclectic mix of flavors and spices within the pages of this read – a mix brought about by the Philippines’ colonization by many countries in the past. Recommended recipes: Pininyahang Manok, Chicken Adobo and Lumpiang Shanghai.

Bobby Flay’s Throwdown! | Bobby Flay

Oxmoor House, $27.95, 420 pages

Clarkson Potter, $27.50, 272 pages

From a mail-order company started by two moms at the kitchen table, Gooseberry Patch has evolved into a powerful brand. This wonderful collection of treasured heirloom recipes compiled in an adorable ring binder will make the perfect gift for any home cook this season. We can’t have Paula Deen cooking up a storm in our kitchen but the country-like charm this cookbook provides is the next best thing. Recommended Recipes: Easy Chicken Pot Pie, Fiesta Beef Fajitas and Red Velvet Cake.

Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That? | Ina Garten

Travel across the country with this ultimate companion cookbook to one of America’s favorite food shows. Home cooks and fans can recreate their own Throwdown! moments and whip up savory assortment of dishes perfected by some of America’s talented culinary heroes. It’s a backstage pass and an invitation to see if you can outdo the dishes of the featured personalities and Flay himself in your very own kitchen. Recommended recipes: Tony Luke’s Traditional Philly-Style Cheesecake, Roberto Guerra’s Stuffed Pork Shoulder and Nessa Higgins and Andrea Day-Boykin’s Cuban Crepes.

Clarkson Potter, $35.00, 256 pages This beloved Food Network star is one of my real favorite TV heroines. Her aura and demeanor on cam is so pleasant, 30 minutes watching her is enough to put me into a tranquil state. And that is exactly what this book is all about. Stressfree, easy and fabulous! Garten shares her quick, reliable and favorite recipes that will definitely help reduce the pressure of celebrating and preparing feasts this season.

Recommended recipes: Easy Parmesan Risotto, Roasted Shrimp Salad, Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake.

Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook | Sheri L. Wetherell, Barnaby Dorfman & Colin M. Saunders Andrews McMeel, $19.99, 216 pages Food bloggers around the world unite! Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook is a hodgepodge of recipes and photographs from talented culinary bloggers around the world.

Foodista.com is the web’s premiere source for collaborative cooking, with the goal of building the world’s largest high quality food-related encyclopedia. This is an ideal gift filled with fascinating photos, stories, recipes and tips that will charm not just the cyber-foodie but any home cook as well. Recommended recipes: Chanterelle Mushrooms with Blue Cheese Pie, Scallop Sandwiches & Carne Brasato alle Cipolle.

A Moveable Feast | Don George Lonely Planet, $14.99, 296 pages

Life-Changing Food Adventures Around the World presents a collection of never-before-published travelers’ tales set around the globe, written by a well known and broad spectrum of contributors, including celebrity chefs and best-selling travel writers. The theme served up in this multicourse concoction is the inimitable ability of food to inspire our serendipities, satiate our senses and enlighten our journeys — in short, to transform the planet into an endless buffet for mind, soul, and stomach. Contributors include Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, David Lebovitz, Alexander Lobrano, William Sertl, Jan Morris, Simon Winchester, Pico Iyer and Tim Cahill.and edited by the legendary Don George.

12 November 10

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the FOOD & WINE report

A Tale of Three Wine Regions

NAPA

DECANTING NAPA VALLEY

by Michelle Higgins, Foreword by Peter Jacobsen

DWC-LLC Publications, $45.00, 388 pages

Decanting Napa Valley is a remarkable piece of work that is a beautiful tribute to the winemakers, farmers and personalities of the Napa Valley region. It includes the wonderful articles and savory recipes of Michelin-starred restaurateurs like Thomas Keller and Dave Cruz (Ad Hoc) Ken Frank (La Toque) & Richard Redington (Redd).

Author Michelle Higgins has truly captured the essence of the Valley at its core and entire superb glory.

Why you’ll love it: This is an impressive collaboration featuring all the Napa –based folks I admire so much, but most importantly because it is a testimony of their great effort which is evident in their prominence today.

This is the perfect gift for any wine lover.

THE BAY AREA COOKBOOK EVENT

SCENE

Organizers: Book Passage Cooks with Books Featured Author / Book: Tyler Florence / Family Meals Location: Wayfare Tavern, San Francisco Powerhouse Chef and TV personality Tyler Florence celebrated his newly released cookbook Family Meals by preparing some of the most to-die-for home style dishes served up in wonderful platters and paired with divine bottles of his signature wines. A sold-out event, his three– story restaurant was packed with fans, supporters and food personalities in the Bay Area. Florence didn’t merely address the crowd but instead he went table to table, signing all the attendees books while getting to know each intimately during the process; and that’s not an easy task to do if you have three floors and 200 people to talk to!

SONOMA

LODI

THE WINEMAKER COOKS by

LODI ON THE LABEL

by Debra Anne Ristau, Richard Hockett D & DR Books, $27.95, 160 pages

Experience the lifestyle in the town of Healdsburg in Sonoma County and the many flavors the seasons bring with Christine Hanna’s new volume in which she also features food and wine pairings from her very own winery and picturesque vineyard. The photography and layout is simply stunning and readers will appreciate how she opens up her doors to her abode by sharing cherished homecooked meals that her family has enjoyed doing together all these years.

This lovely guidebook is all you need if you’d like to explore the wonderful wines of Lodi.

Debra Ann Ristau takes time to introduce you to all the winemakers, proprietors, vintners and families behind the wines of this terroir and by doing so achieves a collection of personal stories and historical information which readers will truly appreciate. The photography of Hockett sincerely captures the friendliness of these down-to-earth folks.

Christine Hanna, Sheri Giblin Chronicle Books, $35.00, 239 pages

Why you’ll love it: The chapters have sections which includes frequently asked winemaker question in which Christine explains clearly.

Organizers: Book Passage Cooks with Books Featured Author / Book: Michael Chiarello / Bottega Location: Left Bank Brasserie, Larkspur Despite the negative publicity and controversy that loomed behind the award-winning chef lately, my team and I will admit that this was one of our favorite author events. We were all beyond impressed with the charismatic author/chef. The intimate dinner prepared by Chef Sean Canavan wowed the palates and served generous portions that truly spoiled everyone's taste buds. Chiarello was engaging, approachable and overall very passionate about his profession. I loved and tried some of the recipes and most especially appreciate the acknowledgement of the key relationships of the people responsible for who he has become through the years within the pages of this exquisite book. It was a perfectly nostalgic night and Chiarello’s inscription on my Bottega copy warmed my heart immensely. Left Bank owner Chef Roland Passot deserves a standing ovation for his over-the-top graciousness too!

(L-R) Book Passage Staff Dorothy Vandersteel, Margarita Castanera, Karen West with Chef Michael Chiarello, Chef Roland Passot and SFBook Review Associate Editor Kaye Cloutman

Why you’ll love it: Ristau gives you a primer on old vines vs. new vines, sustainable farming in this territory, a schedule of their notable events, a local directory of the wineries and guide to other attractions. A great coffee table book as well!

Organizers: Welcome Books Featured Author / Book: Jessica Theroux / Cooking with Italian Grandmothers Location: Pizzaiolo Oakland If you can imagine a train crashing into a pile of books and a restaurant, this would be the one. Just a total wreck! The organizers did not consider that the pizzeria hosting had their priorities on customers than guests/press. Arranging an interview with the author at 4:30 pm when the actual party was at 7:45 pm that evening was infuriating. The plates of the dishes for food shots were dirty, had thumb prints all over and even included a platter of Panna Cotta that was half eaten! My team and I were asked to sit outside the empty / dirty patio of the closed restaurant beside Pizzaiolo to wait. This felt like Panna Cotta for Persona non Grata. No offer of drink or hor’s doeuvres, and when it finally got dark and pretty obvious that the crickets wanted to join our party, we headed inside the restaurant to order food.

The waitress told us to just look for a place to sit at the back of their dining patio and handed the pizza to us with an irritated tone “Ok, I have other customers to attend to.” Already exasperated and starving, we found another empty table to sit at, but yet another waitress exclaimed ”Ok who actually told you guys you can stay here? There’s the bench.“ We were treated like we were a nuisance and got no attention from the chef-owner Charlie whom I interviewed earlier. The author was busy attending to her friends (some who had tables with no food or cocktails). We paid for our untouched food and stormed out. Now I totally understand how Rosa Parks felt!

Their slogan is Pizza so good, it’s worth the wait, they failed to indicate it was a 3 hour wait!

Photo credits: Martin Delfino, Michael Kagan, Auey Santos and Castello Di Amorosa

To read the full articles go to www.sanfranciscobookreview.com/publication/viewpoints/book-it/

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November 10 13

E X P A N D E D regions, and winemakers around the world, from Napa to Navarra, Bordeaux to Bulgaria. Detailed regional breakdowns help readers differentiate between, say, wines from Mendocino County and Carneros. Specific information on vintages helps clarify what one might expect from particular bottles. There are profiles of outstanding vintners, copious images of labels, and lists of the grapes that each region produces. If this book weren’t such a back-breaking behemoth, it would be an ideal wine-store companion.

One of Opus Vino’s most impressive attributes is its thoroughness. For example, the California section goes well beyond Napa and Sonoma to cover Lake County and areas inland, and many of the wineries listed offer no visitor facilities — in other words, though this may inspire wine-focused road trips, it isn’t intended to be a tourist guidebook. Instead, it gives wine fans the rare opportunity to hold the world of wine in their hands.

Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell Cooking Light First Foods: Baby Steps to a Lifetime of Healthy Eating

By Editors of Cooking Light Magazine Oxmoor House, $19.95, 144 pages Are you looking to introduce your baby to solid foods, but have no idea how to get started? Are you intrigued by the idea of preparing baby food at home, rather than buying it in jars from the store? You’ve come to the right place!Cooking Light First Foods is designed to help you to feed your child delicious, nutritious homemade foods, from the beginning all the way through age three or so.

The basics of baby purées are covered here, including mixture ideas such as Spinach and Sweet Potatoes. The next chapter covers adding variety in tastes and textures, with recipes such as Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes.

One of the coolest things about this book is the way it encourages parents to feed children the same foods that they eat for dinner. Reci-

pes such as Spinach and Butternut Squash Lasagna make a full-fledged adult meal but also include instructions for creating a baby-friendly portion at the same time. As children get older, the recipes progress to including ideas on how your toddler can help in preparation, encouraging a lifelong love of cooking healthy food. This book is full of ideas that many parents can benefit from.

Reviewed by Holly Scudero Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings

By Ray Lampe Chronicle Books, $19.95, 132 pages I felt my arteries slamming shut just looking at the cover of this fine, unpretentiously written

14 November 10

C O O K I N G ,

and very well illustrated treatment of the preparation of big hunks of dead animals. Joking

aside for a moment, Ray Lampe does a fine job covering the basics of grill preparation, stovetop treatment, and other elevations of our specie’s favorite foods. Leigh Beisch’s photography is so good that it is almost necessary to hold a napkin to one’s lips to avoid drooling on the pictures.

Beginning with basic tools, procedures, and safety, Mr. Lampe delves into the competition between charcoal and wood, electric and gas grills (they can’t compete), and adds some sanitation precautions. Many of his recipes are hauntingly familiar. Those of us who love meat have all probably done some treatment close to what he illustrates and explains. However, with his careful instructions as to actual technique, formulas for dry rubs, sauces and garnishes, this is a basic cookbook the way a Maserati is a basic automobile.

Many of the dishes explained herein use sugar, molasses, honey, and other things verboten to me, ordinarily. I will sin. I will enjoy it. You will too. Remember that napkin.

Reviewed by David Sutton The Lost Art of Real Cooking: Rediscovering the Pleasures of Traditional Food One Recipe at a Time

By Ken Albala and Rosanna Nafziger Perigee, $18.95, 256 pages Cooking is currently trending in two opposing directions: leaning on one side toward molecular gastronomy, a radical, modernist style of cuisine; and on the other side, toward a simple, return to basics. The Lost Art of Real Cookingfalls into the latter category and is described in its introduction as “a new old fashioned approach to food.”

This book guides the reader through the simple pleasure of preparing foods from scratch, exchanging trivialities such as precise measurement or speed of preparation, for more meaningful concepts such as truly connecting with your food and deriving pleasure and satisfaction from preparing it yourself. While many of the recipes do require patience, and are far more laborious than unwrapping a package or opening a can, what they don’t require is special equipment, a great deal of kitchen space or hardto-find ingredients.

There are recipes for duck confit and cultured butter, wild sourdough and kimchi, and for pickles, preserves, beer and wine, to name just a few. If you’re caught up in the

F O O D

&

W I N E

S E C T I O N

The New Connoisseurs’ Guidebook to California Wine and Wineries

By Charles E. Olken, Joseph Furstenthal

University of California Press, $ 27.50, 480 pages Charles Olken is the editor and publisher of the Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wines, a monthly newsletter that for 35 years has been the authoritative voice of California wines. Focusing on just the California wine industry, Olken has a depth of knowledge and understanding of the grapes, growers and winemakers that make up the state. All of that is collected in The New Connoisseurs’ Guidebook to California Wines and Wineries, highlighting some 500 wineries with information about the winemakers, the styles produced, and Olken’s evaluations of the wines. Additionally, there is a good overview of the California wine regions, the history of wine in California and a detailed survey of the types of grapes grown throughout the state.

New Connoisseurs’ breaks the state into eight major regions, and a catchall chapter for the AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), and regions that don’t quite fit into the rest. Napa and Sonoma each get, and deserve, their own chapters, while the rest often cover multiple AVAs or growing districts. The wineries highlighted are all some of the best from each region, with a header to each entry that includes website, phone number, county and AVA, and info about tastings (many do not have open tasting rooms, or are by appointment only). While all appear on regional maps within the book, one major flaw is that the actual addresses for the wineries are omitted, so anyone using the book as a guidebook will need to either research each winery online, or use a secondary mapping source to find them. That said, New Connoisseurs’ is a musthave for any wine professional, or the serious enthusiast.

Reviewed by Ross Rojek

fervor of artisan producers and food bloggers focusing on this type of cooking, but have yet to try it yourself, this book is a perfect launch pad.

Reviewed by Andrea Rappaport The Golden Book of Desserts

By Carla Bardi, Rachel Lane Barron’s Educational Series, $29.99, 608 pages From gilt edges to the multitude of color pictures, The Golden Book of Desserts is a pleasure to wander through.

While there are plenty of dessert cookbooks, this one collects not only the standards, but explores variations and less widely known desserts. There are eleven major categories, ranging from baked goods to frozen desserts and custards and creams.

The majority of the recipes are simple to follow and easy to produce; the book uses a one-to-three scale of difficulty, and those most difficult ones have well-detailed instructions to get the aspiring chef producing at the next level. All the recipes have a full-color picture of the final product, though with some it may have been helpful to see the intermediate

steps. The only serious flaw is the size, at 600 pages, it is hard to keep open for recipes in the first or last third of the book without a book stand or something heavy. And as it is a well-designed and packaged book, you may not want to have it sitting on the counter next to spill-able ingredients. But you will want to either give this as a gift to the chef in your life, or get a copy for yourself (or both).

Reviewed by Ross Rojek

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Young Adult Personal Demons

By Lisa Desrochers Tor Teen, $9.99, 368 pages Frannie is a good Catholic girl with a rebellious streak. Little does she know she is about to get caught in a battle between Heaven and Hell as both sides try to lure her in. Both send in the heavy hitters with Luc (short for Lucifer) representing Hell and Gabriel representing Heaven. Frannie finds herself drawn to both guys but who will she pick? And will she end up siding with Heaven or Hell?

This book was really enjoyable and talk about sexy! Who could not want Luc who is temptation wrapped up in a male body? The chemistry between Luc and Frannie was sizzling. On the flip side, I found Gabriel’s character to be flat and two dimensional so the romance there felt forced. This may be because though there are three main characters, the book switches back and forth between just Frannie’s and Luc’s points of view. It would have been nice to see more of what was going on in Gabriel’s head, which might have made him more likeable and the choice Frannie faced more difficult. Still a wonderful read for the angel vs. demon lovers out there.

Reviewed by Debbie Suzuki Nightshade

By Andrea Cremer Philomel, $17.99, 464 pages Ever since Calla was little, she knew what was expected of her: graduate high school, be the alpha of the Nightshade clan, mate with the Bane alpha Ren, and live happily ever after. However, all of that changed when she saved a hiker from being mauled by a bear--a hiker that she can’t seem to stay away from and is more than what he seems.

There are a lot of young adult books out there about werewolves, but this one seems to stand alone in its own unique way. With a new spin on a very familiar topic, Nightshade takes us on one girl’s journey of trying to figure out if who she is expected to be is truly who she is meant to be. The story is rich in mythology, well fleshed-out characters, and has two amazing male characters that will have you falling head over heels in love with them.

This book will have you on the edge of your seat until the bitter end, where you’ll be begging for more. If you only read one

paranormal book this year, then let it be this one. You won’t be disappointed.

Reviewed by Missy Wadkins Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror

By R.L. Stine, Editor Dutton Juvenile, $16.99, 224 pages R.L. Stine is the best-selling author of hundreds of horror fiction novels and is sometimes referred to as the “Stephen King of children’s literature.” With a reputation like that, you would expect good things when he teams up with some of the best young adult authors in the business to create an anthology of suspense and horror short stories. Thankfully, in this case, it is exactly what you get.

FEAR is a fantastic additon to any thrillseeker or scare-enthusiast’s collection.

Whatever your preference is for those thrills and chills, I’m absolute certain that you can find something to quench your thirst in this book. Some stories deal with some of our favorite paranormal classics like vampires and werewolves, while some like to delve into new paranormal territory with aliens, shadows that are more than you bargain for, and your nightmares coming true. Then, there are stories that lack the paranormal but make up for it with spinetingling stories of science, creepy neighbors, and initiations.

If you’re a fan of Stine’s other work, like the popular Goosebumps and Fear Street series, then you won’t be disappointed with these tales that are guaranteed to make you keep a light on at night.

Reviewed by Missy Wadkins Dead is Just a Rumor

By Marlene Perez Graphia, $7.99, 202 pages Welcome to Nightshade, where the paranormal and unnatural mingle with humans.

As the town gears up for its 200th anniversary, which incidentally falls on Halloween, several residents receive blackmail notices. Along with her sisters and close friend, Samantha, Daisy questions who is behind the vicious extortion attempts.

It was hard for me to remember how happy I had been when Mom brought Dad home. Even though I was mad at him, at least it wasn’t a doppleganger I

was fighting with, which had happened when someone had created dopplegangers of Nightshade residents and tried to pass them off as the real people. This was my real dad and we were having our first real fight.

Since her dad’s return from capture by the Scourge, Daisy’s been butting heads with him, trying to prove she’s not the same little girl from when he disappeared six years ago. And she’s not! Her psychic abilities continue to improve, and Daisy isn’t afraid to use them. This theme about parent-child relationships offers an understated lesson about growing up and letting go.

Heroine Daisy Giordano detects something’s amiss with the school’s new guidance counselor, and when Ms. Tray convinces Daisy’s dad that the high school senior is up to no good, Daisy begins to unravel the mystery. Plus, the counselor has convinced Daisy’s boyfriend Ryan to attend a college far away from this California community.

Can the counselor be trusted?

Dead Is Just A Rumor is the fourth in the Dead Is…series.

I haven’t read the other three novels in the series, but if this book is any indication, Marlene Perez has created another surefire favorite among young adult readers. Strange-but-fun characters, creepy houses, and undeniable intrigue combine to create a quick-paced, exciting read.

Reviewed by LuAnn Schindler Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes

By Lisa Greenwald Amulet Books, $16.95, 304 pages When a February blizzard hits NYC, three thirteen-year-old BFFs decide to save Valentine’s Day. How? By giving out handmade fortune cookies to everyone in their apartment building. It’s perfect -- until they hit a few snags: boys, secrets, and tears. Will they be able to create a happy V-Day and be the “three musketeers of the seventh floor” again?

“There’s something I’ve never told anyone, not even Georgia or Kate. I decided It when I was little, and now I’m pretty much convinced it’s true. Here’s the secret: Chen’s fortune cookies are magical.”

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Sweet Treats & Secrets Crushes packs fastpaced drama into just 24 hours, with many intertwining minor plots and characters. In other words, a typical tween’s life! The book shifts viewpoint as each chapter is told by one of the girls. When each reveals her thoughts about the day’s events, readers can better understand the girls and their misunderstandings. Kate, the sassy member of the trio, was distinct but at times Georgia and Olivia, both shy and quiet, seemed too alike. Occasionally, readers may have to flip back a few pages to keep Georgia and Olivia straight.

Lisa Greenwald seems to perfectly portray a tween’s constant seesawing between child and teenager. Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes is the ideal books for moms and daughters to read together.

Reviewed by Jodi M. Webb Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials

By Hemphill, Stephanie Balzer + Bray, $16.99, 408 pages We all know the true story about the Salem Witch Trials. In 1692, girls were said to be afflicted by witchcraft and accused people in Salem of practicing the craft. When all was said and done, over a hundred men and women were imprisoned for being witches and nineteen of those people were executed. We know what happened, but why is another matter all in itself.

In Wicked Girls, Stephanie Hemphill uses free verse and alternating perspectives between three of the real afflicted girls to tell this fictionalized account. Motivated by their own reasons, whether it be attention, jealousy, peer pressure, or just plain angst; we get a first-hand look at how and why these girls acted out and accused innocent men and women in their community of witchcraft--a capital crime in Salem punishable by death.

Although slow at the beginning, it picks up to offer any history fan a haunting tale of one of the most notable witch hunts in American history from the girls that started it all. Hemphill also includes what happened to the afflicted girls, their victims and a note from the author as to what motivated her to write this book.

Reviewed by Missy Wadkins

November 10 15

Science & Nature

Doable Renewables: 16 Alternative Energy Projects for Young Scientists

By Mike Rigsby Chicago Review Press, $16.99, 195 pages Mike Rigsby’sDoable Renewables: 16 Alternative Energy Projects for Young Scientists is full of illustrative photographs, straightforward explanations and probing questions. The questions serve to push the young scientist to understand each project and focus on shifts that might occur: what else changes?

Such prompts serve the book well, helping a student to fully comprehend the end results and any alterations along the way.

Doable Renewables is not for a youngster unaccustomed to listening or following safety instructions.

These experiments often require safety equipment. However, for those who have access to the materials, tools and safety gear, this is a fascinating book. In his introduction, Rigsby explains the excitement of exploration, which can often begin with the humblest of instruments. Rather than expecting students to build full-scale solar panels to power their own schools, Rigsby points out that the assignments are to be thought of as seeds to germinate other ideas. Among the 16 undertakings, Doable Renewables contains instructions on con-

structing a simple heat engine, a solar cell with concentrated sunlight, a windmill, and a heat-powered fan. While these are geared toward the young scientist and novices, all should tread carefully.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey

Smooth: Erotic Romance for Women

By Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor Cleis Press, $14.95, 204 pages Smooth, erotic stories for women compiled by Rachel Kramer Bussel, bares it all.

From naked in the snow to naked at a partner’s feet, these stories explore the possibilities and potentialities of being smooth.

Bare, stripped, naked, smooth, participants or voyeurs, whether tattooed or virgin skinned, these women display not just bare skin, but bare spirits and souls. In “Rapunzel,” the narrator discovers what it’s like to be stripped of her hair and be truly naked. In “Shower Fittings,” a woman and her man are discovered bare in a bathroom. Unfulfilled just to let sex happen, these women are active participants and explore every sensory experience, especially those to do with that largest and most erotic

organ: the skin. Sensuality exists alongside the animalistic, showing both sides, indeed many sides, of being bare.

“Ultimately, this book is about getting to know your body from the outside in, about… knowing the power the naked body holds.”

It’s just like an old cowboy told this reviewer once: That “thing” women have down there has a lot of power.

And so does their skin.

Reviewed by Axie Barclay

Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why: The Science of Sexual Orientation

By Simon LeVay Oxford University Press, $27.95, 412 pages Analyzing a wealth of biological, psychological and neuroscientific evidence in his latest book, Gay, Straight and the Reason Why: The Science of Sexual Orientation Simon LeVay ambitiously explores the deepest question of human sexual orientation: What causes a child to grow up straight or gay? He constructs his argument well, illustrating the importance of defining sexual orientation and combining decades of research by global experts. His conclusion that sexual orientation is decided by the complex interaction of biological processes at birth involving genes, sex hormones and the cells of the developing brain is certainly well defended, and the evidence is sure to provoke.

Although LeVay presents his evidence concisely, summarizing specialist findings

in genetics, cognitive psychology and family demographics, it was ultimately the writing style that weakened this book.

From the comparative studies of brain responses, cognitive traits to personalities across gay and straight individuals, the difficulty of compiling all of the latest findings and making it intelligible is clear. The repetitious style and the frequent cross referencing between chapters proves distracting and reads more like a textbook or transcribed lecture rather than offer the charm of a popular science book.

Reviewed by Wendy Iraheta The Moral Landscape

By Sam Harris Free Press, $26.00, 291 pages The best-selling author on atheism now has written an ethics book based on his philosophy dissertation, which makes the audacious claim that science can be the basis of morality. “If god does not exist, then everything is permitted,” wrote the famous novelist and theist Dostoevsky. Indeed, without the supposed authority and rewards and punishments of religious belief, most atheists would agree that morality is impossible and even illusory since not only are we determined, without the necessary free-will, but morals are always cultural inventions and temporally dependent. Take, for example, the wearing of burkas, genital mutilation, corporeal punishment in

Relationships & Sex

16 November 10

Passion: Erotic Romance for Women

By Rachel Kramer Bussel, Editor Cleis Press, $14.95, 226 pages Passion, Editor Rachel Kramer Bussel’s collection of twenty stories by twenty skilled erotica authors, sweeps the reader up in a whirlwind of eroticism in this latest erotic romance for women.

Couples at every level of their relationship

explore passion, the range of lust, greed, desire, and love that exists between couples within their complex, sometimes hidden, lives and passions.

From couples who argue about absolutely everything, to couples who measure their sexual experiences by the size of the bed, to others who slowly work their way through every room of the house in sensual escapades, this is smart, sensual erotica at its finest. Whether it’s big bed sex, a visit to the National Finals Rodeo, a heavy silver belt, or an expert at efficiency in the bedroom, Passion spells erotic from beginning to end.

The authors also represent a range in their skills, varying from experienced to just starting out in the genre, displaying not only an array of couples, but a luscious and steamy selection of storytelling. For more Passion, go to passionromance.wordpress. com.

Reviewed by Axie Barclay

schools, and even liberty. Science can say nothing about morals.

As a neuroscientist, Harris is adamant that reason and science determine morality.

Our well-being depends on events in the world, and on the human brain. What are the scientific truths about this? The book has a simple structure with chapters on moral truth, good and evil, belief, religion, and the future of happiness. Consider the degree racism in the United States has diminished in the last hundred years, Harris says. Doesn’t this tell us there is moral progress? Isn’t even morality part of evolution? The history of slavery and subsequent racism will always show we failed in our commitment to the common good. Morality is a genuine sphere of human inquiry. This is how women’s equality in the world will be achieved, condoms distributed in villages decimated by AIDS, homosexually no longer an abomination, and wealth distributed to all. Harris only mentions the great Spinoza once but it is Spinoza who said: “Whatever things hinder man’s perfection of his reason, and capability to enjoy the ration life, are alone called evil.”

Reviewed by Phil Semler

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Humor-Fiction How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack

By Chuck Sambuchino Ten Speed Press, $14.99, 106 pages How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack is just what the title implies: a homeowner’s guide to protecting their home against garden gnomes. Yes, those little clay folks with pointy red hats that guard our daffodils. The book includes everything from how-to tips for protecting your home, to quotes from gnome experts and survivors of gnome attacks, to words that have roots in the gnome culture, as well as photographs of gnomes in their natural habitat.

The Oxford Book of Parodies

By John Gross Oxford University Press, $29.95, 416 pages The art of parody flourishes on You Tube in response videos that mimic the style and content of original works: think of Alanis Morissette’s send-up of “My Humps,” or look up the “Double Rainbow” guy. Parody can be affectionate or scathing, but its impulse is democratic and comic – it knocks down pomposity, makes fun of the earnest, and creates a dialogue between two or more art-works.

“Psychiatrists will say that we cannot actually ‘feel’ eyes boring into the back of our heads, but they also insist that lawn gnomes pose no threat to humanity whatsoever — proving they obviously know nothing.”

This new anthology focuses on the tradition of literary parody in English, which might seem more highbrow than “How to Give Your Opossum a Massage,” but isn’t – really. Any English major tortured by reading Chaucer in Middle English can find something to love in this chronological survey of parodies extending from Beowulf to Harry Potter. A second section highlights topical themes, as well as the parodic work of authors like Jane Austen and James Joyce.

An education in itself, The Oxford Book of Parodies conveys the history and tradition of that venerable art form now flourishing in the pages of The Onion. It might also give you some evil genius ideas for your own You Tube channel.

Reviewed by Catherine Hollis

Hooray to Chuck Sambuchino for not breaking character once during his entire book … including the Acknowledgements page. This book is for those special folks with quirky senses of humor. You know who you are. Since I’m not one of those people, I spent most of the book shaking my head and marveling that this book existed. I smiled. I was amazed by Sambuchino’s offthe-wall creativity. I wished I was reading another book.

Reviewed by Jodi Webb

“Parody is an art, and like any other art it calls for both imagination and technical skill.”

Business & Investing 301 Ways To Use Social Media To Boost Your Marketing

By Catherine Parker McGraw-Hill Business, $19.95, 328 pages Okay, so you have a brand spanking new business or product, or you’ve decided to sell your skills. You want the public to know all about your offerings.

You can go door-todoor and meet and greet, pass out a stack of flyers freshly printed off your printer but that takes a lot of time and is passé. So how does one with great ideas, a plan, and a product sell themselves? Social market-

ing. Unless you’ve been hibernating for the past six years or so, you are probably quite familiar with the latest modes of marketing and social networking: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Yelp, and so on. You’ve got the basic knowledge, next step: 301 Ways To Use Social Media To Boost Your Marketing.

This is the most user-friendly guide I have found as of yet. Catherine Parker has broken the book down into seven categories, from Social Media In Action to Blogging to Social Networking. Within each page is a dedicated topic, only one subject per page, no muss no fuss. This is exactly what the entrepreneur/ late bloomer needs, I should know! Pick this one up to plug in and profit.

Reviewed by Sky Sanchez

Does Publishing a Book Make You

a writer?

By Susan Henderson, author of Up from the Blue Back when my son was in second grade, I volunteered for Career Day to talk about being a writer. On the day of my talk, I came into the classroom with the four literary magazines where I’d published my stories and stood them on a table beside me. As the magazines toppled over and I continually but unsuccessfully tried to stand them up again, I spoke about the things I knew best: how to bring a character to life, how to tune in to the feel and smell of everyday objects, how to train your ear for rhythm and storytelling by constantly reading good books. And then I took questions.

“Did you write ‘The Cat in the Hat’?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Did you write ‘Harry Potter’?”

“No, not that one either.”

Every hand shot up with another guess until the teacher stepped in and said, “Mrs. Henderson, please tell the students what books you did write.” “Well,” I said slowly, suddenly feeling like an impostor and unable to speak the words that I hadn’t written any books at all, “I really just write for adults.” My talk came to a quick end, and only as I stood in the hall outside the classroom did I realize that the teacher had interpreted my strange answer to mean she’d brought a porn writer to speak to her second grade class.

When I went home, the humiliation I felt had me questioning more than my performance that day. How could I call myself a writer when I was never paid for my work, when most of my stories were unfinished, and the completed ones were gathering rejection slips? Even those closest to me, who tried to be supportive, were baffled how I could write so slowly, how the things I’d published were so hard to find, and why I kept at it when so much about writing made me miserable. There were so many reasons to quit, but I couldn’t. I continued to wake up in the middle of the night to jot down the mysterious beginnings of stories and characters and scenes. I carried around typed pages, crossing out words, circling others, and drawing arrows here and there. I sent my stories to editors and agents who, if they wrote back at all, explained why they didn’t love them enough to say yes. Common sense told me to stop. I kept going because some inner voice demanded to be heard.

Last month, I stood before an audience, reading from my debut novel. And afterward, as I signed a stack of books, including one to my son’s second grade teacher, I thought of that day six years earlier with the now-defunct magazines toppling over and the deep sense of shame I’d felt. Was I now suddenly a writer because of this book and these people standing in a line to have me sign it?

What had changed, I realized, was only the sense of external validation, but what made me a writer was not the book. I had been a writer long before it existed. A writer is someone whose senses are wide awake—who notices the person sitting alone at a party, the sound of an acorn falling on the roof of a car, the unusual item a stranger sticks in his pocket. A writer can imagine something in such detail that it comes to life, can see a scene from all points of view, can choose words and put them in such an order that they sound like music. The qualities that make a person a writer are not defined by outside success but are embedded in the soul and carried out by the pen.

As I travel from one bookstore to the next for readings, I hear the unmistakable voice of other writers in the audience. Their questions hint at their difficult and knotted first drafts, the unraveling that can happen to a story during revisions, the rejection letters that strike too close to the heart, the part of them that feels beaten down by the process, and something deeper that refuses to stay quiet. So here’s to you who are still waiting for recognition. Here’s to your stamina and your faith. Here’s to listening to your inner voice that urges you, against all common sense, to tell your story.

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Historical Fiction Dark Moon of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan & Isolde

By Anna Elliott Touchstone, $16.00, 448 pages Dark Moon of Avalon is the second book in Anna Elliott’s Twilight of Avalon trilogy. In this installment, Isolde and Trystan are reunited in a diplomatic mission to assist King Madoc.

Isolde has developed a plan for an alliance that will oppose the Saxon warlords and their allies. As she and Trystan embark on this mission they face the dangers of travel across a war torn countryside and pursuit. Also, both are fighting to overcome the trauma of their recent pasts even as they try to reconcile the impossibility of their feelings for each other.

Elliott does a very good job of evoking sixth century Britain, and Isolde’s position as a healer and the Lady of Camelerd brings the reader close to many situations people in the time period would have faced. Unfortunately, the development of the plot is slowed considerably by the recurring flashbacks and internal monologues. The narrative would have been much stronger had the story developed in a more natural way.

Additionally, the chemistry between Isolde and Trystan was disappointingly lackluster.

Reviewed by Rachel Wallace Emily Hudson: A Novel

By Melissa Jones Pamela Dorman Books, $25.95, 368 pages Half The Portrait of a Lady and half A Portrait of the Artist, Emily Hudson is a work of historical fiction loosely based on novelist Henry James’s relationship with his cousin, Minny Temple.

Emily is an irrepressible free spirit, orphan, and proto-artist in Civil War-era America, expelled from boarding school for an “extravagant friendship” with another girl. Sent to live with her strict Bostonian relations, she finds a spark of creative sympathy in her novelist cousin William.

William, however – very much a Jamesian character – is something of an aesthetic parasite, seeking living material in Emily’s passions and flaws. His ultimately controlling, vampiric nature is exposed early on in the novel, which leads to a certain amount of readerly frustration as Emily continues to trust him despite ample evidence that he is not trustworthy.

Jones’s novel is most successful as a

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portrait of the claustrophobic prison that educated women in Victorian America lived within. Emily’s flight to art school in London, and ultimately to the artist’s life in Rome, shows how work and independence lead to a happier ending than the tacked-on wedding offered here as an afterthought.

Reviewed by Catherine Hollis Corrag: A Novel

By Susan Fletcher W. W. Norton & Company, $24.95, 367 pages Susan Fletcher’s first two novels, Eve Green and Oystercatchers, gave us fascinating, vivid female protagonists moving idiosyncratically through life, billowing along on Fletcher’s poetic prose. Her first novel won her the Whitbread First Novel Award, and her second significant praise. Her third novel, Corrag, thankfully follows this pattern, although it goes back a few centuries in time to do so.

The plot revolves around the infamous Massacre of Glencoe in 1692, a slaughter of thirty-eight members of the Scottish MacDonald clan by British troops as punishment for not immediately pledging loyalty to Britain’s new monarchs, William and Mary.

We first encounter Corrag in a prison cell, a lifetime wanderer accused of being a witch.

Sought out as a witness to the massacre by a man eager to restore the deposed James II by implicating William, Corrag agrees to help him if he will listen to the story of her life and thus preserve her in memory.

It is not hard to see why Corrag is accused of being a witch; unearthly and hypnotic, what her contemporaries find threatening about her the reader will find riveting. Her life story, told in Fletcher’s haunting nearpoetry, is as well.

Reviewed by Ariel Berg The Golden Mean

By Annabel Lyon Knopf, $25.00, 292 pages A young Alexander – before he was “The Great” – and Aristotle, warrior and philosopher, are two of the key characters in Annabel Lyon’s riveting and lively novel of ancient Greece. They swear, sweat, eat, fight, and have sex (not with each other), even as Alexander trains to become the next King of Macedonia and his tutor Aristotle struggles with mental demons while writing his Poetics. The Golden Mean spans the seven years these two historical figures shared a classroom together, and their tussles—both emotional and intellectual—offer a fresh light on a time most often boringly enshrined as “the classics”. Aristotle’s pursuit of knowledge, of everything from marine biology to

women’s anatomy, is a fascinating window into the birth of western civilization; while Alexander’s teenage virility, his shortcomings and sweetness, suggest the conqueror he will go on to become. Readers may argue about Lyon’s choice to categorize Aristotle as suffering from bipolar disease and Alexander from “soldier’s heart” (post-traumatic stress disorder), but she represents these illnesses realistically, as part of their characters, and ultimately convincingly.

Already a Canadian best seller, The Golden Mean deserves the same kind of success in America.

Reviewed by Catherine Hollis Siegfried Follies

By Richard Alther Regent Press, $18.00, 316 pages Franz has been raised to be the ideal Aryan in a Nazi group home. When he finds a small, dark boy thrown from a train with nothing but a violin and the letter “J” carved into his arm, Franz feels compelled to save him. Later, when Franz and “J” flee the Munich bombings, they form a bond they believe will last a lifetime. But when J leaves for Israel and Franz—now Frank— seeks success in the United States, the separation may prove too much for their relationship. And later, when J lands in New York and he and Frank are eventually reunited, the trauma and mysteries of their collective past threaten to tear both men apart.

Nazi Germany holds a fascination like few other periods in history. Some authors simply assume we will read anything with a swastika on the cover, and they seem to be right. But other authors inject real human drama into what can be an overwhelming narrative. Richard Alther has done this in Siegfried Follies. He’s framed the whole book

in the narrative of Hitler’s Germany, but he’s created beautifully detailed characters within. While this isn’t a perfect novel, its flaws are easy to overlook.

Reviewed by Amanda Mitchell Turbulence

By Giles Foden Knopf, $25.95, 315 pages Young Henry Meadows, a meteorologist for the Meteorological Office, is called into service during World War II to help the Allies determine the optimal date to invade Europe. Meadows’s task: befriend the reclusive, pacifist Wallace Ryman, whose brilliant Ryman number can make sense of the turbulence in weather systems, identify calm periods within chaotic storms, and help the Allies find the perfect date for D-Day — a date the Germans will never expect. Though Meadows succeeds in getting close to Ryman, his task is complicated by Ryman’s wife, Gill, whose strange behavior both attracts and confuses him. A weather experiment gone horribly wrong sends Meadows’s mission—and life—in directions he never would have expected, and when D-Day finally does arrive, Meadows finds himself not on the sidelines, analyzing numbers and patterns, but in the heart of battle, tied so closely both physically and emotionally to the historic events taking place that he will never fully recover.

Foden creates suspense and intrigue through an abundance of meteorological detail, and his portrait of wartime Scotland — and of life before The Weather Channel — provides an interesting new perspective on a pivotal event in World War II, in which weather predictions really were a matter of life and death.

Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell

The End of a Trail of Tears A story of three families from entirely different cultures and with entirely different hopes versus the harshness and coldness of reality which they encountered upon their coming to mid-America during the mid-1800's.

Available Now!

$19.99

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ISBN 9781441565006

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Religion Beyond Tyranny & Narcissism: Jesus Incarnates Leadership; Why do we fail to follow

By Benjamin Williams Xlibris, $19.99, 234 pages Why can’t people just do what Jesus would do? Why do so many leaders in America exhibit unfettered desire for power and adulation; tyranny, and narcissism? And what can be done about it?

Williams and McKibben define the problem as abuse of power, and they have an idea for another way. Not just an idea: a guidebook. These authors ardently believe that leaders must understand not only that happiness cannot be bought and that consumerism poisons the soul, but that change demands programs and people, not just talk.”

For this, the authors turn to historic

Christianity: “A great undiscovered wealth and traditional teachings of the Christian Church is found in Eastern Christianity.” The faith and practice formulated during the first millennia of Christianity is distinct in orientation from Western Christianity. Fascinating detail.

This book is a toolkit: Chapter headings map the terrain: “What is Leadership, Why Does it Matter?” “Historic Christian Leadership: Not Inborn but Developed,” and “Leadership and Organizational Stewardship.”

There is also a valuable glossary that in-

cludes new ways to define leadership, management, stewardship, and empowerment.

Finally, eighteen illustrations, flow charts, and other diagrams help communicate their concepts. The book’s organization assists the reader as the authors connect standard leadership advice (i.e., the need for clear vision statements, to their Christ-centered leadership model (how is God’s vision of the Kingdom imbued in your leadership?).

Benjamin Williams has a Masters in Theology and has many years of experience in Christian ministry and works as Director for Strategic Accounts for Welch Allen.

Michael McKibben has served in various Christian leadership roles and has written other practical guides for Christian leaders.

This book is thoroughly researched and well organized in presentation. However, it

is not an easy book to read. Readers can expect to be challenged as the authors present both details of theology and the complex mechanics required to enact and embody effective leadership. The nexus between theology and leadership is truly well drawn, so the reader who applies the effort will not be disappointed. For those who genuinely want to change their style and believe that Christ is the model, this book provides the chance to reap significant leadership transformation.

Sponsored Review

Leather-clad motorcyclists cruise through the Southwest. So you’d think with such a broad demographic it would be difficult to compile a travel book with routes that would interest everybody, yet Lonely Planet did exactly that.

This book is much more than “99 Themed Itineraries Across America.” It has music play lists, ways to extend your

trip or combine routes, suggested detours, trip information, all of which are communicated through tight, easy-to-read prose (although it is sadly lacking in color pictures, with the exception of a few at the start).

The table of contents is separated into geography, theme, season, and expert-recommended trips so it’s easy to plan your route no matter what you’re looking for. And the places that they recommend are the same hotspots you would get from locals. There may even be a few treasures that the locals

don’t know about, so keep the book handy for when you get home!

Reviewed by Kayli Crosby

ters include questions and a summary designed to help the reader tackle the clutter.

The Clutter Breakthrough also relies on spirituality, which may not suit every reader.

Wilson targets the persistently disorganized trying to release the power belongings have over them. The book may not interest those thrown off by temporary disorganization caused by a major life event.

Wilson shares her journey to discovery, tackling personal problems and dilemmas that had plagued her throughout her life.

Delving into the five steps—acknowledge, investigate, release, maintain, and share— there is a balanced simplicity to Wilson’s approach. On the whole, however, The Clutter Breakthrough is not a smooth read. Wilson’s book is a personal, well-meaning manual.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey

Live Like a Hot Chick: How to Feel Sexy, Find Confidence, and Create Balance at Work and Play

By Jodi Lipper, Cerina Vincent Avon A, $14.99, 241 pages Not often enough does society promote loving the self (and body) you are born into, especially for young girls and women. Silicone implants and “lunchtime procedures” promoted on every glossy newsstand rag lead to the eventual invasion of even the most confident woman’s mind. Today’s societal messages are a veritable landmine of self-loathing waiting to be detonated.

So where is the acceptance, the love?

Live Like a Hot Chick leads the way to a new direction of self-awareness, not by

Travel USA’s Best Trips

By Sara Benson, Amy Balfour, Alison Bing, Jennifer Denniston, Lisa Dunford, Alex Leviton, David Ozanich, Danny Palmerlee, Brandon Presser, Karla Zimmerman Lonely Planet, $24.99, 712 pages There is something almost universally attractive about hoppin’ into the ol’ Chevy and hitting the open road. Freshly retired couples inch their way across America in campers. Kids go on road trips after high school graduation. Families with jammedpacked SUVs travel miles to national parks.

READ this review on our website.

Self-Help The Clutter Breakthrough: Your FiveStep Solution to Freedom from Clutter Forever (Volume 1)

By Kelli Wilson The Yellow Rose Press, $14.95, 112 pages The Clutter Breakthrough: Your Five-Step Solution to Freedom from Clutter Forever by Kelli Wilson suggests a program that helps readers through a path to solving their need to collect and clutter their lives. The book has a conversational, easy style with some inconsistency in layout and structure.

The first part of the book treads lightly on the five steps and introductory material, such as “The Truth about Stuff” or “Clutter Addiction” and then turns its attention to each step in expanded chapters. The chap-

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changing who you are to fit into society’s prefabricated mold, but by believing in your own beauty, just as you are. Sound a little ‘La-La Land’? Think again. This book is a light slap in the face from your truest girlfriend, telling you to ‘snap out of it’ and see yourself for the sexy go-getter you already are. Lipper and Vincent tell it like it is in sassy and frank, yet loving and assured voices, beckoning you to live out your authentic self, to live out loud A bit of caution: the language can be graphic and, offensive, even. Other than that, like a good bra, it brims with support and makes you feel buoyant, even if you are the only one who knows why.

Reviewed by Sky Sanchez

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Poetry & Short Stories Mystery Montage: A Collection of Short Story Mysteries

By Patricia Morin Top, $14.95, 217 pages Crafting a good short story is a challenge.

The author has less time – and space – to build a plot and develop characters. When done poorly, you are left feeling like you’ve nibbled on a snack, hungry for something more substantial. Patricia Morin’s collection of short-story mysteries, Mystery Montage, feels more like a full-course meal.

Morin’s stories are diverse and exotic, spanning the globe from Atlantic City and San Francisco to Honolulu and, even, a small village in Africa.

It’s these far-flung settings that keep things interesting and vibrant; each story immerses the reader in a new world. Morin’s voice changes with each locale; she’s got an uncanny knack for creating wildly differing characters and, yet, infusing them all with enough personality to bring them to life and make them believable. Whether she’s writing about an elderly woman who discovers a ring in the sand beneath a boardwalk, a young rapper who will stop at nothing to win a recording contract, or a chocolateloving Hawaiian widow saddled with her husband’s secret gambling debts, her characters jump off the page. They feel real and are surprisingly fully-developed. If there’s one criticism, it’s that they occasionally shy away from common sense.

One of the high points of Mystery Montage is the fact that each story feels completely unique; no two are alike, either structurally or in tone, giving the collection a fresh feel. It reads like an anthology filled with works from a variety of authors – a difficult feat for one person to pull off. Morin takes the basic mystery genre and hacks it up into various sub-genres, from the noirish feel of Rap Sheet to the hilariously screwball Who Killed Horatio T. Adams? Stories range in length from 51 pages to three (for Homeless, an impressive exercise in brevity).

Never too complex, but always entertaining, Mystery Montage delivers good storytelling in easily digestible chapters. Let’s hope Morin is hard at work on MM2.

Sponsored Review Marbles of Pearl: Tale of the Satyr

By Bruce Wayne Xlibris, $19.99, 114 pages From the lofty view of a gawking gargoyle to a rocky ride in choppy waters led by a famous bow, Bruce Wayne guides his readers on a voyage through a legendary poetic expedition. Marbles of Pearl is a tribute to mythological characters, lively humans and

20 November 10

the age old love of language, Old English, in particular.

One of the most interesting, and entertaining, exercises are Wayne’s crafty blends of humor illustrated by his Minor and Major Dedications at the beginning of each poem.

Each poem he has devoted to major players in both the real world and the mythological realms: “Major Dedication to John Cheever” “Minor Dedication to Orpheus.” Some of them are rather intriguing, Humphrey Bogart, Johnny Depp, Napoleon Bonaparte. Instead of having to slow my reading down to research the names of the dedicated, I would have preferred a brief explanation to guide the reader into the cadence. Written in the form of a play, effectively, with a Prologue, Six Acts, an Epilogue and a Curtain Call, the work has a balanced, rhythmic flow and a unique form (not often utilized in today’s modern poetry).

Wayne’s work models his inspiration, ancient Greek epic poetry, through his use of symbolism, metaphor and assonance, “On high one Pilot Idol Heeds his captive ring, She sends a ship with bosom crew As her offering In desperate oath She lay Her trust Her trust in mortal king On the wings of Avarice Treasure to redeem The king and crew do sail on through War both fair and keen While praying to Her ivory bust Her bust above the beam” This collection of verse is an endeavor indeed. At times, I felt overwhelmed by the subject matter and history, almost as if there was a secret code that I was not privy to. I would recommend this to those brave and adventurous code breakers.

Sponsored Review Pima Road Notebook

By Keith Ekiss New Issues Poetry & Prose, $15.00, 75 pages After reading Keith Ekiss’ debut poetry collection, Pima Road Notebook, you will know his world intimately. It is a world of fluid boundaries, where ancient and new, inside and outside, city and suburb and desert all intersect, commingle. It is a dangerous, stark, yet gorgeous world evoked by Ekiss’ barbed and beautiful voice.

In writing a new west, Ekiss takes necessary time to negate clichéd images of cowboys and Indians in poems such as “Comic Book West,” “If Avedon Photographed

My Father,” and “Pima Houses (c.1850).”

But thankfully, he doesn’t spend too much time on them. Instead, his poems travel down mineshafts, into canyons, up mountain peaks, and through abandoned houses, searching for a true Southwest in the detritus and scrub. What he finds — a rattler, shards of bone, monsoons, a girl stroking the snout of a horse — is all strangely familiar. Like fairytale archetypes, they are buried in us for Ekiss to excavate. Each of his images, whether scorpion or broken home, stretch of freeway or creosote, warns of a danger which seems to live, glistening like an arrowhead, just below the surface of normal life.

Reviewed by Katie Cappello Crave Radiance

By Elizabeth Alexander Graywolf Press, $26.00, 256 pages In the poem “Passage,” Elizabeth Alexander movingly tells the story of a slave who escapes his master by hiding in a coffin; elsewhere she captures the outsider experiences of contemporary blacks, as in “Apollo,” when a black family pulls over in New England to watch TV footage of the first moon walk, their blackness strangely unnoticed because the astronauts are “stranger, stranger even than we are.” With her expressive feel for the texture and rhythms of its culture, Alexander is a lyric historian of African American life, peopling her poems with artists, athletes, statesmen, heroes and poets of different times and places: photographer James Van Der Zee, painter and collagist Romare Rearden, singer Josephine Baker, boxer Muhammad Ali, Kashmiri poet Agha Shahid Al, musicians Ornette Coleman and Thelonious Monk. Alexander also draws on her middle class upbringing in Washington, D.C., but there is much here, too, about becoming an adult, a wife, and a mother. Following Robert Frost, poet of John Kennedy’s brief presidency, Alexander delivered a poem at Barack Obama’s inauguration. Chair of African American Studies at Yale, she has published steadily since The Venus Hottentot in 1990.

Crave Radiance includes poems from each of her five books, plus 15 new poems.

Reviewed by Zara Raab

Night & Day: New and Selected Poems (1975-2010)

By P.J. Laska Xlibris, $19.99, 146 pages “O the fabulous histories of fleeting things remain each once and ever instant effervescent, like the faces you’ll remember years hence when the hills are mythic fictions of the night sky—a moon will rise in memory over Morgantown, and you’ll be thinkin what if what if what if…” P.J. Laska ‘s collection of poems are a tour de force in the examination of a disappearing homeland, the government’s gross and compulsive negligence, and the way back to a place of home through philosophical musings.

Laska has portrayed a fertile landscape of a working-class citizenship; coal miners, janitors, salesmen across the rich diversities of the Appalachians. But it could be anywhere, anywhere there is history and the undying thirst to regain its story.

Night & Day is a revolutionary documentary shaped by Laska’s skill and free-thinking awareness. He has crafted this collection into three very distinct and thought-provoking sections, each lending a vivid picture created on a palette of carefully blended “anti-lyrics.” His style reaches from haiku to epigrammatic dialogue to philosophical conversations to a one-act play. The different forms make for a seamless flow and keep the reader engaged in an almost voyeuristic indulgence. The images are seen, felt, and experienced, “Quickdipping their heads, they roll silvery drops down their backs then shimmy the dust from their wings.” His eye for the senses is clearly evident, a profound craftsmanship on each page.

The main theme points to loss and the restitution of a culture, a reinstatement of what has vanished, what has been taken, or rather, an intense look back at a sober lingering. The government’s involvement is one of disdain, but what strikes me is the search for meaning through philosophical traditions, the hope for a return to nature, and what is whole from a place of drought.

In many ways, these poems are odes and pieces of the subject’s soul. This is a call, an invitation, to query. I accept.

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Science Fiction & Fantasy Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II

By Sean Williams LucasBooks, $27.00, 336 pages Darth Vader’s secret apprentice has returned from the dead, his memory fractured. Is he a clone of the original Starkiller, or has he become so powerful that he conquered death itself?

No matter the means of his resurrection, his destination is clear: a reunion with Juno Eclipse... the woman Starkiller loved.

Against the backdrop of a burgeoning Rebellion and a dominant Empire, he will stop at nothing to find her.

The Force Unleashed II picks up one year after the events of the original novel, and while it fails to match up in terms of sheer scale -- the creation of the Rebellion, the Jedi hunt, the gradual growth of trust between him and Juno -- it more than succeeds in a slow burn story dripping with inevitability.

The reader knows that Juno and Starkiller will end up in the same place, but the when, where and how drive the narrative.

Unlike most Star Wars novels, The Force Unleashed II is at heart a love story, a reunion romance of epic proportions. That may dissuade some, but I think it adds much-needed depth. Factor in a really ballsy ending, and you have a Star Wars novel quite unlike your standard fare.

Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Gauntlgrym: Neverwinter, Book I

By R.A. Salvatore Wizards of the Coast, $27.95, 352 pages The start of a new trilogy of tales for popular sword and sorcery character Drizzt Do’Urden, Gauntlgrym closes a door on one generation of the dark elf’s long life, and opens a new one fraught with a darker, less heroic future. The story is set nearly one hundred years since the Spellplague ravaged Toril and follows Drizzt and the abdicated King Bruenor Battlehammer as they seek the lost dwarven city of Gauntlgrym.

Though they search long and hard, it is not they, but another dwarf/dark elf pairing, that of the mercenary duo Jarlaxle and Athrogate, that find it first. Misled by the elven seductress and necromancer Dahlia, the Jarlaxle and Athrogate set off a cataclysm of Pompeian proportions.

In classic Dungeons and Dragons style, it is up to Bruenor, Drizzt, Jarlaxle and Athrogate to set things right again. New York Times-bestselling author R. A. Salvatore returns to his most beloved

creation with his characteristically superlative fight scene descriptions, his exciting dungeon crawl plotting, and new characters that allow new readers to step into the world of this 25-year-old character. For long-time fans, there is the close of open character plots and subplots, and we wave goodbye to Bruenor, Catti-brie, Wulfgar and Regis.

Drizzt is to begin a new life and new series of adventures with new companions.

Though exciting in its battles, the story does fail to rise to the quality of Salvatore’s earlier work, and he seems to be “phoning it in” on the characterization that once made his stories stand out in the field of sword and sorcery. Its plot structure is a condensed version of the Paths of Darkness series, lacking the vibrant depth and fresh narrative of those earlier works. Not an awful novel, but by no means Salvatore’s best.

Reviewed by John Ottinger III Cold Magic (The Spiritwalker Trilogy)

By Kate Elliott Orbit, $14.99, 532 pages Cold Magic is set at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, but Elliott introduces a twist in her mythology: Hannibal defeats Scipio and the empire at Carthage progresses alongside the Roman Empire, which brings the socio-political and technological process of Africa up to date with European progress. In the process, Elliott rewrites the history of Europe and its countries, and mixes Celtic myths and magic with those of Mali—an added bonus is the construction of language based on Mande, a West African language group.

The world-building is painstakingly crafted, and though the meandering plot can make the new world a bit of a muddle, it is a shining example of where imagination and steampunk can take you.

The story follows the lives of Cat and Bee, cousins only months apart in age, and narrated by Cat, who is of Carthaginian heritage. Cold Magic is best described as a coming-of-age novel, with both girls struggling to discover their place in society and the truth behind their heritage. It is less about adventure and action, and is a sort of quiet steampunk novel, grown organically from the characters and the mythology which plays a large part in the narrative. It isn’t a perfect book by any chance, but it is fascinating and thought-provoking, particularly in its use of West African heritage and alternate history.

Reviewed by Angela Tate

Maybe This Time

By Jennifer Crusie St. Martin’s Press, $24.99, 352 pages Maybe This Time, Jennifer Crusie’s first solo effort in several years, is a bit of a departure from her usual fare. Inspired by her desire to re-write The Turn of the Screw (and actually give the governess a name), Crusie offers readers a ghost story set in contemporary Ohio.

Andie Miller is ready to take the plunge and marry her fiancé; she just has a little something to clear up first with her ex-husband, North Archer.

But when North asks her for one final favor she gets caught up with the ghosts haunting two orphans in a country mansion.

All of Crusie’s usual fun is on display in Maybe This Time: snappy dialogue, second chances, and wacky supporting characters - plus the development of the ghost story is very nicely done. It’s easy to sympathize with Andie’s character, though her lack of interaction with one of the orphans seemed a bit out of character. Also, the relationship between Andie and North is often overshadowed by the ghosts, which romance fans may want to keep in mind. This may not be the novel that brings in a new set of Crusie fans, but longtime readers should come away satisfied.

Reviewed by Rachel Wallace Timepieces

By Richard Waver Xlibris, $23.99, 448 pages What he creates instead is a small time travel device capable of moving a single person backwards and forwards through time. On a lark, Tom goes back to 1787 to see the Constitutional Convention in process and is surprised to be recognized by Benjamin Franklin. While Franklin is coy on his first meeting with Tom, Tom learns enough to know that he’s obviously been using the time travel device in his future and has had a companion he hasn’t yet met. After Tom’s return to 2022, his daughter and son are also soon caught up in the time travel adventures along with Audrey, Tom’s companion that Franklin had mentioned during Tom’s subjective first meeting with him. Audrey is from a dystopian 2275 and finds one of Tom’s time travel devices left specifically for her that takes

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her back to 1776, where Tom eventually meets her. The action that drives the story is a world catastrophe that happens in Tom’s initial time, but has repercussions up and down history.

Time travel stories are always a balance in the strength of the ability to move and interact with the time traveler’s surroundings.

Waver takes the stance that very little can actually change, that time mostly follows the strong timeline. He blends a time travel adventure with some politics (as one might imagine from Tom’s initial visit to the Constitutional Convention) and his future society where the enemy society is called the “Feds.” Waver’s politics probably fall close to Libertarian, but he doesn’t use them to preach so much as they just drive some of the world view and world building he does in Timepieces. Overall, Timepieces is a good debut novel that has a broad appeal to more than just science fiction readers, but also those interested in early American history and political theory.

Sponsored Review Sin Undone

By Larissa Ione Grand Central Publishing, $6.99, 432 pages Sinead “Sin” Donnelly is everything readers look for in a paranormal heroine. She’s a strong, fearless Master Assassin, capable of leading some of the worst demons in the world and underworld alike.

Part human, part Seamus demon, all Succubus Sin must mate often lest she weaken and die, no matter her personal feelings on the matter. An emergency romantic encounter with local vampire Conall “Con” Dearghul ends up turning into more trouble than it was worth when the two determine they are better strangers than lovers.

As if that weren’t bad enough, on the very same day Sin accidentally releases a disease targeted against the entire werewolf population. Now it’s a race against time to find a cure before the entire species is wiped off the planet. Unfortunately she has no one to turn to but Con. Larissa Ione has created an amazing series with deep characters, a fast plot, and amazing romantic scenes. Fifth in the series, Sin Undone is strong enough to stand of its own- just like the heroine.

Reviewed by Lanine Bradley

November 10 21

Tweens

Binky to the Rescue

By Ashley Spires Kids Can Press, $16.95, 64 pages Binky is back, and now he’s an official space cat. Sworn to protect his house from alien invaders (aka bugs), he accidentally falls through a window and lands in the backyard for the first time. Binky enjoys his time exploring the great outdoors, until a wasps’ nest puts an end to his fun. It isn’t until after he gets inside that he realizes he’s left his mouse, Ted, outside. Now Binky’s on a mission to get Ted back before the aliens can harm him. After all, no mouse gets left behind!

Filled with the same expressive artwork as the first Binky book, Binky to the Rescue will be just as loved by Binky’s adoring fans. Spires does a good job of balancing humor in the text with visual jokes, and telling her stories from Binky’s view gives the story a

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unique quality that often lends to its funniness. Binky’s attempts at rescue are creative, and the flow of action from panel to panel is well done. It’s simply amazing how much an overweight house cat like Binky can work his way so easily into your heart. This one will be a hit with current Binky fans, and a good choice for young graphic novel readers new to the series as well.

Reviewed by Alyssa Feller The Daily Comet: Boy Saves Earth from Giant Octopus!

By Frank Asch Kids Can Press, $16.95, 32 pages Roger Palmer works at The Daily Comet, one of the city’s premiere sources of tabloid sensationalist “news,” but his son Hayward thinks The Daily Comet is jam-packed with nothing but nonsense. So, on Go to Work with a Parent Day, Roger tries to convince the skeptical Hayward that the world is just a little bit stranger than he believes. Will Hayward be able to explain away everything he sees, Sasquatch cab drivers and all, or will he finally encounter something that boggles the rational mind?

The Daily Comet: Boy Saves Earth from Giant Octopus! is really a story about the intersection of fact and imagination, and Asch populates his story with all manner of joyful weirdness that evokes the childhood wonder most of us lose as we get older. (The fact that Roger still has it while Hayward doesn’t is a very interesting switch.)

That would be enough right there, but the art seals the deal. It is absolutely wonderful, like newspaper photos rendered in gray-toned watercolors, and they add real panache and style to an already charming story. Kids will enjoy it, and parents will enjoy reading it.

Reviewed by Glenn Dallas How to Train Your Dragon Book 6: A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons

By Cressida Cowell Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $5.99, 177 pages In A Hero’s Guide to Dragons a trio of young Vikings: Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Camicazi attempt to steal a book locked up in the Viking Library—along the way they ride a Stealth Dragon, swordfight with the Librarian, evade Red Hot Itchyworms and a host of other horrors.

“An attack by Red Hot Itchyworms feels as if every single nerve end-

ing in your entire body is being tickled at exactly the same time. It is infinitely worse than having ants in your pants.”

Author Cressida Cowell could have easily created a cookie-cutter predictable set of books for this series. However Book 6 not only introduces new characters and settings but also has a different pace and feeling—slow and eerie rather than the breakneck speed of Book 7. Despite having questionable ethics (lying, cheating, and stealing) and grammar, the characters are loyal, smart, and safety conscious (who knew dragons had seat belts?). Kids will love them. Parents, if they focus on the negatives, might not.

This series is growing on me. The descriptive language, nonstop action (or in this case suspense), memorable characters, and doodles throughout the book will have kid’s devouring this book and searching for the next in the series. Along with the main story you get an added bonus of 30 pages of Dragonese dictionary and Dragon Identification.

Reviewed by Jodi M. Webb NERDS: Book Two: M is For Mama’s Boy

By Michael Buckley Amulet Books, $14.95, 253 pages The second book detailing the adventures of NERDS (the National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society) stars with the team trying to recover from the hard hit of betrayal by one of their own. But the mysterious Simon isn’t done with his plans to take over the world. He’s back, and he’s enlisted the help of wannabe superhero computer genius who wreaks havoc on the teams’ powers. Without his trademark ability to stick to walls, Duncan (aka Agent Gluestick) will have to come up with more than gadgets to help stop Simon once and for all.

Readers who fell in love with the NERDS team in the first series won’t be disappointed with the newest addition. There are just as many witty quotes, great character banter, cool spy gadgets, and secret agent danger as before. The fact that this book focuses on a different member of the team, namely Duncan, was a nice touch that if employed throughout the series will eventually give readers a good rounded version of all the characters. Readers who want to become super spies on their own will also enjoy the tips on creating and cracking codes sprinkled between chapters. This is a must-read for fans of the first book, and sure to attract new readers as well.

Reviewed by Alyssa Feller

Con fused

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The Book of Bad Things: A sinister guide to history’s dark side

By Count Droffig Kingfisher, $19.99, 64 pages The Book of Bad Things is the embodiment of baleful and forbidding mystery. Under one light, it’s a chronicle of strange coincidences, dark musings, and unsettling tales of death and destruction. Under another, it’s a multi-layered thriller that will spark a little paranoia in even the most steadfast of minds.

In this very capably executed bookwithin-a-book, Count Droffig embarks on a treacherous journey to confirm the existence of The Book of Bad Things, a tome associated with disasters big and small throughout history. As he pieces together fragments of fact and fiction from across the globe, the reader gains valuable clues toward solving the ancient puzzle themselves.

Complete with hidden code words, interactive pages, stylish inserts, and a plethora of unnerving anecdotes and trivia, The Book of Bad Things gleefully tickles the imagination as it challenges your deductive skills.

The art and scene pieces are absolutely first-rate, with photo-quality pictures and vivid attention to detail. The backgrounds and artistry are so engrossing that I found myself simply staring at some pages rather than reading them.

Clive Gifford (or, if you prefer, Count Droffig) has really outdone himself with this one.

Reviewed by Glenn Dallas

History Cranioklepty: Grave Robbing and the Search for Genius

By Colin Dickey Unbridled Books, $15.95, 308 pages Who would have thought a book about grave robbery could be so romantic, as well as educational? Colin Dickey explores the phenomenon of cranioklepty, or skull theft, with a novelist’s panache. The story of the intrepid Joseph Rosenbaum and his gutsy wife, Terese, unfolds like a Victorian romantic thriller. Together they stymie both her mother and Prince Nicolas II in their attempts to keep them from marrying. Later the couple stole and kept hidden the skull of beloved composer and close friend, Franz Joseph Haydn.

The practice of “skullduggery” is traced back to the pseudo science of deciphering various aspects of a personality by measuring and reading the bumps on the head, or phrenology. Phrenology is exposed as not just bad science, but over time as a thinly disguised excuse for racism, slavery, and colonization; setting dangerous stereotypes that still exist today. In order for phrenology to become officially sanctioned, the “scientists” needed skulls, and lots of them, sometimes resorting to theft.

Cranioklepty is a very entertaining as well as informative history of a strange crime that reflects our human nature to discover our true nature, even beyond death.

Reviewed by Stacy Kuning North Sacramento

By V.K. Ehrenreich Arcadia Publishing, $21.99, 127 pages You generally can’t go wrong with an Images of America book. They look back into our collective past, bringing life and light to a region or neighborhood with interesting pictures and captions. Unfortunately, this Images of America book falls flat, and feels lifeless. It covers the city of North Sacramento, which was in existence from 1924 to 1964 until it merged with the City of Sacramento after several elections and a court case. North Sacramento was centered around Del Paso Boulevard, and El Camino Avenue. It ran on the north side of the American River.

It paralleled the old Lincoln Highway that eventually became part of Highway 160 and Interstate 80. The reason this book feels flat and dull is that it seems to focus on a couple of families and photos from their albums.

Also, several captions are used repeatedly,

which is not a good thing. Not the best Images of America book on the market.

Reviewed by Kevin Winter Banned in Boston

By Neil Miller Beacon Press, $26.95, 240 pages There was a time when authors clamored for their books to be labeled “Banned in Boston” because the notoriety meant guaranteed success. Upton Sinclair even offered a Boston police officer $1,000 to arrest him so that sales from his book, Oil!, would soar.

The New England Society for the Suppression of Vice, later known as the Watch and Ward, was founded in 1878 in response to the influx of immigrants and the changes that came in society after the Civil War. The old Puritanical Boston families got together and decided to become the censors for all society. They set about changing legislation, banning books, and taking the lead in vice raids.

Watch and Ward enjoyed times of success and times of infamy until it was finally folded into other, less notorious groups in 1967. They fought corruption, and most notably vice during World War I with a charter from the federal government to clear houses of prostitution and gambling dens from the areas around military bases.

Censorship was nothing to scoff at then and it still isn’t today. The Society was determined to save society at any cost. It goes to show you just how wrong things can go when one group of people become the moral compass over all.

Reviewed by Gwen Stackler Conquer or Die!: Wellington’s Veterans and the Liberation of the New World (General Military)

By Ben Hughes Osprey Publishing, $25.95, 376 pages Thousands of British soldiers — many of them Irish –– returned home from the Napoleonic Wars to economic recession and social unrest. When they were promised adventure and good pay for fighting alongside the charismatic revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar against the oppressive Spanish royalists in South America, hundreds enlisted. Though it was illegal to fight for a foreign government, England turned a blind eye, and six

ships soon set sail under six British colonels. Most of those who managed to land in Columbia and sail up the Orinoco River to Bolivar’s capital at Angostura eventually died in horrendous conditions that included lack of provisions, tropical diseases, filth, alligators, poor leadership, betrayal, desertion, brutal tactics, looting, senseless destruction of civilians, and massacres of prisoners of war.

“Prisoners were frequently brought in, for the most part American[s who] ... had probably been compelled to serve with the Spaniards. Groups of ten and twelve were... put to death ... the patriots were economic of gunpowder. .. and the wretched were doomed to have their sufferings augmented and prolonged by the sword of the executioner ... I have often seen the head severed from the trunk at the first blow. Whenever this occurred a loud laugh from the creole spectators expressed their satisfaction.” --First hand account A few adventurers, including the ill-fated Lieutenant Richard Vowell, kept accounts of exotic wildlife, local troubadours playing vihuelas, and native boat people who lived on boiled monkey and ant paste. Historian Ben Hughes’s detailed explications, with notes, bibliography and index, add rigor to his portraits of colorful characters such as the Scots merchant James Hamilton who strode about the jungle in full highland dress. The new world, whose democratic future these British soldiers helped secure, became for them, alas, a field of their own unmarked graves.

Reviewed by Zara Raab The Great Fire of Rome

By Stephen Dando-Collins Da Capo Press, $25.00, 248 pages The emperor ruling during the great fire of Rome was named Nero, and traditionally he is believed to be a madman who stood on a rooftop and fiddled while his city burned.

Many suspected that he caused the fire and later blamed it on the Christians, using it as an excuse to execute them. But Stephen Dando-Collins presents another side to the story. Using historical texts and his own suppositions, he pieces together a history that does not include a fiddle or the slaughter of Christians.

Instead, he portrays Nero as a sympathetic, misunderstood, and tortured artist.

While Dando-Collins’s hypotheses are well-researched, the book is dramatically

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biased in Nero’s favor, which makes it more opinion-based than fact-based. In other words, don’t quote it for a research paper.

That said, perhaps because it is opinionheavy, the language is refreshing, simple, and not overly academic. Repeatedly throughout the novel, Dando-Collins creates parallels to American culture – some successful and others less so – to help make distant Roman culture more understandable. Despite its simplicity, the book retains intrigue as Dando-Collins moves from the underlying turmoil that led up to the fire to the slow dethroning of Nero. Overall, it is an easy, entertaining read.

Reviewed by Kayli Crosby Patton: The Pursuit of Destiny

By Agostino von Hassell Thomas Nelson, $19.99, 193 pages Of the authorized biographies and major works about General George Smith Patton Jr., this snapshot bio is by design the most concise. Von Hassell and Brestin refer the reader to other works to cover what they leave out, and thus, focus their attention on the chain of events that exemplify Patton as a true American war hero.

“Even though the commanding officers of these enveloping German troops had demanded that the trapped American troops surrender unconditionally, no American commander had waved the white flag, aware that Patton’s Third Army was on the way and believing that it would break through and rescue them, as indeed it did.”

A lightning rod of contention even before the spotlight of WWII brought him into international focus, Patton’s steady diet of shoe leather is overshadowed by his shining achievements. A leader by example, endeared to those who served with him, adored by those whom he rescued, respected by his greatest enemies, Patton teaches us that it takes tenacity to overcome personal weaknesses and courage to overcome fear.

This little book is an excellent selection for students of military history, particularly those interested in the development of tank warfare. It is a remarkable tribute to Patton that the tactics he initiated are still taught at the training base in southern California that he established. His extensive library on warfare is still maintained at West Point.

As von Hassel and Brestin point out, Patton’s legacy endures despite the stain of scandal because he was a soldier’s soldier.

When the cavalry was called, it was Patton who led the rescue.

Reviewed by Casey Corthron

November 10 23

Modern Literature The Transformation of Things: A Novel

By Jillian Cantor Avon A, $13.99, 270 pages After her husband is indicted on bribery charges Jennifer Levenworth, a seemingly happy suburban housewife, experiences an odd headache, complete with lucid dreams, that makes her privy to the inner thoughts of family and friends. Despite the fact she’s already been ostracized by her lunch club friends, discovered her father is remarrying after losing her mother to cancer, and cannot shake the feeling that the dream visions are real, Jennifer struggles to distinguish reality from her dreams.

The Transformation of Things is a character driven novel about the complexities of marriage, friendship, family and the pressures of motherhood. Even with its promising premise the narrative lacks the stamina to illustrate the dynamics of human relationships. As the frequency of strange dreams grow and Jennifer’s predicaments escalate, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify with her complacent nature or convince readers her character was fully developed. Perhaps this was a result of the writing falling short of capturing the depth of Jennifer’s character and her relationship to the rest of the cast. Yet, despite its stylistic shortcomings and foreseeable ending, there is no doubt this book will provoke an ample discussion for book clubs.

Reviewed by Wendy Iraheta Habit of a Foreign Sky: A Novel

By Xu Xi Haven Books, $15.00, 281 pages As a child, Gail Szeto slept in a wooden bed with no mattress in a shabby part of Hong Kong. Now in mid-life, she moves in jet-setting global circles as a highly paid investment banker. With colleagues, she’s known for her creative deals, but outside work she’s selfrighteous, controlling, and confrontational.

She often flies between New York and Hong Kong, and she’s up in the air about career, family, and sex, especially since the break-up of her marriage and the death of her young son two years earlier.

“Her? Bit of a cold fish. Smart, though.”

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When her mother is suddenly struck dead by a truck, Gail, too, comes crashing down. By chance, she meets Zavier, a suave lover of mixed background who’s raising a child under peculiar circumstances. Gail’s sudden passion leads her to confront for the first time her complicated and surprising past, her Chinese mother’s hidden life, and her own relationship to the wealthy American playboy who is now her only family.

Deciding whether to accept a top job in New York, she meets new colleagues and players, who provide an insider’s view of a 21st century global life style in this, Xu Xi’s seventh novel, a finalist for the Inaugural Man Asian Literary Prize.

Reviewed by Zara Raab Radiant Daughter: A Novel

By Patricia Grossman Triquarterly, $29.95, 261 pages Mental illness and how it affects a young woman and her family is the theme of this readable novel.

Elise Blazek is a bright, straight-A student, who shows signs of bipolar disease just as she’s ready to attend Princeton University. Her mother Irena, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia, cannot accept that her promising daughter could be less than perfect, and expects her to snap out of it.

“She was not a retard -- she was merely undone by the smells no one else smelled, the recurrent feeling that she had stood in the precise same spot, wearing the exact same outfit thousands of times before.”

Meanwhile, Elise distances herself from her family as she struggles to live her life.

Although she manages to get an advanced degree and a teaching position at a university, she goes through several bouts of extreme highs and lows, mostly when she’s off her medication. She becomes paranoid and unreasonable, loses jobs and men, and makes impulsive decisions. While her mother tells her friends that Elise is successful, Wiley, her best friend from college, tries to keep her on track.

Elise’s family finally comes to understand her mental illness during a dramatic climax, but not in the way readers expect. In her unstable periods, Elise is extremely disagreeable, yet surprisingly sympathetic. The author creates a realistic portrayal of mental illness without being preachy or overdramatic. This is a novel worth reading.

Reviewed by Leslie Wolfson

The Einstein Enigma: A Novel

By José Rodrigues Dos Santos William Morrow, $25.99, 485 pages The Einstein Enigma can be described in one word: frustrating. The book had a great concept and a deep philosophical layer that was enjoyable, but the plot falls flat on its face. The story follows that of Cryptologist Professor Thomas Noronha as he stumbles into Einstein’s last manuscript that Einstein wrote before he died. The only reason he is even in the story is because he is the best at unlocking codes and puzzles, otherwise he’d be at home all day. The Iranian government asks him to solve a puzzle in Einstein’s manuscript and our CIA asks him to be a double agent. This all sounds so exciting but the action is slowed down by talking heads and a questionable plot device. The majority of the book is people sitting around and drinking coffee while they have one-sided dialogue. The book finally picks up the pace when Thomas is captured

by Iranians and is thrown in jail. I didn’t like Thomas that much; he came off as whiny and impotent in the story. All the characters actions seem forced and wooden, like puppets on strings instead of real people. Even the “spontaneous” romance that develops between Thomas and the Iranian scientist feels forced and awkward. The Einstein Enigma still has a beautiful message and interesting outlook on religion, but is that message worth sifting through that many pages? Maybe that’s the real “Einstein’s” enigma.

Reviewed by Kevin Brown Getting to Happy

By Terry McMillan Viking, $27.95, 400 pages Getting to Happy is set fifteen years after Terry McMillan’s Waiting to Exhale. Bernadine, Savannah, Gloria and Robin are still in Phoenix and still trying to navigate the everyday trials of relationships, children, jobs, and the unexpected turns life delivers. As the story opens each woman is faced with a challenge that forces her to re-examine her life and actively decide how she will move forward.

Getting to Happy is very character centric, with much of the story told through conversation and remembered events. The pacing is not always even but, ultimately, this does not get in the way of the story.

Additionally, McMillan makes it very easy

to relate to this group of friends with her knack for illustrating the immediacy of everyday choices. McMillan made an interesting choice in depicting the group as having lost touch a bit in the past decade as life came between them. Seeing the depth of their friendships as they pull together again will keep readers turning pages. Those drawn to character-driven novels will likely come away satisfied. The experience will be even richer for readers who enjoy stories focused on everyday life.

Reviewed by Rachel Wallace Star Island

By Carl Hiaasen Knopf, $26.95, 352 pages Cherry Pye is a drug- and alcohol-crazed superstar seemingly bent on trying to destroy her brief singing career in Carl Hiaasen’s latest book. Trying valiantly to keep her in the limelight are her overbearing mother/stage manager and her agent, along with a cast of characters who are pure Hiaasen: Chemo, a deranged bodyguard with a weed-whacker for an arm; Ann, Cherry’s body double used when Cherry is too plastered to appear in public; and Skink, a one-eyed former governor who has taken to vigilante justice.

Readers may remember some of these characters from previous books, and seeing them brought back to life here will delight Hiaasen fans, as will the whole book—it is both entertaining and a full skewering of today’s pop culture.

It is hard to find much to fault with Star Island, since readers picking up the title surely know what they’re getting themselves into. At times the characters may seem shallow and stereotypical, and often that’s the point—but they never reveal even a glimmer of a humanity that may endear them to us. But overall that’s a small quibble, since Hiaasen readers are there for the ride, not for the humanity, and in that sense Star Island delivers.

Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell

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