March 2012
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1
NEW AND OF INTEREST
4
The Crown
Step into the World of Henry VIII From a Totally New Perspective Page 9
An Interv iew with Author Philip Fradkin
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Page 20
Discount Armageddon: An InCryptid Novel Page 31
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The Sunday Funnies
The golden age of comics
Spin like a Dervish! By Ian McDonald Pyr, $16.00, 358 pages
57
Ian McDonald has almost a dozen books in the sci-fi genre. Astonishingly, I’d never heard of him, and now that I’ve been so entranced by The Dervish House I’ll have to hunt them all down! After a page titled Turkish Spelling and Pronunciation, we enter the future city of Istanbul accompanying a migrating stork. Thus, from the first page, we are engaged in not only ex-
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Page 39
Feature: The Leaf Series Page 49
The Street Sweeper
Memory and the Search for the Truth Page 53
79 Pages INSIDE!
IN THIS ISSUE
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Children’s Historical Fiction Humor-Fiction Modern Literature Mystery, Crime & Thrillers Poetry & Short Stories Article: Writing Around the Bay Popular Fiction Article: What Does a Writer Know? Romance Expanded Science Fiction & Fantasy Expanded Sequential Art Young Adult Tweens Article: Secrets of Highly Productive Writers Biographies & Memoirs Business & Investing Technology Cooking, Food & Wine Article: It Was More than Making Pasta Crafts & Hobbies Current Events & Politics History Humor-NonFiction Reference Religion Philosophy Science & Nature Spirituality & Inspiration
CONT’D FROM PAGE 1
ploration of a world of nanobots and conflicting and ebbing cultures, but in a linguistic striving that makes this read engaging and exotic. The points of view vary as much as the cityscape Mr. McDonald so skillfully paints for us while dispensing history and inventing freely into technologies not yet born. We take part in a medically sequestered boy’s rooftop reconnaissances with a nanobot toy, participate in philosophical musings with an aged Greek academic, and accompany a hyped-up market trader in hedonistic immersions. Religion rears its serpent head, terrorism slithers out of the depths of disaffected fanatics’ psyches. All the characters and action center about an ancient Tekke, a worship and residence house once of the Dervishes, hence the title. The blending of characters and the complex knotting of the plot are masterfully done. Reviewed by David Sutton
The San Francisco Book Review is published bi-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 San Francisco Book Review or Sacramento Book Review advertisers. All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders. All words © 2011, 1776 Productions, LLC.
Book Reviews
Category
Children’s
Baxter’s Big Teeth By Betty Counce with illustrations by Dave Seay Keepworthy Creations, $16.95, 34 pages The relationship between animal and human characters is a classic mark of children’s literature. Baxter’s Big Teeth, the first publication of the Critters Like Me storybook series, continues in this tradition, with the depiction of a touching friendship between boy and beaver as an effective medium through which to relate an exciting childhood milestone.
Baxter the Beaver wants Big Teeth. Desperately. Unable to help build lodges with his baby teeth, a disheartened Baxter swims away from the colony. Baxter is alone until he meets Kevin, a little boy quickly charmed by his new friend’s quest for larger chompers. When his first baby tooth finally does fall out, Baxter is more perturbed than excited (nothing a little glue can’t fix)! Kevin comforts Baxter in his anxiety, assuring his animal buddy that losing teeth is a regular part of growing up—Tooth Fairy and all. Under Kevin’s guidance, Baxter’s quest for Big Teeth also yields an important life lesson—not to mention the humorous use of a pencil sharpener—about the importance of cultivating patience. Baxter’s Big Teeth is an adorable tale, a creative portrayal of an important event in every child’s life. Dave Seay’s illustrations are delightful, wonderfully capturing the multiple expressions of frustration and triumph that mark childhood experience. The book also includes several pages of fun tooth-related exercises and comes with an acorn keepsake for storing lost teeth. We can look forward to many Critters Like Me books to follow. Note: The book (alone) retails for $16.95; however you can buy the book and acorn box combo together at a discount for $23.95. The acorn box can also be bought separately. Sponsored Review Betty Bunny Wants Everything By Michael Kaplan, Stephane Jorisch, Illustrator Dial Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 32 pages Kids often have a problem with paring down what they want when faced with difficult choices. Betty Bunny Wants Everything looks at one young bunny’s desire to have everything she wants, and the ramifications of her stubbornness when it comes to dealing with that inability. Her parents find a way to deal with the problem, but that solution ends up allowing Betty yet another way to show her stubbornness. The fun thing about this book isn’t so much the life lessons about compromising and that you can’t always have everything you want. Even the art, which is fun and has
San Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 3
Book Reviews
Category Children’s
things going on in the background, isn’t the best part; the level of small details is going to make this a hit with kids. What really sells this books are the sibling relationships, and how each sibling helps the other make a decision on what gifts they receive, be it for self-defense or money decisions. Betty is also a good example of a kid that parents love to hate, both clever and selfish. Between these aspects, this book is probably going to be reread a lot, but at least it will be a fun rereading each time. Reviewed by Jamais Jochim When Grandmama Sings By Margaree King Mitchell, James Ransome, Illustrator Amistad, $16.99, 40 pages When Grandmama Sings takes readers back to the segregated Deep South where obstacles abound, but courage and the desire to chase a dream are much greater. Grandmama is offered an opportunity to sing on tour, something she’s always wanted. Granddaughter Belle is thrilled to accompany Grandmama; since Grandmama can’t read, Belle will make a perfect travel companion. As they expected, traveling through the South isn’t easy. They encounter “whites only” hotels, non-paying club managers, and police harassment. Still, the band travels on and plays on, finally finding a welcoming audience of white and black people in Atlanta, Georgia. Written with an easy-flowing narrative from Belle’s viewpoint, the harsh reality of racism is juxtaposed with the resolve of Grandmama and her will to sing. The frustration and disappointment of the times is successfully captured in realistic watercolor paintings by James Ransome. The double-page spread depicting the band being stopped by the police is especially powerful. A discussion starter for ages 5-9, this book also will cause adults to reflect on a difficult time in history while appreciating the power of song to bring people together. Reviewed by Africa Hands
So You Want to be President? Revised and Updated Edition By Judith St. George with illustrations by David Small Philomel, $17.99, 52 pages Maybe you would like to be the president. Well, this book will prove to you that anyone can be president. Fat or small, short or tall—it doesn’t matter. But there are things that seem to help. More presidents had the first name of James than any other first name—six in all. Maybe it helps to have siblings. No president so far has been an only child, but two have been orphans. All but nine presidents went to college. Some told jokes. Some were somber. Some sang and danced. Most played some kind of sport. Many had pets of one kind or another, but more had dogs than any other kind of pet. Theodore Roosevelt’s children practically had a zoo. This fun picture book is a compendium of fascinating facts about the people who have held the office of President of the United States. All kids and adults will find something to interest them in this great collection of tidbits and treats about our Commanders in Chief through the years. Judith St. George has done a terrific job of cleverly writing about the facts, and David Small’s whimsical illustrations keep the sense of fun going throughout. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck The Mighty Miss Malone By Christopher Paul Curtis Random House, $15.99, 307 pages Twelve-year-old Deza Malone, gifted writer, avid reader, and top student, comes from a loving home. Through an essay, Deza introduces her father, Roscoe, as “strikingly handsome” with the annoying trait of using “alliteration” every chance he gets. Deza’s fifteenyear-old brother, Jimmie, has the voice of an angel, but his growth is stunted. Finally, her mother, Peggy, is introduced as “the glue holding the
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Book Reviews
Category Children’s
family together.” Truer words were never spoken. As Curtis peels back the layers of this multifaceted family, we find that Deza’s only pair of shoes are completely worn out, her dress has been patched multiple times, and her teeth are rotted from lack of proper health care. Her father is often unable to find work and the family eats meal infested with worms. After the father disappears while away on a fishing trip with friends, Deza’s family life begins to slowly unravel. In order to engage the reader in exploration of the racial and cultural significance of the times, Curtis uses the historical period of the Great Depression: a desperate period in America’s history. The Mighty Miss Malone is a fabulous preteen heroine who models perseverance and self-determination. Reviewed by Alicia Latimer I’m Fast! By Kate McMullan/Jim McMullan, Illustrator Balzer + Bray, $16.99, 40 pages Full of alliterative sounds, fun, simple colorful illustrations and, best of all, a train and a race car, this picture book by the renowned Kate and Jim McMullan, authors of I Stink ,I’m Dirty and other wonderful books, is sure to please the picture book set. Kids will be cheering for the big freight train to beat the race car to Chicago with all of its freight. The freight train chatters through the trip describing his moves, his freight and telling the cows on the track to Moooooooove it. With an engaging smile, and expressive eyes, he makes a charming protagonist. Along this fun trip, we get to learn what the various types of freight cars are called and find out about a cross country train trip. This will make a great read aloud with bold illustrations and wonderful sounds to make, as well as the race adding to the suspense of the story. This is a must for train fans and fans of all kinds of transportation. Don’t miss this chance to climb aboard! Reviewed by Beth Revers
Camellia the Fabulous Flower Girl (Flower Girl World) By Lynelle Woolley, Karen Wolcott (illustrator) Markelle Media, $16.99, 32 pages This pretty picture book tells the story of Camellia, who loves to pretend being a flower girl. When her Aunt Bella asks her to be a flower girl for real it is like a dream come true, until she finds she is not the only flower girl. Willow is a fashion model flower girl from New York and Poppy is cowgirl flower girl from Montana. They couldn’t be more different from Camellia’s ideal, and Camilla is sure that they will be all wrong and the wedding will be a disaster. Her special flower girl smiles disappear into pouts. Understanding and helpful adults applaud all three girls as they show their different styles and Camellia finds out there are different ways to be a wonderful flower girl. Clear, colorful illustrations enhance this cute book. Fans of princesses and all things pretty will be delighted. This is a fun peek at being a flower girl for those who are soon to fill that role; it is also a sweet book for inspiring fun pretending. Reference to a website with ideas and activities extends the fun. Reviewed by Beth Revers Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie By Laurie Jacobs, Anne Jewett (illustrator) Flashlight Press, $16.95, 32 pages Chloe and Sophie never know what to expect when Grandma Tillie comes to babysit. Grandma Tillie is not your usual gray-haired, cookie-baking, sweater-knitting grandma. Oh, yes, she says she has knitting in that bag she carries. But that bag holds more than yarn. It’s a bag of wonders. In a heartbeat, Grandma Tillie can transform into the pink-haired, conga-dancing Tilly Vanilly; the singing Chef Silly Tillie; or the glamorous beautician, Madame Frilly Tillie. But when it is time to be tucked in for the night and to be read a bedtime story, which Tillie
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Book Reviews
Category Children’s
will show up? Just when you’ve decided Grandma Tillie is over the top, she shows a knack for being the grandma a sleepy kid needs. This story is a charmer. Who wouldn’t love a grandma like Grandma Tillie? Anne Jewett’s lively and colorful illustrations catch Grandma’s gleeful spirit and the joyous fall-out of her stylish babysitting. Reviewed by Elizabeth Varadan Coral Reefs By Jason Chin Neal Porter/Roaring Brook Press, $16.99, 40 pages Enter the world of coral reefs through colorful images that transfix the mind as you follow the girl who selects this book from a library shelf. Filled with scientific details about the minuscule sea animals and plants that partner to form the limestone skeletons that frame the corals, the book will captivate the curious learner. What a marvel to find out that coral reefs are the largest structure built by any animal on earth. With the reader engrossed in the text, the scenes portray her imagination as she wanders through the pages experiencing the rush of water and seeing the denizens of the sea. There are the cities of amazingly varied corals whose polyps extend pulsating tentacles to capture available plankton. Parrot fish and sharks and turtles are part of the food chain of this tropical marine habitat. This is a bewitchingly lovely introduction to coral reefs by the author who used his experience in the Belize barrier reef to write and also illustrate this enchanting introduction to the marine ecosystem of the currently endangered coral reefs. The front and back pages display sketches of the typical residents that share the environs of the coral reef such as balloon fish, sponges, jellyfish, stingrays, anemones, groupers, sea urchins and many more. Reviewed by Aron Row
The Easter Bunny’s Assistant By Jan Thomas HarperCollins, $12.99, 40 pages Never let an excitable skunk help you color Easter eggs. The Easter Bunny’s Assistant is a fun instruction book on coloring Easter eggs. The fun twist is that the Easter Bunny is helped by a friendly skunk who, unfortunately for the bunny, fills the room with gas every time he gets excited, and he gets excited a lot. At one point the Easter Bunny asks him to leave, but is forced to invite him back in. The book concludes with the instructions on how to color eggs, including an admonition to watch out for skunks in the kitchen. This is a fun little book for kids learning how to color eggs. Little information is actually given on how to color eggs, it will keep them giggling. Although best for those under first grade, some older kids may get a laugh from the constant use of flatulence. Sort of a nice point is how, even though the Easter Bunny kicks him out, the Easter Bunny is cajoled by the children reading the book to let the skunk back in, and how they settle the gas issue. This is definitely a fun read for those looking for something special for Easter. Reviewed by Jamais Jochim Balloons Over Broadway By Melissa Sweet Houghton Mifflin, $16.99, 40 pages Tony Sarg was a puppeteer, but not your run-of-the-mill puppeteer. He was one of the most inventive puppeteers of all. He was fascinated with finding ways to make things move. When only a young boy, he tired of having to get up early to feed the chickens and invented a way to feed them by simply pulling on a rope next to his bed. As an adult, he moved to London and started making marionettes that were very lifelike when they performed. Eventually, he moved to New York and performed on Broadway. Macy’s heard about his puppets and hired him to make a “puppet parade” for their holiday
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Book Reviews
Category Children’s
windows. It was a great success. Then Macy’s wanted Tony to create a parade for their employees. It was also a great success, so Macy’s decided to have a big parade on Thanksgiving Day every year. As time went on, Macy’s asked Tony to make something more spectacular. Tony came up with the idea of making huge, inflated, floating puppets for the parade, and they grew, getting better and bigger every year. This charming non-fiction book will fascinate young and old alike. The illustrations are great and really make the story come alive. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck Kali’s Song By Jeanette Winter Schwartz & Wade, $16.99, 32 pages When we share our personal gifts with the world, we become who we are meant to be is the theme of Kali’s Song. The story opens in ancient times with Kali living a traditional life where his father gives him a bow and arrows and encourages him to practice shooting for the upcoming big hunt. Kali dutifully practices shoot-
ing the arrows. When he sits down to rest, he idly plucks the bow’s string and likes the sounds. Soon, he gets the idea to put the bow to his lips and continues plucking the bow and new sounds fill the air. From that day forward, he wanders far away to ‘practice’ shooting arrows, and, instead, creates music with his bow. The day of the big hunt arrives and the hunters discover mammoths! However, when Kali sees the mammoths, he forgets about the hunt. “Kali [lays] his arrows on the grass, [puts] the bow to his mouth, [closes] his eyes, and [plays], and [plays], and [plays].” Kali charms both the mammoths and hunters which his sounds. Kali’s Song is a delight to read as it subtly honors the joy every child experiences when they share their personal gifts with the world. Reviewed by Susan Roberts
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Book Reviews
Category Children’s
Mrs. Harkness and the Panda By Alicia Potter, Melissa Sweet Knopf Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 40 pages Mrs. Harkness was no explorer, she was a tea gown designer. But when her husband died while trying to find a panda in China, she decided to finish the trip for him. Against the advice of her friends, Mrs. Harkness sailed to China. Even her husband’s friends in China scoffed at her plan. Surely she wasn’t prepared to sail for two weeks up the Yangtze River, drive hundreds of miles through rice paddies and farms, and climb mountains. With the help of a young man name Quentin, nearly seven months after she first set sail, Mrs. Harkness found what she and her husband were looking for. Melissa Sweet once again delights with her watercolour and mixed media illustrations. This time, vintage maps, paper, and postcards of Chinese ports and canoes, connect readers with Mrs. Harkness’ expedition. Some readers may criticize Mrs. Harkness’ expedition to China to take a baby panda from its native environment. Author notes credit Mrs. Harkness for exposing Americans to panda--once thought to be as mythical as unicorns--now an international symbol for the World Wildlife Fund. Good discussion starter for grades K-2. Reviewed by Africa Hands
much milk they can make. They say the sun helps them to make all the good milk they make. The other cows laugh at Milly. It’s so hot, she even dreams about the heat. When she wakes, a storm has arrived and it is getting cold. The other cows are too cold, but not Milly. This is just what she has been waiting for. But what happens next is a big surprise. This Milly isn’t just chilly, she is silly as well. Little ones will love the nonsense of the book, as well as the nonsensical illustrations. Fiona Ross’s debut children’s book will be a favorite for the very young. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
Chilly Milly Moo By Fiona Ross Candlewick Press, $15.99, 32 pages It is a warm, sunny day, and Milly Moo is very sad. The other cows do not understand. Milly is just too hot. She does not like hot weather. It makes her sad. All she really wants to do is “churn out the finest, loveliest, tastiest, creamiest milk.” But it is too hot and she is in danger of losing her job at the farm. If she can’t produce milk, the farmer has no reason to keep her there. The other cows brag about how San Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 8
Book Reviews
Category
Historical Fiction
The Crown By Nancy Bilyeau Touchstone, $24.99, 402 pages “Be careful how you proceed, Sister Joanna,” twisted and deadly Bishop Gardiner commands, “You must use subtlety to ascertain location. Do not draw attention to yourself with obvious searching. It is very important you tell no one of my charge. Not your prioress, nor the sisters, nor the friars I send with you. Absolutely no one. Once you learn where the Athelstan crown is located, communicate that
to me alone, in writing. You must not touch it yourself, not even for an instant. You understand?” When Sister Joanna, a young novice nun, learns of her cousins’ burning, she breaks all the rules and heads to London to offer her cousin support. She ends up locked in the Tower of London with only one way to escape: search her old priory for a mystical crown. If she fails, her father will never be released. The more Sister Joanna learns about the Athelstan crown, the more dire straits become. People start dying all around her. There is a murderer loose in the priory. Joanna’s research reveals that the last several kings who touched the crown died mysterious deaths and she begins to wonder what Gardiner’s true purpose is with the crown. She must choose between saving her father or possibly putting a crown so valuable it might cause eternal life or frightful death into the hands of a dangerous and deadly man. Nancy Bilyeau’s novel The Crown is a unique look into Tudor England. For Tudor fans such as me, it’s refreshingly different from anything else on the market. I’ve certainly never read a Henry VIII novel set inside a priory and in which all the main characters are Nuns and Friars! Bilyeau’s novel reminded me a lot of Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code and I think it was equally as good. This is an absolutely amazing first novel filled with complicated characters and dramatic plot lines. I would love to see this story on the big screen! Reviewed by Jennifer Melville Call Sign, White Lily By M.G. Crisci Orca Publishing Company, $19.95, 384 pages The importance and magnitude of the Soviet sacrifices made during World War II are so great that they are almost impossible to comprehend. Grief and loss of human life on a scale beyond belief, and heroic actions by comrades compelled to protect the Motherland - all stories that are vital to Russian history and indeed, the history of the free world today. M. G. Crisci, moved to make the Russian tragedy a part of the public eye, decided to tell the story of a famous heroine to encapsulate the fighting spirit and patriotism
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Book Reviews
Category Historical Fiction
of the Soviet men and women: the world’s first female fighter pilot, Lilia Litvyak, became the vehicle of his storytelling. An unlikely hero, a diminutive and beautiful woman, she challenged the traditionalist chauvinism of her day and rose through the ranks as an acclaimed and feared fighter pilot, the White Lily. The story is poignant and powerful. The reader will be rewarded with a magnificent tale of patriotic integrity and characters that must be admired, and acts of valor and loyalty that embody the dedication of undying love and devotion to country and countrymen. Sponsored Review The Spinoza Problem By Irvin D. Yalom Basic Books, $25.99, 324 pages Yalom brings a few things to the plate in his many books. First, he’s a noted professor of psychiatry at Stanford, writing many celebrated books on psychotherapy. Second, he’s interested in philosophy, connecting Freudian psychiatry and philosophers in previous fictional books on Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. Finally, he’s one the few writers (in fact, can’t think of another one) who can combine the two and make a compelling story, offering the so-called historical facts, as well as the necessary fiction that could have happened. Here we have Spinoza, everybody’s most beloved of philosophers—though rarely read and understood—due to his off-putting mathematical rational style, which as Yalom says, was perhaps necessary to “hide” his real thoughts. In 1656, he was “excommunicated” by the Jewish community in Amsterdam for his atheistic philosophy. As we read in the novel, the reasons were complicated and not so black/ white. When the chief “intellectual” of the Nazis, pseudointellectual Alfred Rosenberg, a lifelong anti-Semitic, who eventually hung at Nuremberg, discovers Goethe, his pure German idol, held great regard for Spinoza, his Aryan “philosophy” is shattered. This is the “Spinoza Problem.” In alternating the admirable Spinoza, who sought excom-
munication so he could work on philosophy in secular solitary peace, living a monastic life of reason, and write books, and the immoral and repellent Rosenberg, who provided the “philosophical” rationale for the ultimate extermination of the Jews, Yalom delivers a powerful philosophical and psychological novel. Reviewed by Phil Semler All the Flowers in Shanghai By Duncan Jepson William Morrow, $13.99, 302 pages Feng was never meant to marry into such a prestigious, upper-class family. The mostly-overlooked second daughter of a middle-class Chinese couple, she spent her days in the garden with her beloved grandfather. Her older sister was the family’s pride and joy, and her upcoming marriage to a wealthy businessman was her mother’s life accomplishment. Fate had other plans. Shortly before her wedding day, Feng’s sister dies. The groom’s family asks for Feng in her sister’s place, and the young second-daughter soon finds herself married to a man she barely knows. Feng is a victim of traditional Chinese conventions, an unaccepted and unloved addition to her husband’s household whose sole purpose in life is to produce an heir. To get back at them, Feng plots a terrible plan for revenge. In the process, she hurts herself deeply and learns she can’t live with her choices. Just as she learns to manage the pain and control her surroundings, political upheavals shatter her universe. All the Flowers in Shanghai is an interesting but depressing novel. I wish there had been more of a connection between Feng and her husband, a little chemistry perhaps. Feng isn’t the most likable heroine out there and I found it very hard to relate to her. The novel is a fascinating glimpse into Chinese culture, though, and is thoroughly engaging. I simply wish that there had been more happiness in Feng’s life. This isn’t a feel-good novel, but it does make an interesting read. Reviewed by Jennifer Melville
San Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 10
Book Reviews
Category
HumorFiction
I Hate You, Kelly Donahue By Marc Svarts Adams Media, $13.95, 112 pages We all have had a “Kelly Donahue” in our lives at one point or another. This book is written in a journal-like format, with Mark Svartz speaking almost directly to the reader. The story follows Mark as he meets coworker, Kelly Donahue. Soon his mind is obsessed with destroying Kelly in a physical fight to the death. There are great twists and surprises as the story progresses. The book is a great blur of contrasts like love and hate, real and fiction. The book is tremendously funny and quirky. It is one of the few books that has made me laugh so hard that I needed to put it down in order to regain my composer. The charac-
ters feel very real, because the are based off of real people. The biggest flaw, I found, was how the book lacked a connection. This is what I call a popcorn book. They are fun to read, but filled with empty calories for your brain. The book flirts with the idea of hate and love being so closely linked, but never takes full advantage of making that point. The book does deliver its hilarity with pinpoint timing, which is the hardest thing for a humor book to nail. Reviewed by Kevin Brown Wild Abandon: A Novel By Joe Dunthorne Random House, $25.00, 319 pages Don Riley runs a commune, a backto-nature community whose star is slowly fading. Not only is the commune falling apart around him, but his family is drifting away too; his wife Freya is contemplating whether the marriage is worth saving, his teenage daughter Kate desires escape for mundane suburbia, and his younger son Albert has fallen sway to the end-of-the-world ramblings of another commune member. Meanwhile, other eccentric members of the community face their own issues that may ultimately spell the end of the group. So what is a man to do when his entire life is dissolving? Throw a party, of course! Joe Dunthorne’s new novel Wild Abandon is an interesting study of what many of us imagine an “alternative lifestyle” like a commune may be like. The most refreshing part about it is that people everywhere are pretty much the same – there’s always something about life that can bring dissatisfaction. Dunthorne has woven a quirky tale full of characters that you can’t quite like, but that you definitely don’t dislike. It’s hard to determine what exactly is the point of this novel. The ending offers very little satisfaction, but readers won’t be able to deny that getting there was fun. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
San Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 11
Book Reviews
Category
Modern Literature
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank: Stories By Nathan Englander Knopf, $24.95, 224 pages Nathan Englander’s For the Relief of Unbearable Urges was the sort of lovely irreverent debut that makes one take note of an author and eagerly await his next work. His first novel, Ministry of Special Cases, smart and emotionally sharp, pointed to a writer well on the way to finding his own unique voice. With What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, Englander has more than come into his own: he has firmly established himself as Bernard Malamud’s worthy heir.
Englander’s sentences are elegant, deceptive in their simplicity. You can say that about a lot of modern writers. What makes Englander different is the surety of what one might call his moral sense, his ability to realize complex, often ambiguous situations, while maintaining a deep regard for the essential goodness of his characters, even those a reader may come to dislike. This isn’t a writer who feels the need to grope at profundity, bludgeoning the reader with this or that message – the death of much fine fiction. No, Englander’s characters find complexity on their own terms, alive in the reader’s mind. A series of topics permeate this collection: conflicting perspectives between young and old, anti-Semitism, the way loss scars the soul and, perhaps, never heals. All eight of these stories are excellent, but a few truly stand out. The title piece owes less to Carver and more to Joyce and Malamud. Two couples (one secular, the other ultra-orthodox) are brought together by the wives’ childhood friendship. Their discussion turns eventually to the Holocaust and the amount of risk each person is willing to take to maintain their humanity; its ending is pure emotional poetry. “Sister Hills” follows the life of a Jewish community on the West Bank, through the perspectives of two women. Englander’s story whitewashes none of the topic’s inherent moral complexity, while delivering a satisfying, fully realized tale of loss and desperation. Then there is “Free Fruit for Young Widows,” of which I can say nothing save it is among those special stories that will remain alive in my mind for many years. If there is a bookstore in heaven – and I pray that there is – Bernard Malamud is standing in the stacks, tearing through What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank. Can you hear him? He’s weeping with joy. Reviewed by Jordan Magill
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Book Reviews
Category Modern Literature
Mr G: A Novel About the Creation By Alan Lightman Pantheon Books, $24.95, 214 pages How did the universe come to be? Time, space, matter, energy, the spark of life, the laws of physics... what set it all in motion? Imagine if you could get a first-hand account of the universe’s history from the creator himself, spanning its emergence from the Void to its final days. Our nameless narrator takes us through the struggles and deliberation that went into his creation, the guidance (and meddling) offering by his aunt Penelope and Uncle Deva, and his thought-provoking conversations with a dark stranger named Belhor. Mr g is a rare thing, indeed; it’s a beautiful, intriguing, occasionally quirky, and often amusing glimpse at an incredibly controversial topic: God creating the universe. This is no all-knowing, all-confident figure, despite his impressive power. This is a flawed but idealistic individual, exploring his world and learning the consequences of his actions. It’s a fascinating read. Lightman poses heavy questions, putting it to the reader and placing you in the narrator’s shoes, allowing you to struggle and choose as he does. I’ve never read anything quite like it. (Something I’ve found myself saying after finishing every Lightman book, I must add.) Reviewed by Glenn Dallas The Map and the Territory By Michel Houellebecq, Gavin Bowd (translator) Knopf, $26.95, 270 pages The tale starts out promising enough, opening with artist Jed Martin, empty and detached, asking the celebrated writer Houellebecq to write a catalog for his upcoming exhibition. The title refers to Martin’s earliest works, which manipulated photographs of Michelin maps. He’s a kind of mini-Wittgenstein –“I want simply to give
an account of the world.” An objective account, which is, of course, impossible. French enfant terrible Houelleqecq’s fifth novel theme’s are easy enough to identify—aging, fathers and sons, the French countryside (and the link between the earth and identity)— and, mainly, the nature of artistic representation. The satire seems tired and pointless. The art world of Koons and Hirst—of “shit painting”—is overdone. We get it. Part Three, the last 100 pages – a pastiche of a police procedural— is a complete waste of time. The epilogue is worse. The “author of The Possibility of an Island” himself is a major character. He’s a loner, and boring, eats sausage, plays with his dog. Drunkenly incoherent most of the time, he’s lapsed in “charcuterie” after first defending the intelligence of pigs. To change slightly Jed’s words—“the world is mediocre and the person who wrote this book has increased the mediocrity of the world.” This was a best seller in France and winner of the Prix Goncourt, its top literary award. Reviewed by Phil Semler Contents May Have Shifted: A Novel By Pam Houston Norton, $25.95, 320 pages Pam, the protagonist of Pam Houston’s Contents May Have Shifted is trying to stay open to all sorts of possibilities as she travels. And, boy, does she travel. Houston’s novel takes us around the world where her protagonist seems most happy while in constant motion. Houston’s prose is light and fun to read as the reader zips into these brief interludes in Pam’s life. The chapters are compact (10. Gulfport, Mississippi is three paragraphs; 54. Creede, Colorado is one) and traipse along in a nonlinear fashion. Contents May Have Shifted leads through Pam’s global exploration, which introduces readers to the beauty, pleasure, and human insight Pam finds along the way. During Pam’s travels, we encounter her friends and the strangers who provide a rich tapestry. Pam ends one romantic relation-
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Book Reviews
Category Modern Literature
ship and begins another, but, most importantly, she continues her relationship with the world and learns important lessons about herself. Houston’s great skill is setting us down in these micro-scenes – from Tunisia to Sedona, Arizona, to Creede, Colorado and beyond – and then picking us up again for more. Contents May Have Shifted allows us to take in snippets of the world and not worry about paying airline baggage fees. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey The Underside of Joy By Sere Prince Halverson Dutton, $25.95, 303 pages Sere Prince Halverson makes a notable impression with her debut novel The Underside of Joy. When Ella loses her husband Joe in a drowning accident, a chain of events occurs. Halverson’s true talent as a novelist is richly displayed. As Ella attempts to adjust to the death of her husband, and save his business from drowning, she and her two stepchildren are confronted with the appearance of Paige, the biological mother, who now wants to step in and resume her role. Paige had abandoned Joe and the children, and after Joe met Ella, the two fell in love, married quickly, and the young children took to her as their mother. Ella herself could not bear children. The characterizations and prose of this story are well done. The characters are believable and Halverson magnificently uses descriptive wording to provide the reader with a vivid picture. There is a sense of empathy for both Ella and Paige. As Ella is faced with an ethical dilemma, forcing her to make an important decision, the reader is given a deeper understanding of Paige’s character. Halverson provides a setting in which the reader examines their own ethics and values and is sure to be emotionally touching. A great read! Reviewed by Jennifer Ochs
The Flame Alphabet By Ben Marcus Knopf, $25.95, 289 pages This dark and haunting novel explores the power of language and how society would be affected without it. Marcus displays exceptional talent as he introduces the reader to a dark and horrific world in which the language of children is killing adults. It begins with the Jewish children first and then spreads to other ethnicities. This apocalyptic plague kills adults not only by the spoken word, but later, by even the written word. This novel explores various themes. Marcus gives the reader much to ponder respecting the effect of language on society, culture, and individual families. In the novel, adults are forced into quarantine zones and must be separated from their children in order to stay alive. The main characters, Sam and Claire, leave behind their young daughter, Esther, due to this malevolent epidemic, to save their own lives. As they begin to wither away, Sam diligently searches for a cure. This leads to some interesting discussions about language, the Hebrew alphabet, and the importance of communication.
“In the months before our departure, most of what sickened us came from our sweet daughter’s mouth.” Without the ability to communicate, what will become of our society and civilization as a whole? Marcus explores this concept in this imaginative and at times bizarre story. This intellectual thriller is invigorating and certainly interesting. Reviewed by Jennifer Ochs
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Book Reviews
Category
Mystery, Crime & Thrillers
Deader Homes and Gardens By Joan Hess Minotaur, $24.99, 291 pages Claire Malloy is back in another fast and funny mystery. Claire and Peter, along with Caron, her teenager, have returned from their honeymoon in Egypt to find that the three of them don’t fit into Claire’s two-bedroom apartment. She begins to house-hunt, and after a long time of fruitless searching and tripping over boxes, she finds the
house of her dreams. When her real estate agent disappears and the current contested owner of the house dies at her feet, Claire must solve several mysteries to have a hope of buying the house. Chaos ensues with aging hippies, uptight fundamentalists, a tattooed and pierced teenager, and a smuggling operation diving into the mix. Peter has left town for a law enforcement seminar, and Claire wants to get everything wrapped up before he returns and tries to get her to stop messing with crime. It is hysterically funny and wildly and wonderfully plotted. Fans of the series won’t be disappointed. If you haven’t been on the wild and funny ride of one of Claire’s mystery romps before, you are in for a treat. Reviewed by Beth Revers The Dynamite Fishermen By Preston Fleming PF Publishing, $2.99, 325 pages American Embassy worker Conrad Prosser simply can’t catch a break in Fleming’s captivating novel. Despite his fluency in Arabic and impeccable record of gathering vital intelligence information; he’s looked over for promotion after promotion because he can’t snag recruited agents. Then, as icing on the cake, he discovers he’s being followed. Things are not looking up for Mr. Prosser by mid-book, and the ending only gets better. Perhaps, his love affair with the beautiful Rima (sister of a prospective agent) will help soothe his soul – although that, too, seems unlikely to last. The beauty in the story, for me, lies in Fleming’s description of the ways in which nations carry on in the face of daily violence. Markets close during the moments of violence, but open immediately at the first sign of cease-fire. Nightlife continues to throb with people looking for a good time and a strong drink. Love blossoms and dies. Jobs are gained and lost. Fleming’s understandings of the way these people are forced to carry on despite the turmoil of reckless violence. His depiction seems genuine and spot on. Set in the mid-80’s Beirut, Dynamite Fishermen is an
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Book Reviews
Category Mystery, Crime & Thriller
absolute stunner of a novel for a number of reasons – but primarily because of the foreshadowing of the current crisis in the Middle East. It’s clear Fleming has done his research and it shows in the seamless dialogue and the ease at which he tackles the task of conveying the wartime ambiance surrounding his characters. This is a must-read for history buffs – although I feel strongly everyone will enjoy the rapid pace and captivating suspense. Preston Fleming is a writer deserving of many accolades. Sponsored Review Helius Legacy By S. Alexander O’Keefe Live Oak Book Company, $16.95, 378 pages In December of 1999, a snoopy reporter uncovers a secret that would ruin the Austin, Texas-based Helius Energy company. Carter T. Mason, the CEO, is not going to let that happen and will kill anyone who stands in the way of him making his billions in oil, as his company prepares to go public on January 1. The reporter has discovered the original contract, as well as the last descendant of the original owner of some oil property Helius owns in west Texas. Helius, under the contract at the turn of the 20th century, could not ever drill on the property or it would revert to the original owner or his descendants, until the expiration of the contract December 31, 1999. Instead, Mason thought he had killed the last of the descendants decades ago and then made billions from drilling oil.
“Paquin had never failed to solve a company problem in the past. Sometimes the solutions had been messier than Mason would have liked, but the problem had always been solved, leaving Helius’s reputation unscathed. This time it was different.”
That’s the prologue in the first few pages of this fierce debut novel by O’Keefe. The rest of the thrill ride is a Ludlumesque tempest, with no time for boredom as the paid assassins chase after Caine in California’s Mojave Desert and finally meet for a final showdown in Austin Texas. Caine is unaware of his ancestry—and who’s trying to kill him—but he quickly catches on. You see, Caine just happens to be a survivalist; he has many guns, and the backup of his former French Foreign Legion team to first identify and then help him defeat the evil corporation. He also has the beautiful lawyer, Andrea Marenna on his side. Marenna was the last person the reporter told his secret to before he was murdered by the ruthless Mason’s assassins. O’Keefe tells a nonstop action story. The narration is told in chapters, giving time and place, with alternative narratives between the good guys and the villains. Sponsored Review Blue Fall By B. B. Griffith Griffith Publishing, $20.00, 503 pages As an action-suspense novel, Blue Fall breaks no new ground; however it does walk the ground laid for it with confidence and energy. To peg it on a familiar scale—that of historic television shows that were also international thrillers—this novel may not be Mission: Impossible or the original version of The Prisoner, but at a Man From U.N.C.L.E. level, it is quite entertaining. The essential plot narrative also brings back fond TV memories. The usual mysterious organization, in this case BlueHorse Holdings sponsors and administers The Tournament, wherein color and nationally-coded teams of mercenaries hunt each other down and—you can guess the rest. Except, the mercenaries usually don’t die as they receive something called the Diode, which renders them effectively invulnerable to wounds...or does it? Into this fairly standard plot comes Frank Youngsmith, Insurance Agent. One of the Tournament people did die and as he was insured
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Book Reviews
Category Mystery, Crime & Thriller
‘for millions,’ Frank is assigned to investigate the claim. Complications arise. Frank is quite likable in his fretting way. He’s quite an amiable guide for the reader, taking him or her through this cracking tale. The only substantive criticism is that while they are all well-written, giving each major character a full written backstory might slow down the action a bit. Then again, who’s to complain about a leisurely read? The ultimate, and really the only important, judgment of a ‘first in series’ book is do you want to read Volume Two? Those who enjoy this one, which should be more than 80% of those who get a copy for curiosity’s sake, will come back for more. As a first novel, this is a good start to a career. Sponsored Review The Retribution By Val McDermid Atlantic Monthly Press, $25.00, 402 pages Familiar McDermid characters Carol Jordan, a police detective, and Tony Hill, a forensic profiler, are chasing after serial killer Jacko Vance, who has escaped from prison. Vance is exceptionally well organized and intelligent, and has been planning his revenge in prison for years, masterminding his escape with precision. Vance is after both Carol and Tony for putting him behind bars. Vance is a superhuman bad guy, almost unbelievable in his cleverness. He manages to kill three people on his first day on the lam, and nobody has any clues as to where he might be hiding. Carol and Tony have an odd relationship; they’re not dating, but they seem to be very fond of each other, though neither will admit it or discuss it. Chasing after Vance and the havoc he wreaks, sorely tests their relationship. Although there are thousands of fans of Carol Jordan and Tony Hill – characters established in previous McDermid mysteries – their personalities are not exactly likable. In this book, Carol unfairly blames Tony for a heinous act, and Tony, who adores her, spends much of the book filled with self loathing, blaming himself for Carol’s cruelty. The
story is fast-paced, but the ending a bit of a letdown. Reviewed by Leslie Wolfson Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making: More Stories and Secrets from Her Notebooks By John Curran HarperCollins, $25.99, 432 pages Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making is the dissection of 55 years of work by Dame Agatha in the form of short stories, books, radio scripts, and plays. Using mainly the 73 notebooks in which she recorded thoughts and ideas, but also her autobiography as well as interviews and other essays, this book attempts to show the connections between various works, give us a peek at the inner workings of Christie’s creative and writing processes, and reveal a few first drafts, alternate endings, and never published works.
“A single sentence in the Notebooks shows the inspiration for the novel and from it Christie produced a perfectly paced and baffling whodunit.” Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making is not for a casual fan. This book delves into the tiniest of details: why one ending was abandoned in favor of another, the real people Christie’s characters shared names or personalities with, accepted misconceptions that are proven wrong by her Notebooks. For those who like to get a peek at “the man (or in this case, woman) behind the curtain” this book will be irresistible. But for those who want to enjoy the whodunits without dwelling on the author, this book will offer more information than wanted. It all comes down to this: are you a fan or a fanatic? Reviewed by Jodi Webb
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Book Reviews
Category Mystery, Crime & Thriller
The Man Who Killed By Fraser Nixon Douglas & McIntyre, $18.95, 264 pages There is nothing better than a neonoir novel that can hold its liquor. Set in the rough-and-tough town of Montreal in this prohibition-era book that follows the trials of Mick. Mick takes up a job as a rum runner, braving to cross the border to bring booze to the States. Mick’s life is now open to the pleasures, vices, and glamour of being on the wrong side of the law. The book is a great new take on the idea of noir, that doesn’t forget its roots in the process. There are some great surprises and twists that I will try not to ruin. The book is overall very dark and clever and is able to keep that tone, while keeping the reader interested in the characters. The book’s weakest point is the dialogue, which can be very important in a tale like this. Every so often, the world created by Fraser Nixon shatters when his characters speak. It is as if they don’t fit in with the world around them. I found the plot to be the highlight of the book. There was enough going on that it didn’t feel jammed or too light, but just right. This is a dark and fun book that is sure to become a great addition to the genre of noir. Reviewed by Kevin Brown Oath of Office By Michael Palmer St. Martin’s Press, $27.99, 374 pages Oath of Office takes a slightly sciencefiction-style premise for the transgenic modification of corn and then runs with it as a reasonably conventional medical thriller. It opens up with what’s intended as a shocking killing spree. A doctor shoots people in an unexpectedly violent rage. This introduces us to Dr. Lou Welcome, the doctor who had been treating the shooter for alcohol abuse and giving him anger management therapy. I thought the opening section rather weak, and I was ini-
tially unconvinced by the second strand of the narrative that revolves around the First Lady. But once we’re through the preliminaries, the pace of the story really picks up and then roars through to a rather satisfying ending. Looking back, everything in the opening section needs to be there and is accumulating evidence before the major threat breaks into the open. It’s just a little slow moving even though the context of the shooting is dramatic. I suppose we should be pleased this doctor has been working out in the boxing ring for so long. When it comes to a fight, he packs a mean punch and is a credible hero against increasingly ferocious opponents. It’s a classy thriller! Reviewed by David Marshall Raylan: A Novel By Elmore Leonard William Morrow, $26.99, 272 pages Harlan County is up in arms over the arrival of a coal company representative hellbent on blowing the top off the mountain. Enter Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens, whose easygoing nature hides a lightning-fast draw and a laser-keen eye for troublemakers. He’ll be plenty busy, too, dealing with a shooting at the coal company, an organ thief on the loose, and a series of all-girl bank robberies tied to a missing coed with a penchant for gambling. A little episodic, but nonetheless enjoyable, Raylan deftly expands the world introduced in Leonard’s earlier works: Riding the Rap, Pronto, and the short story Fire in the Hole. Backstory be damned, he jumps right into the action in Raylan, dropping small references to previous events without derailing the breakneck forward rush of the multiple stories unfolding. Eccentric characters are a strong suit of Leonard’s, and he does not disappoint with the motley crew of crooks and players presented here. While fans of the TV show “Justified” will recognize more than a few moments from the show (especially season two), Leonard’s patented touch gives even familiar scenarios a new glow. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
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Book Reviews
Category
Poetry & Short Stories
Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys: Poems By D.A. Powell Graywolf Press, $22.00, 106 pages The San Francisco poet D.A. Powell uses language at once inventive, savvy, ironic, and full of puns and hip jokes. Powell’s broken landscapes are California’s, and like Whitman, he wants “to be content with all its surfaces”: landscapes where shallow boys are raped and dumped in the orchard; where a loner commits suicide “among the soft cheat and meadow barley,” and darkness descends and seizes you in its burly arms. Powell is a virtuoso at capturing decay and malaise, the smell of a decomposing rat wafting up through floorboards, the daily stages of pill-popping in a Valley of the Dolls culture; the erosion and depreciations of housing developments; the lovers’ lanes with their seedy HIV-
infected assignations in parked cards; orchards infested with insects; lakes with sensuous bathers and the body of a drowned swimmer; migrant camps and workers maimed by hoppers; a diesel tractor standing like a Trojan horse in the field. Vague omens and threats of annihilation lurk behind Powell’s most casual riffs. The “failsafe dawn” breaks, but “treacherous is the road” as the poet sets out in these “dark days.” The phrase, though loaded with irony, still conveys peril. Emergency service, the poet tells us, ends. Reviewed by Zara Raab Everyday People: Poems By Albert Goldbath Graywolf Press, $18.00, 178 pages I absolutely love poetry, yet I have difficulty reading many collections. I scratch my head, wondering, “What does this all mean?” Poems should assist to answer that question, not hinder our ability to do so. Everyday People is a happy surprise. Goldbarth uses the mundanity of our lives to reveal the deeper shades of meaning underneath our actions. His poetry’s accessibility helps us take that next lofty step into philosophy. For example, “The Explanation” uses fantastic imagery as it lifts the reader up, swirls her around, overwhelms her senses, and suddenly drops her at the foot of a police officer as she discovers that the poem is actually the narrator’s explanation for speeding. Goldbarth explores individuals, whether they are strippers or scientists. For example, he delves into the meaning behind Darwin’s scientific discoveries, as well as Darwin’s home life with his wife and children. No subject is too small or too highfalutin for Goldbarth’s pen, and all characters are equally important in their personal lives as well as in their notoriety. Goldbarth’s use of humor and quiet, human moments allows the reader to identify herself in each poem, saying “That’s me…That’s me.” Reviewed by Kerry Ellen Lindgren
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P
hilip Fradkin’s extensive body of work is essential to understanding California and the American West. Over the past half century, he has written numerous newspaper and magazine articles and thirteen books about the region, its natural and human histories, varied landscapes, and some of its seminal characters. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for covering the Watts racial conflict in 1965, was a correspondent in Vietnam, and was the first environmental writer at the Los Angeles Times and the first western editor of Audubon magazine. His book, A River No More: The Colorado River and the West, remains the seminal work on that subject. He taught writing and western history courses at the University of California at Berkeley, Stanford University, and Williams College. The University of California Press has published most of his books. His two latest books are The Left Coast: California on the Edge, whose companion photographs were shot by his son, Alex L. Fradkin, and Everett Ruess: His Short Life, Mysterious Death, and Astonishing Afterlife. Mr. Fradkin lives with his wife in Point Reyes Station.
ZR: In The Left Coast, transience is “the dominant human characteristic” of Californians. Is that true of you? PF: Yes. A typical Californian, I came from elsewhere and I’ve been a transient within the state. It means, I suppose, an enquiring mind not saddled by too many preconceptions. ZR: You quote Wallace Stegner, in your biography of him: “Most of us have one overbearing story to tell and tell it in many ways, over and over,.” Does this apply to you?
PF: My central work is A River No More. Its thrust carried me through to my most recent book: it’s about the excitement, drama, and sense of loss one experiences in the West, and it’s my most successful book, regarded as a classic. I recall the excitement of entering the Colorado River Basin. Without planning it, I went on to produce a cohesive body of work about the West.
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Viewpoints Article ZR: A River No More is dedicated to your father, who first brought you out West. PF: It was a grand tour. I was fourteen; my father was 64. He loved the West because it reminded him of the vast spaces of Russia where he grew up. He wanted me to experience those landscapes. He gave me a great gift, a feeling for the West, and as soon as I finished college and my military obligation, I migrated there. ZR: Did you always know you wanted to write and what you wanted to write about? PF: At first, I wanted to find out what was happening around me. Later I wrote to find out who I was, where I was, and how I fit. I also wrote to tell an interesting story. My mother gave me my occupation. Wife, parent, activist, writer, she was suspended from Vassar for marching in a suffragette parade. She graduated from Vassar in 1913, got a degree in economics from Columbia, and became a social worker in New York. She was sharply criticized in the NY Times Book Review as a woman writing about serious topics like disarmament. ZR: How would you compare the East and West coast? PF: There is a feeling of freedom in the West. Each coast has developed different patterns for living. When I first came here, I was struck by the great diversity of landscapes and the freedom that engendered. I later figured out how we adapt to our niches, passing from one to another in minutes here; it takes hours back East. To live intelligently in the Bay Area, you to have explore. I’ve done so, yoking exploration to work on journeys from the Arctic Ocean to Tierra del Fuego. ZR: You were fearless in your researching––going deep underground in a fault zone, hiking steep canyons miles from anyone in the days before cell phones. PF: The dangers were calculated. To write about an earthquake fault or river basin, you have to go there, experience nature’s dark side. Nature magazines wouldn’t touch my account of Lituya Bay, an account of nature gone berserk. It violated their rhapsodic view of a Thoreau-like nature. ZR: You take the photos for your books. PF: Yes. I took my own photographs at the LA Times and Audubon, whose standard was quite high. I illustrated my books and supplied cover photos for some design con-
scious publishers. Unlike writing, photography is fast and intuitive. It teaches me to be more present and helps me notice where I am. ZR: In your writing, place is important. PF: A story needs to be tangible and specific for me. I don’t have a generalist’s mind. I need a tangible subject and it helps if the subject also serves as the structural device, such as the Colorado River, the Uinta Mountains, or the radiation trial in Fallout: A Nuclear Tragedy, one of my most powerful books, a kind of legal thriller about the Atomic Energy Commission and the effects of fallout downwind of the Nevada Test Site. ZR: Tell me about your two most recent books. PF: Gladly. I researched my first book, California, the Golden Coast, in the company of my six-year-old son, Alex. How appropriate now, 35 years later, to write again about the coast, with companion photographs by Alex. This time he drove; we had a great time. But I had to write one more book, a celebratory story and cautionary tale,––about an icon to wilderness lovers, Everett Ruess. I was drawn to Ruess because like him, my youth was shaped by progressive education and the Unitarian Church with its emphasis on using your own mind to find your way. It’s my most evocative book, and it’s the best one to serve as a bookend to my 51-year writing career.
About the Interviewer
Zara Raab lives in Berkeley and is one of the first women to graduate in architecture from UC Berkeley. She grew up along California’s North Coast, attending school in Portland when she was fourteen, and later Mills College and the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) for college and graduate school. Early California is the subject of her book Swimming the Eel, just as the drama of family life is the subject of The Book of Gretel. Her poems appear in many literary reviews and magazines. She also review books and writes essays on literature for various publications, including the Redwood Coast Review, Poetry Flash, Valparaiso Poetry Review, Colorado Review, San Francisco/Sacramento Book Reviews, and The Boxcar Poetry Review.
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Book Reviews
Category
Popular Fiction
Death Comes to Pemberley By P.D. James Knopf, $25.95, 291 pages I feel like I have only recently discovered the surprising proliferation of what is essentially a higher-class fan fiction: Jane Austen sequels, in which writers try to imitate Austen’s classic style with fresh stories featuring favorite characters from her novels. Now-renowned novelist P.D. James presents her own story set six years after the conclusion of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It is the night before Pemberley’s annual autumn ball and the festivities have al-
ready begun for Elizabeth and Darcy, but their dinner party is brought to an abrupt end by the unexpected arrival of Lydia Wickham, hysterically screaming about a murder in the woods. Lydia’s husband is the prime suspect, and the lengthy trial that follows is a demanding drain on everyone involved. Despite their history together, Darcy cannot believe that Wickham is guilty of murder, but can evidence be found to prove his innocence? Death Comes to Pemberley is a fantastic offering in this niche genre. James does an outstanding job staying true to Austen’s original style, which tends to be hit-or-miss for many authors. The characters are well-written and realistic, and even the long, flowing descriptions of the grounds of Pemberley come across as authentic. On top of that, the story itself – an engaging murder mystery – is a pleasure to take in, and will keep readers guessing up until the dramatic conclusion. Reviewed by Holly Scudero The Sometimes Daughter By Sherri Wood Emmons Kensington Books, $15.00, 366 pages Judy Webster’s mother, Cassie, loves her to pieces when she remembers the child’s existence. About the time Judy starts kindergarten, Cassie drifts away to a world of hard drugs and communal living. She occasionally pops in, unannounced, cries a lot, begs Judy’s forgiveness and disappears without saying goodbye. With each visit, Judy becomes increasingly confused and wary. At fifteen, Judy is shoplifting, dealing pot and trying out for cheerleading. She stumbles into an unprotected sexual encounter and becomes pregnant. As Judy makes some hard choices, she bonds with her new stepmother. Cassie appears, too late to help, but in time to reveal a secret of her past, which helps Judy start to forgive her mother’s neglect. In the process, Cassie realizes that even without a full time mother she has always been surrounded with love. The plot is sometimes slow and the characters lack selfawareness, but The Sometimes Daughter is a fast read, set
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Book Reviews
Category Popular Fiction
against Vietnam, Jonestown and other vestiges of the quixotic 1970s. It will likely spark some bittersweet memories for the right age group. Reviewed by Elizabeth Benford Taft 2012: A Novel By Jason Heller Quirk Books, $14.95, 249 pages Taft is hardly the president many people would want to meet. Being sandwiched between Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, he is often referred to as the middle child president. In Taft 2012, this mountain of a man is transported into our time and quickly becomes a political force. Politically, he is a Republican from the turn of the twentieth century, so where does he stand in today’s spectrum? He is neither red or blue, but a man trying to unite a country for a cause, as he runs again to be president. Out of all the characters, Taft’s speech and mannerism is nailed perfectly. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast of characters fail to shine as bright. The book is well-written and Heller excels at hooking readers. The reason Taft is teleported into our time is never explored, which allows the story to focus more on Taft’s impact, instead of the reason behind it. Taft’s platform for the presidency is about food safety and genetically-modified food. For a book about 2012, it fails to feel modern and in context to our real world. Much like Taft himself, this book’s accomplishments will be overshadowed by its odd sense of humor and robust political neutrality. Reviewed by Kevin Brown AcaPolitics: A Novel About College A Cappella By Stephen Harrison Aftermath Press, $14.99, 291 pages At Brighton University, a cappella is a serious business; there are six different singing groups, and the competition between them to recruit new talent every year is fierce. When the student government announces that funding
restrictions will necessitate a cutback in funds, the rivalry becomes even more fierce: for one of the groups, this year will be their last. Freshman Ben Jensen soon finds himself caught up in a maelstrom of ‘acadrama.’ He gets recruited to sing with the Chorderoys, but the president of the Harmoniums has other plans, both for him in particular and for using her singing to power a future musical career. The next year will be a game of survival and sabotage between the Chorderoys and the Harmoniums, as well as the other campus a cappella groups: the Gobfellas, a gang of immature frat boys; the Notabelles, the only all-female group; the loveable geek guys of the Dinos; and La*chaim, a Jewish group. At first glance, AcaPolitics seems like it would appeal to a very niche audience. However, a talented author like Harrison proves that good writing can make any subject attractive to the mainstream. This novel is surprisingly engrossing; intriguing and multifaceted characters like Ben, Dani, Caroline, and Taylor grab your interest from the first few pages and keep you firmly engaged throughout the different stages in this unexpectedly cutthroat competition. The focus of the story is clearly and unwaveringly a cappella singing, and consequently, many other aspects of Ben’s first year of college fade into the background, but this is a good thing; the single-mindedness of the author here reflects the intense focus of the singers on their individual group’s performances. This novel is a fantastic offering from a talented new author. And as AcaPolitics is the first in a series, many readers will find themselves eagerly anticipating the continuation of this story. Sponsored Review The Red Jacket By Jim Perkins Jim Perkins, $7.99, 184 pages Do not let its plain cover deter you. The Red Jacket is a straightforward, almost charming novel about a young man growing up in the 1960s. Sixteen-year-old Francis
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Book Reviews
Category Popular Fiction
grapples with the usual problems: he resents being the eldest son of a large, poor family, he dislikes his stepfather, and he thinks about girls without knowing too many of them. Less typical of the usual teenager, though, Francis also wrestles with his conscience. Recovering from a nasty illness that almost killed him, the boy wonders if he should become a priest or not. Not a lot of characters think about Elvis Presley and Jesus at the same time, but Francis is fleshed out enough to have these amusing contradictions. While the novel delves into the many reasons to go into the priesthood, its most entertaining and natural moments come from the family scenes that feature bickering, reminiscing, and the crazy grandfather who makes his own wine and talks about Italy all the time. The author writes these sections with skill and humor, and he gives Francis just enough serious trials to help him decide his path in life. Readers who want to dive into rosecolored nostalgia and don’t mind some religious musings should give The Red Jacket a try. They might be pleasantly surprised. Indeed, with a more appealing cover and some minor formatting, this novel should be a hit with Christian readers. Sponsored Review Losing Clementine: A Novel By Ashley Ream William Morrow, $14.99, 320 pages Imagine you have thirty days left to live. What would you do? Most of us would simply live a life of wild abandon, impulsively seeking pleasure. Clementine decides to kill herself in one month’s time. She does seek pleasure in life’s little things, but, more importantly, she hopes to make her death as easy as possible for her loved ones. Clementine is a talented professional artist, popular, attractive, and hilariously funny, yet she cannot escape the “fanged black monster” of depression. Clementine says, “Having me around is like keeping a chimpanzee for a pet.
It’s only a matter of time before the maulings begin and someone has to shoot it.” As the days count down, she eats her favorite foods, sells her possessions, and searches for her long lost father. These daily tasks of living help Clementine to accept her depression, the deaths of her mother and sister, her father’s abandonment, and the dissolution of her marriage. In dying, Clementine learns more about herself than in all her years of living. Ashley Ream gives us an exceptional novel with a clear, strong voice, teasing out all of the absurdities of life and all that makes it so wonderful and terrible. Reviewed by Kerry Ellen Lindgren Moon River and Me By HL Zinda Create Space, $16.99, 326 pages The last four years of Mykaela’s life have been something of an ordeal. On top of the day-to-day battles of going to high school, dealing with boys (well, one specific boy at least), and surviving a boisterous home life with four other siblings, she’s also had to deal with the specter of her mother’s cancer. As the cancer infiltrated her mother’s body, it also worked its way into Mykaela’s emotional life with devastating stealth.Giddy one moment, moody the next, her emotional rollercoaster stresses her relationships with friends, family, and finally, herself. Unsure of whom she is or whom she’s supposed to be, Mykaela takes a trip to get some breathing room and a chance to sort things out. Little did she know that half-way around the world, she’d meet some amazing people, one of whom would help her discover that you are only what you give yourself a chance to be. As I read through this novel, it reminded me of a beginning knitter making a hand-knit sweater – in some places it’s thick and in some it’s thin, but overall, it still keeps you
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Book Reviews
Category Popular Fiction
warm. The rhythm of the story fluctuates – sometimes flowing easily into a consistent weave of character, emotion, and setting, and, other times, it truncates itself with abrupt stops, direction changes, and emotional outbursts that feel a little forced – dropping into scenes like a bowling ball into a birthday cake. However, Zinda does an admirable job of capturing the emotional maelstrom of a child dealing with the inevitable loss of a parent. The fear, uncertainty, anger, and regret that Mykaela experiences is captured with gut-twisting clarity, as are her moments of startling enlightenment. Set against the (for Mykaela) unfamiliar backdrop of Europe, the struggles of Zinda’s protagonist may not always flow easily, but they’ll definitely capture your attention. Sponsored Review Alabaster Houses By Lara McLaughlin Wye Knot, $14.99, 346 pages Thirty-six year old Jane Pepper has lived a charmed life: she stumbled effortlessly into jobs, loves, family. Now the only thing she wants is a bone marrow donor for her teenage daughter, Amy. And for once, it looks like Jane might not get what she wants. During her desperate search, she meets Riva Hakim, a photographer who has never achieved anything easily. She has spent her life as an outsider, buffered from the world by her camera lens. Initially, only one slender thread joins their lives: the man who is Amy’s father and Riva’s husband. But the unlikely pair becomes friends. First, working together on a work project and, eventually, entrusting each other with the secrets they’ve hidden from the rest of the world. Alabaster Houses is a book of secrets alternating excerpts of Riva’s memoirs, Jane’s memories, and present-day scenes between the two women. The women in this book reveal their deepest secrets so reluctantly; even after you think you’ve figured it all out, there are still more secrets hidden. Amy’s brief journal – which has such an authentic teenage voice – is a heartbreaking way for Jane to face family se-
crets that she either didn’t know or couldn’t face. This could easily have become a predictable “two wronged women forge friendship” plot. This story is much richer; the man that brought them together remaining a minor detail. Instead Alabaster Houses focuses on the strengths women draw from each other, the complex choices we make every day about what to reveal and what to hide, and every person’s journey to understand herself. Alabaster Houses offers the best of both worlds to a reader: intimacy in the memoir sections and the tension and plot offered by the traditionally written sections. The gradual revelations make it a journey of discovery that is a joy to read. Sponsored Review Pharmacology By Christopher Herz AmazonEncore, $14.95, 224 pages After high school, Sarah Striker set off for San Francisco, both to seek her own unique future and to find a good source of income to send home to her parents, to help pay for cancer treatments for her beloved father. When her café job—and the lucrative money she makes locating drugs for her bosses—dries up, she gives into the temptation of a high-paying corporate job with the pharmaceutical industry, pushing medication for the new ‘fad’ of ADD. To ease her conscience, she publishes accounts of what she learns in her underground ‘zine, hoping to educate the masses and make a difference. But for how long can she live this double life while still remaining true to herself? With Pharmacology, Christopher Herz presents a fascinating glimpse into an alternate reality that is a conspiracy theorist’s dream. This gripping novel, written in an eyecatching style that many have already compared to Chuck Palahniuk, will suck readers in and keep them hooked until the very end. The story is unique, the depictions of 90s-era San Francisco are gritty and real, and the main character is a fascinating, multifaceted study of human morality. Herz definitely has a promising future as a novelist. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
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N
icole Krauss, the author of The History of Love, Man Walks Into a Room, and Great House was the keynote speaker at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco’s Bookfest 2012, Sunday, February 26, 2012. Addressing an adoring audience of 500 in Kanbar Hall, she gave a moving talk, as Elizabeth Rosner, the author of Blue Nude, interviewed her for an hour.
She spoke much on the relationship between memory, imagination, and forgetfulness, which is a key theme in her novels, she said. “The great Jewish gift was ‘dissatisfaction’ and looking for a home.” she noted. “Home” being elusive for us all. “My novels are my house,” she said. “I start building without a blueprint. I start with a doorknob to a door. Enter a room. I keep writing. Every novel—every house—an infinity of possibilities.” One questioner asked why her books are so complex, saying he preferred linear writing, though he’d read all three of her novels. She answered graciously that she appreciated him staying with her as a reader. “I follow my instinct,” she said. “I like discovery and surprises. My writing increasing is more demanding. I hope it gives more. I appreciate the efforts of my readers.” “So much of our lives is forgetting,” she said. Writing for her, is a way of remembering,, she said. She has two young children with another modernist novelist, Jonathan Safran Foer, and lives in Brooklyn. “I’ve dropped out of time,” she said. “I change diapers, see friends, write.” Next was the a choice between Saul Bellow in Life and Letters, with acclaimed writer Joyce Carol Oates, and Benjamin Taylor, who edited Saul Bellow: Letters; hot young writers Adam Levin and Ben Marcus; and Literature as a Way of Life with Angus Fletcher, the great Shakespearean critic, Sam Tanenhaus, editor of the New York Times Book Review, and via live video, renowned literary critic Harold Bloom from his home in Connecticut.
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Viewpoints Article
What Does a Writer Know?
I opted for the Literary Lions. Bloom, ideologue Alfred Rosenberg. Yalom conthe writer of 59 books, one the most nects these stories in a powerful mash influential critics of the last fifty years, of what it means to be human. starting with “Anxiety of Influence,” pubThe day ended with a reading by the lished in the sixties, was a delight—deU.S. Poet Laureate, Philip Levine. spite the technical difficulties, which The son of Russian-Jewish immisomehow seemed apropos, given the grants, the 83 year-old Pulitzer Prize hostility in the room toward the digital winning poet read many poems in his age, as Bloom kept disappearing and reappearing on the invisible and unadorned words— screen. The discussion meandered between the “debasement My hand dances of democracy,” the “flattening” of everything, “Religiosity,” the “aggressive ignorance” of many Americans that in the memory of a million vanished stars. promotes stereotypes and isolationism. And yet. A lot of talk on books After admiring the diminished and writers, and how literature mountains of books in the atrican “imagine things better.” The um (Piles of books!), supplied by 82-year-old Bloom told anecdotes Green Apple Books, our most beof studying with Nabokov, playing loved bookstore in San Francisco, I chess with him (Nabokov: “I will thought of the long lines for book now destroy you, young scounsignings by the authors in between drel”), his love of the Shakespeare the talks, all the talking, hoping, character Falstaff, his favorite writand love of books. ers, progress of his new Broadway Finally, I walked up stairs to musical (!) on Walt Whitman, the view the book sculptures by artist role of the book critic, and dozens Brian Dettmer reflecting again on of other topics. the future of literature. He addressed us as “My Dears,” I eventually walked home, broodhe recited long lines of Keats and ing on the world and literature, Stevens and Shakespeare by memthe physical form of books, and ory. He was so darling. yet—reflecting on the clear voices Next for me was Irvin Yalom disI’d just heard today. cussing his new book of fiction, The Spinoza Problem. Yalom explained the literary premise About Phil Semler of the Spinoza Problem, an imagining of the 17th CenTo limn an entire life in a paragraph, even for tury Jewish Spinoza (though famously “excommunicatKakutani, would be a fool’s errand. Suffice to say, like ed” by the Rabbis for his “atheistic thought) alternatnovelist King, Phil wears a shirt that says “So many ing with chapters around the life of Nazi anti-Semitic books, so little time.” San Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 27
Book Reviews
Category
Romance
Tempted Again By Cathie Linz Berkley Sensation, $7.99, 304 pages Remember the Bickersons? Stars of golden-age radio, they made you wonder how they could ever have agreed to both say “I do” at the appropriate time and place. The first two-thirds of Tempted Again is a reprise of the Bickersons, except their names are Marissa Bennett and
Connor Doyle. The setting is Hopeful, Ohio, a small-town in the middle of the state. Marissa grew up here, although she went away to college. While still in high school, however, she’d met Connor who was a freshman at the local college. They had a hot-and-heavy interlude before he left and went back to Chicago. Ten years later, Marissa is freshly-divorced and returns to Hopeful as a librarian, not realizing that Connor is back, too. This time he’s the sheriff, having escaped from his Chicago tenure as a policeman. He’s not able to forgive himself for the death of a teen-ager, even though there was no way he could have changed anything. The story meanders along slowly, as everyone seems to bicker with everyone else. Aren’t any of the citizens happily married or even in a happy, long-lasting relationship? Connor and Marissa are coerced into joining two separate programs for troubled teens into one, much to their mutual dismay. An episode with these troubled teens stirs up the town’s elders, leading them to really dig beneath the surface of the disparate personalities on parade. The ending comes rather suddenly, and is very satisfactory. All that bickering, however . . . Reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz Stainless By Todd Grimson Schaffner Press, $14.95, 240 pages Sometimes there actually are some new twists on an old favorite. Stainless covers the romance of a vampire and her rocker minion. Justine protects Keith because she sees him as hers; Keith protects her because she rescued him from himself. As their feelings start becoming romantic, however, a former victim of Justine’s resurfaces, threatening to tear Justine’s world apart even as he rebuilds his cult. Unlike a number of vampire stories, several facets of the vampire myth are given serious consideration. Justine is becoming an ethereal alien creature in her own right as her past is becoming a jumble; she has forgotten a lot of what she simply doesn’t need. The romance is another outstand-
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Book Reviews
Category Romance
ing point, as it shows how two beings with dissimilar perspectives can love one another, especially as they come to it from such different angles. The antagonist here is arguably one of the best things about the book. He is a forgotten victim of Justine’s, who set up his own cult and then had it destroyed, sending him into hibernation. He wakes up and is angered that Justine is still in the area and so decides to ruin her life as revenge; after all, she made him a vampire almost on accident, forgot about him, then destroyed him, and forgot about him again. With all of the normal bloodshed surrounding vampires, it’s surprising that there are not more forgotten victims out there. Overall, although the characters are nicely done, and they built up rather well, the plot itself could use a little strengthening. Nonetheless, this is a must-read for vampire romance fans; this is a book that makes a nice counterpoint to all of the sappy vampire romances out there. Sponsored Review
world affairs. Combined, these serve to highlight the more serious tone of this sequel. Both Charlotte’s personal journey and the actions of the Pembrook Park denizens make this title not quite as light as the first and often over-shadow the romance. However, Hale fans will be right at home as will those who enjoyed the first book. Reviewed by Rachel Wallace
Justice has nothing if not the end. Justice has no one if not everyone. Book Two of the Beautiful Justice Series
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Midnight in Austenland: A Novel By Shannon Hale Bloomsbury, $24.00, 288 pages Midnight in Austenland is Shannon Hale’s follow-up to Austenland. Midnight features a new heroine and almost all new characters at Pembrook Park, an English estate which caters to clients seeking an immersive Austen holiday. While Midnight retains the fun of a book full of Austen love, it strikes a more serious tone than its predecessor. Charlotte, as they would say in Austenland, has suffered a disappointment. Taking herself off to Pembrook Park seems to be just the remedy for her broken heart. All is not rainbows and kittens on the estate, though, and she becomes suspicious that something sinister is afoot (Austen fans will recognize shades of Northanger Abbey). The Austenland experience never becomes truly immersive for Charlotte. She has two children, who she naturally wants to speak with daily, and part of the mystery entails suspicious documents that have to do with the estate’s realSan Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 29
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Science Fiction and Fantasy Section mostly illegal, jobs for those who can pay. Then he takes a job that seems too good to be true, which, of course, it is. Broken Blade is a fantasy-meets-ninja combination reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn or Brent Weeks’ Night Angel trilogy. The magic system here isn’t as convoluted as Sanderson’s tend to be, nor are its intricacies explained in-depth, but that’s not a complaint. McCullough grounds us enough in the magic system that we aren’t confused by the protagonist’s decisions regarding his magic use. We know enough of the system to know that it works and has its own internally consistent rules – we just don’t know what they all are. I felt there was only one minor hiccup toward the end: once the romantic subplot was fleshed out, the romantic interest’s dialogue suddenly turned bubbly and flirtatious, where before she was serious and straight-to-the-point. Other than that, Broken Blade is a fun read with a lot of shadowy ninja-action, fireballs, and blade-throwing. Reviewed by Lisa Rodgers
Broken Blade: A Fallen Blade Novel By Kelly McCullough Ace, $7.99, 288 pages Aral Kingslayer and his familiar, shadowy Triss belonged to a holy order of assassins, meting out justice for their goddess by killing tyrants, dictators, and mass-murderers. But now their goddess is dead, their order disbanded, and the members persecuted. Aral survives by taking the odd, and
MM9 By Hiroshi Yamamoto, Nathan Collins (translator) Haikasoru, $14.99, 251 pages In a world in which monster attacks are as regular as rainstorms, Japan is one of the hot spots for kaiju, or monsters. The story of MM9 follows the people behind the anti-monster unit called the Meteorological Agency Monsterological Measures Department (MMD). These Japanese men and women are the first line of defense against the kaiju. The MM in the title refers to the scale by which all
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kaiju are measured, with a nine being huge. The plot follows the cast of MMD as they fight off some the of strangest monsters east of Kyoto. The plot and monsters drive this book, which is the correct move. Each chapter focuses on the kaiju being faced at that moment. A strong side plot develops into where and why the monsters are attacking. The book’s weakest point is the characters: everyone in the book is flat and uninteresting. Most come off as typical Japanese stereotypes: the coffee-making damsel in distress, the workaholic man who can’t find love, and the coarse cigar-smoking boss who yells at everyone. Even so, the characters do all work together. The book delivers a strange and beautiful world, a nice place to visit. I just wouldn’t want to live there. Reviewed by Kevin Brown Discount Armageddon: An InCryptid Novel By Seanan McGuire Daw, $7.99, 368 pages It has been readily agreed by most fans that Buffy the Vampire Slayer needed to end in season 7 when it did, but it has still been greatly missed. The comic books from Dark Horse have done a little to fill this empty void, but thankfully, Seanan McGuire, bestselling author of the October Daye books, has a new series with a new character that feels much like a new incarnation of Buffy, except less with the superpowers and more with the weapons and kickass fighting skills. In this world every ghost, ghoul, and monster you’ve read about since you were a kid exists; a number of them look almost human, or can make themselves look presentable in everyday society. They’ve been around for a long time, and sometimes they overstep their boundaries and enjoy the taste of some human flesh. There are two groups in the world that exist to control and police these cryptids: one is the Covenant, a religious group that has been around for centuries and sees the cryptids as a scorn upon the earth to
be killed and got rid of, whether they be succubus, boogie man, or dragon (but dragons haven’t been around for hundreds of years); the other is the Price family. The Price family have also been around for quite a while, and they’re the good guys who separated from the Covenant a long time ago, because they had this crazy notion that some cryptids deserve not to be hunted to extinction. There was also some inter-marrying going on. Enter our heroine, Verity Price who enjoys spending her free time running and base jumping along the rooftops of New York, checking on the local cryptids and making sure they’re staying in line. She earns some okay money and decent tips at Fish and Chicks, a local strip club, where she waitresses only, even though her boss -- a bogey man -- would love to have her do more; hence Verity’s choice uniform on the cover of the book. Verity also happens to be a talented ballroom dancer, which keeps her in shape and her martial arts skills honed, making her made up dancing persona quite the celebrity in the ballroom dancing circles. Things begin to get pretty crazy when a young, muscular and surprisingly attractive Covenant member shows up to start purging the city and Verity keeps running into him and seriously falling for him. Then cryptids start disappearing and it seems like there might be something really big under Manhattan either killing them or making them get the hell out of town; plus there’s some strange snake cult looking for virgins. And then she has this large nest of Aeslin mice living with her, celebrating all manner of weird mice-sized festivals. Discount Armageddon at first feels a lot like a combination of the October Daye series and McGuire’s other Newsflesh series under her Mira Grant pseudonym, as the first person perspective makes it seem like the reader is enjoying one of those books just with different details. But by halfway through the book, Verity Price establishes herself as a strong independent protagonist, part of a tough and interesting family, and the world is complex and fully established, with a cornucopia of cryptid species that each have their own established and researched pedigree. By the end of the first book in the Cryptid series, readers will be thoroughly hooked and checking out the cryptid glossary
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at the end of the book and wanting more cryptid crunchy goodness. Reviewed by Alex Telander Enormity By W.G. Marshall Night Shade Books, $14.99, 269 pages This novel has to be a contender for the best science fiction/fantasy book of the year. It gives a whole new meaning to the word “weird.” In the good old days before things got strange, the word meant something supernatural, if not eldritch. This book is just so far off the usual cosmic reservation that it surely qualifies as ultra-weird. It describes what happens when a mad scientist is responsible for two devices detonating in Korea. The most observable results are a quantum leap in size for many of the things within range. Imagine individual bacteria big enough to eat humans. Imagine one man 6,600 feet tall with his normal-sized wife hanging on for dear life. Well, once the U.S. military starts shooting, it discovers its most destructive weapons barely slow down the bacteria and hardly scratch the outside of the man. Then the politicians discover this walking hazard to life on the ground is an American. Even if they could order troops to use lethal force, would they want to kill one of their own, particularly if he hadn’t the remotest idea what was happening? Enormity is magnificently surreal and a real hoot, as Melvin Palmer would say. Reviewed by David Marshall Lightspeed: Year One By John Joseph Adams (editor) Prime Books, $16.95, 575 pages I read a lot of short stories. Best of’s, compendiums, collections, award nominees, and wide-ranging grab-bags of stories... they occupy my nightstand with unerring frequency. And over the last year, tales from one magazine in-
variably cropped up again and again: Lightspeed. One issue, it was a secret dome on the moon or a man’s obsession with his new mechanical limbs, or a race of cat people confronting their mythology when a human lands among them. Other times, it featured slacker nomads wandering the stars, zeppelin conductors throwing their annual ball, or Facebook-like program tracks how much love you are capable of. But no matter the subject or storytelling style, there was something curious and special about these stories. Lightspeed: Year One collects the weirdest and most wondrous from the last year, offering a comprehensive sampling of where the speculative fiction genre has been, and more importantly, where it’s headed. Adams has emerged as one of the most reliable editors working today, assembling some quality collections, and his firm hand on Lightspeed’s rudder is more than evident in this collection. I can’t wait to see what Year Two has to show us. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Count to a Trillion By John C. Wright Tor, $25.99, 364 pages For Montrose, it all starts with an intrepid space mission and a dangerous experiment to enhance his mental faculties. In a single stroke, he sets the stage for a centuries-spanning investigation of an alien artifact, the Monument, that could save the world or condemn it to slavery. Banished to a future he doesn’t recognize, possessing a mind he can no longer trust, Montrose must solve the riddle of the Monument and learn the truth behind mankind’s destiny. John C. Wright is one of the standard-bearers of space opera, and Count to a Trillion embraces galactic-scale storytelling with gusto. Unafraid of huge ideas and mindbending theorizing, Wright takes the reader on a whirlwind exploration of the intersection of politics and science, and culminating in a thoughtful examination of what it means to be
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human. If you choose, you could draw numerous parallels to some of the great quandaries in contemporary society. On a narrative level, Count to a Trillion never totally gels, despite a number of engaging scenes between Montrose and his foil Del Azarchel, but the richness of detail makes for a fascinating setting. It’s not a home run, but with Wright swinging for the fences, the result is a thoroughly unique tale. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas And Blue Skies From Pain By Stina Leicht Night Shade Books, $14.99, 384 pages Liam Kelly lives in a complicated world, dominated by conflict. In Ireland in the 1970s, amidst religious and political turmoil with the English, Liam discovers another battle being waged: one between humans and supernatural creatures. As a half-breed -- part-human and part-something more -- Liam finds himself in the unenviable position of linch- pin between two societies. And for a young man haunted by the bloody tragedies of the past, the pressure to find his path could prove too much to bear. and Blue Skies from Pain is the marvelous follow-up to Leicht’s debut novel Of Blood and Honey, which was one of the best surprises of 2011, and her sophomore effort did not disappoint. I must resort to the unwieldy but appropriate “unputdownable” simply to describe it. Leicht deftly expands the worlds of the Fey and the Fallen without resorting to hamfisted info-dumps, imparting an impressive amount of backstory unobtrusively. The focus on Liam, Father Murray, and their shared journey never wavers, and the mix of recurring characters and new faces is handled with grace. and Blue Skies from Pain doesn’t conclude with the brutal finality of the first book, but it beautifully sets the stage for what’s to come. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
Raven Cursed: A Jane Yellowrock Novel By Faith Hunter Roc, $7.99, 368 pages Jane Yellowrock is back, kicking butt and learning names for future reference. As a character she is stronger, more complex, just as sexual as ever, and, as always, has to play catchup with witches, weres, and vamps, learning more paranormal intricacies in each chapter. If you have not read at least Mercy Blade, the previous book in the Yellowrock adventures, don’t even try to start with Raven Cursed. The complexity and growth of Faith Hunter’s fantasy universe is too great by now, and formerly introduced characters have become elaborately historied. Buy the series. On an assignment for the head vamp of New Orleans, Jane finds herself in Asheville, North Carolina, entangled in an illicit set of spells by one of her witch acquaintances. She finds her dearest witch friends at risk. Additionally, outlawed werewolves are hell-bent on converting humans, perpetrating serial murders of innocents in the effort. Rick, Jane’s paramour, is now a conflicted and blocked werecat, a black leopard, very inviting to Jane’s Eastern Cougar alternate self, but unwilling to have sex for fear of infecting Jane. This only adds to the sexual tension Hunter uses so effectively to snare readers. Reviewed by David Lloyd Sutton City of Light and Shadow: City of a Hundred Rows, Book 3 By Ian Whates Angry Robot, $7.99, 395 pages City of Light and Shadow by Ian Whates completes the City of a Hundred Rows trilogy. Although we’ve wondered around the countryside a little in previous books, we’re now into the endgame for control over the city of Thai-
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burley. With the exception of the thread featuring Dewar, the assassin, the fight is on to save the city from the Rust Warriors and the Demons. Everything turns on whether our unheroic but magically-talented Tom is able to deliver a charge to purify the corruption from the city’s core. While he and Kat make progress in the Upper Heights, the second team of the Tattooed Men and the Kite Guard led by Tylus and M’Gruth go into the Stain and beyond in the hope of killing two monsters that have been causing chaos. Overall, Whates delivers an excellent piece of fantasy, albeit set in a world where there was sophisticated use of technology to build and equip the city. The current society is dependent on the magical powers that adepts derive from the core for medical and other useful purposes. This is a rousing conclusion to the main story arc while leaving the door open for more if the publisher is willing. Reviewed by David Marshall World Divided: Book Two of the Secret World Chronicle By Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, Veronica Giguere Baen, $25.00, 432 pages What is the world to do when invaded by spaceship-flying, ultra-mechanized, super Nazis? Call on Echo, the organization of super or enhanced humans, of course. But when that fails and many of them are destroyed, the second string is all that’s available. And those less-than-perfect underdogs must carry the fight in this second installment of The Secret World Chronicles. With multiple authors telling the tale in episodic format one would expect some choppiness, but there is none. The whole book comes together seamlessly with the narration, by Vickie the agoraphobic technomage, at the start of the stories. Humans, including the super ones, are fighting for freedom and just plain survival against a foe they do not totally understand. Gangs, power-hungry multimillionaires, and mercenaries add to the challenges that those working
to save the everyday person must face. They use their powers, their environment, guns, and anything else they can find to stay alive and in the fight. This book is an awesome and lightning-paced story: read it on a day when you will not have to put it down. Reviewed by Beth Revers Apocalypse to Go By Katharine Kerr Daw, $7.99, 336 pages Full disclosure: I expected to be giving a glowing review for Apocalypse to Go because of having delightedly reviewed the first Nola O’Grady novel. I was gobsmacked to discover that not only had I missed the intervening volume, Water to Burn, but that this fine writer had grown so much in dexterity. Mrs. Kerr has an increasingly complex fantasy universe going. While sexual tension and frustration spiced up the first book in this series, this one has the warmth and sensuousness of a happy couple indulging in exploring their sexuality. Nola, incidentally, is discovering she has a very good handle on the otherwise exceedingly stubborn Ari. That worth is determined to turn their affair into marriage, much to Nola’s trepidation. However, Nola’s psychically talented and distinctly odd family provide great conflict again. This time, not only is Nola under siege by Chaos forces, she is under direct harassment and observation, made only more neck-tensing by the armed presence and life-threatening driving of her Israeli lover. Nola’s matrimonial heel dragging is occasioned by her own mother’s experience with a disappearing husband. The author’s movement to resolve that conflict, and to add enemies and complications makes for a good read. Reviewed by David Lloyd Sutton
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Sins of the Demon By Diana Rowland Daw Books, $7.99, 320 pages This is a solid book that has some great moments of humor, combined with the supernatural. Beaulac, Louisiana, police detective Kara Gilligan, who can summon demons from another realm, uses this ability to solve murder cases. The latest crime committed is personal for Kara because the victims are people from her past who have done her wrong. Kara has to figure out who’s using summoning magic to kill. As Kara gets closer to the truth, she unveils some facts not only about her parents and her grandmother, but someone she thought she knew very well is keeping deadly secrets that could get her killed. I look forward to reading more about Kara and the demon world she’s involved in, including her sexy romance with the demon lord Rhyzkahl, who may be the only one who can help her embrace all that she is and more. Reviewed by Kate Garrabrant How to be Death (A Calliope Reaper-Jones Novel) By Amber Benson Ace, $7.99, 304 pages It’s not easy being a fashionista and Death’s daughter, but Calliope Reaper-Jones has been doing her damnedest to pull it off. Against nefarious schemes and deadly attacks, she has managed to hold her father’s empire together, and now she’s running Death, Inc. And things will only get more difficult from here, as Calliope has to learn the business, handle corporate intrigue, make a strong first impression on the troops, and, oh yeah, thwart the killer that’s haunting her first formal dinner as CEO. The fourth in Benson’s Calliope Reaper-Jones series, How to be Death ties together many of the plot threads and
loose ends from the first three books, while still joyously ripping on the conventions of the whodunit genre with a multi-layered murder mystery. While the plot is needlessly complicated by the number of characters and all the twists involved, it’s still an enjoyable time that often leaves Calliope as befuddled as the reader. It’s all in good fun, and Benson’s immense charm sweeps the reader past the occasional plot contrivance with ease. Four books into the series, Benson is only growing more confident and capable, and she shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Earthbound: A Marsbound Novel By Joe Haldeman Ace, $24.95, 261 pages Earthbound by Joe Haldeman is the third in the Marsbound trilogy. For those who missed the first two, the Others were unimpressed by the fleet Earth launched to defend the Solar System and, to prove the point, they blew up the Moon. Although, in time, the debris might form as cute a ring as currently flatters Saturn, it’s intended as a deterrent to any other ship taking off. Yet, in the spirit of “you can’t keep a good man down,” men tried anyway. That’s when they turned off the power. Although the idea of civilization collapsing because electricity disappears is not new, Haldeman does a very good job of moving us through the initial stages as planes fall from the sky and pacemakers stop stimulating hearts. Then it’s out into the countryside to find a low-technology farm in a defensible position. Throughout all this, there’s some fascinating speculation about what the Others might want or how humans might interact with them to change outcomes — there’s a way of exchanging words with them, but it’s not clear whether they listen before responding. This is one of the best Haldeman novels, all told in crisp prose and ending not without hope. Reviewed by David Marshall
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Pathfinder Tales: Death’s Heretic By James L. Sutter Paizo Publishing, $9.99, 400 pages Salim Ghadafar is bound to the service of Pharasma, goddess of death and birth, better known as the Lady of Graves. His past is mysterious and his skills are uniquely suited to solving whatever problems the goddess sets him to. His newest assignment is in the desert nation called Thuvia; there, a merchant successfully obtained a rare potion that grants long-lasting youth, but he is brutally murdered. Now his soul is being held for ransom, and it’s up to Salim — and the merchant’s willful daughter — to uncover the truth. This latest offering in the Pathfinder Tales series brings a whole new dimension of the popular role-playing game universe to life. But readers don’t need to be acquainted with the game (or its world) at all in order to enjoy this novel; if you didn’t know it was set in the world of the game, this book would read like any other well-written fantasy story. Salim is a fascinating character whom readers will eagerly follow even as they wonder what lies in his personal history to have put him in this position of servitude in the first place; rest assured that his past is revealed later in the story, and it’s worth the wait! The world is richly imagined and full of vibrant life, and the story itself highly engaging. Reviewed by Holly Scudero The Rook: A Novel By Daniel O’Malley Little, Brown and Company, $25.99, 496 pages Deep in the heart of London is the headquarters of a secret service representing every conspiracy theorist’s wet dream. Whenever there’s a dragon laying waste to a part of the countryside, who do you call? Well, the answer to this, and other disturbing questions, is offered in The Rook, a sensationally good first
novel from Daniel O’Malley. The story begins in a park in the rain when our heroine opens her eyes and realizes she has no idea who she is nor why she’s surrounded by several dead bodies. Fortunately, in her pockets, she finds the first of many notes. Read sequentially, they are a trail of information breadcrumbs for the new occupant of the body as she investigates who attempted to murder her. In her own defense, she saves Britain when some unusually aggressive Belgians invade — it seems being eaten by their vegetables is off the menu. This is a delightfully amusing book in which various ghastly threats emerge from the secret Belgian labs to threaten the British monarchy. Only our heroine and a few loyal retainers can save the day. Hooray, for the Supernatural Secret Service--with a little help from their American cousins, of course! Reviewed by David Marshall Article 5 By Kristen Simmons Tor Teen, $17.99, 384 pages Article 5 was a deeply interesting dystopian read but it doesn’t live up to the predecessors of the genre. I enjoyed the post-apocalyptic setting but was never truly able to glean an understanding of what exactly happened to make the world so crude. The book touts that the protagonist remembers the before time, she however doesn’t care to share that information with the reader. I don’t need a play-by-play but I would have loved to know a bit of what happened. Ember is a character that grates the reader in all the wrong ways. Before her mother is taken into custody she is a strict rule-follower, and afterward she does a complete 180, but the feelings portrayed just don’t feel right. I also never understood the repealing of the law that made the arrest of Ember’s mother possible. It made no sense whatsoever to the plot. I understand that dystopian governments
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are wont to change laws for no reason, but this repeal felt extremely off. However, you are able to loose yourself for quite a few hours reading Article 5, and if you love the genre I wholeheartedly recommend reading for the fast-paced action. Reviewed by Pamela van Hylckama Vlieg
walk all over them. For a book that is barely two hundred pages long, Dick manages to do an incredible job of revealing a complex world with plenty of unusual and unforgettable characters that will keep any sci-fi fan hooked until the very last page. Reviewed by Alex Telander
The Crack in Space By Philip K. Dick Mariner Books, $13.95, 208 pages There’s a unique style to Philip K. Dick’s work that can perhaps be called unforgiving: his writing isn’t easy and straightforward; you have to work at it and make sure you keep up, because he’s just going to throw you in the middle of his complex world and drag you along for one crazy ride. The Crack in Space is a perfect example of this, recently release in a minimalist-looking new edition from Mariner Books, where the world is at a distant point in our future where all is not well. While technology has advanced, it seems that humanity has not, as it is a world divided by the color of one’s skin, and now there’s a black man running for president. In this world, people are able to zap around the world and off planet in record time using “scuttler” tubes, until a lowly maintenance worker discovers a malfunctioning scuttler tube that has a hole leading to an alternate world. He enters this new parallel dimension and is soon killed. As news of this other world spreads, Jim Briskin, who could become the first black president, sees a big opportunity here. There are millions of people (mostly non-white) who are in cryopreservation known as “bibs,” looking to be revived when a solution is found to the world’s overpopulation problems. Briskin hopes to use the promise of setting all these bibs free in the new world to help his presidency. The only problem is that there are some beings on the other side that seem to be a form of our ancestors, Homo erectus known as Peking Man, who beat out the Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons on this world to become the dominant species, and they aren’t about to let this Homo sapiens
Shadows West By Joe R. Lansdale, John L. Lansdale Subterranean, $50.00, 424 pages A gunman who turned a blind eye to the suffering of others is given a second chance by averting a monstrous apocalypse. A man hired to help escort a criminal along a haunted road comes face to face with a nightmare. A traveling preacher comes to town just as a zombie curse is unleashed. Joe R. Lansdale has been the goto guy for weird westerns and East Texas gothic thrillers for years now, and Shadows West, a collection of screenplays crafted in collaboration with his brother John, is chock full of grotesque description, hilariously depraved characters, and more supernatural weirdness than a thousand silver bullets could ever hope to dispatch. The screenplay format is a particular treat, giving free reign to your imagination, but with the guidance of a director whispering in your ear to make the most of the story. Diehard Lansdale loyalists will recognize Dead in the West and Deadman’s Road in some form from previous collections, but as far as I can tell, Hell’s Bounty is appearing for the first time, and despite its skin-crawling aspects, it’s a darkly comic treat. Whether you like westerns or horror, Shadows West is for you. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
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Expanded Sequential Art Section complex. The artwork alone makes this an attractive book for any bookshelf, as well as the work put into the book itself. This first volume also tells tales of the gelflings before swinging the focus unto Aughra, her son Raunip and the Urskeks, setting the stage for the rest of this creation story. For those looking to re-explore The Dark Crystal, this looks to be an excellent series to look into. Reviewed by Jamais Jochim
The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Volume 1 By Brian Holguin, Brian Froud, Alex Sheikman Archaia Entertainment, $19.95, 96 pages It can sometimes be a fun experience to re-explore the stories of our youth, looking to see new details. The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths explores the world of the film The Dark Crystal, exploring the origins of Aughra and how she helped define her world, as well as the Urskeks, who would eventually divide into two races and threaten the planet. It tells the story of the gelflings before they were virtually eliminated in order to ensure that a prophecy would not come true. The myths of their world make for some fun reading, especially made bittersweet as we know the fates of those involved. The illustrative format works rather well, especially as it harks back to an age that was both simpler and more
The Zen of Steve Jobs By Caleb Melby, JESS3 (illustrator) Wiley, $19.95, 80 pages What is not there is sometimes more important than what is there. The Zen of Steve Jobs is the story of Steve Jobs and Kobun Chino Otogawa, a Buddhist priest, and how Apple found its groove. Through the meditations taught and questions answered by Otogawa , Jobs was able to find the simple aesthetic that he brought to the Apple product line, and which helped make the iPod such a well-known product. It also includes a section on how the comic was made, as well as some goodbye tweets for Steve Jobs. The graphic novel is a fun read, especially for those looking to combine spirituality with commerce. The book is kept as simple as possible to emphasize the zen angle, and it succeeds at that. That means keeping a laser-focus on the relationship between Otogawa and Jobs, and how that relationship impacted Jobs’ work at Apple, thus it falls short of being a full biography. Nonetheless, it is an interesting exploration on how someone’s beliefs can impact their business, making it an inspirational read. Reviewed by Jamais Jochim
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Expanded Sequential Art Section The Sunday Funnies #1 By Russ Cochran Russ Cochran Company, $39.00, 96 pages Comics in newspapers have had a long history. They have changed over time and not always for the better. With the decline in the print medium, more and more comics are going online, and the remaining comics in the paper are getting squeezed out. With this collection, however, we get transported back to a different time. A time when comics were printed in the paper on a daily basis, and in large color format on Sundays. This collection contains original comics from the 1910s, 20s, 30s and 40s in their original format, color, and story. These are your grandparents’ comics, what they remember as kids. What is amazing for people today, who grew up with Garfield and others, is the sheer size of these comics. They’re massive: they take up an entire page for each title. Also, they are different from one another. From Gasoline Alley to Tarzan, there was something for everyone. The comics tell a complete story and do not totally rely on throw away one-liners. This is truly the golden age of comics and it is fun and exciting to see them back in print. Reviewed by Kevin Winter
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Avalon Chronicles, Volume 1: Once in a Blue Moon By Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, Emma Vieceli (artist) Oni Press, $19.99, 152 pages As a little girl, Aeslin Finn’s favorite stories came from a book called “The Avalon Chronicles.” But after her father died, her mother put the book away and Aeslin had to give up stories of brave Princes and valiant Dragon Knights. Now a teenager, Aeslin is surprised to find a sequel to her favorite childhood stories tucked away in a mysterious store. And when she gets sucked into the book, she discovers a magical heritage she never knew existed and a destiny that she never could have imagined! I wouldn’t call the premise behind Avalon Chronicles, Volume I: Once in a Blue Moon new, but the authors do an excellent job putting a fresh spin on an old idea. The story is a little murky at first, but details emerge as the tale progresses, and the writers do a fabulous job of providing all of the information readers need through dialogue; this may be how most manga works, but it can still be tricky to pull off properly. Additionally, sly references to pop culture will make readers laugh in unexpected places while keeping things moving. The illustrations bring both the “real” world and the lands of Avalon to vivid life, and one cannot help but admire Vieceli’s talent for depicting facial expressions. This new series is sure to be a hit, and I will be eagerly anticipating the next volume! Reviewed by Holly Scudero
Felix The Cat: The Great Comic Book Tails By Otto Messmer, Craig Yoe, Don Oriolo IDW, $27.99, 228 pages Felix the Cat remains one of the most famous characters of all time, even after 90 years and nine lives. Felix starred in everything from 1920s silent animated shorts to newspaper comics and comic books, and even as the first ever cartoon character balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This collection features full-length “tails” of Felix’s exploits as well as original art and photographs, biographies of artists Joe Oriolo and Otto Messmer, and an introduction by Oriolo’s son Don. With comic book stories dating from the 1940s until the 1950s, in this book, Felix takes us on a magic carpet ride around the universe to Mars, the signs of the Zodiac, and the Fountain of Youth. These stories are both funny and sweet, exploring magical lands while poking fun at ourselves and our need to keep up the status quo. Felix combines the innocent charm and independence of real cats getting into mischief, but always landing on their feet in the end. These clever tales are perfect to read alone or to share with your children at story time. Righty-O! Reviewed by Kerry Ellen Lindgren Rascal Raccoon’s Raging Revenge By Brendan Hay, Justin Wagner Oni Press, $24.99, 144 pages Even meanies can change their tune. Rascal Raccoon finally eliminates his nemesis in Rascal Raccoon’s Raging Revenge. In a Warner Brothers kind of universe, there are Merries (the good guys) and Meanies (those who chase them), and … you get the idea. Rascal causes the death of Jumpin’ Jackalope (accidentally), and Rascal has to deal with the ramifications of that realm’s first death. He decides that he actually misses the jackalope, and embarks on a quest to get him back. This
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Expanded Sequential Art Section leads to the real world, and what it means to be a toon. This is a nice deconstruction of the old Warner Brothers cartoons. It’s hard to balance between the silly and the serious, and this book almost succeeds. Rascal is portrayed too sympathetically, and that added dimension ends up being too much; we need our cartoons to be two-dimensional for them to work, as adding depth makes us ask too many questions that make the story not work any more. This story shows us why the old cartoons worked so well, and is worth reading for that alone. Reviewed by Jamais Jochim Mighty Samson Archives Volume 4 By Various, Jack Abel, Jose Delbo Dark Horse, $49.99, 214 pages The comic book the Mighty Samson might not be as well known as many others from the classic era of the 1960s and the 1970s. But what it should be known for is its warnings of the dangers of nuclear war and radiation. It was written at the height of the Cold War when the threat of nuclear war was a very real danger, something that could happen everyday. And this work captures that sentiment with the Mighty Samson and his friends confronting radioactive dangers in every issue. From Dark Horse, this is the last volume of the classic run. Within it readers encounter giant, pollutionbreathing creatures, mutated dogs, birds, and more, each of them a threat to the survivors. This was written for young adolescents and examines a deeper meaning of survival and human nature. Each issue is generally self-contained. The cover art by George Wilson is amazing, as they are truly pieces of art. The stories cover a wide range of topics, and the monsters are just as fanciful. The writers do a good job bringing to life a war-ravaged world without scaring kids who are reading the book. Reviewed by Kevin Winter
Psyren, Vol. 2 By Toshiaki Iwashiro Viz Media, $9.99, 187 pages Finding out your home is nothing but a wasteland in the future can be devastating. For Ageha Yoshina and his friends, beating Nemesis Q’s game might be the only chance to save Japan. This book focuses on Yoshina and Asaga’s psychic powers as they begin to flourish, with help and training from Amamiya. This book also plunges deeper into the world of Psyren, explaining the Nemesis Q’s rules. Yoshina seems to be struggling when compared to Asaga’s strength, but does Yoshina have a a secret power that could be a game changer? I liked this book, even though I didn’t read the first volume. There was enough information to keep me interested, but not lost. The art style is reminiscent of Eiichiro Oda, with a more serious tone to it. Every character has a look to them that can be taken in an evil way, expect for the main protagonist, Asaga. The strongest part of this book is the plot. While it seems to be standard shonen manga form, there is something more sinister hidden under the surface of this book. I hope that the story continues to follow the tone it has set forth and not become another battle mange. Reviewed by Kevin Brown
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Book Reviews
Category
Young Adult
Pandemonium By Lauren Oliver HarperCollins, $17.99, 384 pages At the end of Delirium, the first book in Lauren Oliver’s intriguing dystopian series, Lena finds herself in the Wilds, an outcast from society like Alex, with whom she first experienced the “deliria,” or love. Worst of all, she has to leave Alex behind, and it is certain he is now dead. In Pandemonium, Lena has to start afresh, even as her heart breaks over Alex. She becomes a part of the resistance, fighting the powers-that-be to stop the cure, and she ends up in New
York City, with a new identity and a new “family.” But the danger isn’t behind her; she is kidnapped by the reckless Scavengers, along with a young man whose father is the head of “Deliria-Free America,” a group Lena has been charged to observe. But after days of being held prisoner with only Julian as company, Lena is surprised—and confused—to find herself attracted to someone other than Alex. What will happen when the two very different young people are freed? Pandemonium is even more action-packed than Delirium, and it ends on some big cliffhangers. Oliver won’t be able to write the next book fast enough for fans of this thrilling series. Reviewed by Cathy Carmode Lim The Pregnancy Project: A Memoir By Gaby Rodriguez, Jenna Glatzer Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 218 pages The Pregnancy Project chronicles the life of Gaby Rodriguez, a real teen who executed an interesting idea for a class project. Because the story is real, The Pregnancy Project falls into a slightly different genre than most young adult books, but feels a bit lacking as a memoir. The book begins discussing Gaby’s childhood and her family. The events and descriptions of her family are quite interesting, but not very engaging, presented with “tell” versus “show” style. The lack of dialogue is very prominent once the book reaches the point of describing her class project: faking pregnancy. Gaby chooses to tell only a few select people what she is doing, making for a very interesting – and quite amazing – story. The reader may yearn for more personal interactions with her teachers and classmates in this section, which are lacking because of the narrative style. An interesting story that suffers a bit from the style in which it is told, The Pregnancy Project could be a great pick for a non-fiction school book report. A casual reader may find the story less than engaging, but the lessons Gaby
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Book Reviews
Category Young Adult
learns through her project shine through no matter how the story is told. Reviewed by Shanyn Day Try Not to Breathe By Jennifer Hubbard Viking Children’s, $16.99, 233 pages Ryan tried – and failed – to commit suicide a few months ago. He has spent the summer recovering from both the attempt and the subsequent time he spent in a mental hospital, where his mother hovers over him, his father pretends life is normal, and he has no real friends to speak of beyond people he met in the hospital. While he no longer actively wants to kill himself, he’s not really sure what part of life is worth living for, and he is tired of everyone tip-toeing around him. Enter Nicki, a classmate who seems to have no problem with asking about the very subject that everyone else avoids. Her energy is addictive, and she slowly draws Ryan out of his isolated shell despite his resistance. But Nicki has secrets of her own, and their friendship may suffer when those secrets come to light. Jennifer Hubbard’s new YA novel Try Not to Breathe tackles a host of difficult topics, ones that adults often prefer not to think about but that are important for teenagers to try to understand. Well-written and featuring in-depth characters that readers can identify with, this novel could be valuable to many who are struggling with issues of their own. Reviewed by Holly Scudero Fracture By Megan Miranda Bloomsbury Publishing, $17.99, 264 pages Fracture starts off with a horrific accident as 17-year-old Delaney Maxwell has fallen through thin ice. After enduring 11 minutes in the freezing lake she is pulled out by her
best friend, Decker. As Delaney regains consciousness she has to face that fact that she may not be a normal teenager anymore, especially as she feels an inexplicable pull to those that are dying. To make matters more complicated she meets Troy Varga, who, like her, shares a pull to those dying. Delaney has to decide where her heart is telling her to go…Is it to Decker or should she go with Troy? This was a really enjoyable book; although, I wish there had been a larger paranormal element at play. I was at the edge of my seat at times and stayed up into the wee hours of the night to finish it. Debut author, Megan Miranda, brings a thoughtful and imaginative look at what can happen to a survivor of a tragedy and her friends and family. The writing is easy flowing and the plot is very believable. Reviewed by Patricia Mendoza Extraordinary: The True Story of My Fairygodparent, Who Almost Killed Me, and Certainly Never Made Me a Princess By Adam Selzer Delacorte Books for Young Readers, $15.99, 324 pages Stories never tell the whole truth of what really happened. Jennifer Van Der Berg knows this better than most, since her real life weirdness has been distorted into a book about “Jenny V”, a newly crowned princess, and her misadventures with a fairy godmother. As Jennifer regales the reader with the true events behind Jenny V’s harrowing yet romantic tale, she explains how truth can be so much stranger (and smellier) than fiction. In Extraordinary*, Selzer gives himself the unenviable task of telling two stories in one, as we learn about both the fictionalized Jenny V and the real events Jennifer and her tightknit pals endured. And for the most part, Selzer makes it
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Book Reviews
Category Young Adult
look easy. Sure, Jennifer’s world has vampires, zombies, and magical creatures, but otherwise, high school is high school, with all the joys and setbacks we remember. Set in the same fictional universe as I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It, Extraordinary* remains a terrific stand-alone read, using magical means to enhance, rather than distract from, the unpleasantness of the high school experience. It’s a comedic tightrope Selzer strolls across with style. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Everybody Sees the Ants By A.S. King Little, Brown for Young Readers, $17.99, 279 pages A book with a quirky title, Everybody Sees the Ants lives up to its title and even more through Lucky Linderman and his dreams. The victim of harsh bullying at school and at his job, Lucky goes with his mother to live with his aunt and uncle for a while in Arizona. All the while, Lucky is having dreams about rescuing his grandfather from the war he never returned from, as he feels it is his duty to bring his grandfather home. These dreams are interspersed throughout the text that deals with reality and help to reveal much about Lucky’s growth as a person throughout the book. A.S. King does an unbelievable job of writing and fleshing out each character. Lucky as a protagonist is great, and each supporting character is just as great. The aunt and uncle have a depth not often seen in secondary characters, and the satisfaction the reader gets from discovering this is priceless. Though the synopsis of Everybody Sees the Ants may make the book seem less contemporary and more rooted in the dream world, it doesn’t take long for readers to realize the superb quality of King’s writing and how rooted in reality it really is. Reviewed by Shanyn Day
Bloodrose: A Nightshade Novel By Andrea Cremer Philomel, $18.99, 405 pages Picking up where Wolfsbane left off, the story kicks off with Calla recruiting Ren to join her and fight on behalf of the Searchers. Calla has finally come into her own as an Alpha. While she’s still waffling between Ren and Shay as a future mate and fellow Alpha of her pack, she’s also making her own decisions and directing her fellow wolves as their leader. Her pack has a lot to do, as they work with Shay and the Searchers to complete the elemental cross before battling the Guardians. Bloodrose is full of excitement, and like the previous books in the series, the action sequences are very well written and compelling. The stakes are high, and getting higher for Calla as works with her allies to rid the human world of evil. The ending will be controversial to fans of the series, with some loving and some hating the events leading to the climax. The ending is a surprise, but a beautiful final image. If you haven’t read the first two books in the Nightshade trilogy, don’t pick up Bloodrose until you’ve had a chance to devour the first two novels in the series. Reviewed by Kelly Garrett Ashes By Ilsa J. Bick Egmont, $17.99, 465 pages Seventeen-year-old Alex hikes into the wilderness with the ashes of her parents. Alex plans to end her life, as she’s dying of a brain tumor and tired of dealing with the symptoms and heartbreak of failed treatment. When she comes across eight-year-old Ellie,
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Book Reviews
Category Young Adult
along with her grandfather, she plans to continue along her way. But when an electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying all electronic devices (including the grandfather’s pacemaker), she ends up taking care of Ellie. They meet up with Tom, a young soldier, and eek out survival in the wild, desperate for news from the outside world.
“The pain was fire, a laser that scorched her brain. A sudden metallic chattering bubbled in her ears, and her vision sheeted first red and then glare-white, and then she was stumbling, her feet tangling, and she fell. Something wet and hot spurted from her throat and dribbled down her chin.” Unsure of whom they can trust, as the pulse turned some people into zombies, they decide to leave the safety of the wilderness to seek out fellow survivors. Ashes is split into two distinct sections, the first in the wild, and the second in the post-apocalyptic world outside. Both compelling and scary, the novel will appeal to fans of novels such as The Hunger Games or The Stand. As the main character, Alex is tough but fragile, and the secondary characters are nuanced. This is the first novel in a trilogy, complete with a cliffhanger ending. The second novel, Shadows comes out in 2012. Reviewed by Kelly Garrett Allegiance By Cayla Kluver Harlequin Teen, $9.99, 498 pages Allegiance is a beautiful continuance of the fantasy that began with Legacy. Alera is now married to Steldor (Helldor as she is want to call him) as war finds its way to Hytanica. Lush scenes and feminist themes run rampant throughout the book, making Cluver’s latest a must-read for YA fantasy lovers everywhere. Narian has found his way back into the enemy camp, and Alera’s
younger sister is taken hostage by the Cockyrian Overlord to make Narian fufill the prophecy and destroy Hytanica. Alera is at odds with her new husband and her father about her duty as Queen when she receives word that Narian wishes to meet with her. He tells her to move on with Steldor and become the Queen he knows that she can be, but ignorant decisions plague our main character and Hytanica is taken over by the enemy. The fight to regain her city is the redeeming factor for Alera. The strength she finds within and finally making some good decisions redeems our main character and makes the 500-page tome worth reading. I am quite simply in love with Hytanica and cannot wait to see where Cluver takes the story next. Reviewed by Pamela van Hylckama Vlieg The Miseducation of Cameron Post By Emily M. Danforth Balzer & Bray, $17.99, 480 pages Reminiscent of Catcher in the Rye and Perks of Being a Wallflower, this book has a timeless feel. Rather than tell one short story of Cameron’s life, this novel explores many months, starting with her time as a young girl. The reader is able to learn about Cameron and her actions before the death of her parents, which Cameron then deals with for the remainder of the book — mainly because Cameron kissed a girl the night before her parent’s death and is convinced the events are related. Because her parents are gone, Cameron’s life changes as she moves in with her aunt and starts to explore the possibility of liking girls. Everyone around her assumes she is interested in boys and has a boyfriend, so Cam struggles with what she feels and what she thinks might be a phase. When Cam becomes friends with a girl who moves into town — a girl that has a boyfriend and is Cam’s dream girlfriend — things start to get complicated. When Cam’s aunt sends her away to a school that supposedly teaches teens to
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Book Reviews
Category Young Adult
be straight, Cam ends up learning the most about herself. Cameron’s voice is ageless and superbly written. Each supporting character fits into the story perfectly, and the amount of content in just one novel will please many readers. This is a must read. Reviewed by Shanyn Day Partials By Dan Wells Balzer + Bray, $17.99, 472 pages Humans are in danger of becoming extinct after a virus is released during a war between humans and Partials, genetically designed supersoldiers who turned on their creators. The virus wiped out most of the human population and killed every baby shortly after birth. Kira is a 16-year-old who is a medic-intraining. She comes to believe that humankind’s only hope is to study a Partial specimen to see why they are immune to the virus while humans are not. This book has so much potential that just needs to be developed to a greater extent to take it to the next level. The pace of the story was slow and steady with no real stand out moment, and the characters needed more depth. It was hard to really bond with any of the characters beyond the one Partial we meet in the story. A few interesting issues are raised, such as how far should a race go to try and ensure its continuation and what rights are genetically created beings entitled to? In the end, a ho hum start to a series that has the potential to be amazing. Reviewed by Debbie Suzuki Hallowed: An Unearthly Novel By Cynthia Hand HarperTeen, $17.99, 403 pages In this sophomore novel, Clara Gardner must confront the consequences of her decisions. Having angel blood is not all it’s cracked up to be and things are tougher than ever. Along
with all that, Clara has to make a tough decision in manners of the heart. Does she choose Tucker, whom she loves dearly, or is she destined to go with Christian, with whom she may have a greater connection than she ever thought? Cynthia Hand does a fantastic job of telling a story of finding oneself as well as what people will ultimately give and sacrifice for those they love. This was a novel that made me think and ponder and ultimately made me want to hug those people closest to me and not let go. I found the challenges that Clara had to face to be very real and believable. Clara does the best she can with the circumstances that are presented to her. She does what she thinks is right where her heart is concerned, though at times she fights with her choices and grapples with what her heart and mind fundamentally tell her. I am very much looking forward to the conclusion of this trilogy and where these characters will end up. Reviewed by Patricia Mendoza Divergent By Veronica Roth Katherine Tegen Books, $9.99, 490 pages Beatrice has been raised as a member of the Abnegation faction in a future Chicago. Now that she’s 16, she has the responsibility to choose to stay in the faction with her family for the rest of her life or switch to one of the other four factions, options that might better suit her personality. She doesn’t feel very self-sacrificing, so she’s thinking about leaving Abnegation. But if she does choose differently, she won’t see her family again, because “faction comes before blood.” On the choosing day, Beatrice makes the hard decision to become a Dauntless: a tattooed, pierced group of fearless people who dare to do all kinds of crazy things. She renames herself Tris and is thrown right in to the initiation process, which turns out to be much more dangerous and
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Book Reviews
Category Young Adult
fraught with long-term consequences than she could ever have imagined growing up Abnegation. Tris, and the reader, worry about the dangerous secret she must keep and about what seem to be growing conflicts between the supposedly peaceful factions in her society. Divergent is a thrilling dystopian novel that will grab you and hold you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Reviewed by Cathy Carmode Lim Planesrunner By Ian McDonald Pyr, $16.95, 274 pages The possibility of different world stacked upon each other is always a great premise. Everett Singh’s father has been kidnapped, and he is the only one who knows how to save his dad. Everett has the Infundibulum, a map that contains the secrets of parallel earths. Of course, the Ten Known Worlds will stop at nothing to get this map and have dominion over the most advance technology on any earth. Everett must escape through the Heisenberg Gate that and keeping running to make sure his home is safe. Much like the theory of parallel earths, I thought this book would have unlimited potential. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Planesrunner. Some of the characters feel too ridiculous, even for the target audience of this book. The villains come off as one dimensional, and the hero has no real flaws. It makes certain parts unbelievable, even in the world created. I find that sad, because Ian McDonald is amazing at creating these worlds. His vision for the book is extremely strong, with rich details of some of the most fantastical writing I think he has ever done. I found the pace of the book average, with some sluggish parts, but nothing that is too distracting. This is the first part of the new Everness series, and with a writer this talented behind the wheel, we can expect some great things. Reviewed by Kevin Brown
If your dad mysteriously disappeared, wouldn't you want him back? That's all Tess wanted. Instead, she uncovers a mysterious secret about strange rocks with weird magical powers.
Available online Amazon.com Lulu.com ISBN 9781105053009
Lenobia’s Vow: A House of Night Novella By P. C. Cast , Kristin Cast St. Martin’s Griffin, $12.99, 147 pages If you’re a House of Night fan Lenobia’s Vow is a must read. If you haven’t read the series don’t fear – you can dive right into this novella without missing a beat. In the second installment of the House of Night novellas we get to read about the Horse Mistress Lenobia. She is one of my favorite characters in the series so I was really looking forward to getting to know her better. This story is about Lenobia’s transition from a serving girl, to an impostor, and finally to a fledgling vampire. Most of the story takes place on board a ship traveling to the New World where Lenobia will be married off to a rich plantation owner. However, Lenobia falls in love with a charming Quadroon named Martin all the while being hunted by an evil man who wants her as his own. I really loved hearing the story from Lenobia’s point of view, but I could have done without the parts reflecting the view of the bad guy, Charles. I really didn’t feel the need to see into the mind of a madman. Lenobia’s Vow is one to check out! Reviewed by Jaime Arnold
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Book Reviews
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She worries about missing school. Her dream is to become a teacher one day, and she knows she can’t accomplish that if she can’t go to school. Her father promises he will get her back before Christmas, but five months stretches immeasurably for May. May faces things few could – loneliness, fear, few supplies, wolves, and finally a huge blizzard. This is a story of courage, perseverance, and resourcefulness. It is told in the clear voice of a young girl, true to the time and place of the story, beautifully written in verse, and a compelling read. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
Tweens
May B. By Caroline Starr Rose Schwartz & Wade, $15.99, 240 pages 12-year-old Mavis Betterly, May B., has lived most of her life in the plains of Kansas. It is the late 1800s, and May and her family live in a sod house (soddy) miles from neighbors or towns. Her best friend is her older brother Hiram, who defends May when her reading disability makes things hard for her at school. It’s a hard life and the family of four struggles. When a neighbor offers to hire May to help his new wife with cooking and housework, May’s father agrees. May doesn’t want to go, but is given no choice.
Jackie Coogan: America’s First Child Superstar By Leslie Wolfson Publish America, $19.95, 82 pages Sometimes a biography is a bit too brief. Jackie Coogan: America’s First Child Superstar is the story of Jackie Coogan, the first major child star of the American screen. It follows from his early years and discovery by Charlie Chaplin, to the end of his career as he sued his mother for the money he was owed for the work he had done, and why the Coogan Act, the law requiring that parents put money away for their acting children, was established. It’s a very nice cautionary tale of why children need to be taught basic money skills. A nice feature of this book is that necessary historical background is given, although in “sidebars” at the end of the book, and it has some great pictures of Coogan’s early career. However, the book is too brief, especially given Coogan’s importance both on the screen and to current laws; it just feels more like a summary of the highlight reel. This makes it a great book for those curious about who Coogan was and his contributions to American cinema, but it gives just a taste of who he was. This is an excellent stepping off point, but that’s it. Reviewed by Jamais Jochim
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Feature
Book Reviews
Category Tweens
Leaf & the Rushing Waters By Jo Marshall CreateSpace, $13.95, 370 pages Leaf and the Rushing Waters is the first of an environmental series about twig creatures who live in the natural world, bravely surviving the disasters that threaten their home. Leaf, the mischievous yet lovable, main character discovers that the tree where he lives is in danger of being flooded by the Rushing Waters, a nearby river. With the help of his bold (if not rather over-confident) friend Rustle, his friend Feather, and the other creatures who inhabit the woods, he embarks on a journey to find the Goliath beavers, or Chompers, who are their only hope for saving their beloved forest. Marshall’s whimsical tale is brilliantly conjured. Both its characters and winding plot tell a good story and a lesson well taught. Leaf is a sparkling, likable protagonist and will win over the hearts of his readers. The environment around him is beautifully described and will engage young readers, as well as inform them. Accompanied by the lively illustrations and a detailed map, courtesy of the awardwinning D.W. Murray, this philanthropic novel should not be missed, nor should its sequels. Sponsored Review
Leaf & the Sky of Fire: Twig Stories, Vol. 2 By Jo Marshall CreateSpace, $12.95, 320 pages Jo Marshall has created an innovative story around a group of creatures called Twigs. The Twigs are very small, stick-like beings that live in knotholes of trees, existing off the bounty that the forest provides. Being so close to, and dependent on, nature, the Twigs are sensitive to changes in the seasons outside of the normal. So when a strange Twig from another forest arrives, riding a starling, Leaf and his family find themselves on an adventure saving Twigs from an invasion of Barkbiters. Barkbiters, or bark beetles, are sensitive to cold and are usually controlled by winter, which thins their ranks. However with abnormally warm winters, due to global warming, they continue to breed and invade more trees, attacking and displacing the local Twigs and killing the trees they live on. Leaf and the Sky of Fire approaches the issue of global warming and the changes that occur from it on a very readable basis for tween and YA readers. While the story is fantasy, the problems are very real world. The Rocky Mountain Bark Beetle is considered at epidemic levels throughout the Western United States, affecting almost 4 million acres of forests. Using the Twigs as major characters for the story, Marshall allows for an entertaining way to educate children on how changes in one aspect of the planet (shorter and warmer winters) can have unforeseen consequences that lead to new and potentially hazardous problems. An excellent book for middle-grade readers. Sponsored Review
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Book Reviews
Category Tweens
The Secret Journeys of Jack London, Book Two: The Sea Wolves By Christopher Golden HarperCollins, $16.99, 386 pages In Book Two of Golden & Lebbon’s Secret Journeys of Jack London series, Jack is returning home from the Yukon on the Umatilla when the ship is attacked by pirates. Not just any pirates: Ghost, the captain, is a werewolf who has collected his crew and changed them to werewolves for a secret purpose. Because Jack shows spunk, he intrigues Ghost. Ghost separates him from other passengers and makes him the ship’s cook. In the course of the book, horrors unfold—think severed arms lying in torn sleeves, salted and cured human meat, passengers released during the full moon to be hunted down, etc.— while Jack tries to figure out a way to escape. (Where is a silver bullet when you need one?) To complicate matters, Jack falls in love with Sabine, the beautiful seeress who seems to be helping Ghost in his grisly searches for victim ships. There is no doubt this book is a page turner. But descriptions are excessively gruesome. The gore is redundant. Several scenes seem for the purpose of depicting savagery. Characters are more or less two-dimensional stock pirates except for their being werewolves. The plot itself is thin, the ending predictable. Reviewed by Elizabeth Varadan
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Winterling By Sarah Prineas HarperCollins, $16.99, 240 pages Sarah Prineas has done a spectacular job of grabbing the reader and planting them down to read until their eyes water. She tells a spectacular fantasy tale of a young girl named Jennifer who lives with her secretive and overprotective grandmother. Jennifer doesn’t know about the magical powers she has that can only be used in a magical land known as the Way. When a boy about her age leads her to the Way, knowing she is special, Jennifer knows something is wrong there and it’s the Lady’s fault. For this Lady is continuing the bloodshed, thinking it will bring spring. Of course, the real Lady would know how to bring spring to the Way without killing innocent creatures and trolls, but the one Jennifer met is a fake with a heart of stone. This Lady killed the real Lady in order to have power that no one but the true Lady knows how to use. All poor Jennifer knows is that her parents went to this mysterious land and never came back, and that only Jennifer can bring back spring to the Way and her home. The tale has a meaningful moral of standing up for yourself and others, and to never give up. The book is well-written and not only entertains the reader, but leaves them with a lifelong lesson. A very satisfying delight! Reviewed by Sarah Guller, Age 11
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If I said motivating myself to write has always been easy, I would be lying. For a very long period of my life I was a consummate procrastinator, masterfully turning anything—and I mean anything—into a valid reason to put off writing just a few minutes longer. I once opened up my laptop, stared at the blank page, and then called my dentist and booked appointments two years out just to avoid writing. That’s the level of procrastination I’m talking about. Thankfully, I finally developed a writing strategy that works for me and I’ve been able to keep the procrastination (mostly) at bay ever since. I finished my debut novel, How to Eat a Cupcake, in about ten months, and I’m now onethird of the way through my second novel, All the Summer Girls (on-schedule) to complete it in about ten months as well. It turns out that what works for me is setting a weekly page quota. I need to write ten pages each week, or about one chapter, to stay on schedule and keep in touch with my work. I outline my novels ahead of time so that I no longer ever find myself in the daunting position of staring at a blank page; each week I look to the pre-written
chapter synopsis as a guide to get myself started and to help maintain the pace and plot arc of the book. Some weeks, eking out ten pages is a challenge; other weeks, the ten pages come easily and I sail on by my selfimposed page quota. I try to wrack up the pages when the juices are flowing, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before I hit a rough patch and the pages come slowly again. I’m not the only writer who has developed specific strategies and voluntary deadlines to stay productive. Here’s how other authors keep themselves in the writing groove: Stephen King, who has published more than 50 books, has a self-imposed pagecount goal that puts mine to shame. “I like to get ten pages a day, which amounts to 2,000 words. That’s 180,000 words over a three-month span,” King writes in On Writing. Talk about prolific! New York Times bestselling author Meg Waite Clayton’s self-imposed writing goals are similar to King’s: she writes 2,000 words per day or until 2 PM, whichever comes first. “If I’ve got 2,000 words by noon, I can do whatever I want,” she writes on her website. “If I had to pick a
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Viewpoints Article
single word to describe what makes me a writer,” she continues, “it would be discipline.” Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan told The Guardian that she aims to write five to seven pages every day. “And that can happen really quickly; I can be done with that in an hour or two,” Egan said. “But I sometimes spend a lot of time avoiding doing it, taking four hours to do what I could’ve done in one.” I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who easily sinks down the rabbit hole of procrastination every once in a while. With two novels published in 2011 (The Violets of March and The Bungalow) and two more novels slated to be published in the next two years, Sarah Jio could write a master class on maintaining productivity—if she could find the time. For Jio, the key is to write every day, without fail. “Each night after I put the kids to bed, I head down to my office and always write a bit—even if it’s only a few paragraphs. My theory is that if I check in with my draft daily, I’ll keep the story fresh in my mind and make better progress.” Jio also shared that she motivates herself by writing the endings of her novels first. “There’s something so satisfying about writing the final chapter and typing “the end.” Sometimes I change the ending because of plot choices I make along the way, but my story always feels more substantial and less daunting when I know how it will end.” I’m amazed and humbled by the work ethic of these highly productive authors; by comparison, my ten-pages-per-week goal seems a bit pathetic. How do these writers find time to book their dental appointments? Shop online for holiday dresses for their daughters?
Drive around the city, eating cupcake after cupcake in the name of research? My weekly writing goal might be unimpressive by comparison, but it’s a goal that I can, and therefore do, achieve. Writing a novel can be a daunting, unwieldy activity, but breaking it down into a series of small, weekly objectives keeps my spirits up. Ten pages a week? I can do that. I bet you can too. Wait. Is this article done now? Does this mean I have to get back to my manuscript? Maybe just one cup of tea first.
About Meg Donohue Meg Donohue has an MFA from Columbia University and a BA from Dartmouth College. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughters, dog, and a weakness for salted caramel cupcakes. How to Eat a Cupcake is her first novel. Visit Meg on Facebook, Twitter (@megdonohue), and her website MegDonohue.com.
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Book Reviews
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Biographies & Memoirs
The Street Sweeper By Elliot Perlman Bond Street Books, $28.95, 554 pages This is a giant’s footprint of a novel, covering the Holocaust, Civil Rights, and the meaning of History itself. These are not topics for writers with faint hearts and impatient fingers. The story of the death camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau is something the reader thinks he already knows— what more can possibly be said to bring any new emotional
reaction to the experience? How can something old become something new? No matter what the death, whatever the destruction, something survives. Something survives, waiting to be discovered, unearthed, brought back to life. Something from then which can speak to now. And whose job is that, to do the discovery? Meet Adam Zignelic, Professor of History at Columbia University in New York. His research and writing has dwindled to evaporation; he can scarcely make it through a lecture of his course; he suffers sobbing nightmares of the atrocities of racism in America; he ends his long relationship with his common-law spouse Diana because Adam does not feel capable of raising and supporting a child. He’s a mess. Adam’s late father, Jake, was one of the liberal Jewish lawyers who joined Thurgood Marshall’s office to fight the legal battles which led to the civil rights struggles and successes of the 1960s. Another of those lawyers, one of the black lawyers, was William McCray, whose son Charles is now Chair of the History Department at Columbia. That is indicative of the echoing structure that is The Street Sweeper. Lamont, recently released from prison, searches for his daughter. Adam, at William’s urging, goes searching for evidence that black troops were involved in the liberation of the death camps. The trump card is Dr. Henry Border, who in 1945 travels to Europe to interview the death camp survivors discovers a truth he never sought. What I admire most about Elliot Perlman and how he handled this true epic is his restraint until it is time to cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war. When it arrives in Henryk Mandelbrot’s oral history of the prisoner’s revolt and its aftermath it comes in all the angry power of gods gone mad. The words burn, the sentences explode, the pages reach out, grab you by the scruff of the neck and force you to live this scene. For there is always the message: seek out and listen, and you shall discover the truth. Reviewed by Hubert O’Hearn
Click HERE to listen to our interview of Elliot Perlman
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Book Reviews
Category Biographies & Memoirs
Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid’s Memoir That Inspired “Upstairs, Downstairs” and “Downton Abbey” By Margaret Powell St. Martin’s Press, $22.99, 212 pages Margaret Powell’s story is a fascinating memoir by a kitchen maid and cook. While naturally it shows the hard work she did regularly, the book also mentions many strange requests (ironed bootlaces!) and insults Powell endured. The memoir, originally published in 1964, may introduce the reader to the unfamiliar life a servant led, to which many people have no connection. Don’t pick up Below Stairs for sensational stories that parallel popular series because it will probably be a disappointment on that front. Instead, this book details the drudgery of a woman who started working as a servant at fifteen years old in the 1920s, with a keen eye to the biases that existed in her life. Life for Powell was lived alongside other servants, scrubbing vegetables or cleaning the cook’s equipment. Below Stairs serves as a window into the different lives the servants lived and the class distinctions that existed at the time. While Powell’s writing is clear and understandable, readers may experience some difficulty in understanding some of the specifics of the work she did, such as having to blacklead the grates and clean knives with knife powder. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey Betrayal: Whitey Bulger and the FBI Agent Who Fought to Bring Him Down By Jon Land, Robert Fitzpatrick Forge, $14.99, 336 pages Robert Fitzpatrick had his dream job. All through his difficult childhood, he dreamed of becoming an FBI agent and working with the best of the best. He had great successes and moved up in the
organization quickly, showing his mettle in the Miami office running the ABSCAM investigation. Soon after, he moved to the Boston office as Assistant Special Agent in Charge with orders from the top to clean up that office. He was told by his supervisor to “kick ass and take names.” With the focus on bringing down the Italian mafia, some agents had made an unholy alliance with members of the Irish mafia, particularly two low-lifes named “Whitey” Bulger and Stephen Flemmi. Fitzgerald had no idea how high up the corruption went or the long, painful process he would undergo discovering the truth. Two agents in the Boston office, John Connolly and John Morris, were the handlers of Bulger and Flemmi. Connolly and Morris protected their “informants” to a degree that was entirely outside the bounds of FBI rules. Bulger and Flemmi were fed information no informant ever should have had, in spite of the fact they gave no information that was particularly useful or valuable. They operated with impunity, committing crimes from gunrunning to drug distribution to murder, all while being protected by their FBI handlers. When Fitzgerald tried to close the operation, he was stone-walled, all the way to the top of the FBI, and he ended up with his career in shreds. This account of the unbelievable corruption during the 1980s in the Boston office of the FBI is raw and compelling. The only nit to pick is the level of detail sometimes slows the story a bit (a la Anne Rule), but, for the most part, it reads like the true-crime thriller it is. Sponsored Review Afghan Boomerang By Oleg Novinkov CreateSpace, $25.25, 430 pages Is Afghanistan set to be the stumbling block for yet another superpower? In Afghan Boomerang: Notes of a Soviet Officer, Oleg Novinkov contends that the backlash from the U.S. war in Afghanistan (now ten years and counting) may well be a collapse similar to that which he witnessed in the former USSR in the wake of its own expensive and protracted conflict in
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Book Reviews
Category Biographies & Memoirs
Afghanistan during the 1980s. Novinkov lends a unique perspective to discussion of the past and present geopolitics of Afghanistan. Born and raised in the former Soviet Union, he is now a naturalized citizen of the United States. More importantly, he is a military veteran of the bloody Soviet/Afghan War, which stretched from 1979 to 1989. Early in that war, Novinkov was deployed in Afghan combat zones as a Soviet Air Force flight surgeon. Afghan Boomerang is brimful with interesting reading, a special cocktail of memories, history, opinion, and warning. The writing is lively and authentic, laced with over-thetop sarcasm, long-winded at times, but never dull. Any American concerned with the implications of our long occupation of Afghanistan (and Iraq) should read this memoir. Factors leading to the Soviet presence in Afghanistan and the consequences for the Soviet military and general citizenry are illuminating. Remnants of Cold War era stereotypes are challenged. Firsthand accounts of life in the Afghan combat zone will be of special interest to present day veterans. Novinkov recently revisited Afghanistan. “When I returned from my trip to Afghanistan...I experienced the same feelings as when I returned to the USSR from the Soviet-Afghan War. Nobody cared what was going on in the war zone then, in [the] Soviet Union, and now, in the U.S.” Persuading an American public desensitized by ten years of war to care, and American politicians to listen, is not an easy task. Ironically, a former Soviet medical officer is trying to do just that. Sponsored Review Mitt Romney: An Inside Look at the Man and His Politics By Ronald B. Scott Lyons Press, $16.95, 245 pages This promised to be a “fair and balanced” look at presidential candidate Mitt Romney by one of his cousins. However, upon finishing it, one knows little more about “the real Mitt” than
one did earlier. Scott gives a lot of attention to Romney’s perceived flip-flops but never seems to take a position as to whether Romney is deliberately deceptive or merely a person exercising the freedom to change his mind. Scott, for example, cites Romney’s signing of the Norquist pledge to never raise taxes, a pledge seemingly contradicted when, as governor, Romney substantively boosted fees for government services in Massachusetts. What’s maddening about this account is Scott’s repeated implication that voters would like Romney more if they knew the real man, one kept hidden by his political strategists. Yet Scott fails to provide us with his own perspective on a relative demeaned (in a chapter title) as “The Designated Old White Guy.” Scott quotes an old friend of Romney’s as negatively stating, “He really doesn’t have time for personal relationships.” But the same friend adds that he would vote for Romney for president, “in a heartbeat.” This account is just as puzzling as that. Reviewed by Joseph Arellano So Far to Run: The Memoir of Liberian Refugee Louise Géesedeh Barton By Louise Geesedeh Barton Bascom Hill Publishing Group, $13.95, 244 pages Rarely is a memoir written in such singularly powerful fashion as this one. With simple, vivid descriptions, the author plunges the reader headfirst into a world of conflict and terror, sweeping the reader along with her as she lives the life of a hunted refugee in a land wracked by war and upset. Writing passionately but without passing judgement on even the most hurtful of her tormentors, her voice is powerfully genuine and begs to be listened to. This is not a story for the faint of heart-the horrors she encountered are written without unnecessary gruesome detail--as few words are truly needed to convey the awfulness of the inhumanities man commits to his fellow creature. Threading throughout the story and
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Book Reviews
Category Biographies & Memoirs
rising triumphantly above all is the miraculous tale of her spiritual rescue.
“One of the rebels ... beheaded the father. Grabbing the head by the hair, he brought it over to me and told me to hold it and dance with it in celebration.” Barton writes in moving words of the emancipation she experiences even while in bonded servitude, and relates with profound joy the miracles she witnessed moving in her own life. Her memoir tells a tale that is little known in the world today, but has affected thousands upon thousands, and it must--and should be--read by millions and millions more. Reviewed by Andrea Huehnerhoff James Joyce: A Life By Edna O’Brien Penguin Lives, $14.00, 180 pages If you’ve read O’Brien and Joyce, you’re in for a treat. A perfect pairing of author/biographer and author/subject, these little Penguin Life books are good introductions to famous authors and, of course, the biographer. Here we breeze through Joyce’s tragic, solitary, and unhappy family life with mental illness and his absorption into being an artist and drunkard (to unwind). The early days are explained by O’Brien well, especially the Joyce who fled “sow” Ireland and indoctrinated Catholicism, but they could never be taken out of him. We learn of his tremendous learning, which he piled into his books: his sense of self as a labyrinth (hence his most famous character Dedalus, named after the sorcerer and maker of wings for Icarus); how Joyce himself fell into the web of words with language as the hero; and making many artistic mistakes the last third of his life, dying, blind and mostly drunk, as he finished his last book: Finnegan’s Wake, a critical failure, which hardly anybody today can read. Do
writers like Joyce have to be monsters to create? O’Brien asks. Yes, she says. Callous, wanting no interruptions, no responsibility, and cutoff from the human traits he so glisteningly depicted in his novels, with just the inner drone of language in his head. Reviewed by Phil Semler God, If You’re Not Up There, I’m F*cked By Darrell Hammond Harper, $25.99, 173 pages Sometims it takes tragedy to make a good comedian. God, if You’re Not Up There, I’m F*cked is the autobiography of Darrell Hammond, a comedian best known for his work on Saturday Night Live. It follows his life from about six years old to the current day, detailing the ups and downs. He looks at how his life has affected his comedy, how it has affected the choices he made, and he especially charts his problems with addictions. It is not a pretty picture of how a comedian is created through tragedy, and one that is not for the weak. It is written in a personable manner, as if the reader were sharing a drink with Hammond as he described his life. This means that the reader is treated to some off-color language, and that every life choice is shown in the context of how it affected his current situation. It makes the reading that more intense and comes off as someone showing others why they should not make the same choices he did. This is a great book, and you will have a hard time putting it down. Reviewed by Jamais Jochim The Real Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II By Andrew Marr Henry Holt, $32.00, 334 pages Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned for over sixty years, remains an enigmatic figure. She has outlived her prime ministers and survived threats to royal traditions, scan-
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Book Reviews
Category Biographies & Memoirs
dals ,and cultural changes. She remains a testament to the power of showing up and consistently doing her job. This book will contain very few revelations. The incredible abdication of her uncle, which eventually foisted the crown on Elizabeth, is said to account for the Queen’s steadfastness.
“Hers has been a life of showing up. But showing up is not to be underestimated. The Queen has a force-field aura that very few politicians mange to project today.” There are hints that her consort, Prince Philip, liked to have a good time out of her company. There is also an incredible story of an attempted abduction of her daughter, Princess Anne, who is a force of nature like her mother. The saga of Prince Charles and Diana is related with seeming fairness to both parties. The author also relies on a book by Marion Crawford, a former nanny to the young Elizabeth for accounts of Elizabeth’s happy childhood. And, of course, well before Camilla, Diana, and Fergie, there was Elizabeth’s younger sister, Margaret, who seemed determined to live a jet-setting life that contrasted mightily with the Queen’s. The Queen loves horses, dogs, and simple company. She is said to have a sense of fun, a quick wit, and a ready laugh. She is also able to censure others without every becoming argumentative or disagreeable. Such is her moral authority. An interesting read. Reviewed by Julia McMichael Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots By Thomas Kidd Basic Books, $28.00, 284 pages Professor Thomas Kidd of Baylor University has given us a vivid portrait of one of America’s foremost defenders of public virtue and limited government. A Virginia-born orator whose skills as a speechmaker made him one of the most important character of the American Revolution,
Henry is seen as an anti-federalist who would secure his own destruction if they ratified the constitution. There are lessons to be learned from this brilliant study by a rising historian of the American Revolution and early American religion. Henry’s role in the revolt against the Stamp Act is quite unknown, but it is shown that he did not want to make politics a full-time career. Henry supported the restriction on slave-trading in Virginia and had some questions about slaveholding in a land of liberty. In 1776, he faced the most important decision of his career: declaring independence for all Americans. Henry and his followers after the war had to face a balance between a stronger national government and the power of the states. Henry felt that the government of Virginia would never return to an established church and was a leader in the general assessment for religion in terms of paying taxes. He failed to defeat the constitution and amendments before ratification. A eulogy at Henry’s death was concerned with Henry’s three themes in his career: Liberty, virtue, and patriotism. Reviewed by Claude Ury
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Book Reviews
Category
Business & Investing
StoryBranding: Creating Stand-Out Brands Through The Power of Story By Jim Signorelli Greenleaf Book Group Press, $24.95, 228 pages Welcome, storytellers! Through telling stories, Jim Signorelli shows us we find out more about who we are and what we believe in. In StoryBranding: Creating Stand-Out Brands through the Power of Story, Signorelli guides readers through developing breakout stories that will help businesses effectively reach out to—and connect with—their
audiences or customers. Signorelli happened upon the concept after sitting through hours of a standard presentation with one of his clients. The ideas he returned to the client resonated and Signorelli then launched his regular use of the tool of storytelling. Incorporating archetypes, goals, and beliefs, Signorelli found that he could reach the clients’ customers through creating an emotional attachment. Signorelli writes that “When we buy a brand, in a sense we join that tribe.” In StoryBranding, Signorelli describes the process of building a backstory and characterization. He explains and builds on one a.m. statements that help define a brand’s unique value to its customers. Signorelli has a straightforward approach to the reader. The text is interspersed with a few fun black and white drawings. Most chapters provide easy-to-understand examples and an occassional chapter review. Need a different approach to creative work, StoryBranding is worth reading. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey Go Mobile: Location-Based Marketing, Apps, Mobile Optimized Ad Campaigns, 2D Codes and Other Mobile Strategies to Grow Your Business By Jeanne Hopkins, Jamie Turner Wiley, $24.95, 234 pages The rise of mobile phones and tablet computers are changing the landscape of technology and how people interact with each other. It is also changing the way people receive advertising messages, and how marketers go about their jobs. Facebook has changed the way people communicate with each other, but it also has changed the ways companies interact with potential customers. In this book the authors explore the world of mobile devices and how they can be used to further the aims of your business. From designing your own app, to buying advertising, to redesigning your website so it can be viewed on mobile phones. All of these ideas are ways for companies, large and small, to reach new customers in this growing digital field. This is a good idea, it is too bad that the writing is not that
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Book Reviews
Category Business & Investing
good. The authors become to jokey at times, the rhetorical questions they ask are generally lame and uninformative. They repeat themselves endlessly, with information that we already know. The chapters are short, thankfully, while the longer ones are almost unreadable. A great idea, poor execution. Reviewed by Kevin Winter Laughing at Wall Street By Chris Camillo St. Martin’s Press, $24.99, 222 pages The author, one of the world’s top amateur investors, shows the readers that one does not need large sums of money or elaborate market data to become a successful investor. An ordinary investor has the skills to identify trends and discover great investments in everyday life. In 2007, for example, the author shows how the $20,000 he invested in the stock market grew to over $2 million in just three years. Reading this brilliant book shows one how to take advantage of the innate and investigative skills one possesses. In this book one learns from the experiences and real world stories of successful amateur investors who come from varied professional backgrounds and age groups. Investing does not interfere with one’s daily life but enriches one’s personal, family, and professional relationships. Some of the examples cited in this book include how daily trips to a 7-Eleven store alerted a teenager to obtain Snapple stock which tripled his money in seven days. Alternatively, one is shown in these pages how Facebook friends enabled a young parent to invest in the children’s show Chuggington, whose stock values rose 50%. Finally the book explains how Michelle Obama, the First Lady, caused J. Crew’s stock to rise 86%, a change that took Wall Street four months to realize. Reviewed by Claude Ury
Your Credit Score: How to Improve the 3-Digit Number That Shapes Your Financial Future (4th Edition) (Liz Pulliam Weston) By Liz Weston FT Press, $19.99, 218 pages In an easily-understood explanation of the myths and truths connected to our credit scores, author Liz Weston, MSN Money’s personal finance columnist, presents a comprehensive guide to help decipher credit scores to find the knowledge that one needs to do so. Does closing credit accounts improve your score? Should you ask credit card companies for lower credit limits? Must you pay interest finance charges to get a good credit rating? This fact-filled book answers these, and many more, questions.
“In recent years, a simple three digit number has become critical to your financial life.” In twelve chapters, followed by a quick-find index, Your Credit Score includes why credit scores matter, how they work, and how to improve them. Ways to cope with a credit crisis, as well as rebuilding one’s score after a credit disaster, offers solutions to a situation that seems unsolvable when one is going through it. When one has the knowledge, one has the power. Liz Weston has written a book that breaks through the feeling of helplessness, giving readers a positive way to learn how credit scoring works, and allowing one to take back the power to manage one’s own finances. Reviewed by Angie Mangino
San Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 59
Book Reviews
Category
Technology
The Information Diet: A Case for Conscious Consumption By Clay A. Johnson O’Reilly Media, $22.99, 150 pages Clay A. Johnson is a smart fellow — he helped transform presidential campaigning while working for Howard Dean in 2004; created Blue State Digital, the firm that handled Barack Obama’s online campaign, and was the director of Sunlight Labs at the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to making government at all levels more transparent
to citizens. He has also won numerous awards for software development and political engagement. He has recently left all that. Why? As he describes in his new book, Johnson no longer feels that the best way to change our political system is through the regular channels. He argues, convincingly, that the problem is not Washington insiders, or back-room deals, but instead how Americans are relating to and consuming information. Johnson’s argument is that just as junk food triggers our brain to be happy at the expense of our health, so do the mainstream media, our e-mail boxes, Facebook and Twitter. His solution? Cut out the editorializing and opinion, get local, and get involved. There isn’t a lot of data to support him yet, but anyone who has noticed his day disappear while sitting in front of a monitor already knows we have a problem. Johnson is the first, of many, I suspect, with an answer to it. Reviewed by Jonathon Howard Too Much Magic: Pulling the Plug on the Cult of Tech By Jason Benlevi Contrarian Books, $18.95, 379 pages Too Much Magic combines the best of two worlds: it is written with both passion and journalistic objectivity, in equal measures. That is a tougher path to navigate than it might seem. When an author’s passion for his subject overwhelms his objectivity, the reader quite rightly treats any conclusions reached with suspicion. Objectivity without passion is just dull. Jason Benlevi gets the balance just right. Benlevi, who has worked in the computer industry as a marketing-communications specialist since personal computing first emerged, clearly knows the nuts and bolts of his subject—the often subversive effects technology has enacted on our lives. This leads to a wide range of sub-topics. You may not immediately know what the relationship is between your ability to share music you’ve bought and paid for and basmati rice, however Benlevi carefully makes
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Book Reviews
Category Technology
the connections (hint: it’s copyright law, patent law, and the U.S. Supreme Court). There are many, many books published every year and equally as many articles published every day about loss of privacy, the withering of civil rights, and the numbing effects of video violence. These are some of the key issues of our time. Having read many of those many books and articles Too Much Magic might just be the best of the lot. Written in a calm, yet urgent, voice Benlevi gives the reader an indispensable primer, an excellent examination on just what all those nifty, shiny little phones and tablets are actually doing behind their screens. This book is well-deserving of a large audience. Sponsored Review 101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius By Brad Graham, Kathy McGowan McGraw-Hill, $25.00, 375 pages Everybody wants to be James Bond. But who has the resources and the know-how to obtain spy cameras, nightvision goggles, GPS trackers, or laser-guided listening devices of their very own? 101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius, the latest in the Evil Genius series, provides some pretty handy advice and instructions for making nifty spy gadgets on the cheap. A thorough primer on working with electronics gets you started, and some choice pointers for proper scrounging help round out your introduction. (Though this is hardly amateur hour stuff; Graham and McGowan state over and over again how practice and patience are the two key tools in your Evil Genius arsenal.) While the title of the book engages in a bit of playful false advertising—a mere 26 projects are featured—the specific techniques displayed offer the perfect preliminary guidebook to embarking on numerous projects of your own. You’ll get much more out of the book if you have the ma-
terials handy, as the black-and-white photos accompanying each step leave something to be desired. But if you’ve got the drive and the dedication, 101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius will serve you well. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
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Burning Man, the xeric bacchanal held annually in Nevada, turned 25 last year. Improbably surviving its early years, the counter-cultural art festival and social experiment overcame the legal and logistical challenges of its tumultuous teens and has finally matured into relative tranquility. But, like any modern twenty-something might ask in an introspective moment – I’ve arrived, but so what? Steven Jones tackles this question is his book, The Tribes of Burning Man. Jones doesn’t hide his belief – and hope – that the
event is changing the American counterculture. Don’t worry if you’ve never been; Jones gives a thorough description of daily life on the playa. The meat of the book, however, is a year-by-year look at the event from 2004 through 2010. He chronicles the familiar (La Contessa, Paul Addis, Borg2, and of course the obligatory quotes from Larry Harvey), but comes into his own relating lesser-known stories, such as the role of a large-scale sound camps, or the stresses of conceiving and executing big art projects. See TRIBES, cont’d on page 7
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San Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 61
Book Reviews
Category
Cooking, Food & Wine
Girl Hunter: Revolutionizing the Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time By Georgia Pellegrini Da Capo Lifelong, $24.00, 248 pages Even if you hate guns and detest hunting, you will love Girl Hunter. This is not a cookbook but a story narrated by a young, highly trained chef who accidentally got into hunting and fell in love with this activity so unusual for a chef. She travels all over the United States for hunting trips and even ventures to England on one of her trips. The stories are absolutely fascinating, the writing is excellent and the pages practically turn themselves. After each chapter Pellegrini included a series of rather sophisticated recipes related to whatever she bagged in the hunt of that chapter. The recipes are not hard to reproduce, though each one is likely to keep you in the kitchen for a while. Ingredients are mostly available at well-stocked markets and instructions are clear. Following most recipes, alternative wild game is offered (for instance, if you don’t have wild hog, javelina or antlered game may be substituted). There is even a chapter with hints about how to deal with all sorts of wild meat. If you are not a hunter and have no access to wild game meat, these recipes are not for you , but the book is still a pleasure to read. Reviewed by George Erdosh Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Bridal: A Special Edition of the Red Plaid Cook Book By Better Homes & Gardens Wiley, $29.99, 632 pages Few are the homes that have not been graced with this classic stand-by cookbook! The new brides and grooms of 2012 will be thrilled to receive this bridal edition, packed with not only favorite recipes, but also new-home tips and cooking-together advice. Beginning with a few pages of useful wisdom, the book offers tips on technique, kitchen stocking, and entertaining. A bride may even wish to refer to the kitchen utensil guide while planning her gift registry. The book has a thorough
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Book Reviews
Category Cooking, Food & Wine
table of contents covering everything from appetizers to desserts, casseroles to candies, and is filled with beautiful photographs and process photos, diagrams of cuts of meat and grids covering the selection and cooking times for vegetables. There is even a section on canning and freezing for the up-and-coming home preserver. A comprehensive index ensures that any cook scrambling to find their new spouse’s favorite recipe can flip straight to it in a hurry. A short section on “Cook Once Eat Twice” enables the couple to frugally turn leftovers into a splendid second dinner. This beautiful book belongs in the hands of every new couple - no cold cereal for dinner allowed! Reviewed by Andrea Huehnerhoff The Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Kitchen By Denise Jardine Ten Speed Press, $19.99, 208 pages Finally, someone gets it. Can the very things that taste so delicious be causing an internal war that is at once silent and destructible? Unfortunately, yes, but there is hope and it comes in the recipe of four equal parts of education, practice, perseverance and adaptation. Jardine has cultivated a repertoire of nutrition and culinary training, and she required a dairyfree, gluten-free diet herself. With more than 150 delectable choices to choose from you will never again utter, “what is there for me to eat??!” Did you think French toast, pizza, chowder, and sauces were a thing of the past? Well, fret not, Jardine has created recipes for every palate and desire. Think of fettuccini and Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake as your newest (and faintly familiar) friends. With an exceptionally well-written introduction, Jardine offers invaluable tips and wisdom for reading labels and deciphering what is safe to consume, as well as a lengthy resource page in the back that will have you thanking her for your newfound relationship with food. The only nay part here is the lack of photography – after all those mouth-watering recipes I was aching to see the goods. Nonetheless, it’s a keeper. Reviewed by Sky Sanchez-Fischer
Light & Healthy 2012: The Year’s Best Recipes Lightened Up By By the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen America’s Test Kitchen, $35.00, 306 pages The scientific geniuses at America’s Test Kitchen have once again blown the socks off the cooking community with their collective creativity and persistence. Dedicated epicures who want to keep their waistlines from expanding exponentially will be delighted and relieved to get their hands on the 2012 edition of the test kitchen’s Light & Healthy recipe collection. The test kitchen has a simple policy for including their lightened versions of famously familiar foods--if it’s a dish that can’t be lightened up and still taste like absolute perfection, they drop it and don’t include it. There are no half-baked efforts in this compendium. The proud owner of this delicious book will find a wide variety of recipes, divided by sections ranging from appetizers and snacks to pizza and pasta, perfect vegetables to the slow-cooker. Recipes include a Rhode Island Red Clam Chowder or Turkey and Wild Rice Soup; many recipes include variations on a theme, such as a glazed salmon with four very different options. For the icing on the lightened-up cake, the book ends with a dessert section of satisfying, succulent treats that will leave the consumer content and happy with minimal extra padding around the middle. Reviewed by Andrea Huehnerhoff Choclatique: 150 Simply Elegant Desserts By Ed Engoron, Mary Goodbody Running Press, $27.00, 272 pages Chocolatique is an unconventional dessert cookbook featuring nothing but chocolate. The recipes are good with an enormous variety, many beautifully illustrated with full-page photos, yet most home bakers would not find them useful. Engoron uses one of
San Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 63
“
As a child, there were often times that the three of us siblings would come home from school to find pasta noodles piled on top of sheets draped across our couches and our beds. Mom had been making homemade pasta for chicken noodle soup again. Occasionally we’d be tasked with gently turning the pasta over, so the underside would dry. I grew up cranking the handle of the pasta machine that my father’s mother, Adeline, had given to my parents in the 70s. My grandmother gave this pasta machine, made in Italy, to my parents in the 1970s My grandmother, an immigrant from Germany, used to actually handcut her noodles. I’ve been told that you couldn’t tell the difference between her thin, hand-cut noodles from what she’s eventually get from her machine. I asked my father for the machine, that I was certain he still had, about 2 years ago. It’s a bit daunting to know that you have such a reputation to uphold from generations of Komlofske noodle makers. So the machine sat in my closet ever since. In November, we purchased a 1940 bungalow that is so rich in history that you can feel it in every corner of the
The Komlofske Family — grandma bottom center — my father bottom right.
house — from its built-in ironing board that still has the original 1940 fabric on the small cuff board to the black and white original tiling in the bathroom. Ever since we bought the house, I’ve immersed myself in getting back to my roots. The roots from two generations ago. Today, I decided it was time to dust off the pasta machine and give it a whirl. Should be like riding a bike, huh? I quickly looked over the instructions inside the box — making careful note not to ever wash the machine. I told my 12-year-old daughter that I was going to teach her how to make pasta from scratch today. Seeing the machine on the counter, she said “YES! We’re finally going to use the machine!” Now to find a recipe. Being that we review hundreds of
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Viewpoints Article
It was more than just making pasta.
cookbooks throughout the year, we tend to collect ones that look good. Our kitchen bookshelves overflow with cookbooks. I selected a ravioli recipe from Poor Girl Gourmet by Amy McCoy. I hauled out my 1970s-era Kitchen Aid mixer that I inherited from my mother and attached the dough hook. I don’t even know the last time I used the dough hook on that thing. After getting everything mixed together, it was time for my 10-minute workout as I kneaded the dough. Every time I thought “Oh, this is enough,” I’d go back to the recipe and read that Amy says “You’ll be disappointed if you knead the dough less than 10 minutes.” Now, I get a little break. Time to do the dishes, as our little bungalow has no dishwasher. After the dough rested for 30 minutes, I divided the dough into four equal sections. Being that our counters don’t have enough of a lip on them to attach the pasta machine, we opted to make good use of the built-in ironing board. It worked perfectly! Twice through setting 1 Twice through settings 2, 3 and 4 For setting 5, we needed help. It was at this point that I had no idea how my mother did this all by herself. It was taking three of us to get the dough through. Like my past generations of pasta-makers, I draped the sheets of dough across my bed. After making the filling, I was ready to cut the strips of dough into squares. Not having
a ravioli cutter meant that my squares were more like rectangles. I was in uncharted territory now. I’d only made soup noodles up until today. Dabbing a little bit of the filling in the center, I then wetted each edge and sealed it with a top layer of dough. And I did this about 500 more times. My daughter abandoned me after the fun of cranking the machine handle was over. While the ravioli boiled, I made way on the cream sauce, which had fresh thyme and crumbled bacon. I served it to my family — my feet killing me from standing and cooking ALL DAY — and waited eagerly for the first comment. “It needs something,” was what my boyfriend said. Oh no. All of this for short of “Wow, this is the best meal I’ve ever had!” You’ve got to be kidding me! I took my first bite and realized he was right. The sauce needed something. But, even though the recipe wasn’t as stellar as I’d imagined it would be, I came away from my pasta-making adventure with a newfound respect for my ancestors, who used to have to hand-make everything. My grandmother had seven children and worked on their farm, yet made every meal from scratch — killed the chickens and plucked their feathers. All three of us bonded over dough today. It was a family project on a lovely Sunday. It didn’t really matter that the recipe wasn’t the best (well, it mattered a little to me). What mattered were the stories I told my daughter throughout the day about her grandmother and great-grandmother. Heidi Komlofske is President & CEO of 1776 Productions. She does the layout for San Francisco & Sacramento Book Reviews and allthings graphics in nature for the websites. You can reach her at heidi.komlofske@1776productions.com.
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Book Reviews
Category Cooking, Food & Wine
the five of his ganaches as basic building blocks in nearly all dessert creations. In many he uses two or three plus additional chocolate or other sauces. You need to have those ganaches ready in your refrigerator for even such simple items as hot chocolate (two ganaches) and brownies. Unless you bake chocolaty desserts several times a week, this is a very inconvenient method for the home baker. A 14-page introduction provides all you need to know about chocolate and how to work it. Many personal stories are scattered throughout as well as several types of sidebars, which tend to be overwhelming. Each recipe gives preparation, baking and cooling times and equipment needed. It also rates its level by stars, with no easily found explanation of what they mean. The many QR codes for smartphones with no explanation have little meaning. Vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free recipes have icon designations. The index is not user friendly, and is poorly cross referenced. Reviewed by George Erdosh Cake Pops DIY Kit By Bakerella, Angie Dudley Chronicle Books, $19.95, 80 pages Baking should be fun for everyone. The Cake Pops DIY Kit comes with an 80-page booklet detailing a number of different projects. There’s a stand for a dozen cake pops, as well as enough sticks, bags, ribbons, and gift tags for forty-eight cake pops. For an afternoon project, there is plenty of fun. The only thing missing is the flour for baking the cake pops. But that is a minor problem. The major strike against the boxed kit is that the projects presented on the box itself require additional ingredients not found in the box itself; the only materials are the sticks, bag, and stand. However, the book makes it seem rather easy, and provides a number of tips on how to make the cake pops. The instructions are simple enough for children to follow, and the materials given make baking
and presenting them fun. This would make for a fun afternoon of baking and decorating, such as a spare afternoon with the kids or a topper for a day with some close friends, especially given that creations can be eaten afterward. Reviewed by Jamais Jochim The French Slow Cooker By Michele Scicolone Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $22.00, 232 pages If you are a fan of slow cookers, The French Slow Cooker is an excellent book for your kitchen bookshelf. You will find a large variety of recipes from soups to desserts, mostly inspired by French home cooking. The recipes are generally simple using a slow cooker, perfect for those with little time or interest in the kitchen. Many you can assemble with minimal work. Yet the main criticism of slow cooker still applies: dishes tend to be a bit mushy and flavors not distinctive from one dish to another. In this trade paperback, Scilione introduces you to slow cooking over 16 pages, everything you need to know about equipment, ingredients and safety. The layout of recipes is excellent, carefully placed on a single page for most. They are well written, a snap to follow. Beautiful full-page illustrations help you visualize the final product. The author’s brief head notes are interesting and informative. A list of recipes precedes each chapter, which is nice help. Some recipes are labeled “Out Of the Pot: salads and sandwiches to accompany the main dish.” The last chapter gives you the basics (tomato sauce, croutons, aioli, etc). Reviewed by George Erdosh Eat Your Way to Sexy: Reignite Your Passion, Look Ten Years Younger and Feel Happier Than Ever By Elizabeth Somer Harlequin, $16.95, 256 pages It’s a simple concept: once you eat healthy, exercise, and sharpen your mind, you’ll feel better about yourself. Maybe
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Book Reviews
Category Cooking, Food & Wine
you’ll even feel sexy. Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., shares here six sexy strategies to better health in Eat Your Way to Sexy: Reignite Your Passion, Look Ten Years Younger and Feel Happier Than Ever. By following the six tenets of Somer’s Sensual Extraordinary You Diet program - have an antioxidant orgy, feed your #1 sex organ (brain), give yourself some space, get wet and wild twice a week, remember that size matters, and take the pill - she asserts that not only will you feel an increase in energy, but you’ll also lose weight. Duh. After reading Somer’s health guide, I realized I hadn’t learned anything new. I can find the same basic information in a health and fitness magazine or the plethora of other motivational diet books on my bookshelf. After asking and answering ten questions via part one, the second half devotes space to meal planning, grocery shopping and a handful of recipes. Conversely, I do like Somer’s use of playful, lusty words. It’s enjoyable to read, but the connection between a healthy diet and strong sex life is plain old common sense. And I don’t need a self-help book to teach me that! Reviewed by LuAnn Schindler New American Vegan By Vincent J. Guihan PM Press, $17.95, 240 pages Vegan cookery remains a new frontier for many home chefs; many new vegans are not sure where to start, while experienced vegans may still have a hard time building an appealing meal that is also both nutritionally balanced and tasty. Fortunately, an ever-growing library of vegan cookbooks help to bridge that knowledge gap, and New American Vegan is a worthy addition. Vincent Guihan has assembled quite a collection of recipes here, ranging from vegan standbys such as Tomato Herb Sauce and Simple Vinaigrette Salad Dressing to more unique offerings like Tofu and Kale Hot Pocket and Tangy
Pumpkin, Tomato, and Jalapeño Soup. There is an entire chapter devoted to sauces alone, which can be mixed and matched with different pastas, salads, and entrees, such as Tofu Cutlets and Light Seitan Cutlets, for endless mealtime possibilities. The recipes are extremely detailed, almost to the point of being tiresome for anyone used to cooking at home. Also included are tips on cooking techniques, which could be invaluable for new cooks, as well as listings of recommended kitchen equipment and pantry necessities, both of which seem to be staples in most vegan cookbooks. The main thing these recipes lack is an estimated yield; not knowing approximately how many people each recipe will feed makes meal planning difficult. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
Looking for some down-home cookin’? Download the Unofficial Guide to Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
San Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 67
Book Reviews
Category
Crafts & Hobbies
Humble Homes, Simple Shacks, Cozy Cottages, Ramshackle Retreats, Funky Forts: And Whatever the Heck Else We Could Squeeze in Here By Derek Diedricksen Lyons Press, $16.95, 104 pages Humble Homes is one of those books that one must view strictly in the hypothetical whacky sense that these are the results of either a very bored or maybe “stoned” young mind, or an undiscovered inventor/genius at work. Author Derek “Deek” Diedricksen has doodled a collection of outlandish, captivatingly interesting structures in this book.
His little sketches are a continuation of his “Tiny Yellow House” video series and I’ll have to admit I’m out of the loop on the videos, but apparently they’ve got a cult following. Resourceful people took scrap lumber, junk pile remnants, and other used items destined for the landfill, and found creative ways to make unique one-of-a-kind structures, furniture, and gadgets. There is a disclaimer in the front of the book that advises would-be carpenters and weekend warriors that the majority of the contraptions and abodes are simply “stylistic recommendations” and to use common sense if attempting to actually create any of the schematics shown. There aren’t specific dimensions or measurements, or even a complete listing of required materials to build the structures. But the doodles, as I see them, are fun to look at, and who knows? Some of them look do-able. If nothing else, this book is an invitation to play, to dream, to doodle, and one is limited only by their imagination. Fun! Reviewed by Laura Friedkin Craft, Inc. Revised Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Turning Your Creative Hobby into a Successful Business By Meg Mateo Ilasco Chronicle Books, $16.95, 192 pages What creative person hasn’t thought how neat it would be to be able to sell the things they make, but they don’t pursue the thought past the daydream stage because they don’t know the first thing about running a business? Author Meg Mateo Ilasco provides all the tools and knowhow to give life to those creative daydreams in her book Craft, Inc. – The Ultimate Guide to Turning Your Creative Hobby into A Successful Business. Along with helpful information to get started making your dream a reality, the book also features self-made artists who have taken their hobbies and turned them into viable thriving businesses. They answer such frequently asked questions as “how did you get started?” and “how do you produce your goods in quantity?”
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Book Reviews
Category Crafts & Hobbies
Given the difficulty of these times, many of us create things that are totally “fringe” items – nice things to have, but not necessarily necessities. If you’re an artist, a weekend hobbyist, someone who has enjoyed creating unique treasures and have had friends and family encourage you to try to make a go of selling your goods, Craft, Inc. may be the nudge you’ve been waiting for. Make it happen! Reviewed by Laura Friedkin Aran Knits: 23 Contemporary Designs Using Classic Cable Patterns By Martin Storey St. Martin’s Griffin, $24.99, 136 pages One of the best things about knitting is that there are literally endless possibilities. Different yarns, new patterns, and constantly evolving techniques mean that knitters of every stripe can always find a new project, whether to hone their skills or challenge their abilities. In that spirit comes Aran Knits, a beautifully-photographed book featuring new patterns that utilize different types of cable stitches. The patterns, which encompass primarily scarves and hats and sweaters for both women and men, are clearly written, and the photographs illustrate them from all angles. It is assumed that readers already have a working knowledge of cable knitting. Experienced knitters will appreciate how the book jumps right into the patterns, with no lengthy introduction and no space wasted on techniques (although there is a small section of tips at the end). The patterns are gorgeous, and the gorgeous photographs make it possible to really imagine just how soft and comfortable the resulting garments would be to cuddle up in. The only thing knitters could wish for in this book is more patterns. With designs this gorgeous, twenty-three patterns simply aren’t enough! Reviewed by Holly Scudero
Made to Play! By Joel Henriques Trumpeter, $18.95, 207 pages Joel Henriques, an artist from a young age, has coupled his degree in fine art and philosophy with his experience fathering twins to create Made to Play! Handmade Toys & Crafts for Growing Imaginations. Henriques has incorporated the experiences of his children’s imaginations at play into the amazing projects throughout this book. Although the projects may look simplistic to today’s high-tech kids, their reaction when creating and playing with these simple objects may just surprise them (and you!) and create lasting memories more precious than any video games will ever do. Making something as simple as a fabric tool belt, with loops and pockets, can provide kids with hours of limitless possibilities for treasure hunting in the great outdoors. Making these projects together should be a family tradition to pass down from generation to generation. They are also great ideas for caregivers and nannies, or anyone with the opportunity to entertain the youngest of the next generation.
“I started to appreciate how something like a small piece of Velcro on a teething bib would give their six-month-old minds and bodies something to explore for long periods of time.” Pick up your copy of Made to Play! Handmade Toys & Crafts for Growing Imaginationsand let your imaginations run wild! It would make a great gift for parents with little ones or for the little ones themselves. Reviewed by Linda Welz
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Book Reviews
Category
Current Events & Politics
Now or Never: Saving America from Economic Collapse By Jim DeMint Center Street, $24.99, 271 pages Politics in Washington seems to be at an endless standstill with both Democrats and Republicans holding their ground, and not giving in an inch. Many politicians write books these days, and almost every Republican Presidential candidate has written one as well. It is no surprise that Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina has written a book on what ails the country and the way to fix our problems. Senator DeMint is considered a Tea Party Republican, a believer in a smaller Federal government, and more power devolved to the states. This book is mainly for people who already believe in his view as he does little to get people to agree with him.
There are several problems with this book: First, several major grammatical errors. Second, he repeats himself nonstop in every chapter. Rarely does he deviate from his standard script. Third, he can do no wrong and that only people who totally agree with him should be elected. Fourth, he ignores that there needs to be compromises to get the job done. Fifth, while he might be a popular Senator, his writing is not that good. The writing style is a mess, and he is all over the place. Reviewed by Kevin Winter Liberation Square By Ashraf Khalil St. Martin’s Press, $26.99, 324 pages The Arab Spring has had some dramatic and dynamic moments. From the overthrow of long-time dictators, to the rise of democracy in the Middle East. 2011 was a time for revolution and change. One year later, the first books about these events are starting to be published, which catalogs these groundbreaking events in detail. One of the early ones is Liberation Square, which covers Egypt and the overthrow of Mubarak. The author is a reporter who lives in Egypt and writes for many publications. He was at Ground Zero, covering the events as they happened. The book is split into three parts. The first part is a quick history of Mubarak Egypt. The second part covers the run up to the revolution and the actual revolution. The third part covers what has happened since the overthrow of Mubarak. This is the work of a journalist. He includes many clips from interviews he has held, and YouTube videos that he has watched. The writing style is in a journalistic style, which will appeal to many people. His on-the-ground-reporting and eyewitness accounts give a glimpse to what was happening at particular moments. A book for the general reader. Reviewed by Kevin Winter
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macy. Also, there were positive traits Roosevelt brought to politics for controlling corporations, a commitment to conservation, and advocacy of progressive regulation. Readers desiring further works on Theodore Roosevelt might be wise to consult two recent biographies of Roosevelt Dalton’s Theodore Roosevelt A Strenous Life (New York 2002) and Edmund Morris’s Colonel Roosevelt (New York 2010). Reviewed by Claude Ury
History Theodore Roosevelt By Lewis L. Gould Oxford University Press, $12.95, 88 pages By 1902, it became evident from this distinguished biography that Roosevelt would receive the party’s nomination. He won 336 of the electoral votes by carrying 33 of the 45 states. Of note to this reviewer is the fact that in 1907, Roosevelt and Japan negotiated a “Gentleman’s agreement.” Alternatively, Roosevelt, with the help of Booker T. Washington, sought the support of black delegates to the 1904 national convention. Roosevelt, in his last weeks in office, broadened National Affairs and discussed government regulation of the economy. He advocated increased income and inheritance taxes on the wealthy, laws to regulate child labor and women’s compensation. In 1902, while speaking to the progressive party convention, wanted a living wage for all industrial workers, minimum wage for women, a national health department and insurance for the elderly. In closing, this significant biography can be surmised that Roosevelt’s life might be divided into three areas: his rise to the White House, the two terms in the White House, which were lively, and achievements in world diplo-
Knights of the Sea: The True Story of the Boxer and the Enterprise and the War of 1812 By David Hanna NAL Caliber, $25.95, 288 pages It’s finally the bicentennial of the War of 1812. As a history buff, I couldn’t be any more excited. A great way to celebrate this event is by reading this new book, which focuses on one of the greatest navel battles this side of the Atlantic. Samuel Blyth, commander of the Boxer, facing off against William Burows, commander of the USS Enterprise, are the real stars of this book. This sea battle was seen by people on land in this time and forever changed the United States’ position in the world. David Hanna has thoughtfully combed through mounds of research to bring to light a battle that many have long forgotten, but its impact will last forever. The War of 1812 is not the most well known war, but Hanna has masterfully made that a focal point in his book. He is able to make the war be part of a struggle between two men, and those men represent the views of their country perfectly. Samuel Blyth is the idyllic foil for young up-and-coming star William Burows. The similarity between commander and their countries makes this book feel more like a novel and less like a history text. Great characters, great research, and a great premise, make this a must-have for anyone who wants to know more about American history. Reviewed by Kevin Brown
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HumorNonFiction
Care To Make Love In That Gross Little Space Between Cars?: A Believer Book of Advice By Louis C.K., Amy Sedaris, Zach Galifinakis, Nick Hornby, Weird Al, and many more Vintage, $14.95, 256 pages Advice columns aren’t exactly hard to come by. Advice columns managed by celebrities are a little tougher. But advice columns managed by comedians who may or may not have the slightest idea what they’re talking about? /Now/ we’re getting somewhere. How about advice from a surlier-than-average Louis C.K., an enthusiastically verbose George Saunders, or a delightfully befuddled Fred Willard? Care To Make Love In That Gross Little Space Between Cars? is a collection of some of the best responses from The Believer magazine’s advice column. Guest-managed by
some of the sharpest stand-up comics and writers working today (and a few that have a reputation for being funny that eludes me entirely), it is jam-packed with silliness, sarcasm, and wit. Naturally, your enjoyment of this book will vary depending on the comedian handling each particular chapter. (For me, any chance to see Simon Rich and Liam Lynch in print is a definite treat.) But the overall effect is a lot of chuckling and some well-deserved laugh-out-loud moments. In short, it’s a perfect flip-through book for the comedians you know and love, and a solid introduction for those you don’t. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Stuck Up!: 100 Objects Inserted and Ingested in Places They Shouldn’t Be By Rich Dreben, Murdock Knight, Marty Sindhian St. Martin’s Griffin, $12.99, 210 pages A joke on Seinfeld. A bit from the first Jackass film. Countless rumors and Internet horror stories. The idea of items ending up lodged in body cavities where they don’t belong has been with us for a while now, but as far as I know, Stuck Up! is the first book wholly dedicated to the subject. (Complete with informative and mortifying x-rays highlighting said items!) The vast majority of the objects arrived through one particular gateway, but there are a few cases of objects swallowed or, horrifyingly enough, left in the body during surgery. It’s a curious glimpse into a strange corner of the medical profession. The accompanying humor, while totally understandable given the subject matter, often falls flat -- though a few entries elicited some guilty pleasure chuckles and snorts -- but the tidbits of medical information and first-hand experience included are thoroughly engaging. The real selling points are the x-rays, offering a ballpark figure of both location and depth of the items, although in a few cases, the object is more difficult to spot, like an invasive Where’s Waldo? game. And the imagery will definitely stay with you. (Just thinking about the fork gives me unpleasant shivers.) Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
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Reference
Math & YOU: The Power and Use of Mathematics By Ron Larson Larson Texts, $50.95, 576 pages Remember in elementary school when math ‘books’ were colorful, relevant, and (mostly) fun to work in? Professor of Mathematics Ron Larson allows both young folks and grown-ups to go back a bit—before the algebra manuals and pages of figures dedicated to one trig problem—to once again explore the daily uses of basic math. The ‘elementary’ feel of the book is not a mistake, nor apologized for. Larson designed his “textbook” well, with modern images and nods to social networking, but above all, shone his focus on real-life application for the exercises, from figuring out how much tile to order for your bathroom remodel, to taking control of one’s grocery spending in a DIY fashion... no fancy budget software needed. Each chapter summary has a “How Does It Apply To You” section to help one analyze
their own taxes, understand how muscle strength is effected by exercise, and even calculate the probability of your unborn child’s eyes being green. The exercises are varied and worded in an intriguing manner, clearly designed to pull the reader in to actually remember the examples presented. If nothing else, this book proved ideal for renewing a student’s interest (regardless of age) in exploring the many faces of applicable mathematics. Find more information about the book at math.andyou. com. Sponsored Review It’s Not About the Funeral: What You Need to Know Before You Go By Chris R. Bentley Strategic Book Publishing, $23.25, 160 pages Chris R. Bentley’s exposé on the funeral and cemetery business; It’s Not About the Funeral gives one an insider’s account of the death industry from a former funeral home owner, funeral director, and that dreaded of all professions, the pre-need salesman. His book is quite thorough yet concise, a mere 158 pages, covering topics from pre-need to at-need arrangements, to the actual funeral service itself. There is a look at merchandise one needs to consider such as caskets, the monument or tombstone, the grave liners. Can one really use a rental casket? This question is answered and more. (Hint: Only in application to a cremation. See the end of Chapter III.) Alternative methods of burial are discussed such as at sea or for the flower child, one that is totally green. No stone is left unturned. He does not write in the style of, say, Elisabeth KüblerRoss, who is much more sensitive in tone. But then he makes no pretences to such accolades. Having worked in the funeral/cemetery industry, and having studied thanatology, I understand the author’s concerns, yet his style is a little lacking. His incessant references to the “hammering”
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one will encounter from the sharks that the big box corporations hire as salespeople will no doubt leave one reluctant to even enter those doors, especially if they don’t have to. But the point is well taken. After all, this book presents one with a ‘behind the scenes’ look and all the harsh realities that accompany it. The stand-out chapters actually walk a family through the process, answering such questions as the need to embalm, “don’t embalm for the wrong reasons, namely because your salesperson wants you to.” This take-you-by-the-hand approach is comforting knowing what to expect whether it’s for the funeral service and burial, or the pre-arrangements. Take this knowledge and use it to your advantage and you’ll gain the most out of this book. Sponsored Review 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True By Guy P. Harrison, Dr. Phil Plait, Foreword Prometheus Books, $18.00, 458 pages Journalist Guy Harrison, along with James Randi, is recognized as an outspoken skeptic, vociferously debunking fallacious beliefs with scientific evidence. In fifty absorbing chapters, topics from astrology, magical thinking, flying saucers. quack medicine, religious issues, bizarre creatures, ghosts, weird places are inspected, analyzed, and clearly exposed. While showing how and why superstition prevail, the pseudoscience is elegantly disproved. Each chapter is prefaced by familiar quotes such as one in the section on
scientists by Richard Feynman who says “I’m smart enough to know that I’m dumb.” In the section on races, the author challenges the concept of this categorization which may astound some readers. As for aliens visiting earth, this science fiction is shown to be nothing more than that. When miracles occur, the simplest explanation is that one doesn’t have an explanation, yet 76 percent of Americans believe in this magical solution to explain the unknown. Reasonably logical and in an engrossing writing style, the author enhances the reader’s understanding while at the same time painlessly exposing misperceptions and invalid beliefs. Each chapter allows the reader to delve deeper into the topic with suggestions for further readings. Reviewed by Aron Row
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Religion
Night of the Confessor: Christian Faith in an Age of Uncertainty By Tomas Halik Image Books, $13.00, 223 pages Tomáš Halík has heard several thousand confessions in his lifetime. Under the shadow of the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, he was clandestinely ordained a Catholic priest in 1978. He deems it important to explain his latest book is penned from the perspective of a confessor, but is neither about confessors nor confessing. Night of the Confessor: Christian Faith in an Age of Uncertainty is rather a layered reflection on the paradoxical nature of faith which when lived out becomes “key to understanding the spiritual situation and challenges of our times.”
Written in the context of a quiet forest hermitage in the Rhineland, these several essays (with the exception of one text delivered to a joint prayer gathering of representatives from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) are likewise best read with as few distractions as possible. They are not easily grasped in one reading and are worth pondering again... and again. Halík’s book will certainly appeal to a Catholic audience, but it would be a shame if it stops there. Let’s hope in the future more of this award-winning author’s literature becomes available in English translations. Reviewed by Diana Irvine The Buddha Walks into a Bar: A Guide to Life for a New Generation By Lodro Rinzler Shambhala, $14.95, 208 pages Buddhism tends to be a mystery to most Americans. Stereotypical images of bald monks wearing bright robs, sitting in a row and humming weird noises, float in our heads. To help widen this image, Lodro Rinzler has compacted his knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism into a handy book. Rinzler jumps from topics like the importance of meditation and how to use it in everyday life. The book also incorporates modern issues, like drinking, sex, and cellphones, into a healthy lifestyle. The book also delivers the full experience and history behind Tibetan Buddhism, making sure to point out the whys behind exercises that Rinzler offers. The whole experience of the book is like chatting with an old college roommate or close next door neighbor. Rinzler’s narrative comes off friendly, and he seems to sincerely want to help people that want help. I found this book to be very inspirational, not preachy or stuffy. Often chapters are isolated into meaningful situations. It is easy to flip around to find a section of help you are looking for at that moment. I was really interesting reading part two of the book, simply titled “How To Save The World.” I think that both followers of Tibetan Buddhism and those wanting to learn more about it will find this book enjoyable. Reviewed by Kevin Brown
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Philosophy
Adequate Wisdom: Essays on the Nature of Existence By Ronald P. Smolin BainBridgeBooks, $27.95, 366 pages Adequate Wisdom: Essays on the Nature of Existence is an exhaustive collection of philosophical viewpoints presented for a layman. Smolin presents the general reader with an overview of essays that discuss existence, our cosmos, and the many different viewpoints held by people. The simplistic wording by Smolin makes these essays easy to comprehend and gives the general reader a framework to build a better understanding of “the nature of existence.”
The essays are short but concise. Covering a wide range of diverse subject matter, the essays can be read alone or as a whole. There is a great deal of information covered by Smolin, and he does an exceptional job organizing, arranging, and presenting the vast research that is clearly evident as you read through this book. Smolin goes into great depth exploring the nature of forms and processes, which provides the background necessary to discuss the myriad of subject matter contained in this book. The book is comprised of eight parts: Essentials, Questions and Ideas, Physical Existence, Biological & Human Existence, Trends & Other Matters, God & Religion, Humanity and Final Thoughts. “We can begin to piece together the varied components of existence, creating a clearer understanding of how the world works and then proposing guidelines to help us make wise decisions and lead meaningful lives.” Smolin additionally includes some ideas based upon new research, for which further scrutiny and examination is warranted. “The obvious motif of this work is to embrace all components of the world and to suggest that everything is contingent upon everything else, while paradoxically allowing forms and processes to express themselves individually.” Most of the discussions cover scientific information and philosophical ideas, whereas, some of the discussions get a little more personal speaking about sexuality, selfcontrol, religion, and state. While I may not agree with all of the contentions of the author, Smolin presents his work in a well-organized and classy form that leaves the reader open to explore his ideas. Smolin’s essays cover diverse fields of life, philosophy, cosmology, sociology and psychology. “A key idea of adequate wisdom is the apparent duality between synergy and individualism, whereby virtually every form has its own function and structure while at the same time becoming part of another, greater structure.” It is well written and easy to understand. A worthwhile read for those have interest in this subject matter. Sponsored Review
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Science & Nature
The Quantum Universe: (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does) By Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw Da Capo Press, $25.00, 256 pages Both Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw share a rare skill of taking on a complex topic and making it comprehensible. Brian Cox has risen to popularity in recent years by appearing as host in a number of TV documentaries on the Science
Channel in the U.S. His crisp, but simple, tone finds its way into his book, The Quantum Universe. Jeff Forshaw is no slouch either. He is professor of theoretical physics at the University of Manchester, England, and a recipient of the Institute of Physics Maxwell Medal. The book is a masterpiece of modern scientific thought, well worth the reader’s time and attention. Both authors recognize the weirdness of atomic behavior and endeavor to elucidate why it remains as important today as it did over a hundred years ago. The book is an easy read, despite its intense scientific underpinnings. Yet, it offers the informed reader amazing insight and tender appreciation of our cosmos. The authors took the time and patience to carry out what they intended to show and did it with insight, style, and intelligence. It also serves as an inspiration to visionary thinkers, making the nature of science totally accessible. Reviewed by D. Wayne Dworsky The Chemical History of a Candle By Michael Faraday, Frank A. J. L. James Oxford University Press, $24.95, 192 pages Michael Faraday, renowned for his research in electromagnetism leading to the development of the electric motor, was an autodidact without formal schooling who rose above his peasant background to become one of the foremost scientists of his day. Love of science pressed him to share his fascination with the public. To this end, he instituted the Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures, which were intended to communicate elements of science and to kindle curiosity while instilling a wonder of nature. This elegant series of lectures describing the chemical nature of a candle burning delighted the Victorian audience and the talks still serve as a model for translating science to the general public.
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Book Reviews
Category Science & Nature
“There is no better, there is no more open door by which you can enter into the study of natural philosophy, than by considering the physical phenomena of a candle. I trust, therefore, I shall not disappoint you in choosing this for my subject rather than any newer topic, which could not be better, were it even so good.” Covering the nature of the flame and delving into its chemical and physical properties, Faraday included demonstrations as illustrations for the explanations, as he considered visual presentations as essential as the spoken word. With its inclusion of the definitive science lectures, the diagrams of the demonstrations that accompanied the talks, and the facsimile pages from the original lecture notebook, this publication preserves a science classic. This little gem of a book provides evidence for Faraday’s reputation as the outstanding scientific lecturer of his time. This record will probably be regarded as a relic in this techno-age... but to those who appreciate and understand science, it will be treated as an historic treasure. Reviewed by Aron Row The Life of Super-Earths By Dimitar Sasselov Basic Books, $25.99, 240 pages Science has always been a quest for explanation, looking both outward at the universe around us and inward at the miracle of life and comprehension contained within ourselves. Scientist Dimitar Sasselov applies these same principles within the pages of The Life of Super-Earths with the fields of synthetic biology and exoplanetary astronomy, disciplines seemingly gazing in opposite directions. His goal is an engagingly ambitious one. Sasselov seeks to link two of the most prominent fields in modern science with a simple concept -- finding and understanding those like us. We hunt for other intelligent life when we hunt for extrasolar Earth-like planets, and as we study the
emergence of natural and synthetic life in the laboratory, we refine the parameters of our search. Admittedly, the book never totally gels by uniting the two fields -- leaving the reader to make some of those connections -- but The Life of Super-Earths remains full of valuable information and fascinating theorizing. Perhaps the most startling question Sasselov raises is: Should Earth be our benchmark of optimal conditions for life? And if not, where SHOULD we look? Sasselov sets himself quite a challenge here, and while he stumbles slightly, it’s far from a failed effort. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
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Spirituality & Inspiration
they hear she has since gone to India. Morrison was, in fact, a psychotherapist working with patients for 45 years. Since 2005, she has gone on to explore the spiritual life full time. Here is the life’s tale which begins in social work and therapy and goes on to the spiritual peaks she reaches. Morrison tells the story about what she has learned and what the path has meant to her.
“Once discovered, I am astonished to learn how many successful seekers wrote their memoirs to guide their still-struggling disciples toward union with God.” The telling of Morrison’s journey is infused with the thoughts of other who have taken such paths. One of her guides was Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, but many Christians are quoted in the telling of her story. Of particular interest is Carl Jung, who learned that the search for Enlightenment is an Eastern tradition, and those from The West may not have the religious and cultural background to achieve it. Morrison is a confident writer, due to experience and age. With her interest in also fitting the spiritual quest into psychological stages, like Piaget’s, this book becomes more complicated than a travel log. Like the goal sought, the read is not always an easy one. Reviewed by Ryder Miller
“Each act makes us manifest. It is what we do, rather than what we feel, or say we do, that reflects who and what we truly are. “ Seeking Enlightenment: the Spiritual Journey of a Psychotherapist By Catherine H. Morrison Two Harbors Press, $26.99 , 232 pages Seeking Enlightenment by Catherine H. Morrison is not a tale of the odd person seeking enlightenment, who people will automatically laugh about in the secular world when San Francisco Book Review • March 2012 • 79
Leo Busgaglia
Visit AConspiracyToLove.com ISBN 9780982926239