Oct 2010
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2
F R E E
NEW AND OF INTEREST
2
X-Isle
A masterful tale Page 8
4
Becoming Jimi Hendrix
‘Cuse me while I become Jimi Page 9
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance
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A worthy effort, a strange time period Page 11
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Life disassembles for Feliks By Jim Powell
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Imagine being sixty-one years old and waking up one day to find that everything you believed and thought you knew about the world and your own life is totally wrong and/or gone. That is what happened to Feliks Zhukovski when Communism collapsed. Feliks has been on his own since his mother sent him to Switzerland in 1939 ahead of the Germans invading Poland. He never saw her again, thought that she had abandoned him. He went on with his life and never looked back. The problem is, he never really developed a life other than his fervent belief in Communism. He never
Penguin Books, $15.00, 352 pages
married, has no friends, and his travel guide of Communist Europe is no more. 1991 becomes the year that Feliks woke up. Finding himself without a political anchor, he starts a journey into his past with surprising results. His reason for living goes from politics to emotions and the reader is taken along on his at times heart wrenching, journey. Touchingly told, you go from wondering just how this turtle stayed in his shell for so long to cheering him on each new step he takes. They say that you can’t go home again, but Feliks does. Reviewed by Gwen Stackler
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void A bold new step for a Mars mission Page 18
A Disobedient Girl: A Novel A hard life in Sri Lanka Page 23
97 Reviews INSIDE!
Children’s Books Library Mouse: A World to Explore By Daniel Kirk Abrams Books for Young Readers, $16.95, 32 pages Sam the library mouse enjoys finding his adventures in the books that surround him. But Sam isn’t the only mouse in the library! Sarah likes to live her adventures — parachuting, climbing, even piloting planes. When the two mice meet, they introduce each other to a new way of learning about life. “They sailed past volcanoes and mountaintops, past coral reefs and deserts, between dark rows of bookshelves, and right out the door of the children’s room.” Library Mouse: A World to Explore is a fun book about two new friends. It also teaches a few lessons about life that every kid should know: Try new things; people (or mice) who are different can still be friends; and there’s more than one way to do something. The illustrations are fantastic because they let readers look at their local library from a new point of view — literally. One illustration gives you a mouse’s eye view looking up at a canyon of bookshelves. Another looks down from a model airplane hanging from the ceiling. No matter what the viewpoint, the illustrations scream, “Action!” The theme of both the story and the illustrations seems to be “a new way of looking at the world”. Library Mouse: A World to Explore makes the world — and the library — much more exciting. Reviewed by Jodi Webb A Puppy for the White House By Kathleen Smith, Jane Oliver, Editor Lollipop Publishing, $16.99, 32 pages A Puppy for the White House is a classic example of empowering children’s creativity in literature. What starts out as an essay contest turns out to be a wonderful narration of the actual events that happened about the first family’s crusade for a puppy. Done in a fun, collaborative manner, the short story allows its readers to revisit memorable historic events that transpired during President Obama’s first few days in the White House. From preparing homemade cookies and pasta to cracking humorous jokes like “Boxapoo,” this endearing story beautifully captures, and allows readers to peek and take part in, their typical everyday scenarios. The priceless lessons of re-
sponsibility, value for education, patience, and hard work are emphasized in a non-intimidating manner, making it a perfect read for its intended audience. In fact, the children, through their writing and teacher’s guidance, make us realize the presidential clan is just like any ordinary American family that plans out, respects, and makes decisions as a whole. Author Kathleen Smith presents us with a tale that pays tribute to the lovely clan, children, and dog-lovers alike while the artful mastery of illustrator Laurie Hansen breathes life to it all; a brilliant combination indeed. As a mother who looks for creative ways to teach my children about current events, I absolutely love that they will gain knowledge about certain relevant tidbits of information like Senator Ted Kennedy’s role in Bo’s appointment to the White House. Finally, I will give props to the author for instilling the significant message of dreaming, hoping, and believing, which this country recently experienced when we elected the first AfricanAmerican president. Sponsored Review Madlenka Soccer Star By Peter Sis Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 40 pages Madlenka needs no introduction to children who have met her in two previous stories. As the creator of three Caldecott honor books, Peter Sis has found a friend in Madlenka, a little girl who is eager for one adventure after another. This time she takes up soccer, dribbling her new ball into the courtyard and hunting for someone to play with her. The
neighborhood cats comply, don their team uniforms and scatter across the field. Then her friend Cleopatra arrives, followed by a gaggle of kids, all eager to join in as “the whole world likes to play soccer.” Sis’s illustrations live up to his reputation, with the apartment buildings in muted shades of grey, standing protectively round the soccer field. A brief history of soccer follows the story of Madlenka, with a map of the countries where the sport is played, and with “soccer” translated into the word by which it is known in each country. Reviewed by Jane Manaster Read to Tiger By S. J. Fore Viking Juvenile, $15.99, 32 pages A young boy settles down on the couch to read his book — only a tiger starts chewing his gum — loudly! The boy shakes his hand at Tiger and tells him he wants to read and can’t think when the tiger chomps. Tiger says, “Oops. Tiger is sorry. Tiger won’t chomp.” The boy returns to his book — only growls emerge from behind the couch, as Tiger pretends to be a bear. The boy tells him to stop growling. “Ooops! Tiger sorry,” the tiger says. The boy returns to his book until he hears the sounds, “Hi-ya!” come from behind the couch.
next to the boy. Cuddled on the couch, the boy reads the book to Tiger. Read to Tiger is a wonderful story, especially for tiger lovers and children who love to read. Abundant with fun sounds, this will make a great read aloud story. Reviewed by Susan Roberts Zen Ghosts By John J. Muth Scholastic Books, $17.99, 40 pages Author Jon J. Muth brings forth the third in the series featuring Stillwater, a giant and lovable panda. Stillwater accompanies Michael, Karl and Addy (the same three children seen in Zen Shorts and Zen Ties, the two previous titles in the series) while they celebrate Halloween; he then entertains them with a ghost story from ancient Japan. Although the book is categorized for ages 4 to 8, the meaning of the zen philosophy as expressed may be quite adult; however the captivating artwork should hold the attention of any youngster, and this book is bound to evoke cherished childhood memories. Reviewed by Earl Watson
“Oops. Tiger is sorry. Tiger won’t chomp.” The imaginative tiger continues to distract the boy and each time promises to stop making noise, until at last Tiger is quiet. But then the boy sees a shadow. A whisker. A nose. A whole tiger! “What are you doing?” demands the boy. Fascinated with a picture of a tiger in the book, Tiger jumps up
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IN THIS ISSUE Children’s Books............................................. 2 Historical Fiction............................................ 4 Poetry & Short Stories.................................... 4 Business & Investing...................................... 5
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Mystery, Crime & Thriller.............................. 6 Tweens........................................................... 8 Biographies & Memoirs.................................. 9 Science Fiction & Fantasy............................. 11 Cooking, Food & Wine.................................. 12 Religion........................................................ 13 Philosophy.................................................... 13 History......................................................... 15 Travel........................................................... 14 Home & Garden............................................ 14 Self-Help....................................................... 17 Science & Nature.......................................... 18 Parenting/Familites..................................... 19
FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the October issue of the San Francisco Book Review. Plenty of good books starting to come into the office, and the next few months should provide many recommendations for every reader. The Fall releases are often a publisher’s key annual releases, so expect to see some of the truly high-profile books, along with many under-the-radar books we’re happy to discover and highlight. Next month will be our Cooking, Food & Wine insert. We’ve been seeing lots of great cookbooks coming in, and all the reviewers are testing out many of the recipes. Probably one of the best parts of our job is “having” to try out new recipes and eat the resulting meals. We did a couple last month during a reviewer BBQ (most notable the Bacon Explosion from the book BBQ Makes Everything Better) and enjoyed getting everyone’s take on them. Heidi and I finished this issue while in Atlanta for a conference. It was an interesting change of pace for us, getting to both visit another city and still have the familiarity of the normal monthly deadline. It’s a beautiful city to visit, with some excellent restaurants, and the Atlanta aquarium was absolutely amazing. Watching the Beluga whales swimming in their tank was a sight I will always remember. Happy reading, Ross Rojek —Editor-in-Chief ross@1776productions.com 1776 Productions
Current Events............................................. 19 The San Francisco Book Review is published monthly by 1776 Productions. 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 San Francisco Book Review advertisers. All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders. All words © 2010, 1776 Productions. October 2010 print run - 10,000 copies.
Humor-NonFiction....................................... 19 Reference...................................................... 20 Relationships/Sex......................................... 20 Local Calendar.............................................. 21 Popular Fiction............................................. 22
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October 10
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Historical Fiction Dark Road to Darjeeling By Deanna Raybourn Mira Books, $14.95, 400 pages After a long honeymoon, Lady Julia Grey and her private, enquirer-agent husband, Nicholas Brisbane, are feeling restless and ready for a new challenge to investigate. Such an opportunity presents itself when Julia’s sister and brother urge them to India to look into the possible murder of Freddie Cavendish, a tea plantation owner who leaves behind his widowed bride Jane, an old friend of Julia’s family. Intrigue abounds in the idyllic Valley of Eden, where it seems everyone has a possible motive for murder. As Julia se-
cretly competes with Brisbane to solve the murder first, she also begins to feel the first strains of marital tension. Dark Road to Darjeeling is an extremely enjoyable mystery; the story draws readers in, and Raybourn’s writing style is simply irresistible. The twists and turns of the plot make it difficult to guess who the culprit may be while at the same time keeping readers entertained and engaged. The eccentric cast of “suspects” makes for exciting character interactions, while Julia’s amateur attempts at sleuthing make her an endearing main character, while her husband remains a puzzle that readers will enjoy trying to understand. Readers eager to finish this one might find themselves staying up past their bedtime. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
Lady of the Butterflies: A Novel By Fiona Mountain Putnam, $25.95, 544 pages Eleanor Goodricke was born the daughter of a Puritan sympathizer of Oliver Cromwell’s. Her life has been one of forced deprivation, from her austere childhood spent at Tickenham, her family’s estate, to her sweet but passionless marriage to Edmund Ashfield. But when Eleanor meets Edmund’s cavalier friend, Richard Glanville, the side of her that craves more from life than simple obedience threatens to engulf her -- and those she loves -- in the flames of her forbidden desires.
Based loosely on the life of the very real Eleanor Glanville (née Ashfield, née Goodricke), Lady of the Butterflies weaves a complicated romantic narrative around the scientific discoveries of a woman ahead of her time. Eleanor’s true passion was for butterflies – the orange patterned Glanville Fritillary is named for her – and her singleminded obsession with them ultimately led to accusations of insanity, bolstered in part by her own children. Author Fiona Mountain injects sympathy into her telling of Glanville’s story, which seems less a cautionary tale of succumbing to one’s passion and more a reminder of just how difficult it was to be different and female in the seventeenth century. Reviewed by Amanda Mitchell
Poetry & Short Stories Death Is Not an Option: Stories By Suzanne Rivecca Norton, $23.95, 210 pages In Rivecca’s story collection, the female protagonists confront life and its messiness, banality, and dangers. Emma, the narrator of the title story, is graduating from high school and grapples with the angst caused when the desire to flee home collides with the fear of the unknown. In “Yours Will Do Nicely,” a twenty-oneyear-old college student uses sex to deal with her emotions as a close friendship from high school is ending. “It Sounds Like You’re Feeling” is in second person and, while the story has some amusing moments, the form is constraining and feels contrived. Rivecca’s playing with structure is more successful in “Consummation.” The narrator addresses the doctor who saved her father’s life, providing an interesting view into her ambivalence towards him. The closing story, “None of the Above,” stands out. One of Alma’s grade school students shows signs of potential abuse. Vacillating between calling the authorities and believing the parents, Alma goes to the home to investigate and faces a situation wilder than her imagination. While Rivecca is an adroit writer with an eye for the dark side of life, too many of the main characters resemble one another. A quirky but uneven debut. Reviewed by Deb Jurmu
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The Best American Noir of the Century By Otto Penzler, Editor, James Ellroy, Editor Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $30.00, 731 pages Noir is not, as many mistakenly think, merely crime fiction or detective stories. Rather, noir stories are, in the words of Otto Penzler, “existential, pessimistic tales about people…who are seriously flawed and morally questionable.” In other words, the bad guys are the main characters; there are no heroes. Penzler proves that this genre can be both fascinating and great fun in The Best American Noir of the Century, which he coedited with noir master James Ellroy. Most of these writers have also worked for Hollywood, and many of the tales have been adapted into films. This is the case with the earliest selection, “Spurs” by Tod Robbins, which became the classic movie Freaks. The stories read, in fact, like episodes from Law and Order or The Wire-wonderful, bite-size bits of crime, lust, and murder. A woman coerces her boyfriend to kill her husband. A hit man is given the difficult job of offing his girlfriend. A girl is enamored of a serial killer. The fantastic list of authors includes many of the greats: Mickey Spillane, Harlan Ellison, Elmore Leonard, and Dennis Lehane, among others. Reviewed by Katie Cappello
In Their Cups: Poems About Drinking Places, Drinks, and Drinkers By A.J. Rathbun Harvard Common Press, $9.95, 114 pages Many people believe that poets have a strong affinity for liquor. They imagine a dark, moody figure like Rimbaud or Baudelaire, sipping a deep red wine or going wild from absinthe. This is, of course, an exaggeration. However, there are many fine poems about drinking out there, and some of the best have been collected in In Their Cups, edited by food writer and poet A.J. Rathburn. Separated into three sections that focus on bars, drinks, and revelers, the poems are carousing, melancholy, funny, and reflective. The history-spanning selections include pieces from such well-known readers as Guillaume Apollinaire, Emily Dickinson, Li Po, and Arthur Rimbaud. Contemporary poets include Richard Hugo, Gerald Stern, and Chase Twitchell. This anthology may be small, but the subject matter is vast. More than just some fun poems about booze, this collection celebrates the joys of indulgence and sensory experience. Whether you’re a Sommelier, a home-brewer, or you just enjoy a mimosa at brunch, you will find something to love in In Their Cups. Reviewed by Katie Cappello
The Juniper Tree By Peter Straub Subterranean Press, $35.00, 287 pages Peter Straub is best known for his Blue Rose Trilogy, a series of linked horror novels that are more psychological than supernatural, and his new short story collection, The Juniper Tree and Other Blue Rose Stories, is no different. These stories do not shirk from true terror, and will keep even the most hardened of horror fans up at night. The first story, “Blue Rose,” recounts a moment in the early life of Harry Beevers, a prominent character in the Blue Rose novel Koko, as he learns to hypnotize his younger brother and discovers his own capacity for violence. The title story and “Bunny is Good Bread” tell the same tale with slight differences to show how a childhood filled with dysfunction and abuse can lead to the creation of a murderer. Finally, in “The Ghost Village,” soldiers in Vietnam discover an abandoned town, which still echoes with the scars of past terror. These stories, some of which have been published elsewhere, are supposedly able to stand on their own, without prior knowledge of the Blue Rose Trilogy. However, an understanding of who these children become does help put the horror in context and keep it from becoming sensationalistic. Reviewed by Katie Cappello
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Business & Investing ChinAmeria: The Uneasy Partnership that Will Change the World By Handel Jones McGraw-Hill, $27.95, 280 pages Like a voice crying out in the wilderness, “Repent! Repent!” to the corporate heads and governing bodies of this country, Jones sets out to give America a wake-up call about the impending economic servitude to China if drastic measures are not soon taken. Indeed, he supports this position thoroughly with a host of leading economic indicators which are likely to worsen within a year. Unlike many modern day doomsayers, Jones offers solutions to the problem at every level: from the common apathetic workers to the greedy corporate executives and the short-sighted lawmakers. What separates this book is the effort to educate the reader in the long-held strategies of the Chinese. Written to the layman, it is an economics 101 course with a side serving of political science as it
relates to governmental policies on both sides of the transaction. Although, written in simple terms, the problem is complex and multifaceted. Nevertheless, it is a message worth preaching, considering the large volume of debt we owe China, and the growing amount of consumer goods we import from them. The very life of our currency may depend on how we deal with China in the future. For that reason, it may be wise to study the points made in ChinAmerica, regardless of economic aptitude. Reviewed by Casey Corthron Business Voyages: Mental Maps, Scripts, Schemata and Tools for Discovering and Co-Constructing Your Own Business Worlds By Richard John Stapleton Effective Learning Publications, $28.99, $3.90 electronic, 754 pages At first, I heartily enjoyed reading Professor Stapleton’s rather close manner of relating his family history, lineage, and how his folks, and their folks, had carved their living from proverbial stone using their business talents and stick-to-it attitude. However, as the narrative progressed, Stapleton began flashing back and forth in his time-line, pausing to
mix in a bit of transactional analysis and then returning to talk about his relatives, a writing tactic which did little but muddy the water for this reader. Despite this, it struck me as interesting—if not ironic—that the author admitted resenting his own father’s tendency to ramble on in a rather non-cohesive fashion. If anything, his first section proved that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Stapleton also announced other parent-inspired resentments in his prose, such as a lack of physical affection and being goaded to work versus spending too much time “sitting around thinking.” He attributed the latter to a theory that parents fear their kids becoming “better” than they are and, therefore, strive to impede their success. Being a parent (and someone’s child) myself, I found this suggestion ridiculous, especially in a obesity-ridden culture, where it’s considered healthy—nay, the parent’s duty—to encourage children to sit a little less and move around a little more. A few of Professor Stapleton’s other notions took me by surprise, as in the insinuation that group
imagoes (or, preconceived notions about groups by other groups/individuals) and religion are at the heart of all human conflict. The fact that humans have gone to war repeatedly over other matters—food, gold, civil rights, and land—must have slipped his mind, along with his own ‘group imago’ against parental figures. Business owners and would-be entrepreneurs picking up this book may want to skip to page 109, where Stapleton begins to get to the meat of his main theme: good business practices. I found myself nodding my head in agreement to his emphasis on the great need for honesty in business, hard work, creative solutions, and the logical management of resources. Interspersed among the digressive philosophies are real-world examples of both failed and successful business practices, comparison data charts, statistical analysis, ideas on writing a business plan and entertaining allegorical ‘minutes’ taken at a fictional Skylab Business Conference/space commune. Upon finishing this book, and considering my opinion of it, overall it reminded me that ‘bias’ is one of the most honest words in the English language. Sponsored Review Reviewed by Meredith Greene
Health, Fitness & Dieting How Not to Drop Dead! A Guide for Prevention of 201 Causes of Sudden or Rapid Death By Eduardo Chapunoff, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.C. Xlibris, $19.99, 359 pages Death, in itself, is a mysteriously foreboding visitor. No one specifically calls for his attention, ever questions when he will be by to claim us. Prolonged illness and long-suffering disease often precede the loss of loved ones, and as devastating as the loss is, the questions are many times answered through diagnosis beforehand. With an unexpected and abrupt death, there is often much confusion and, sometimes, guilt associated with it. But Dr. Eduardo Chapunoff shows us practical ways to educate ourselves in the prevention of an accidental or avoidable death in How Not To Drop Dead! A Guide For Prevention of 201 Causes of Sudden Or Rapid Death. He shines the light on a long, though even he admits a revised, list of the many roots. The exhaustive inventory of reasons is alphabetized, from aneurysms
to sudden death in pregnancy/postpartum, and laid out in an easy-to-read format. With conditions reaching such topics as shark attacks and sexual asphyxiation, the recommendations are offered along with definitions, symptoms, and sometimes a very unique personal account or historical example, which makes for a very engaging read. “There’s something sacred about life. Any person who contributes to save another human being or prevent a tragedy, regardless of his/her profession, derives a kind of spiritual satisfaction that cannot be compared with anything else.” I will concur that reading about such a depressing topic as death can be draining and almost make a reader question whether they, too, are experiencing any of the conditions at hand, but in the wise counseling of Dr. Chapunoff, “…if the exposure and analysis of so many deadly events makes you sad and excessively preoccupied, at least every fifteen minutes, think more about life and living than about death and dying.” Chapunoff’s light conversational voice and writing style lend to a reassuring blend of just the right amount of concern and amusement. Each example is written with an approachable assurance. He is the answer
to a call for a physician with a heart and a smile. Sponsored Review Morbid Obesity: Will You Allow It To Kill You? By Eduardo Chapunoff, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.C. Xlibris, $19.99, 244 pages Morbid Obesity: Will You Allow it to Kill You? is an educational, informative, detailed, and, yes, frightening look into the complex world of the morbidly obese. Dr. Eduardo Chapunoff’s timely work is not a simple how-to book in weight loss, but combines thorough descriptions of the cardiovascular and other physiological systems of the body that are stressed by excessive weight. The doctor’s illustrations will help the reader understand the mechanisms responsible for heart attacks, congestive heart failure, strokes, cardiac rhythm disturbances, depression, sleep apnea, sexual dysfunction, and diabetes, among many conditions, including sudden death. All these major health risks are sig-
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nificant possibilities for the morbidly obese. However, the author offers hope to those so afflicted by sharing real-life success stories of those who have shed their excess weight, and then explains various treatments and programs that are available. The doctor also addresses the very timely issue that surrounds the discrimination and ineffectiveness of some insurance corporations in their oftentimes unwillingness to cover the costs of weight-loss surgery. “Some dreams turn into realities. The successful treatment of obesity is one of them.” This book is written not only for those who suffer from morbid obesity, but for the entire health profession and related industries as an educational tool, as well as providing inspiration and real-world choices and methods toward achieving a healthier, happier life. Sponsored Review
October 10
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Mystery, Crime & Thriller Blood Men: A Thriller By Paul Cleave Atria, $16.00, 336 pages Edward Hunter has a good life going in Christchurch – 29 years old, an accountant, loving wife, beautiful, little daughter. There are a couple of things that most people don’t know about him though. When he was young, he killed a neighbor’s dog because a little voice inside told him to do it, and he is the son of a paranoid schizophrenic serial killer who’s been in jail for the last twenty years. “It’s in the blood. Don’t you feel it? We’re the same, son. We’re blood men!” When bank robbers kill Hunter’s wife and the police seem slow to act, Hunter goes to his father for advice. The advice he receives: Let that little voice (which Hunter calls “the monster”) take control, and find the killers. At the same time, Detective Inspector Schroder is doing his best to get a lead on the criminals. Working with – and usually against – each other, Hunter and Schroder are going to make the killers pay. But is Edward going to let “the monster” turn him into a killer like his father? Paul Cleave’s Blood Men is a first-rate thriller, although maybe a little too descriptive for some tastes. Characters are well developed and realistic. Action starts early and moves at a rapid pace throughout the book. Read it. Reviewed by Douglas McWilliams The Nursing Home By James J. Murphy III L&J Publishing, $14.00, 361 pages In The Nursing Home Morris Grover’s family can’t cope with him anymore. He’s old and cranky and leaky. They put him in the car and drive him to Rigg’s Nursing Home. The place is filled with oldsters, mostly male, tucked into the home for comfort and care. “I never wanted to come here, but now, the only reason I don’t wanna leave is because that would mean I’d have to go back to living with my stupid son and his family.” Morris is sure his life will stay miserable, and he’s right. Cracking jokes and swapping sto-
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ries with other residents doesn’t add much delight until . . . someone points out that people are dying at a faster-than-usual clip, staff as well as inmates. Everyone becomes suspicious of everyone else. The local police are called in, and two officers manage to bungle the case just like the old fogeys do. Four rooky staff members decide that the past may hold the answer. The book ends in a blood bath of both the good guys and the bad guys. It’s never made clear which side the ghouls who fill the halls in that last scene are on. Writing improves with practice, but the end of this book is just as poorly written as the beginning. Characters continue to spout foul language and poor English. The plot is clumsy and under-developed. I’m glad it’s over. Reviewed by Marj Stuart Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop By Otto Penzler, Editor Vanguard Press, $24.95, 245 pages For the past 17 years Otto Penzler, owner of New York’s The Mysterious Bookshop, has been giving his regular customers a unique Christmas card. Each year he commissions a different mystery author to write a short story that weaves together Christmas, The Mysterious Bookshop, and a mystery. Penzler has finally gathered all the stories in one book so even mystery lovers who don’t get to enjoy The Mysterious Bookshop in person can still enjoy his gift. Along with murder, the pages are filled with revenge, insanity, robbery, and misplaced manuscripts. As with any book boasting 17 different writers, there were stories I loved and those I didn’t. But despite the length, many of the authors recreate the spine-tingling feelings of their full-length works. Only S.J. Rozan’s “The Grift of the Magi” seemed tired and predictable. Despite the requirements, the stories include many writing styles and mystery types. It’s also interesting to compare the many fictional portrayals of Otto and wonder which rings true. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery should definitely add Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop to their collection! Reviewed by Jodi M. Webb
They’re Watching By Gregg Hurwitz St. Martin’s Press, $24.99, 368 pages Patrick Davis’ life has hit a rough patch. His Hollywood dreams have crumbled and his storybook marriage has hit a snag. Then things get really bad. Someone starts sending him DVDs which show that someone is watching him and his wife, stalking them with cameras hidden in their own home. When the e-mails start offering to fix everything, to take the mess his life has become and make it all right, Patrick figures it’s the offer of a lifetime. He couldn’t be more wrong. He’s in, and in deep, and his only escape is to somehow outwit and outplay his unseen opponents and beat them at their own game. Don’t let the synopsis fool you. They’re Watching by Gregg Hurwitz is a convoluted mess. I kept getting the feeling that this book was written less for the readers than it was for the folks in Hollywood who might want to make a movie out of it. The characters are weak and the plot is all over the place. Somewhere underneath it all is a good idea for a story, but that’s not what was written here. I finished it and had only one question: Why? Reviewed by Albert Riehle The Falcon Fund By Dennis C. Morris Xlibris, $19.99, 301 pages Colonel Kyle Dawson thought that his fighting time was over with the Scottish Highlanders, but when his son is murdered in Vancouver, BC, he must find his killer. The Colonel learns that his son, a narcotics officer, was off duty, but sitting in his car in a known drug area, and that it looks more like a hit than a random drug shooting. “A bloody Belfast Saturday night...this in Vancouver for Christ’s sake. What the hell happened?” Little by little, we are drawn into the Colonel’s world of untying the knots of a vast underhanded drug shipment that spans the globe. What the Colonel has stumbled into is a huge and intricately funded plan to get those drugs in, and he is the only one that seems to see just where it might lead. Governments don’t want some of that information out.
Using connections from his past life in the military, he receives information, weapons, and even old army buddy personnel to blow the roof off of who gave the order to kill his son. He is disavowed by his government and ends up basically a one man army on a mission, a mission of a father trying to find justice for his murdered son. The story carries you though in nail-biting chapter after chapter. Ferguson pulled out all of the stops by including a bit of romance and betrayal, and you can’t help but admire, if not love, the Colonel and his story. Sponsored Review Witness from the Café By Gini Anding iUniverse, $12.95, 147 pages A dead man, face-down in a croissant in a bustling Parisian café, takes center stage in the opening pages of Witness From The Café, Gini Anding’s latest novel in her Witness series featuring Amy Page – newspaper columnist, cookbook author, and American transplant from South Carolina. Equal parts mystery, thriller, travelogue, and history lesson, Witness From The Café is sunny and bright, despite its dark premise, a breezy read with a storyline that often stretches credibility but still manages to deliver. Anding’s impressive pedigree – she’s a former professor of French literature – makes her uniquely qualified to craft a tale of intrigue and suspense set against the gorgeous backdrop of the Ile Saint-Louis, an island in the Seine River that functions as a slow-paced historical oasis in the heart of bustling Paris. It is here that Amy Page, recently married to Jean-Michel Jolivet, a former inspector for the French Police and director of the International Bureau of Security, whiles away her days working on articles exploring food and French culture. She is seated at table 5 with the interpretive culture center committee in the Café du Coin when one of the members, a retired general, drops dead in front of the eleven others. They quickly realize the general’s death was no accident – he was the victim of poisoning by a cyanide-laced sugar cube – and as the murder investigation kicks into gear, it is discovered that the general wasn’t even the intended target. The premise is intriguing, but after a promising start, Witness falters. It’s more of a “why-dunnit” than a “who-dunnit” as the murderer is identified early on. Anding piles on layers to beef up the plot – a network of retired spies, South American drug lords, double agents, hired assassins, and the search for an elusive miracle plant that cures the craving for opiates – yet, despite the extra padding, the story feels rather slim (and in fact, only clocks in at 147 See MYSTERY, cont’d page 7
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MYSTERY, cont’d from page 6 pages). Where Anding excels is in her attention to detail; her lovingly precise descriptions of the Ile Saint-Louis explode off the page, painting a picture of historical charm that immerses the reader in the setting. Fun, too, are the little factual nuggets on food, culture, and fashion that she weaves effortlessly into the story through her protagonist’s research – the origin of crepes Suzette, for instance. Her main characters are fully fleshed out (almost too much so, as we struggle occasionally to follow the family tree), and the language is both spare and elegant, flowing easily between English and the occasional French. Those who enjoy a mixture of romance and less-edgy mystery will be drawn into the carefully constructed world that Anding has created, and want to seek out the other books in the Witness series. Witness From The Café is clearly a labor of love, and as the final pages hint, not yet the end of the series. With a new mystery to solve in a more provincial setting, it will be interesting to see where Amy Page finds herself next. Sponsored Review The Bad Samaritan By Robert Chan iUniverse, $19.95, 319 pages When you have no education, no skills, no friends, and no Social Security number, your career choices are limited. Blithe is lucky—sort of. She finds Richard, a wealthy sugar daddy. After Richard’s death, Blithe’s worried she’ll be reduced to something more distasteful than mistress. Luckily, his financial world friends come calling. They wanted to “right the recession wrongs,” and her special skills could be helpful. All she has to do is flirt with a few powerful men and report what they say back to the boss. But from the first moment, there are complications: a homeless guy who’s elected himself her personal Jiminy Cricket, scandals, and eventually a murder accusation directed at Blithe. Will Blithe be able to escape this good deed gone bad? Does she want to? The Bad Samaritan is like an amusement park ride. You think you know where you’re headed when suddenly you’re spinning in another direction—then another—then another. But that’s what makes this “ride” fun. Robert N. Chan ensures that no one is quite what you expect. The hooker with the heart of gold, the guy down on his luck, the powerful kingpin, the meek helper--they all hide their own secrets. One of the most powerful aspects of the book is the explora-
tion of the characters’ relationships, often with minor characters. It helps them to rise above familiar types to unique, unpredictable people. Each word and each action has you wondering, “Is this the real person or is this an act they’re putting on?” Just when you think a character has finally revealed themselves, a new twist is exposed. With this constant shifting, the labels “good guy” and “bad guy” are up for grabs until the very end, keeping you guessing. Once you begin The Bad Samaritan, you are quickly drawn in by the characters and can’t put it down until you reach page 319. Sponsored Review Venom: A Novel of Suspense By Joan Brady Touchstone, $26.99, 372 pages In this novel of suspense, lives of ex-con David Marion, physicist Helen Freyl, bee farmers in Alabama, and the nation of Belarus converge. The bees on the farm owned by Freyl’s family are the uniting factor; the bee venom has a property of interest to pharmaceutical companies. Shortly after Marion has his life threatened by a hit-man, whom Marion kills, and then fakes his own death, Helen, his former lover, finds herself offered a position by The Follaton Medical Foundation in London. On arrival, she receives a marriage proposal from the foundation head, Sir Charles Hay. By then, Helen suspects the foundation has ulterior motives, namely the bee venom. The novel is more plot- than characterdriven. The Helen Freyl character is most unbelievable, a physicist described as “unbalanced” but who seems more dim-witted than troubled, never remembering she can be traced through a cell phone. She also is emotionally dependent on her grandmother. The author seems better with characters at society’s fringes, such as Marion with his encyclopedic knowledge of lock-picking and hotwiring. After several deaths and a masterful chase scene or two, the foundation’s diabolical plot is exposed and the universe righted. Reviewed by Stacia Levy Crossfire By Dick Francis, Felix Francis Putnam, $26.95, 352 pages Vintage Dick Francis is the gold standard for the mystery genre. Crossfire, by the father-son team of Dick and Felix Francis, falls slightly short of that standard. Captain Tom Forsyth, severely wounded while serving in Afghanistan, is sent back to England for six months of recuperation. Returning to his childhood home, where his estranged mother lives with her current husband, Forsyth is immediately embroiled in blackmail, murder, Bernie Madoff-style financial scams, and tax evasion. The same charac-
ter traits that allowed his rise through the ranks in the British service from enlisted man to officer (a rare combination of intelligence, ability, and ambition) serve him well as he untangles the web of lies and deceit, while dealing with his disabling injury. As in every Francis book to date, the characters are finely drawn, engaging, and real. We can hope that Felix will continue to turn out first-rate material. Even though the book fails, in this reviewer’s opinion, to quite make the mark, it is still a page-turning, good read. Reviewed by Claudette Smith Lucy By Laurence Gonzales Knopf, $24.95, 307 pages Lucy’s father is a primatologist working with bonobos in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. When he and her mother are killed during an uprising, another scientist manages to find Lucy and get them both out of the country safely. Jenny Lowe takes Lucy back to her home in Chicago, where, by looking through the dead scientist’s notebooks, she finds out that Lucy’s dead mother was a bonobo, an ape. Jenny knows that she will have to be very careful and secretive to protect the lovely, bright, and innocent teenage Lucy. But she also knows that keeping the secret of Lucy’s true heritage will eventually become impossible. Somewhat reminiscent of Michael Crichton’s novels that delve into the topics of science and ethics, Lucy is at times a thrill
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ride, when it becomes clear that she will be hunted by Christian fundamentalists and government researchers. But it is more often an exploration of what it means to be human — and just a teen girl hoping to live a normal life. Though the writing style sometimes seems stilted, Lucy is still an interesting book and worth your reading time. Reviewed by Cathy Carmode Lim Johannes Cabal the Detective By Jonathan L. Howard Doubleday, $25.95, 289 pages In this sequel to Johannes Cabal The Necromancer infamous Cabal is back with his dry wit, fighting for his life and still pretty much hating the human race. Bringing back the dead is dangerous work, so dangerous that he is facing execution in Mirkarvia. It is just a stroke of luck that the King happens to die and the government is in need of his services. After his “Imperial Deadness” makes his speech to the citizens, Cabal flees only to find himself in another pickle. One person disappears into thin air and the main suspect has an alibi. Cabal is determined to stay out of the fray, but his curiosity gets the best of him. Undead people from his past make an entrance and we discover that Cabal and his razor sharp tongue may have a conscience. Hilariously sarcastic, deliciously wicked and sprinkled with the whimsy of steampunk, Howard has written a modern day homage to Agatha Christie set in a fictional world with the most wickedly funny detective ever. While not as groundbreaking as the first book, you will find yourself laughing so hard at the cynicism you just might cry. Reviewed by Gwen Stackler
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Young Adult Beat the Band By Don Calame Candlewick Press, $16.99, 390 Pages This hilarious novel is the sequel to Swim with Fly by Don Calame and features Cooper (Coop) Redmond and his best buddies Matt Gratton and Sean Hance. Written from Coop’s perspective, it is the story of how he gets paired up in health class with the school pariah Helen (Hot Dog) Harriwick to write a report and make a presentation on contraception. In order to redeem his social status at Rockville High School, Coop decides to form a rock band with Matt and Sean and perform at the Battle of the Bands. With the help of his father, they put together this ragtag band called Arnold Murphy’s Bologna Dare. But before they perform at their high school the guys decide to submit a plagiarized demo tape. They are almost expelled. Somewhere down the line Coop begins to fall for Helen. It would be remiss if I didn’t mention the sexual overtones sprinkled throughout the book. The author is clever is
using titles from rock songs as titles for each chapter. All in all, this book is a fun read, and you can’t help finding yourself rooting for the underdog. Reviewed by Susie Salva
The Scary Kids Club By Michael Smolanoff Xlibris, $15.99, 170 pages The Scary Kids Club is a collection of campfire stories woven into a unique novel by the acclaimed Michael Smolanoff. The story begins with five avid horror-story lovers: Charlie, Mel, Reno, Ralph, and Mary Ann. Each club member must recite two stories brewed from their own imagination or suffer the fate of being locked in the crypt (the location of their endeavors) for the night. Accompanying them are two ghosts who are planning a story of their own, unbeknownst to the children. In turn, they each tell a story, usually involving a ghost, ghoul, zombie, monster, or the like. Smolanoff displays his style of writing through the storytellers while still portraying their personalities. Although the stories themselves are not particularly bone-chilling or as scary as the title alludes, they are fun to read. The characters in the stories are rather black and white, but the plot lines that surround them make up for their monochromatic personalities. Readers will root for the stories’
characters (and their favorite club member) while wondering exactly what is in store for the Scary Kids themselves. There is a fuzzy line between what age group would enjoy The Scary Kids Club. While its whimsical cover and meager portion suggests a tween read, some of the content is inappropriately crude. Stereotypes crop up several times, and while Mary Ann is the exception, females in the book are shown as silly, stupid creatures who are used as objects of sensuality and men as chauvinists. More innocent readers might glaze over this fact, but it seems that young adults would have a hard time reading with conflicting feelings. All in all, the plot line is interesting and the descriptive talent employed is good. Sponsored Review
Tweens
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X-Isle By Steve Augarde David Fickling Books, $17.99, 476 pages X-Isle is set in the not-too-distant future where massive floods have spread across the Earth leaving few people alive. Cut off with little resources, they compete, by way of bribes, to have their sons taken to XIsle where it is rumored a better life awaits them. In truth, the island is full of backbreaking labor and near starvation. The boys are beaten if they work and killed if they don’t. The arrival of two new boys, Baz and Ray, stirs up things on the island uniting the boys as they try to find a way to get rid of their oppressors. Baz is a very believable human character. Throughout the book he struggles with the loss of his mother and siblings as he replays their final day togeth-
How to Train Your Dragon Book 7: How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm By Cressida Cowell Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $10.99, 254 pages How to Train a Dragon’s Storm is the seventh book in the How to Train Your Dragon series recording the adventures of three young Vikings: Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Camicazi. Since it only briefly mentions earlier events, you can enjoy number seven without reading the other books.
er over and over in his head. He struggles to find what is right when he is forced into adult situations. The emotions of the boys are the place where this book really shines. Each of the boys struggles with the new realities of the world as a whole and their life on the island. They mourn their families and their world as they are tortured mentally and physical by their oppressors. As you read X-Isle, you often want to reach into the book and give these boys a hug and whisper that everything is going to be all right. The believability of the boys is not shared by the adults on the island. They are rather bland, flat villains whose only goal in life it seems is to drink and have sex. The only exception is Preacher John, leader of the island, self-proclaimed prophet and all around nut-job who believes that blood sacrifice is the only way to appease god and withdraw the floods. Although the ending has a good plot twist, it is not quite satisfying and a tad too fairy-tale-ish. I would recommend this book if you like gritty survival stories such as Gone, by Michael Grant. But if you’re looking for lots of action and survival fantasy isn’t your thing, your time would be better spent playing a few more rounds of Halo. Reviewed by Andrew Olson
Nomansland By Lesley Hauge Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 256 pages Life as we know it is gone, changed forever. Warrior women live in the North, and among them is an elite group trained to fight and track the enemy: men. Things from the past are forbidden, and the purpose in life is to atone for the wrongs of those who lived before them. The warriors are allowed no friends, no names ending in y, and no mirrors. They can have only short hair. An old house from Before is found by one of the warrior trainees, who shares it with the others. They know that it is forbidden and they should report it, but they are curious. They try to see how life was for the girl who lived there, and are amazed at what they find. As it goes on, there are jealousies, hurt feelings, and discovered truths about what they’ve been told to believe.
The action starts with a Viking swimming race, difficult but not insurmountable. But events quickly speed out of control as the trio is kidnapped, chased by dragons, and forced to abandon ship. And, to make matters worse, their tribes are at home waiting for the young Vikings to save the day. How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm is a breathless race from one disaster to another. But Cressida Cowell throws in some humor to lighten the mood… tipsy dragons anyone? Child-like doodles are sprinkled throughout the book: dragon info, drawings, maps, and excerpts (especially doom-filled Viking shouts). Although I loved the book, it awkwardly straddles two age groups. The characters ages, drawings, and plotline seem aimed at younger tweens but characters with names like Madguts the Murderous, crews chanting “KILL THE CHILDREN!” and a violent battle ending in death by lightning also appeal to older tweens. How prone is your child to nightmares? Reviewed by Jodi M. Webb
Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth By Sandra Dutton Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, $15.00, 134 pages Seasoned author, Sandra Dutton introduces us to Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth, a charming tale of a curious young girl whose strong belief in the Bible conflicts with her teachings at school. Mary Mae’s mother and Sunday School teachers can’t help her understand the different belief’s to aid her in finding the truth regarding the Earth’s actual age. She exasperates adults with her incessant desire to know about fossils and the age-old debate over creation verses evolution. Mary Mae’s mama attempts to homeschool her only to discover she is in over her head however, Mary Mae cleverly finds a way to convince her mom that she can study fossils and still believe in the Bible. Dutton defies political correctness in her tale. She delves into several taboo subjects such as ignorance, hierarchy, religion and even politics, but in a way that is endearing,
See NOMANSLAND, page 16
See MARY MAE, page 16
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Biographies & Memoirs When Ties Break: A Memoir About How to Thrive After Loss By Margaret Norton Tate Publishing, $19.99, 260 pages Every family is unique and different— the ties that bind the members together will oft tear at the heart. When Margaret Norton is banished from her family by her older brother, following her beloved father’s funeral, she falls into an abyss of depression, from which she never fully recovers. In this first publication, the author shares her history of losses, dejection, failures, and disappointments with the expectation that her example of overcoming these hurdles will assist others to cope with the traumas of life. As the youngest daughter of a Pentecostal minister, she felt the love and also the discipline of an authoritarian father. Constantly feeling “on the outside looking in,” her self-esteem shattered by physical and financial problems throughout the years, she considers herself a failure. But despite a series of unsuccessful marriages, disappointing relationships, financial hardships, and the agonizing rejection of her family, Margaret succeeds in caring for her two children, earning a college degree, finding employment, and gaining emotional support from her colleagues at work. After completing a Dale Carnegie course in public speaking, she radiantly exclaims that she’s living proof that shyness, insecurity, and fear of public speaking can be overcome. Trials and tribulations continue as the author compares her ordeals to the travails that afflicted Job. Family members, her beloved sister and, finally, her irate older brother, as well as close colleagues are claimed by incurable illnesses. Her daughter requires rehabilitation for cocaine addiction and also initiates her into understanding and accepting non-traditional sexual orientation within her family. Throughout these events, her faith in God provides continuing sustenance. Recording the painful incidents that assaulted her over the years works as a balm to soothe the wounds. Here she chronicles, sometimes awkwardly, often with repetition, and occasionally with contradictions her perceptions of life’s impact and how she rebounded to the blows. Deeper character development on those influencing her decisions would have enriched the narrative. While describing her drowsiness as a school child at the beginning of the book, the connection is only made toward the final chapters, when she discloses she suffers from a form of narcolepsy termed “hypersomnolence,” its effect, unfortunately, is not further developed. As a novice author, many of her meta-
phors slip into awkward clichés. This memoir will appeal to those readers who feel troubled and seek solace in reading about the travails of survivors and want to learn how to thrive again after loss. Sponsored Review Hope in a Scattering Time: A Life of Christopher Lasch By Eric Miller Wm B Eerdmans Publishing Co, $32.00, 394 pages An intellectual biography is rare on book shelves today. You find memoirs of Chelsea Handler and quickly written pop biographies of whoever is president at the time. Every once in a while, you come across an intellectual biography. It is not written like your “normal” biography; instead it is a biography of ideas, more specifically the ideas of the person whom the author is writing about. That is what Eric Miller has done for the social critic and historian Christopher Lasch. Miller is less concerned with the daily life of Christopher Lasch; instead he explores the ideas and works of Lasch. From his groundbreaking Narcissism to his final magnum opus Revolt of the Elites, we get an in-depth and close-up view of this monumental thinker. Shunned by the left, and embraced by the right (whom he ignored), he was a lonely scholar using history as a guide to critique modern America. This is a wonderfully written biography, and one that is not for faint of heart. Many people might get lost in the authors argument; but it is well worth the read. Reviewed by Kevin Winter Proust’s Overcoat: The True Story of One Man’s Passion for All Things Proust By Lorenza Foschini Ecco, $19.99, 128 pages Rarely does an obsession introduce itself to you. But for French perfume magnet Jacques Guérin, that is the simplest way of explaining how a man went from a casual acquaintance of the Proust family to an avid collector of belongings of the writer Marcel Proust. In Proust’s Overcoat: The True Story of One Man’s Passion for All Things Proust, Lorenza Foschini doesn’t take the easy way. She expands on the details of Guérin’s growing interest for Proust’s things. Initially a patient of Dr. Robert Proust, Marcel Proust’s brother, Guérin had an arm’s-length relationship
Becoming Jimi Hendrix: From Southern Crossroads to Psychedelic London, the Untold Story of a Musical Genius By Steven Roby, Brad Schreiber Da Capo Press, $17.95, 257 pages
Mark L. Van Name has risen quickly among Baen’s stable of science fiction novelists and with good reasons. Many of those reasons are on full display in Jump Gate Twist, an omnibus containing One Jump Ahead and Slanted Jack, the first two novels in his Jon and Lobo series plus two short stories set in the universe. Jon is the human protagonist and first person narrator while Lobo is the living, space-faring warship who provides dry responses to Jon’s rhetorical questions. The dialogue between Jon and Lobo is entertaining and provides a strong narrative current. I was reminded a bit of Steven Brust’s assassin Vlad Taltos and his familiar Loiosh in that both duos communicate on a silent, mental wavelength. Jon is not exactly normal human. As a result of experiments conducted while Jon was younger, his body is teeming with nanobots which provide him a level of superhuman abilities, not the least of which is the ability to communicate with machines. One Jump Ahead introduces both characters as Jon acquires Lobo when vacationing on the planet Macken, and Jon is convinced to help save a young kidnapped girl. Before the second full novel, we get a very early glimpse at Jon before he is the experienced courier and ex-military man. The story, “My Sister, My Self,” is set on Jon’s birth planet Pinkelponker and offers readers the only glimpse at Jon’s sister Jenni, the memory of whom haunts Jon in the two novels in the omnibus. In Slanted Jack, the second novel in the omnibus, Jon runs into an old ‘business partner’ who lures Jon back to his side in order to save the life of a young boy who is contention point between a religious cult (with ties to Jon’s home planet of Pinkelponker); a crime lord who wants the boy for his own purposes; and strong-armed government. While the setting of the books is a vast galaxy, Van Name does a great job of making these stories personal and intimate deftly balancing character and action. One of the cooler SF-nal elements allowing for such widespread travel are the Gates, which allow quick travel across galaxies and are thought by some to be relics of an ancient civilization or even gods. All told, I highly recommended this book both as an introduction to Van Name’s work and a great value for containing two flat-out entertaining science fiction novels. Reviewed by Robert H. Bedford
with members of the Proust family. During a chance encounter, Guérin learns that the doctor’s family intended to destroy Marcel Proust’s possessions. Year-after-year and piece-by-piece, Guérin builds a collection of Proust effects, becoming increasingly more impassioned along the way. Guérin continues to hope for certain remnants’ from the writer’s life, specifically the overcoat Proust wore daily and used as a blanket nightly, hoping these items have not been destroyed. In this short book of nonfiction, Foschini does a superb job of driving the intrigue and depicting how and why Guérin fell into such an infatuation. The Prousts and Guérin are characters not soon forgotten. Reviewed by Elizabeth Humphrey
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Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century: Volume 1 (1907-1949): Learning Curve By William H. Patterson Jr. Tor, $29.99, 624 pages When reading a multi-volume biography, it is prudent to ask: Does this person deserve multiple volumes? While Robert Heinlein might be one of the greatest science fiction writers, along with Philip Dick, Isaac Asimov and Frank Herbert; he does not deserve more than a one-volume biography. The job of any biographer is to edit, edit the life that they are studySee BIOGRAPHIES,
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BIOGRAPHIES, cont’d from page 9 ing. Not every event is important, not every story sold is worth mentioning. This book is every little detail, nuance, and short story sold, even if just for the money. It goes into considerable detail. Heinlein lived an interesting life from joining the Naval Academy, to serving in the Navy until forced to retire for health reasons. He became active in California politics for Upton Sinclair’s bid for governor, and even ran for public office himself. He eventually started writing for the new science fiction pulp magazines. Yet William Patterson does not edit, does not gives us the big moments, instead we have to wade through a mountain of unimportant trivial details to get to the big moments of Heinlein’s life. Heinlein might be a giant in the field of science fiction, but his biography does not deserve two volumes. Reviewed by Kevin Winter America by Motorcycle By Gary Stockbridge iUniverse, $15.95, 163 pages Do you have an occasional bout of wanderlust; but just can’t get away to quench that thirst? Are you in search of a new path to travel in your exploration of this vast land of ours? This book might just be a solution for either of these needs. America by Motorcycle is a collection of road trips with a blend of blue-collar philosophy and a bit of good old Americana thrown in to keep your mind in motion. While this book won’t pass anyone’s test for great literature, that isn’t the point. The author states early on that his intent is to give the reader his personal “feel” for America, experienced through his eyes on a series of personal voyages on his motorcycle. With each chapter, the reader is taken to a new region, complete with the occasional picture, adding local color to the words. Grab your road atlas and follow along as he rides from his home in Massachusetts, heading first to the south to West Virginia before turning west to ride through Ohio and beyond to the Continental Divide, the west coast, and northward nearly to the Canadian border. The author gives enough details about the flavor of the various locales to make the reader want to pay a personal visit. At the mid-point of the book, we learn that this isn’t at all about just wanderlust or motorcycles; but about the author, his life, his family, and insights into why he chooses to wander. It may be Stockbridge’s homage to Robert Pirsig’s book (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance); but for this author it is more personal. America by Motorcycle accomplishes a great deal if the reader desires
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only to follow along on a map or perhaps formulate a route for their own travels; but in fact, it goes beyond by exposing the reasons for the author’s desire to ride the roads of our country. What follows this chapter (Chapter 9) is more of the point-to-point travelogue with more local color and the occasional photo; but the reader is now keyed to the author’s real message. There are more chapters detailing the author’s past, a bit of family history, and more about his philosophy to keep you interested. America by Motorcycle is not a great literary work; but it is an easy read that will cause those fortunate enough to pick it up to think. Is that not what all good books should do? I believe it is. Sponsored Review Confessions of a Veterinarian: (from the side of the road...) By Sandy Thomas Xlibris, $19.99, 176 pages For most of us, our story begins before we are born. It begins with our family. The first part of this memoir is written by the author’s parents, who fled Germany with their families just prior to WWII and settled in the Washington Heights area in New York City. Thomas’s mother humorously recalls a lifetime of poor health and compromised medical care. Her father reminisces about memories of Nazi instructors and early lessons on prejudice, when as a child, he learned that native German Jews felt they were superior to eastern Jews. He also shares his struggles, as an immigrant tradesman, in a rapidly changing furniture business as an expert finisher. Thomas’ parents were proud of both of their daughters’ and their accomplishments’. In the rest of the book, Thomas shares her own journey from lost disillusioned college graduate to single-mom veterinarian. Meet another aspect of Thomas—Daisy, Thomas’s own frustrated alter ego, who always says what she thinks; her dogs Scout and Annie; and various other friends and family through the journal entries and letters that comprise the book. After college, Thomas gave up her vices and begins to explore life in a more enlightened way. As a Jew, she accepted the idea of Jesus Christ and did so without compromising her heritage. She made peace with the God she has known and the one she is coming to know. “The world has never made a lick of sense to me,” according to Thomas, which is why she turned to faith. “Somebody had to make even a little sense out of all this.” Before starting veterinary school, Thomas booked an African vacation that involved cancellations, delays, and lost luggage. A New York to Frankfurt to Nairobi flight be-
came a New York to London to Frankfurt to Paris to Orly—by bus and finally a Nairobi flight. Finally, arriving in Kenya, Thomas bought a few things, still hoping her luggage would materialize. She finds herself on safari wearing the same pair of jeans for a week, stays in a hotel where she is unable to lock the door, and never sees her underwear again. And what could be more frustrating for a 31-year-old-Jewish-woman, from New York than to attend veterinary school in the deep south? Branded a Yankee by Mississippians, destined to be an outcast, Thomas enjoys her own rant about prejudice and so-called southern hospitality. Graduation from veterinary medical school was only one milestone in Thomas’s life. Her real adventure began when, after graduation, Thomas decided she wanted a family. Thomas followed where faith took her and she couldn’t be happier, even if it was to an orphanage in China. Due to the spontaneous nature of Thomas’s musings, the journal entries are sporadic and contain very little foundation; making the reading somewhat challenging. However, this same rawness of style probably elicits an accurate, unpolished characterization of Thomas’s experience. The portion of the book written by her mother is undoubtedly an honest portrayal of selfexamination and an exemplary personality profile. Sponsored Review Catherine of Siena: A Passionate Life By Don Brophy Bluebridge, $24.95, 289 pages “Passionate” is an overused word in our modern world. Nevertheless, it perfectly describes the life of a medieval dyer’s daughter known to the ages as Saint Catherine of Siena. In Catherine of Siena: A Passionate Life, author Don Brophy tells the story of a woman of personal intensity and deep religious faith. When she was just six years old, Catherine saw a vivid vision of Jesus in the sky over her hometown of Siena, Italy. Years later, she went so far as to shear her hair in defiance of her parents’ wishes that she marry. Catherine eventually put on the habit of a Dominican religious tertiary, but the solitude she sought was not to be. Brophy emphasizes the surprising public life of this semi-literate, religious mystic of the 14th century who dared to advise popes and petition for peace among Italian city-states. He skillfully places Catherine in the context of place and time, and applies a balanced approach to the more controversial aspects of her life, such as her extreme fasts. Serious readers will enjoy this biographical gem. Reviewed by Diana Irvine
Lay the Favorite: A Memoir of Gambling By Raymer, Beth Spiegel & Grau, $25.00, 228 pages The book is a coming-of-age tale more than a gambling memoir, although much of the action takes place within the sportsbetting underworld and the major characters are bookmakers. The author is not a traditional gambler, but rather one that makes reckless lifestyle choices through four years of her early adulthood during the 1990s. She works at a detention center, but is fired for letting the girls escape. She works as a home-visit stripper, but quits after one of her clients pulls a gun on her. Finally, she finds her place as a gofer for bookmakers, meeting wild characters in unique situations. The prose is at times engaging, and there are some interesting stories about the author’s training as an amateur boxer, how bookmakers collect their debts, and how the free-spirited author comes to grips with the idea of falling in love. Although perhaps falsely billed as focused on gambling, the book nonetheless provides an interesting look at an intriguing period of the author’s life. Reviewed by Michael Ezra Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man’s Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut By Rob Sheffield Dutton, $25.95, 222 pages This hysterical memoir by Rob Sheffield, a music journalist for Rolling Stone magazine, proves one thing: Sheffield is not at all ashamed to be a fan of pop music from the ’80s. He is candid about his affection for the band Duran Duran and reveals how their songs offered him insight into the female psyche. As someone who grew up during the ’80s, I could easily identify with the morsels of wisdom Sheffield offers up in his memoir. As a shy Irish boy out of Boston, Massachusetts, he craved a not-so-shy girl and looked to the music of the ’80s for inspiration to help him obtain that allusive young woman. He claims, “I always believed rock stars knew more about everything than I did.” He was hungry for guidance from these rock heroes. No one seemed more certain of what girls wanted than Duran Duran, and Sheffield contends that he was sweet on them. Each chapter contains names of pop rock songs from the ’80s that influenced Sheffield’s life. These songs act as a soundtrack to his life, giving him what he believed was sensible advice. Reviewed by Susie Salva
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Science Fiction & Fantasy The Darkslayer: Volume One By Craig Halloran Two-Ten Book Press, $15.00, 276 pages A pure “smash and bang” in-your-face action fantasy, calling back to the days when heroes wore chain-mail and the villains wore cloaks. The story of The Darkslayer focuses on Venir, a muscular, blonde, aleimbibing adventurous hero of Bish, a world galaxies away. Venir is also known as The Darkslayer to the Underlings, a race of hairy humanoids with a fetish for killing humans. Venir might be the key that will free the world of man from the guileful underlings, or he could be the apocalyptic destroyer. In Craig Halloran’s first outing as an author, he shines in giving a compelling narrative. He is able to tell the entire history of the world, and at the same time, plunges back into the main adventure. Every fantasy subspecies is jam-packed into the book. From Giant Dwarfs, to hot chicks in armor, to crafty halflings and the occasional half ogre. The character designs pop in large part to exceptional illustrations by Ernie Chan, whose past works include both Marvel and DC comics. While the main characters will punch a hole in your heart and settle down in it, it is the minor characters that add the depth to the plot. My favorite is Eep, the evil imp from another dimension. Eep may have been evil and nasty, but he had a humanistic loyalty that was admirable. From the causal fantasy subscriber, to the die-hard Tolkienist, everyone will find something to enjoy in the ever expanding world of Bish. Let’s just hope the next installment doesn’t take too long to come out. Sponsored Review
The Last Prince of Tulizia By Malela Werner Xlibris, $19.99, 246 pages The Last Prince of Tulizia is an incredibly dense and detailed work of science fiction. The fantasy world and the characters created by author Malela Werner are built slowly but surely, allowing the reader to settle in to the plot without confusion. The story opens with the tale of a mythical alien kingdom which mirrors our own galaxy, and the Tulizians inhabiting the planet. The story of the royal family no doubt pulls from Werner’s own Congolese heritage and the Biblical story of Joseph, and her inventiveness is engrossing. Unfortunately, when the story switches to Earth to tell of the orphaned Destiny, the narrative grinds to a halt. Destiny is an interesting character but she comes across as aimless and formless until she realizes her destiny is entwined with a mysterious man from Tulizia. The book picks up when Destiny is older, and the chapters switch between her coming of age and the politics and wars on Tulizia. However, the very density that makes the world-building extraordinary bogs down the action and character growth. Both settings suffer from unnecessary description and dialogue that makes the characters fall flat. Despite the flaws therein, The Last Prince of Tulizia is an interesting read and Werner is a very capable writer. Spnsored Review The Book of the Living Dead By John Richard Stephens, Editor Berkley, $15.00, 416 pages Don’t let the title fool you; this is no mere collection of zombie-centric short stories, although that’s what I expected at first blush. Instead I discovered that The Book of the Living Dead is less an assemblage of sto-
ries and more a historical compendium of fiction from beyond the grave. All manner of supernatural creatures are featured in this timeline of literary horror -vampires, zombies, constructs, ghouls, and a virtual shambling horde of walking undead -- as well as some of the most famous names not only of the genre, but in history. Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft rub shoulders with Alexander Pushkin, Washington Irving, Mark Twain and Jack London, exhibiting the rich and varied tapestry of horror writing. Masterpieces such as The Monkey’s Paw and Frankenstein (in excerpts) are offset by lesser-known but no less worthy fare, including F.G. Loring’s The Tomb of Sarah, one of my personal favorites. You’d be hard-pressed to find another collection of chillers so worthy of your time. The Book of the Living Dead is both a tribute and a wondrous example of horror at its finest. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas CHAMPULONS Legions of Doom: The 1st Evolution of the Robotic Era By James Girtmon Xlibris, $19.99, 298 pages Champulons: Legions of Doom is an ambitious novel by up and coming author James R. Girtman. It’s the story of two warring interstellar groups, the DEMARs and the Stargons, as they fight one another in the coming robotic era. Startimus is the leader of the Stargons, at least until he’s captured by a man he didn’t realize was his father, Auldawrun Khaponus, creator of the Stargons. Startimus will face the great DEMAR warrior Ninja-1 on his journey and their stories will become legend in the universe. Champulons is reminiscent of many classic sci-fi movies, especially Star Wars. The
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science fiction aspect doesn’t overpower the characters, who possess depth and recognizably human frailties and heroic flaws. The tension between the opposing interstellar groups, the Starrgons and the DEMARs, is thick as the war rages, conflict is sewn, and heroes are brought low. It’s a good old-fashioned sci-fi romp, well positioned toward hard-core scifi fans. While the writing and dialogue lack polish and the novel as a whole would greatly have benefited from another round of editing, this is an entertaining first novel. Sponsored Review Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance By Williams, Sean LucasBooks, $27.00, 429 pages 3000 years before the events in the original film trilogy, and after decades of conflict, The Republic and the Sith Empire are engaged in a tenuous peace, bordering on cold war. The wreckage of a mysterious ship ends up in the hands of a greedy Hutt, and she invites representatives from both the Republic and the Empire to attend an auction of her find. But with Jedi and Sith skulking about, a double agent in their midst, and a Mandalorean warrior interfering at every turn, the auction is a treacherous situation for all involved. When a threat greater than anyone imagined emerges, can decades-old enemies work together, or will their short-lived alliance crumble and doom the galaxy? See STAR WARS, page 16
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Cooking, Food & Wine Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (Better Homes & Gardens Plaid) By Better Homes & Gardens Wiley, $29.95, 660 pages First published in 1930, with the new 15th edition from Better Homes and Gardens expect an exceptional cookbook. It only takes a brief browsing through the pages to ascertain this to be one of the best cookbooks on the market. The first section includes 32 pages of cooking basics giving cooks anything and everything they need to know about cooking, food, and the kitchen. Each of the 22 sections is preceded by a detailed and very good table of contents and the cookbook ends with an equally detailed, superb and thoroughly cross-referenced index. The 1,400+ recipes are not basic and plain as in the earlier editions; they are updated to contemporary standards. Preparation time and nutritional information are given with each recipe as well as many very good photo illustrations. The writing is simple and easy to follow, listed ingredients are mostly available in any supermarket. There are numerous tips, recipe variations, and step-by-step photo guides given throughout. The front and back inside covers list useful equivalents and emergency substitutions. The book is in a sturdy ring-binder with spill-resistant pages that may be removed during preparation (a blessing for this heavy four-pound book). Reviewed by George Erdosh The Happy Baker: A Girl’s Guide To Emotional Baking By Erin Bolger Harlequin, $17.95, 160 pages In assuming that The Happy Baker would be filled with yummy recipes, I was half right. Tucked in between the sweets are the ups and downs of a single girl’s love life. The Happy Baker is two books for the price of one. First, the cookbook. Easy recipes, without any fancy ingredients or equipment or skills, to discourage beginners. The mouthwatering photographs make you want to preheat the oven this very instant. The only hints of the book’s other half are quirky recipe names: “Just Me, Myself, and Pie”, “I Need a Drink, Irish Crème Fudge”, “I’m Not Dutch, Apple Crisp”. Next, the dating tales. You get the feeling that you and Erin are at her kitchen table (eating cookies, of course) while she tells you her latest escapades. Erin even in-
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cludes a few doodles of the crazy characters that populate her life. The professionalism of the recipe sections is a strong contrast to the “passing notes in homeroom” feel of the personal stories. Somehow it works, reinforcing the feeling that your best friend—a fantastic baker—is sharing her best recipes. Great for wanna-be bakers, newly unattached gals, and those needing a good giggle. Reviewed by Jodi M. Webb The 30-Minute Vegan’s Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes -- From Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls By Mark Reinfeld, Jennifer Murray Da Capo Lifelong Books, $18.95, 266 pages Vegan cuisine’s popularity is rising. No conscious cook’s recipe collection is complete without at least one vegan cookbook. The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of the East is a great way to introduce vegan cooking to your kitchen. Why? Unlike other cuisine, Eastern foods are already mostly dairy-free and adapt easily to meatless adjustments. There’s no need for fake, processed meats in these dishes, so you can comfortably experiment. While tofu makes a standard appearance in recipes such as Chinese Orange-Glazed Tofu and as a substitute for paneer cheese in the Indian dish Tofu in Tomato Cream Sauce, there are plenty of dishes that focus solely on fresh vegetables and grains. Examples include Thai Spicy Sesame Peanut Noodles and Japanese Broccoli and Red Bell Pepper Soba. The flavor explosions of Eastern cuisine come through in practical recipes that span a broad range of countries, including The Philippines, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Vietnam. You’ll find soups, appetizers, desserts, and main courses. Importantly, you’ll find helpful guides to the staple ingredients for each region’s pantry, such as asafetida, turmeric, miso, and lotus root. The kick of hot peppers, blends of exotic spices, and the crispness of fresh vegetables all await you inside the covers of this musttry cookbook. Reviewed by Amber K. Stott Gastropolis: Food and New York City By Hauck-Lawson, Annie Columbia University Press, $19.99, 343 pages This book begins with the food of the Lenapes, travels to the 1624 Dutch arrival in New Amsterdam until 1898, when consolidation of the five boroughs made New York City. It shares the history of types of food
and places, but the book’s major strength is when it develops into a collection of personal stories, giving a unique perspective of New York City’s food. Immigrants make up New York City’s identity. Whether it is a story of food that is Italian, Asian, African American, Chinese, Jewish, Latino, or any of the other multifaceted cultures of the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn or Staten Island, the personal sharing of growing up with these foods, family traditions, and availability of food from so many other cultures is what gives the reader the best taste of New York City. The fusion of different ethnic foods and cooking processes was only natural. The commercial aspect of New York City’s food world is included, from pushcart venders, to food stores, to restaurants of all kinds and ends with a full picture of food, with a story of the hungry city, the sometimes invisible city of the poor in New York City. Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Scattered among the recipes and instructional techniques are Q&A sessions with both contestants and well-known chefs like Wylie Dufresne and Eric Ripert, and a foreword by Rick Bayless, as well as fun pages devoted to biographies, global ingredients, and even top tattoos. As for the food? The recipes run the gamut from appetizers to main courses and desserts, and are both common (Roasted Chicken and Potatoes) and exotic (OilPoached Arctic Char). Perfect for either the die-hard fan, the casual viewer, or even somebody who has never seen the show, How To Cook Like A Top Chef is an incredibly useful cookbook that will have you returning to its pages again and again. Reviewed by Mark Petruska
How to Cook Like a Top Chef By Rick Bayless Chronicle Books, $29.95, 224 pages Top Chef is a popular reality television cooking program on Bravo, and recently picked up an Emmy. Seven seasons in, it’s practically become a brand itself, with several spinoffs, merchandise for sale and, naturally, a series of successful cookbooks. How To Cook Like A Top Chef is the latest. What sets this book apart from the others is its focus on technique. There are recipes, of course. Delicious and varied, and culled from the first six seasons, they are reason alone to pick up this gorgeous and colorful book. In addition to the usual assortment of mouth-watering recipes, How To Cook Like A Top Chef delves into the skills and techniques behind the dishes cooked on air, and functions as an essential how-to guide for anybody who enjoys cooking, regardless of skill level. With step-by-step instructions and photos to guide you along, you’ll learn how to properly slice and dice; filet a fish; prepare fresh pasta; and even plate your food with an artistic flourish.
“The idea of a day’s worth of food as a snapshot in time is the construct of What I Eat.”
What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets By Peter Menzel, Faith D’Aluisio Ten Speed Press, $40.00, 335 pages This highly unusual, monumental book that took several years of field work by the two authors has food and eating habits as its central focal point, but it is an interdisciplinary tome touching culture, cultural anthropology, sociology, and dietary science.
The volume is more of a National Geographic coffee table book rather than one you would place on the kitchen book shelf. It is a book you page through when you have a free half-hour rather than read or open as a reference book. The authors visited 80 people in 30 countries and spent several days studying each person’s typical daily food habits: They weighed each food item, calculated total daily calorie intake, and photographed the people and the foods. For each entry the authors devote two to four pages of high-quality, travel-type photographs, and description of that person’s life style and environment. Although the book is of high quality and designed to be displayed, it is neither a reference book nor typical reading material — too much information is crammed into each entry to have a focal point. Seven food-related essays and a series of “collective wisdom” by well-known foodies give this book an added appeal. Reviewed by George Erdosh
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Religion Life: Its Problems and Some of Its Unanswerable Questions By Dr. Nicholas La Bianca Xlibris, $29.99, 105 pages Imagine your perfect life … a world filled with peace, harmony, everyone living out their own dreams. Life: IIts Problems and Some of its Unanswerable Questions written by Dr. Nicholas La Bianca is a refreshingly thought-provoking look at our nation and humanity from a bird’s-eye point of view without judgment or classification. La Bianca takes readers on a journey of selfreflection into what is important in life and what is not. Each chapter addresses different topics such as who we are, why we are here, our government, our educational system, religions of all denominations, and then, scoops it all up with possible solutions never wavering in his own belief that it is achievable for us to get along and accommodate, and embrace our differences. It lacks the fundamental step-by-steps that would need to be taken for the improvements in society that the author recommends but the facts are irrefutable and the intent in favor of a need for a better life is undeniable.IIAt first glance, it seems the title is negligent in its magnanimous effort to portray the book’s actual contents but in fact, Life – It’s Problems and Some of its Unanswerable Questions is precisely what the book is about, sincerely so. Life’s problems are accurately identified, discussed, laid out in an almost global-view.
Then the author cleverly, yet with a quiet softness, invites the truth giving hope a clean perspective into the reader’s own insight as to what the problems really are and what we, both individually and as a people, can do to potentially fix them. At times, it presents itself sugar-coated and a bit unrealistic in today’s economy, but this narrative allows essential contemplation and evaluation of change in the hearts and minds of us all. Pictures included in every chapter are apropos to the subject matter but the
graphics are low quality making it difficult to truly utilize the information. This book is endearing and leaves the reader feeling inspired. Sponsored Review Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India By William Dalrymple Knopf, $26.95, 276 pages A much-awarded travel writer, documentary filmmaker, and historian, Dalrymple
returns to travel writing, but not so much about place as with nine short, linked stories about people in the Indian landscape taking different religious paths, whether ascetic or sensual. Rather than the usual condeSee NINE, page 17
Most of the people go through life trying to cope with the immediate physical needs that the everyday life presents and very rarely try to explain to themselves in a rational way the reason for being on this earth. Religion, for the most of them, answers all the questions that may come to their mind, and each one comes up with a personal explanation for them. Because different religions usually have different answers, many try to find out in a rational way what are the correct answers and how people should live in order to better fulfill their destiny as human beings. This book tries to raise some of these questions and tries to bring forth feasible solutions to allow all people to strive for the common good.
“A refreshingly thought-provoking look at our nation and humanity from a bird’s-eye point of view without judgment or classification.” --San Francisco/Sacramento Book Reviews
On Sale Now! ISBN 9781436372299
For more information on this and other books by Dr. La Bianca, go to:
www.drnicklabs.com
The Book of Eli By Sam Moffie, Devra Bastiaens, Editor Mill City Press, $14.99, 147 pages One day, an ordinary American male–– working, married, with kids––wakes up in Heaven. The surprise comes because Eli Canaan has led a lessthan-saintly life. True, he’s a nice guy: he recycles, coaches his kid’s team, helps his wife with the laundry and his children with homework, walks the dog. But he cheats on his wife regularly. So what’s he doing in Heaven? In Moffie’s Heaven, adulterers are sent back to Earth as alley cats. Groucho Marx, smoking a cigar, cracking jokes, and arching his eyebrows, is the tour guide. He shows Eli around Heaven, explaining, among other
things, that the absence of cats or dogs is not because D-O-G is God spelled backwards, but because people reincarnate as pets: Good people as well-treated pets, bad ones as abused animals. Eli’s tour of Heaven provides a humorous framework for discussion of serious fundamentalist Christian theology, as well as popular psychological and conservative political ideas. Sigmund Freud, for example, analyzes Eli and uses AA vocabulary to lecture him genially about sex addiction. A shimmering Jesus reviews the Ten Commandments, scoring Eli’s performance, chastising him for his fixations, and urging him to observe the spirit, as well as the letter of the law. But Jesus, laughing in the symphonic tones of Mozart, reminds Eli to keep things light; after all, even the Twelve Apostles were cutups. Eli’s meeting with Madalyn Murray O’Hair, an atheist for whom a stint in Heav-
en is pure Hell, opens a discussion of sex education and the ban on prayer in public schools, followed by the Catholic Church’s obligation to pay property taxes; Eli’s meeting with Ayn Rand initiates a forum on libertarian political ideals. Eli even gets advice from Moses, Mohammed, and Buddha. Moffie’s jokes add spice to topics that some readers might otherwise find tedious. Some jokes are a bit discomfiting. Eli’s Jewish, for example, yet he does not seem bothered by Jesus’ jokes about Jews, like this one: “Why don’t Jewish mothers drink wine? Answer—Because it will interfere with their suffering.” Throughout Eli’s tour and meetings with dignitaries, Eli dreads being sent back to earth as an alley cat—the fate of adulterers. But God, speaking in the voice of Orson Welles, has other plans for Eli. Sponsored Review
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Available at Amazon.com www.thebookofeli.mobi www.samsstories.com
Philosophy
“Eli’s tour of Heaven provides a humorous framework for discussion of serious fundamentalist Christian theology, as well as popular psychological and conservative political ideas. ”
--San Francisco & Sacramento Book Reviews
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Travel The Smart Family’s Passport: 350 Money, Time & Sanity Saving Tips By Nina Wildorf Quirk Books, $14.95, 224 pages The Smart Family’s Passport is small enough to stash in your carry-on without having to leave something at home. Its smart layout and design makes for easy reading and topic location. There are numerous tips in each chapter to help families travel for less money, less time, and less stress. “To avoid blisters during a hike, spray some antiperspirant on your ankles and heels just before setting out. It works just as it does under your arms—it prevents sweat, which, when combined with friction, is what usually causes the painful sores. It may sound odd, but I swear it really helps!” Take for example, the idea to pack a few extra Ziploc bags in various sizes for wet clothing, leftover food, your camera, and as a rain bonnet just in case, or the suggestion to use cut-up pieces from a plastic table cloth as a baby changing pad. Whether you are traveling with a large group, babies, small children or alone, the tips in this book were written for you by folks just like you. This is the type book that can be read over and over again, allowing
you to see a new perspective on an old tip. Be sure to pick up your copy before you start planning your next trip then pack it on the top to take with you. Reviewed by Linda Welz Volunteer: A Traveller’s Guide to Making a Difference Around By Lonely Planet Lonely Planet, $19.99, 272 pages When all’s said and done, volunteers are simply unpaid helpers. As described in Lonely Planet’s Volunteer: a Traveller’s Guide to Making a Difference around the World, the pay-off replacing the pay is a rewarding sense of accomplishment. Find a volunteer niche within the pages, whatever you’d like to do and wherever. The book takes you through the practicalities in careful detail, leaving no questions unanswered, and separating reality from dreams before launching into the opportunities. Whether volunteering means teaching at a school in a tumultuous Asian city or in an isolated mountain community, rebuilding a French mediaeval village or joining a religious group in a mission setting, the ‘how tos’ of finding a spot is explained. The book’s details include the costs--such as plane
fares--as volunteering does tend to involve some expenses. Volunteer reaches out to everyone from teenagers hoping to make their gap year worthwhile to oldies who are finding retirement a let-down, and all ages in between. Rather than list hundreds of actual volunteer posts, the book’s purpose is to direct readers to organizations seeking volunteers and to suggest go-it-alone options. Reviewed by Jane Manaster Tuscany and Umbria: The Collected Traveler By Barrie Kerper Vintage, $19.00, 614 pages This ambitious collection of stories, articles, advice, and interviews on these northern Italian regions boasts contributions by well-known food critics, professors, magazine editors and novelists such as Erica Jong, Frances Mayes and David Leavitt. There is a wealth of personal recollections, suggested reading, opinions, tips and travel information. Tuscany and Umbria: The Collected Traveler works well as a general showcase for all things Italian, but only in part as a regional reference. It explains much of Italian culture and lifestyle, while it demonstrates why this particular region has become such an international destination. As an on-site travel guide, however, the profusion of quotes, extraneous recipes, overabundant reading recommendations, historical references, inconsequential opinions, and tangential
memoirs renders it much too cumbersome. It would be problematic for someone en route to research any of its contents; even the A-Z section of miscellaneous items is uneven and unorganized. The included photographs do justice to neither Italy nor the text it accompanies, and should have been omitted. As a preparatory guidebook, these back-road pointers could provide some insight to the serious traveler with spare time. Nevertheless, such a wealth of cultural knowledge demands more focus, better organization and serious editing. Reviewed by Richard Mandrachio
Home & Garden Growing Roots: The New Generation of Sustainable Farmers, Cooks, and Food Activists Stories and Recipes from Young People Eating What they Sow By Katherine Leiner Sunrise Lane Productions, $35.00, 303 Pages Growing up working in an organic vegetable garden is something quite magical. I was fortunate enough to have parents that believed in composting, saving seeds, using non-chemical fertilizers, and natural methods of pest control, not to mention saving to buy land to grow food on. Married with kids of my own, the first thing we did after buying a house was take out the ornamental, water-hogging landscaping in half of the backyard and put in a 20x20 organic vegetable garden...something that the whole family takes part in learning about
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and caring for. Stories of folks and families just like ours across America are the focal point of Growing Roots a gardening, nutrition and healthy-living book by Katherine Leiner. I liked this book for three reasons: 1. it wasn’t some a uber-green-party browbeating session on lazy, fat consumers, 2. it offered real stories of real folks with real solutions for a variety of sustainable gardening/farming, 3. each contributor offered a parting gift: healthy recipes almost anyone can make. I was so encouraged after reading this piece. From New York to California, more and more folks are re-discovering they can indeed grow and raise with own food, slowly and surely producing more than they consume. “Where will our food come from when these typical American farmers finally throw in the towel, which they have every right to do?” Reviewed by Meredith Greene
DIY Art at Home: 28 Simple Projects for Chic Decor on the Cheap By Lola Gavarry Watson-Guptill, $21.99, 144 pages There’s an artist inside each of us. Have you ever seen a great art piece that you could envision in your home, but you were disappointed because it was too costly to purchase? French designer Lola Gavarry has put together a great book of art projects that rival some of today’s contemporary artists’ work at a fraction of the cost. With the do-it-yourself approach, athome artists can customize works to the last detail, to their individual taste. Chapter 1 gives a helpful overview of materials, tools, and supplies needed to try your hand at any of the projects in Chapters 2 through 6, with focus on projects appropriate for living spaces, kitchens, bedrooms, offices and more. Each project is well presented with information on approximate time needed to complete the piece, reference to the specific pattern template (all 28 patterns are in-
cluded at the back of the book), as well as materials, brush sizes and types, and paint colors used to create the piece as shown in the book. Full color photos take the reader/artist step-by-step through the creation process. The various designs will appeal to every taste, with easy projects ranging from whimsical to contemporary, modern, rustic and nature-inspired. These do-it-yourself projects will add flair and style to any home. Your friends will wonder how you managed to afford such an amazing art piece. DIY Art At Home: 28 Simple Projects for Chic Decor on the Cheap will likely inspire you to create something extraordinary. Reviewed by Laura Friedkin
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History Inheritance: The Story of Knole and the Sackvilles By Robert Sackville-West Walker & Company, $26.00, 293 pages Inheritance is penned by a Sackville-West (the 7th Lord Sackville, to be exact), who presents a lovely, but candid, story of his ancestry and the manor house, around which thirteen generations of Sackvilles have based their lives. The most famous member of this family is Vita Sackville-West, but those who’ve come before and after Vita are equally fascinating. But of greater importance is Knole, the Kent home of the Sackvilles, which the author shows has been both a point of obsession and a millstone around their necks throughout history. The author’s writing shines when describing this 365-room house and its treasures; his vivid awe of the history steeped in Knole’s foundations echoed in the excerpts of description written by his ancestors. Though Inheritance is engrossing, the chapters dealing with the Sackvilles of the latter half of the 20th century fall flat-perhaps because the author is too close to reveal anything of importance?--though one is both sympathetic and critical of the decline of the English country house. Nevertheless, Inheritance is an exciting tale and a must-read for lovers of English history and manor homes, as well as anyone who wishes to understand the effect Knole had upon Vita Sackville-West--and Virginia Woolf. Reviewed by Angela Tate H.L. Mencken: Prejudices: The Complete Series By H.L. Mencken, Marion Rodgers, Editor Library of America, $70.00, 1408 pages H.L. Mencken was a cultural, artistic, movie critic of the early 20th century in the United States, between 1917 to 1926. He tackled the issues facing Americans of the day, from Communists and Leftists, to Conservatives and Fascists. No one was safe from his glare. He went after authors he felt were unworthy of praise; and for those authors worthy of praise that fell short, he attacked with both wit and charm. In this two-volume collection, the Library of America gives us the entire collection of Mencken’s work; his attacks on Prohibition, criticizing Mark Twain and Jack London as hacks and unworthy of remembrance. These two volumes are worthy of being republished, because it gives the reader a look
at what good columnists are supposed to do, be witty and be aggressive. His writing style might seem outdated to modern readers, and hard for many readers to follow. Mr. Mencken does not use small words, and his sentences and paragraphs can be quite lengthy. But for those brave enough to delve into the cultural history of 20th century United States this is well worth the trip. Reviewed by Kevin Winter Lee: Goodness In Action By John Perry Thomas Nelson, $19.99, 225 pages Perry’s snapshot of General Robert E. Lee is remarkable in its brevity. The effort is not designed to reveal some hidden secret, but to remind us, seven generations after the Civil War, of the qualities that beget greatness, even in the face of defeat. The title, Goodness in Action, begs the question of slavery, and why anyone of moral character would fight to uphold it. Perry is quick to point out the fallacy of assuming Lee fought for slavery. Instead, we are treated to a taste of the torment of a leader, torn by duty and honor to family, country, and countrymen: a man who at the risk of disgrace, would not raise his sword against his fellow Virginians; a man who in the face of Sherman’s slash-and-burn tactics, defied the orders of Confederate President Davis to continue the fight after Richmond’s fall in guerrilla warfare. This powerfully compact biography of Lee focuses on his intrinsic moral character, and how it shaped everything from his battle tactics to the treatment of his troops. This book is the second in a series on generals, published as a set by Thomas Nelson, and is recommended for emerging students of the Civil War. Reviewed by Casey Corthron The Firm: The Inside Story of the Stasi By Gary Bruce Oxford University Press, $34.95, 239 pages The title covers more than the contents. This is actually an analysis of Stasi control of only two of the 217 political districts in East Germany. One of them, Gransee, was the site of at least two concentration camps under the Nazis, as well as the IG Farben factory that made poison gas. Gary Bruce may have set out to write the inside story of East Germany’s secret police, but the result is a hodge-podge. Part scholarly analysis, part mass market appeal in the form of details of individual operations, and part po-
litical analysis of the Stasi’s power in East Germany. “In 1989, there were 91,000 full-time employees and 173,000 informants. … in the course of GDR history, a quarter million East Germans were full-time Stasi workers and nearly 600,000 were informants.” None of these approaches goes far enough. More is needed on how ordinary people coped and the political views of the senior officers. But it confirms that the Stasi became clogged by its own clumsy apparatus, which was a blessing as the effects of an efficient secret police would have made the lives of many more people miserable. Millions of reports were churned out; many made up to curry favor with the regime and others because of resentment or envy against a neighbor or superior. This is a minor reference work compared to other accounts of the Stasi. Reviewed by Martin Rushmere Scoundrels in Law: The Trials of Howe and Hummel, Lawyers to the Gangsters, Cops, Starlets, and Rakes Who Made the Gilded Age By Cait N. Murphy Smithsonian, $26.99, 352 pages Howe and Hummel were the best-known criminal lawyers in New York City for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. At a time when corruption invaded all levels of society, from the police to the judicial system to the state and national political system and throughout business and the stock markets, no one played the game better than these two distinguished lawyers. From their small building in the midst of the madness in lower Manhattan, Howe and Hummel served rich and poor, guilty and innocent, perpetrator and victim with impunity, accessing both the highest and lowest echelons of post-Civil War society. Cait Murphy’s second book attempts to capture these two men, and in some ways she succeeds admirably. They are certainly a fascinating pair, and the glimpse we get of everyday life in nineteenth-century New York in the midst of the Gilded Age is riveting. But as a biographical work, the gaps in the portrait are too large to ignore. Despite their fame, little is known of Howe and Hummel outside of their professional lives, and this creates a lack of cohesion in the
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story. What the reader is left with is a collection of stories, and while they are nicely executed and often hilarious, there is nothing to bind them together. The several glaring typos and lack of editorial consistency don’t help matters, either. Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell Roman Britain By Richard Russell Lawrence Shire, $15.95, 80 pages From Shire publications comes a great new series known as the Shire Living Histories: “How we worked; how we played; how we lived,” detailing the history of Britain. The series begins with a strong start in Roman Britain, from AD 40-400, covering this important time in history when Britain was a distant and important part of the Roman Empire, providing important natural resources. Written by Richard Russell Lawrence, Roman Britain is filled with colorful pictures, photographs of current sites and settlements, drawings and illustrations. During this period, Britain was going through its first “invasion,” essentially, from a Celtic and Druidic way of life to the organized and processed way of Rome. At the end of the Roman Empire, Britain was essentially abandoned by Rome, yet many important systems and processes that had been established by the Romans continued to be used in Britain, which is what makes Roman Britain such an important read. At the end of the book is a detailed index providing quick referencing, as well as a couple of pages on “Places to Visit” in modern-day Britain to learn of Roman Britain. Whether you’re an avid historian, someone taking a class on this period, or someone who would just like to learn a little more about the effect the Romans had on the Britons, Roman Britain will provide you with all the answers and more. Reviewed by Alex C. Telander The Korean War: A History By Cumings, Bruce Modern Library, $24.00, 288 pages Many students of history gloss over the Korean War. Yet this war was important, it was the first of a new type of war. A guerrilla war, one in which we did not know who the enemy was. Author Bruce Cumings gives the Korean War life and breath that it richly deserves. He makes the argument that the Korean War See HISTORY, cont’d page 16
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HISTORY, cont’d from page 15 was a civil war between two factions, those that collaborated with the Japanese Imperialists (South), and those that fought against them when Japan occupied Korean (North). The United States took a stand and intervened in this long running conflict on the side of the South and drew a line at the 38th parallel. This is an informative and controversial book. Mr. Cumings gives a picture of Korea long before and long after the fighting stopped, that the Koreans have a long memory and that this conflict from 19501953 was just another fight between the two sides. Hopefully this book will lead to a more balanced history of the Korean War. Reviewed by Kevin Winter The Grand Design: Strategy and the U.S. Civil War By Donald Stoker Oxford University Press, $27.95, 512 pages Donald Stoker is a Professor of Strategy and Policy at the US Naval War College’s Naval Postgraduate School and he offers an in-depth look at the strategies used and mishandled in the Civil War in ways that other authors never have. Winning the war wasn’t a forgone conclusion or a matter of the North having more resources than the South, the North won because they developed strategic responses to each and every facet of the war that worked more often than they failed. “The superiority of Union resources certainly played a part, but resources in and of themselves do not win wars.” Jefferson Davis was a West Point graduate and therefore knew how to battle, yet failed when it came to having complete political goals which ultimately led to the South losing support of territories and basic supplies. Lincoln, a savvy politician, had a clear vision of what to do and how to do it, but lacked the support of capable generals to carry out that vision. The Grand Design is not for your basic Civil War buff, but it is an intense read on tactics, operations, and strategies that lead you to a deeper understanding of what we were really fighting for and how chance, vision, and perseverance are actually led to the restoration of the country. Reviewed by Gwen Stackler
MARY MAE, cont’ from page 8 ible. The dialect takes some getting used to but it adds to the characters as they come alive in their rural Ohioan ways. A delightful and surprisingly educational read. Reviewed by M. Chris Johnson
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Field Guide to California Agriculture By Paul F. Starrs and Peter Goin University of California Press, $24.95, 504 pages One can’t live in California for very long without realizing that a vast portion of the state is all about agriculture. An estimated 300 to 400 different crops and agricultural products are created, grown and tended in California; and it is the world’s fifth largest supplier of food and agriculture commodities. Starrs and Goin have created a sort of encyclopedia of California agriculture by including sections on the individual products, regions, growing times and most interestingly, the history and people of agriculture. There is a vast amount of information to digest with growing dates, ranks, Latin nomenclature, the history of how each product came to California, and the accompanying pictures tell the very colorful story. However, this is not a traditional field guide. If the reader is looking for a book that is going to help him or her identify crops as they are flying along Interstate 5, like a bird guide will help you identify birds flying over your car, this is not the book. It will leave you with a better understanding of what makes California a contender in the world’s economy and a grasp of what those vast fields mean to all of us. Reviewed by Gwen Stackler An Unlikely Prince By Niccolo Capponi Da Capo Press, $26.00, 360 pages Historian Niccolo Capponi, author of the highly-regarded Victory of the West, returns to provide a new perspective on the life of his many-great grandfather Niccolo Machiavelli. As a direct descendant of the famous writer and politician, Capponi may be suspected of having ulterior motives, but his evenhanded, compelling history of his relative that he delivers removes any doubt to either his prejudices or to his skill as a writer. Machiavelli has been the subject of countless biographies, but Capponi takes a unique approach by addressing his subject, first through the city he lived in. Indeed, Florence is as much the subject of this biography as Machiavelli. With all of the tangled plots and networks in the political world of fifteenth-century Florence, the book can at times drag under the sheer weight of
history, but Capponi has a deft touch and moves the reader along nicely. With a good pace and a quality subject, the reader is soon absorbed into the Florentine world, and the view of Machiavelli from that perspective may surprise even the most learned Machiavelli scholar. Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell The Taktika of Leo VI By Leo VI with text, translation and commentary by George T. Dennis Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, $60.00, 690 pages Military manuals are generally dry and boring. This is like many other military manuals, yet it is different at the same time. It was compiled by the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI, who put together many ancient tactical manuals into one giant manual for his military leaders. It covers all aspects of warfare, training the men, and moving through the countryside. It also covers the military tactics of other groups of people, such as the Muslims. While at times dry and factual, it gives us a window into the world of the Byzantine Empire in the late 800s and early 900s. The empire faced almost constant warfare with neighboring groups of people, whether local tribes or invading Islamic warriors. This is a book for people who love military history and want a firsthand look at what it takes to lead an army in the Byzantine Empire, how the army functions and was organized. It is also a great resource for students and scholars; it is no longer just available in the Greek, translated here for the first time. Reviewed by Kevin Winter
NOMANSLAND, cont’ from page 8 and isolated. As I kept reading, I forgot the similarities between the books. I love seeing how the characters react and interpret the modern stuff they find. I love the cover, and how fitting the title is! But I wish there were more excitement and exploration of other places away from the town, and more oneon-one interactions with the men! I look at the ending, and it’s a great ending. But I wish the story was more in-depth. For example, Keller, a main character, interacts more with the men or travels to unknown land, because the perspective you get when you read it is you have a feel for the homeland and you don’t know what’s out there or how isolated you are. If she traveled, you would really see the difference between their way of life and how isolated they REALLY are. Overall, it was good, and it made me think about the whys of their life and where fiction is going. Reviewed by Amanda Muir
STAR WARS, cont’ from page 8 Fatal Alliance, a spinoff of The Old Republic video game, offers a slower pace than your standard Star Wars fare. But with so many new characters and factions to represent, I welcomed the gradual build of the story. Even as a thoroughly obsessive Star Wars fan, the setting took me a little getting used to, as I didn’t have the background of the video game’s established universe. Williams does an admirable job balancing the numerous galactic and personal rivalries at play, all while introducing readers to the complex politics of the setting. It’s no small task to provide backstory for a dozen players without bogging down the narrative, and I never felt I had to wait too long to get back into the thrust of the novel. The novel’s greatest accomplishment is taking the reader behind the scenes of the Sith Empire, shedding light on one of the most shadowy corners of the Star Wars universe. The interplay between apprentice Eldon Ax and her master Darth Chratis deftly highlights the contradictory nature of their mentorship -- his duty to train someone who will eventually try to kill him, while she bides her time under his brutal instruction, waiting for her chance to strike down a valuable resource. It’s a fascinating relationship, and one rarely explored in the novels. On the flip side, Shigar Konshi is your standard conflicted Jedi, struggling to prove himself to his unflappable master. There’s not a lot of new ground covered here, but Shigar has a few very engaging scenes later in the book. He could evolve into a more enthralling character in follow-up novels. His partner, disgraced former trooper Larin Moxla, is more interesting, but I was mildly disappointed by the multiple romantic interests for Larin, which made her look more flighty than emotionally vulnerable. While Fatal Alliance is far from perfect, it is a deeper and more ambitious effort than the average Star Wars novel. If you’ve never read a Star Wars novel before, it’s not a bad place to start. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
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Self-Help Phantom Stress: Brain Training to Master Relationship Stress By Phillip Romero Xlibris, $19.99, 186 pages Phillip Romero is a practicing child and family psychiatrist and developer of Logosoma Brain Training. Logosoma Brain Training combines Buddhist mindfulness with cognitive evolution and developmental sociobiology to deal with what Romero terms “phantom stress” or a stress response caused by a benign stimulus from a negative emotional memory. Often times, overreactions to what might seem as minor events are caused by these old stresses that are triggered by a current event, yet are almost completely unconscious in their origin. His book, Phantom Stress is a concise introduction to phantom stress, how old emotional damage can increase your current stress levels and how to overcome it to be more fully balanced and emotionally connected to yourself and those around you. The first third of Phantom Stress is an introduction to how stress works in one’s life and some tests and checklists for analyzing the types and amounts of stress one faces. The second two-thirds of the book is an introduction to the four steps of Logosoma Brain Training – Refuse the Stress Conversation, Refocus Your Attention, Reflect to Connect and Reconnect with the Power of We. There are both practical examples, worksheets and sample discussions on facing one’s own phantom stress and the relationships that bring it out. While there are plenty of guides to making one’s life better or reducing the stress one feels, Phantom Stress is very practical, easy to read, and easy to use, so should be of use to many people dealing with chronic stress. Sponsored Review Giving Voice to Values: How to Speak Your Mind When You Know What’s Right By Mary C. Gentile Yale University Press, $26.00, 268 pages Giving Voice to Values claims that most people are pragmatic and have already decided what is right and wrong when they encounter work situations that conflict with their values. Gentile argues that many people mistakenly believe they must work up the courage to speak their mind about unethical work
directives. She advocates that by finding our voice, recognizing common rationalizations for unethical decisions, and reframing the conflict so executives can entertain more appropriate courses of action we will be empowered to speak our values without sounding preachy. The book reads like an academic treatise but redeems itself with practical examples and solutions. I liked Gentile’s advice that some jobs will experience reoccurring ethical conflicts and it’s wise to prepare a script to deal with them. She points out that in most organizations there are many people who want to voice their values so we are less isolated than we think. She warns that speaking up is not without risk. I admired her example of the executive who kept a rainy-day fund and rejected job perks so he was not at a personal disadvantage should he need to leave his employer over a conflict in values. Good and timely advice these days. Reviewed by Grady Jones Long Fuse, Big Bang: Achieving LongTerm Success Through Daily Victories By Eric Haseltine Hyperion, $24.99, 242 pages In Long Fuse, Big Bang: Achieving LongTerm Success Through Daily Victories, author Eric Haseltine, a Ph.D. in physiological psychology, applies his understanding of the workings of the human brain to analyze the successes of individuals in diverse fields from aerospace to entertainment. Told largely through a series of narratives on successful individuals such as Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, to Louis Pasteur, one of the first doctors to recognize the need for a sterile environment in medicine, Haseltine advances his main idea that humans as a species are evolved to thrive on short-term rather than long-term gratification: Tomorrow we might be dead, after all, has been the reality we’ve lived with for most of our history. Working with this need for immediate gratification and building toward a big pay-off has led to the success of individuals smart enough to recognize the tendency. Haseltine’s theory makes intuitive sense, and the book is certainly inspirational —at least enough for me to get started on several of those long-term projects, now that I recognize the need to reward myself incrementally in the process. Reviewed by Stacia Levy
Is It Just Me?: The Modern Woman’s Survival Guide By Shane Watson Plume, $15.00, 256 pages Author and journalist Shane Watson gives us a wake-up call regarding women and aging in her book Is It Just Me?. Shane is living in the real world. Her target audience is women forty plus—not women who believe 30 is the new 50. Technology can make you believe anything. “Give yourself a break. Or write a message on your palm: We are making changes. Thank you for your patience.” This author helps women to understand we are living in an era like never before. Looking for the fountain of youth is ancient behavior. Today, women utilize the services of plastic surgeons the moment they see a bulge, and that is their prerogative. This book is for middle-aged women who want to age gracefully. This author married for the first time in her mid-40s. There are no more labels for spinsters. However, too many women believe they can still dress like they used to. Do you look like you used to look? If you want to age naturally and gracefully, it is wise to understand the definition of age appropriate—not life appropriate. Watson admits some women can get away with anything. You must ask yourself, is that woman you? Middle-aged women are still beautiful and sexy. Don’t worry about your bestfriends. Just be you. Reviewed by Vivian Dixon Sober
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NINE, cont’d from page 13 scending western approach to the “mystic” religions of the east, the author actually interviews nine individuals in very different areas of India, speaking eight different languages, all impacted by modernity with a brutal vengeance. He’s erudite, but he lets the characters speak. Tashi Passang, for example, a Buddhist monk in Tibet until the Chinese invasion in 1959, took up arms against the Chinese and now lives in exile in the Indian Himalaya attempting to atone for his killing, which is contrary to the central tenet of Buddhism -nonviolence. Lal Peri, a Sufi woman, dances ecstatically even as fundamental Islamic Wahhabism assaults her rival comprehension of Islam. Whether through loving devotion, selfless action, singing, philosophical yearning, or renunciation, Dalrymple discovers even religious belief is becoming centralized in India, and these nine individuals can be barely tolerated by the onslaught of the modern state. Certainly the story of Manisha Ma Bhairavi is unforgettable as she recounts her life in a Calcutta cremation ground, surrounded by skulls, practicing Tantra, worshipping the goddess Tara, as yuppie businessmen flock to the site in the night seeking domestic and business success through animal sacrifice. After finishing Dalrymple’s extraordinary book about these extraordinary individuals, and all the contradictions in themselves and India itself (just as anywhere), I realize each of us lives in our own universe, and infinite lives. Reviewed by Phil Semler
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Science & Nature The Music Instinct: How Music Works and Why We Can’t Do Without It By Philip Ball Oxford University Press, $29.95, 452 pages If you love music and yearn to know more about it, this scientific tome is likely to disappoint you. The book is the result of a monumental research on every aspect of music and its relationship to humans from primitive to modern. “…it is meaningless to imagine a culture that has no music, because music is an inevitable product of human intelligence.” Don’t expect easy reading—this is a scientific treatise where a dictionary will be handy next to your reading material. It was written for musicologists, ethnomusicologists, and other scientists in related fields. The writing is not easy and often takes all your concentration to comprehend it. The chapters are conveniently broken up into smaller subsections with many nice illustrations and extensive sidebars. Numerous quotations and page footnotes verify the scientific nature of this book, as well as separate extensive sections of both notes and reference sections at the end of the book A note by the author precedes the text giving a web link to musical examples given in the book, a feature that makes this book truly complete. This study will probably be on the shelf of many musicologists and musicians but probably no on many readers of casual musical interest. Reviewed by George Erdosh Green Pieces: Green from the Pond Up By Drew Aquilina Mariposa Press, $19.99, 195 pages Don’t you miss the old fashioned comic strips? What if you came across one that wasn’t only funny, but also informative and educational? That’s exactly what author and cartoonist Drew Aquilina accomplished with Green Pieces: Green from the Pond Up. Through the main characters, Iggman, Radic, Roc, and Cabby, the reader is made to feel like they are right at home at the pond. Drew has been interested in nature since he was a young boy and always wondered what the animals were thinking while looking at us humans. Green Pieces is written from the animals perspective which lends a comical
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twist to this comic strip. Not only do you follow the four main characters throughout the book, but are also introduced to other animals such as geese, sheep, and deer. These lend a bit of a break in the main story lines that kids and parents alike will appreciate. Aquilina’s illustrations are unsurpassable. He truly brings to life the animals at the pond. These days, being green is the new “it” thing. Although Green Pieces deals with environmental issues like human waste and pollution, it does so in a way that doesn’t make the reader feel bombarded with “going green” demands. He uses the main characters to bring these issues to light through their eyes. I can’t say enough good things about Green Pieces: Green from the Pond Up or about Drew Aquilina. This book should be in every home and every classroom across America. It will soon be released in full color which will only further bring these animals to life. For a daily dose of Green Pieces check out www.greenpiecescartoons.com. Listen to Jennifer LeBrun’s interview with Green Pieces: Green from the Pond Up author Drew Aquilina on sanfranciscobookreview.com. Reviewed by Jennifer LeBrun A Personal Journey into the Quantum World: God’s Silent World By Jean Paul Corriveau iUniverse, $36.95, 607 pages Quantum physics is usually a reserved topic of conversation for those who understand its very nature. As Jean Paul Corriveau writes in the preface of his book A Personal Journey Into the Quantum World, “Quantum physics is weird simply because it deals with things so incredibly small that its domain is beyond our imagination.” So why write a book that is “beyond our imagination?” The short answer: to bring it into perspective within the imagination. Corriveau has written— more or less—a userfriendly expose on quantum physics, but more importantly, neither a PhD nor even a basic understanding of physics is needed. Corriveau has taken abstract topics and given them personalities that easily speak to readers. At each chapter’s start, Corriveau breaks down each topic so they are readily absorbed in the causal reader’s imagination. Broken down into ten chapters and six appendices, A Personal Journey Into the Quantum World discusses topics such as, “What Is Matter?”, “What Is Space?”, “What Is Time?”, “Why Is Time Relative?”, and “What Makes Motion Possible?”
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void By Mary Roach Norton, $25.95, 334 pages
Packing for Mars is an engaging book. It clarifies just what a trip to Mars means. Mary Roach explains this by allowing the contents to fall upon the human aspect of space travel. She refers to it as, “the curious science of life in the void.” Through a powerful resource of information, she engages the reader with a continuous reference to human functioning in space. Just as I envisioned a lunar base as a staging site for a Mars launch, Roach embraced the idea in an effort to validate a 2030s Mars date. She lists a broad measure of choices to enable a Mars mission to even be considered. Aside from obvious biological needs, the sheer volume of supplies that are required is staggering. At the heart is a host of recycling plans.The planners figured out how to desalinate urine and remove offensive chemicals, making a palatable beverage. This necessitated the need to consider recycling the enormous amounts of solid bio waste. It could be dehydrated, sterilized and then re-hydrated, providing solid foodstuffs, it was argued. But this process raised more eyebrows than originally thought and was promptly abandoned in favor of a more practical solution—sending dehydrated food ahead of the mission on unmanned flights. The book is rich with ideas that include everything imaginable in order to carry out such a journey. Although I salute Mary Roach for having examined every possible angle, I was annoyed by the use of such remarks as, “One furry step for mankind” and “Houston, we have a fungus,” to portray her vision of humor. These served only to distract the reader from her main message. Otherwise, the book is well worth a read. Reviewed by D. Wayne Dworsky Building upon these and other basic understandings of physics, Corriveau saves the best for last as he delves into the more heavy topics of quantum physics, like “What Created Life?” and “Is There an Afterlife?” Both are topics of much debate in the argument of whether or not God exists. Corriveau weighs in on both age-old questions armed with the rationale of quantum physics to answer these questions. Whether you are physicist or just in search of new theories to ponder, A Personal Journey Into the Quantum World will surely open up new avenues for your mind to travel. Sponsored Review The Evolution of Childhood By Melvin Konner Harvard University Press, $39.95, 943 pages This book is not a weekend read. An elaborate 17-page introduction starts the book in motion. The book proper begins on page 37 and even so, it still provides some 720 pages of content above and beyond the front matter and a prodigious prologue. This is not to demerit
the book at all. Konner’s work was clearly meant for the reflective reader. The reader is plunged into a deep chasm of human interactions, in all their complexities and farreaching social implications. What is this author trying to say? About human evolution? About the evolution of childhood? He makes a profound point about two rather important areas of concern: the growth of language in Chapter 9, and the growth of sex and gender differences as described in Chapter 10. These two characteristics clearly distinguish Homo sapiens from other, higher mammals. Compared to other mammals, humans have the longest maturation process. Is this a survival strategy or a hindrance? Does it make the species vulnerable? Perhaps the greatest distinction that separates human evolution from other mammals’ is their vast capacity to acquire language and culture. It would appear, then, that humans need this long maturation period for such things as enculturation and language. The book is incredibly well-researched with 159 pages of references and an index of 22 pages. If you plan to read this book through, take a little each day and savor the delights it bestows. Well worth the read. Reviewed by D. Wayne Dworsky
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Parenting/Families Raising Confident Readers: How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write -From Baby to Age 7 By Dr. J. Richard Gentry Da Capo Lifelong Books, $14.95, 244 pages How young is too young for your child to begin a lifelong love of reading? When should you lay a literary foundation? As early as possible, according to Dr. J. Richard Gentry, who affirms that young ones are ready for words at birth. “Your baby’s brain is ready for reading at birth.” In Raising Confident Readers - How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write from Baby to Age 7, Gentry guides enthusias-
tic, and sometimes puzzled, parents to the path of enlightenment. He provides a scope of four phases (birth-age seven) and your child’s developmental stages in each category, how the brain latches onto reading, what to look for in growth and how to develop plans and projects to encourage progress. Recommendations for at-home activities and books are provided in each chapter, all up-to-date and age appropriate. This book is highly recommended for a firm grasp on your child’s introduction to a world of reading and writing. With illustrations, charts, and milestone checklists, Gentry has endowed us with a gem of a resource: part clinical manual, part entertaining howto, a trusty road map on the passage to a highly achieved word lover. Q & A’s and covered topics for reading challenges such as dyslexia make this read an investment for both your child and you. Reviewed by Sky Sanchez
Current Events Tradition and the Black Atlantic: Critical Theory in the African Diaspora By Henry Louis Jr. Gates Basic Civitas Books, $23.95, 205 pages Author Henry Gates, the Harvard professor involved in the Beer Summit, is a man of letters. A man who pushes the envelope of cultural thought in the United States; many people read his books to get an understanding of the larger issues of culture and society in the United States. In this book, Mr. Gates takes on the idea of cultural studies in the academy, uni-
versities, and whether it belongs. He traces the field from its beginnings in the 1970s in Britain to its rise in the United States in the mid-1980s. A culture war erupted: where do cultural studies belong? Mr. Gates goes beyond that, putting cultural studies on its head, that it does not need to be the either/ or choice people make it become. Mr. Gates might be a great author, but his work can be difficult to read. It is at times messy, overly wordy, and feels off topic in places. The idea that the Culture Wars ended a long time ago will raise controversy. Mr. Gates claims it ended when English departments decided on the new canon. This is not to say that the book is bad, just go in with a dictionary and an open mind. Reviewed by Kevin Winter
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Humor-NonFiction The Book of Bastards By Brian Thornton Adams Media, $12.95, 242 pages Reading this book about political and megalomaniac rogues through history is like seeing the emperor exposed in his new clothes. One hundred and one notables from the past have their immoral or illegal acts revealed, these are illustrious people of power noted as icons of greatness whose flaws are revealed.
These revelations might be shocking to the innocent grade schooler mastering the history text, but to the regular citizen suffering from the prevalent rampant corruption, these stories only remind one that history constantly repeats itself. Included within this chronicle is the story of Boss Tweed, the ruthless manipulations of Carnegie, Gould Frick, Morgan, and Rockefeller. These multimillionaires did deed some of this unlawful gain for the public good, but their wealth was essentially originally stolen from the poor. Included in the list are former presidents Kennedy and Johnson for their sexual and personal indiscretions. The father of our
country, otherwise famed for his false teeth, is described as a ‘horny bastard.’ In light of present day affairs, this accusation seems fairly trifling. Still the book is full of titillating particulars, which show humans as part angels and part devil, the latter aspect can be amusing to read about when it causes no damage. Amusing as a fast read, but it seems to me there is a little bit of bastard in all of us. The labeling depends on your perspective. Reviewed by Rita Hoots
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October 10 19
Reference Bounce, Don’t Break: Brande’s Guide to Life, Love, and Success By Brande Roderick, Liz Topp, Contributor Running Press, $14.95, 200 pages When I started reading this book, I was somewhat put off by the language, which seemed better suited for the street than the boardroom. About midway through, I realized that Brande Roderick didn’t write this book for me. She wrote it for younger people (not just female) for whom this language is very nearly their first. The title of this book says it all. Brande is that rare — and fortunate — young woman who identified her goals at an early age, and,
with no delay, set out to achieve them. Along with her great genes (see the photos of Mom and Dad for confirmation of that fact), her parents also gave her a terrific work ethic, common sense and experiences that would benefit anyone. How many parents would allow their 17-year-old-daughter to remodel her bedroom? Not enough, I’ll warrant. Her first goal, from age 11 or so, was to be a Playmate, but she went past that dream to become Playmate of the Year. From there it was movies, TV, wife and mother, all before she hit 40. There were a few bumps along the way, but she learned from them. There are several quick quizzes to help readers figure out what they want, along with good advice on how to get it. The last chapter highlights Brande’s struggle with infertility before finally achieving her own miracle – a son! Reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz
Relationships/Sex The Newlywed’s Instruction Manual: Essential Information, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice for the First Year of Marriage By Caroline Tiger Quirk Books, $16.95, 206 pages Having been married for just a blink over two and a half months, I decided to give this book a chance. What is life really like after the big day, after the last thank-you card is mailed out, after you decide “out with the old and in with the new” (as in his old college recliner to a twotoned sofa that fits more than one-plusone on lap)? Filled with amusing graphics, tips and charts, and realistic applications, The Newlywed’s Instruction Manual offers an entertaining and eye-opening gander into life with your chosen. With such potentially sticky situations as arguments, trust and communication, money, and perhaps the ultimate adhesive of all, the in-laws, Caroline Tiger presents her readers with succinct and timeless suggestions to make your union more perfect or, at the very least, possible. Her instructions are user-friendly and lean toward a fun time with a colorful friend who knows a lot. It is also a guide on how to take care of home, finances, laundry (how many guys know to wash your delicate bra separate from the fuzzy bath towels?). It didn’t take long to say “I do” to this read. Reviewed by Sky Sanchez
20 October 10
Fast Girls: Erotica for Women By Rachel Kramer Bussel, Editor Cleis Press, $14.95, 198 pages From the strictly sexual to the deeper, and sometimes darker, emotions that accompany sex, Fast Girls mines the range of human emotions. Blatant and unapologetically sexy, Fast Girls features some of the best voices in new erotica. From a communal shower to a kinky sex club, from myriad toys to strictly skin, these girls don’t say no or take it for an answer. Editor Rachel Kramer Bussel defines fast as both wild and promiscuous, as according to Webster, but her selection of stories seeks something else, something deeper, not just stories of slut after slut, but stories of women who defy social norms, are bold and dynamic, with something to realize about sex and about themselves. The stories reflect what it is to be fast, being promiscuous and defying, both in states of mind as well as in states of motion. All of them speak to the reader on a deeper level as the women defy social conventions, raise eyebrows, and embrace what it is to be “fast.” Read it fast or slow, this anthology delivers. Reviewed by Axie Barclay
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Local Calendar 3
Author Appearance – Diane Schwam, “Travel to New Orleans with Frommer’s” 6:30–7:30pm SF Main Library, Lower Level, Latino/ Hispanic Community Meeting Room -100 Larkin St. (at Grove), SF
Author Appearances – Karen Joy Fowler and Claude LaLumiere, 7:00–8:00pm Variety Preview Room, Hobart Building 582 Market Street, SF
Author Appearance - Edmund de Waal, “The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family’s Century of Art and Loss” 4:00–4:30pm Book Passage - 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
Author Appearance – Uzma Aslam Khan, “The Geometry of God” 7:00–8:00pm Revolution Books - 2425 Channing Way Berkeley
Nights of Noir - Crime Authors Gary Phillips, Summer Brenner, Benjamin Whitmer, Michael Harris, and Kenneth Wishnia, 7:30-8:30pm Pegasus Books Downtown - 2349 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
Children’s Author Appearance - Mark Elkin, “Samuel’s Baby” 12:001:00pm Book Passage - 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
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Radar Reading Author Appearances - Elizabeth Pickens, Chinaka Hodge, Tao Lin and Sara Marcus, hosted by Michelle Tea, 6:00 –7:00pm SF Main Library, Lower Level, Latino/ Hispanic Community Meeting room 100 Larkin St. (at Grove), SF Author Appearance – Canyon Sam, “Sky Train: Tibetan Women On the Edge of History” 6:30–7:00pm Bernal Heights Branch Library - 500 Cortland Avenue (at Moultrie), SF
Author Appearance – Jeff Conant, “A Poetics of Resistance: The Revolutionary Public Relations of the Zapatista Insurgency” 7:30–8:30pm Pegasus Books Downtown 2349 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
7
Litquake Author Appearance - Thaddeus Russell, “ A Renegade History of the United States” 7:00– 8:00pm City Lights Bookstore - 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco
Poet Appearances - Camille Dungy, Robin Ekiss, and Gabrielle Calvocoressi, 7:30–8:30pm Pegasus Books Downtown - 2349 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
12 Poet Appearances - Dan
Bellm, Brent Calderwood, Christian Gullette, hosted by Stephen Kopel, 6:00–7:00pm Main Library, Third Floor, Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center - 100 Larkin St. (at Grove), SF
Author Appearances - R.A. McBride & Julie Lindow, “Left In The Dark: Portraits of San Francisco Movie Theatres” 7:00–8:00pm City Lights Bookstore - 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco
17 Author Appearance – Ken
13 Author Appearance – Marites
Author Appearance – David Weber, “Out of the Dark” 3:00–4:00pm Borderlands Books - 866 Valencia St., San Francisco
Daňguilan Vitug, “Shadow of Doubt: Probing the Supreme Court” 6:30– 7:30pm SF Main Library, Lower Level, Latino/ Hispanic Community Meeting Room 100 Larkin St.(at Grove), SF Author Appearance – Erica Lopez, “This Girl Must Die” 7:00–8:00pm City Lights Bookstore - 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco
Scholes, “Antiphon” 1:00–2:00pm Borderlands Books - 866 Valencia St., San Francisco
the Edge of Science and Technology” 7:00pm City Lights Bookstore - 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco
14 Author Appearances – Dave Eg15 Author Appearance - Kim
Nights of Noir - Crime Authors Sin Soracco, Jim Nisbet, Owen Hill, Benjamin Whitmer, and Michael Harris, 7:30–8:30pm Pegasus Books Downtown - 2349 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
Dower, “Air Kissing on Mars” 7:00– 8:00pm Books Inc. - 1760 4th Street , Berkeley
16 Author Appearance – F. Paul
Wilson, “Fatal Error” 1:00–2:00pm Borderlands Books - 866 Valencia St., San Francisco Author Appearance – Cherie Priest, “Dreadnought” 4:00–5:00pm Borderlands Books - 866 Valencia St., San Francisco
Rickels, “I Think I am: Philip K. Dick” 3:00–4:00pm Borderlands Books - 866 Valencia St., San Francisco Author Appearance – Julia Bergman, “Three Cups of Tea and Beyond” 4:00–5:00pm Potrero Branch Library - 1616 20th Street (near Connecticut), SF Author Appearance – Shaenon Garrity and Jeffrey C. Wells, “Skin Horse, Volume 2” 5:00–6:00pm Borderlands Books - 866 Valencia St., San Francisco
24 Author Appearance – Richard
Kadrey, “Kill The Dead” 3:00–3:30pm Borderlands Books - 866 Valencia St., San Francisco
19 Author Appearance –Jonathon 26 Author Appearances - Camille Keats, “Virtual Words:Language on
Author Appearance – Bo Caldwell, “City of Tranquil Light” 7:00–8:00pm Book Passage - 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera
gers in Conversation with Beth Lisick, 6:00–7:00pm SF Main Library, Lower Level, Koret Auditorium - 100 Larkin St. (at Grove)
23 Author Appearance – Laurence
20 Author Appearance – Bill
McKibben, “The Great Bay” Time TBA Copperfield’s Books - 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma Author Appearance – Gloria Feldt, “No Excuses” 7:00–8:00pm Books Inc. – Opera Plaza, 601 Van Ness, San Francisco
Dungy, Barbara Jane Reyes, and Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, 7:00–8:00pm City Lights Bookstore - 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco
27 Author Appearance – Aife
Murray, “Maid as Muse: How Servants Changed Emily Dickinson’s Life and Language” 7:00-8:30pm Excelsior Branch Library - 4400 Mission Street (at Cotter), SF Author Appearance – Charles Burns, “X’d Out” 7:00–8:00pm City Lights Bookstore - 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco
29 Author Appearance – Richard Kadrey, “Kill the Dead: A Sandman Slim Novel” 7:00–8:00pm Books Inc. - 301 Castro St, Mountain View
22 Author Appearance – Deborah
Tannen, “You Were Always Mom’s Favorite!: Sisters in Conversation Throughout Their Lives” 7:00–8:00pm Books Inc. - 2251 Chestnut St, The Marina, San Francisco
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October 10 21
Popular Fiction Reel Lyfe: Chasing the Hollywood Dream By Vertis Nephew Xlibris, $19.99, 286 pages Many people go to Hollywood to chase their dreams, but only a relative few actually make them come true. This is a city where the streets are filled with performers, where every restaurant and store is staffed by hopefuls aspiring to become actors or writers. In Reel Lyfe, Vertis Nephew examines a small slice of Hollywood. He focuses on five main characters, all of whom could be considered Hollywood stereotypes. Jenna is a teacher who dreams of becoming an actress; she has gone on more than seventy auditions for bit parts in the past year. Andrew wants to be an actor and doesn’t understand why his numerous roles in plays have only led to modeling gigs, which he supplements by working parttime for his cousin’s contracting business. Wendy is a high-powered and stressed-out television executive who moonlights as a stand-up comedian. Carol works at Ashville & Associates, where she dreams of redesigning the business in a way that actually helps people instead of giving them false hope via an abundance of auditions. Khalid is a single
father who has hopes of becoming a script writer, but works in the meantime doing set construction. Interwoven throughout these lives is that of Chrissy DePauw, a singer/ songwriter who actually has talent but is unwilling to compromise her ideals in order to get anywhere with her music. As the book progresses, these characters become increasingly frustrated as their attempts to break into the business bear no fruit. This book is a surprisingly good read due to the amount of realism injected into the characters. The concept of people living double lives is prevalent, and the accompanying stress is true-to-life. The most stark example is Khalid, who takes on the more “mainstream” name of Kenny in his occupation as a movie set builder. He struggles to retain his true identity in the face of a high-maintenance girlfriend who thinks he’s more involved in the “business” than he actually is, and friends and family who give credence to many “black” stereotypes. The most well-developed character is Jenna. Her struggles as an aspiring actress directly affect her teaching career, and her boss and coworkers can tell her heart is not in eduction. The Hollywood pressure to be a stick figure is real, and Nephew has an unexpected grasp of female body issues. Jenna’s self-deprecating thoughts -- “How is it possible to see my ribs but still feel fat?” -- ring true for many women, not just those in the performance industry. However, her sud-
den questioning of her own sexuality seems a little forced, and her infatuation with coworker Lisa was a little too cliché for me. Perhaps least developed is Wendy; we know very little about her role in the television industry, and Nephew does not delve particularly deeply into her dreams of being a comic. She actually seems rather ill-suited for the job; she is terrified of being on stage. She breaks down in tears and misses her only set in the book. We never actually see her perform, and while we witness her writing and getting out new ideas, readers may be left wondering if she has any actual potential in the field of comedy. Nephew has a good writing style. The chapters flow smoothly, and the characters are complex enough to keep a reader’s interest. Part of the appeal of having so many characters is seeing how their lives overlap. One of the most amusing scenes is a party where Carol meets her client Jenna, even though Jenna has no idea Carol is her agent. Unfortunately, this also highlights a lack of continuity with regards to timelines; the scene was revealed from the points of view of both characters, but there were chapters featuring other characters in between, which left me with a sense of disconnect. Trying to cover this many characters in a relatively short book also leads to none of them being as well-developed as they could be. I would have appreciated a little more background on Andrew, and I wasn’t entire-
ly sure if he was aspiring to be an actor or a model. The visual format of this book breaks away from more traditional layouts and, depending on how you view it, could be considered edgy and different, or simply a way to fill space and make the book appear longer. All of the dialogue was in italics, which was a little off-putting to me. Italics make me think more of internal thoughts than spoken words. Reel Lyfe could also use the services of a detail-oriented editor. The author has a habit of interchanging question marks with periods or commas, especially when people are speaking: “Why can’t I write like this,” “I thought you were looking forward to this?” Ultimately, this book was a relatively satisfying read, with most of the characters actively working to be happy in their lives. Every chapter had just enough action to hold the reader’s attention but not so much as to be overwhelming, and the constant switches between different character points of view kept the plot from lagging. This book is a nice glimpse into the world of Hollywood hopefuls, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in that life. Sponsored Review
letters. While still containing the signature Kleypas’ wit, this book is not exactly lighthearted. It is difficult for Phelan to reconcile Beatrix’s deception and deal with his lingering stress from the war. These topics make for a rich story that is very engaging at the start. The last third of the book falls a little flat compared to the beginning, but this should still be an enjoyable read for romance fans. Reviewed by Rachel Wallace
marriage. Milan’s writing is almost flawless and masterful as she heightens the tension between Ned and Kate by the secrets they hold from one another--Kate with her hidden friend and Ned with why he left. The sub-plot is woven into the mending of their marriage, but the choice to use the helplessness of women in 1840s Britain raised more questions than could be answered in a historical romance, and made the denouement between Kate and the villain slightly anti-climatic and a tad overwrought. However, Trial by Desire is a very good historical romance which addresses more than the typical frivolities of the aristocracy, and is full of passion and verve. Reviewed by Angela Tate
Silent Scream By Karen Rose Grand Central Publishing, $7.99, 608 pages The multi-faceted plot lines will keep you busy in the latest suspense/thriller from Karen Rose. It all starts with an arson that turns into murder and while more buildings burn and people die, a blackmail scheme on a mammoth scale is developing. The problem for detectives is there are no connections between the arsons that they can find other than a glass globe left at the scene of the first two arsons. The globe fits the MO from an environmental terrorist group, but they haven’t been heard from since their last fire, 12 years ago, that ended up in a homicide. The slightly predictable romantic angle is included, of course. It does add to the suspense and the charming sense of family that the main characters, Detective Ol
Romance Love in the Afternoon (Hathaways, Book 5) By Lisa Kleypas St. Martin’s Press, $7.99, 332 pages Love in the Afternoon is Lisa Kleypas’ final historical romance about the Hathaway family. Beatrix is the last Hathaway sibling to marry and the central figure of this story. Her friend’s almost fiancé, Captain Phelan, is fighting in the Crimean War and Beatrix, posing as her friend, ends up being the one to reply to his letters resulting in a deep connection between them. She promises her friend she will not tell him of the deception upon his return. The book starts with the letters between Beatrix and Phelan which is a great way to get into the story. Their chemistry is immediate and obvious even in letter form. When Phelan returns he struggles to find his place at home after the war and to reconnect with the woman he thinks wrote the
22 October 10
Trial by Desire By Courtney Milan Harlequin, $7.99, 352 pages With Trial by Desire, Courtney Milan has proven herself an author to watch. Though the book is connected to Milan’s debut, Proof by Seduction, it is well written enough to stand on its own merits. Three years have passed since Ned Carhart wed and abandoned Lady Kate. When he returns, he is no longer the gawky and odd boy she was forced to marry, but a man in control of his impulses and awkwardness. A wrench is thrown into their conflicted reunion when a mutual friend leaves her husband, and Kate’s secret involvement in her disappearance tests her
See CHESAPEAKE, page 23
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Modern Literature A Disobedient Girl: A Novel By Ru Freeman Washington Square Press, $15.00, 375 pages Latha may be just a servant girl, but she knows she is worthy of finer things than her lot in life would seem to allow. Consequently, she feels no guilt at occasionally stealing from her masters or, later in life, treating herself to exceptional clothing and shoes. Set parallel to Latha’s story is that of Biso, a loving mother looking only to escape her cruel husband and create a better life for herself and her three children. Biso’s tale begins with hope, but the sad direction her journey takes ultimately will bind her story to that of Latha. Ru Freeman’s novel A Disobedient Girl is an alternately hopeful and devastating tale of the lives of women in Sri Lanka. This book is written with a poetic air despite the generally melancholy storyline, and readers will find themselves entranced with the dual stories of Latha and Biso. Their tales overlap
occasionally, but many will find themselves surprised when their paths finally cross and their true connection to one another becomes clear. This book is destined to inspire many deep and empathetic book club discussions; not a happy story, but one definitely worth reading. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
ivia Sutherland and firefighter David Hunter have created around themselves. These are people with big flaws, yet a lot of hope. They see murder and the damage that fires leave behind, but they still have dreams of fixing their demons and facing the future. Overall, Silent Scream has a bit of a formulaic feel, but that doesn’t make it bad, just not unique. Reviewed by Gwen Stackler
leave again – for the same reasons she left the first time? That answer depends a lot on her men-folks, who are hard-headed Irishmen, through and through. Beginning with Mick, the self-made construction magnate through her youngest son, Connor, an up-and-coming divorce attorney (!) Megan carefully picks her way through a mine-field to reach her goal. Of course, in a family of this size, surprises are not strangers, but the one that appears on Thanksgiving Day may well cause even more rifts in the precarious family fabric. Still, with love and patience and prayer, the family will eventually find solutions. But will that solution emerge from the neverempty pockets of Dad, the always full heart of Mom, or one of their hard-headed kids? You’ll love the discovery process, plus this sweetly heart-warming story will make a great gift for grandma’s Christmas stocking! Reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz
A Chesapeake Shores Christmas By Sherryl Woods Mira Books, $16.95, 288 pages Although this is the fourth book in the series (with two more planned) you’ll quickly feel right at home with the sprawling, rambunctious O’Brien clan. The author has a charming, laid-back way of telling her story, sprinkled with laughter and poignancy, certain to prompt more than a few tears before you reach the last page. After three books about the younger O’Briens, this book mostly centers on the parents: Mick and Megan, who divorced some years ago, but are now together again and planning (maybe) a wedding for New Year’s Eve. Will Megan
Bill Warrington’s Last Chance By James King Viking, $24.95, 304 pages Bill Warrington’s family has become distant. His daughter is the only one he ever sees, and she never has anything nice to say. His two sons are facing problems of their own, and have long since cut off communications with their dad. So when Bill realizes he has Alzheimer’s, he concocts a plan to bring his children back together by kidnapping his (willing) granddaughter April and taking her on a road trip. Unfortunately, his mind is fading faster than he realizes, and before long it is April who is
scrambling to bring things together. In Bill Warrington’s Last Chance, James King has written a fascinating novel of family dynamics that will resonate with readers on many levels. The relationship problems portrayed here are all too real: cheating spouses, teenage angst, grieving for the loss of a loved one. King’s depiction of the thought process of someone with Alzheimer’s is fascinating; Bill’s reality is seamlessly interwoven with memories of the past, of his children growing up and his beloved wife. The sense of redemption and hope at the end make reading this novel truly worthwhile. Reviewed by Holly Scudero Fragile: A Novel By Lisa Unger Shaye Areheart, $24.00, 336 pages Secrets from the past weave into the fabric of the present in Lisa Unger’s Fragile: A Novel. Jones and Maggie Cooper don’t see eye to eye when it comes to raising their
unruly 17-year-old son, Rick. If the teenager had his way, he’d jam with his band or hang out with girlfriend, Charlene. But, a strange message appears on Charlene’s Facebook profile and the rambunctious girl disappears from the Hollows, a peaceful bedroom twenty years ago ignites concern among the Hollows residents. Several of the town’s families have a complex connection that includes hushed secrets, death, and fear of detection. Is Rick responsible for his girlfriend’s disappearance? Can a father’s tragic past and a mother’s faith save all of them? Lisa Unger creates an edgy storyline told from alternating point of views. She captures the naiveté of small-town America and the inhabitants who are connected by a fine line of deception. Realistic characters struggle to maintain a strong bond that’s unraveling into fragile, broken pieces. Fragile: A Novel offers a psychological mystery of human frailty and makes you thankful for the security and love of a good family. Reviewed by LuAnn Schindler
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Art, Architecture & Photography Land and Environmental Art By Jeffrey Kastner, Editor Phaidon Press, $19.95, 204 pages The newest addition to Phaidon’s Themes and Movements series covering the most important art movements of the twentieth century, is Land and Environmental Art. Since I first heard of the English artist Richard Long in the 1970s, I’ve been a fan of what’s come to be called Land Art. Beginning in the ’60s, artists disenchanted with contemporary abstractions in big cities like New York and London took to the open spaces and created works that integrated earth and ecology, and were fundamentally incapable of being shown in a downtown art gallery. Long, for example, incorporates walking into inaccessible, unpopulated places like the Himalayas, where he alters the landscape with stones in geometric configurations, which he then documents with maps and photographs. The book is divided into two sections: a survey text charting the most significant characteristics of Land and Environmental Art, and then a compilation of the key works. Robert Smithson’s great bulldozer works, including the Spiral Jetty, Christo and Jeanne Claude’s iconic wrapped landscapes, and Andy Goldsworthy’s precious short-lived works with found materials, are all amply represented in this well-designed book loaded with spectacular photographs. Reviewed by Phil Semler Langford’s Basic Photography, Ninth Edition: The Guide for Serious Photographers By Michael Langford, Anna Fox, Richard Sawdon Smith Focal Press, $39.95, 480 pages This is the ninth edition of a textbook that has become an industry standard since its first publication in 1965. Now updated to include the most recent innovations of the field, it contains an entire chapter on digital
cameras and one on post-production of the digital image. From shooting to processing to printing, this guidebook gives thorough instructions in various procedures, equipment, aesthetics, and forms of presentation for the medium. Detailed treatment of the fundamentals for lighting techniques, optics, and composition are enhanced by numerous diagrams, charts and photographic examples. A supplemental glossary and extensive appendices are found at the back. “Photography, like poetry or philosophy, enables you to spend a lot of time scrutinizing the little details of life. It becomes a reason to live in a broader way.” Whether as an art form or a commercial venture, the complexity of photography requires meticulous and systematic explanations. This is precisely what Langford’s Basic Photography provides. Readers can learn how different types of cameras work, their interdependence upon light, and why innumerable factors affect the appearance of the final image. Also covered are lenses, films, and filter optimization, as well as how to utilize the appropriate hardware and software. Either as an introduction for amateurs or as a reference for intermediate photographers, this book is an invaluable resource for practitioners of this field. Reviewed by Richard Mandrachio Surfer: 50 Years By Sam George Chronicle Books, $40.00, 192 pages This volume was assembled by Sam George, a professional surfer, documentary filmmaker, and former editor of Surfer magazine, in celebration of its 50th anniversary. Photographers, artists, journalists and sports idols have contributed to this half
century compendium of influential articles. Both used and previously unpublished images support the text which ranges from adventurous road trips to comments on the culture itself. Industry discoveries, legendary feats and exotic locales are arranged into chapters that reveal the who, where, what, and how of surfing. A one-year subscription to the magazine is included with purchase of this book. “We ride the sea this way, our own peculiar sea that makes its waves in this dark static at the fringe of the universal consciousness...” In part a travelogue, this book represents the unique lifestyle of international surf champions both on and off the waves. Readers can get a sense of how, for enthusiasts, this activity unites spirituality and physicality. Fascinating quotations akin to poetry and unexpectedly insightful statements abound; they are accompanied by mindblowing photographs. Spectators of the sport will find Surfer Magazine 50 Years to be a fresh breath of salty air. For the truly dedicated, however, this collection demonstrates how such a publication has continually proven itself to be the lifeline of an industry as well as the lifeblood of a community. Reviewed by Richard Mandrachio
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