Tulsa
December 2011 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2
F R E E
Book Review 4 7
NEW AND OF INTEREST
C H E C K
Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor
I T O U T
Fasting in cross-cultural perspective Page 4
1861: The Civil War Awakening
An in-depth examination of a pivotal year Page 5
10 14
The Door in the Forest
And you think YOU had a messed-up childhood By Kevin Wilson Ecco, $23.99, 309 pages As a kid, parents seem to exist only to embarrass you, but when your parents are performance artists the embarrassment doubles. And when they make you a part of their art, it doubles again. Such was the childhood of Annie and Buster Fang, children of famous performance artists Caleb and Camille Fang. Fleeing a childhood spent as little more than props in their parents’ bizarre works of art, Annie and Buster
carve out new lives for themselves – lives that suddenly come tumbling down. Now they’re back home, and whether they like it or not, in the middle of the biggest performance of their parents’ careers ... or is it? The Family Fang is bizarre, astonishing and utterly mesmerizing. Wilson’s prose is like electrified honey – the words are golden and smooth while their meaning hits you See FANG, cont’d on page 7
Across the marsh Page 8
The American Heiress
An absorbing escape into the Gilded Age Page 10
The Night Circus
A nocturnal circus of dreams Page 11
55 Reviews INSIDE!
Book Reviews
Mystery
Thrillers & Suspense
SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Stealing Mona Lisa: A Mystery By Carson Morton Minotaur, $25.99, 340 pages Check this out! Marquis Eduardo de Valfierno begins his story on what appears to be his deathbed, asking a journalist if he believes in love at first sight. Not waiting for an answer, he goes on to share how he and his cohorts stole the Mona Lisa in 1911. The cast of characters includes the con man himself, a beautiful pickpocket, an orphan that is terrified of water, a misinformed Italian patriot, and a master forger, who soon will become famous, and, of course, his marks, one a selfish and self-centered American magnate, Joshua Hart. By the end, you are celebrating with those who should be the bad guys and grinning that the formerly good guys reaped the justice that they deserve. The story is strengthened immensely by the characters, developed so that you may understand their motivations as well as their hesitations in taking certain risks. That strength might come at a price for those readers who don’t appreciate a more character-driven tale. Morton has created a work of historical fiction that not only fits the bill, but will leave you wanting to know more about the real theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911. Reviewed by Gwen Stackler The Vault By Ruth Rendell Scribner, $26.00, 276 pages Check this out! At the close of Rendell’s 1999 novel A Site for Sore Eyes, two dead bodies and one living are entombed in an underground chamber beneath the charming Orcadia Cottage. Twelve years later, in the opening of The Vault, a new owner of the cottage lifts a manhole cover in the garden and finds a grisly site. This is a sort-of-asequel. Now we have the retired inspector Wexford, the hero of more than 20 books, poking around as a kind of amateur detective, working unoffi-
cially with the London police. There are four bodies. Who were these people, and how did the disappearance of four people go unnoticed for so long? The Vault is Rendell at her best — combining the police procedural with the psychological thriller. This book is so great. The clues, the seemingly unrelated details, are well-hidden. The atmosphere is creepy. The city of London is a character itself — of obsession, instability and unnerving, simply when Wexford takes his walks amidst the Georgian houses. Now in her 80s, Baroness Rendell, winner of three Edgars, three Gold Daggers, is at the top of her form. Reviewed by Phil Semler Light from a Distant Star By Mary McGarry Morris Crown, $25.00, 336 pages Check this out! It’s summer and Nellie Peck and her family are facing changes on many fronts. Her father’s family hardware store, after four generations, is failing in the face of bigbox stores. Her mother works and tries to hold things together while “encouraging” her husband to sell the business. Older sister Ruth launches a quest to find her “real” father, threatening to tear the family apart, at least in Nellie’s eyes. Nellie, age 13, saddled with shy younger brother Henry, finds herself at the center of a murder trial. People enter the lives of the Pecks that change everything. A young stripper, Dolly, rents the apartment in the Peck house. She befriends Ruth and encourages her to take chances she shouldn’t. Dolly also has an affair, one that endangers the entire Peck family. An excon, Max, moves into Grandfather Charlie’s life and is clearly fascinated by Dolly. When Dolly is found murdered, all eyes fall on Max, but the whole truth is only known by Nellie, and the truth may destroy the Peck family. This rich, complex story can barely be touched in these few words, but suffice it to say, Mary McGarry Morris has created another fascinating, dark, page-turner. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
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Cold Vengeance By Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child Grand Central Publishing, $26.99, 358 pages Check this out! Before beginning this review, I should admit one prejudice: I love the character of Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast. To my mind, he’s a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, in all of his intense, enigmatic, edgy brilliance. For this reason, I awaited this 11th installment of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s series with great anticipation. I was not disappointed.
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 2
Cold Vengeance is the second book of the Helen trilogy. In this latest volume, Pendergast continues where the previous novel left off as he pursues answers and revenge concerning his wife’s death. In true Pendergast style, his pursuit is relentless, and the action does not let up. Indeed, he seems almost superhuman at moments. Furthermore, Preston and Child expertly reveal more about unresolved questions from the first book of the trilogy, only to tantalize the reader with new unresolved twists. Out of concern for revealing too much, I think the most telling comment I can make on Cold Vengeance is that I am once again left waiting with little patience for the publication of the next installment in the series. Reviewed by Annie Peters
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Mystery...................................................... 2 Thrillers & Suspense................................... 2 Biography & Memoir.................................. 4 History & Current Events........................... 5
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Teen Reads.................................................. 6 Kid’s Books................................................. 7 Tween Scene............................................... 8 Romance..................................................... 9 Fiction...................................................... 10 Parenting & Families................................ 12 Nature & Science....................................... 12 Spirituality & Religion............................. 13 Cooking, Food & Wine...............................14 Business & Personal Finance.....................14
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Science Fiction & Fantasy......................... 15 Job Now! & Homework Help Now!............ 16
FROM THE PUBLISHER Welcome to the Tulsa Book Review. I am so pleased that you have picked up a copy of our second issue. Tulsa City-County Library’s mission is to help Tulsa County residents change their lives for the better and this we do through a myriad of ways. The first way is by fostering a community of readers. Out of this goal the Tulsa Book Review was born. We live in a literate world, where a person’s success is often relative to how well they communicate. While speaking and writing are two ways we communicate, just as important are listening and reading. Through literacy and self-directed lifelong learning, people gain choices allowing them to follow their individual dreams. At TCCL, it is important for us to meet the needs of individuals who physically visit one of our 25 locations, as well as those who visit us virtually. That is why we are excited to announce two new online services – Homework Help Now! and Job Now! The first has a host of offerings to help students succeed, including live, one-to-one tutoring by subject and grade-level specialists. The second has many features to help job seekers be successful, including résumé help with a 24-hour turnaround time. In addition to these new virtual services, we now have downloadable e-books for Kindles, iPads and other e-readers. Currently, there are more than 7,300 e-books available for checkout, and the collection is growing each day. Whatever you are looking for to change your life – whether it is a self-improvement book, a good read, help in finding a new career or assistance with your homework assignment – the library has you covered! If you don’t find what you are looking for within these pages, stop by your nearest library and ask the friendly staff for help. That’s what we are here for, because libraries change lives. Best regards, Gary Shaffer Tulsa City-County Library CEO
Coming Up! TCCL’s Central Library is nearly 50 and starting to show its age. In 2012, the library will offer many public meetings to share construction plans and get community input to reimagine the Central Library so that it better serves Tulsa County for the next 50 years. PLEASE NOTE: Check this out! designates books that are available for checkout through the Tulsa City-County Library.
Book Reviews
Biography & Memoir SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor By Jana Riess Paraclete Press, $16.99, 191 pages Check this out! In a quest to become more saintly, the author looks at 12 different spiritual practices such as fasting, gratitude, Sabbath keeping, the Jesus Prayer and fixed-hour practice. While she begins with great plans for success, she finds much to her surprise that at the end of her year of soul-searching she is failing in all her practice. It is interesting to note that the author plans a month of reading the Bible and a month when she fasts and observes orthodox Sabbath by not spending any money. The year is concerned with looking at God and engaging in spiritual experiments. The aim is to read the sages and see what they have to offer about fasting. It is important to become observant of the times the sun rises and sets, according to the author. Of interest to this reviewer is that during the month of May the writer will do away with all shopping except for some weekly groceries. July is the month in which an attempt will be made to follow the practice of an Orthodox Jewish Sabbath with no driving, no use of electricity and no cooking. Abraham Herschel in his book The Sabbath, which is cited by the author, denotes the fact that Jews must experience inner peace or stronger family ties. As a practicing Jew there are implications of this study for Jews, as well as Christians, namely that people must carry the wellness of Sabbath to the other days of the week, such as by reciting the prayer for ending the Sabbath, enabling us on the Sabbath to rest our minds for God. Reviewed by Claude Ury Indigo: In Search of the Color That Seduced the World By Catherine E. McKinley Bloomsbury, $27.00, 256 pages Check this out! Who doesn’t have a favorite color? Colors can symbolize different things to different people. For author Catherine McKinley, her
color is blue. And not just any shade of blue – indigo. One might say she has an obsession with indigo, and her obsession takes her on a journey across Africa. What she learns of indigo’s origins isn’t always a happy understanding of her most-revered color. Indigo: In Search of the Color That Seduced The World is the result of her journey, but it doesn’t read like research. Rich with heritage and history, it reads like other genres full of mystery, tragedy, history – even romance. Readers will be drawn into the allure of indigo, as I was, through the pictures of the exquisite dyed batik fabrics that capture the unique beauty of indigo within their very fibers. Little did I know the rich history of this beautiful color, which is derived from the small green leaf of a parasitic shrub. What it represented to me is now bolstered by a greater understanding and appreciation for its roots. Reviewed by Laura Friedkin The Man Who Broke Into Auschwitz By Denis Avey, Rob Broomby Da Capo Press, $25.00, 264 pages Check this out! Is it a sin to commit a crime or is it worse to watch a crime and do nothing? This question is the driving motives behind the acts of Denis Avey and his time in Auschwitz. Denis Avey found himself a prisoner of war in 1944. The main focus point of the story is about him sneaking into the now famous Auschwitz camp and experiencing the cruelty of this place for himself. The book runs on suspense and intrigue, so there will be no spoilers here. If anything, this book proves that fact can be so much more stranger than fiction. The details were amazing, and the story is very truthful. Avey doesn’t look back and make himself a hero, but a man in stressful times. The British slang is very present in the book, so be warned. I had to take a few trips to the
old-fashion search engine to figure out some key words. The theme of the book and its message is very clear and powerful. Fascism and racism are an evil that needs to be faced in order to conquer it. The Man Who Broke Into Auschwitz is a moving tale and possibly one of the most important first accounts of World War II ever told or written. Reviewed by Kevin Brown The Orchard: A Memoir By Theresa Weir Grand Central Publishing, $24.99, 227 pages Check this out! Theresa Weir met and married her husband, Adrian Curtis, at flashpoint speed, going from bartender to farm wife in such record time that it left her spinning. Rejected by her young husband’s family as well as her own, the struggle of this street-savvy city girl to adapt to the strange and often dangerous life with the virtual stranger she married, and adapt to the loneliness and futility of farm life, is mesmeric. At its core, The Orchard is an inspiring and heartbreaking tale of a woman’s journey from rootless wanderer and borderline
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 4
alcoholic, to farm wife and mother, to author. Apples, chemicals and in-laws flavor this memoir of the American heartland as Weir peels away the layers of the idolized farm life in one long strand and leaves bare the starred core heart of farm, heritage, family, love and endurance. The strength of character in this novel is astounding, as well as the reports of chemical abuses and the impact it takes on families. You’ll never be able to look at an apple the same way again. Reviewed by Axie Barclay Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart By Candace Fleming Schwartz & Wade, $18.99, 118 pages Check this out! Beautifully written and graphically distinctive, Amelia Lost will appeal both to the middle-school readers it’s written for and to their teachers and parents. In alternating chapters that help build a suspenseful narrative, Fleming cuts between the drama of Amelia Earhart’s last flight and disappearance over the Pacific Ocean and the backstory of her childhood and young adulthood, building up to her caSee AMELIA, cont’d on page 14
Book Reviews
History & Current Events
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SNAP IT for additional book summaries. 1861: The Civil War Awakening By Adam Goodheart Knopf, $28.95, 460 pages Check this out! In his latest book, Goodheart delves deeper into any single year than perhaps any Civil War historian has before. But this book does more than simply cover the year’s events; Goodheart attempts to examine the motivations, urges and atmosphere of 1861 by scrutinizing the religion, science and entertainment in which the people living in that year were immersed. In 1861, Abraham Lincoln took office, the Confederates bombed Fort Sumter and the Civil War began. But rather than be guided — or restrained — by these momentous events, Goodheart uses them as background for an investigation into the minds and hearts of men and women across the land. He visits an Ohio state senator named James Garfield (future Civil War soldier and U.S. president) to understand the mentality of antislavery Republicans near the western frontier. He journeys with readers to California to assess the effects the transcontinental railroad and telegraph had on the nation. He takes readers inside Fort Sumter itself to understand just what the first bombardment of Americans by Americans meant to the people who experienced it firsthand. From Washington, D.C., to California to the Deep South, Goodheart plumbs the depths of the American psyche in 1861, providing a truly marvelous examination of the Civil War era. Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell The Women of the Cousins’ War: The Duchess, the Queen, and the King’s Mother By Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin, Michael Jones Touchstone, $26.00, 342 pages Check this out! The War of the Roses, fought by the Houses of Lancaster and York for the British Royal Crown, was a war that eventually led to the House of Tudor coming to the throne. In this book, three authors –two academic historians and one author known more for her historical fiction – tackle this complex and relatively unknown period of
British history. They focus on the three major women who played a role in this conflict – the mother of Henry VII, the queen of Edward IV and the littleknown Jacquetta of Luxembourg. The introduction goes over the problems of writing about these three people, the lack of sources and also women were not supposed to be involved in the public sphere. That is also the reason for writing this book – to show that there is a history beyond the great man. Though aimed at general readers, this book also will appeal to history students (though no citations exist in the work) as it helps bring to life a period of time that is largely veiled by the mists of history. Reviewed by Kevin Winter Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation Is Remaking America By Morley Winograd, Michael D. Hais Rutgers University Press, $26.95, 327 pages Check this out! This outstanding book looks at the behavior and attitudes of the Millennial Generation (born 1982-2003) who were decisive in the outcome of the 2008 elections. It is pointed out that of the 95 million Millennials presently living only 41 percent were of voting age in 2008, and that when President Barack Obama seeks relection in 2012 approximately six in 10 Millennials will be eligible to vote and about one in four Americans will come from the Millennial Generation. It is hypothesized that by 2020, when most members of this generation will be of voting age, they will represent more than one out of every three adults in America. A big challenge for leaders in America’s private and public sectors will be the task of finding jobs for everyone in this generation. In 2008, Barack Obama made Millennials an imporant part of the voter coalition that put him in the White House. They See MILLENNIAL, cont’d on page 13
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 5
It’s no fun to miss the punch line! One out of five adults has below basic literacy skills. Tulsa City-County Library’s Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy Service offers free one-on-one tutoring for adults who struggle with reading. Instruction is tailored to each adult student’s needs. Tutor-student pairs meet weekly at a place and time that’s mutually convenient. To get help with reading or to volunteer as a tutor, contact your local Tulsa City-County Library branch, visit TulsaLibrary.org/literacy or call 918-549-7400. Share the gift of reading today and help change someone’s life.
Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy Service TulsaLibrary.org/literacy 918-549-7400
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Book Reviews
Teen Reads SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Eve By Anna Carey HarperCollins, $17.99, 322 pages Check this out! In the future, everyone who takes the vaccine dies; only a few remain. Eve is valedictorian of her class, all of whom are protected. They are taught the arts and strive to go to college. Then Eve finds out a terrible secret and runs away to a sanctuary called Califia. On her journey there she finds a classmate and encounters Caleb. Eve is weary of men, being taught that they are dangerous. Slowly she learns how to love Caleb and must make a choice of how to survive because the king’s men are after her. Anna Carey starts off a trilogy with a captivating book. I was always reaching to pick it up after being forced to put it down. The alienness of the interaction of guys and girls explores real-life connections, giving a fresh look of what it means to love someone. Eve’s world was very realistic. I enjoyed looking at another futuristic version of tomorrow. Eve also reminds me of Wendy from Peter Pan when she teaches the boys. The ending haunted me even after I closed the book. All I could think was “Oh my gosh, noooooo! When’s the next sequel?” Reviewed by Amanda Muir Forever By Maggie Stiefvater Scholastic Press, $18.99, 400 pages Check this out! In the two previous books of the Shiver trilogy, Maggie Stiefvater introduced us to teens who “shift” into wolves during the long, cold months in Minnesota and resume their human lives during the warmer summer. Sam and Grace have fallen in love but are doomed to be apart because of the ways the wolf bites they have experienced have affected them. In Forever, Sam waits for Grace to return to her human form for the summer, even as he finds out that the men in the area have decided it’s time to kill all the wolves once
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and for all, including Beck, Sam’s father figure, who is now permanently a wolf. Stiefvater has created a whole stable of complex, interesting characters whose points of view crisscross the pages of her books. Sam and Grace are the main characters, but the feelings and fates of the troubled Cole and the entitled, closed-off Isabel become just as important to readers as those of Sam and Grace. This is the last book in the series, a fitting conclusion to a set of books that have been thoughtful, poetic and quietly powerful. Reviewed by Cathy Carmode Lim Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best By Maria Padian Knopf Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 341 pages Check this out! You’ve heard the Jersey jokes: it’s the land of HBO’s Sopranos, home of the Garden State and an extension of New York City. If you survive, you’ll be one tough Jersey girl. Lifelong friends Eva and Henry, short for Henriette, struggle with helicopter parents and athletic practices in Maria Padian’s Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best. Both girls look forward to new athletic opportunities the summer before their junior year, but sometimes summer can be cruel. Henry’s father, Mark, hovers over her at the tennis court, drilling her until she’s ready to drop. Now she has the chance to attend a prestigious camp in Florida and perfect her skills, maybe even fall for a guy. Eva’s mother, Rhonda, feeds from the attention her daughter earns as a ballerina. But Eva keeps her own secrets, pushing herself to remain rail thin and graceful while at a prominent ballet school. Does physical perfection exact a hefty toll on young female athletes? Padian explores sensitive themes, including female athlete triad syndrome, anorexia and performance pressure. Considering the stress placed on today’s developing athletes, the author isn’t afraid to tackle concerns that are often hidden from outsiders. Padian successfully integrates myriad themes relevant to teens: friendship, overbearing parents, loneliness and acceptance. Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best may be the most honest YA novel I’ve ever read. Goldmedal winner! Reviewed by LuAnn Schindler
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Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. By Medeia Sharif Flux, $9.95, 229 pages Check this out! Almira Abdul’s family is strictly Muslim, meaning she is not allowed to even think of boys and must follow Muslim customs or face the disappointment of her whole family. Her parents expect her to be perfect with her grades, and since Ramadan is around the corner she can’t eat from sunrise to sunset! Her mother said she could stand to lose a few pounds, but life without pizza
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 6
sounds torturous. To make things worse, she and her best friend have the same crush, and Almira thinks he might like her back. Between all that, a new Muslim girl who wears miniskirts and trying to navigate the relationships of high school, Almira has her hands full. Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. Focuses on a Muslim girl struggling to stick to her culture but also be American. I found it interesting to see problems in a Middle Eastern/ American family perspective. Medeia Sharif expresses the feelings of girls well and how they interpret relationships. My favorite aspect was how far someone would go to salvage ties with a friend because while having boyfriends some girls lose important relationships. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read and doesn’t mind high-school drama! Reviewed by Amanda Muir
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Book Reviews
Kid’s Books
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George Flies South By Simon James Candlewick Press, $16.99, 40 pages Check this out! It’s nearly winter in baby bird George’s city home, and though George’s mother announces it’s time for George to learn to fly, George is happy and comfortable in his nest. All the other birds are heading south, but George is not eager to join them. When his mother goes out to get worms, however, a huge gust of wind lifts George’s nest from its branch and sends George on a high-flying adventure. Swept through the air onto a car roof, a barge and then a skyscraper in progress, George is thankful to still have his nest. But when a hungry cat attacks, George’s nest comes apart, and George must learn to fly as fast as he can before he falls to the ground. George’s comfort and security in the nest are charming, and toddlers will surely connect to his desire to stay close to what’s familiar and cozy. It’s impossible not to cheer once George eventually takes flight; his eventual excitement over leaving the nest behind — and setting out for the adventures ahead — makes his story worthy of celebration. Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell Grandpa Green By Lane Smith Roaring Brook Press, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! The child narrating the touching, whimsical story Grandpa Green knows a lot about his great-grandfather’s life. He knows about his great-grandfather’s childhood on a farm, a bout of chicken pox and his service in a world war; he knows that his great-grandparents met in Paris. He’s learned all these things from his wizened great-grandfather whose memory is no longer what it used to be. As the child traipses through a remarkable garden full of elaborate topiaries that reflect pieces of his great-grandfather’s past, he collects objects that his great-grandfather has forgotten — a trowel, a pair of glasses, a
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floppy straw hat. But the child understands that these are trifles. The important things, he knows, are immortalized forever in his great-grandfather’s garden. The text and illustrations in Grandpa Green work in perfect harmony to evoke both the curious wonder of childhood and the reflective contentment of old age. It’s impossible not to be moved by the child’s cheerful recounting of his greatgrandfather’s history, which clearly has been painstakingly passed on across four generations. The fanciful topiaries will make this a compelling read for children, but the story itself likely will appeal even more strongly to parents. Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell Llama Llama Home With Mama By Anna Dewdney Viking Juvenile, $17.99, 40 pages Check this out! In this latest installment of the popular Llama series by author Anna Dewdney, Little Llama is feeling a bit under the weather. He is unsure of what is going on with his nose. At first, it feels a bit tickly, and he gets progressively sicker as the day moves on. Mama Llama, as per usual, is on the scene and knows exactly what is going on. She tells Little Llama to stay in bed and not to worry about going to school. She gives him medicine and leaves him for a bit so he can play with his toys. The medicine makes Little Llama feel a bit woozy so he takes a nap; when he wakes up feeling better, he finds Mama Llama in poor shape. Little Llama shows growth of character in the series by understanding that his mama is not feeling well and begins to take steps to take care of her. Llama Llama Home With Mama is a fantastical continuation to a well-loved-by-me series. I adore each new volume, and the illustrations never lose their unique style and bright, bold primary colors. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg
Kids Book Review
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Waiting for the Biblioburro By Monica Brown with illustration by John Parra Tricycle, $16.99, 32 pages Check this out! What do you do when your link to the world of books moves away? This is the question facing Ana, a young girl in Colombia. A beloved teacher once gave Ana a book, which she reads over and over again; but the teacher is gone now. Without her teacher to inspire her or new books to dive into, Ana makes up stories herself. Then one day, a man with two donkeys comes to Ana’s village, and the donkeys are carrying loads of books. The man’s sign says Biblioburro, and he invites the children to borrow books and he reads stories to them under a tree. His regular appearances become Ana’s lifeline to the world, and a whole universe of new stories opens up. But when the Biblioburro stops coming, Ana must find a way to continue her new discoveries and create a story of her own. Based on the true story of a librarian who traveled to rural Colombia to encourage literacy, Waiting for the Biblioburro is an inspiring tale about a love of books and the worlds available to anyone who turns the pages. Parra’s folk-style illustrations suggest a book that Ana herself might proudly create. Reviewed by Margo Orlando Littell
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 7
FANG, cont’d from page 1 with a bit of zap and tingle. The complexities of family dynamics take on weird dimensional shapes, as does the question of what does and does not constitute art. The utterly relatable moments juxtaposed with the equally bizarre moments seem to cause an enhancement loop, making the characters even more relatable and more bizarre by turns. You simply have to read through to the end to make sure nothing happens without you. Reviewed by Heather Ortiz
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Tween Scene SNAP IT for additional book summaries. The Door in the Forest By Rod Townley Knopf Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 245 pages Check this out! Everwood is a small farming town in the middle of nowhere. There are not many secrets in this town, besides a mysterious island that is impenetrable, protected by thick vines and water snakes. Daniel is enthralled by this unexplored island in the marsh and wants more than anything to find a way through. Before he knows it he has a new neighbor – eccentric Bridey Byrdsong’s granddaughter, Emily. Together, David and Emily puzzle out the mystery of the island, and try to protect it and the town from the newly arrived Captain Sloper and his legion, who believe this peaceful town had something to hide. The Door in the Forest is a wonderful tale of adventure and magic, just begging to be picked up by avid adventurers. Fantasy lovers who enjoy quirky magic will fall in love with this book. It takes place in the 1920s, on the tail end of superstition and the beginning of the scientific revolution. The Byrdsong house is my favorite with all the impossibilities, and the family is endearing with their odd ways. Captain Sloper makes the perfect villain, who is frustrated and in denial. This book is a great story for those looking for a good read. Reviewed by Amanda Muir The Summer of Hammers & Angels By Shannon Wiersbitzky Namelos, $18.95, 156 pages Check this out! Delia lives with her single mother in tiny Tucker’s Ferry, West Virginia. Mama isn’t much of a housekeeper or home-repair maven; the house is falling down around their ears. A home inspector shows up and leaves a long list of must-fixes or he will condemn the house. Mama is mad! That night, a storm as furious as Mama comes along. Lightning smashes a hole in the roof, sets a fire and leaves Mama unconscious. Delia runs for help to the Parkers next door. The house is saved, but Mama ends up in a coma, and Delia is taken in by the Parkers, parents of her nemesis, Tommy.
Delia calls on her best friend, Mae, to take on the task of fixing the house. They don’t know much about fixing, but Tommy Parker does, and he pitches right in. They make progress, but Tommy falls from the roof and breaks his leg. Can they find a way to save the house? Will Delia’s Mama ever wake up? Shannon Wiersbitzky has written a sweet coming-of-age story that will keep readers turning the pages as Delia tells the story of her incredible summer in her own strong, clear, realistic voice. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
Big Nate on a Roll By Lincoln Peirce HarperCollins, $12.99, 224 pages Check this out! Nate has a few problems – the new kid at school, Artur, is perfect at everything and is going with the girl Nate is crazy for; Nate’s dad is the king of discipline; and Nate seems to be just about the unluckiest guy on the planet. For him, everything that can go wrong seems to. Two weeks away from earning his attendance merit badge in Timber Scouts, Nate gets detention and ends up missing the meeting through absolutely no fault of his own. In fact, it’s Artur’s fault. When Nate finally arrives just after the meeting, he finds Artur has joined scouts and there is a competition for who can sell the most for a fundraiser. Artur plans on winning, so, of course, Nate makes it his goal to beat him. Nate comes up with some pretty interesting, unusual ideas for winning, few of which have anything to do with selling the fundraiser product. Nate’s hand-drawn comics on nearly every page and his silly antics will make this a favorite for middle-grade boys. It’s a quick read and very clever in every way. Lincoln Peirce is on a roll with this latest book in the Big Nate series. Reviewed by Rosi Hollinbeck
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 8
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Book Reviews
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Book Reviews
Romance SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Secrets to Seducing a Scot By Michelle Marcos St. Martin’s, $7.99, 306 pages Check this out! Scotland was torn by violent revolution. When Serena Marsh’s father was appointed as a mediator between England and the Scottish rebels, her privileged life of London luxury was turned upside down. How could her father expect her to give up her successful weekly column? It was unfair! Not only was Scotland backward, boorish and uncivilized, but her assigned protector Malcolm Slayter was downright infuriating! Headstrong Serena won’t listen to his advice and takes off without her protector … until she realizes just how much danger she’s in. While Serena learns to control her actions a bit, she can’t control her intense feelings for Malcolm. Serena and Malcolm’s romance is so hot, it practically radiates off the pages. The multiple plots intertwine perfectly, and the reader is left trying to catch her breath. Can Malcolm fight for the woman he loves and reclaim his family name? Can Serena survive a deadly revolution without her headstrong ways getting her killed? Secrets to Seducing a Scot is fresh, fun and engaging in a genre overpopulated with Highland Regency romance. Michelle Marcos takes a popular genre and makes it something new and spectacular. I love how she incorporates historical fact without making the novel dry. Serena is a likable heroine, and Malcolm is absolutely delectable; I can’t imagine a single woman who wouldn’t love having him as her protector. This book is delicious from start to finish. Reviewed by Jennifer Melville Until There Was You By Kristan Higgins Harlequin, $7.99, 378 pages Check this out! You always know when you pick up a Kristan Higgins’ book that you’re going to get a quality romance written about real people with real flaws facing real situations. Despite its dated plotline, bad boy returns home just in time to fall for the once-nerdy girl, Until There Was You is no different. Posey Osterhagen
looks and acts nothing like your typical ideal romantic heroine. As a tiny, some might say scrawny brunette adopted into a huge family of tall, blonde, voluptuous GermanAmericans, she couldn’t do a heaving bosom if she tried, and as the owner of an architectural salvage business, Posey is more likely to be found in heavy-duty work boots than Jimmy Chou’s. Liam Murphy isn’t your typical male lead either. Although a bad boy in high school, “around the age of fourteen Liam discovered the power of sex appeal,” he was redeemed by falling in love and marrying the sweetest girl in school. Sixteen years later he’s back in town, finding love the last thing on his mind. His hands are full as a single father of a teenage daughter. Readers can’t help but to root for the two independent but imperfect characters as they get a second chance at doing it right. Reviewed by Lanine Bradley Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue By Stephanie Laurens Avon, $7.99, 448 pages Check this out! Heather Cynster is determined to find her hero instead of settling for a marriage of convenience. When she is kidnapped and family friend Viscount Breckenridge takes off after the kidnappers to rescue her, it’s possible she just might have found her hero. Whether a longtime fan of Stephanie Laurens or a new reader to her Cynsters series, hurry out to pick up this book. Heather is a strong, independent and above all smart heroine; and unlike many other romance heroines, she does not make silly decisions just for the sake of stubbornness. Breckenridge is almost as close as you can get to the ideal man. He’s domineering and protective but does not let that overcome common sense and he is able to deal with Heather as an equal and not a helpless female. The chemistry between the two is sizzling and draws the reader into their story. What makes this book rise above the others is that the supporting characters are equally strong. The villains are atypical, which can make the reader laugh and actually feel sorry for them. The end will leave readers satisfied and eager to get their hands on the next book. Reviewed by Debbie Suzuki
The Darkest Surrender By Gena Showalter Harlequin, $7.99, 384 pages Check this out! Continuing with their ongoing mission, the next episode in the Lords of the Underworld saga follows Stryder – the Lord who houses the demon of Defeat. Stryder has entered the Harpy games to steal the prize of an ancient artifact, but Kaia, a Harpy known as The Disappointment among her kind, is dead set on winning the prize herself. I was a little shocked by Stryder being paired off with Kaia since he seemed to have such great chemistry with Haidee in The Darkest Lie. However, after reading this, I can say that the pairing is a perfect match. Both characters are strong-willed and unable to accept defeat – Kaia because of pride, and Stryder because of the insufferable pain he has to endure every time he loses. There are also some unexpected plot twists with all of the Lords that kept me guessing and wondering what will happen next. Showalter has brought us another great read about our favorite Lords, filled with the
action and witty dialogue that we have come to know and love so much. As another chapter closes for a Lord and his happily ever after, another will begin as we all eagerly await the next Lord’s happy ending. Reviewed by Missy Wadkins
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PRESENTS ... CHRISTMAS EXPOSED: AN EVENING WITH THE ONION Tuesday, Dec. 6 7 p.m. Harwelden Mansion 2210 S. Main St. This fundraiser benefits the Tulsa Press Club Scholarship Fund. Tickets cost $20. To purchase tickets, email mail@tulsapressclub.org or call 918-583-7737.
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 9
Book Reviews
Fiction
SNAP IT for additional book summaries. The American Heiress By Daisy Goodwin St. Martin’s Press, $25.99, 468 pages Check this out! As the beautiful only child of America’s richest family, she’s the most anticipated debutante of her generation, but even her great wealth can’t buy her a place in New York’s tight Knickerbocker society. He’s a handsome British duke with bloodlines 700 years long, but his palace and estates are crumbling under his impoverished feet. Even without the addition of love, Cora and Ivo are a match made in Gilded Age heaven. However, the two are in love and the book focuses largely on their newlywed years as Cora struggles to understand her husband’s mysterious past and her place in the icy British society, while the duke adjusts to changes Cora’s confidence — and money — are bringing to his estate. Reminiscent of Edith Wharton’s The Buccaneers, American Heiress takes readers on an absorbing journey deep into the giltz and strict rules of high society in the late 1800s. Beneath the primary story of the duke and Cora’s relationship simmer the pair’s mothers: the duke’s scheming, spotlight-stealing “Double Duchess” and Cora’s domineering mother who has trained Cora like a Special Forces soldier for a marriage to impress. Large sections of the book are told from the perspective of Cora’s faithful, personal servant, Bertha, which gives the story anchors behind the scenes of the divergent American and British households, as well as in the showy fronts. Reviewed by Megan Just The Butterfly Cabinet By Bernie McGill Free Press, $22.99, 224 pages Check this out! Maddie has a story to tell that she should have told long ago. A former nanny in her 90s, she needs to unburden herself to her last charge, Annie, now a grown woman expecting her first child. Before dropping a few bombs of her own, she gives her a
diary that Annie’s grandmother wrote while imprisoned for killing her daughter, Annie’s Aunt Charlotte. The story alternates between passages in Lady Harriet Ormond’s 1892 prison diary and Maddie, telling her side of the story to Annie in 1968. Even with the passage of time, it feels almost seamless. Lady Ormond had a fairly brutal way of raising children to be responsible, well brought-up adults, but was she really guilty of murdering Charlotte? The household staff doted on the children, but was Lady Ormond the only monster in the house? The Butterfly Cabinet will stick to you long after you’ve finished. Every person has a story, every story has multiple viewpoints, and after reading this one can’t help but wonder that our future offspring might be better off not knowing it. I wonder if Annie wishes that she had never listened. Reviewed by Gwen Stackler Pulse: Stories By Julian Barnes Knopf, $25.00, 227 pages Check this out! The mental and intellectual pulses of the upper British middle class beat at a stately, languid rate, cushioned against vicissitudes, unmoved by events in the actual world and fueled by measured dollops of red wine. That is one of the themes of this two-part, short-story collection, which, in the hands of a lesser craftsman, would prove exceedingly boring and irritating. But Barnes is a fine writer and can reel out self-indulgent musings that hold the reader’s attention because the themes and conversations flow smoothly. His prowess really takes in the second half. Tales of Garibaldi the unifier of Italy, a music instructor and his influence on a blind virtuoso in the 19th century, and a manuscript illustrator cheated by an aristocrat are among the delightful reads (when not interrupted by maudlin accounts of a marriage breakdown) that become almost sumptuous. It’s as though Barnes (author of Arthur & George) says to himself, “No more smug blathering, let it rip.” A tip: read the second part first before being drawn into the navel gazing at British dinner parties. Reviewed by Martin Rushmere
If Wishes Were Horses By Robert Barclay Harper, $7.99, 386 pages Check this out! Wyatt Blaine still endures the pain of losing his wife and son in a car accident five years ago. The accident was caused by Jason Powers, a drunken driver who also died in the crash. As an attempt to heal his broken heart, Wyatt fulfills his late wife’s dream: he reopens her horse therapy program for teens. Gabby Powers, Jason’s widow, enters her son, Trevor, in the program to help him cope with the death of his father. At first, Wyatt feels reluctant to help the son of the man responsible for his family’s death, but Wyatt also feels drawn to the beautiful Gabby. As Wyatt and his family teach Trevor how to ride and care for a horse, they also teach him how to be a part of a family. Gabby teaches Wyatt how to love again. While overly sentimental and repetitious at times, Barclay tells the story of a family in which we can see ourselves in their attempts to understand each other. An enjoyable love story, I recommend this book to those who love horses and novels about the South. Reviewed by Kerry Lindgren
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 10
The Language of Flowers By Vanessa Diffenbaugh Ballantine, $25.00, 336 pages Check this out! Victoria has aged out of the foster-care system without a high-school diploma, work experience or family. Her only skill is the language of flowers she learned while in the care of Elizabeth, a woman with her own haunted past. Working with a florist, Victoria discovers a gift and passion for arranging flowers that solve her customers’ problems. But when she runs into a young man at a market who knows the language too, Victoria is flung back into her past with Elizabeth and the disastrous night that ruined her chance for a happy and normal life. Don’t be fooled by the title of Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s debut novel. The Language of Flowers is not a love story between a man and woman, instead it is about learning to trust and love oneself. Diffenbaugh’s writing is quick and concise. The plot moves smoothly from Victoria’s present life to the time she spent as a child with Elizabeth. Though technically it’s an easy read, I had See FICTION, continued on page 11
Book Reviews FICTION, continued from page 10 difficulty accepting Victoria’s anger toward the secondary characters who cared for her. But I kept reading to see if she would get her happy ending and to learn more about Elizabeth’s past. Altogether it’s a good debut novel and worth a read. Reviewed by Hannah Walcher I Curse the River of Time By Per Petterson Picador, $15.00, 227 pages Check this out! For many readers, Scandinavian bleakness is trending. And nobody now does it better than Petterson. The “River of Time” is actually an image from a poem by Mao. The protagonist’s name is Arvid Jansen — an utter failure in life — once a radical Maoist, still an overeducated factory worker in 1989. The harrowing northern landscape kills feeling: freezing, windswept, dark, light and darkness battling it out in nature; relationships, death, divorce, against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall coming down. Petterson deftly combines melancholy, hope and comedy in this brief novel. Bleak, dreamy, melancholy, tenuous, and alternating between present and past, the first-person narrator’s sentences are simple, distilled, stark and emotional. Everything seems inevitable, as if he is without freewill, indeed unable to stop fate in a world he didn’t choose and doesn’t control. Even his dying mother and long absent father withhold any love from him. By the end, Jansen is utterly obliterated, unheard, dead, permeated by the dense Oslo fog — it’s only the stunning prose that keeps us reading, the unsolved mysteries of family, perhaps answering the question: Why continue to live in the face of the abyss? The translation by Charlotte Barslund is simply beautiful and aching. Reviewed by Phil Semler Book of Dreams By Davis Bunn Howard Books, $14.99, 330 pages Check this out! Between the wellwritten prose and the mysteriously unraveling plot, Davis Bunn’s Book of Dreams is gripping down to the very last page. The book is an intricate blend of human relationships, biblical history, mystery and a bit of surrealism. The plot is centered on a psychiatrist, Elena Burroughs, whose life is plagued by the pain of
the loss of her husband. When a new patient is referred to her by a longtime friend whom she has grave respect for, the patient’s story strikes a significant chord within Elena. The story is of a series of shuddering nightmares, and in order to help figure them out Elena uses an ancient book filled with prayers and powers of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the book, Elena experiences a dream shift of her own that is both powerful and terrifying to her, especially because the dreams unleash dangerous visions for her patient and the economy as a whole. Even for those who don’t generally gravitate toward novels with biblical undertones, Bunn weaves through the story elegantly and with increasing suspense, ultimately creating a very fine read. Reviewed by Jordan Younger Anthropology of an American Girl By Hilary Thayer Hamann Spiegel & Grau, $16.00, 576 pages Check this out! A piece of literary fiction for the highschool girl, the college woman and beyond, this book is an experience of love, passion, heartbreak, choices and consequences, and learning to depend on oneself. The coming-of-age story is set in 1970s New York, as the novel’s heroine Eveline Auerbach evolves from a 17-year-old girl to a young adult. Encountering everything from sexual awakening to the death of a close friend, Evie’s is a universal story about the struggles of growing up in America, reconciling identity and capturing the air of Reagan-era America. Raw and beautiful, this is no light beach read, but rather something to sit in the sun and contemplate; something of far more substance that brings literary fiction and chick lit together with a bang. This originally self-published work is not something to be tackled lightly or only with half-attention. It will engage your senses and bring rushing back all those days of high emotion and teenage fragility. Profound and thrilling, Anthropology of an American Girl captures the spirit of an era. Reviewed by Axie Barclay Ten Thousand Saints By Eleanor Henderson Ecco, $26.99, 385 pages Check this out! Jude, a bored teenager in small-town Vermont, spends most of his free time getting high with his best friend Teddy. Jude’s 16th birthday ends in tragedy when Teddy dies of an overdose, leaving Jude bereft and directionless, and their new friend Eliza
unexpectedly pregnant. Jude’s self-destructive downward spiral leads him to stay with his father in New York, where he falls under the sway of Teddy’s older brother Johnny and his militant straightedge lifestyle. Johnny, struggling with his own sexuality in an unforgiving time, is determined to do right by his brother’s child, while Jude finds a new kind of high in hardcore punk music and refusing drugs, sex and meat. But in this world of confused teenage secrets and good intentions, finding the right path is anything but simple. Eleanor Henderson’s novel Ten Thousand Saints is about so much more than a teenager choosing straightedge over drugs. It’s about family dynamics and loyalty, dangerous secrets and lack of communication, responsibility and weighty decisions, societal acceptance and misguided love. The characters are so multidimensional that readers aren’t always certain who are the “good” characters and who are the “bad,” and the way the narration slips smoothly between different viewpoints keeps the story flowing. An excellent debut; don’t miss it! Reviewed by Holly Scudero The Night Circus By Erin Morgenstern Doubleday, $26.95, 387 pages Check this out! The Night Circus is the magnificently written debut novel by Erin Morgenstern. She eloquently tells the tale of the constantly moving, unique circus that “... arrives without warning” beginning at dusk and continuing through the night. Unlike most circus-going experiences, this nocturnal adventure is different. “He had expected it to be a show. Something to sit in a chair and watch. He realized quickly how wrong he was. It was something to be explored.” Many tents are available to explore, each with its own theme. A competition is underway. For years, Celia and Marco have been training diligently for the challenge for which they were inducted by their trainers. A world of mystery, magic and illusion, Morgenstern easily draws the reader into the nocturnal world of Le Cirque de Reves. What the competitors do not know is that in order for a winner to be determined, only one can be left standing. The Night Circus provides the venue for this competition to take place. Celia and Marco didn’t expect
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 11
to fall in love, which makes their challenge much more difficult. I truly enjoyed this novel, down to the artwork of the book keeping with the color theme. The Night Circus draws you into its magical world and leaves you with a feeling of hope and the desire to dream as any majestic fairy tale would. It’s a completely captivating, mysterious, romantic and a dreamlike fantasy bound into one book! It would be wonderful to see this book go to film, for the magical scenes Morgenstern so brilliantly expresses and conveys are vividly seen by the reader. In this craftily written debut, she achieves all of the goals a writer wishes to achieve as she takes you on the journey of The Night Circus. Well done! Reviewed by Jennifer Ochs In The Sea There Are Crocodiles By Fabio Geda Doubleday, $21.95, 213 pages Check this out! At the age of ten, Enaiatollah Akbari’s mother takes him to Pakistan and leaves him there, returning to Afghanistan herself to care for her other two children in their small, now Taliban-controlled village. Enaiatollah is left to fend for himself; he ekes out an existence selling things on the street, but eventually his desire for a safe place to call home leads him further abroad. His journey takes him to Iran, Turkey, Greece and finally Italy, where he wins political asylum. In these troubling times of political conflict, it is easy to overlook the individual stories that cut to the heart of why change is needed. Enaiatollah’s story, told in author Fabio Geda’s In the Sea There Are Crocodiles, is a stark and heartwrenching reminder of why the world cares so much about what goes on in the Middle East. Told with a simplicity not often seen in personal stories, this narrative chronicles the danger inherent in the journeys refugees take, and reminds readers that there is so much more to an immigrant’s story beyond breaking the law. The conversational tone of the book makes it easy, even inviting, to read; at the same time, Enaiatollah’s harrowing experiences will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
Book Reviews
Parenting & Families
Nature & Science SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck – 101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers By Ron Clark Touchstone, $23.00, 352 pages Check this out! Here’s a surefire antidote to despondency. Ron Clark’s The End of Molasses Classes launches an exhilarating slap in the face to conventional educators. His solutions to doldrums will bolster every teacher confronting the classroom with a no-win feeling, dreading the next batch of tests, the next parents voicing protests, the next round of cutbacks. The book’s pace and style are as impressive as the content. His ideas leap over each other as he describes the Ron Clark Academy, his Atlanta, Georgia, school for boys and girls, mostly African-American, who find a unique opportunity to strut their stuff, provided they work and play hard, and buy into a philosophy that rejects failure as an option. Clark’s methods are contagious; the staff and kids undoubtedly embrace his enthusiasm. In this age of financial shortfall, Clark shares his know-how for raising funds, and garnering support from community benefactors and educators around the country who attend his dynamic workshops. Like a latter-day Aladdin he calls up the genie with each rub of the magic lamp. Despite the tacky title and about 20 too many “extraordinary solutions,” the book still warrants an A+. Reviewed by Jane Manaster
All Together Singing in the Kitchen By Nerissa Nields and Katryna Nields Roost Books, $22.95, 253 pages Check this out! One part music and two parts fun, this how-to-make-merry handbook has the potential to help seasoned musicians and novices alike. Nerissa and Katryna Nields, professional folk musicians, give the reader a background of their lives growing up in a musical family. By being exposed to music and music making, their family explored their interests and talents together. Beginning with the basics of singing, tempo and simple percussion instruments, the Nields teach us how to introduce music into the lives of our families. This book contains very basic, simple music lessons for singing and playing the guitar and piano, however, the real treasure of this volume is contained in the many games, crafts and songs that can help families make music together. Each chapter introduces different songs with the guitar chord accompaniments, and the book comes with a 30-song CD to help families sing and play along. The Nields offer advice on writing your own songs, how and when to choose instruments for your children and how to bring musical programs to your community. I recommend this book to families, teachers, babysitters and daycare providers to encourage children to be creative and to find the joy in creating music together. Reviewed by Kerry Lindgren
The Book of Universes By John D. Barrow Norton, $26.95, 354 pages Check this out! Time is an unstoppable arrow (at least, in three dimensions), charting the progress of human knowledge across the centuries. Our thinking has come a long way from the days when we looked up at the sky and knew we were the center of creation. It took a wealth of brilliant minds, abstract thinkers and dedicated theorizing to bring us here, and The Book of Universes chronicles that journey from our earliest days to the present. Barrow has crafted a beautifully concise yet detailed history of our discovery of the solar system’s mechanics, and how those revelations have evolved into a quest to understand and formulate a model of the universe as a whole. For a book that covers as expansive and complex a topic as the universe, it’s wonderfully designed to include new readers and enthusiasts alike. The language is simple without being condescending, and Barrow eases in the reader across chapters, building up the necessary scientific familiarity to tackle the more complicated concepts to come, all the way from Aristotle and Copernicus to M-Theory and the multiverse. More science texts should be as informative and welcoming as The Book of Universes. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 12
The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must By Robert Zubrin Free Press, $16.99, 383 pages Check this out! Mars has been on everybody’s mind lately. Can we afford to go? Can we afford not to go? Here is the book we’ve been desperately waiting for. It builds on the book Packing for Mars by Mary Roach. Robert Zubrin’s The Case for Mars is based on his original book by the same title, which was published 15 years earlier. It was endorsed by a distinguished collection of astronauts, scientists and writers, including Buzz Aldrin, the late Arthur C. Clark and the late Carl Sagon. In the 1990 movie Total Recall, based on a sci-fi by Philip K. Dick, the author depicts a corrupt society built on Mars. Just like The Case for Pluto by Alan Boyle, author Zubrin paints a glossy picture of the red rock with all the justification of a mission in The Case for Mars. Zubrin believes there is yet room for a Mars exploration, replete with building a base on Mars, the colonization of Mars and terraforming of Mars. He then begins to speculate on his vision of the significance of the Martian frontier. I think Mars’ time has come, and Zubrin has put it right in a brilliant, intense read. Reviewed by D. Wayne Dworsky
Book Reviews
Spirituality & Religion SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion By Janet Reitman Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $28.00, 464 pages Check this out! Anybody who knows anything about Scientology is bound to have an opinion about it. To some, it’s a religion dedicated to self-betterment and the golden path to recognizing one’s true potential. To others, it’s a wacky pseudo-scientific brainwashing cult created by a hack science-fiction writer looking to get rich. The truth, explains journalist Janet Reitman, is that Scientology is different things to different people. In her extensive new work Inside Scientology, Reitman explores different aspects of the con-
troversial practice, delving into the lives of both its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, and its current leader, David Miscavige. She details its evolution from the self-help program Dianetics to a government-recognized and tax-exempt religion, and its reputation as a mecca for big-name celebrities, offering numerous personal interviews with former and current Scientologists, both disillusioned and devout. One of the best things about this book is how everything is presented completely dispassionately and without bias. The interviews provide a surprisingly balanced insider’s view, and important events are chronicled with intense precision. Here readers will find only painstakingly researched facts. Reitman’s writing is clear and logically packaged. The resulting book is a fresh look at the polarizing topic of Scientology. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
MILLENNIAL, cont’d from page 5 provided Obama with nearly 7 million or 80 percent of his 8.5 million popular vote margin. Voting age Millennials supported Obama over his Republican opponent John McCain by 66 percent to 30 percent, while older generations split their vote almost evenly 50 percent to Obama to 48 percent for McCain. The later situation created the largest disparity between young and older voters in four decades of polling. This is a brilliant study of an important moment in history put into place with other generational cycles in American history such as the American Revolution, Civil War and New Deal. Reviewed by Claude Ury
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Meet Alan Furst WINNER OF THE TULSA LIBRARY TRUST’S 2011 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award
Free Public Presentation and Book Signing SATURDAY, DEC. 3 10:30 A.M. CENTRAL LIBRARY SECOND FLOOR FOURTH STREET AND DENVER AVENUE 918.549.READ
Alan Furst is America’s preeminent historical espionage novelist. He has written 15 novels; is a contributor to periodicals, such as Esquire, Elle and GQ; and is a former columnist for the International Herald Tribune. Furst’s novels primarily are set in Eastern Europe between 1933 and 1942 when the Nazi power was on the rise. Titles include “Night Soldiers,” “Dark Star,” “The Polish Officer,” “The World at Night,” “Red Gold,” “Kingdom of Shadows,” “Blood of Victory,” “Dark Voyage,” “The Foreign Correspondent,” “The Spies of Warsaw” and his latest thriller, “Spies of the Balkans,” a stunning novel about a man who risks everything to right – in many small ways – the world’s evil. Copies of his books will be available for purchasing.
Free and Open to the Public • TulsaLibrary.org • 2011 • If you are hearing-impaired and need a qualified interpreter, please call the library 48 hours in advance of the program. Photo by Raine Hosch.
Tulsa Book Review • December 2011 • 13
Book Reviews
Cooking, Food & Business & Wine Personal Finance SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Fabulous Party Cakes and Cupcakes By Carol Deacon Tuttle, $16.95, 80 pages Check this out! A stunning cake or whimsical set of cupcakes can make a celebration shine. Carol Deacon’s Fabulous Party Cakes and Cupcakes makes an ideal guide for anyone who has ever wanted to emulate the bakery decorators on television. Begin by following easy recipes (a basic sponge and chocolate cake and even microwave cake recipes!) with time-saving techniques. Each cake has a cupcake alternative if you are short on time; this is a unique aspect of this book. Deacon relies heavily on fondant in her designs, but marzipan can be substituted. Her animals and figures have a cartoon-like quality, which makes them fun and festive. Pet lovers will be drawn to the Happy Hamster Cake that is crawling with adorable furry friends. Girls will love the Makeup Bag Cake, and boys will get a huge kick out of the Smelly Sneaker Cake. Not every design features cartoony figures. Try making a batch of Chocolate Butterfly Cupcakes using edible wafer/rice paper to create a sophisticated effect. The Baby Dolphin Cake will make you a pro at crafting realistic seashells. For novice decorators, Deacon reviews basic equipment needed to create masterpieces. Beautiful color photographs capture the details and craftsmanship evident in each design. Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin The Asian Barbecue Book By Alex Skaria Tuttle, $19.95, 176 pages Check this out! Here is an excellent and very useable barbecue cookbook. It covers such wide geographic area and so many cuisines that you may be lost in your choices of recipes and styles of barbecuing. It is akin to covering Europe for a specific type of cooking technique. Apart from this criticism, this is a very nice addition to any kitchen library if the cook favors bar-
SNAP IT for additional book summaries.
becue as a cooking technique. The author describes grill techniques, grills and tools in great details, and devotes eight pages on reviews of essential Asian ingredients. The following 20 pages offer recipes for marinades, sauces, dips, spice pastes, glazes, rubs and stuffings. The recipes are well-written, easy-to-follow, and include preparation and grill times. They are not easy recipes but with modest cooking skill no cook should have problems. Layout is good; recipes are on single pages, many accompanied by nice photo illustrations. An Asian market source is essential to find some of the ingredients. In accordance with Asian tradition, only charcoal grills are used. All meats and poultry are included with 12 to 18 recipes for each type, including grilled vegetables and fruits. The index is brief, cross-referenced and adequate. Reviewed by George Edrosh 40 Years of Chez Panisse: The Power of Gathering By Alice Waters Clarkson Potter, $55.00, 304 pages Check this out! It has been a distinct pleasure for this reviewer to have eaten on numerous occasions in Berkeley’s famed Chez Panisse restaurant. As a word of note, several weeks ago this writer participated in a 40th anniversary luncheon co-sponsored by LeviStrauss in Maiden Lane in San Francisco benefitting Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard Project. This latter activity has its purpose in changing the food curriculum in our school systems, which was started in 1995 in Berkeley, California, and has spread throughout America. This volume under review provides a history of how in 40 years Waters has changed our notion of local food culture. With limited cooking experience, Waters is shown in this brilliant book gathering friends and opening what would become a worldrenowned restaurant in Berkeley: Chez Panisse. The lesson to be learned after reading this book is that cooking, from Alice Water’s perspective, must be based on fresh ingredients that are produced locally. Readers desiring further recent material on Chez Panisse would do well to consult Menus for Chez Panisse. Reviewed by Claude Ury
How Capitalism Will Save Us: Why Free People and Free Markets Are the Best Answer in Today’s Economy By Steve Forbes, Elizabeth Ames Crown Business, $15.00, 378 pages Check this out! In this book the authors show that when free people in free markets have the energy to solve problems by meeting the needs and wants of others they develop innovations that are paramount in economic change. A chapter on health care denotes its effect on the congressional legislation of 2010. Analysis is made of the takeover of the automobile industry in chapter two. The authors maintain that the government’s solutions to economic problems have not worked because there has not been a political agenda provided. Chapter 8 explains how fear about uncertainty in the economy can paralyze an economy. People are speaking out in support of lower taxes, limited government and more economic freedom, according to the authors. Joseph Schumpeter, the great Austrian economist of the 20th century, also is discussed, building upon his concept on economics. Of interest to this reviewer is the chapter entitled “Aren’t the Rich Getting Richer at Other People’s Expense?” which denotes that as a privileged group they get special treatments and breaks. Further, it is pointed out that you cannot have a prosperous or innovative economy until people remain rich. Several policy questions can be asked after reading this impressive book, namely: Don’t regulators safeguard the public good? Are free trade and globalization destroying American jobs and other economies worldwide? Is America on the road to socialism? Reviewed by Claude Ury The Next American Economy: Blueprint for a Real Recovery By William J. Holstein Walker & Company, $26.00, 256 pages Check this out! Part one of this outstanding book provides case studies of Pittsburgh and its attempt to advance robot technology; Orlando, Florida and its simulation boom; and San Diego’s genomics industry, with its impact on medicine, education and logistics.
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Finally, an analysis is made of Cleveland’s program for retraining displaced workers. The basic premise behind these case studies is that America must create a climate of cooperation which other nations, such as Malaysia, South Korea and China, to create the kind of sustainable growth we need to develop for the future. Of interest to this reviewer was Chapter 11, developing a blueprint for the federal government in industrial policy, which has not been adequately researched. Meanwhile, in Chapter 12, it is maintained that CEOs of large American companies must maintain a strong presence on American soil. In a final chapter, one is shown changes necessary to meet the economic challenges of America. Part two looks at the ecosystems of the future – for example, Austin, Texas, and its ability to provide renewable energy. Diffusion is seen as a means by which local communities can invest in their wealth. Also it is important to note that export ecosystems are important for creating jobs at home while having strong technologies throughout the world. In closing, it is safe to say that even with severe budget cuts faced by many companies, education needs to be a top priority to close the gap between skills Americans now possess and the skills American workers need for the future. Reviewed by Claude Ury AMELIA, cont’d from page 4 reer in aviation. Fleming never talks down to her readers, addressing life matters (such as Earhart’s father’s alcoholism and the breakup of their family) directly and sensitively. Amelia Earhart’s desire for independence and the freedom to build a career of her own is a significant part of this story, making her a positive – if complex – role model. The design of the book is impeccable, providing educators with many built-in lesson plans. Photos, old report cards, newspaper clippings and other archival materials give readers a nuanced sense of the life and times of Earhart, while informational sidebars suggest further avenues for student research. Highly recommended for all school and home libraries. Reviewed by Catherine Hollis
Book Reviews
Science Fiction & Fantasy SNAP IT for additional book summaries. Ghost of a Smile By Simon R. Green Ace, $7.99, 279 pages Check this out! The Ghost Finders are an eclectic trio of miscreants, each with a decidedly off-kilter skill set to wield against the worst and weirdest paranormal forces the darkness has to offer. But when a drug company suddenly goes into lockdown, the team is recruited to find out why. What happened to the security team that preceded them? What malevolence awaits them inside? And what has the terrible marriage of science and the supernatural wrought on our world? In the sequel to the engaging Ghost of a Chance, Green deviates from his usual fare by taking us on a dark journey inspired more by Scientific American than by myth or ghost stories. He gleefully tweaks the natural fear of experimentation (and the inscrutable motivations of the men behind it), bringing some real-world paranoia into his fantasy-laden playground. It’s a gamble that pays off nicely. While the lack of hard-and-fast rules for their world can be a bit off-putting, the fact that the characters often seem to be at a loss is a comfort to the reader. Supernatural detective or not, we’re all in the same boat here. With his Nightside series ending soon, the Ghost Finders books are quickly proving to be worthy replacements. Reviewed by Glenn Dallas Hull Zero Three By Greg Bear Orbit, $19.99, 320 pages Check this out! Teacher is in the perfect world. He is on a new planet with the woman he loves. Life is exactly what he hoped for. In an instant, he is awoken, cold, wet and naked. He wasn’t supposed to wake up until before landfall. He is on an interstellar colony
ship that has gone off its charted path, and the halls of the gigantic and vast ship are swarming with gruesome and terrifying monsters. With no one in charge of the ship, Teacher and a ragtag crew of shipmates must find their way to the ship’s control room. As they navigate the treacherous halls of the renegade ship, they uncover clues about the current state of the ship and the artificial intelligence. Greg Bear has won numerous Nebula and Hugo awards, and his mastery of the science-fiction genre is present in this book. Although the basic premise of the book has been done before, and the character types are easily recognized, Bear works these angles in a new, interesting way. While at some points the descriptions seemed to drag on a little too much, his writing keeps readers interested in the ship and the monsters that inhabit it. An excellent read, science-fiction fans would do themselves a favor picking up this book if they haven’t had the chance yet. Reviewed by Ross Rojek Legacy of Kings By C.S. Friedman DAW, $25.95, 456 pages Check this out! In terms of modern fantasy you can’t go wrong with C.S. Friedman. With her latest book we get the conclusion to the breathtaking Magister Trilogy. In Legacy of Kings, the world is threatened by Souleaters; it is a place where witchcraft and sorcery are two distinct styles of magic, and where Magisters are both feared and loved. The new High King must work with Magisters, whom he views as evil, to stop the threat of the Souleaters. But can Colivar overcome his reluctance to tell the truth about Souleaters and Magisters, can the different groups work together and can they even kill a queen? All hangs in the balance. This book moves at a quick pace, since it has a lot of ground to cover and many plot points from the previous two books to wrap up. Friedman does a good job of moving the story along, only getting bogged down at two minor points. But the ending does feel a bit rushed and anticlimactic. Almost
wished that there was a fourth book instead of ending the series in three, then it would not have felt so rushed. Reviewed by Kevin Winter Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy By Ellen Datlow, editor St. Martin’s Press, $15.99, 560 pages Check this out! The genre known as “urban fantasy” has grown to become its very own strong and prominent category in fantasy, and yet there are still many people who have yet to read an urban fantasy book or an urban fantasy story for that matter. Where are said readers supposed to begin? An anthology is a good place to start; this particular anthology, Naked City, is a great one. With so many authors writing urban fantasy, it’s hard to decide on one to like and read. Naked City makes that easy for the reader by offering 20 stories by different authors. The book kicks off with a great romping ride courtesy of Jim Butcher, and this time Harry Dresden is on the case of the Chicago Cubs curse. Naomi Novik’s entertaining tale “Priced to Sell” is about vampires buying real estate in Manhattan. Patricia Brigg’s “Fairy Gifts” features a vampire called home to save those who freed him from a curse. Melissa Marr’s “Guns for the Dead” is the story of a dead man trying to get by in the afterlife. In the introduction, popular and prolific editor Ellen Datlow writes about the importance of place in Naked City, with most of the stories featuring an important location as their focus point. Readers will learn about various towns across America, as well as other places not found on any known map. Reviewed by Alex Telander One Salt Sea: An October Daye Novel By Seanan McGuire DAW, $7.99, 368 pages Check this out! This fifth book in the October Daye urban fantasy series gets high marks on three points: Toby does a little less running around, some important story lines get resolved and McGuire introduces us to the awesome undersea world of the fae. Another day, another big problem to solve for October Daye. This time someone has kidnapped the two sons of the regent of the Undersea Duchy
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of Saltmist. Only a month has passed since Toby was brought back from the brink of death, and now she has a new place to call home – Goldengreen. But she only has three days to avoid all-out war between the sea fae and those on land Using a helpful spell from the terrifying sea witch, the Luidaeg, Toby is able to breathe underwater, and here McGuire presents exciting and colorful descriptions of the unusual and fascinating underwater fae. McGuire seems to have fun with One Salt Sea, exploring her protagonist’s personality and revealing some great origin stories for the world of fae. Fans of the series will be swept up in this story, hooked to the very end where they get some answers and a sense of satisfaction that few books deliver this well. Reviewed by Alex Telander Citadels of the Lost: The Annals of Drakis: Book Two By Tracy Hickman DAW, $24.95, 432 pages Check this out! The escaped slave Drakis and his companions have followed the sound of dragonsong to the northern lands, only to discover that dragons are real! They’re also dangerous, and their flight from this new foe sends the group to an unknown land. Drakis must bring back the magic of Aether to the lands they now find themselves in. Doing so, however, will mean working together, difficult due to the secrets and mistrust swirling around them all, and the skepticism in an arrogant young guide who surely has other motives. Meanwhile, former Iblisi Inquisitor Soen knows his fate is tied to the escaped slaves, and he must find them before his own enemies in the Rhonas Empire find him. Citadels of the Lost is the exciting second book in the Annals of Drakis series, and like its predecessor, it does not disappoint. All of the characters readers know – and may or may not love – from the first book are back, and the story only gets more intricate as it goes on. Hickman writes with authority, masterfully and flawlessly switching between different points of view and keeping this novel flowing toward an epic conclusion that only promises more to come in the next book. A must-read for fans of the fantasy genre. Reviewed by Holly Scudero
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