Featuring 317 Industry-First Reviews of Fiction, Nonfiction and Children's & Teen
KIRKUS VOL. LXXXII, NO.
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REVIEWS
FICTION
An Untamed State by Roxane Gay A Haitian woman is kidnapped and her rich father refuses to pay ransom in this remarkable debut. p. 17
NONFICTION
Forcing the Spring by Jo Becker A New York Times reporter delivers a gripping narrative about the recent court battles involving California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. p. 43
on the cover
Acclaimed novelist Kevin Powers returns with his first book of poems. Poetry works through “a different part of the mind—less comprehension, more apprehension,” Powers says. “Poems happen to you.” p. 14
CHILDREN'S & TEEN
The Pilot and the Little Prince by Peter Sís A stunning picture-book biography of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, from a genius of children’s literature p. 109
INDIE Nick Katsoris is the most connected indie writer in America. p. 130
a note from the editor
April’s Hot Titles B Y C la i b orne
Chairman H E R B E RT S I M O N
Smi t h
# President & Publisher M A RC W I N K E L M A N
Z i a H a i d e r R a h m a n ’s In t h e L i g h t o f Wh at We Kn o w
(pub date: Apr. 22)…we starred this globe-trotting debut novel by a writer who was born in rural Bangladesh but was educated at Oxford, Cambridge, Munich and Yale. It’s nothing if not ambitious (the epigraphs of the opening chapter cite Edward W. Said, Joseph Conrad and Melville). The protagonist is an investment banker whose marriage is in shambles; an unkempt man shows up on his doorstep, a friend from college who disappeared mysteriClaiborne Smith ously and now has a major confession. “Beautifully written evidence that some of the most interesting writing in English is coming from the edges of old empires,” our critic wrote….We called David van Reybrouck’s Congo: The Epic History of a People (Apr. 1) “overlong,” but the Dutch writer makes a good case for the importance of Congo not only to Africa, but to the world. His writing is about as far from the dry textbook style you’d expect from a book with a title like that….For those of us who feel a little fuzzy on America’s relationship with Afghanistan (make that all of us), two thoughtful books are out this month: New York Times’ writer Carlotta Gall’s The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-2014 (Apr. 8) and Anand Gopal’s No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes (Apr. 29)….It’s been heady days for lovers of literary biography: the doorstopper Mailer bio last fall, the slim e.e. cummings bio by Susan Cheever in February and now Adam Begley’s Updike (Apr. 8). Begley, who used to be the book editor at the New York Observer, “throughout displays a patent admiration, even affection, for his subject,” our reviewer wrote….Fans of Julia Glass’ National Book Award–winning Three Junes will be happy to know that her latest, And the Dark Sacred Night (Apr. 1), continues the stories of her characters’ lives from that best-selling novel….Ahkil Sharma also returns this month with Family Life (Apr. 7), an unsentimental, moving and unexpectedly comic story about two young brothers who come to America from India and marvel at the relative wealth of their lives until one of the brothers hits his head in the pool and has severe brain damage. Sharma’s An Obedient Father was a big hit in 2000; he’s been working on Family Life since then, but this new novel’s 192 pages are severely reduced from the many, many more pages he initially wrote. He’s left the best parts in.
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a note from the editor
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Editor in Chief C laiborne S mith csmith@kirkus.com Managing/Nonfiction Editor E R I C L I E B E T R AU eliebetrau@kirkus.com Fiction Editor L aurie M uchnick lmuchnick@kirkus.com Children’s & Teen Editor VICKY SMITH vsmith@kirkus.com Mysteries Editor THOMAS LEITCH Contributing Editor G R E G O RY M c N A M E E Senior Indie Editor KAREN SCHECHNER kschechner@kirkus.com Indie Editor RYA N L E A H E Y rleahey@kirkus.com Indie Editor D avid R a p p drapp@kirkus.com Assistant Indie Editor M AT T D O M I N O mdomino@kirkus.com Assistant Editor CHELSEA LANGFORD clangford@kirkus.com Copy Editor BETSY JUDKINS Director of Kirkus Editorial P E R RY C RO W E pcrowe@kirkus.com Director of Technology E R I K S M A RT T esmartt@kirkus.com Marketing Communications Director SARAH KALINA skalina@kirkus.com Marketing Associate A rden Piacen z a apiacenza@kirkus.com Advertising/Client Promotions A nna C oo p er acooper@kirkus.com
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contents fiction Index to Starred Reviews............................................................5 REVIEWS.................................................................................................5 Kevin Powers’ new poetry........................................................14 Mystery.............................................................................................. 31
The Kirkus Star is awarded to books of remarkable merit, as determined by the impartial editors of Kirkus.
Science Fiction & Fantasy..........................................................38 Romance........................................................................................... 40
nonfiction Index to Starred Reviews..........................................................41 REVIEWS...............................................................................................41 Pearl Cleage is telling the truth..........................................56
children’s & teen Index to Starred Reviews..........................................................75 REVIEWS...............................................................................................75 Lois Ehlert’s life in scraps......................................................92 Mother’s Day & Father’s Day Roundup............................... 116 interactive e-books...................................................................121
indie Index to Starred Reviews.........................................................123 REVIEWS..............................................................................................123 The secret to Nick Katsoris’ success..................................130 Appreciations: Remembering Winnipeg the bear.......... 139
Jules Feiffer delivers his first graphic novel, a sprawling, kinetic noir of giant women, jumbled identities and warped relations. Read the starred review on p. 12. |
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on the web w w w. k i r k u s . c o m
Photo courtesy Sage Ricci
Tom Spanbauer’s first novel in seven years is an expansive story of sex and heartbreak covering more than two decades. I Loved You More is centered on a love triangle of two men and one woman, all of whom are writers. The protagonist Ben is a gay man who forms a strong bond with the straight and macho Hank through a common love for writing. Years later, an ill Ben falls for his writing student, Ruth, and when Hank reappears, the real trouble starts. Set amid a world of artists within the vivid settings of New York’s Lower East Side, Idaho and Portland, Ore., Spanbauer’s new work is grand in scope and complex in execution. Look for our conversation with the author on the site.
Check out these highlights from Kirkus’ online coverage at www.kirkus.com. 9 Photo courtesy Sigrid Estrada
Ann Brashares is known for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but her latest teen book is a stark departure from the work that granted her fame. The Here and Now is a lightning-paced sci-fi travel romp that offers intrigue, romance and a healthy dose of implausibility that one would expect from a movie blockbuster. The book is centered around Prenna James, a refugee in the wake of a blood plague that ravages her world. James’ travels as a refugee don’t bring her to a new location, but a new time. Her community tries to assimilate into a society decades in the past with rules mandated by the time natives’ society. Prenna falls in love with one of these natives—which happens to be one of the gravest offenses a time traveler might commit. Brashares talks with Kirkus Reviews about her jump into the sci-fi world in a profile that will be posted on our site in April.
9 And be sure to check out our Indie publishing series, featuring some of today’s most intriguing self-published authors. Each week, we feature authors’ exclusive personal essays and reported articles on how they achieved their success in publishing. It’s a must-read resource for any aspiring author interested in getting readers to notice their new books.
Photo courtesy Peter Abzug
In 1959, a 16-year-old Barbara Ehrenreich had an ineffable vision which she explores in her memoir Living with a Wild God. A hurricane destroyed most of the author’s papers in her Florida Keys home in 2005, but her girlhood diary survived the storm. Throughout the memoir, Ehrenreich refers to the diary and quotes from it as she offers an account of her awakening spiritual consciousness. Ehrenreich came from a long line of atheists and remains one herself, but by the end of the book, she professes a sort of polytheism that lies beyond scientific direction and definition. She also writes about her troubled family—her father died of Alzheimer’s, her mother of an overdose—as well as her childhood loneliness as a girl dedicated to exploring the existential questions surrounding life. Look for our conversation with Ehrenreich on kirkus.com in the coming weeks.
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fiction SUDDENLY, LOVE
These titles earned the Kirkus Star:
Appelfeld, Aharon Translated by Green, Jeffrey M. Schocken (224 pp.) $25.00 | $12.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-0-8052-4295-9 978-0-8052-4315-4 e-book
SUDDENLY, LOVE by Aharon Appelfeld; trans. by Jeffrey M. Green......................................................................5 I’M GONE by Jean Echenoz; trans. by Mark Polizzotti......................12 KILL MY MOTHER by Jules Feiffer.......................................................12 SUNDANCE by David Fuller...............................................................16 AMERICAN INNOVATIONS by Rivka Galchen.................................16 AN UNTAMED STATE by Roxane Gay................................................ 17 AFTERPARTY by Daryl Gregory......................................................... 17 THE POSSIBILITIES by Kaui Hart Hemmings...................................18 VALOUR AND VANITY by Mary Robinette Kowal........................... 20 TIME PRESENT AND TIME PAST by Deirdre Madden......................22 BIRD BOX by Josh Malerman..............................................................22 SNOW IN MAY by Kseniya Melnik..................................................... 24 TROIKA by Adam Pelzman..................................................................25 BELLWEATHER RHAPSODY by Kate Racculia................................ 26 TIME PRESENT AND TIME PAST
Madden, Deirdre Europa Editions (196 pp.) $16.00 paper May 6, 2014 978-1-60945-207-0
A quiet, moving and utterly convincing story about the growing love between an aging author and his companion. Seventy when the novel opens, Ernst is a retired investment adviser who has been married twice. His first wife and their baby daughter were killed by the Nazis, and his second marriage was a mistake whose pain still torments him. At first abrupt, if not downright curmudgeonly, Ernst goes to a cafe in his Jerusalem neighborhood every morning and then spends hours writing. He’s not in robust health, so he hires Irena as a companion to supervise his care. Irena is 36 and has a simple faith far different from the angst that has bedeviled Ernst. As a boy, he rejected Judaism, much to the distress of his father, and joined the Communist Party. Eventually he became a member of the Red Army, a time that he still recalls with fondness due to its clarity: “You know who’s a friend and who’s a foe.” Over time, however, he rejected communism and rediscovered the faith of his ancestors. In fact, much of the writing that now preoccupies him involves reminiscences of his devout grandfather in the Carpathian Mountains in Czernowitz (now in Ukraine and, perhaps not so coincidentally, where Appelfeld was born). Although he initially instructs Irena to destroy his manuscripts after his death because he doesn’t “want strangers to grope [his] writings,” over time he begins to read her excerpts, and she finds in his work a remarkable sensibility, both tender and kind. As Ernst’s health continues to deteriorate, his need to record his memories grows more desperate, and he begins to rely ever more on Irena as an empathetic listener, eventually finding in her presence “the gateway to life.” Appelfeld writes simply but gorgeously about important things, and the translation is particularly graceful and supple.
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WARRIORS
Bell, Ted Morrow/HarperCollins (512 pp.) $27.99 | $15.99 e-book | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-06-227938-5 978-0-06-227940-8 e-book Bell’s Warriors is the eighth Alex Hawke thriller, and it’s fun in its own fast-moving, quirky way. Lord Alexander Hawke is a stunningly handsome and rich Brit whose hobby seems to be saving the world. He’s admired by the queen and presidents alike. So when U.S. President Tom McCloskey drops dead from a poisoned birthday cake, his funeral is attacked by drones, and a new Chinese regime rattles its sabers, who’re you gonna call? In fact, it’s a while before Hawke is fully woven into the plot, which bounces from the U.S. to Britain to China to North Korea and the oceans in between. His personal life figures into the story, including his sexual escapades, his love for his young son and the perils of giving the nanny the weekend off. Then the American scientist William Lincoln Chase is kidnapped by the North Koreans, since he’s the only person in the world with the know-how to create a weapon that will change the global balance of power. The “Norks” know exactly how to force Chase to create that weapon, and they will waste no time bringing civilization (i.e. the U.S. and Britain) to its knees. Clearly, this is a job for Lord Hawke and his handpicked band of warriors. They are jaunty types who, as they land on a darkened beach for a risky exfiltration, manage time for humor. When a team member wonders if the mission will turn into a Chinese version of Little Big Horn, Hawke replies, “I ain’t no Custer, Stokely Jones.” Meanwhile, in England, the “worldfamous criminalist” Ambrose Congreve defends Hawke’s son against beastly black birds with a James Bond–ian brolly worthy of MI6’s Q. Near the end, a villain exclaims, “Then bring me the head of Alexander Hawke!” Really, there’s no need. When we finish enjoying Warriors, just bring us Hawke’s next lively adventure.
WE WERE FLYING TO CHICAGO
Clouther, Kevin Black Balloon Publishing (208 pp.) $14.00 paper | $6.99 e-book May 15, 2014 978-1-936787-15-9 978-1-936787-16-6 e-book The stories in this debut collection cover familiar territory with subtle prose that strives for emotional impact. In these 10 stories, Clouther (Creative Writing/Stony Brook, Johns Hopkins) explores the promise and disappointments of daily life; aging, relationships and religion are frequent topics. 6
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At their strongest, the stories develop an intimate voice and the reader can feel characters’ hopes and despair. The title story is a particular standout. A group of airplane passengers are stuck on a layover; the story is told from their collective perspective (“For no good reason, we were flying to Chicago,” it begins). The first-person plural point of view is inviting and fresh. As the passengers describe their midlife ennui, the empty promises of youth become a shared experience. In “Isabelle and Colleen,” a memorable narrator again breathes life into a potentially stale plot. This story about a teen pregnancy is narrated by the younger brother of the father-to-be. James is torn between admiration and shame, between his own adolescent insecurities and his family’s much larger issues. His innocent, earnest perspective is endearing and poignant. Too often, however, the stories adopt an overly impersonal tone, making it hard to feel the depth of what’s at stake. In “The Third Prophet of Wyaconda,” a self-proclaimed prophet appears in a small town promising a miracle. The story reads like a parable or allegory without the clarity needed to interpret a meaning or moral. “Puritan Hotel, Barnstable” suffers a similar limitation. The characters grapple with a family member’s illness but are too generic for the reader to experience their grief. Both “Open House” and “I Know Who You Are” raise more questions than they answer and fall short of any emotional effect they might intend. Clouther’s stories range from moving to boring to downright confusing. Taken together, the collection fails to leave a mark.
SUZANNE DAVIS GETS A LIFE
Cohen, Paula Marantz Paul Dry Books (277 pp.) $15.95 paper | May 13, 2014 978-1-58988-095-5
If Jane Austen’s heroines can find true love within the confines of their small English villages, why can’t a single New Yorker locate Mr. Right among the residents of her large Upper West Side apartment building? Suzanne Davis is 34 years old and a technical writer with a boring, albeit undemanding, job and “an apartment the size of a shoebox on West 76th Street in New York City.” Fed up with online dating, she decides to think small and look for “a soul mate in my own backyard.” She pursues this goal like an anthropologist, staking out a spot on the building’s playground to observe the moms and children at play, which leads to an invitation to a book discussion where she is introduced to some potential suitors. Suzanne is a hilarious, self-deprecating, rather unreliable narrator who, like the best Austen heroines, is the last to reach the obvious conclusions about her own love life. After a disastrous affair with one building resident and an almost unbearably meet-cute episode with another, a bout of cancer is just the impetus she needs to reassess her life and her priorities and even mend fences with her difficult and fault-finding mother. This use of cancer as a plot device comes
off as a little glib and predictable, though the reader senses Cohen (Jane Austen in Scarsdale, 2006, etc.) is mocking the cliché even as she makes use of it. This Austen-inspired novel is highly self-referential; not only does Suzanne openly acknowledge the Austen connection throughout, one character even makes direct reference to one of Cohen’s earlier novels during a book discussion about Pride and Prejudice. While Cohen keeps her tongue planted firmly in cheek, she sometimes seems to fall back on tropes and lazy shorthand from a slightly earlier era. (Do single Manhattanites still consume Lean Cuisines nightly? Is a “split-level in New Jersey” still shorthand for suburban drudgery?) Cohen is no Jane Austen, but her latest update on the Marriage Plot is a light romantic comedy featuring witty commentary on contemporary life, enriched by a funny, flawed and likable heroine.
WORST. PERSON. EVER.
Coupland, Douglas Blue Rider Press (320 pp.) $26.95 | Apr. 3, 2014 978-0-399-16843-7
A secondary-unit camera operator is recruited by a production company to help film a reality TV show on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. Guess what? He’s not a very nice person. It’s just possible that Coupland (Player One, 2010, etc.) might be angry with us. The wunderkind of the 1990s was dazzling in his early works, with provocative think pieces like Girlfriend in a Coma (1998), but the last decade has been hit or miss. For his latest, Coupland has apparently decided to go full-on gonzo, throwing every stylistic technique he’s ever employed into the mix and centering it all on a profane, drugaddled bastard repellent enough to piss off a congregation of saints. Raymond Gunt is our titular antihero, hired by his ghastly
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ex-wife, Fiona, to help film Survival, an elimination show being shot on the tiny island of Kiribati. Since the foul-tempered Gunt has no friends, he literally picks a homeless guy named Neal off the street and hires him to be his assistant. If you’re expecting a raunchy but good-natured comedy, you’d be wrong. Chapter by chapter, Coupland ratchets up the insanity. Neal chats up Cameron Diaz in first class while Gunt fumes in coach. Drugs are ingested regularly, and blackouts are frequent. Gunt puts himself into an allergy-induced coma. Twice. Later, he’s held hostage by a spiteful Army officer and made to dance “The Angry Dance” from the musical Billy Elliot. And then there’s that small matter of triggering a nuclear war. “Well then. We’ve all been in a pickle at least once in our lives, haven’t we?” Gunt asks. “One is born, one grows up. One gets in a pickle. The pickle is resolved, and then one dies. Snap!” It’s this kind of smarmy voice that makes the novel hard to take in large doses, but readers with strong stomachs may find some caustic humor here. Did we need transgressive fiction offered as arch comedy? It’s a bit like Irvine Welsh writing a sitcom. (Agent: Andrew Wylie)
INVISIBLE CITY
Dahl, Julia Minotaur (304 pp.) $24.99 | $11.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-1-250-04339-9 978-1-4668-4191-8 e-book Journalist Dahl’s debut novel escorts readers into the closed-off world of Hasidic Jews in the aftermath of a homicide. Rebekah moves to New York after finishing college, determined to become a newspaper reporter; in a declining publishing industry, all she can find is a job as a stringer for a tabloid featuring the city’s seamier side. But she soon has her teeth in a great story, one that seems tailor-made for her. When a Hasidic woman’s nude body is found in a scrapyard on one of the coldest days of the year, Rebekah immerses herself in a world that seems foreign to her— even though her mother was born into it before briefly abandoning her religious background and having Rebekah with her non-Jewish boyfriend. The case stirs up resentment in Rebekah because her mother, Aviva, abandoned her as an infant to return to the Hasidic world. As Rebekah walks the same streets her mother may be walking, she finds herself drawn into the insular lives of Hasidic women. She also comes across a surprise in the form of Saul, a Hasidic police detective, who’s brought in to help question people connected to the victim. It turns out that Saul also knew Rebekah’s mother. As Rebekah wades deeper into her mother’s world, she finds both brutal truths and a society that eschews outsiders. Dahl, whose mother is Jewish, does a good job of exploring Rebekah’s dilemma but stumbles with the occasional insertion of unnecessary, and sometimes-jarring, vulgar language or a sexual act into the plot. But when she sticks to exploring both Hasidic life and the world of tabloid journalism, Dahl scores a solid series of home runs. 8
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A fascinating portrayal of a young woman coming to terms with her heritage while negotiating an unknown world.
THE END OF ALWAYS
Davenport, Randi Twelve (336 pp.) $25.00 | $12.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-1-4555-7307-3 978-1-4555-7306-6 e-book Set in Waukesha, Wis., at the turn of the 20th century, this is a gritty yet hopeful tale about a young woman determined to escape her family’s legacy of abuse. Seventeen-year-old Marie Reehs has grown up enthralled by the folklore of Rügen, Germany, her parents’ birthplace, and its recurring theme: Although hope may end, hope will continue to survive. That hardly seems the case in their run-down home, where Herman Reehs returns each evening from his work at the local bar and lashes out at his wife and three daughters for any—or no—reason. Herman’s abusive behavior is as much a part of the Reehs household as the air they breathe; and when strangers carry her mother’s bloody and broken body into their home, and she dies, Marie knows that her father is responsible. Without her mother to protect her, Marie is sent to work at William Oliver’s laundry, where she spends long hours trying to avoid the owner’s bold advances. She’s fallen in love with August Bethke, one of the men who carried her mother home after the beating, and is convinced he’s a kind, gentle man who will never harm her. After they eventually marry, Marie notices signs that August might not be perfect after all, but she does what other women have done for years— ignores her instincts and then hides evidence of abuse from prying eyes. Like others before her, she’s too ashamed to reach out for help. But before she ends up like her mother, strangers and a relative step in, and with their backing Marie decides she can no longer be a victim. Basing her story on true events, Davenport (The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes, 2010) employs court documents, oral histories and existing records to lend substance to a character who exemplifies the spirited determination of one young woman as she fights to overcome the belief that women are no more than chattel, to be treated as their menfolk see fit. It’s an accurate commentary about the times that, sadly, may still apply behind the closed doors of many households today.
“Ah, Nola: She’s sexy, devoted and resourceful before she’s buried with a manuscript of Harry’s best novel....” from the truth about the harry quebert affair
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR
Dicker, Joel Translated by Taylor, Sam Penguin (656 pp.) $18.00 paper | May 27, 2014 978-0-14-312668-3
A missing girl, small-town secrets and literary ambition drive this busy, entertaining debut thriller, already a best-seller in Europe. Young author Marcus Goldman hopes his mentor, the famous American novelist Harry Quebert, can help with the writer’s block afflicting his sophomore effort. Then their 2008 reunion in Somerset, N.H., is disrupted by the discovery of the remains of Nola Kellergan, who was Harry’s very underage 15-year-old girlfriend at the time she disappeared in 1975. Dicker moves deftly between the two periods, as Harry is jailed for Nola’s murder and Marcus seeks to exonerate him by delving into and writing about the old case. The 1975 narrative forms a book within the one covering 2008 events. Dicker throws in digressions on boxing, swipes at the publishing trade and Harry’s 31 writing rules. Add a cast almost as corny as that of the board game Clue: There’s the wealthy bachelor and his horribly disfigured chauffeur, the Southern preacher who blasts music to mask a terrible noise, the timid cop infatuated with the former prom queen who loves the famous writer who adores, alas, the jailbait beauty. Ah, Nola: She’s sexy, devoted and resourceful before she’s buried with a manuscript of Harry’s best novel right where the gardeners, 33 years later, want to plant hydrangeas in his yard. Dicker keeps the prose simple and the pace snappy in a plot that winds up with more twists than a Twizzler. He might have done without the chauffeur’s grotesque speech impediment and the sitcom chats Marcus has with his meddlesome mom. Nola’s precociousness strains plausibility, and a demon ex machina out of Alabama is one twist too many—or maybe it’s Dicker enjoying himself too much. He doubtless was hoping, like his characters, for a bestseller, and he’ll probably succeed on these shores as well with this sprawling, likable whodunit, obvious ballast for the summer’s beach totes.
Head, an automaton that foretells the future. Arriving in Venice, Ethan tries to raise money for his search by gambling. He runs afoul of Baron Wolfgang Richter, a card sharp who cheats him out of his money. Ethan steals it back, barely escaping the Baron and his minions as he flees to Vienna. Unfortunately, he arrives just as Napoleon’s troops take over the city. Napoleon, who knows Ethan’s plausible patter well, uses the American’s skills to keep the enemy negotiating a truce, giving himself time to gather his troops and put them in the best tactical positions. Hoping to sneak off and continue his search, Ethan steals a uniform in order to lose himself among the troops, but his plan fails, and he ends up fighting in the battle of Austerlitz. Shot in the back by an anti-Semitic French trooper he ran afoul of by defending Gideon Dray, a Jewish soldier, he is saved by Gideon and his peddler father, who take him to Prague’s ghetto, where he continues to seek clues to his family’s whereabouts. In the meantime, Astiza and Harry have also arrived in Prague and been granted permission to study at the university by Primus Fulcanelli, a Latin scholar who turns out to be Ethan’s nemesis Baron Richter, head of a secret society seeking the Brazen Head.
THE THREE EMPERORS
Dietrich, William Harper/HarperCollins (400 pp.) $25.99 | May 6, 2014 978-0-06-219410-7 An American adventurer and his Egyptian wife join the search for a fabled object. Ethan Gage was once a spy for the British and the French but is now loyal only to his family. After barely escaping the 1805 battle of Trafalgar, he searches for his wife, Astiza, and their son, Harry, who are working their way from France to Prague on the trail of the mythical Brazen |
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The latest rousing adventure from Dietrich (The Barbed Crown, 2013, etc.) shows antihero Ethan Gage, his exotic wife and a varied cast of characters grappling with an especially tumultuous historical period.
ON THE ROCKS
Duffy, Erin Morrow/HarperCollins (336 pp.) $25.99 | $12.99 e-book | Apr. 22, 2014 978-0-06-220574-2 978-0-06-220575-9 e-book From Facebook to a walk-of-shame website, social media are ruining Abby Wilkes’ love life. Every girl dreams of the perfect wedding with the perfect dress, and every girl worries a bit about being jilted at the altar. But Abby never suspected she’d be jilted at the Vera Wang store (while trying on that perfect dress) via Facebook. Since her own Facebook account is fairly quiet, Abby has to learn from her best friend, Grace, that her fiance, Ben, has changed his status to “single.” Six months, 20 pounds and countless pints of ice cream later, Abby still can’t get over Ben. He’s not helping matters by texting her almost daily, apparently forgetting that she never wants to see him again. She’s not helping matters, either, by responding to those texts. Grace knows it’s time for an intervention. She proposes they take a house in Newport for the summer. Sandy beaches, cold drinks and lots of single people should help Abby get back on track. Grace herself could use a little time out of Boston, since her affair with a married colleague is getting a little sticky. Through Grace, Abby immediately meets Bobby, a gawky, unemployed attorney, who nominates himself Abby’s dating coach, urging her to treat dating as a job. After all, dating has changed in the 12 years she’s spent with Ben. Meanwhile, Abby’s sister’s wedding is approaching, which has inspired their mother to take time out of her rigorous Abby-critiquing schedule to buff and polish herself into glossy perfection. Duffy (Bond Girl, 2012) skillfully and humorously depicts the tribulations of re-entering the social scene, as well as the exhilaration of making new friends (despite some unnecessary fat-shaming). Ridiculous pickup lines, catastrophic dates, loyal girl (and boy) friends and sharp dialogue abound. A fun, light beach read that avoids the expected Cinderella ending.
THE SEARCH
Dyer, Geoff Graywolf (176 pp.) $15.00 paper | May 20, 2014 978-1-55597-678-1 Prolific British-born essayist and novelist Dyer’s second novel, a Kafkaesque road trip first published in 1993 in the U.K., appears for the first time in the U.S. along with his first novel, The Colour of Memory (reviewed in this issue). The setting is a country resembling but not exactly replicating the United States in what might be the near future. Recently released from prison, Walker meets a beautiful woman named Rachel who hires him as a tracker, an illegal profession in a world where people frequently choose to disappear. Rachel wants him to find her husband, Malory, who did something unexplained that sent him on the run. Walker is to warn Malory that bad people are after him while getting Malory to sign and fingerprint some papers ensuring Rachel’s financial security when he’s eventually arrested. So Walker, already more than half in love, sets off with a goodluck locket from Rachel and not much else. Since Malory has avoided being photographed, Rachel has only one blurry image of him. In a downward progression, an address gone cold leads to a phone number gone dead leads to a simple postmark. Walker gives up on clues to follow his intuition. He travels from city to city, some with familiar names that don’t connect to their actual geography, others with Bunyanesque names like Despond and Independence. Sometimes Walker finds evidence that Malory has come and gone. He sees Malory in a crowd but loses him. He is stalked himself. The traveling becomes more important than finding Malory, until it culminates in a collection of snapshots that both clarify and cloud what the journey has been about for both Malory and Walker—snapshots, an occasional motif in Dyer’s first novel, become the central theme in his second. A pretentiously self-conscious, lulling yet strangely pleasurable cross of Gulliver’s Travels and Pilgrim’s Progress with a little of the television cult show The Prisoner thrown in for good measure.
THE COLOUR OF MEMORY
Dyer, Geoff Graywolf (288 pp.) $16.00 paper | May 20, 2014 978-1-55597-677-4
Dyer, the prolific British essayist and novelist who now lives in the U.S. and won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Otherwise Known as the Human Condition (2011), published his first novel—an impressionistic, affectionate portrait of a group of 1980s British bohemians—in the U.K. in 1989. 10
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A nameless narrator and five close friends in their mid-20s spend their days eating, drinking, smoking grass, talking and doing as little actual work as possible while living in the Brixton neighborhood of London. The narrator works dead-end marketing research jobs. Freddie, the narrator’s oldest and perhaps closest friend, is a would-be writer who seldom actually writes. Carlton obsesses about keeping his apartment clean. Steranko, whom the narrator envies and wishes he were more like, paints. When the narrator and Steranko both fall for beautiful Foomie, the narrator is not surprised that she chooses Steranko. Or that his own sister, Fran, and Steranko share an attraction. Sexual undercurrents run everywhere, but there is no sordidness and not much actual sex. Friendship is the important currency here. The narrator is a romantic, capturing images of his daily life in what he calls “an album of snaps.” He witnesses a stranger being beaten on the Tube but doesn’t step in; he meets a girl he’s attracted to, then remembers they met months before; he’s mugged but not hurt. He watches moments of random kindness and moments of cruelty. His friends have good and bad times. They discuss Nietzsche and listen to jazz. They live on the dole, getting stoned
and wasted regularly. The narrator not only observes, but feels according to the situation: frequently boredom, occasionally fear, very occasionally exhilaration. This is less a plotted novel than a smudged valentine to young-adulthood friendships and the setting where they take place, 1980s Brixton, a slightly seedy, multiethnic district of London populated by immigrants and artistic types who live uneasily side by side. Random sharp insights and images are studded inside this leisurely and oddly innocent chronicle of British Gen-X slackers.
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“D’Erasmo is particularly good at capturing the randomness and joy of the creative process....” from wonderland
WONDERLAND
D’Erasmo, Stacey Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (256 pp.) $22.00 | May 6, 2014 978-0-544-07481-1 An aging rock singer heads to Europe for one more attempt to reckon with her music, her father and an old flame. Anna Brundage, the narrator of D’Erasmo’s fourth novel (Creative Writing/Columbia; The Sky Below, 2009, etc.), is 44 and semifamous. An emotionally stark, drug-fueled album made her a cult figure a decade earlier, but the followup failed to connect. So she’s trying another tour, perhaps her last, financed by selling some ephemera of her famous-artist father. The overall shape of Wonderland hews to rock-novel convention. Squabbles with band members: check. Disastrous onstage meltdown: check. Ill-advised one-night stand: check. But D’Erasmo writes about all of these things artfully and insightfully, giving Brundage a no-nonsense, road-worn tone that leaves equal room for pathos and humor. (For instance: “I had just essentially slept with a fan, and everyone knows that that’s the beginning of turning into a crazy hag with breast implants and lipstick drawn way beyond the lips.”) D’Erasmo is particularly good at capturing the randomness and joy of the creative process, and she links Anna’s songwriting with her father’s work, which involves aggressively sawing or blasting cross sections of trains and buildings. (An event concerning Anna’s father shifts the novel’s pitch midway through.) A subplot involving a fling with a man she met on an earlier tour is relatively thin, but it does give D’Erasmo an opportunity to openly ponder questions about how relationships fit alongside creativity and the simple business of paying the bills. Is Anna’s songwriting an essential part of her identity or a way to avoid confronting it? An invitation to stay on the road even longer gives this question a deeper urgency for Anna, and D’Erasmo wisely avoids giving her story a pat, simple ending. A better-than-average rock novel that thoughtfully addresses aging, art and relationships. (Author tour to New York, Seattle, Austin, Portland, Los Angeles and San Francisco)
I’M GONE
Echenoz, Jean Translated by Polizzotti, Mark New Press (224 pp.) $16.95 paper | $10.99 e-book May 6, 2014 978-1-59558-999-6 978-1-62097-001-0 e-book A mystery that doubles as a sly work of serious literature. Felix Ferrer is a middle-aged art dealer who likes to follow routines until the day he leaves his wife with the words, “You can keep everything, but I’m gone.” It’s January 12
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in Paris; Echenoz has set in motion a story that jumps back and forth in time and among Felix and several people close to him who will disappear in the course of revealing a mystery. Felix will travel above the Arctic Circle on an icebreaker and bring home a treasure trove of ancient artifacts to try to revitalize his business. When his hoard of carved mammoth tusks, musk-ox horn and caribou bone is stolen by a finely dressed, cold and calculating character named Baumgartner, Felix’s life begins a slide into financial fear and bypass surgery. Along the way, he will fall in and out of several trysts with women who may or may not be connected to the heist. Womanizing, like his heart problem, haunts his middle age. Echenoz writes beautiful descriptions and chooses satirical details that poke fun at institutions and poses in our daily lives, including literary convention. This is not your mother’s crime novel. All is set before us by a narrator who intrudes with personal comments and amusing asides: “[D]aily life is too boring,” or “I who am here to tell you that Hélène is highly desirable.” What transpires in the end is a circle of mystery, a romantic romp and, ultimately, a perfect ending for Felix—almost. The next January restarts the cycle as Felix says, “Just one drink and then I’m going.” Again. French writer Echenoz brings a revised edition of his 1999 novel to American readers with an introduction by Lily Tuck. The translation by Polizzotti is elegant, emphasizing the book’s wry humor with economical emphasis. This novel is a quick read and a true jewel.
KILL MY MOTHER
Feiffer, Jules Liveright/Norton (160 pp.) $27.95 | Aug. 25, 2014 978-0-87140-314-8 Award-winning cartoonist/illustrator/ author/playwright Feiffer (Backing into Forward, 2010, etc.) delivers his first graphic novel, a sprawling, kinetic noir of giant women, jumbled identities and warped relations. Annie Hannigan hates her mother. The resentment—and teenage Annie’s incessant acting up—stems from her sense that mom Elsie has abandoned her since the murder of Annie’s father, an honest cop who ran afoul of the mob during Prohibition. Lately Elsie has been busy working as the secretary of alcoholic, abrasive private eye Neil Hammond, an associate of her late husband’s who promised to solve the murder, though he’s made little progress for two years. When a towering, classy blonde steps into Hammond’s office and hires him to track down an equally tall, equally blonde woman, it sets off a series of events that will pepper the subsequent decade with bullets, beatings and betrayals. Mixed in is a prizefighter who is light on his feet but down in the mouth; Annie’s milquetoast partner in crime who comes into his own while serving in WWII’s Pacific theater; fleshy scandals of golden-age Hollywood; a mysterious bat-wielding giant of a woman who communicates only through song; and Feiffer’s twistedly comic take on humanity.
Things come to a head during a USO show in the jungles of Tarawa, where parties bristle with cross-purposes and secret agendas until gunfire lays the truth bare. The story is wickedly imagined and deftly plotted, drawing on numerous classic noir influences while including charmingly unique flourishes like Elsie thwarting a pack of street toughs (one of whom wears a crown à la Jughead) after appropriating a pistol from a disagreeable communist liquor-store clerk. Feiffer’s illustrations have a rough-hewn quality, with the jumbled lines of his figures and faces clumping evocatively like Giacometti sculptures, while his human forms move with the fluidity of Degas’ horses across open panels of dancing and boxing. The entire work feels pulled from an earlier time yet explosively modern, a madcap relic animated by an outrageous mind. An unusual, unforgettable, incomparable pulpy punch. (Author tour to New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco)
CHAPLIN & COMPANY
Fellowes, Mave Liveright/Norton (384 pp.) $25.95 | Jun. 2, 2014 978-0-87140-744-3
DRIVING LESSONS
Fishman, Zoe Morrow/HarperCollins (336 pp.) $14.99 paper | $10.99 e-book Apr. 8, 2014 978-0-06-205982-6 978-0-06-205983-3 e-book A New Yorker’s move to the South generates life lessons, and far too many platitudes, in Fishman’s (Saving Ruth, 2012, etc.) third novel. Sarah, 36, doesn’t mind moving from Brooklyn to Virginia, trailing her husband, Josh, who’s been offered a professorship. She’s burned out on her high-powered marketing job at a cosmetics firm; her snide, short-tempered boss; and her tiny walkup apartment. Perhaps living in suburban Farmwood will help her come to grips with life’s burning questions: What next? What was she put on this earth to do? Now that she has time off work, but limited time left on her biological clock, should she
A slow-moving novel—perhaps appropriate since much of it takes place on a narrow boat moored in London’s Little Venice neighborhood—ultimately driven by characters...and charming they can be. At the center is Odeline Milk, an artiste and illusionist who aspires to become a mime. She has an impressive collection of books by and about Marcel Marceau, some in French, a language she doesn’t even understand. Her mother, Eunice, had a brief fling with Odelin, a clown with the Cirque Maroc, when the circus passed through Arundel, in southern England, years before, and it comes as no surprise that he is Odeline’s father. Shortly after Eunice’s death, Odeline moves to London to try to earn a living as a mime; she takes up residence on the narrow boat, appropriately called Chaplin & Company, though not named after that Chaplin—it turns out that its builder, whom we meet briefly in a flashback to the 1930s, was named Walter Chaplin. She meets an assortment of other wayfarers, vagabonds, political refugees and alcoholics, chief among them John Kettle, warden for the Little Venice Marina; Vera, a foreigner who works at the local barge cafe; and Ridley, the easygoing master of the narrow boat Saltheart. Odeline has a gig in Covent Garden, the theater district, but it turns out that the venue is actually a pub. The performance falls flat, though by the end of the novel, Odeline finds some success with a more receptive audience: children. Meanwhile, she decides to search for her father the clown, whom she’s idealized over the years. When they link up at the Cirque Maroc, she heartbreakingly realizes that, throughout her life, she’s surrounded him with an aura of illusion. Fellowes drives the novel at a leisurely pace and lets the characters unfold gradually and quirkily until we get to know them well. |
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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES
Kevin Powers
The former soldier wants his poems to have an immediate, emotional effect By Megan Labrise he was deployed as a machine gunner in Mosul and Tal Afar, Iraq. Powers began writing both books after an honorable discharge in 2006, while studying English at Virginia Commonwealth University. He continued work while earning an MFA in poetry from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas. “For a few of those years (2006-12), I was working on the novel and poems simultaneously, just looking for the best way to express or explore what was capturing my curiosity at that time. Each book was conceived in my mind, so I’m sure there are things that pop up in both—they bleed into each other,” says Powers. Nowhere is this overlap more apparent than in the titular poem, where Pvt. Bartle is mentioned by name: Photo courtesy Kelly Powers
Kevin Powers is a best-selling novelist who’s been called a “poet first”—but he doesn’t consider the distinction particularly apt. “To be honest, I don’t really think in those terms,” he says. “I think of myself as a reader first and a writer second. It just so happens that the two forms I’ve been most attracted to, both as reader and writer, are the novel and the poem.” First came the novel The Yellow Birds, a Kirkus Best Book of 2012. It is the poignant, lyrical account of two young American men, Pvts. John Bartle and Daniel Murphy, fighting the war in Iraq. It won PEN/ Hemingway and Guardian First Book awards and was a finalist for the National Book Award. Now, Powers offers his first collection of poems, Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting, exploring similar themes: identity, community, war and its aftermath. That Letter Composed treads some of the same ground covered in The Yellow Birds seems inevitable. They grew from eight years of service in the U.S. Army, which Powers joined at just 17. From 2004-05, 14
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I tell her how Pvt. Bartle says, offhand, that war is just us making little pieces of metal pass through each other. This third and final stanza completes a deployed soldier’s account of writing to a beloved back home. Powers names it one of his favorites in the collection. “It feels complete to me,” he says. “That’s something I think all writers hope will happen, and it doesn’t often. What I’m always striving to achieve is a clarity of expression that somehow equals the complexity of the thoughts, emotions and experiences that inspire the poem.” “Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting” was an earlier poem, written before the story of The Yellow Birds crystalized. “At one point, I wondered if I should change the name in the poem, because of the novel, but it’s a record of the way I was thinking about the subject at the time.” Divided into four sections, Letter ponders subjects from civilian casualties and photographing the dead
to the physical and psychological wounds of returning soldiers. “Improvised Explosive Device” communicates the fearsomeness of encountering a bomb: If this poem had wires coming out of it, you would not read it. If the words in this poem were made of metal, if you could see the mechanics of their curvature, you would hope they would stay covered by whatever paper rested in the trash pile they were hidden in. Translating the soldier’s experience for civilians remains one of Powers’ primary aims. “Ultimately, my approach to reading—and, I think, my approach to writing—comes out of a desire to get into the mind of another person, to try to have an experience that I can’t necessarily have myself. My intention was to create an access point for somebody who was unfamiliar with being in war or the experience of coming home,” he says. While he is quick to point out that none of the speakers in Letter Composed is necessarily the author, the collection contains autobiographical elements beyond armed service. Powers was born and raised in Richmond, Va., and the state serves as a setting for a number of the poems. In the prose poem “Fighting Out of West Virginia,” a broken-nosed boxer laid flat on a gymnasium mat is assessed by the bleacher-seated crowd at a Virginia high school. “While Trying to Make an Arrowhead in the Fashion of the Mattaponi Indians” and “The Locks of the James” also invoke the home state. “The idea that our personal histories relate to a larger history—whether it’s family or community or country—is important to me. How do I, as a person who grew up in Virginia in the ’80s and ’90s, react to the history of the state, to the country and all that’s gone before me?” Powers asks. “What does it mean to be just one individual human being asking questions about the world? I spend a lot of time thinking about the relationship we have as people among people, among the other creatures of the planet.” In imagery, Powers returns to the earth: Soldiers dig in to evade impending mortars. Mothers kneel in garden dirt awaiting their returns. They plant their knees to pray, and the unlucky ones may be buried be-
neath it at an early age. Metal, that useful earthen ore, is just as much of a textual presence—in bullets, medals, the wires of IEDs. While there’s satisfaction to be gained by digging deeply into the meanings of Powers’ carefully curated words, he hopes the poems can be enjoyed by diverse readers on many levels. “When many of us are introduced to poetry, it’s presented as a kind of challenge to unlock the puzzle. A lot of people do take satisfaction in approaching it in that way, but it might put some people off. If we let people know they’re reading to interact with the poem in any way they’d like, they might be surprised by what they find in it,” Powers says. “Some poems, you can really sit with them and think about them for days or weeks or months after, but for me, the thing that’s really great about poetry is the immediacy of it, and a lot of that is the way the music of language can carry this immediate emotional experience to the reader,” he says. “It seems to work through a different part of the mind—less comprehension, more apprehension. Poems happen to you, in a way.” Megan Labrise is a freelance writer and columnist based in New York. Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting is reviewed on p. 26 in this issue of Kirkus Reviews.
Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting: Poems Powers, Kevin Little, Brown (112 pp.) $23.00 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-316-40108-1 |
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and Josh procreate before it’s too late? For a while, this seems to be a fish-out-of-water Manhattan transplant story: Living in a public-transportation desert, Sarah needs to overcome her fear of driving, and she needs to get out of the house. At Farmwood’s closest approximation of a shopping district (a tacky strip mall), she finds a job at a kitschy costume-jewelry shop, Bauble Head. And she takes driving lessons from a man in a mousemobile. (Don’t ask.) Before these veins of potential humor can be tapped, though, Sarah’s back in Brooklyn, nursing her best friend, Mona, who has cancer and must undergo a hysterectomy. Mona is worried that her new boyfriend, Nate, will flee when Mona tells him she can’t have kids. While Mona has carpe diem, pre-surgery sex with Nate, Sarah babysits for Josh’s brother Ben and his wife. Ignoring both the chaos introduced by her newborn nephew’s arrival and her sister-in-law’s graphic warnings about labor, Sarah loses all her reservations about motherhood—never convincingly portrayed—as soon as her period is delayed. Any conflict is further dulled by endless stretches of preachy dialogue as the characters discuss, but never seriously debate, assorted parenthood issues. What begins as a witty critique of the Mommy Trap ends as a sanctimonious screed. (Author events in Atlanta and New York)
SUNDANCE
Fuller, David Riverhead (352 pp.) $27.95 | May 29, 2014 978-1-59463-245-7 Fuller (Sweetsmoke, 2008) rides into riotous Western outlaw history trailing the Sundance Kid as he searches for Etta Place, his wife. In 1913, the legend exists: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were shot dead in Bolivia. If Butch molders in a grave, the Kid’s alive, walking out of Rawlins Penitentiary, where he’s served 12 years as Harry Alonzo. He wants only one thing—to find his wife, Etta, who wrote regularly until two years ago, when her letters stopped. Harry has just enough time to enjoy a whiskey before a shadow falls from the past—the revenge-minded son of a sheriff he once humiliated. Harry kills the guy in self-defense, but the gunfight means life on the run once again, pursued by a bungling posse and then by crafty ex-Pinkerton Charlie Siringo. In a powerfully nuanced love story, Harry is intent on finding Etta: “The special hold she had on him returned in a rush of thrill and melancholy, and his cheeks burned.” The trail leads to a burgeoning New York City, where Etta, a settlement-house worker, has run afoul of the Black Hand, a group of Italian gangsters, and the clues to her whereabouts have become a “trail of crumbs that led to the edge of the abyss.” The dialogue is marvelous, with an air of eavesdropping on real conversations, and the Kid strides the pages as you would have him: wily and wise, laconic and patient, hard-edged and deadly when pushed. Other characters are perfectly carved to fit the tale: Abby, a rooming-house 16
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manager, and her husband, Robert, subway sandhog; Hightower, wry and ruthless Black Hand enforcer; and Han Fei, a street urchin who becomes Harry’s guide to the city. Taking in the Titanic and the Triangle shirtwaist factory, opium dens and warmongering profiteers, the book leads to a denouement at the fabled 1913 Armory Show. This is speculative historical fiction of extraordinary intelligence and descriptive power.
AMERICAN INNOVATIONS Stories
Galchen, Rivka Farrar, Straus and Giroux (192 pp.) $25.00 | May 6, 2014 978-0-374-28047-5 In this story collection—which follows her debut novel, the well-received Atmospheric Disturbances (2008)—Galchen, one of the New Yorker’s 20 Under 40, continues to plumb the unbelievable and unknowable mysteries of existence. These are literary short stories, but there’s a detective lurking in their author, who peels back fine layers of life with close observation to uncover clues about the physics of daily living and how we process the world. In the title story, a woman wakes one morning to discover a third breast has grown on her back; she has to wrestle with societal expectations of beauty and identity. In “Once an Empire,” the narrator says, “I’m a pretty normal woman…,” which immediately cues the reader to wonder what isn’t normal about her, or the story; soon she’s watching the contents of her apartment—furniture, utensils and objects—get up and walk out. Do these things represent her life, and if they’re so important to her, why is she willing to watch them leave? And things get stranger in “The Region of Unlikeness”: A woman discovers that her crush, a man she met at a cafe, is supposedly a time traveler, and his friend, whom she doesn’t much care for, is his father—and maybe her potential future husband. Not all the stories venture into the fantastic, though; many poke and prod at the challenges of the everyday, as in “Sticker Shock,” which compares the finances of a mother and daughter and is written in the tone of an accountant’s review, and “The Lost Order,” in which a woman obscures the fact that she’s lost her job from her husband and ponders what her life will be like as “a daylight ghost, a layabout, a mal pensant, a vacancy, a housewife, a person foiled by the challenge of getting dressed….” Galchen’s stories feel remarkably believable, despite their suggestion of alternate worlds and lives. This is a collection to read and keep on the bookshelf. It will stand the test of time.
“It’s a future where anybody with a chemjet printer and a recipe from the Internet can create designer drugs.” from afterparty
AN UNTAMED STATE
Gay, Roxane Black Cat/Grove (368 pp.) $16.00 paper | May 6, 2014 978-0-8021-2251-3
A harrowing and emotionally cleareyed vision of one woman’s ordeal during and after her kidnapping in Haiti. Gay’s remarkable debut novel is mostly narrated by Mireille, who, as the story opens, is visiting her native Haiti from Miami with her husband and infant son when she’s forcibly abducted by a gang and held for 13 days. She was a target because her father heads a highly profitable construction firm, and his resistance to paying ransom baffles Mireille’s U.S.-born husband, Michael; meanwhile, she’s repeatedly beaten and sexually assaulted by her captors. Gay’s characters are engineered to open up conflicts over gender, class (Mireille’s family is wealthy in a poor country) and race (Mireille is black and Michael is white). But Gay’s dialogue complicates rather than simplifies these issues. As a prolific essayist and critic, Gay (Writing/ Eastern Illinois Univ.) has developed a plainspoken, almost affectless style, which serves her heroine’s story well: The more bluntly Gay describes Mireille’s degradations, the stronger the impact. Gay’s depiction of Mireille’s emotional trauma after her release is particularly intense, precisely capturing her alienation from her own identity that followed the kidnapping and the self-destruction that spilled out of her sense of disconnection. The novel alternates between past and present, and flashbacks to Mireille’s childhood and marriage underscore the intelligence and emotional ferocity she accessed to survive her ordeal. (She persistently supported in-laws who were initially inclined to dismiss her.) The closing chapters suggest that Mireille is on the path to recovery, but it’s also clear that a true recovery is impossible; many of Gay’s scenes deliberately undermine traditional novelistic methods of resolution (baking bread, acts of vengeance, acting out sexually). Among the strongest achievements of this novel is that Mireille’s story feels complete and whole while emphasizing its essential brokenness. A cutting and resonant debut. (Agent: Maria Massie)
Edo and lab tech Rovil start a company dedicated to developing a drug that would combat schizophrenia. They achieve success with Numinous, but the drawbacks, alas, become apparent too late: It’s addictive, the effects are permanent—and those who take it gain the unshakable conviction that a personal deity accompanies them. Worse, after taking a massive overdose— how this all comes about emerges only gradually—Lyda stabs a now-estranged Mikala to death, or so it appears. Gil takes the blame; Edo goes hopelessly crazy; Rovil seems functional. Declared insane, Lyda’s locked up along with her invisible companion, a guardian angel called Dr. Gloria. While incarcerated, Lyda learns that a drug very much like Numinous has hit the street in the form of a sacrament dispensed by a new church. To prevent an epidemic of psychotic zombies, she must escape, locate the other survivors of the original five and put a stop to it. She’ll need the help of Ollie, a brilliant but drug-ravaged intelligence analyst. Among the obstacles they’ll negotiate are a drug-dealer gang of Afghan women; Native American cigarette smugglers who take great delight in outwitting the U.S. Border Patrol; and Vincent, a psychotic assassin who farms miniature
AFTERPARTY
Gregory, Daryl Tor (303 pp.) $26.99 | Apr. 22, 2014 978-0-7653-3692-7 An eye-popping glimpse of a near future when designer drugs are commonplace, from the author of Raising Stony Mayhall (2011, etc.). It’s a future where anybody with a chemjet printer and a recipe from the Internet can create designer drugs. In Toronto, biochemists Lyda and her genius wife, Mikala, IT whiz Gil, finance specialist |
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buffalo in his living room. This taut, brisk, gripping narrative, dazzlingly intercut with flashbacks and sidebars, oozes warmth and wit. A hugely entertaining, surprising and perhaps prophetic package that, without seeming to, raises profound questions about the human mind and the nature of perception.
GLORIOUS
Guinn, Jeff Putnam (416 pp.) $26.95 | May 20, 2014 978-0-399-16541-2 The Wild West comes alive in this novel of prospectors, desolate cavalry posts, rotgut saloons and Apache raiders. Cash McLendon is an orphaned street urchin in pre–Civil War St. Louis who catches the eye of a local robber baron, Rupert Douglass, who puts him to work as spy, fixer and bagman. The opportunistic Cash does the job expertly, so Douglass, intent on preserving his empire, offers his mentally unstable daughter, Ellen, to Cash in marriage. Cash takes the Faustian bargain in spite of his love for Gabrielle Tirrito, an immigrant Italian storekeeper’s daughter, but Douglass decides to insure the contract by driving the Tirritos from St. Louis. Shortly after the marriage, Ellen commits suicide. Cash, fearing Douglass’ retribution, flees St. Louis for the silver mining camp of Glorious, Ariz., where the Tirritos established another store. Seeking redemption, Cash remains in the mining camp even after Gabrielle rejects him. Gabrielle comes across as too saintly, and Cash would need to grow more to be a sympathetic protagonist, but other characters—mainly the townspeople— are realistically drawn, right down to the mayor’s plump wife who eats jelly by the jar. Seeking revenge, Douglass dispatches a 19th-century Terminator type, Patrick Brautigan, who arrives in Glorious to clamp “a meaty hand on [Cash’s] shoulder, his thick fingers crushing McLendon’s collarbone.” Guinn knows hot, windy, dusty frontier Arizona, from the rattlesnakes of Picket Post Mountain to the ragtag raiding Apache; poorly equipped, understaffed Army troopers charged with riding the land of the marauders; and the rough-hewn prospectors who retreat to adobe saloons featuring warm beer, rotgut whiskey and wornout women. Although slow to kick into high gear, the plot is classic, with Cash fleeing the St. Louis frying pan only to fall face first into the fiery machinations of another rich rogue—a rancher who wants to control Glorious and siphon off its riches. This first of a trilogy is more L’Amour entertainment than Lonesome Dove epic, but it’s good fun nonetheless.
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THE POSSIBILITIES
Hemmings, Kaui Hart Simon & Schuster (288 pp.) $25.00 | May 13, 2014 978-1-4767-2579-6 Three months after an avalanche killed her son, a single mother takes tentative steps toward healing in Hemmings’ (The Descendants, 2007, etc.) astute and sensitive examination of relationships, loss and grief. Swamped in a vortex of survivor’s guilt and unanswered questions about 22-year-old Cully’s skiing accident near their Breckenridge, Colo., home, Sarah St. John finds no comfort returning to her job hosting a TV show for tourists. Her father, a retiree addicted to QVC, has taken up permanent residence in her home; her best friend, Suzanne, though supportive, has her own problems and sometimes voices unsympathetic and inappropriate thoughts (“Divorce is the death of a marriage”). Sarah fluctuates between paralyzing sorrow and intense anger. She questions her parenting skills and seethes when a well-meaning acquaintance tries to forge a link between Cully’s death and the skiing death of her own son years ago by suggesting they both died doing something they loved. Discomfited by a large amount of cash and baggies of marijuana she and Suzanne find while sorting through Cully’s belongings, Sarah tortures herself with thoughts that her son was perceived as a bad person and is then disconcerted to learn that he shared confidences with his father and grandfather that he didn’t share with her. When Kit, a young waitress, enters the picture and claims she and Cully had a relationship, Sarah is leery but offers her support and assistance. The journey they take to an event billed as a memorial (arranged by Suzanne’s daughter) is mutually beneficial as Sarah mulls a proposal from Kit and slowly awakens to the understanding that her grief and sense of loss are not exclusive. Heartache, she realizes, comes in different forms and depths and is expressed in a variety of ways. No matter what, though, pain is pain. Hemmings writes a piercing, empathetic story about parenthood and unfathomable heartbreak and manages to bring humor and hope to her characters. Emotionally complex and relatable to all, it will be particularly understandable to those who’ve experienced the inexplicable, devastating loss of a loved one. (Agent: David Forrer)
THE BOOK OF YOU
Kendal, Claire Harper/HarperCollins (368 pp.) $25.99 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-06-229760-0 The victim of a relentless stalker looks for a way out in Kendal’s debut novel. Police shrugged their shoulders at a childhood assault suffered by university administrator Clarissa Bourne, sparking her lifelong belief that they will never take her seriously. Soon she puts that theory to the test when her lover, Henry, leaves her to take a job at another college and a colleague named Rafe attempts to insinuate himself into her life. Following a night of sex she can’t remember (was she drugged?), Rafe grows more and more insistent that he and Clarissa are soul mates. He follows her, buys her gifts, writes her letters and goes through her trash looking for details about her life. When Rafe finally steps so far over the line that even someone as docile as Clarissa can no longer tolerate it, she builds a case to take to the police, guided by pamphlets aimed at stalking victims. Meanwhile, she’s called for jury duty and is chosen for a seven-week trial; the case involves a woman of questionable character who was kidnapped, beaten and raped by multiple men. She meets fellow jurors Annie and Robert. Annie becomes her friend, but Robert, a firefighter, is something else: She finds herself drawn to him and dreading the moment when the trial will end, not only because she won’t see him every day, but also because she’ll have to return to work, where Rafe can easily target her. Kendal uses her writing skills to fine advantage, both in creating Clarissa’s evidentiary journal, which she hopes will help nail Rafe, and in chronicling Rafe’s growing menace. Unfortunately, it’s hard to believe Clarissa would endure so much abuse from Rafe due to an early and unrelated encounter with police. Nicely written novel with a plot that will strain reader credulity.
uncomfortable. It’s been said before that Kennedy’s stories read like poems, and while that’s true, what rings in the silence after is that uncomfortable feeling of listening to your own internal monologue, the Talking Heads moment of, “Well, how did I get here?” “Baby Blue” is probably the collection’s most indelible story, the portrait of an ill introvert who, lost in the whirlwind of a new city, ducks into a sex shop where she’s accosted by a clerk who practically forces her to buy something just to get away. Sometimes the stories that start aggressively—“Because It’s a Wednesday” begins with the decidedly nonpoetic line, “[b]ecause it’s a Wednesday, he’s shagging Carmen”—reveal themselves as meditations on the balance of power in any given relationship. “The Effects of Good Government on the City” is a panicky affair, recounting an awful weekend in Blackpool between a PTSD-injured veteran and the woman he’s convinced doesn’t love him anymore. Kennedy also shines when she writes about love from different points of view. In “Run Catch Run,” we meet a boy whose estranged father shows up on the doorstep with a new puppy in a plain attempt to buy the child’s affections. But the emotionally mature kid won’t even give the
Mesmer’s Disciple B Y E D WA R D S WA N S O N
Manhattan, 1847: A mother’s plea sends private detective Alvord Rawn on a rescue mission to frontier St. Louis, where a distinguished young artist has been seduced by sinister powers at the hands of Count Abendroth—a man who, according to whispered rumor, plumbs the darkest depths of occult science.
ALL THE RAGE
Kennedy, A.L. Little A/New Harvest (224 pp.) $24.00 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-544-30704-9
“Thoughtful and action-packed, with a final showdown that is both exciting and gratifying—a fine first novel.”
The inner lives of Londoners are revealed bit by tantalizing bit in this ethereal collection by Scottish novelist Kennedy (Creative Writing/Univ. of Warwick; The Blue Book, 2013, etc.) It’s sometimes hard to know what to expect from these loosely themed meditations on love, loss, conflict and the discord between one’s heart’s desires and the disgraceful reality of the real world. There is humor where a reader might least expect, though little of it indeed, and an undercurrent of raw emotion that could make readers
“History, action, the supernatural and intelligent discourse; this novel holds something for everyone.” —Kirkus Reviews For information regarding representation, publication, or film rights, e-mail eswanson38@gmail.com
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pup a name because he knows his mother will just yank it away out of revenge. “It couldn’t last,” he thinks. “Not this. There was no way it ever would have. Never mind.” Sometimes love is not all you need. Oh well, whatever, never mind.
VALOUR AND VANITY
Kowal, Mary Robinette Tor (320 pp.) $25.99 | $12.99 e-book | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-7653-3416-9 978-1-4667-0839-3 e-book Renowned glamourists Lord and Lady Vincent become the victims of an elaborate scam that leaves them in dire straits until they conceive of a daring strategy to strike back. After an extended voyage with her family, Jane and Vincent are anxious to find some time to themselves, traveling to Murano. They have a letter of introduction from the prince regent and hope to work with an artisan to experiment on infusing glamour—magical illusions of sight, sound and light—into glass. On the way, they’re waylaid by pirates, then rescued by a fellow passenger who takes them under his wing in the city. Without papers or money and with Vincent suffering a concussion from the attack, they’re grateful for the gentleman’s help. Once they make progress on their revolutionary glamour process, however, they’re detained by the local police and accused of fraud. Realizing their “friend” is a con man who has disappeared with all their notes and finished work, Jane and Vincent are left broke, in debt and under suspicion: “They had no funds and no friends at all. The only resources they had were the clothes upon their backs, and even those they owed money for.” Unable to find employment, Vincent becomes dispirited, especially when he must depend on the meager salary Jane manages to secure from a nearby convent. Things look up when a chance sighting of one of the crooks enables Vincent and Jane to turn the tables on them: “[S]he could see his mind working and putting together pieces of a plan, as surely as if he was plotting a glamural.” Kowal continues her creative Regency-set Glamourist Histories series with a clever, captivating plot that culminates in a magical heist storyline. Before we get there, though, we are treated to a touching examination of a loving marriage under duress and the connections and collaborations these extraordinary partners must create and reaffirm with each other and those around them in order to thrive. Combining history, magic and adventure, the book balances emotional depth with buoyant storytelling. (Agent: Jennifer Jackson)
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MAMBO IN CHINATOWN
Kwok, Jean Riverhead (368 pp.) $27.95 | Jun. 24, 2014 978-1-59463-200-6
From Kwok (Girl in Translation, 2010), another story about a plucky young Chinese-American woman whose hard work transports her out of poverty and hidebound traditions to find love and success. At 22, having been fired for ineptness from numerous jobs, ABC (American Born Chinese) Charlie Wong works as a dishwasher in the restaurant where her dad is a noodle maker without peer. Unlike 11-year-old Lisa, Charlie’s younger sister, who is an ace student adored by all, Charlie didn’t do well in school academically or socially. And unlike her long-dead mother, who was a ballerina with the Beijing Dance Academy before coming to America, Charlie seems completely lacking in grace except when practicing tai chi. But Charlie dreams of escaping the narrow confines of New York’s Chinatown, where she must live according to her father’s Old World rules and customs, which include a reliance on traditional Chinese medicine as practiced by his brother Henry; Lisa works after school in Uncle Henry’s office as Charlie did before she proved too clumsy. Then Charlie answers a want ad and (a little too) miraculously is hired as a receptionist at Avery Studios, a respected uptown ballroom-dance studio. Although her receptionist skills are lacking, Charlie is in heaven around the dancers. Soon, the studio’s owner, Adrienne, recognizes Charlie’s dormant talent as a dancer and, after the briefest training, hires her to teach the beginners class. Charlie is quickly caught up in learning a syllabus of dances and is even encouraged to enter a major competition. She’s also falling for not one, but two handsome men. But all is not well back in Chinatown, where Mr. Wong, who has no idea about his daughter’s secret uptown life, tries to find her a husband. And Lisa comes down with a mysterious ailment while preparing to take the entrance exam for prestigious Hunter High School. It’s a shame that Kwok lets the end fall apart—rushing through a clichéd, melodramatic revelation that resolves way too easily—since much of Charlie’s Cinderella story, not to mention Charlie herself, is charming.
NAVIDAD & MATANZA
Labbé, Carlos Translated by Vanderhyden, Will Open Letter (92 pp.) $12.95 paper | Apr. 22, 2014 978-1-934824-92-4 A novel at once transparent and opaque, a paradox characteristic of much metafiction. At the level of story, we seem to know what’s happening...most of the time. In January 1999, the two children, Alicia (14) and Bruno (19), of a prominent Chilean couple vanish from Matanza, a town on the coast of Chile. Just a day before what seems to have been their abduction, a journalist had interviewed the father, Jose Francisco Vivar, a well-to-do businessman who made his fortune in the video gaming industry. His wife, an illustrious journalist, was equally shaken by the children’s disappearance, and all signs point to a mysterious figure, Boris Real, a young Chilean executive, as the abductor. Boris Real is not his real (no pun intended) name—it’s an alias for Francisco Virditti and even later seems to be an alias for yet another character, a Congolese named Patrice Dounn, who plays that bizarre instrument the theramin and whose concert the Vivars had attended the last evening they saw their children. But wait—it turns out that in an underground laboratory, the journalist who interviewed the father is involved in a strange creative-writing game. This journalist has a code name, “Domingo,” and the six other players are also named after the days of the week in Spanish. In email exchanges, they’re creating a novel and keep retelling the story of Alicia and Bruno’s disappearance; in many versions of the story, Bruno turns up in untoward and unexpected places—at a bar, for example—and, years later, Alicia is seen working as a waitress in a cafe. In this short novel, Labbé plays an intricate game of appearance and reality, though his game-playing hits the head rather than the heart.
keeps reading what his wife has written, wondering what is real and what isn’t. Is she cheating on him? With men, or women, or both? Or is he cheating on her? She works for a New York publisher where her job is to find “books by Latin American writers worth translating or re-issuing.” A book such as this one, perhaps. In the process, she becomes involved in the translation of an obscure poet (who becomes one of the novel’s narrators), realizing that “the way literary recognition works, at least to a degree [is] it’s all a matter of rumor, a rumor that multiplies like a virus until it becomes a collective affinity.” The female narrative voice eventually alternates with that of her husband, from whom she becomes divorced (or not), and often the only way to tell who is narrating is a reference to the other. The results are fragmentary, funny, sexy, exasperating and perhaps post-postmodern, as the novel attempts to illuminate how to read a novel, or at least this one. “A horizontal novel, told vertically,” it informs. “A novel that has to be told from the outside to be read from within.” Though, later, it’s a “vertical novel told horizontally. A story that has to be seen from below, like Manhattan from the subway.” Ultimately, a novel that is no more (or less) than words on the page.
FACES IN THE CROWD
Luiselli, Valeria Translated by MacSweeney, Christina Coffee House (154 pp.) $15.95 paper | May 2, 2014 978-1-56689-354-1 A debut novel that never lets readers forget it’s a novel, toying with them on multiple levels. The Mexican author (whose essay collection, Sidewalks, is being issued concurrently in the U.S.) revels in artifice while constructing a labyrinth where memory meets lies, dead literary figures live again, and the narrative spirals through decades and various voices. Early on, it appears to be written in the voice of a female writer, perhaps an authorial stand-in, with two children (known only as “the boy” and “the baby”) and a husband who |
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“One especially unsettling scene involves blasts of lightning, footsteps on creaky attic stairs and two women giving birth, unattended.” from bird box
TIME PRESENT AND TIME PAST
Madden, Deirdre Europa Editions (196 pp.) $16.00 paper | May 6, 2014 978-1-60945-207-0 Three generations of an Irish family confront key moments of the past in this eloquent, understated novella. It’s the spring of 2006, and Ireland can hear the last roars of the Celtic Tiger in an economic boom that peaked six years earlier. Fintan Buckley, a prosperous Dublin businessman of 47, enjoys dinners with his wife, Colette, and three children. His sister, Martina, owns a successful clothing shop in the city. His mother, Joan, and aunt Beth can afford lunch in one of the capital’s top restaurants. Ireland-born Madden (Molly Fox’s Birthday, 2010, etc.) moves the adults through meals, excursions, visits, bouts of insomnia and countless cups of tea. The modest action serves as frame to thoughts drifting away from the present. Fintan, with a sudden interest in old photographs, recalls a beloved childhood friend. Beth retraces the path that surprised her in middle age with a truly happy marriage. Martina looks back on a career spanning retail underling to proud proprietor. Yet shadows hang over everything. Thoughts of the Troubles stem from relatives in the north (while Madden also previews the economic collapse to come in 2008). Joan’s views on motherhood are clouded by the difficult pregnancy and three days of labor that produced Martina. Fintan experiences “hallucinations and strange shifts of perception.” Martina reveals to no one the nightmarish experience that drove her from London. Hers is a rare instance of real drama in the book. Madden’s brief chronicle focuses on the homely and habitual in daily lives shaped by the accretion of memories and enriched by the moments when one takes the time to peruse them. Almost poetic in its control and well-chosen details, this novel finds the universal and the unique in a deceptively unassuming look at one family.
BIRD BOX
Malerman, Josh Ecco/HarperCollins (272 pp.) $25.99 | May 13, 2014 978-0-06-225965-3 In Malerman’s chilling debut, an apocalyptic reality befalls a Michigan river community—and who knows how much of the rest of civilization—in the form of creatures that cause people who merely look at them to go mad and kill themselves. Having lost her sister to this horrific fate, a young woman, Malorie, finds sanctuary with a group of strangers in a small house with covered windows. Like her co-inhabitants, she learns to perform essential outdoor tasks and even travel 22
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distances blindfolded. After discovering she’s pregnant, she’ll do anything to find a safer place to live. The novel (named after a collection of caged birds that coo whenever anything approaches) cuts back and forth between Malorie’s life in the strangers’ house, where only an analog phone promises contact with the outside world, and her escape four years later with her unnamed Boy and Girl. In both parts, she lives in fear. At any moment, one or both of the kids could remove their blindfolds and perish. And who’s to say whether one of the men, upon returning from an expedition for food or supplies, was exposed to a creature or will usher one into the house? Malerman, leader of the appropriately named rock band The High Strung, keeps us tinglingly on edge with his cool, merciless storytelling. Just when you think he’s going to disappoint with a Twilight Zone–like twist, he douses his tale in poetic gloom. One especially unsettling scene involves blasts of lightning, a dog barking wildly at the night, footsteps on creaky attic stairs and two women giving birth, unattended. An unsettling thriller, this earns comparisons to Hitchcock’s The Birds, as well as the finer efforts of Stephen King and cult sci-fi fantasist Jonathan Carroll.
THE LONG SHADOW
Marklund, Liza Emily Bestler/Atria (544 pp.) $15.00 paper | Apr. 15, 2014 978-1-4516-0703-1 Her spirits dimmed but not quenched by her last round of collisions with violent death (Lifetime, 2013), Stockholm reporter Annika Bengtzon ventures abroad in search of more dragons to slay. That’s not how it seems to her higher-ups. Anders Schyman, editor in chief at the Evening Post, wants to promote her to lead editor; Patrik, the subordinate who’s promoted over her when she refuses the job, wants her to color within the lines and fill out all the right forms. The rumor that the victim of a robbery killed along with his family was retired Swedish hockey player Sebastian Söderström sends Annika off to his home on the Costa del Sol—or, as she soon learns to call it, the Costa del Crime. Drugs, contraband, illicit cash: Everything dirty seems to pass through this paradise, and Annika’s soon filing story after story on criminal matters related to the robbery and the murders. She is not, however, pleasing her bosses. They’re unhappy that an enterprising photographer has caught Annika kissing Jimmy Halenius, her ex-husband Thomas’ highly placed boss at the Ministry of Justice, and that Lotta Bartholomeus, the photographer temporarily assigned to Annika, has complained of her high-handed treatment. And they seem utterly indifferent when Annika discovers that Söderström’s daughter Suzette seems to have missed the slaughter that orphaned her, leaving Annika on her own to chase down leads to the teen’s whereabouts. It doesn’t help her credibility that Annika is susceptible to Jimmy Halenius, to the Norrland narcotics
cop who shows her the ropes on the Costa del Crime, and even to Thomas, who phones from the corridor outside the home he shares with the mistress he dumped Annika for to tell her that their divorce was a terrible mistake. Against all odds, Annika eventually ties together all the felonies she’s poked her nose into, but it’s a thankless slog that will make you grateful you aren’t a newspaper reporter yourself.
THE CORSICAN CAPER
Mayle, Peter Knopf (176 pp.) $23.95 | May 16, 2014 978-0-307-96286-7
A third volume in the light-as-a-bonbon adventures of expatriate gumshoe Sam Levitt, his partner in all manners, Elena Morales, and the billionaire friend who cares more about their company and the quality of the wine than protecting his wealth. It’s barely more than a year since we met up with the farcical detectives in Mayle’s The Marseille Caper (2012, etc.). We catch up with Levitt’s amigo Francis Reboul, looking out upon his Corscican estate, Le Pharo, and awaiting the arrival of his cherished friends. The sort of contentment Reboul enjoys often breeds jealousy, and his estate has captured the notice of an unsavory Russian tycoon named Oleg Vronsky, known
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to the international press as “The Barracuda.” Vronsky has set his eye firmly on Reboul’s estate and if €50 million or more won’t do the trick, well, perhaps the influence of the murderous Vicomte de Pertuis—a dark-tempered but clever real estate agent whose real name is Vincent Schwarz—can work miracles. After all, accidents happen all the time. That’s about all that can be told about another talk-heavy and action-light conflict set in the lush and luxurious surroundings of France. The truth is that, much like an Agatha Christie novel and their many copycats, readers are attracted to these books not because they are difficult or engaging but because they are richly descriptive and emotionally comforting. Sure, a hit may have been put out on the rich Reboul, but that’s no reason not to enjoy the meal to come: “Your order has been taken, your first glass of wine is in hand, tantalizing whiffs come through the kitchen door each time it swings open, waiters scurry, there is the moist creaks of corks being eased out of bottles, and everything is as it should be. You settle back in your seat, and all’s well with the world.” Smooth as the most decadent dessert, with just as many empty calories.
SNOW IN MAY Stories
Melnik, Kseniya Henry Holt (288 pp.) $25.00 | May 13, 2014 978-1-62779-007-9 Despite long winters and a haunting past, a remote town thrums with life. The Russian port town of Magadan, a former threshold into the Stalin-era gulags, links the characters in Melnik’s gorgeous debut collection of short stories. Balanced on the eastern edge of Russia, Magadan is home to an eclectic population, including engineers and artists who first worked in the forced-labor camps and then stayed, working side by side with their former guards. Everyone endures deprivation, isolation, resignation. Worse, the past seems to linger in the blood, contaminating relationships and tainting dreams. In the best of her tales, Melnik’s characters—many of whom pop up in more than one story, as Melnik traces the fortunes of friends, relatives and descendants—long for at least a reprieve, if not a transcendent moment. A young wife and mother travels to Moscow for the annual shopping trip, waiting in endless lines for items unavailable back home, such as fresh fruits, school supplies and boots. Can she resist an Italian soccer player who tempts her with a night without drudgery? Craving the freedom she believes marriage offers, a young woman weds a military school graduate posted even further east. Can she make her marriage successful through the sheer force of her will? A mother takes her daughter, beset by mysterious migraines, to visit a witch with curious healing methods. A young boy performing Tchaikovsky finds his thoughts invaded by memories—memories he could not possibly possess himself but which must inhabit the music. Curious about the famous tenor who missed his own celebratory 24
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concert, a young woman asks her grandfather to tell her the story of the man’s life. Yet the tale leaves her unsettled about her country’s past and her own future. Achingly beautiful, this collection signals a writer to watch.
NEXT LIFE MIGHT BE KINDER
Norman, Howard Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (272 pp.) $26.00 | May 13, 2014 978-0-547-71212-3
A man’s anguish over his wife’s murder—soon to be a major motion picture—blurs his grasp of reality in the latest moody, Halifax-set tale by Norman (What Is Left the Daughter, 2010; Devotion, 2007, etc.). Sam Lattimore, the narrator of Norman’s eighth novel, is in mourning: As the story opens, it’s been almost a year and a half since his wife, Elizabeth, was killed by a bellman at the Halifax hotel where they lived. And while he has sensibly taken on a therapist to work through his grief, he less-than-sensibly insists that he often sees Elizabeth on a beach at night, putting piles of books in order. Sam grudgingly sold the rights to the tragedy to a director, but the filming is doing little to help him achieve closure, a word he can’t stand anyway. In brief, episodic chapters, Norman shuttles between Sam’s present-day processing and his memories of life with Elizabeth, particularly her obsession with the British author Marghanita Laski (1915-1988) and the increasingly unwelcome and threatening advances she endured by the bellman. The quirky, downbeat milieu is typical of Norman’s fiction, which balances an obsession with specific details about time and place with more high-flown musings on morality and love. Here, Norman is chiefly concerned with the subjectivity of history, which he explores in terms of Sam’s remembrances of Elizabeth, his unshakable visions of her and the filmmaker’s rewriting of their lives. This high-concept stuff sometimes works at a low boil: Much of Sam’s narration comes in the context of his therapist appointments, which makes the reality-versus-fantasy debate feel too neatly framed, more discussed than described. But while that dampens the impact of Sam’s emotional unraveling, it’s a beguiling tale overall, a novel Paul Auster might write after a trip to Canada’s Eastern shore. Not Norman’s finest work but an intriguing attempt to complicate his usual concerns. (Author appearances in Washington, D.C., New York and Vermont)
“Riveting drama and sensuous prose make for an unforgettable love story. ” from troika
THE COMMITTEE ON TOWN HAPPINESS
Parker, Alan Michael Dzanc (184 pp.) $14.95 paper | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-938103-80-3 Parker zings—but oh so gently—smalltown politics and the pretentious politicians who regulate our lives at the micro-level. The Committee on Town Happiness is happy indeed to make our happy lives even happier, and to this end its members vote on a constant stream of issues reflecting their concerns. This slim novel contains almost 100 chapters, and in about two-thirds of them a vote is taken on something or other. For example, the committee passes by acclamation a testimonial that “trees demonstrate steadiness of purpose and evenness of demeanor.” When things start to heat up on a controversial topic, the committee votes 5-3 “to destroy the minutes upon adjourning” (though one wag of a committeeman wonders whether “the minutes say destroy the minutes”). The primary goal of the committee is right in its name, but the members run into an obvious dilemma: How does one quantify and measure happiness? They do their best by passing legislation meant to materially increase the well-being of the community as a whole. Such ordinances include the regulation of writing on biking jerseys: “No vulgarities may be printed in sans serif fonts on jerseys; no vulgarities may be written backwards, to be read in rear view mirrors.” When citizens start disappearing, there’s concern (and the launching of hot air balloons to find them), and occasionally some slight chicanery interrupts the committee’s good intentions, but the plot remains minimal. Parker’s not trying to be Dostoevsky here but rather wishes to create light and good-natured entertainment— and he succeeds.
hunter. Here and elsewhere, Julian’s brutality comes into play, but he never loses the reader’s sympathy. He grows up to be a respectable businessman in New York, where he lives with his wife, and though a third-person narrator tells Julian’s back story, guarding his thoughts, it’s clear that neither entitlement nor boredom are behind his affair with Perla. His wife, Sophie, is adjusting to a new reality after being paralyzed from the waist down. The initially jarring introduction of this second heroine brings the simmering plot to a boil, revealing it to be a character study in the aftermath of tragedy. Pelzman has a well of sympathy for his characters— the sponge baths Sophie gets from her nurse are every bit as intimate and sensual as the clandestine meetings between Julian and Perla. When the stripper threatens the delicate balance of her marriage, Sophie uses the only weapons she has—her helplessness and ability to elicit pity—to hold on to what’s left of her life. The word troika describes a group of three or a Russian carriage pulled by three horses. With unflinching honesty, the author goes to the source of Julian’s violence, Perla’s emotional detachment and Sophie’s manipulation to show how a third horse could work in a two-horse marriage.
TROIKA
Pelzman, Adam Amy Einhorn/Putnam (288 pp.) $25.95 | May 1, 2014 978-0-399-16748-5 A stripper unwittingly becomes a sexual surrogate for a wealthy Russian immigrant and his paralyzed wife in Pelzman’s beautifully rendered debut. Perla is looking for a way out of her dead-end job at a Ft. Lauderdale strip club when she leads Julian Pravdin to the Champagne Room for a private dance. Narrating in the present tense, the pretty Cuban-American is so street-smart that we believe her when she says it’s safe to follow the stranger to the parking lot and, eventually, his hotel. Julian has a soft spot for strippers. Forced into a Siberian orphanage after his father’s death sent his mother on a downward spiral of drug abuse and prostitution, he escaped by drawing on the fighting instincts he inherited from his father, a |
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Riveting drama and sensuous prose make for an unforgettable love story.
LETTER COMPOSED DURING A LULL IN THE FIGHTING Poems
Powers, Kevin Little, Brown (112 pp.) $23.00 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-316-40108-1
Powers, author of the shattering war novel The Yellow Birds (2012), turns to poetry while concentrating on familiar themes of dislocation, fear and “unmoored memory.” As with that novel, most of the poems in this slender collection occupy three spaces at once: Iraq, the home front and the liminal country between them. The longest and most striking piece likens the poem itself to an IED, “or improvised explosive device”; though it opens on a rather unpromising poetry-slam note (“If this poem had wires / coming out of it, / you would not read it”), Powers builds steadily on the extended metaphor of poem as bomb, the images growing steadily more gruesome (“if these words were your best / friend’s legs, / dangling”). As is true of so many of the best poems about war— think Randall Jarrell’s “Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” or James Wright’s “Mad Fight Song for William S. Carpenter”— the tone is understated, the affect sometimes unnervingly flat; having seen what he has of combat, Powers can no longer be moved by ordinary emotions, and the language he uses at home is the language of battle: “I tell her I love her like not killing / or ten minutes of sleep / beneath the low rooftop wall / on which my rifle rests.” And just as it is well that, as Robert E. Lee said, war is so horrible lest we come to love it too much, it is good that most books of poems about war, such as this one, are so short, lest we be overwhelmed by the grim news they bring. Powers sometimes wrestles with form, the length of his lines threatening to leave him breathless, but his intent is clear: He has survived, and though he now “know[s] better than to hope,” he also knows that he has beaten the odds— and that he is not alone. A welcome debut. We hope that the next sequence finds Powers on safer ground, exploring the possibilities of life away from the front.
BELLWEATHER RHAPSODY
Racculia, Kate Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (352 pp.) $25.00 | May 13, 2014 978-0-544-12991-7 Racculia (This Must Be the Place, 2010) delivers an experience worth rhapsodizing about as a group of teenagers and their adult chaperones descend upon a hotel in the Catskills for a statewide music festival. The once-elegant Bellweather Hotel has seen better days, but the staff does its best to keep up appearances as they roll out the somewhat threadbare red carpet for the best high school musicians in New York State. It’s 1997, and 15 years ago, a grisly murder-suicide occurred in Room 712—the room now assigned to Jill, a child prodigy whose mother is the festival’s acting director, and Alice, a seemingly arrogant choral student. Alice’s bassoonist twin, Rabbit, is also among the attendees, and he’s hopeful the next few days will yield opportunities for a bit of adventure and some honest disclosure. Alice has always been the dominant sibling, but their relationship undergoes a not-sosubtle change within hours of their arrival. Introverted Rabbit inadvertently becomes a hero among his peers when he stands up to their derisive conductor, a Scotsman who’s a few fingers short of a full hand and whose interest in the twins’ angry, guntoting chaperone strengthens as the two discover similarities. Alice is bewildered by Rabbit’s quick rise to popularity, and her feelings of abandonment increase when she finds Jill’s lifeless body hanging from an orange extension cord. Although authorities investigate, they can’t find a corpse, and Jill’s mother claims she’s merely hiding somewhere in the hotel. Her disappearance provides fodder for the teenage rumor mill, but life goes on: Rehearsals continue while angst-ridden teens and adults, all with hidden secrets, are swept up in a crescendo of memories and emotions. Racculia’s droll wit and keen understanding of human nature propel a story that’s rich in distinctive characters and wholly engaging. A gem. (Author appearances in New York and Boston)
DELICIOUS!
Reichl, Ruth Random House (384 pp.) $27.00 | May 6, 2014 978-1-4000-6962-0 Tragedy, war, fairy-tale makeover, trauma resolution, romance and—of course—food are just some of the ingredients in dining critic and celebrated memoirist Reichl’s (Garlic and Sapphires, 2005, etc.) first novel, a bittersweet pudding with some lumps in the batter.
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Food metaphors irresistibly suggest themselves when considering this author’s flavor-driven debut, set in the New York offices of Delicious!, a magazine not unlike Gourmet, where Reichl was editor in chief. At the fictional magazine, Billie Breslin, 21 and gifted with a prodigious palate, gets a job as editor’s assistant and encounters a kindly cast of foodies, including travel editor Sammy and cheese shop owner Sal. Billie writes emails to her older, prettier, more popular sister, Genie, with whom, implausibly, she set up a successful cake-baking business in California when they were 10 and 11. But Billie’s mysterious past is merely one strand of Reichl’s tenderly written yet overstuffed story, which shifts focus after the magazine is suddenly closed down. A cache of wartime letters from a child named Lulu to famous chef James Beard, which Billie unearths in a hidden room behind the magazine’s library, is used to pull in some odd, heavyweight issues, including World War II injustices against Italian-Americans and the Underground Railroad. Meanwhile, Sammy has encouraged Billie to open up about the secrets of her past, after which it’s time for contact lenses, a cool haircut and a new wardrobe, converting the ugly duckling into a kooky
swan. This helps Billie’s attraction to Mr. Complainer—one of Sal’s picky customers and a top-rated architectural historian— take wing. An argument and the search for Lulu prolong the story, but Reichl manages to bring matters comfortingly to rest with a kitchen epiphany and a recipe. Reichl’s first fictional outing is something of a curate’s egg—good in parts.
INVISIBLE ELLEN
Shattuck, Shari Putnam (304 pp.) $26.95 | May 29, 2014 978-0-399-16761-4
Abandoned by her mother when she was just 5, Ellen bounced from foster families to group homes, learning to hide from the world. Shy, reclusive and obese, she’s socially invisible to most people.
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Initially, Ellen’s tale is intriguing. She’s gone to extreme lengths to keep the world from noticing her: working the night shift on the Costco cleaning crew, having her groceries delivered and combing her hair closely over the left side of her face to hide a scar that people might stare at. The closest she comes to social interaction is spying on two of her neighbors, whom she considers pets and has created nicknames for: “Heidi,” a woman with braids, and “T-Bone,” a small-time drug dealer. Usually she just takes notes on their behavior, but lately other people seem to be messing with her pets and Ellen doesn’t like that. Heidi is faced with an unexpected pregnancy, and T-Bone encounters some difficult customers. Then, when a blind woman sits next to her on the bus, Ellen is intrigued and follows her onto the street, which is fortuitous, because she saves the woman from muggers. The blind woman, named Temerity, and her twin brother, Justice, embrace Ellen as a new friend, delivering her from loneliness. Temerity is, of course, cheeky and brave. As a student of anthropology, Justice is, of course, nonjudgmental, seeing the unique beauty in everyone. Soon, Temerity and Ellen have embarked on a series of interventions, including rescuing a co-worker from sexual harassment, rescuing Heidi from a life-altering mistake and rescuing T-Bone from a near-death encounter. With its relentless reminders of Temerity’s blindness and Ellen’s awkwardness, Shattuck’s (Legacy, 2013) latest unfortunately buckles under the weight of its own premise. What could be a charming tale of redemption becomes a heavy-handed fable.
FIVE HUNDRED SIRENS
Shearer, Jay Cairn Press (200 pp.) $16.95 paper | May 1, 2014 978-0-9853197-4-8
Baby’s not a problem. It’s his stayat-home dad who can’t help getting into trouble in this limp first novel. While his wife, Shelley, a Canadian nutritionist and Ph.D. candidate, works at a spinal-cord clinic, Phil spends his days with their 1-year-old, Henry. He also hangs out with his neighbor Adam, who has a Mexican wife, Maribel, and a 4-year-old boy. Adam is a narcissistic gasbag who owns two copy stores and is having sex with a young employee; Phil hears them through the vent. As passive as they come, he’s attracted to Adam’s recklessness (“my favorite asshole”). One night, Phil is sitting alone in Adam’s car, listening to rap, belting out the N-word, oblivious to their dicey, racially mixed Chicago neighborhood. It’s hard not to feel this white boy is too stupid to live, and indeed he has a close call when a pistol-packing Latino surprises him, making him drive to an ATM before stealing the car. Soon afterward, Maribel, sick of Adam’s philandering, leaves for Mexico with their son, and Adam disappears. The new neighbors, Hugo and Melanie, have an open relationship, so Phil, with the baby close by, fools around with her. Monkey hear, monkey do. And then, guess what? Shelley follows Maribel’s lead and moves back to 28
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Canada with the baby; not only has Phil been cheating, he’s done some really dumb stuff at the clinic, jeopardizing her job. Does Shearer mean us to accept Phil as a bumbling but ultimately lovable naif? Possibly, but in fact he’s just a jerk in thrall to a lowlife. For as his perceptive sister tells him, “you wish you were this Adam guy.” There are a few more contrived episodes (the cops have found Adam’s car, a bullet-riddled body inside, and bring Phil in for questioning), but they don’t lead anywhere. When Adam reappears, solo, and suggests a cross-country joy ride, Phil is typically compliant. A dispiriting ramble with two unsympathetic losers.
THE CITY SON
Upadhyay, Samrat Soho (256 pp.) $25.00 | $13.99 e-book | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-61695-381-2 978-1-56947-382-9 e-book The arc of Upadhyay’s narrative is like that of a soap opera, though rather more lurid. Things begin calmly enough in a village in Nepal, though they heat up quickly when Sulochana, otherwise known as Didi, finds out from a local gossip that her husband, the Masterji, has been having a relationship with a woman named Apsara and even has a son by her. This relationship has been made easier logistically because the Masterji, a renowned teacher, has been spending much of his time away from the village teaching in a city. Didi, who’s known more for her fiery temperament than for her pulchritude, immediately takes charge by seeking out Tarun, the Masterji’s son by Apsara, and bringing him home to live with her; the Masterji; and their two sons, Amit and Sumit. Didi is immediately struck by the beauty of her 11-year-old stepson and begins to favor him, much to the revulsion of Amit in particular. Soon it becomes clear that Didi’s relationship to Tarun is becoming increasingly abnormal and sexualized. She finds excuses to spend time alone with him, and as he grows older, their relationship remains highly charged though unconsummated. When Tarun gets married at age 23, he and his wife, Rukma, immediately have problems in the bedroom, and eventually Rukma discovers her husband’s appalling secret. This is a story more sad than salacious, and the human cost of the quasi-incest is exceptionally high.
MY REAL CHILDREN
Walton, Jo Tor (320 pp.) $25.99 | May 20, 2014 978-0-7653-3265-3
Walton (Among Others, 2011, etc.) creates an engaging fictional biography of one woman’s life lived two different ways. It’s 2015, and Patricia Cowan is “very confused,” or so they write on her charts in the nursing home. It’s true that she has had dementia for years, but sometimes her room seems to have navy blue curtains and sometimes pale green blinds. More puzzling, she is sure she remembers two distinct sets of children. Both visit her, but they don’t share a reality; they’re from the two different lives she entered when she made the choice to marry, or not marry, Mark, when she was a young woman. The novel travels back to Patricia’s childhood, a fixed narrative, and then begins alternating chapters to follow the split. In one life, she marries Mark and becomes Tricia, an obedient wife and mother of four children. In the other, where she is Pat, love and children come later, after she’s established an ardor for Italy and a satisfying teaching career. In both, Patricia is an inspiringly open-minded, grounded, active woman, and it’s a pleasure to watch her adapt to her circumstances as the novel swings her through time. Her rights and role as a woman shift depending on the choice she made, but that choice is accompanied by larger changes in the world around her as well. Unsettlingly, neither landscape is quite recognizable. Midcentury touch points develop in unfamiliar ways—concerns regarding nuclear power and its misuse loom large for Pat, whereas the International Space Station on the moon becomes a marvel to Tricia. Both lives have their share of affecting triumphs and tragedies, with the themes of family and partnership woven evenly throughout. Walton is a straightforward, unsparing writer, and she strikes a poignant balance between the ideas of agency and fate. Science fiction elements add an eerie complexity to these deeply felt portraits. (Agent: Jack Byrne)
she won’t join the Junior League—who has always wanted to adopt a Korean baby. Coleman, on the other hand, was raised in Charleston by parents who drummed into his head the danger inherent in threatening their traditional values: God, family and South Carolina (by which they meant established Charleston families) above all. He has serious reservations about bringing an Asian child into the family, but he acquiesces, recognizing that it’s time to cast off his parents’ fear of change. Meanwhile, in Korea, a young mother reluctantly gives up her beloved infant, knowing that adoption in America is her daughter’s one chance to survive and prosper. That child becomes Allie, the Carters’ new daughter. Shortly after her arrival from Korea, the family moves back to Charleston, the only home Allie will know. Smart and adorable, she fits into the Carters’ lives more seamlessly than either parent might have expected, and Coleman especially adores her. When tragedy strikes less than halfway through the novel, he rises to the occasion. But seven years later, when Allie is a Princeton-bound high school senior, a seemingly trivial issue—her exclusion from a society ball—becomes a major crisis. After Coleman fails to win over the society’s board
A SOUTHERN GIRL
Warley, John Univ. of South Carolina (360 pp.) $29.95 | May 8, 2014 978-1-61117-391-8 Under pressure from his liberal wife, a member of Charleston society reluctantly adopts a baby girl from Korea in this novel by Southerner Warley (The Moralist, 2011, etc.), himself the father of a daughter born in Korea. In the late 1970s, Elizabeth Carter and her litigating attorney husband, Coleman, are raising their two sons in New Hampton, Va. Elizabeth is a native Kansan. Although she plays the part of traditional wife and mother, she’s a quiet rebel—i.e., |
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members, several of whom he counts as close friends, a Jewish ACLU attorney from New York pressures him to sue for discrimination. Although manipulatively written, with a heavy-handed plot and a cast of noble Asians, Warley’s story offers a surprisingly nuanced take on political correctness.
DECOMPRESSION
Zeh, Juli Translated by Cullen, John Talese/Doubleday (272 pp.) $25.95 | May 20, 2014 978-0-385-53758-2 Erotic intrigue, deep-sea diving and clients from hell make for a lively mix in this German author’s fourth novel (In Free Fall, 2010, etc.). Poor Sven. The German expat runs a diving business for tourists on a Spanish island of volcanic rock in the Atlantic. He’s a superb instructor, never more assured than on the ocean bed; his companion, Antje, handles the admin. It’s a sweet life until his new clients arrive. Jola, accompanied by her older partner, Theo, is a stunning beauty, the star of Germany’s most popular soap. She’s on a mission: She needs to finetune her diving skills to land the part of Lotte Haas, pioneer female diver, in an upcoming movie. Signs of trouble between the couple emerge on their first dive. Jola shuts off Theo’s air valve, causing him to panic; Sven is furious and reads them the riot act. Their fights, verbal and physical, illustrate a wretched co-dependency like that of George and Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. For all her fame, Jola is deeply insecure; Theo, a writer whose one novel was published 10 years ago, is her flawed father figure. Sven gets sucked in: Finding Jola’s appeal overwhelming, he comes close to having sex with her when she offers herself. She’s a manipulator, and we know from her diary entries that Sven’s involvement is crucial to her dark strategy, though she hadn’t reckoned on the long-suffering Antje leaving her mate. Zeh guides us through these developments skillfully, and the underwater scenes are as compelling as those on land; she’s been there. Things come to a head at a dinner party on a tycoon’s yacht, where Jola learns her archrival will be playing Lotte, and Theo taunts her mercilessly. The well-orchestrated climax occurs the next day, as Sven explores an underwater wreck while Theo and Jola assist from a chartered vessel. Mischief ’s afoot. Will they all survive? The gathering suspense is complemented by nuanced characterization in a pleasingly unpredictable work.
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THE LOBSTER KINGS
Zentner, Alexi Norton (400 pp.) $26.95 | May 27, 2014 978-0-393-08957-8
An ugly turf war between Maine lobstermen is almost eclipsed by family mythology in this slow-moving second novel from Zentner (Touch, 2011). Loosewood Island, a disputed territory, straddles the U.S.-Canada border, reflecting the author’s U.S.-Canadian heritage. Since the 18th century, it has been dominated by the Kings family. The first Kings, Brumfitt, was both lobsterman and prolific painter. He claimed in his journal that his wife came from the sea, like a mermaid. She brought a blessing (the sea would provide for them) and a curse (it would claim a son from each generation). Both predictions have been borne out. The current patriarch, Woody, has three daughters (Cordelia, the narrator; Rena; and Carly) and one son, Scotty. Better watch out, kid! Sure enough, when the boy is 9, he’s swept overboard and dies. Soon after, his distraught mother drowns herself. Meanwhile the nearest community, James Harbor, has been poaching their waters. Inspired by a Brumfitt painting, Woody smashes the ringleader’s hand with a hammer, meriting four months in the psych ward. We have to work through a lot of back story before reaching the present. Woody is 57 and having dizzy spells. The no-nonsense Cordelia captains her own boat and is his acknowledged successor. The James Harbor boys are acting up again, adding meth smuggling to their poaching. But even now the story fails to zip along. There are interludes when Cordelia turns docent, as she describes Brumfitt’s paintings, one of which hangs in the Met. Today’s problems (will Cordelia snag her newly divorced sternman? How will her sister’s lesbian partner handle working with Woody?) seem picayune, set against the mythic past. Even the discovery of a mutilated body on a ghost ship lacks a payoff. Toward the end, the ocean grabs yet another family member, and there’s some unconvincing bang-bang as Cordelia confronts the meth smuggler. That corny ancient curse is an awkward fit with contemporary shenanigans. (Author tour to New York, Boston, and Portland, Maine)
m ys t e r y CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT
Black, Michael A. Five Star (320 pp.) $25.95 | Jun. 18, 2014 978-1-4328-2801-1
A military officer is willing to do whatever it takes to get the promotion so far denied him. Col. Claymore Jefferson Viceroy may be dissatisfied with his lot in life, but his background in black ops and the loyal group of men he’s worked with for years have provided the basis for a convoluted, deadly plan he’s sure will catapult him to military stardom. Pivotal to the plan is Viceroy’s brother-in-law, former vice president William “Big Willie” Bernard, a charming but stupid politician whom Viceroy is aiding in his bid for the presidency. A clever newsman and his beautiful, witless reporter girlfriend working on a story that could tie Bernard to the torture of prisoners at Gitmo present serious obstacles for Viceroy. Ironically, however, a man he saved from torture and death in Somalia may be Viceroy’s biggest problem. Kevin McClain is now a Metro D.C. police detective investigating the mystery of a badly burned body that turns out to be that of a terrorist released from Gitmo. The case will place McClain squarely in Viceroy’s path to glory. Over at the FBI, Special Agent Felicia Knight and her misogynist colleagues are working to foil a group of terrorists bringing Sarin into the country. Little do they know that the plot is really a cover for Viceroy’s plan to use the gas to discredit the current president. With Viceroy willing to kill anyone who stands in his way, only McClain and Knight have any chance of stopping him. In a switch from his police procedurals (Sacrificial Offerings, 2012, etc.), Black presents a promising but unexceptional thriller that draws on his years of police experience. It’s slow to get going but builds to an exciting climax.
CHILD’S PLAY
Carter, Maureen Creme de la Crime (208 pp.) $28.95 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-78029-058-4 The past meets the present when a child’s kidnapping echoes a story from long ago. Nicola Reynolds is shocked when her teenage daughter, Caitlin, doesn’t return from school one day in Birmingham, England. To hear it from Nicola, Caitlin can do no wrong, so there’s no reason for her to be delayed. Local DI Sarah Quinn is called in to investigate, but even the usually astute detective
can’t seem to find a reason for the girl’s disappearance. That’s because Nicola isn’t being forthcoming. She’s received an email from someone who claims to have snatched Caitlin and warns the worried mother about involving the police. Meanwhile, calculating reporter Caroline King knows something big must be afoot when she gets her own note from the kidnapper. In spite of Quinn’s long adversarial relationship with Caroline, the two have formed a mutually beneficial if wary working relationship of late (Dying Bad, 2013), and Quinn must figure out what she can reveal to the reporter and what she might expect in return. As days pass with little headway, Quinn realizes that Nicola may be obscuring key facts about Caitlin’s disappearance but can’t figure out why the mother would do anything that might get in the way of her daughter’s safe return. All the while, the kidnapper continues to up the ante by revealing his motive to Nicola, tying it to shocking facts about her own family’s past that she’s now forced to face. By cutting back on the biting interplay between the stoic Quinn and the calculating King, Carter loses the most distinctive and effective piece of her procedural formula.
DEATH MONEY
Chang, Henry Soho Crime (224 pp.) $25.00 | Apr. 15, 2014 978-1-61695-351-5 NYPD Detective Jack Yu scours Chinatown to find out who killed a man whose body was found miles away. When a pair of Homicide North officers fish a John Doe out of the Harlem River, the call goes out to Jack. Why reach all the way down to the 5th Precinct when the Big Apple is crawling with cops? Because someone thinks the department needs a Chinese—um, make that an Asian—investigator on the case. Maybe the higher-ups put a premium on ethnic sensitivity. Maybe they’ve read Jack’s first three adventures (Red Jade, 2012, etc.). Whatever the reason, they certainly get their money’s worth. Jack isn’t the one who discovers that deliveryman Jun Wah Zhang was stabbed to death, but he is the one who establishes that the dead man is indeed Jun Wah Zhang and that he’s also Yao Sing Chang, an orphan from Poon Yew village whose trail halfway around the world ended before he turned 24. Consulting with elderly Chinatown wise woman Ah Por and his old friend Billy Bow, who reluctantly takes time out from drinking and whoring to steer him toward leads, Jack retraces Sing’s footsteps through four restaurants owned by James “Bossy” Gee, director of Dynasty Noodles and a hard man to cross. He finds the young man who was beaten until he gave up Sing’s identity to his killers. But he doesn’t find a motive for Sing’s death—not until every other piece of this untidy puzzle has fallen into place. The plot is familiar and forgettable, but Jack’s odyssey is consistently fast-paced, edgy and flavorful. Sometimes it really is better to travel hopefully than to arrive.
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I’VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN
Clark, Mary Higgins Simon & Schuster (320 pp.) $26.99 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-4767-4906-8
That up-to-the-minute phenomenon, reality TV, provides the basis for Clark’s most retro tale ever. Coming off two failed projects, television producer Laurie Moran, widowed five years ago by a killer who told her 3-year-old son, “Timmy, tell your mother that she’s next. Then it’s your turn,” is hungry for a hit. She thinks she’s struck gold with Under Suspicion, a series that will reopen cold cases via interviews with the people who were on the scenes at the time, taped at the same places the bodies were found. Her first choice is obvious: The smothering 20 years ago of society hostess Betsy Bonner Powell during the night of the Graduation Gala she and her husband, hedge fund colossus Robert Nicholas Powell, threw for Betsy’s daughter Claire and her three high school buds. The criminal-reunion setup screams Agatha Christie (think Five Little Pigs or Sparkling Cyanide), but Clark adds some deliciously bitchy bickering to the proceedings once all four of the lead suspects improbably reveal their secrets and motives to an obliging blackmailer. St. Augustine realtor Regina Callari lost her father to suicide after he sunk his assets in Rob’s hedge fund. Cleveland pharmacist Alison Schaefer, married to a football player whose dream of sending her to medical school ended with his crippling by a hit-and-run driver, wonders if she killed Betsy while she was sleepwalking. Nina Craig, a failed actress eking out a living as a Hollywood extra, lives with a mother who’s driving her crazy. And Claire herself, not to be outdone, had good reason to hate both her mother and her stepfather. Will Laurie and her crew trick a confession out of one of them before the killer who’s been stalking her takes his shot? Rest easy, Agatha: Clark (Daddy’s Gone a Hunting, 2013, etc.) can’t match your skill at spinning webs as logical as they are surprising. Along the way, however, few readers will be able to resist her creaky charm.
MURDER AT HONEYCHURCH HALL
Dennison, Hannah Minotaur (304 pp.) $24.99 | $11.99 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-1-250-00779-7 978-1-250-03686-5 e-book Life with the landed gentry lands an antiques expert in even more of a muddle than the one she’s trying to escape. Kat Stanford quit her job as star of the reality TV show Fakes & Treasures, hoping to find a quiet place to open an antiques store with her mother, Iris. She wasn’t counting on Iris’ impetuous decision to buy a carriage house 32
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from the dowager Countess of Grenville, mother of the owner of Honeychurch Hall. Arriving in Little Dipperton, Devon, to help her mother settle into what sounded like a picturesque cottage, Kat finds Iris living instead in a dilapidated building with holes in the floors; antiquated fixtures; Kat’s father’s ashes in a Tupperware container; and aggressively spiteful neighbors, Eric Pugsley and his wife, the leather-clad housekeeper. Iris insists they’re trying to drive her out of the carriage house, and Kat isn’t sure that would be so bad, especially after the Honeychurch nanny, who warned her about the place, disappears. Worse yet, a conversation Kat overhears between Eric and the Earl of Grenville makes Iris’ suspicions sound uncomfortably plausible. The earl’s first wife died from what were supposedly natural causes but possibly weren’t, a 20-year-old robbery has never been solved, and mystery surrounds a pair of toy bears, not to mention the odd ghost. Kat’s even more shocked to discover that Iris has a secret identity and a closer connection to Honeychurch Hall than her daughter imagined. When she stumbles on a body in a hidden grotto, the only element missing from the well-stuffed plot is romance—a deficiency the local detective inspector just might remedy. Dennison (Thieves!, 2011, etc.) launches a new series with a potpourri of sentimentality and suspense. It all works since the dryly self-deprecating heroine keeps herself centered in spite of the zaniness around her.
THE BODY IN BODEGA BAY
Draine, Betsy; Hinden, Michael Terrace Books/Univ. of Wisconsin Press (230 pp.) $26.95 | $14.95 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-0-299-29790-9 978-0-299-29793-0 e-book Is a missing Russian icon a motive for murder? California art historian Nora Barnes and her antiques dealer husband, Toby Sandler, venture forth from their home in Bodega Bay, famous as the spot Alfred Hitchcock’s birds attacked, to investigate the murder of Toby’s new business partner, Charlie Halloran, who’d recently moved his things to Toby’s store in Sonoma County after a breakup with his business and life partner. When Charlie’s body is found in a wrecked sailboat and a break-in is discovered at the store, Deputy Sheriff Dan Ellis, Nora and Toby’s friend, asks for their help. Nora soon identifies Charlie’s last purchases, a Russian icon and a set of storyboards from The Birds. Though neither is thought to be worth much, both have vanished. The seller got them from a former lover descended from a Russian family, early inhabitants of the area. When Toby finally finds the missing objects, Nora takes the icon to an expert in Wisconsin, where they discover evidence that it’s part of a valuable old triptych. Nora’s younger sister, Angie, who’s visiting, has been consulting Sophie Redmond, an “angel reader,” in an attempt to make a major decision in her life. When Nora joins her at Sophie’s apartment, she sees another
“This stand-alone...has it all: great characters, a credible mystery, a touch of romance, a loving portrayal of Ireland and even a ghost.” from the quiet woman
part of the triptych hanging on the wall. All these investigations turn up several interested parties, including the Russian Mafia, who may be willing to kill to get what they want. Apart from its surprise ending, Nora and Toby’s second case (Murder in Lascaux, 2011) is most valuable for its information on icons, The Birds and early northern California history.
THE QUIET WOMAN
Faherty, Terence Five Star (246 pp.) $25.95 | Jun. 18, 2014 978-1-4328-2868-4
A family trip to Ireland goes from bad to worse. The last time romance writer Danielle “Danny” Furey and her brother Kerry went to Ireland, they were searching for their ancestral home. As far as Danny is concerned, that was the trip from hell, and she’s hustled into going again only because Kerry has been diagnosed with leukemia. Danny is especially unhappy to discover that her ex-husband is joining them. Fortunately, she soon meets Frank O’Shea, an Irish barman she finds a lot more appealing. Frank gets fired for letting Kerry substitute some poteen—Irish white lightning—for the pub’s usual fare. Since he’s also trying to escape his bookmaker, Kerry hires him to drive them around in their search for Letterfenny, the now-deserted village their grandfather called home. Along the way, tour guide Donal Conneely overhears them discussing their favorite film, The Quiet Man, and gains their interest, and a job, by relating a story about Bridey Finnerman, a young girl who was murdered while working on the film. Danny and Kerry, who have endlessly discussed the film and even talked about writing a book about it, are eager to turn to sleuthing when they hear the tale. As the group wanders the beautiful Conemarra countryside picking up clues and meeting the people who knew Bridey best, they realize that nothing is really as it seems. This stand-alone from the author of two popular series (Dance in the Dark, 2011, etc.) has it all: great characters, a credible mystery, a touch of romance, a loving portrayal of Ireland and even a ghost.
WAITING FOR WEDNESDAY
French, Nicci Pamela Dorman/Viking (384 pp.) $27.95 | Apr. 3, 2014 978-0-670-01577-1
The murder of an inoffensive home health visitor is only the tip of the iceberg in London psychologist Frieda Klein’s third case—and a very chilly iceberg it is, too.
No one in Ruth Lennox’s family can understand why she was savagely beaten to death in her own home. DCI Malcolm Karlsson reluctantly accepts the evidence that the killing at Chalk Farm was a burglary gone wrong, and, sure enough, there’s a burglar; but he produces an alibi (another burglary, naturally) that clears him of Ruth’s murder. As Russell Lennox and his three children begin to disintegrate under the pressure, Karlsson is more and more tempted to call on Frieda, even though her consulting contract has been canceled after the high-mortality finale of her last investigation (Tuesday’s Gone, 2013). By the time Frieda finally enters the case—not as a consultant, but as the aunt of a friend of Ted Lennox, Ruth’s 18-year-old son—another stew is already simmering. Aging reporter Jim Fearby, who’s been watching apprehensively as a new appeal frees George Conley 10 years after he was convicted of strangling Hazel Barton, wonders who killed Hazel if it wasn’t Conley. Since the police seem convinced they got the right man the first time, Fearby goes hunting on his own and soon links Hazel to half a dozen other young women who vanished under similar circumstances. Meanwhile, Frieda has become obsessed with tracking down the source of an anecdote one of her patients presented as his own memory. Her inquiries will eventually connect with Fearby’s and Karlsson’s but not before more dead ends, false confessions and unwelcome revelations than you can imagine, or perhaps desire. French’s darkly ambitious tale piles on the complications until you beg for mercy. Hard-core fans of detective work as a vehicle for revealing the depths of the human soul will find it irresistible.
DON’T EVER LOOK BACK
Friedman, Daniel Minotaur (304 pp.) $24.99 | $11.99 e-book | Apr. 22, 2014 978-1-250-02756-6 978-1-250-02757-3 e-book Retired detective Buck Schatz continues to hunt bad guys and make life hell for the staff at Valhalla Estates Assisted Lifestyle Community for Older Adults. Buck doesn’t like people messing with guys he knew back in the day. So when his redneck neighbor calls Buck’s schizophrenic buddy, Crazy Mack, a bunch of racist names, Buck feels he has no choice but to whack the man’s favorite rocking chair to bits with a hatchet, earning him a stern reprimand from Vivienne Wyatt, Valhalla’s director of resident relations. But Elijah is another story. Back in 1965, Elijah tried sucking Buck into his big heist—ripping off Kluge Freights’ payroll from the vault of the Cotton Planters Union Bank. A concentration camp survivor, Elijah maintained that Jews need to stick together and help each other because no one else will. But Buck didn’t want to give the Memphis police department any reason to regret hiring the few Jewish cops it had. He turned Elijah down and beat the crap out of the Jewish co-conspirators, earning him a stern rebuke from |
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Rabbi Abramsky on the eve of his son’s bar mitzvah. Now Elijah is asking for Buck’s help again. He’s ready to turn himself in, and he needs someone to broker the deal. Buck turns to his one remaining contact in the Memphis police department, 26-year old Andre Price, to drive him and Elijah to the station, followed by Elijah’s lawyer, Meyer Lefkowitz. Naturally it all goes south when Elijah disappears. With the help of his yuppie grandson, William “Tequila” Schatz, Buck must get his walker in gear and find out who’s got the elderly safecracker and what he plans to do with him. A worthy successor to Buck’s fine-tuned debut (Don’t Ever Get Old, 2012).
MURDER AND MENDELSSOHN
Greenwood, Kerry Poisoned Pen (336 pp.) $24.95 | $14.95 paper | $6.99 e-book $22.95 Lg. Prt. | May 6, 2014 978-1-4642-0246-9 978-1-4642-0248-3 paper 978-1-4642-0249-0 e-book 978-1-4642-0247-6 Lg. Prt.
Patrons in the front row, beware: Orchestra conductors are dropping like flies. That clever, beautiful and sometimes-deadly sexual free spirit, the Honorable Phryne Fisher, is always happy to help her friend Melbourne DI Jack Robinson with investigations in which he feels at sea. Case in point: Widely disliked conductor Hedley Tregennis is found dead, part of the score of Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” thrust down his throat. Before choking on the score, he’d been poisoned with morphine. At Jack’s urging, Phryne joins the Melbourne Harmony Choir, which is rehearsing at the Scots Church Assembly Hall, in search of the killer. Appearing as a lecturer at the same hall is the coldly brilliant and physically striking English mathematician Rupert Sheffield, accompanied by Dr. John Wilson, who’s in love with him. Adding complication, there have recently been several attempts on Rupert’s life, possibly from someone with a grudge against him dating to his work as an agent and codebreaker during the war. Phryne had been Wilson’s only female lover when they were both helping in a field hospital during the hellish battles of World War I. Once she renews their affair, she’s determined to get the self-absorbed Rupert to understand and value John’s love. In an effort to uncover the conductor’s killer, Phryne cultivates the choir members and staff. When a second, equally unpopular conductor is poisoned with arsenic and the attacks on Rupert continue, Phryne enlists the help of her immediate family and diverse friends to help solve both cases. Another action-filled adventure from the Roaring ’20s (Unnatural Habits, 2013, etc.) lifted to the upper reaches of the series by its pointed social commentary.
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RED MAN DOWN
Gunn, Elizabeth Severn House (192 pp.) $27.95 | May 1, 2014 978-0-7278-8367-4 Tucson police detective Sarah Burke catches a case that may amount to suicide by cop. Sarah arrives on the scene to find Officer Dan Spurlock, who’s fairly new to the force, in shock after he was forced to shoot a copper-wire thief who pulled a gun on him. The video record of the incident confirms that Spurlock had no choice. But why did the thief, who turns out to be an ex-cop named Ed Lacey, force the confrontation? Lacey was well-known as a Red Man, a police academy trainer, whose life suddenly went south when he started abusing drugs. Now, Sarah and her team must reopen the case of Lacey’s uncle Frank Martin, who apparently killed himself after being caught up in a scandal. Ed had lived with Frank after his mother, one of the many children of the close-knit Garcia family, virtually deserted him. Frank was well-known for helping with many charitable causes. If, as he claimed, he never stole a cent from those charities, why did he kill himself? Sarah tracks down Ed’s wife, Angela, who divorced him after he turned to drugs. Angela works for a charity store and lives in a tiny apartment while renting out the house they owned. When she’s found hanging in her apartment closet, Sarah and her team become even more skeptical that the three deaths could all be suicides, especially since the stolen money has never been found. Could another member of the Garcia family be involved, or is someone else hastening to cover his tracks? A solid police procedural from Gunn, with enough twists and turns to make it altogether more gripping than her last (The Magic Line, 2012, etc.).
WOLF
Hayder, Mo Atlantic Monthly (400 pp.) $24.00 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-8021-2250-6 Hayder (Hanging Hill, 2012, etc.) once again lures DI Jack Caffery into evil’s morass. Oliver Anchor-Ferrers owns Turrets, an English country estate in Somerset. Arriving with wife Matilda, daughter Lucia and their dog, Bear, Oliver intends to recuperate after heart-valve surgery. While clearing the garden, Matilda discovers a string of intestines “draped almost delicately in the bushes,” a discovery mimicking the residue left after a gruesome killing 15 years past. Back then, Lucia’s teenage boyfriend and another girl were murdered and disemboweled. Hayder’s story is complex, with narrative threads leading from the old murder; from the present, as
“...you can count on Sheriff Longmire for action both physical and cerebral, a bit of humor and romance, and a mighty good mystery.” from any other name
the Anchor-Ferrers are held captive and tortured; and from the muddied mind of Caffery, who stumbles into the murderous affair as he searches out his own demons. Rural Somerset comes alive, with the lush green growth, the rain, and the cranky, isolated Victorian estate beyond cellphone coverage. Fueled by whisky, e-cigarettes and indifference to authority, Caffery’s the archetypical angst-driven hero, obsessed by the pedophile ring that kidnapped his brother decades earlier. It’s the Walking Man, an itinerant loner who obsessively circles the site of his own daughter’s murder, who finds the dog, Bear, with the message “Help Us” attached to his collar. That draws Caffery into the hostage situation. Sexual obsession, rejection as fuel for violence and revenge on the part of an arms dealer all add to a chilling, ominous atmosphere in which mangled characters lurk—Ian the Geek and Honig, the captors; the retired colonel who lives nearby with a wheelchair-bound wife and a nurse in his bed; and Oliver, fraught with fractured mortality after his heart operation and yet strong enough to puzzle out the source of the obscene bloodlust. Another adventure for Caffery, a protagonist much like James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux or Paul Cleave’s Theo Tate, doomed to work “in the presence of evil.” (Agent: Jane Gregory)
DEAD LIL’ HUSTLER
Houston, Victoria Tyrus Books (208 pp.) $24.99 | $16.99 paper | Jun. 18, 2014 978-1-4405-6841-1 978-1-4405-6840-4 paper Two murders bring bad publicity to the normally quiet tourist town of Loon Lake, Wis. Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris is called to the Pine River, where kayakers have discovered the body of a local banker, an employee of multimillionaire Bud Jarvison, in a snowmobile suit. The man and his machine may look like they went through the ice accidentally back in the winter, but the bullet hole in his head proves otherwise. Since the coroner is a know-nothing political appointee, Lew would love to call once more on her friend, retired dentist Paul “Doc” Osborne, to help. But Doc’s at the hospital with his grandson, who has contracted meningitis. Before Lew even gets a chance to investigate, Jake Barber shows up looking for his missing son Liam, who’s working a summer internship collecting invasive plant species and spending his spare time practicing tenkara, the Japanese art of fly fishing. This time, Doc—who needs a distraction from his ailing grandson—and fishing-and-hunting guide Ray Pradt join in the search, which takes them to a dangerous part of the forest, an area known for a large pack of wolves who have already killed a number of valuable hunting dogs. When the searchers find Liam’s body, again on the Pine River, it’s clear that he too was killed by a rifle shot to the head. Now Lew and her helpers must connect the common place where these two unrelated people met their deaths to a common motive.
Lew’s 14th case, as easily solved as all the others (Dead Insider, 2013, etc.), is notable mainly for its fishing and wolf lore and its loving descriptions of a beautiful area of Wisconsin.
ANY OTHER NAME
Johnson, Craig Viking (336 pp.) $26.95 | May 13, 2014 978-0-670-02646-3
A favor for an old friend puts Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire in a tough spot. Longmire is due to fly to Philadelphia for the birth of his daughter Cady’s first child. But when his friend and former boss Lucian Connally asks for help, he can’t say no. Detective Gerald Holman has committed suicide in a neighboring county whose sheriff is willing to have Longmire investigate at the behest of the widow, who refuses to believe her straight-arrow husband could do such a thing. Since his retirement, Holman had been working on cold cases—some of which aren’t so cold, like the disappearance of a bright young woman who was working as an exotic dancer at Dirty Shirley’s to replenish her college fund. Looking more closely into the case, Longmire finds that several other women have also gone missing from the area. Though they seem to have nothing in common, he has to consider a possible serial killer. Tracking another of the missing women to Deadwood, S.D., almost gets Longmire and his friend Henry, aka the Cheyenne Nation, killed. That’s only Longmire’s first brush with death as he looks for answers that someone is willing to kill to keep hidden. Once more, you can count on Longmire (A Serpent’s Tooth, 2013, etc.) for action both physical and cerebral, a bit of humor and romance, and a mighty good mystery.
BY ITS COVER
Leon, Donna Atlantic Monthly (256 pp.) $26.00 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-8021-2264-3 A rare-book thief is the target in Commissario Guido Brunetti’s 23rd case. Since Venice’s Biblioteca Merula is open to anyone who can provide the proper credentials, it’s been the obvious place for Joseph Nickerson, professor of European history at the University of Kansas, to do his research. But when Nickerson suddenly vanishes after three weeks of daily visits, his credentials turn out to be anything but proper. Nor is he the only thing that’s vanished. Several of the rare books he consulted have gone missing, and pages and illustrative plates have been removed from many others. Dottoressa Patrizia Fabbiani, director of the Merula, can’t imagine how |
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such a thing could have happened under the watchful eyes of library guard Piero Sartor. Even more puzzling is the silence of Aldo Franchini, a regular visitor for three years whom the library staff has dubbed “Tertullian” for his preferred reading about the church fathers. Franchini sat close to Nickerson every day; he can’t have failed to see him remove pages from the precious volumes. Why didn’t he say anything, and what can Brunetti do about it? If you think book theft is no big deal, you’re in good company; neither does Vice-Questore Giuseppe Patta, Brunetti’s invincibly dim superior. Only the offense the thefts may give Contessa Elisabetta Morosini-Albani, the wealthy widow whose donations have financed many of the library’s acquisitions, rouses Patta, not to action, but at least to acquiescence in Brunetti’s investigation, which inevitably leads to revelations of blackmail and murder. Brunetti (The Golden Egg, 2013, etc.) spends less time with both his charming family and his highly variable colleagues than usual; and with the exception of Franchini, the characters remain distantly evoked rather than vividly present. This one really is for readers who love books.
THE HIDDEN CHILD
Läckberg, Camilla Translated by Delargy, Marlaine Pegasus Crime (544 pp.) $25.95 | May 15, 2014 978-1-60598-553-4 Three months ago, Erica Falck asked a collector of Nazi memorabilia about a medal she found among her mother’s effects. Now he’s discovered dead from a blow to the head, and the question of who killed him is only the first of many mysteries. Best-selling Swedish author Läckberg (The Stranger, 2013, etc.) returns with her fourth novel about the crime-solving team of Erica Falck and her husband, detective Patrik Hedström. Their adorable daughter, Maja, has just turned 1, Erica’s ready to return to her work writing novels (though she won’t be going far—just to the upstairs study), and Patrik’s embarking on four months of paternity leave. But Erica can’t concentrate, because Patrik keeps interrupting her with parenting questions and her mother’s diaries tempt her like a siren’s call. Maybe the diaries will explain why her mother was so emotionally distant. They’re filled with stories about her friends back in the 1940s, including Erik, the historian recently found dead; Axel, who joined the resistance during World War II, running dangerous missions; Frans, who grew up to be a politically active neo-Nazi; and Britta, a foolish girl who adored Frans. When Patrik takes Maja out for a walk one afternoon, he stumbles upon his colleagues and joins them in examining the crime scene at Erik’s home. Patrik and Erica are pulled deeply into the developing investigation. Soon the line between good and evil blurs as they delve into the complicated history of Swedish involvement in the war. Meanwhile, Erica’s sister Anna tries to broker peace between her new husband and stepdaughter, and Patrik’s gruff 36
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boss, Mellberg, adopts a dog and takes up salsa dancing. Läckberg deftly layers the dark details of the crime upon the disturbing seeds of its origin. Fans of Nordic noir will appreciate this taut, twisty mystery enriched with historical detail.
DEATH STALKS DOOR COUNTY
Skalka, Patricia Terrace Books/Univ. of Wisconsin Press (254 pp.) $26.95 | $16.95 e-book | May 19, 2014 978-0-299-29940-8 978-0-299-29943-9 e-book
A Chicago ex-cop seeks solace in a Wisconsin forest. Even after the thug who mowed down his wife and daughter has been tried and convicted, Dave Cubiak can’t shake the sadness of his loss. So his partner, Malcolm, jawbones him into a yearlong stint as a ranger in Peninsula State Park, a finger of land jutting into Green Bay. With only surly Otto Johnson and aging housekeeper Ruta Lapkritis for company in Jensen Station, Dave is on his own much of the time. He still broods, and he still drinks too much, but he starts to enjoy the routine and the beauty of the woods. Then a series of deaths shatters the landscape. A young man is found dead at the foot of the park’s observation tower. A teenager is hacked to death with an ax. A local fisherman is blown up on his boat. Two cyclists are slashed by piano wire strung between trees. Otto wants to cancel the annual spring festival that brings waves of tourists into the park. But local businessmen, led by J. Dugan Beck, whose family made a fortune in beer, browbeat Sheriff Halverson into letting the festivities continue. Beck also hires Dave privately to investigate. His sleuthing brings him into close contact with Door County’s leading citizens: coroner Evelyn Bathard and his frail wife, Cornelia; baker Martha Smithson; fiber artist Ruby Schumacher; and her photographer niece, Cate, who might be inclined to offer Dave her own brand of consolation. Can a bigcity cop solve a series of murders whose only witnesses may be the hemlocks? An atmospheric debut with enough twists to tempt puzzle aficionados.
FATAL ENQUIRY
Thomas, Will Minotaur (304 pp.) $25.99 | $15.99 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-1-250-04104-3 978-1-4668-3719-5 e-book A villain from his past almost destroys the life of a Victorian private enquiry agent. Cyrus Barker first made the acquaintance of Sebastian Nightwine when Cyrus was growing up in China. Disguised as Chinese, Cyrus became involved in the Taiping Rebellion back when Nightwine was a British officer with a reputation for butchery. Cyrus is sure Nightwine deliberately got his newly arrived brother killed in battle. Now, Nightwine’s maps of a hidden Tibetan kingdom he can claim for Great Britain have made him the darling of the Foreign Office. He’s already worked his connections to get Cyrus warned off, knowing that when Cyrus hears he’s in London he’ll do everything he can to thwart the scheme. Soon enough, Cyrus and his assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, are on the run, falsely accused of murder, with prices on their heads. Luckily, Cyrus has many friends and bolt-holes he can use while he tries to get proof that Nightwine is behind a conspiracy to bilk the Foreign Office out of large sums of money. But he and Thomas are chivvied from place to place as both Nightwine’s minions and Scotland Yard close in on them. Along the way, Thomas has become enamored of Sofia Ilyanova, Nightwine’s bastard daughter by a Russian countess. She claims to despise her father yet does his bidding, although she does save Thomas’ life after her father savagely beats him. As Nightwine continues to have Cyrus’ friends killed and his house and office broken into, it seems certain that their battle will come down to a face-toface encounter in which the odds are stacked against Cyrus. Cyrus’ sixth (The Black Hand, 2008, etc.) is a page-turner in which a more physically imposing Holmes and a more intellectual Watson dominate a thrilling but less-thanmysterious tale.
GONE AND DONE IT
Toussaint, Maggie Five Star (276 pp.) $25.95 | Apr. 18, 2014 978-1-4328-2813-4
A landscaper uses her psychic powers to solve murders old and new. Baxley Powell is desperate to finish her latest job. Carolina Byrd won’t pay her a cent until Mallow Plantation’s grounds are completely planted, and Baxley needs the money to keep herself and her daughter, Larissa, afloat, since the Army won’t concede that her MIA husband is dead and won’t pay death benefits. So the last thing she wants is to unearth an ancient skeleton right where she’s supposed to plant a weeping cherry tree. The unfortunate
discovery brings her job to a grinding halt as Sheriff Wayne Thompson sends deputies Virg and Ronnie to investigate. Even Bo Seavey, the county’s lecherous coroner, can see that the folks Baxley unearthed died a long time ago. But that news just brings Running Wolf and his wife, Gentle Dove, to the site claiming the remains must be part of a First Nation burial site, so Baxley still can’t get back to work. Since touching the skull triggered visions of a family of white settlers, Baxley knows the remains aren’t Native American—so she sneaks back onto Mallow to try to plant apodocarpus. This time, the body she unearths is much more recent. Her latest find sets off visions of a beautiful young woman named Lisa who sits weeping for her lover, Jay, and the baby born of their illicit affair. Finding the third side to the triangle may help Baxley convince Wayne to hire her as a police consultant. As Baxley moves closer to taking over her father’s role as county dreamwalker, her waking life is threatened by a murderer who’d prefer not to be caught. Toussaint takes a break from her Cleopatra Jones series (Dime if I Know, 2013, etc.) for a brisk plunge into the paranormal.
THE DEATH OF LUCY KYTE
Upson, Nicola Bourbon Street/HarperCollins (368 pp.) $15.99 paper | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-06-219545-6 Three generations of homeowners feel the effects of a violent murder in rural England. Hester Larkspur’s will, leaving Red Barn Cottage, in Polstead, Suffolk, to her goddaughter Josephine Tey, has a strange codicil. If Josephine wants the cottage, she must sort out Hester’s papers, evaluate their worth and let someone named Lucy Kyte take what she most needs from the cottage. No one, not even Hester’s lawyer, knows who or where Lucy is. When Josephine first visits the place, it’s in such sad disrepair that she isn’t sure she’ll get what she needs, either. The cottage was named for the barn where Maria Marten, a willful young Polstead woman, was murdered and buried more than a century ago. In her prime, Hester was a beautiful and popular actress best known for her role in a play based on the murder, and she fueled the legend by writing a diary that’s a fictionalized account of Maria’s tragic life, as recounted by her best friend. While Josephine gets to know both Maria and Hester through the diary and struggles to make Red Barn Cottage more livable for herself and her lover, Marta Fox, she’s increasingly aware that something is amiss. Not only did Hester die while huddled away in a tiny room that fills Josephine with dread, but some restless presence also demands her attention. Marta, like Josephine, an independent and clear-thinking woman of the 1930s, doesn’t dismiss the idea of a ghost in the house. But Josephine begins to suspect that a living person has played an important part in the more recent history of the cottage—and may mean harm to its new owner in this carefully crafted tale of heartbreak and haunting. |
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Upson’s (Two for Sorrow, 2010, etc.) attempt to engage real-life mystery writer Josephine Tey in a murder is not for those who want a quick-moving story. For more patient readers, the contemplative tone and historical detail yield their own rewards, along with a couple of clever surprises.
BAUDELAIRE’S REVENGE
Van Laerhoven, Bob Pegasus Crime (256 pp.) $25.95 | Apr. 15, 2014 978-1-60598-548-0
As the Second Empire wanes, a series of murders baffles a dissolute Parisian police commissioner and his long-suffering factotum. Van Laerhoven packs much complexity into 256 pages, giving this historical mystery the heft of a far longer work—but not the coherence. In 1870, Napoleon III is losing the Franco-Prussian war, Paris is under siege, and aristocrats are girding themselves for yet another revolution. Amid the chaos, police commissioner Paul Lefèvre, whose police work is often derailed by his unbridled lust for courtesans and cocottes, and his dour assistant, Bernard Bouveroux, who still chastely mourns his long-dead wife, are puzzling over a series of grisly murders that have a common element: All the corpses are found with scraps of Charles Baudelaire’s verse. Although the notorious author of Les Fleurs du Mal died in 1867, the poetry appears to be in his handwriting. As the investigation continues, the narration fragments as other characters add their voices to the puzzle. The diminutive Simone Bourbier, aka Poupeye, a charlatan and sometime clairvoyant, lures Lefèvre to her lair with promises of an orgy, from which he emerges dazed and addled as Simone, along with Claire de la Lune, Lefèvre’s favorite lady of the night, vanishes. Simone’s diary reveals that she is actually Baudelaire’s twin sister, born with a deformity that caused the twins’ mother to consign her to a convent. Simone confesses her incestuous affair with Charles, which resulted both in her infection with syphilis and the birth of her daughter—Claire de la Lune. As the revelations pile up—the twins’ guilt-ridden mother makes an appearance, as do scenes from Lefèvre’s and Bouveroux’s military service in Algeria and episodes from Lefèvre’s tormented childhood—the whodunit aspect quickly becomes secondary, since one of the many characters is the obvious culprit. Instead, the book’s main preoccupation is the conclusive demonstration that everyone is guilty of something—the only mystery is, to what degree? The flowers of evil, sketched in lurid botanical detail.
MURDER IN THE TELEPHONE EXCHANGE
Wright, June Dark Passage (331 pp.) $15.95 paper | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-891241-37-6
A best-seller when it was first published in 1948 in Australia: A telephone operator turns sleuth when a colleague is murdered. Maggie Byrnes and her co-workers are not really surprised when someone bashes in Sarah Compton’s head with a piece of equipment known as a buttinsky, because Sarah, widely disliked for her nosy, interfering ways, was something of a buttinsky herself. But it’s still nerve-wracking to know that a murderer is loose in the telephone exchange. The exchange, a hive of activity, quiets down a bit during the night, when the mostly female staff has more time for gossip, jealousy and backbiting. Maggie thinks the police would be very interested in her inside knowledge should she ever decide to share it with them. She and her best friend, Mac, are both romantically interested in supervisor John “Clark” Clarkson. So Maggie’s not sure whether it’s jealousy or Mac’s desire to beat her to the mystery’s solution that suddenly turns their friendship cold. Though Maggie gets surprising latitude from DI Coleman and DS Matheson of the Melbourne police, they both warn her of the dangers of hiding information. Maggie’s sleuthing turns up a great deal of information that people would prefer remain hidden. When a co-worker commits suicide, Maggie feels guilty but can’t give up the hunt. When Mac becomes the next victim, however, Maggie is devastated, especially since what she knows adds her to the killer’s list. A classic English-style mystery with a perky heroine reminiscent of Georgette Heyer’s clever sleuths, packed with detail and menace.
science fiction and fantasy JUPITER WAR
Asher, Neal Night Shade (356 pp.) $15.99 paper | May 6, 2014 978-1-59780-493-6 Final installment in the mediumfuture trilogy (Zero Point, 2013, etc.) featuring an armed struggle between a brutal Earth regime and a single posthuman intelligence.
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“Ignorance is bliss, argues...[this] dark...fable set aboard a... spaceship that holds humanity’s only hope for survival.” from the forever watch
Ruthless dictator Serene Galahad has killed half of Earth’s population with a virus triggered by implants in their brains, an act for which she blames Alan Saul. Saul, a fusion of human and artificial intelligence, has vastly expanded his brain into the electronic systems of Argus Station, currently orbiting near Jupiter. He develops new fast, smart robots capable of linking in teams, accomplishing in hours what would take ordinary humans months or years. He has a warp drive for interstellar travel. The crew of Argus Station is now superfluous to his needs. He wonders if he’s still human. Should he just dump his crew and flee? Yet his sister will die a slow death on Mars unless he rescues her. Serene, he realizes, has her own hardwareequipped, computer-linked “comlifers” that in a few years will grow powerful enough to challenge him. She will eventually develop her own warp drive. And she has three warships nearing completion. Meanwhile, a heavily damaged vessel, having failed to destroy Saul, heads toward Earth, some crew members intent on killing Serene, others hoping to bargain with her over the Gene Bank, the key to rebuilding Earth’s devastated ecology. Violence, of course, is what Asher does best—by presenting a stunning, brutal spectacle and taking his readers right into the middle of it. He expertly ratchets up the narrative tension and excitement with high-tech mayhem and technological razzledazzle. And it’s a genuine pleasure to watch him construct a formidably advanced intelligence and show us its capabilities. A must for fans of the trilogy; newcomers will want to start with Book 1.
once hated and feared. Boris offers philosopher-assassin Kata her heart’s desires—freedom from slavery, a villa by the sea—in order to spy on the seditionist movement. Here, she meets thaumaturgist and revolutionary Maximilian, who plans to learn the ancient secrets hidden in the Great Library of the fabled city Caeli-Enas, once home to godlike beings, now drowned beneath the waves and guarded by monsters. Impressively imagined and densely detailed, then, though an underlying logic never materializes. Long descriptive passages embellish the narrative without vitalizing it. Deliberate plotting and coldly unsympathetic characters do little to lift the gloomy atmosphere. A yarn that’s easy to admire but hard to warm to, although readers who enjoyed the related stories will certainly wish to investigate. (Agent: John Jarrold)
THE FOREVER WATCH
Ramirez, David Dunne/St. Martin’s (337 pp.) $24.99 | $11.99 e-book | Apr. 22, 2014 978-1-250-03381-9 978-1-250-03382-6 e-book Ignorance is bliss, argues Ramirez’s debut novel, a dark sci-fi fable set aboard a multigenerational spaceship that holds humanity’s only hope for survival. The Noah is hundreds of years away from a devastated Earth, and hundreds of years remain before it will reach its destination, the planet Canaan. The crew leads a carefully regulated existence in a simulated city, constructing and powering their society via psychic abilities enhanced by cybernetic Implants. Awakening after Breeding Duty (traditionally spent drugged into unconsciousness), city planning administrator Hana Dempsey struggles to take up the reins of her previously ordered life. Her savior, friend and prospective lover, Inspector Leonard Barrens, further disrupts that order when he asks Hana to employ her hacking skills to discover who hideously dismembered his mentor. Barrens believes the ship’s administration is covering up the existence of a serial killer, but the reality is far worse than that. The couple’s investigation sparks a revolution that threatens their lives, the ship’s mission and everything they’ve ever believed in. Discovering a buried truth is usually a cathartic process in stories of this type; most authors support the idea that the wounds caused by ugly secrets can only be healed through exposure. Ramirez’s intricately and deftly constructed scenario provides a grim, compelling argument for the other point of view: In some cases, he suggests, survival may depend upon the palatable lie. He offers no happy endings but holds out the possibility of a bittersweet hope. Intriguing and powerfully disruptive.
UNWRAPPED SKY
Davidson, Rjurik Tor (432 pp.) $25.99 | Apr. 15, 2014 978-0-7653-2988-2
First novel from the author of the collection The Library of Forgotten Books (2011), which contained several stories in the same setting. Three rival Houses—Technis, Arbor and Marin—dominate the vast, rotting city of Caeli-Amur by means of their scientist-magician thaumaturgists, deadly Furies and other strange creatures warped by the magic or technology they employ. Five years after the Houses fought a ruinous war, they now compete through trade, espionage and murder, employing the services of mercenary philosopherassassins. The mysterious, insectlike, decadent Elo-Talern lurk in the background. But now the downtrodden workers, crippled by neglect, incompetence and misapplied thaumaturgy, plot rebellion. Some believe that if they can understand and reanimate the huge decaying machines found in the city’s lower reaches, or truly understand the principles of thaumaturgy, they can overthrow the Houses; others consider these approaches hopelessly slow or impractical and advocate direct action via strikes, demonstrations and assassinations. Ambitious administrator Boris Autec betrays his former colleagues as he rises through the ranks of Technis, metamorphosing into one of the ruthless bosses he |
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FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE
Tucker, K.A. Atria (400 pp.) $15.00 paper | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-4767-4049-2
WHEN WE MET
Mallery, Susan Harlequin (352 pp.) $8.99 paper | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-373-77865-2 Angel Whittaker and Taryn Crawford are both new to Fool’s Gold, with pasts that have forged them into successful professionals with a shared aversion to serious relationships—a perfect match, until attraction flares into some-
thing more. Angel has come to town to work with Ford Maddox as the senior trainer for his security services company. Meeting Taryn, the brains behind Score, the new PR company settling into town, Angel is fiercely attracted to her, a woman who works with three retired football stars and isn’t intimidated by anything or anyone: “When in doubt, she put on a power suit and killer heels.” Taryn likes a guy who isn’t afraid to make a move, and as the two edge toward a physical relationship, she’s eager to unravel the mystery of the ex-military man who is clearly different from the men she’s used to dating: “His clout didn’t come from a boardroom or the right suit. He carried it in his body. It was part of who he was.” Agreeing to a light, no-strings relationship, the two get to know each other better when Score does some preliminary work for a clothing line that caters to outdoor enthusiasts, something Taryn knows nothing about. Angel agrees to help her navigate sports and camping if she’ll help with a volunteer project he’s been wrangled into by the town’s enigmatic mayor. Of course, working more closely means more emotional risk, and as their circle of mutual friends expands, both Taryn and Angel must navigate feelings they don’t expect— and which may not be altogether welcome. Mallery returns to beloved Fool’s Gold with another new company moving in— clearly the Score football boys are in line for their own books— as the security-company employees wrap up their romantic campaigns. Fans will be delighted with the same strong storytelling and modern-day fairy-tale quality Mallery always brings to this magical town with its mysterious mayor. Happy endings are always the theme in Fool’s Gold, and satisfied romance fans aren’t complaining.
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Tucker returns to Miami in her loosely tied romantic series (One Tiny Lie, 2014, etc.), this time focusing on the saintly owner of Penny’s Place—the city’s most exclusive strip club. After Cain Ford’s troubled youth (his family was murdered; his life as an underground fighter led to deaths), at 29 he operates a swanky strip club as a way of saving desperate women from the sex trade. Or at least a version of the sex trade in which you’re asked to perform more than a lap dance. He also owns an apartment building where many of his dancers live, so he can look after them. But don’t call him a pimp—he uses his street-fighting skills on anyone who does. Into his club walks Charlie Rourke, a 22-year-old blonde beauty. She’s hired as a stripper, but everything Cain sees—and guiltily lusts after—is a deception. The young woman known as Charlie is really an 18-year-old New Yorker sent to Miami by her mob-boss stepfather, Sam, to help him smuggle heroin. When her mother died, Sam showered little Charlie with everything—trips, toys, loving affection; each birthday was special, and he never missed a gymnastics meet. Which is why it’s so hard for Charlie to say no to Sam, but she can’t figure out why a loving father would jeopardize his daughter’s safety (neither can the reader), and she knows she has to escape. That means a new identity, which is expensive, and enough money to hold her over; thus the stripping. Cain is mesmerized by Charlie (there are many references to him adjusting his pants), and soon the two give in to their lust. But Charlie’s cover is slipping, Cain’s buddy is with the DEA, and Sam has hired a new partner who’s threatening Charlie, so it hardly seems the time for romance. Charlie runs away, and the only way she’s coming back is if Sam is gone. Though Tucker’s prose and pacing have a vibrant energy, the plot is simply preposterous.
nonfiction REAGAN AT REYKJAVIK The Weekend that Ended the Cold War
These titles earned the Kirkus Star: FORCING THE SPRING by Jo Becker..................................................43
Adelman, Ken Broadside Books/HarperCollins (384 pp.) $27.99 | May 6, 2014 978-0-06-231019-4
AMERICAN SPRING by Walter R. Borneman................................... 44 ANDRE THE GIANT by Box Brown................................................... 46 A STING IN THE TALE by Dave Goulson............................................55
Effectively focused, vividly adept portraits of two newsmakers at the pinnacles of their relevance on the world stage. Not only was he present at the Reykjavik summit in October 1986, in the role of director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Adelman (Shakespeare in Charge: The Bard’s Guide to Leading and Succeeding on the Business Stage, 1999, etc.) has taught Shakespeare and knows a thing or two about drama, character and leadership. He is convincing in his argument that the Iceland weekend of arms control maneuvering between the two superpower chiefs—Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, who was perched precariously atop the geriatric Soviet dictatorship and desperate to enact reform—had enormous repercussions, namely the beginning of the dismantling of the Soviet state. Indeed, both leaders sorely needed to score a coup during this one-on-one weekend. The gathering was supposed to be low-key, with few advisers, but Gorbachev brought along more than 300 officials and his educated, elegant wife, Raisa. The Soviet leader badly needed to rein in Soviet spending on nuclear armaments to keep up with the West—e.g., countering Reagan’s much vaunted Strategic Defense Initiative—since the Soviet Union, sprawled across satellite minions, was simply broke. Reagan, for his part, emerges in Adelman’s heartfelt yet witty portrait as more in touch than his advisers. However, SDI, or “Star Wars,” proved the sticking point to an agreement between the two mostly willing partners: Gorbachev was terrified of it, Reagan agreed naively to share it, while the truth was that it didn’t even exist. Yet the weekend, involving the warm, open conversing between the two once-icy contingents, would change everyone, “humanize officials” and bring the muchneeded Cold War thaw. More personalities than arms arcana, infused by a deep reverence for his man. (16-page b/w photo insert; 11 illustrations)
SIDEWALKS by Valeria Luiselli...........................................................61 YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL by David McCullough Jr...........................62 ROCK BREAKS SCISSORS by William Poundstone.......................... 66
AMERICAN SPRING Lexington, Concord, and the Road to Revolution
Borneman, Walter R. Little, Brown (480 pp.) $30.00 May 6, 2014 978-0-316-22102-3
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I HEART MY LITTLE A-HOLES A Bunch of Holy-Crap Moments No One Ever Told You About Parenting
As the straightforward title suggests, there is nothing artistically radical or subversive here, just a straightforward account of the development of the United States, from the landing of the Pilgrims through the establishment of the colonies and to the issues of states’ rights and slavery that would split the nation in the Civil War (where Volume 2 will resume the narrative). The decision by children’s and young-adult book author Ashby (Young Charles Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle, 2009) to focus on 20 documents might make the material seem dry, but the panels from Colón (Inner Sanctum: Tales of Horror, Mystery and Suspense, 2011, etc.) highlight how much discussion, debate, argument and even warfare went into each. Ashby also doesn’t limit the focus to the greatest hits—the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution—but shows the importance of less-familiar writings such as Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, “perhaps the most influential publication in American history.” Paine’s more obscure The American Crisis also receives its due. What the narrative makes plain is how much of what citizens take for granted was initially the source of so much controversy. Early on, “most Americans— even the Founding Fathers—still thought of themselves first and foremost as citizens of their home states, not the United States.” Among the colonists, religious freedom and even free speech were contentious issues rather than essential liberties; the decision to declare independence from England was by no means unanimous; and the balance between the state and federal governments remained precarious. The narrative doesn’t sugarcoat history, as it shows how the capitulation on the slavery issue, deemed necessary for these states to be united, made civil war inevitable and how the Indian Removal Act also betrayed the equality that was a founding principle. The cartoon approach helps refresh history and make it come alive. A good primer for students and a refresher course for their parents.
Alpert, Karen Morrow/HarperCollins (304 pp.) $16.99 | Apr. 8, 2014 978-0-06-234162-4
Rants on the messier side of raising children. If your sense of humor is not stimulated by crass, expletivefilled, snarky comments on the bodily functions of babies and toddlers, then do not bother with this book. If, however, you like to be bombarded by frequent expletives, elaborate descriptions of poop and vomit, derogatory comments on parents and children, and find this hilarious, then feel free to romp through the vulgar meanderings Alpert has compiled from her blog on raising her two children. Although she provides a disclaimer that she loves them to pieces, the author complains about just about everything in regard to her kids, albeit in a semiwitty way. For instance, she discusses the stuff you need and don’t need to purchase for that new arrival; taking your two young children to the restroom when “you thought keeping one kid’s hands out of the frigging tampon trash can in the public restroom sucked”; and traveling with two little kids—“now that I have two little rug rats in tow, going to the airport is worse than being waterboarded.” Or dealing with other mothers: “I’m sick of moms trying to make other moms feel like shit….Moms bragging. Moms being all Judgy McJudgy. Moms giving other moms assholey looks.” Since humor is subjective, many readers may, in fact, “laugh until they pee in their pants a little,” while others may find the sarcastic use of the F-word irritating and excessive, the descriptions of messy diapers just plain gross, and the whole series of blog posts and chapter headings—e.g., “Allllllll the ways my body is different (i.e., sucks balls) after carrying two poop machines”; “An open letter to my vajayjay”—off-putting. Definitely not for the faint of heart, Alpert’s zingers will make you either hoot and holler or cringe. Completely over-the-top, scattered, only occasionally funny parenting humor. Pick up Robin O’Bryant or Jill Smokler instead.
STRONGER
Bauman, Jeff with Witter, Bret Grand Central Publishing (250 pp.) $26.00 | Apr. 8, 2014 978-1-4555-8437-6 One man’s account of life before and after the Boston Marathon bombing. While Bauman waited near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, he happened to notice a man in the crowd: “There was something off about him…. He had on a hooded jacket that seemed too heavy, even on a cool day. The thing that really struck me, though, was his demeanor. Everyone was cheering and watching the race….Except this guy….He was all business.” Bauman had just looked into the eyes of Tamerlan Tsarnaev a few seconds before his pressure-cooker bomb exploded, taking Bauman’s legs with it. With the help of Witter (co-author: Until I Say Good-Bye: My Year of Living with Joy, 2013, etc.), Bauman recounts his story of that day and the months that followed as he worked through excruciating pain,
THE GREAT AMERICAN DOCUMENTS Volume 1: 1620-1830
Ashby, Ruth Illus. by Colón, Ernie Hill and Wang/Farrar, Straus and Giroux (160 pp.) $40.00 | $20.00 paper | Apr. 15, 2014 978-0-8090-9460-8 978-0-374-53453-0 paper An illustrated history of the early United States, narrated by Uncle Sam. 42
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“First-rate reporting informs this thrilling narrative of hope.” from forcing the spring
surgeries and rehab. He struggled with anger and depression at what had happened to him and the unexpected and sometimesunwelcome focus of thousands of strangers. By losing his legs but remaining optimistic and upbeat in front of the cameras, he became a symbol of hope, and he adroitly addresses the emotional push and pull of wanting to be strong for others while feeling weak and extremely vulnerable inside. He leaned heavily on new friends and his girlfriend, Erin, a woman he had broken up with a few weeks before the marathon took place. Gritty details of how his life changed after the bombing intermingle with inspiring moments of throwing the first pitch at a Red Sox game or waving the flag before a Bruins hockey game. Although he lost his legs and his life is permanently changed, Bauman refuses to let those circumstances hold him back. A moving demonstration of how strength of mind and character helped one man stand tall despite the loss of his legs.
Court, where we listen to the oral arguments and follow the sometimes-twisted thinking of the justices. First-rate reporting informs this thrilling narrative of hope.
THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF ANIMALS A Guide to Remarkable Behavior Benyus, Janine M. Illus. by Barberis, Juan Carlos Black Dog & Leventhal (512 pp.) $22.95 paper | Apr. 15, 2014 978-1-57912-968-2
Nature writer Benyus (Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, 1997, etc.) defends the value of zoos even though scarcely 10 percent meet the standard for accreditation by the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums.
FORCING THE SPRING Inside the Fight for Marriage Equality
Becker, Jo Penguin Press (480 pp.) $29.95 | Apr. 22, 2014 978-1-59420-444-9
A New York Times reporter delivers a gripping narrative about the recent court battles involving California’s Proposition 8 (which outlawed gay marriage) and the Defense of Marriage Act. In her note at the end, Becker writes that she enjoyed virtually unfettered access to the unlikely legal team that joined the opponents of Bush v. Gore (2000), conservative Ted Olson and liberal David Boies, in their battle against Prop 8 in the federal court system. But Olson and Boies aren’t the only notables. Becker also focuses on strategist Chad Griffin, on Hollywood’s contributions (especially the unrelenting efforts of Rob Reiner), Chuck Cooper (the lawyer for the opposition—he did not give the same access, but he was generous with post-trial interviews) and, of course, the four plaintiffs in the suit. (A California marriage in the final chapter is a genuine tear-jerker.) Although the author pauses occasionally to supply some background and/or history—the Dred Scott case, Brown v. Board of Education—her momentum is resolutely forward, her writing so brisk and urgent that even though we know the outcome, the tension in the courtroom scenes and the intervals of waiting for decisions remain taut, even nerve-wracking. Becker’s access gives us insights into other aspects of the story, as well—the deliberations within the Obama administration, the pro–gay marriage statements of Vice President Biden that seemed to animate the president, and the thinking in the Justice Department. She gives a gripping account of the trial in the U.S. District Court (with some fine analysis of the role of Judge Vaughn Walker, gay himself), some of which she reproduces directly from court records. Becker follows the case from there to the U.S. Court of Appeals and then the Supreme |
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“Though captive breeding is a number one priority at many zoos,” writes the author, “it is not always obvious to the casual visitor.” Zoos also play an important role in educating children about the need to protect and nurture wildlife. Benyus’ aim in this update (the book was originally published in 1998) is to guide young and old visitors in better understanding the behaviors of the animals on view. To this end, she provides snapshots of their behaviors in the wild, organized geographically and by species, and how this translates to the protected environment of a nature park—the proper conception of a well-run zoo. “If you haven’t been to a zoo in several years, you’re in for a wild surprise….[t]hey’ve sprung the cages and turned the animals loose in startling simulations of their home habitats,” she writes. In a properly administered zoo, solitary animals no longer exhibit stereotypical behavior. “Besides being more at home, the animals are also in better company,” writes Benyus. “No longer the lone representative of their species, they now romp in herds and pods, troops and bevies.” From African gorillas and lions to peacocks, North American wolves and eagles, Arctic polar bears and whales, the author covers the typical behaviors of different species, their feeding, locomotion, grooming, vocalizations, gestures and courtship rituals, social organization and raising of young. Most of us will never go on a safari, but with Benyus’ guidance, supplemented with more than 200 charming illustrations, a visit to the zoo can be educational and provide thrills galore—and we can play an important role by observing that the animals are being properly treated.
Salameh in a highly secret visit to the United States and even meeting Arafat. Keeping “back channels” open during the Iran hostage crisis occupied years of Ames’ career, all while he maintained contact with Zein after the Mossad’s assassination of Salameh in 1979. Moving from CIA operations to intelligence under William Casey, Ames was appalled by Secretary of State Alexander Haig’s tacit support for Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and worked “desperately to unchain Washington from its rote support of Israeli behavior.” He would be sacrificed in the conflagration, one of numerous victims of the terrorist truck bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut on April 18, 1983. A low-key, respectful life of a decent American officer whose quietly significant work helped lead to the Oslo Accords.
AMERICAN SPRING Lexington, Concord, and the Road to Revolution
Borneman, Walter R. Little, Brown (480 pp.) $30.00 | $14.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-0-316-22102-3 978-0-316-22101-6 e-book An extremely detailed, opinionated account of events in 1775 Massachusetts ending (despite the title) two months after the famous skirmishes in the June Battle of Bunker Hill. By that spring, American colonists had spent the previous 10 years fending off Britain’s attempts to recover the ruinous costs of the French and Indian War, writes popular historian Borneman (The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King—The Five-Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea, 2012, etc.). The author accepts their time-honored protest against taxation without representation but admits that Americans paid less in taxes than Britons and had benefited greatly from the recent victory. Ironically, 150 years of Britain’s benign neglect had resulted in 13 largely self-governing colonies that were disinclined to change. The most appealing figure is, oddly, British Gen. Thomas Gage (1720-1787), a longtime resident in America, who understood better than London officials how bad matters were. Pugnacious colonial militias were drilling and accumulating arms, and Boston mobs were assaulting loyalists and trashing their homes. Gage’s restraint exasperated superiors in London, who, in April 1775, sent a blunt order to take action. The result was an expedition that marched all night to seize arms at Concord but stumbled on a band of armed militia in Lexington. Taking advantage of massive documentation, Borneman delivers a gripping, almost moment-by-moment account of the nasty exchanges and bloody retreat of British troops followed by hundreds and then thousands of militia who camped around Boston and laid siege. Fed up with Gage, Britain dispatched three generals, William Howe, John Burgoyne and Henry Clinton, who launched their career-ruining missions in North America by overseeing the debacle at Bunker Hill.
THE GOOD SPY The Life and Death of Robert Ames Bird, Kai Crown (432 pp.) $26.00 | May 20, 2014 978-0-307-88975-1
A poignant tribute to a CIA Middle East operative who helped get the Palestinians and Israelis to talk to each other— and died for it. Accomplished, wide-ranging author Bird (Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956-1978, 2010, etc.) has great sympathy for Philadelphia native Robert Ames (1934-1983), who came of age in the late 1950s, became a CIA agent and worked efficiently in building trust between Palestinians and Americans. In the late ’60s, the CIA, headed by Richard Helms, worked with Henry Kissinger’s National Security Council and President Richard Nixon in managing the tense situation in the Middle East, where Jordan was on the brink of civil war, squeezed by Yasser Arafat’s PLO and Israel. Through his friendship with pro-American Lebanese businessman Mustafa Zein, Ames cultivated a long-running relationship with PLO operative Ali Hassan Salameh, “the Red Prince,” which helped bolster the legitimacy of the PLO. Promoted to chief of covert operations in most of Arabia, Ames took huge risks by bringing 44
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Although Kevin Phillips (1775) and Nathaniel Philbrick (Bunker Hill) have recently trod the same ground, Borneman adds a first-rate contribution. (8 pages of b/w photos; 10 maps)
Europe, maps first appeared on Spanish cave walls 14,000 years ago. Today, “mankind has essentially solved the problem of location” due to a remarkable spate of navigational innovation in the 20th century, much of it prompted by the demands of the two world wars. Beginning in ancient times with the great cartographer Ptolemy, Bray recounts the story of mapping and navigational systems through the work of an array of inventors, engineers and entrepreneurs. In the 16th century, mapmaker Gerhard Mercator made it possible to plot an accurate course at sea. In the early 20th century, inventor Elmer Sperry created gyroscopes to steer aircraft and cruise missiles. In the 1990s, Stephen Poizner perfected the phone-based GPS technology that turned smartphones into portable navigators. Indeed, GPS, born in the Cold War, “has indelibly altered the way we live and work and travel.” Bray also describes the development of WiFi navigation; the eye-level, street-by-street views of Google Maps; and the Google Earth images, which allow us to see our own homes as well as the Parthenon and the Grand Canyon. The author provides fascinating stories on the use of these technologies, from the mapping of North Korea by amateur
YOU ARE HERE From the Compass to GPS, the History and Future of How We Find Ourselves Bray, Hiawatha Basic (288 pp.) $27.99 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-465-03285-3
A history of the navigational tools that tell us where we are. In his debut, Boston Globe technology reporter Bray notes that for most of human history, we lacked maps and navigational tools. Early sailors relied on the wind and waves to get their bearings. In
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“An achievement that merits a wider readership than just wrestling fans, deserving recognition for the quality of its graphic art.” from andre the giant
BUT ENOUGH ABOUT YOU Essays
cartographers to the “crisis mapping” that redraws the maps of a country in the wake of a disaster. Bray calls for limits on government use of advanced location techniques to track citizens, noting that police departments now “keep tabs on us with almost Orwellian diligence.” It takes just three months’ worth of location data for a researcher to predict a person’s next move with accuracy. Bright, well-written and highly informative.
Buckley, Christopher Simon & Schuster (448 pp.) $27.50 | May 6, 2014 978-1-4767-4951-8
Buckley (They Eat Puppies, Don’t They?, 2012, etc.) offers stylishness and nimble wordplay in this latest collection of (generally) lightweight ruminations on contemporary culture and its foibles. The author caroms from personal history and travel to criticism and politics, wielding a sense of humor that pirouettes from gentle to sardonic. His subjects sometimes seem too trivial to merit inclusion, and his takes on these absurdities are amusing but instantly forgettable. Yet such is the nature of the beast; most of these brief, previously published magazine essays never were intended to be more than mildly diverting, and a blithe tenor is arguably the right approach in skewering some of the more outlandish affronts. At the other end of the spectrum, seeming almost out of place in this volume, is his stark chronicle of touring Auschwitz. The strongest chapter of the book is “Farewells,” featuring Buckley’s posthumous remembrances of such longtime friends as Joseph Heller and Christopher Hitchens, not to mention his father William F. Buckley’s celebrated nemesis, Gore Vidal. These pieces are especially revealing, often touching, and find Buckley dispensing with his breezy tone for a timbre that is much more sober. Particularly poignant is his piece on Hitchens, a man he revered. Given their due in the “Criticism” section, among others, are Graham Greene, P.G. Wodehouse and Ray Bradbury. Buckley’s outstanding introduction to The Stories of Ray Bradbury (2010) is a richly deserved paean to one of the most influential writers of the late 20th century. Though a clear and self-deprecating writer, Buckley sometimes wears his erudition on his sleeve, echoing his late father’s penchant for extravagant polysyllabic effusions—e.g., “chrestomathies,” “diapasons,” “froideurs” and “vernissages.” Secure a dictionary. Prone to benign mischief, a literary twinkle in the eye, Buckley nails his targets more often than not yet likewise has fun with unexpected asides, like the “excruciatingly chaste” plays of the otherwise notorious Marquis de Sade.
ANDRE THE GIANT Life and Legend
Brown, Box Illus. by Brown, Box First Second (240 pp.) $17.99 paper | May 6, 2014 978-1-59643-851-4 A labor-of-love tribute, exquisitely rendered, to the larger-than-life wrestling giant. Artist Brown combines his passion for pro wrestling with the clarity of his drawings in a biography that never sentimentalizes its subject nor reduces his life to a rote series of facts. Despite his meticulous research, he admits that in the fantasyland of professional wrestling, it can be tough to separate tall tales from the truth, and he recognizes that for the sake of the narrative, he must rely on his creative imagination. Though he has a source for his anecdote about a boyhood encounter between Andre Roussimoff (1946-1993) and literary visionary Samuel Beckett, who offered the youngster a cigarette but warned that they “stunt your growth,” readers might likely conclude that whether or not it happened, it should have. Much of the rest is easier to document—his interview with David Letterman, his phenomenal wrestling career, his relationship with Hulk Hogan, his acting in The Princess Bride (both Billy Crystal and Mandy Patinkin make cameo appearances here), and his prodigious appetites for food, drink and sex. For all of Andre’s international success and acclaim, as Hogan says, “I heard people say horrible things and make fun of him. He lived in a cruel world….He was a gracious person with a kind heart.” He was also someone whose freakish size (almost 7 1/2 feet tall and 600 pounds) had him living under a death sentence, causing premature aging and countless medical problems, making it impossible to find beds that fit him and difficult to squeeze into bathrooms. Both the narrative and the drawing resist the clutter of unnecessary detail, rendering the life and legend of a complex man with creative precision. An achievement that merits a wider readership than just wrestling fans, deserving recognition for the quality of its graphic art.
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SHOOTING STARS My Life as a Paparazza
(she died in 2002) but no less important. Caldwell takes the death of her friend, lost to cancer, as one of three leaping-off points. She also deals with the deaths of both her mother and her dog, and while these three losses happen in a 10-year span, they comprise a loss of nearly all the closest companions she has known. “One of the things you miss after someone dies is the shared fact of you. The we of me,” she writes: “The existential anchor,” and as we know, without an anchor, there is drift. The author’s drift is our gain, though, as she ably explores the shifts of our hearts as we grieve. Her body underwent shifts as well; a case of polio from early childhood reared up again, leaving her barely ambulatory. While the heart’s ailments took longer to heal, at least in Caldwell’s case, science could assist the body. A common surgery, it turned out, could return her to full mobility; when it did, she experienced a renewed vigor in easing the emotional pain. She adopted a dog, wondering if she had waited long enough after her last dog passed away. As she explores the elastic boundaries of the heart in giving and taking new beings into our lives, she discusses her reconnection with the community around her.
Buhl, Jennifer Sourcebooks (352 pp.) $14.99 paper | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-4022-9700-7
The curious story of an unlikely celebrity chaser. When first-time author Buhl pursued an easy (and sleazy) money job as a paparazzo, she quickly grew to love the challenge of getting “the shot,” explaining that it’s “like we’re in some hideously exhilarating Bourne chase but with real people—famous ones—real payoffs and limited risk of death.” She notes that celebrity-magazine editors want photos of beautiful people doing beautiful things but also everyday things—jogging, getting coffee, entering and leaving the gym (preferably sweaty), or shopping. Buhl’s advice to celebrities who don’t want to be stalked or photographed and live in Beverly Hills or West Hollywood is straightforward: “Do not eat, hang, shop, go to the doctor, drive, live, or basically be in [the city]….Ninety percent of paps hang out in this two-mile radius of town.” The few places celebs have privacy rights are inside their homes, their backyards (but not their front) and in bathrooms. Buhl has felt conflicted about her paparazzo status and eventually broke the cardinal rule (“Do not need or desire to be liked by these people”) when she pursued her crush, actor Adrien Grenier. During a standoff with Cameron Diaz, she imagined herself telling the actress, “I have an MBA, Cameron. I’m smart. I’m not like them. I’m one of you. You’d like me.” The author revels in the absurdity and hazards of her chosen profession, but her colorless language and voice rob readers of the adrenaline rush. Eventually, the narrative hits a wall when she intersperses her increasingly mundane celebrity-chasing accounts with the story of her efforts to have a family. (Even the ongoing will-she-orwon’t-she with Grenier grows tiresome.) Perhaps entertaining to the celebrity-obsessed, who will learn that, unlike what the tabloids would have them believe, stars are not “just like us.”
NEW LIFE, NO INSTRUCTIONS A Memoir Caldwell, Gail Random House (176 pp.) $22.00 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-4000-6954-5
Making the most of a new lease on life. Caldwell (Let’s Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship, 2010, etc.) has had a writing career intertwined with the writer Caroline Knapp (Drinking: A Love Story, 1997, etc.), as the two friends supported each other through challenges big and small. They’ve played roles in each other’s memoirs; this time, Knapp’s role is posthumous |
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BELOVED STRANGERS A Memoir
Readers will enjoy Caldwell’s thoughtful, wide-eyed view of the world around her and her musings on how we get our bearings in midlife.
Chaudhuri, Maria Bloomsbury (208 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-62040-622-9
SERIOUSLY NOT ALL RIGHT Five Wars in Ten Years
An essayist writes about how she tried to flee an oppressive home life only to find herself face to face with the demons she thought she had left behind. Piety reigned supreme in Chaudhuri’s childhood home. Joy “was like a glimmer of sunshine that slip[ped] in through the cracks…but never quite settle[d],” and shame lurked in every corner. The author struggled to reconcile her family’s faith with her own emerging beliefs and desires. She learned about sexuality covertly, through the pornographic pictures a neighbor boy showed her and the furtive caresses she exchanged with a servant girl—and later, adolescent males equally hungry for sensual experience. At the same time, Chaudhuri bore witness to the soul-crushing frustrations of her parents. A promising singer, her mother found her dreams thwarted by marriage and teachers bent on breaking her spirit. Her father, a one-time top executive, fell from grace and never again regained his former professional status. Eager to step out of the shadows that religion, her parents’ failures and demands for academic perfection cast upon her, Chaudhuri applied to college in the United States. When she left Bangladesh to attend university in Massachusetts, she vowed never to “get attached to the idea of home,” as had her parents, opting instead for the freedom of a life that would “constantly keep her on the move.” She fell in love with Yameen, a fellow Muslim expatriate born in Tanzania. Rather than find comfort in each other and their mutual alienation, both descended into an isolated world defined by half-truths, infidelity, alcohol and abuse. An affair with a deeply religious American man broke the hold both Yameen and the past had over Chaudhuri. Relieved of the twin burdens of shame and grief, she learned to let go of selfpunishing behaviors and embrace imperfection—in herself, her parents and her own tangled history—with love. Lyrical and heartfelt.
Capps, Ron Schaffner Press (278 pp.) $25.00 | May 1, 2014 978-1-936182-58-9
As a foreign service officer and soldier, Capps discovered firsthand the psychological and emotional tolls of wartime. The author, who is the founder and director of the Veterans Writing Project, begins his memoir with an account of the time he nearly committed suicide. Capps joined the military as a careerist back in the mid-1980s, though he was sharp enough to take and pass the foreign service exam, and he traveled to many global flashpoints during his career. The author writes in a fairly straightforward style—in Kabul, the “old market is...just as much a warren of alleys as it was five hundred years ago. It was a great place to take the temperature of the city—to walk around and get a feel for how safe things felt or what people were talking about”—but the narrative is thick with portent. Capps has seemingly seen it all, including Rwanda when the Hutus and Tutsis were slaughtering each other and battlegrounds in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. The horrors of what he has witnessed, and his inability to right just one of the overturned carts, have followed him to bed at night—to call them nightmares would be to diminish their stark terror—and inflicted him with shakes, panic attacks and severe depression, as well as a horrible fear: “[T]he thing that really scares me and sends me running for help—is that I am not in control of my mind.” Eventually, to combat his raging PTSD, Capps sought both psychiatric and pharmacological help, and he is now glad to no longer be a participant in the suffering of war. “There will always be wars and there will always be dead guys,” he writes in closing. “But someone else is out there now. Godspeed to them. I’ve done my share. I’m going home.” A mostly even-keeled soldier’s memoir that occasionally throws sparks.
JAMES MADISON A Life Reconsidered Cheney, Lynne Viking (576 pp.) $36.00 | May 6, 2014 978-0-670-02519-0
A Founding Father gets a respectful reappraisal. Author and former second lady Cheney (We the People: The Story of Our Constitution, 2008, etc.) puts another feather in her patriotic hat with this life of James Madison (1751-1836), fourth president, forger of the Constitution and friend of Thomas Jefferson. 48
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While he never studied the law or pursued the military, mostly due to his ill health, which was perceived then as epilepsy, Madison was a doer, translating his passionate defense of the Baptists’ right to worship in Virginia into activism in the patriotic cause of the Virginia Convention. Working with Jefferson in fashioning the Virginia constitution, Madison was drafting the blueprint that would become the U.S. Constitution, including the important early tenet for religious liberty. A diligent member of the Continental Congress, he, along with Alexander Hamilton, proposed a states’ revenue to pay the new country’s debts and promoted Jefferson as peace negotiator in Paris. Drawing from his deep readings in Enlightenment philosophers, Madison was taking notes during every moment in the Philadelphia debates concerning the overhaul of the Articles of the Confederation, as the delegates wrangled over every aspect of the legislative, executive and judiciary branches. He suspected that the approved Constitution failed to rein in the “unwise and wicked proceedings” of the states. The threat of New York’s failure to ratify prompted Madison, Hamilton and John Jay to anonymously pen the Federalist Papers. Madison’s most famous was Federalist 10, which warned of “factions” in causing government failure. Beating James Monroe for
representative to the First Congress from Virginia, Madison helped George Washington revise his inaugural address, and he shaped the Bill of Rights. As president, he weathered the British storm of 1812 and kept the union intact. Cheney duly covers her subject’s life in a thorough yet somewhat bland narrative. A proficiently argued account for Madison’s greatness, but it lacks the political thrusts of Garry Wills, Richard Brookhiser and other historians.
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“Fascinating insight—though much must be read between the lines—into how the nation’s data-mining apparatus works—and how it’s supposed to work.” from the nsa report
EATING WILDLY Foraging for Life, Love and the Perfect Meal
Headed by Clarke, of weapons of mass destruction renown, the president’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies allows that the National Security Agency is tasked, first and foremost, with protecting the country from harm at foreign hands—or, in ominous officialese, “protecting the homeland.” Given that our terrorist enemies, to say nothing of states such as China and Russia, have ample cyber assets, the key is to use technology to analyze signals intelligence while keeping the NSA’s eyes on the bad guys instead of the rest of us. Instead, by this report’s account—to say nothing of the preceding revelations by whistle-blower Edward Snowden—the NSA’s approach has been to drink the water from the fire hose, without regard for privacy rights. Early on in the report, therefore, the PRG recommends, “[a]ny program involving government collection or storage of such data must be narrowly tailored to serve an important government interest.” So who determines what’s important? Presumably the president, although the head of the NSA surely has an important voice in the matter—leading to another recommendation: that the NSA be headed by a military officer. The final recommendation among this set of nearly four dozen is rather pale, recommending the use of cost-benefit analysis and other tools to find out what’s working, which leads one to wonder what the folks at Fort Meade are using instead. Fascinating insight—though much must be read between the lines—into how the nation’s data-mining apparatus works—and how it’s supposed to work. (4 line illustrations; 2 tables)
Chin, Ava Simon & Schuster (256 pp.) $25.00 | May 13, 2014 978-1-4516-5619-0
A professor and journalist’s engaging account of how being an urban forager in New York City led her to unexpected personal enlightenment. As a child growing up in 1970s Queens, New York Times “Wild Edibles” columnist Chin (Creative Nonfiction/CUNY; Split: Stories from a Generation Raised on Divorce, 2002) loved nothing better than to root around in the soil near her single mother’s apartment or savor the delicious foods her Chinese-born grandfather prepared in his kitchen. Yet the “lessons on life” she learned came from neither her mother nor her grandfather. Instead, they came from a feisty, loving grandmother who helped Chin weather painful emotional storms that resulted from rocky parental and romantic relationships. By the time Chin reached her late 30s, she turned her early love of digging in the dirt into a serious interest in urban foraging. The deeper she ventured into her interests, however, the more her grandmother’s health, and the author’s personal life, began to decline. Faced with the loss of the woman who had taken “the place of mother in [her] heart” and the possibility of permanent singledom, Chin began reflecting on her life and the people in it. She and her often self-absorbed mother “acted as if…there was never enough time or love or money to go around to sustain us.” Yet the natural world was a place of abundance where all things were possible, and while life was a series of stages that eventually culminated in death, to appreciate it meant seeing all things as attempts to cope with the at-times hostile “wilderness of the city.” As she hunted the urban wilds of NYC for motherwort, mulberries and mushrooms, Chin not only cultivated acceptance, but also discovered an even more tantalizing prize: love. Interspersed throughout with delicious urban forager recipes, Chin’s book delights as it informs and inspires. A delectable feast of the heart.
THE ARTIST’S LIBRARY A Field Guide
Damon-Moore, Laura; Batykefer, Erinn Coffee House (220 pp.) $23.95 | May 13, 2014 978-1-56689-353-4 978-1-56689-363-3 e-book
Librarians Damon-Moore and Batykefer show how libraries are more than just places to shelve books. Founders of the Library as Incubator Project in Madison, Wis., the authors conceive the library as “a one-stop shop—a place where a broad variety of creative lifelong learners, artists of all kinds, and librarians could gather to share ideas about programs that support hands-on creativity.” The Incubator Project believes that “a library isn’t just about things—like books, databases, magazines, and free tax forms— it’s about people.” Their ideal library would welcome knitters, crafters, musicians, filmmakers and photographers, as well as readers, all of whom would be nurtured by the special ambience. Interviews with poets, teachers, actors, researchers and artists working in a variety of media are followed by exercises that encourage readers to think imaginatively: “The library is alive, and you are listening to its heartbeat. Record your ideas in a notebook.” Mostly, Damon-Moore and Batykefer focus on public libraries geared to general-interest readers, but their project
THE NSA REPORT Liberty and Security in a Changing World
Clarke, Richard A.; Michael J. Morell; Stone, Geoffrey R.; Sunstein, Cass R.; Swire, Peter Princeton Univ. (320 pp.) $16.95 paper | Apr. 20, 2014 978-0-691-16320-8 Does keeping America free from harm in the post-9/11 world require that Americans surrender their Fourth Amendment rights? The country’s security apparatus behaves as if the answer is yes—the subject of this official report to President Barack Obama. 50
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Read up, then—and keep the shotgun primed and the mason jars clean.
is applicable to specialized and university libraries, as well. One artist, working at the National Library of Australia, Canberra, finds historical artifacts there that she interprets in her drawings. Recently, for example, she discovered 18th-century medallions commemorating the voyage of Capt. James Cook. “I am interested in how events and ideas of the past have influenced and persist within current cultural preoccupations,” she says. Another artist decided to illustrate every page of Finnegan’s Wake, a book, he decided, “that would really benefit from illumination.” Besides inspiring particular artists, libraries can serve as showcases for the arts: mounting exhibitions, hosting readings and book signings, staging performances and concerts, and providing a communal space for artists to work collaboratively. This quirky and imaginative book celebrates individuals’ potential for creativity and libraries as vital and vibrant community resources.
FRIDAY WAS THE BOMB Five Years in the Middle East
Deuel, Nathan Dzanc (160 pp.) $14.95 paper | May 13, 2014 978-1-938604-90-4
These essays can stand alone, but they cohere as a slim memoir of a young American family’s years of danger in the Middle East. There have been plenty of better memoirs from war correspondents, but what distinguishes this is its perspective from the sidelines—specifically, the gender reversal, underscored often, as Los Angeles Review of Books contributor Deuel is the husband of Kelly McEvers, NPR’s Baghdad bureau chief through much of the narrative. This job often caused her to be separated from the author and their young daughter. Both journalists like living on the edge, flirting (or more) with danger, asking the existential question, “What’s the point of being safe if you don’t feel fully alive?” One point might be the addition of their daughter, who added a complication, as “the swashbuckling couple who had never shied away from doing anything insane…were about to bring a new baby into this world.” And the world into which she was born was one of car bombs, shooting in the streets, internal and external warfare, and temperatures that could exceed 120 degrees. Amid the death and carnage, the daughter whom Deuel loves was somehow a threat to his masculinity: “Among other problems, it was difficult to be a man, changing diapers, while Kelly swashbuckled her way across Mesopotamia….For Kelly, the Middle East was the big leagues. For me, it was a place to find a good doctor and maybe some daycare. Alone on a Friday night, I’d pour myself another glass and wonder: What could I do? One thing I couldn’t ever do in good taste was complain too much. After all, actual Iraqis had it much worse than I did.” The question, then, is how much complaining is too much? The author’s honesty and his self-absorption are two sides of the coin.
THE KNOWLEDGE How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch
Dartnell, Lewis Penguin Press (336 pp.) $27.95 | Apr. 21, 2014 978-1-59420-523-1
A survival manual for the zombie apocalypse, the plague or whatever else will bring us down and require a reboot of civilization. First worlders take that civilization and its comforts for granted. But imagine what would happen if, say, an asteroid hit the Earth or someone unwisely set off a nuclear bomb that triggered others around the world. Who would make the glass? Who would film the real-world episodes of Survivor? Enter young British scientist Dartnell, a U.K. Space Agency research fellow. Positing a near-future world that’s as bleak as any Alan Weisman or Elizabeth Kolbert has imagined, Dartnell figures that we—or, at any rate, the much-diminished population of survivors—won’t have much time to get our acts together. The food in the supermarket is going to last for only so long before spoilage and marauding rats have their ways with it, fresh water will not be widely available, and as for electricity, well, there won’t be any. Reckoning that a tabula rasa might not be such a bad idea in some ways, Dartnell offers field notes, sometimes cursory but all pointing the way to further research, to help contend with the world to come. His goal is “for the post-apocalyptic survivors to learn how to create things for themselves, rather than scavenging from the carcass of our dead society.” That’s easier said than done, of course, as the author allows while surveying the industrial-scientific base that has made such things as nitrogen fixing and Twinkies possible, to say nothing of surgery. Considering the scenarios here, you might not want to be a survivor. However, Dartnell does a good job of appreciating, while there’s still time, the world of “bountiful and varied food, spectacularly effective medicines, effortless and comfortable travel, and abundant energy.” |
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“...his father’s story and his own outshine the large-picture history and bring it up-close and personal, with humor, sensitivity and a keen eye for the surprising detail.” from the last pirate
SIMPLY RICH Life and Lessons from the Cofounder of Amway: A Memoir
If you smoked marijuana on the East Coast after President Richard Nixon declared war on drugs in 1972, chances are “Big Tony” Dokoupil had a hand in getting it to you. Highly intelligent and entrepreneurial, the senior Dokoupil was a college dropout and recovering junkie when he discovered that dealing pot was a highly effective way to earn lots of money quickly. Within a few years, from bases in Miami and the Caribbean, he was helping to smuggle hundreds of thousands of kilos of Colombian Gold all the way north to New England and as far west as Colorado, until a cocaine habit he developed clouded his judgment and sent his life and career into a tailspin in the mid-1980s. Once a self-described “Pirate King” at the apex of Miami’s drug scene, by the early ’90s, Big Tony was a paranoid wreck, sleeping under bridges, assumed to be dead by his former friends and family, trying to remember where his buried treasure went and waiting for the Drug Enforcement Agency’s ax to fall. Though Big Tony was more an idea than a steady presence in his life, Dokoupil the younger, now a father himself, struggled with an intense ambivalence about his dad. A bit of a delinquent himself in high school, Little Tony was saved, mostly, by a talent for baseball that earned him a college scholarship, but he remained haunted by the ghost of his father in his genes. “I’ve tried to write a broad chronicle of marijuana-smoking, drug-taking America rather than a closed circle of family woe,” he writes. While the author does show how the drug culture has grown up and settled down, his father’s story and his own outshine the large-picture history and bring it up-close and personal, with humor, sensitivity and a keen eye for the surprising detail.
DeVos, Rich Howard Books/Simon & Schuster (320 pp.) $25.00 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-4767-5177-1
Business wisdom from a seasoned professional who built a billion-dollar company from the ground up. As co-founder of Amway, a leading global health and homecare product retailer, DeVos (Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People, 2008) discusses his life, his business and the overarching faith that makes his model of compassionate capitalism possible. Raised by Dutch parents during the Great Depression, the author became fascinated and eventually motivated by his grandfather’s “gift for the art of selling,” and he sold organic fruits and vegetables door to door throughout southeast Michigan. Spending his after-class hours washing cars and delivering newspapers, DeVos discovered he wasn’t the only one with an entrepreneurial spirit. He struck up a friendship with classmate Jay Van Andel, a boy who offered to drive him to school for 25 cents per week. Their friendship and business partnership would last a lifetime (Andel died in 2004), through a two-year enlistment in the Air Force during World War II and onward toward a partnership in numerous ventures like a drivein hamburger stand. Yet nothing was as lucrative as peddling the dietary panacea Nutrilite, an idea that would expand itself into the American Way Association, whose meager beginnings consisted of a basement warehouse and the hopeful appeal of an organic cleansing product. Growth, expansion, a smart reinvestment strategy and lessons like taking “rejection and any negativity in stride” developed Amway into a household name and a well-respected family business. The author further shares his experiences of the purchase of the NBA’s Orlando Magic and a wide array of philanthropic ventures. DeVos isn’t too modest to sell future entrepreneurs on the benefits of his winning—if old-school—combination of conservative values, Christian faith, positivity and hard work. Amway’s legion of employees will reap the most benefits from this prideful, well-intentioned memoir.
CONFESSIONS OF THE WORLD’S BEST FATHER
Engledow, David Photos by Engledow, David Gotham Books (176 pp.) $18.00 paper | May 6, 2014 978-1-59240-889-4
A humorous, photo-heavy look at fatherhood. Although Engledow is currently employed by an affiliation of the AFL-CIO, he received a degree in photojournalism, which he puts to fine use here, along with a zonked sense of humor. Each two-page spread comes with a wickedly sharp photo on the right—a sly mix of the I Spy books, Norman Rockwell, William Wegman and Thomas the Tank Engine, all in a tender, faux dangerous setting—while on the left side, Engledow explains his fathering philosophy, which ranges between oblivious and demented. The author is often busy partying with his charge— his wife is often away as a result of her military work—or finding ways for her to do the work or for him not to do the work—e.g., “by simply adding a new diaper on top of the old one each morning, I had managed to keep my hands poop-free for days.” He also recounts his excitement to find some milk in the back of the refrigerator when the coffee creamer ran out—“it was a bit sweeter and thicker than our regular milk, but my coffee was
THE LAST PIRATE A Father, His Son, and the Golden Age of Marijuana Dokoupil, Tony Doubleday (272 pp.) $26.95 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-385-53346-1
Looking to cast light on a lost age of outlaw heroics, NBC News senior writer Dokoupil digs into the adventures of a major drug smuggler of the 1970s and ’80s: his father. 52
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THE ARK BEFORE NOAH Decoding the Story of the Flood
amazing.” A few months later, he was a convert—“those special bottles of milk Jen leaves for Alice Bee have totally replaced the creamer I normally use.” Throughout, Engledow plays the role of a facilitator: When Alice Bee showed an interest in fire, he introduced her to lighter fluid; the delicate cycle is just the right amount of agitation to get kids clean. There are downsides, of course—“Playdates suck”—but the upside is that Alice Bee can fit inside the pumpkin to clean all the slimy stuff out. A goofy and heart-gladdening tribute to all the joys and slings and arrows of raising a daughter.
Finkel, Irving Talese/Doubleday (432 pp.) $30.00 | Mar. 25, 2014 978-0-385-53711-7
The ubiquitous tale of the Great Flood was not new to the writers of Genesis. Finkel, the assistant keeper of ancient Mesopotamian script, languages and culture at the British Museum, offers some fresh particulars about the source of the biblical story. It all goes back to Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq, and the local Sumerian and Akkadian languages recorded in the wedge-shaped cuneiform inscriptions in which the learned author is an expert. Surviving in clay tablets, the story of the calamitous inundation was recounted in epics—e.g., Gilgamesh—eons before Noah. It is likely, Finkel asserts, to have been known to Jewish writers during the Babylonian exile and used in the compilation of the Hebrew Bible. Only recently, the author deciphered a previously unread tablet that turned out to be instructions for building a vessel that would ride out the worldwide flood. His line-by-line exegesis, recounted in professional glee, reveals a huge circular craft—a “coracle,” or basketlike boat, that was still seen during that time in Mesopotamia. The ark, made up of reeds and sticks and waterproofed inside and out with pitch, would have covered about an acre. Finkel’s fresh findings offer much architectural detail about how such a lifesaving craft would be constructed. Self-described “wedge reader” Finkel is a scholarly and often witty guide to the antediluvian civilization and our shared lineage. Some readers may find the great detail so dear to the author’s heart a bit dry, but Finkel’s happy primer on historic Mesopotamia is, on the whole, wonderfully rewarding. Under the tutelage of a clever scholar, a cuneiform tablet brings to life an ancient world and the genesis of a great biblical story.
A LITERARY EDUCATION AND OTHER ESSAYS
Epstein, Joseph Axios Press (520 pp.) $24.00 | Jun. 1, 2014 978-1-60419-078-6
A curmudgeonly cultural critic collects a potpourri of his pieces from the past 30 years, most from Commentary and the Weekly Standard. Prolific essayist, biographer and novelist Epstein (Essays in Biography, 2012, etc.) never leaves readers wondering about much. He delivers fierce punches to the guts of all sorts here: writers he doesn’t care for (Updike, Mailer, Morrison, Vidal, Roth, Rich—both Frank and Adrienne), practices he abhors in higher education (the death of the liberal arts, emphases on feminism and Marxism and various other -isms in the literature curriculum), publications he doesn’t like (the New York Review of Books, the New Yorker, the New York Times Book Review), child-rearing practices he disdains (contained in a wild essay called “The Kindergarchy: Every Child a Dauphin”), poetry he doesn’t like and sentences he hates. Such a collection inevitably leads to some repetition, so readers hear a few times about his college days (the University of Illinois, his transfer to the University of Chicago), his early days of being a liberal, his peacetime service in the military and his conversion to conservatism—a transformation occasioned in major part by the excesses of the 1960s and ’70s. Epstein does not often communicate any sense of uncertainty; he dispenses opinions and decisions with all the conviction of a judge on an afternoon TV show. Things are so, he seems to say, because I declare them so. Still, his pieces inevitably entertain as well as educate—and/or annoy). He eviscerates Paul Goodman, some colleagues at Northwestern University (where he taught for decades), Maya Angelou and Spike Lee, and he declares that Dreiser and Cather surpass any subsequent American novelists. He also blasts the National Endowment for the Arts (he served the agency for a bit). Lots of erudition and bloody (right-ish) fun.
FALLING THROUGH CLOUDS A Story of Survival, Love, and Liability Fowler, Damian St. Martin’s (304 pp.) $25.99 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-1-250-02622-4 978-1-250-02623-1 e-book
The story of the plane crash that tragically broke apart one family and set up some disturbingly complex insurance and liability issues. In his nonfiction debut, magazine journalist Fowler pieces together the compelling story of Minnesota native Toby Pearson and his unfortunate ties to the crash of a noncommercial airplane that went down in the vast woodlands near Lake Superior. |
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That small aircraft was carrying Pearson’s wife and two daughters. Although his wife died in the crash, his daughters miraculously survived, albeit with life-changing burn injuries and trauma that would burden them the rest of their lives. As the bills for his daughters’ injuries mounted, Pearson was faced with the possibility of his insurance company not paying out for his daughters’ injuries, and he became embroiled in a labyrinthine mess of a legal situation that can be traced all the way back to the pilot of the downed plane having initially given fraudulent insurance information, a misstep that had the potential to make Pearson’s already difficult situation a lot worse. What’s more, now Pearson faced a significant battle with a multibillion-dollar insurance company. Fowler does a meticulous job of getting readers acquainted with Pearson and his family and providing a solid account of their lives before and after the crash. He manages to solidify the personal angle of the Pearsons’ harrowing story while also using this as an entry point into a larger investigation into both lax aviation safety standards in the private/noncommercial field and questions of who is liable for what damage according to the insurance industry. The author’s maintenance of this balance between the more delicate intimacies of Toby Pearson’s post-crash family life and the more reportorial and investigative side of the book works well. A sensitive portrayal of a family tragedy needlessly escalated by the insensitive bureaucracy of insurance companies.
a maximalist, descriptive style that allows him to hew close to both Bhuiyan’s open-heartedness and Stroman’s racialized resentment, which he appeared to relinquish in his waning days on death row, moved by the interest of Bhuiyan and others. In building a close, empathetic portrait of the murderer, which includes his troubled extended family, Giridharadas convincingly argues that the rage and violence embraced by Americans like Stroman often results from constricted heartland social environments, where hard drugs (and subsequent criminal records) are easier to come by than good blue-collar jobs and racial tribalism reigns. Bhuiyan and the author seemingly concur that Stroman’s legacy will be the similarly constricted lives of his children. A compelling, nuanced look at the shifting, volatile meaning of American identity in the post-9/11 era.
NO GOOD MEN AMONG THE LIVING America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes Gopal, Anand Metropolitan/Henry Holt (320 pp.) $27.00 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-8050-9179-3
THE TRUE AMERICAN Murder and Mercy in Texas
A fellow at the New American Foundation looks at the policies, actions and failures of the United States in Afghanistan. Beginning in 2008, Gopal, correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor, spent four years traveling throughout Afghanistan. Bearded, dressed as a native and speaking like one, he heard stories from fighters, tribal elders, young boys and government officials that challenged his ideas about the war and how we fought it. The author argues that the United States sees the world in black and white—friend versus enemy, good versus evil, etc.—a simplistic view that fails to encompass the complexities of Afghanistan. He presents his analysis of Afghanistan through three individuals: Mullah Cable, a Taliban commander; Jan Muhammad, a member of the U.S.-backed Afghan government; and Heela, a village housewife. His portraits of these three and their tumultuous lives are rich in detail, as are his descriptions of their stark and war-ravaged land. Gopal puts the present Afghanistan in perspective by describing the civil war that followed the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, the emergence in 1994 of the Taliban, who disbanded warring militias and imposed a regime of harsh Islamic law, and the regrouping of the militias in 1996 as the Northern Alliance, which continued to fight the Taliban for the next five years. After 9/11, when the U.S. failed to make a deal with the Taliban to turn over terrorists, including Osama bin Laden, the attacks by American forces began. The chaos that followed has seen power struggles and shifting alliances; attempts to bring stability and root out corruption have failed. American contracts with local power brokers have created a new class of warlords whose militias are known as private security companies.
Giridharadas, Anand Norton (384 pp.) $27.95 | May 5, 2014 978-0-393-23950-8
Well-crafted account of an act of post-9/11 vigilante violence and its long reverberations for its survivors. New York Times columnist Giridharadas (India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation’s Remaking, 2011) meticulously reconstructs two lives that collided in horrific fashion. In the charged, angry days after 9/11, self-styled “Arab Slayer” Mark Stroman murdered two immigrants in Texas, while a third man survived being shot in the head during Stroman’s spree: Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a Bangladesh Air Force veteran, was working at a Dallas-area convenience store as he established himself in America. Stroman was quickly apprehended and sentenced to death; Bhuiyan not only recovered from this harrowing hate crime, but thrived, building a career in IT management. Following a pilgrimage to Mecca with his beloved mother, Bhuiyan decided to channel his sense of good fortune into a social statement, pursuing a late-stage effort to block Stroman’s execution and reach out to his children. Although Stroman’s sentence was ultimately carried out, Bhuiyan’s determination to break what he saw as a never-ending cycle of violence between cultures through an act of forgiveness caused a groundswell of media attention and admiration, even in conservative Texas. Giridharadas writes in 54
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“A delightful book by an author filled with enthusiasm for the natural world and in possession of just the right touch for sharing it with others.” from a sting in the tale
A STING IN THE TALE My Adventures With Bumblebees
What will happen, Gopal wonders, when the Americans leave and the money dries up? A grim picture of a complicated and troubling situation.
Goulson, Dave Picador (288 pp.) $25.00 | May 1, 2014 978-1-250-04837-0 978-1-250-04838-7 e-book
THE PHANTOM OF FIFTH AVENUE The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark
What you never knew about bumblebees, from a man who is both passionate and knowledgeable. Bumblebee Conservation Trust founder Goulson (Biological and Environmental Sciences/Univ. of Stirling) has been fascinated with nature since his childhood. His tales of collecting insects, raising frogs and snakes, dissecting roadkill and even teaching himself taxidermy as a child serve as a light, engaging introduction to this often humorous but deadly serious account. During his lifetime, wild bumblebees have been disappearing at an alarming rate, and Goulson makes clear why this has happened and why we should care about it. He examines their mating behaviors, life cycle, genetics, nesting habits (unlike honeybees, they don’t build hives), foraging techniques (smelly footprints help them tell which flowers have been recently drained of nectar), navigation skills and their many enemies. The extreme measures he and his research assistants take to study bumblebees will astonish—attaching antennas to bees is a tricky business, and collecting their feces is even more difficult. Even finding bees can be a challenge, as the author relates in stories about attempts to restore Great Britain’s short-haired bumblebee population by capturing queen bees in New Zealand, to which the species had been exported in the 19th century. The success of another project—releasing bees imported from Sweden into an area around Dungeness— remains to be determined. Goulson also relates his adventures turning a dilapidated French farm into a thriving bumblebee reserve. Educating the public about bumblebees and encouraging creation of habitats beneficial to them are two of the goals of the BBCT, and they are surely the impetus behind Goulson’s impressive debut. A delightful book by an author filled with enthusiasm for the natural world and in possession of just the right touch for sharing it with others.
Gordon, Meryl Grand Central Publishing (320 pp.) $28.00 | May 27, 2014 978-1-4555-1263-8
Magazine writer Gordon (Journalism/ New York Univ.; Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach, 2008) provides an illuminating biography of the reclusive, and largely forgotten, American heiress Huguette Clark (1906-2011). The youngest daughter of a ruthless Montana copper magnate and former U.S. senator, Clark was heir to wealth rivaled only by that of other American industrialist families such as the Rockefellers, Carnegies and Vanderbilts. As a child, Clark lived in a beautiful home in the most exclusive district in Paris, cocooned in “unimaginable luxury.” She and her beloved older sister, Andrée, had everything from nannies and tutors to unlimited access to the best of French and European fine art. But Huguette was a shy child who “hated being on display.” However much her parents’ wealth sheltered her from the bitter realities of life, it could not shield her from the pain of her sister’s untimely death at age 17 or the ensuing loneliness. Money, in fact, put her in the media limelight she hated, as became apparent after her brief 1928 marriage ended in divorce. From that point forward, Clark withdrew from public life and pursued her one enduring love, art. She remained close to her mother, who she believed had been unfairly treated by her much older half siblings. After a final retreat to her Fifth Avenue apartment in the 1970s, she communicated with the few people still remaining in her life via letter and telephone. In 1991, a bout with cancer eventually forced her out of seclusion into the hospital. After treatment, she lived as a full-time patient until her death in 2011 while dispensing, of her own free will, millions of dollars in largesse to those who cared for (and also manipulated) her. Insightful and intriguing, Gordon’s book offers a rare glimpse into a privileged world—and twisted personal psychology—beyond imagining.
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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES
Pearl Cleage
The writer tells the truth “to whoever is in the room” in her new memoir By Joshunda Sanders donna. While her father’s name and the institution he founded are absent from Things I Should Have Told My Daughter, his presence is within its pages. “It was important to include my father because he was a very progressive, revolutionary person with matters of race,” Cleage says. “When it came to gender, he had no interest in thinking about feminism or anything like that. But he was also a person who had great respect for me as a writer.” Things I Should Have Told My Daughter chronicles Cleage’s evolution as a columnist and novelist, living on her own and coming of age. The range of her thoughts is as unlimited as Cleage’s professional endeavors—from working for Maynard Jackson, the first black mayor of Atlanta, to producing Flyin’ West, a play about the migration of African-Americans at the turn of the 20th century. Writing memoir, though, presented her with unusual challenges. For one, she felt protective of herself as a young woman, she says. “There was so much that I didn’t know. My mother taught me a lot about love and sex, but she taught me nothing about money or how to do the practical things. I got to the journals I kept in my mid-20s and thought, ‘How did this girl make it out alive?’ ” In her 20s and 30s, Cleage says, “the choices were all important things that had to do with basic understanding of what you know the truth to be....I have a better idea of how to live in an honest way than I did in the period the book covers.” After establishing herself in political activism and playwriting, Cleage’s work found national attention when her first novel, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day, was chosen as a 1998 Oprah Book Club pick. That first novel, like all of her work, draws attention to
Photo courtesy Albert Trotman
The title Pearl Cleage has chosen for her new memoir is part truth, part misnomer. Much of what Cleage (pronounced Cleg) writes about in Things I Should Have Told My Daughter: Lies, Lessons & Love Affairs, her daughter, Deignan, has already heard because the memoir is partially composed of Cleage’s selected journals. “I talk to my daughter every day; we’re close enough that we talk about everything,” Cleage says. In fact, Deignan suggested that Cleage burn her journals. But the lies, lessons and love affairs are there. Cleage has mined them to offer 18 years of rich, funny and poignant observations on culture, politics and feminism. There is some historical context missing, though. The Detroit native is the youngest daughter of Bishop Albert Cleage Jr., who built the powerful church and cultural center Shrine of the Black Ma56
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the complexities of black life and a quest for truth, she says. While fiction writers often investigate and proclaim truths in imaginary realms, African-American women writers are noticeably rare when it comes to nonfiction confessional writing in the vein of Joan Didion or Nora Ephron. In Cleage’s peer group, the only other black woman writer with plans to publish her journals is Alice Walker, whose selection of diary entries and new essays, Gathering Blossoms Under Fire, is scheduled for publication in 2017. Cleage says virulent attacks like the ones Walker and Ntozake Shange endured primarily from black men in the 1970s and ’80s for producing The Color Purple and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When The Rainbow Was Enuf served to silence other black women writers. “We can’t air dirty laundry or talk bad about black men because that’s dangerous,” Cleage says. “It seems more important for me to ask, ‘Why is it we can’t talk about this?’ If it makes people angry, they have to deal with that.” A dual history of bias and internalized oppression has kept most black women from publishing their memoirs or journals, Cleage adds, for fear of emotional and economic reprisals. “After slavery ended, black women continued to put forward the idea that we were good, sexually responsible women, going up against the racist stereotypes that came out of the madness of slavery,” Cleage says. “But there was still the fear of being too honest around white people. I don’t feel that’s a legitimate feeling for me. I’m going to tell the truth to whoever is in the room.” In Things I Should Have Told My Daughter, that includes a little pot smoking, an affair with a married man and a touch of ambivalence about motherhood. Her awakening as a feminist finds her wondering how to balance her life as an artist with family and marriage. She is as opinionated a moviegoer as she is adored by her mother (as evidenced by the inclusion of her mother’s letters, which are some of the book’s best writing). Cleage says she drew her inspiration for the book from the diaries of Anaïs Nin, which she found liberating and inspirational, much like the work of Walker and Shange. “I just felt, ‘This woman is talking about something I know is true and I haven’t seen before.’ I started crying about 10 minutes into Ntozake Shange’s play. That’s how I feel about Alice Walker. This woman is just fearless. That’s very help-
ful for those of us who are trying to get to the truth, to see that a bolt of lightning does not come down and strike them dead.” Cleage is currently a playwright in residence at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. She plans to write another book, especially since the reception she receives for writing the truth as she knows it follows her everywhere from the post office to the grocery store. “The thing that the book covers, I hope, is a desire to be truthful and not to lie about anything to anybody,” Cleage says. “People will say, ‘That’s exactly how I felt, but I didn’t know if I could or should say it.’ Even if the truth scares us, we always recognize it when it finds us.” Joshunda Sanders is a writer and journalist based in Washington, D.C. Things I Should Have Told My Daughter was reviewed in the Feb. 1, 2014, issue of Kirkus Reviews.
Things I Should Have Told My Daughter Lies, Lessons and Love Affairs Cleage, Pearl Atria (322 pp.) $23.99 | Apr. 8, 2014 978-1-4516-6469-0 |
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HOUSE OF OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE Fifteen Central Park West, the World’s Most Powerful Address
THE GHOSTS OF HERO STREET How One Small MexicanAmerican Community Gave So Much in World War II and Korea
Gross, Michael Atria (416 pp.) $28.00 | Mar. 11, 2014 978-1-4516-6619-9
Harrison, Carlos Berkley Caliber (336 pp.) $26.95 | May 6, 2014 978-0-425-26253-5
Travel + Leisure contributing editor Gross’ (Unreal Estate: Money, Ambition, and the Lust for Land in Los Angeles, 2011, etc.) latest chronicle of the .01 percent shifts to the other side of Central Park. Whereas 740 Park (2007) told the story of old-money New York and co-op living in one of the city’s most storied buildings, this book examines 15 Central Park West, 740 Park’s new rival. Unlike its crosstown counterpart, 15 CPW’s pedigree is not blue-blood–bred. It was bought—in cash—by the world’s new elite. Built in 2007 by noted architect Robert A.M. Stern, 15 CPW was conceived as apartment living for a new age of financiers, moguls, celebrities, tycoons and anyone else who could afford an apartment’s exorbitant price tag. Exclusivity was only a matter of how much you could pay, not whether you fit the building’s profile. Consecrated to the idolatry of money, it’s no surprise that the bank principally in charge of financing the project was Goldman Sachs and no further surprise that most of the bank’s senior management received sweetheart deals on their new apartments. Among the building’s A-list have been Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein, Citigroup founder Sandy Weill, Denzel Washington and Sting. While the lives of the rich and famous have seemingly endless appeal, much of the building’s story is bogged down in ancillary histories, like a century’s worth of real estate development on Manhattan’s West Side and Columbus Circle area and a generational history of the legendary Zeckendorf family. (Brothers Arthur and William led the development of 15 CPW.) While this detail provides a solid foundation for understanding why 15 CPW came to be, it is also exhaustive and not always relevant. It seems that every person caught in the development and purchase of 15 CPW is treated with a back story, and this only reinforces the age-old truism that no matter how much money you have, it doesn’t necessarily make you interesting. An incisive but somewhat tedious report of New York’s “new money.” (16-page 4-color insert)
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Versatile journalist and author Harrison (The Power of Business en Español: 7 Fundamental Keys to Unlocking the Potential of the Spanish-Language Hispanic Market, 2007, etc.) explores the moving microcosm of pride and patriotism within a Mexican-American Illinois railroad community. A small, nondescript block of Silvis, Ill., gave more young men to fight and die in World War II and the Korean War than any other “similarly sized stretch” in the United States—22 families sent a total of 57 soldiers, eight of whom died. Harrison is a lively, thorough writer who has done his homework; he provides a well-researched account of the history of the town and its memorable personalities as they moved through the Depression, World War II and beyond. Fleeing the instability of their homeland during the decade of the Mexican Revolution (19101920), the early immigrants to Silvis were lured by the promise of work in the burgeoning American railroad, where they were offered low-paid but mostly steady work. The Quad Cities was an important hub, and the Mexican families were allowed at first to live around the railroad yard, in abandoned boxcars, before moving to Second Street, where they built modest homes and a solid, self-sufficient community. Though bigotry was rampant, the community took up America’s sense of urgency after the attack on Pearl Harbor, answering the call for workers in the Rock Island Arsenal and young conscripts in the Army. Harrison follows the fates of soldiers, including the three Sandovals, one who toiled in Burma, the other in France, and the other in Tunisia and Sicily; Claro Soliz, who was launched into France as part of Operation Cobra; and Tony Pompa, who perished in the skies over the Alps. The Western Union man delivering his grim message would be a familiar sight on Second Street. Harrison deftly marshals the intricate details of battle, hardship and victory.
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“Hindy balances reverence with realism, resulting in a vigorous, if sometimes overly meticulous genealogy of the burgeoning world of craft beer.” from the craft beer revolution
WEED LAND Inside America’s Marijuana Epicenter and How Pot Went Legit
THE CRAFT BEER REVOLUTION How a Band of Microbrewers Is Transforming the World’s Favorite Drink
Hecht, Peter Univ. of California (264 pp.) $24.95 paper | May 2, 2014 978-0-520-27543-0
Hindy, Steve Palgrave Macmillan (256 pp.) $25.00 | Apr. 22, 2014 978-1-137-27876-0
Sacramento Bee senior writer Hecht chronicles how “reefer madness” divided the Golden State’s pot-loving community and forever changed America’s attitudes toward marijuana. In 1996, the state of California passed Proposition 215, or the Compassionate Use Act, which legalized the personal use of marijuana for medical purposes. That, however, didn’t stop federal officials from tearing through recognized medical dispensaries, chopping down plants, and cuffing growers responsible for easing the pain of scores of AIDS patients and cancer sufferers. It also didn’t prevent—and in many ways, it instigated— the deep divide that was to develop between medical marijuana proponents and those dedicated to universally legalizing weed throughout the land. As the author painstakingly demonstrates, compassionate care would soon run headlong into cannabis commerce, while agents of the Department of Justice circled overhead, eager to strip the bones of both combatants. Hecht quotes U.S. attorney Melinda Haag: “The California compassionate use act was intended to help seriously ill people….But the law has been hijacked by profiteers who are motivated not by compassion but by money.” Hecht introduces readers to a cavalcade of characters on all sides of the contentious marijuana issue. These include hard-assed narcs, wheelchair-bound activists, opportunistic entrepreneurs, cigar-chomping union chiefs and other assorted heroes of hemp. What many didn’t realize during those pivotal years in the late ’90s was that with legalization would come regulation—lots of regulation. Some of it threatened to put old-school pot growers out of business while at the same time undermining all the gains medical marijuana growers had made throughout the years. It’s a complex situation roiling inside a haze of Purple Hindu Kush but one to which Hecht is able to bring commendable clarity and context. A comprehensive and compelling report on the weed wars still raging across the country.
Former journalist and Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Hindy (co-author: Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery, 2005) considers craft beers and the innovators who brought them to the wider American and global markets from the 1960s to the present. Beginning with an account of Fritz Maytag, the force behind San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company, the author draws from choice interviews, magazines such as All About Beer, anecdotes and related ephemera to explore a variety of topics. These include the legalization of home brewing in 1979; seminal writers in the early days of the practice, such as Charlie Papazian (The Complete Joy of Homebrewing) and Michael Jackson (The World Guide to Beer); the frequent path from homebrewing to microbrewery and brewpub startups; forerunners, including Jim Koch of the Boston Beer Company; and numerous profiles of second- and third-generation brewers. With extensive passages devoted to the intricacies of formulating standards, initial challenges in establishing camaraderie among brewers, relationships with distributors, the sometimes-negative view of contract brewers and responses to media-fueled “wars” with larger corporations such as Anheuser-Busch, this is a book for intense aficionados. Thorough surveys of the field—from descriptions of actions by the Association of Brewers and other organizations to play-by-plays of particular company sales—reveal an insider’s dedication to the business. For the generalist, chapters that emphasize the can-do spirit embodied by men and women who gambled on their dreams, and that reveal a frequent interest in giving back to the communities that supported them, offer more interesting, personal stories. Despite tensions between craft brewers, what emerges is a revolution marked by “a band of Davids” bent on confronting the “Goliaths.” Hindy balances reverence with realism, resulting in a vigorous, if sometimes overly meticulous genealogy of the burgeoning world of craft beer. (First printing of 50,000)
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“A savvy writer with a quick wit, Lowe invites readers into his world with easy charm and disarming frankness.” from love life
GIVE WAR AND PEACE A CHANCE Tolstoyan Wisdom for Troubled Times
Psychopaths are at once terrifying and magnetic. Marked by an absence of empathy or remorse and possessing a seemingly insatiable appetite for criminal activity, the “psycho” has long been a recurring subject in fictional and true-life media. But until recently, little was understood about what made these offenders tick. Kiehl (Neuroscience, Psychology, and Law/Univ. of New Mexico) spent decades investigating the psychological and neurochemical makeup of psychopaths. He was a pioneer in using MRI machines to scan the brains of imprisoned psychopaths and also worked with Dr. Robert Hare, the inventor of the Psychopathy Checklist, an important tool used in psychological diagnostics. By scanning and analyzing the brains of hundreds of people who met the psychological criteria for psychopathy, most of them prison inmates, the author discovered that a majority displayed a significant abnormality in the same exact region of the brain—a huge breakthrough. Kiehl writes about the cuttingedge science involved in his research using relatable language and visual data, and he weaves several fascinating case studies throughout the technical discussion, giving readers a close look at how locating different electrical impulses in the brain can provide a more nuanced understanding of psychopathic behaviors. He reveals that one in four inmates in maximum security prisons is a psychopath, a number that lends urgency to his research but that also raises complicated moral and legal questions. For example, if a teenager displaying troubling behavior patterns produces a brain scan that matches the abnormalities clinically associated with psychopaths, should any action be taken? Alternatively, if a psychopath is on trial for murder, should these abnormal brain scans be considered evidence? Kiehl navigates these issues and more with compassion and insight. Fast-paced and thrilling.
Kaufman, Andrew D. Simon & Schuster (256 pp.) $25.00 | May 20, 2014 978-1-4516-4470-8
At 1,500 pages, with a cast of nearly 600 characters, the book Henry James called a “loose baggy monster” looms as an intimidating project. But Kaufman (Literature/Univ. of Virginia; Understanding Tolstoy, 2011, etc.) thinks reading it is worth the effort: “Times are tough, anxiety and fear are pervasive, and people are searching for answers to questions big and small.” If this seems an apt description of our own times, it also describes Russia between 1805 and 1812, the setting for Tolstoy’s epic, as well as the 1860s, when he wrote the book, revealing his continual quest for personal and philosophical enlightenment. Kaufman looks to the novel for guidance, “not so much a set of answers to life’s every challenge as an attitude toward living.” To that end, he focuses on a dozen themes: plans, imagination, rupture, success, idealism, happiness, love, family, courage, death, perseverance and truth. In each chapter, Kaufman analyzes how the novel speaks to those themes, offers insights into Tolstoy’s life “of extremes and contradictions,” provides relevant Russian history, and shares personal anecdotes about his own “tumultuous, spiritual journey.” Besides War and Peace, Kaufman refers to some of Tolstoy’s shorter fiction, which he teaches in a course titled Books Behind Bars: Life, Literature, and Leadership. All of Tolstoy’s works, Kaufman contends, deal with big questions: “Who am I? Why am I here? How should I live?” His students, young men incarcerated in a juvenile correctional center, find the readings startlingly relevant—not surprising since Kaufman makes Tolstoy’s characters lively and palpable: free-spirited, tender Natasha; “wideeyed” Pierre; “coddled young” Nikolai; “the handsome, maleficent rake” Dolohkov. Readers will even find a guide to pronunciation of their names in a helpful appendix. Kaufman’s enticing invitation may well persuade readers to finally dive into one of the world’s most acclaimed— and daunting—novels. (24 b/w images)
LOVE LIFE
Lowe, Rob Simon & Schuster (352 pp.) $27.00 | Apr. 8, 2014 978-1-4516-8571-8 Actor Lowe follows up his Stories I Only Tell My Friends (2011) with a potpourri of observations and reflections about youthful indiscretions, celebrity tidbits, marriage and fatherhood, addiction and the acting life. In his Brat Pack days, the author’s good looks cast him as a leading man and, at the same time, an underrated actor. Readers will learn there’s more to him: his love of the craft; seriousness in steering his acting, writing and producing career; dedication to his wife and sons; and a keen self-awareness. He readily admits his flaws—e.g., self-centered tendencies (“[Parks and Recreation co-star] Rashida Jones claims that I am what she likes to call a benevolent narcissist”) and emotional aloofness. Given the latter, it’s no surprise that his best writing comes in astute observations of the world he inhabits rather than through introspection, which comes off as a bit forced. The strongest material demystifies the process of developing projects for TV and film or choosing and
THE PSYCHOPATH WHISPERER The Science of Those Without Conscience Kiehl, Kent A. Crown (304 pp.) $26.00 | Apr. 22, 2014 978-0-7704-3584-4
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THE BRIDESMAIDS True Tales of Love, Envy, Loyalty...and Terrible Dresses
preparing for roles. Lowe approaches his work with an adventurous spirit and an eye toward improvement, and he notes how he often chooses more challenging characters rather than leading roles. Lowe obviously enjoys pointing out the absurdities of show business, as when he conjures up a hilarious conversation between an agent/manager and his client that captures the duplicitous nature of the game. Tender essays about his family show a more vulnerable side to the actor. He writes of losing it after sending his oldest son off to college, teaching the youngest boy how to stand up to a bully on the baseball field, and his glowing admiration for his wife. Readers won’t soon forget his most fearless essay, which recounts a raw, heartbreaking experience from his days in rehab for his alcohol addiction. A savvy writer with a quick wit, Lowe invites readers into his world with easy charm and disarming frankness.
Lynch, Eimear Picador (256 pp.) $16.00 paper | May 1, 2014 978-1-250-04177-7 978-1-250-04178-4 e-book
Vignettes from modern bridesmaids. Writer and editor Lynch was in the midst of planning bachelorette parties and bridal showers for her sister when it dawned on her that being a bridesmaid is “one of the rare things that many women have in common by the time they turn thirty.” In this book, the author provides 60 snapshots of the experience from people as diverse as an ex-nun, a frat boy and the 13-year-old tomboy who carried Princess Diana’s 25-foot train. There’s also “The Scarlett O’Hara Look-Alike,” “The Drunk Bride’s Bridesmaid,” “The Jilted Ex” and “The Bridezilla Victim,” among others. Lynch recounts a Mormon wedding with 600 guests, a ceremony in a prison and another at Burning Man, where the bride and bridesmaid dressed alike in matching goggles and tutus. Other stories: a teenage bridesmaid who lost her virginity to the pianist at her brother’s wedding; a bride who kicked her bridesmaid out of her wedding for missing the third bridal shower; a bridesmaid who had to spend $37,000 to be in 12 weddings in three years. Weddings are always emotional times, and no one is in a better position to dish on the drama than the bridesmaid. From much of the evidence here, future brides will learn how their attendants really feel about those matching chiffon dresses. While 95 percent of bridesmaids will find something to bitch about, 100 percent are flattered to be chosen. Touching, weird and introspective stories let the reader draw her own conclusions about what it means to support a friend during one of life’s major transitions. As for the author, she confesses that her own wedding will be bridesmaid-less. An intimate oral history of the silly, funny and lovely aspects of being a bridesmaid; readers can decide for themselves what they think about the modern wedding experience.
SIDEWALKS
Luiselli, Valeria Translated by MacSweeney, Christina Coffee House (120 pp.) $15.95 paper | May 13, 2014 978-1-56689-356-5 Place, identity and the limitations of language converge in this slim collection of illuminating and incisive essays. In her debut novel, Faces in the Crowd, published in America concurrently with this volume, Luiselli writes of literary recognition as a “virus,” one that these simultaneous publications is sure to spread. If anything, these essays are more impressive in both their expansiveness and epigrammatic precision, as the young writer—born in Mexico City, prolific in her output and currently studying for a doctorate in comparative literature at Columbia—mediates between her scholarship and her personal experience. The collection begins and ends in a cemetery in Venice, with the author making a pilgrimage to the grave of the exiled poet in the opening “Joseph Brodsky’s Room and a Half ” and then returning full circle with the closing “Permanent Residence,” which ends with a vision of her own tombstone, after an admission that “writing about Venice is like emptying a glass of water into the sea.” In between, she writes of other places—primarily Mexico City and New York—and maps, architecture and, always, books and authors. “Going back to a book is like returning to the cities we believe to be our own, but which, in reality, we’ve forgotten and been forgotten by,” she writes. “In a city—in a book—we vainly revisit passages, looking for nostalgias that no longer belong to us….Rereading is not like remembering. It’s more like rewriting ourselves.” Whatever she writes about, ultimately, she’s writing about language, exploring the possibilities of words as well as recognizing their limits: “Perhaps learning to speak is realizing, little by little, that we can say nothing about anything.” A collection that can’t be categorized as memoir or travel writing or literary criticism but cohesively combines such elements and more.
THE ADMIRAL AND THE AMBASSADOR One Man’s Obsessive Search for the Body of John Paul Jones Martelle, Scott Chicago Review (288 pp.) $26.95 | May 1, 2014 978-1-61374-730-8
Journalist Martelle (Detroit: The Biography, 2012, etc.) juxtaposes two American lives anchored in two very different centuries and milieus. The author grapples for cohesion and relevance in telling the stories of two notable American characters, John Paul Jones (1747-1792) and Horace Porter (1837-1921), whose lives |
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“Neither sage nor curmudgeon, McCullough is a thoughtful pre-Socratic without a schadenfreude-soaked bone in his body.” from you are not special
only intersected across a huge swath of history—and after Jones’ death in Paris. The rogue seaman of the American Revolution who made a swashbuckling reputation for challenging the supreme British navy on its own turf, Jones died at age 45 of kidney failure and pneumonia. A Scottish-born Protestant, he had to be buried outside of the city’s Catholic perimeters, in the cemetery of Saint Louis, financed by his wealthy American friend Gouverneur Morris and others. However, since the French Revolution was raging, the cemetery became a dumping ground, and the celebrated American’s resting place was quickly forgotten. Gradually, over a tumultuous century of American history, Jones’ fame grew, thanks largely to published letters by the Revolutionary leaders, biographies and other literary efforts, such as James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Pilot (1823). Unfortunately, Martelle does not extract any material from these sources to provide a more fully fleshed portrait of Jones. Meanwhile, Porter, who was educated at West Point, served as aide to Gen. Grant during the Civil War and was appointed ambassador to France by President William McKinley, was encouraged by fellow patriot President Theodore Roosevelt to pursue the whereabouts of Jones’ body. With his great wealth and connections, Porter could do it: The discovery of the cemetery and the actual digging for the coffin amid all the skeletons make for a fascinating mystery, despite the tertiary slog through assassinations, war with Spain and the Dreyfus Affair. An oddly disjointed work of history. (12 b/w photos)
successful as our least successful child.” McCullough ably conveys his genuine love of teaching, as well as its ups and downs, and demonstrates the significance of encouraging independence and the impulse to explore and take risks and discover those things that touch you deeply. He also digs into the perils of technology, “the breathless infatuation with hi-def, 3D, 5G, glued to the hand, glued to the ear, twenty-first-century cyber gee-whizzery.” The author tackles big issues, such as gender and race, with searching sincerity, open-heartedness, and a deft, light touch. “I like to imagine,” he writes, “[parents and teenagers] putting [this book] down…and reaching for another book, then maybe another, and, before long, getting up, heading out, taking great happy lungfuls of air, eager to do some good.” Neither sage nor curmudgeon, McCullough is a thoughtful pre-Socratic without a schadenfreude-soaked bone in his body.
THE DEAD AND THOSE ABOUT TO DIE D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach
McManus, John C. NAL/Berkley (384 pp.) $27.95 | May 6, 2014 978-0-451-41529-5
A focused tale of the hellish ascendancy of the U.S. Army’s famed 1st Infantry Division on June 6, 1944, underscoring how the Normandy invasion nearly went terribly awry. With several World War II volumes under his belt (September Hope: The American Side of a Bridge Too Far, 2012, etc.), military historian McManus elicits moving details of courage and hardship from personal as well as historical sources, spotlighting the feats of this heroic division that took the brunt of the first-wave assault on Omaha Beach. Hardened by heavy fighting only months before in Tunisia and Sicily, considered somewhat arrogant and full of themselves, many of the 1st expected to go home. Instead, Gen. Omar Bradley, commander of U.S. ground forces in the coming invasion, discarded “the niceties of justice” and needed to rely on those troops. Trained vigorously in England under Gen. Clarence Huebner to attack and destroy coastal defenses, the men were well-prepared yet hindered by the very technology that was supposed to cause the breakthrough of German defense. The Normandy beaches were wired and rigged with every contrivance of mines, “Belgian gates” and hedgehogs, with gunners perched in pillboxes on the bluffs. The troops, disgorged from landing craft in huge, unmanageable swells, were overladen with gear and unable to move quickly, offering sitting-duck targets for the German gunners, while the beaches became clotted with machinery and armament launched on an unsustainable schedule. McManus does not spare us the slaughter of those first hours: He even quotes one German soldier observing the carnage, murmuring, “Poor swine.” Getting the men off the beach became Col. George Taylor’s rallying cry (he is credited with the title’s quote),
YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL ...and Other Encouragements
McCullough Jr., David Ecco/HarperCollins (352 pp.) $21.99 | May 1, 2014 978-0-06-225734-5 978-0-06-225735-2 e-book 978-0-06-230910-5 Audiobook
The cult of exceptionalism, like celebrity worship, is draining us of our humanity and joy, suggests high school teacher McCullough, whose expertise comes from having nearly three decades of teaching experience and four children of his own. The author, son of the acclaimed historian, moves through the world with his eyes open, willingly empathetic to those deserving and dedicated to doing the right thing in all cases. In this book, an expansion of a 2012 commencement speech, he writes with crisp precision and light humor (“this was before Al Gore invented the Internet”). McCullough discusses the importance of authority figures’ butting out, letting kids govern their engagement with life and learn through trial and error. As he notes, we all fail, but we must get up and get back into the scrum, not allowing our expectations to cripple us. “Parents, you see, are people, subject to self-doubt, who don’t always have every answer, who are doing the best they can,” he writes. “And we are only as happy, generally, as our least happy child, only as 62
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INHERITANCE How Our Genes Change Our Lives—and Our Lives Change Our Genes
while the offshore destroyers helped dismantle the pillboxes to allow the intrepid leaders of the Big Red One to breach German defenses and push inland. An exciting account from the personable point of view of the soldier.
Moalem, Sharon Grand Central Publishing (272 pp.) $28.00 | Apr. 15, 2014 978-1-4555-4944-3
FEARLESS GENIUS The Digital Revolution in Silicon Valley 1985-2000
A compendium of facts and case studies on genes. Moalem (How Sex Works: Why We Look, Smell, Taste, Feel, and Act the Way We Do, 2009, etc.) examines two main ideas: 1) that your genes are not your destiny—environment and behavior can tune genes up or down or turn other genes on or off in the process of “epigenetic” control; 2) that nobody is “average.” We are all unique in our DNA and how our lives interact with that endowment, so beware of “average daily requirements” and other recommendations. Moalem illustrates these tenets with intriguing stories—e.g., a chef who switched from his meat-heavy, high-fat diet to emphasize fruits and vegetables only to discover that he felt lousy due to the fact that he suffered from hereditary fructose intolerance. Sadly the author relates the story of a little girl given codeine for pain following a tonsillectomy. She had an extra gene coding for the enzyme metabolizing the drug, which resulted in rapid production of excess morphine, which killed her. Moalem describes studies of stress in infant mice (leading them to “give up” when faced with adverse conditions as adults), dietary influences on bee larvae (those given royal jelly become queens; the others, workers) and bullying (one study shows blunted cortisol responses in adulthood). Moalem argues for the usefulness of knowing your genome but is also concerned that the information could be hacked and used against you. He recommends getting detailed medical histories from relatives and explains how even examining your face can be informative about your genetic history. The author covers a wide range of subjects: rare diseases, what’s bad about vitamins and supplements, drugs used in athletic doping, his case of altitude sickness and more. Readers may occasionally seek less of Moalem’s enthusiasm and ego, but he has a lot of solid information to convey and a stylish way of telling it.
Menuez, Doug Photos by Menuez, Doug Atria (192 pp.) $45.00 | May 27, 2014 978-1-4767-5269-3
A pictorial and textual time machine documenting the driven personalities who pioneered the technological world from 1985 to 2000. Mattresses on the floor, toddlers crawling around, empty takeout cartons left standing on tabletops and computer guts everywhere: These are just a few of the incongruous but gripping scenes Menuez managed to capture during his fascinating years chronicling Silicon Valley. Given unprecedented access to Steve Jobs’ new NeXT computer company following the late icon’s ouster from Apple, Menuez soon found his way inside the buzzing beehives of other digital giants like Netscape, Photoshop, Sun, Microsoft and others. In addition to the mercurial Jobs, the author trained his illuminating camera lens on the likes of Bill Gates, John Warnock, Chuck Geschke, Bill Joy, Marc Andreessen and a cavalcade of other technological innovators. In this book, Menuez captures them arguing, laughing, pondering and relentlessly pressing forward. While managing to convey both intimacy and perspective, the photographic format lends a certain historical gravitas to events that may only now be settling into comfortable memory. Each frame brims with the subjects’ frustration, fascination and fun. Everyone is having such a good time making history, but will they burn out before their chosen tasks are completed? A photo depicting the suicidal tendencies of a defeated tech support employee says a lot: “Although the Macintosh was designed to be easy to use, as it evolved it became more complex and unwieldy. Users were frustrated and angry and took it out on tech support employees.” Menuez even makes the innovators’ solitude—sequestered behind drawn blinds for days or cordoned off from the rest of the pack in lonely cubicles—surprisingly compelling. The accompanying text is both complementary and instructive. An interesting introduction by novelist Kurt Andersen sets the stage for an indispensable look back at how the world we know now was actually constructed. A vital piece of photographic history.
UNSTOPPABLE The Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State Nader, Ralph Nation Books/Perseus (240 pp.) $25.99 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-1-56858-454-6
Activist Nader (The Seventeen Solutions: Bold Ideas for Our American Future, 2012, etc.) sketches out places of “convergence” where liberals and conservatives can start working together for the public good. |
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“Pleasant, peripatetic musings revealing a great deal about the Chinese character.” from age of ambition
Though increasingly rare, the author points to a number of instances when lawmakers worked in concert to support automobile airbags, prison reform, halt media concentration, and oppose taxpayer-funded stadiums and arenas. Sometimes they found success; often, they got bogged down in committee or watered down during the process. However, as Nader argues, we also must acknowledge the global corporate giants, whose “DNA commands them to control, undermine or eliminate any force, tradition, or institution that impedes their expansion of sales, profits, and executive compensation.” Certainly, there is endless ammunition to support this point, and Nader trots out one infuriating illustration after another—e.g., “the Department of Defense cannot or will not make an annual audit of it sprawling $527 billion yearly budget, not counting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan”—but corporate and governmental malfeasance are givens. The issue is how to make government heed “the supremacy of civic values to which commercial pursuits must adjust.” Nader lists reforms with which many lawmakers would agree, including breaking up too-big-to-fail banks, protecting children from commercialism and ending corporate personhood. However, he also delivers many examples where lawmakers are despairing, stymied by partisanship or in the corporate pocket. “Whether Democrats or Republicans are in control, corporations still receive the same wasteful or expanding assorted privileges,” while corporate welfare is ever more varied and bipartisan. Nader hopes that “convergence stimulates the depth of our basic humanity and sense of justice,” but it feels awfully distant from this vantage point. If the best we can do is “agree on a general policy or stance without having to also agree on the exact implications or use that would be made of a policy,” that sounds like planting seeds with no hope of rain. Despite the best of motives, Nader shoots down his own case for convergence.
Turks, Armenians, Jews, Franks (as the crusaders were called), and Shia and Sunni Muslims. Newman builds her story on the few sources available—e.g., the writings of Fulcher of Chartres and Ibn al-Qalanisi, both of which are decidedly skewed—and that difficulty impedes the flow of the narrative as it necessarily jumps from kingdom to kingdom. The author follows the daughters of Baldwin as their husbands are chosen: Melisende’s husband, Fulk of Anjou, was grandfather to Henry II of England, and he was to be a co-ruler and defender of her kingdom. Alice’s husband, Bohemond, died in battle, leaving her to defend and eventually rule Antioch. Raymond of Poitiers was brought in to be husband to Alice’s daughter, Constance, and he became uncle to Eleanor of Aquitaine, soon to arrive as part of the disastrous Second Crusade. “The damage done by the failed Second Crusade,” writes the author, “led to the rise of the emir Saladin and the fall of the city of Jerusalem to him twenty years after Melisende’s death.” A brief, useful history of the conquerors who came from East and West to build a series of states that continue the fight to this day.
AGE OF AMBITION Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China
Osnos, Evan Farrar, Straus and Giroux (432 pp.) $27.00 | May 13, 2014 978-0-374-28074-1
New Yorker staff writer and former China correspondent Osnos offers nimble, clever observations of a country squeezed between aspiration and authoritarianism. From 2005 to 2013, the author lived with his wife in China. In his debut book, he meanders among stories he pursued concerning Chinese of all strata striving to make a living in, and make sense of, a country in the throes of staggering transformation. Osnos groups his human-interest profiles under the themes of fortune, truth and faith, and he explores how new economic opportunities have challenged traditional ways and opened up Chinese society to unheard-of liberties and “pathways to self-creation”—emotionally, intellectually and otherwise. Osnos befriended many of the new strivers—e.g., idealist soldier Lin Yifu, who defected the “wrong way,” from Taiwan to China, in 1979, determined to prosper with the new China; and Gong Hainan, a restless villager who traveled to the big city in the mid-1990s to study and ended up starting a hugely influential dating service. The “age of ambition” required new skills, like learning English (Osnos recounts hilarious adventures in Li Yang’s popular “Crazy English” class), getting one’s child into an Ivy League school and learning how to travel in the West—i.e., by bus tour, which took the author and his Chinese group to visit such sites as Karl Marx’s birthplace. In the part entitled “Truth,” Osnos gets at the nitty-gritty underneath China’s authoritative and censorious front, such as the rather miraculous vitality of Hu Shuli’s international finance magazine Caijing, the work of
DEFENDING THE CITY OF GOD A Medieval Queen, the First Crusades, and the Quest for Peace in Jerusalem Newman, Sharan Palgrave Macmillan (272 pp.) $28.00 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-1-137-27865-4
The author of The Real History Behind the Templars (2007) chronicles how the first two crusades helped establish the face of the Middle East. Pope Urban II’s First Crusade brought a minor lord of France, Baldwin of le Bourq, to the Holy Land, and he married an Armenian noblewoman. It was their daughters, Melisende and Alice, who ended up ruling Jerusalem and Antioch—but it was far from a foregone conclusion. As Newman (Death Before Compline: Short Stories, 2012, etc.) writes, “[i]t would have been a brave prophet who would have dared to predict that Melisende would become queen of anything.” The author provides solid insight into the violent history of an area alternately claimed by 64
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artist and architect Ai Weiwei and the human rights manifesto Charter ’08, written by Nobel Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. Osnos finds that the Chinese are just as ingenious at finding ways to circumvent authoritative repression as they are at filling the spiritual vacuum left by the cult of Mao. Pleasant, peripatetic musings revealing a great deal about the Chinese character.
Pope Francis Loyola Press (168 pp.) $22.95 | $16.95 paper | Apr. 20, 2014 978-0-8294-4168-0 978-0-8294-4170-3 paper In a collection whose original Italian publication marks the first year of his papacy, Pope Francis gathers homilies, sermons and brief essays that point to his most important concerns. Francis—formerly Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires—has been widely hailed as the open, thoroughly modern leader that the Catholic Church has been seeking. Some of his programmatic interests are ancient, however: He devotes three pieces to Mary, “mother of evangelization” and “icon of womanhood.” He writes and speaks at greater length, however, on the plight of the poor and the duty of the church to them: “Our faith in Christ,” he said in one sermon, “who became poor, and was always close to the poor and the outcast, is the basis of our concern for the integral development of society’s most neglected members.” Conservative churchmen may find those words to befit Paulo Freire more than the pontiff, but Francis doubles down by frowning on “careerism”—specifically, priestly careerism, the desire to achieve recognition as something other than a pastor—and excoriating “the cult of the god of money”: “God our Father gave us the task of protecting the earth—not for money, but for ourselves, for men and women.” Consumerism, he adds with respect to the second, is an enemy of the good, encouraging waste; Francis counsels that every time edible food is discarded, we should think of it “as if it were stolen from the table of the poor, from the hungry.” Elsewhere, in a moment that distinguishes him from his immediate predecessors, he urges the churchly to extend charity not just to feeding the poor, but improving their condition so that they will be poor no longer. Refreshingly humane, focusing on people rather than institutions. Admirers of Francis and students of church history alike will find this a useful introduction to the pontiff’s thought.
GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND The International Misadventures of Two (Almost) Adults
Pan, Jessica; Kapelke-Dale, Rachel Gotham Books (304 pp.) $17.00 paper | May 6, 2014 978-1-59240-860-3
Two best friends and fellow Brown University graduates deliver a candid epistolary account of their postgrad adventures “down the rabbit hole” of the real world. Just before BFFs Pan and Kapelke-Dale graduated from college, they made a pact to stay in touch via email and give each other all the details of their post-collegiate lives. Jobless but hopeful, Pan went to Beijing to have an adventure and learn Mandarin. In the meantime, Kapelke-Dale began working for a narcissistic art gallery owner in Manhattan since New York City was “just where you were supposed to go after college.” Excited and intimidated by adulthood and also deeply uncertain about their futures, both young women fumbled through their lives. After a stint as an underpaid peon in a Chinese PR firm, Pan found work as an editor at a Beijing magazine for English-speaking expatriates. In New York, Kapelke-Dale moved into a better job at a nonprofit art gallery, but that soon became a dead end. As Pan navigated the tricky realm of love and sex with colleagues, Kapelke-Dale tried to work through unresolved romantic issues with old flames. Pan’s path led her to a charming Englishman and a life “ultimatum”: commitment or footloose singledom. For her friend, the choice boiled down to facing her fears and taking a risk to leave NYC for life and graduate study abroad in France and then England. Told in two genuinely winning voices, the book presents a unique view of what it means to come of age as educated females in the chaos of a modern transnational world. Young women just starting out on their own “adventures in wonderland” will find it especially appealing. At the same time, however, older women may also enjoy the way this narrative celebrates the sustaining power of committed woman-to-woman friendship. A female buddy book with intergenerational appeal.
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“...another delightful addition to the everything-youthought-you-knew-is-wrong genre.” from rock breaks scissors
ROCK BREAKS SCISSORS A Practical Guide to Outguessing and Outwitting Almost Everybody
THE LION’S GATE On the Front Lines of the Six Day War
Pressfield, Steven Sentinel (448 pp.) $29.95 | May 6, 2014 978-1-59523-091-1
Poundstone, William Little, Brown (320 pp.) $27.00 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-316-22806-0 978-0-316-22808-4 e-book
A “hybrid history” of the Six Day War made up of oral histories by numerous participants and stitched-together bits of biography from Israeli military leader Moshe Dayan (1915-1981). Drawing on “techniques from a number of disciplines—from journalism and academic history, from conventional nonfiction and narrative nonfiction, and from New Journalism,” novelist Pressfield (The Profession, 2011, etc.) nimbly pulls together these accounts, starting with the waiting period in late May 1967 when the reserves were called up, leaving entire Israeli villages emptied of life. Other citizens were glued to their radios, alarmed by Cairo’s propaganda radio, the “Voice of Thunder.” The Israelis had been preparing for another war since the Sinai campaign of 1956, engineered brilliantly by then–army chief of staff Dayan, after which the international community compelled Israel to relinquish the peninsula to United Nations peacekeepers; and before that, when Jordan’s army had taken Jerusalem’s old city during the War of Independence of 1948. These are important events in the memories of the Israelis, who were nervous about President Nasser’s pan-Arabism, ties with the Soviet Union, and most important, the buildup of combat aircraft and closing of the Straits of Tiran. The voices that narrate events throughout these fraught few days include two brothers and highly decorated soldiers, “Cheetah” and Nechemiah Cohen, involved on the front line from the first day; Yael Dayan, Moshe’s daughter, who was posted with Gen. Ariel Sharon’s headquarters at the Egyptian border; numerous pilots who destroyed Arab airfields on that key first day of Operation Moked (“focus”); infantry soldiers who moved into the Sinai; and Dayan himself, appointed minister of defense at the eleventh hour to mastermind the take-back of Jerusalem with his commandment to “be strong.” Stirring voices from a nation determined to be reckoned with.
An ingenious guide to outsmarting others by predicting their choices when they are trying to be unpredictable. Being predictable is difficult, writes business and science writer Poundstone (Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?, 2012, etc.). When taking tests in which they are asked to write a series of random numbers, almost everyone avoids repeats such as 4444, but true randomness requires them. The authors of these tests fall into this trap, so if a correct answer in a truefalse test is true, the following is more likely to be false and vice versa. If doubt remains, guess true, since 56 percent of truefalse answers are true. Test authors must invent many wrong answers for every right one, and it’s tempting to use shortcuts. The easiest is to insert “never,” “always,” “all” or “none,” into a reasonable statement. Never choose these. On the other hand, if one answer is “all of the above” or “none of the above,” the test author must carefully write the other answers around them, so why waste all that work? These are correct an astonishing 52 percent of the time. Many genuine insights on gambling, betting pools and the stock market have limited appeal, but the string of surprises continues. Thus, hot streaks (consecutive wins in any sport and other examples) occur as often as they do in roulette. In other words, they’re purely random. “All of this book’s applications are founded on one simple idea,” writes the author. “When people make arbitrary, random, or strategic choices, they fall into unconscious patterns that you can predict.” Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers (2008) and Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s The Black Swan (2007) fascinated readers with evidence that reality regularly contradicts common sense. Poundstone delivers modestly useful advice for taking advantage of this, but mostly his book is another delightful addition to the everything-you-thought-you-knew-iswrong genre. (40 b/w illustrations)
THE LOST ART OF DRESS The Women Who Once Made America Stylish Przybyszewski, Linda Basic (400 pp.) $28.99 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-465-03671-4
Historian and prizewinning dressmaker Przybyszewski (History/Univ. of Notre Dame; The Republic According to John Marshall Harlan, 1999, etc.) recounts the social history of a group of talented women, the “Dress Doctors,” who once instructed young American women in the art of dress. 66
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While the author bemoans American women’s current sloppy attire, her illuminating commentary explains the sewing and design skills that were once common knowledge but have been washed away by a proliferation of cheap, ill-fitting and inappropriate clothing. Consequently, American women no longer possess the aptitude necessary to dress with style on a reasonable budget. Ambling through a used bookstore, Przybyszewski discovered a 1954 college textbook whose “message was artistic, logical, and democratic: knowledge, not money, is the key to beauty in dress.” A “remarkable group of women who worked as teachers, writers, retailers, and designers” wrote these texts, and many worked in home economics departments at colleges. The Dress Doctors based their theory of dress on the “Five Art Principles”: harmony, rhythm, balance, proportion and emphasis. Przybyszewski delves into the role of self-esteem, the turning away from thrift as an ideal, and the rise of consumption in America and its effects on the country. When the 1960s brought waves of social, legislative and cultural upheavals, the Dress Doctors began losing their hold on fashion. Miniskirts and pants were becoming the norm for many girls and women. By 1975, one Dress Doctor declared, the “bad was beautiful and the beautiful was worthless.” The author also explores the inherent racism of the Dress Doctors’ teachings. “The one type of woman the Dress Doctors overlooked completely was the African American,” she writes. “They thereby implied, even if they never actually wrote it down, that she could not be beautiful.” Przybyszewski’s fashion history shines a much-needed spotlight on a contingent of forgotten professionals and the role they played in dressing American women with style. (2 color inserts and 31 b/w images)
Americans lived under “a freedom more fictional than real.” Purdum is at times unsparing in his assessments of the key players in the Kennedy administration who could never push the necessary legislation through for reasons of political calculus, arrayed against a powerful bloc of Southern Democrats who soon thereafter would become Southern Republicans. That switch, of course, owed to the arrival of Lyndon Johnson, uncouth and nakedly ambitious, who managed to make the enmity of Robert Kennedy as real as the hatred of the strongest segregationist—but who also bulldozed the opposition in what might well have been the most fraught political negotiations since the passage of the 13th Amendment. Purdum’s warts-and-all account is both insightful and wholly mindful of the calculations that JFK and LBJ made at every step—the latter, for example, enlisting the despised RFK’s help in case the bill failed so that he did not have “to shoulder the sole blame for its failure.” Those battling the neo-Confederates and nullificationists of today will want this book to see how it’s done. Readers with an interest in American history and the American promise will find it a must-read as well. (15-20 b/w photos)
SO MUCH TO DO A Full Life of Business, Politics, and Confronting Fiscal Crises Ravitch, Richard PublicAffairs (288 pp.) $26.99 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-1-61039-091-0
An exemplary public servant recounts his eventful life at the intersection of business and politics. In October 1975, with New York City facing bankruptcy, the president announced there would be no federal bailout. The Daily News headline famously translated his declaration as, “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD.” Meanwhile, at the behest of Gov. Hugh Carey, Ravitch, among others, worked furiously to rescue the city. He had done this sort of financial troubleshooting before as head of the state’s Urban Development Corporation and would do so again as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and as lieutenant governor. Offering little about his personal life, Ravitch shuttles among stories about these and other high-profile public sector jobs and his work helming his family’s successful real estate development business, heading the Bowery Savings Bank and serving as the chief labor negotiator for Major League Baseball. A parade of famous names marches through the narrative, especially New York politicos—Rockefeller, Lindsay, Carey, Koch, Dinkins, Moynihan—but those looking for dish will be disappointed. With the exceptions of the Cuomos, father and son, Ravitch has little but good to say about his mentors and co-workers. Indeed, readers are surprised when he describes Joe DiMaggio as “a fairly boring fellow.” For the most part, this story features banks and budgets, credit and contracts, finance and finagling, unions and elected officials, negotiations and agreements. From
AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME Two Presidents, Two Parties, and the Battle for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Purdum, Todd S. Henry Holt (416 pp.) $30.00 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-8050-9672-9
A riveting account of the hard-fought passage of “the most important laws of the twentieth century.” The Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act and associated legislation of 1964 and 1965 had their births in the John F. Kennedy White House, as Vanity Fair and Politico contributor Purdum (co-author: A Time of Our Choosing: America’s War in Iraq, 2003) notes. However, before they were passed, America was in many ways still the two countries of yore: “North and South, black and white, still separate and unequal.” It does not speak well to Kennedy that he was sensitive enough to public opinion that he ordered Sammy Davis Jr. and his white wife, May Britt, to be removed from a White House reception on the very day that a federal commission released a report saying that black |
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EVERYBODY’S GOT SOMETHING
these dull materials—albeit matters critical to the successful operation of our municipalities and states—Ravitch draws some lessons about our need to understand the true costs of public benefits, about balancing revenues and expenditures, and about the consequences of our failure to invest in education and infrastructure. He underlines the importance of our often messy political process and the necessity of establishing sound relationships to influence public policy, and he makes a plea for greater civic engagement. For policy wonks and readers with a particular interest in New York. (b/w photos)
Roberts, Robin with Chambers, Veronica Grand Central Publishing (272 pp.) $27.00 | Apr. 22, 2014 978-1-4555-7845-0 With the assistance of Chambers (coauthor; Yes, Chef, 2012, etc.), broadcaster Roberts (From the Heart: Eight Rules to Live By, 2008) chronicles her struggles with myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare condition that affects blood and bone marrow. The author is a well-known newscaster, formerly on SportsCenter and now one of the anchors of Good Morning America. In 2007, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she successfully fought with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Five years later, after returning from her news assignment covering the 2012 Academy Awards, she learned that chemotherapy had resulted in her developing MDS, which led to an acute form of leukemia. Without a bone marrow transplant, her projected life expectancy was two years. While Roberts searched for a compatible donor and prepared for the transplant, her aging mother’s health also began to gravely deteriorate. Roberts faced her misfortune with an athlete’s mentality, showing strength against both her disease and the loss of her mother. This is reflected in her narration, which rarely veers toward melodrama or self-pity. Even in the chapters describing the transplantion process and its immediate aftermath, which make for the most intimate parts of the book, Roberts maintains her positivity. However, despite the author’s best efforts to communicate the challenges of her experience and inspire empathy, readers are constantly reminded of her celebrity status and, as a result, are always kept at arm’s length. The sections involving Roberts’ family partly counter this problem, since it is in these scenes that she becomes any daughter, any sister, any lover, struggling with a life-threatening disease. “[I]f there’s one thing that spending a year fighting for your life against a rare and insidious…disease will teach you,” she writes, “it’s that time is not to be wasted.” At-times inspirational memoir about a journalist’s battle with a grave disease she had to face while also dealing with her mother’s passing.
THE DEATH OF MONEY The Coming Collapse of the International Monetary System Rickards, James Portfolio (368 pp.) $28.95 | Apr. 8, 2014 978-1-59184-670-3
Behind Door No. 1 is inflation. Behind Door No. 2 is deflation. Neither is pretty—however, assures financial counselor and intelligence adviser Rickards (Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis, 2011), one or the other lies in our path. The thought that the world’s economic systems are doomed to collapse anytime soon might be dismissed as the stuff of the tinfoil-hat crowd. Quickly entering into the realm not of paranoia but of fiscal wonkiness, Rickards examines the many ways this might come about—through financial cyberterrorism, for instance, or simply the unwieldiness of banks too big to fail but that surely will. “Large banks are not necessary to global finance,” he writes, and particularly dangerous to the health of the world economy is their flourishing trade in derivatives, which “serve practically no purpose save to enrich bankers through opaque pricing and to deceive investors through off-the-balance-sheet accounting.” On the matter of off-the-sheet calculations, Rickards notes that the common excuse—that times may be tough but at least we don’t have inflation—is a smoke screen: Allowing for “alternative methods” of accounting, real inflation is probably 9 percent annually, gauged by the prices of milk, bread and other inelastic goods. Rickards rides an old hobbyhorse of fiscal conservatives, namely, the tragedy of our abandonment of the gold standard (under Richard Nixon, of all presidents) and the desirability of readopting it—and real gold at that, and not its derivatives. Though the collapse he foretells will induce chaos, he assures his readers that it is not necessarily inevitable, though avoiding it is unlikely. As he writes in a rare moment of drama, “as the dollar’s 9/11 moment approaches, the system is blinking red.” A mostly accessible survey of the financial scene. Readers take note: Buy gold, land and art—and hunker down.
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“Sharlet assembles a highly literate potpourri of writings about religion, faith and other manifestations of ‘the production of social life.’ ” from radiant truths
NOW YOU SEE ME How I Forgave the Unforgivable
The phrase, notes the author in his introduction, is a commonplace of cultural anthropology, describing the narratives that enable us to live in the world: Jesus died for our sins, America is an exceptional nation blessed by God, and so forth. Interestingly, Sharlet’s chief criterion here is to gather pieces that speak to “what happens when we say ‘religion’ out loud.” The collection begins and ends with Walt Whitman: At the start, he is praying and singing with wounded Union soldiers in a Washington hospital, while at the end, writer Francine Prose is moved to tears on seeing his words, “I am large, I contain multitudes,” on a sign above the Occupy Wall Street encampment, inspired to resist “the awful isolation and powerlessness of knowing we’re being lied to and robbed on a daily basis.” Between those Whitmanesque braces are numerous pieces that are not widely enough known, such as pioneering journalist Abraham Cahan’s report from the streets of New York on the suicide of a Jewish man at Purim, a holiday meant to be cheerful; Meridel Le Sueur’s almost supernaturally charged account of the Minneapolis strike of 1934, a Woody Guthrie song come to life (“the walking, falling back, the open mouth crying, the nostrils stretched apart, the raised hand, the blow falling, and the outstretched hand drawing me in”); and H.L. Mencken’s dismissive analysis of the fundamentalism that propelled the Scopes Monkey Trial: “Divine inspiration is as common as the hookworm.” The pieces are heterodox enough to have commonality only insofar as they address questions of the great beyond, but readers will find plenty here to sustain questions—and perhaps even a few answers—of their own.
Sanders, Kathy FaithWords (288 pp.) $23.00 | $10.99 e-book | Apr. 8, 2014 978-1-4555-2619-2 978-1-4555-2620-8 e-book A journey of self-discovery after terrible loss. On April 19, 1995, a day many people will never forget, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed, killing 168 people. For Sanders, it was also the day her Christian faith was rocked to her very core, as her two young grandsons, Chase and Colton, were among the victims. The author details the moments, days and years after that fateful morning as she struggled to understand why someone would harm innocent people and why God would allow such a destructive event to occur. She was determined to get answers and reached out to the one person who might be able to provide them: Terry Nichols, the co-conspirator in the bombing. Although she often questioned her decision to befriend this murderer and received no sympathy for her actions from the families of victims, Sanders continued her pursuit, knowing her decisions were based on God’s idea of forgiveness. Through letters and phone calls, she connected with Nichols to the point where she was able to tell him, “I love you.” She also extended her forgiveness and friendship to Nichols’ mother and sister, inviting them to her home. Honest in her selfassessment, Sanders doesn’t hide her overwhelming grief at the loss of her two grandsons or the profound comfort she felt when she let God help her toward finding the truth about the bombing. “While looking for the truth about the Oklahoma City Bombing, I found something much better,” she writes. “It has restored my joy and put a smile on my face….My victorious life is wrapped in forgiveness.” Strongly Christian-based, the author’s testimony shows how extreme faith can overcome overwhelming situations and allow kindness to replace bitterness and despair. A moving account of how one woman’s life was changed forever after the Oklahoma City bombing.
THE PREDATOR PARADOX Ending the War with Wolves, Bears, Cougars, and Coyotes
Shivik, John Beacon (200 pp.) $26.95 | $26.95 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-0-8070-8496-0 978-0-8070-8497-7 e-book
Biologist and wildlife management expert Shivik unravels the hydra-headed conundrum confronting ranchers and urban and rural individuals seeking solutions for controlling wolves, bears, cougars and coyotes in the 21st-century American landscape. “The predator paradox is about the interface of humans, animals, and environment, and not about an easy, clear morality from a distance,” writes the author. “It is about the people and animals that we impact, either directly or within a few degrees of separation.” Each year, federal agents kill more than 90,000 wolves, bears, cougars and coyotes, and other agencies and citizens also have strong opinions concerning the role these large predators should or should not play in our lives. Often when biologists lead public hearings focused on predator control, the meetings “tend to become vituperative eruptions” rather than sessions of reasoned discourse. “How different people approach or answer those questions tells a lot about how widely
RADIANT TRUTHS Essential Dispatches, Reports, Confessions, and Other Essays on American Belief
Sharlet, Jeff–Ed. Yale Univ. (424 pp.) $30.00 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-300-16921-8
Sharlet (English/Dartmouth Coll.; Sweet Heaven When I Die: Faith, Faithlessness, and the Country in Between, 2011, etc.) assembles a highly literate potpourri of writings about religion, faith and other manifestations of “the production of social life.” |
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STEPHEN CRANE A Life of Fire
fundamental human values can differ,” Shivik writes. The author explores the experiments by scientists searching for methods for nonlethal control of predators, and he discusses different behaviors among the various predator groups as well as between individual animals. Shivik surveys the issue from the point of view of ranchers and farmers whose livelihoods are tied to making a living off the land, and he recounts the bloody history of predator control in the United States, describing the role played by Wildlife Services today. Ultimately, the author stresses that each of us “have a certain responsibility to understand and act on wildlife issues, rural and urban, distant and near.” Shivik’s style makes the science accessible and relevant for general readers. The narrative is carried by the author’s insights, admonitions and the engaging profiles of those working to resolve the predator paradox.
Sorrentino, Paul Belknap/Harvard Univ. (452 pp.) $39.95 | Jun. 1, 2014 978-0-674-04953-6
Thoroughly researched biography of Stephen Crane (1871-1900), who shocked his contemporaries with raw, gritty fiction. Sorrentino (English/Virginia Tech; editor: Stephen Crane Remembered, 2006, etc.) faced challenges in writing this biography: mainly, previous books that perpetuated errors and lies and few sources to set the record straight. His study chronicles the personal and literary struggles of a controversial writer who vowed to live “a life of fire.” The youngest son in a large family of precociously intelligent children, Crane refused to follow in his father’s footsteps as a minister, instead hoping to train at West Point for a military career. However, his plan was deflected by an older brother’s advice to enter a miningengineering program at Lafayette College. There, and later at Syracuse University, Crane was a mediocre student, preferring to drink, smoke, play poker and carouse with his fraternity brothers; he finally dropped out and moved to New York City, intent on becoming a writer. While barely supporting himself as a journalist, he finished a novel drawn from the life he observed in the city’s slums: “the bleak portrayal of a naïve, sentimental girl in the tenements of New York.” Unable to find a publisher for Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, Crane published the book himself, winning praise from writer Hamlin Garland and influential editor William Dean Howells. The novel, Sorrentino writes, was “the first significant example of literary determinism in American literature,” but its candor and pessimism made critics wary of reviewing it. Three years later, though, The Red Badge of Courage, Crane’s psychological study of a Civil War soldier, generated adulation and fame. Good fortune was short-lived, however; bad business decisions and “questionable ethics” eroded what he earned, and Crane’s last years were fraught with financial troubles. He kept writing, always hoping for a fresh start, until tuberculosis killed him at the age of 28. Sorrentino’s authoritative and sympathetic portrait revives a “bohemian rebel” and prolific, groundbreaking writer. (20 halftones)
THE TRAGEDY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Disintegration or Revival?
Soros, George with Schmitz, Gregor Peter PublicAffairs (208 pp.) $22.99 | Mar. 11, 2014 978-1-61039-421-5 Can the European Union be saved? So ponders financier Soros (Financial Turmoil in Europe and the United States, 2012, etc.), who fears that the unifying project of the euro “has gone badly wrong.” A favorite bogeyman of the conspiratorial far right, the author admittedly draws criticism for having made much of his considerable fortune on betting on economies going south. The conditions for currency speculation, though, could not be better: As interlocutor Schmitz, a correspondent for Der Spiegel, observes, we live in a time of “reflexivity,” when perception and reality are badly mismatched regarding macroeconomics, causing instability throughout both markets and governments—instability that economists have been hard-pressed to understand. By Soros’ account, unfolded in these wide-ranging conversations with Schmitz, it was almost a self-fulfilling prophecy that the instability of the euro—touched off by the financial chaos of the Great Recession in America— should have affected the poorer nations on the EU’s fringe most profoundly. Greece and Spain, for instance, were relegated “to the status of Third World countries,” in part due to the weakness of their central banks. The discussion can be technical, but Soros is generally plainspoken; as a bonus, he is also quite revealing about himself, confessing that his wealth has allowed him to exercise his penchant for impressing his ideas on the world. As for the possibilities of the euro’s survival, Soros has definite ideas that may not please the already burdened taxpayers of Germany, whom he wishes to enlist in equalizing the cost of credit and instituting the “eurobonds” that the nation’s banks have resisted. For economics and policy wonks, to be sure, but with interesting insights into the functioning of one of the world’s most powerful—and potentially far more so—economic blocs. 70
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THE COVER-UP AT OMAHA BEACH D-Day, the US Rangers, and the Untold Story of Maisy Battery
Provocative only begins to describe Stevens’ (Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir, 2011, etc.) program. Perhaps the most controversial is the constitutional amendment that, after surveying the history of amendments generally, he saves for last—namely, to rewrite the Second Amendment so that it indisputably speaks to the intention of the Founders: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms when serving in the Militia shall not be infringed.” The italics are Stevens’—the strongest reaction to this proposed change is sure to come from devoted NRA members. In fact, that change would likely spell political suicide if forwarded by a sitting elected legislator, but Stevens, retired from the bench for several years, is above the fray. He can therefore safely advance another likely nonstarter, given the prevailing circumstances: another amendment, this one prohibiting partisan gerrymandering of legislative districts, which allowed the Democrats to win the plurality of votes but the Republicans to control the House in the last election. Though clearly of blue-state leanings, Stevens is evenhanded: He no more approves of Democratic gerrymandering than Republican. The author’s prose is sometimes lawyerly, but more often, it is plain and to the point: “[T]here is no reason why partisans should be permitted to draw lines that have no justification other than enhancing their own power.” That plain talk extends to his arguments for limiting money given to those in power—overturning Citizens United in the bargain—and controlling states-rightist impulses to nullify federal authority and declare sovereign immunity. A refreshing set of opinions. One wishes that other retired justices would speak their minds so clearly, providing well-crafted arguments for others to take up.
Sterne, Gary Skyhorse Publishing (336 pp.) $24.95 | May 6, 2014 978-1-62914-327-9
A revision and amplification of the position of German defensive battlements on the Normandy beaches widens and deepens the questions surrounding the Overlord operation. Sterne, who lives part of the year in the Normandy area, collects war antiques and is co-founder of Skirmish and Armourer magazines, sets out discoveries of a vast, previously unknown underground German battery and bunker system beneath Maisy, Normandy, assaulted by the Rangers in their push inland on June 6, 1944. As the author argues, the Rangers broke out from the beaches and were headed for the Pointe du Hoc big guns, only to discover that the guns had been moved and were not there—a failure perhaps of U.S. intelligence. The Maisy battery was two miles from the coast yet had an ideal vista to the sea. Indeed, it was a fully operational underground trench system, containing lethal howitzers, as well as barracks and a telephone shelter that had all been built by increments over the years of German occupation. Sterne has done extensive research into the German operations at Maisy, as well as what Allied intelligence knew or did not know about it. The actual battle to take the mazelike battery was arduous and took a heavy toll on the Rangers. Sterne aims to correct misconceptions around “D-Day myths”—e.g., that the Pointe du Hoc guns were operational rather than dummy positions to detract from the real emplacements at Maisy, as engineered by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Sterne believes that the 5th Rangers have not been properly recognized along with the 2nd in taking the battery, and he presents his evidence in numerous, abrupt switches among the points of view of the soldiers involved. Pictures and maps also vie for the reader’s attention. A glut of information impedes a view of the forest for the many trees.
THINGS A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME Confessions of the Creative Mind
Stone, Biz Grand Central Publishing (240 pp.) $26.00 | $12.99 e-book | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-4555-2871-4 978-1-4555-7929-7 e-book
The co-founder of Twitter shares wisdom on the business of success. Tech pioneer Stone (Who Let the Blogs Out?: A Hyperconnected Peek at the World of Weblogs, 2004, etc.) has the best intentions when he counsels readers to develop and challenge the ideas we prize most. By “merging your abilities with your ambitions,” he writes, the keys to becoming successful entrepreneurs are within reach. His book, an effective hybrid of memoir and motivational guidebook, charts Stone’s own triumph from humble beginnings spent tirelessly cultivating Xanga, his first startup web company, which struggled but never did anything but plunge him and his girlfriend deep into debt. It did, however, familiarize him with fellow tech wunderkind Evan Williams. That association would place him on Google’s doorstep
SIX AMENDMENTS How and Why We Should Change the Constitution
Stevens, John Paul Little, Brown (192 pp.) $23.00 | $12.99 e-book | $27.00 Lg. Prt. Apr. 22, 2014 978-0-316-37372-2 978-0-316-37374-6 e-book 978-0-316-33376-4 Lg. Prt. The former Supreme Court justice proposes constitutional changes to restore the old republic. |
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in 2003, vying for a position developing Williams’ program Blogger. Dipping into podcasting and a few smaller startup ideas kept Stone focused once he’d separated from Google, but the brainstorming (what he dubs “the two-week hackathon”), which became the impetus for Twitter, is both exciting, ingenious and exciting to read about. Specifics on this Silicon Valley success story were soon drafted, such as the 140-character limit (“constraint inspires creativity”), how to troubleshoot its numerous platform failures, and how to further Twitter’s public appeal and functionality (“the mechanics of flocking”). Twitter’s explosion onto the tech map would bring about a proposal from Facebook honcho Mark Zuckerberg, described in deliciously vicarious detail by Stone, who’s obviously not a fan. More personal insights on his veganism and altruism follows, all written with a chatty, amiable sensibility that makes Stone emerge as one of the more benign web-app execs to burst from the California tech gold mine. Perceptive, motivational advice for geeks and nongeeks alike, all interwoven with the true story of how Twitter found its flock.
pluck and drive found in every woman and give older women the courage to believe in their dreams despite the odds. Mostly stimulating stories of women’s achievements sure to generate new ideas; best read in doses. (60 b/w photos)
NOT TO BE MISSED Fifty-Four Favorites from a Lifetime of Film
Turan, Kenneth PublicAffairs (352 pp.) $24.99 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-58648-396-8
A veteran critic offers a decade-bydecade list of the films that have been like “friends who’ve enriched my life.” Los Angeles Times and NPR’s Morning Edition film critic Turan (Now in Theaters Everywhere: A Celebration of a Certain Kind of Blockbuster, 2006, etc.) confesses his discomfort with his own project: so many films. He was so uncomfortable, in fact, that at the end, he suggests two others for slot 55, then appends yet another list of 54 that he’s loved. Film lovers will eagerly swoop in to see if their favorites are present, and there are certainly some surprises. Turan does not mention either Charlie Chaplin or Harold Lloyd. Citizen Kane does not make the first cut—though it does appear as a recommendation at the end of his discussion of Sweet Smell of Success; it also appears in the appended list (as do two other Welles films). Turan’s tastes are eclectic: documentaries (Stranded), Westerns (The Unforgiven), an animated feature (Spirited Away), crime films (Kiss Me Deadly), musicals (Singin’ in the Rain), films based on classic novels (Great Expectations), films everyone’s heard of (Casablanca) and films that few beside the cognoscenti know (The Best of Youth). In each case, the author introduces each decade and discusses the directors and performers; in many instances, he summarizes the plots and/or gives some back story about the making of the films. Principally, however, he explores how each film affected him and how the filmmaker managed to do what he did (male filmmakers dominate here). Among the principal factors are cinematography, music, individual performances, the power of the plot, the settings, the ambiance, the effect of surprise and the styles of the directors. Although Turan discusses many Hollywood studio films, he also includes films from Japan, Italy, Denmark, Israel and elsewhere. Like most other “my-favorites” projects, this one will surely ignite debate, disdain and delight.
IT AIN’T OVER...TILL IT’S OVER Reinventing Your Life—and Realizing Your Dreams— Anytime, at Any Age
Thomas, Marlo Atria (400 pp.) $27.00 | Apr. 8, 2014 978-1-4767-3991-5
Success stories from women who have taken their lives in new directions. Personal losses, empty nests, the deaths of loved ones, general dissatisfaction with the status quo—these are just a few of the reasons why the women featured by actor Thomas (Growing Up Laughing: My Story, 2011, etc.) chose to change their lives in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Many had successful careers that brought them a satisfying income but left them wondering, “what if this is all that there is to my life?” These women still had unfulfilled dreams and yearnings, but instead of choosing complacency, they pursued the emotionally and physically demanding route of something new, often succeeding beyond what they could have ever imagined. Most had no special knowledge of the new venture on which they were embarking, although work in corporate jobs did help with planning and networking. What they all shared was determination and a deep longing to explore ideas that they had always pushed to the back burner: A corporate job was exchanged for the ski slopes, a desire for healthy food for a child became a million-dollar business, and a knitting hobby became a gourmet yarn and coffee shop. Many ideas were born from the need for an item—e.g., a cellphone carryall, a day planner and a sippy-cup tether—or a desire to do something radically different, like wakeboarding, working as an actress or being a DJ. Other women wished to help others in need and had a strong desire to give back to the community at large. Straightforward and inspirational, the stories show the 72
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“Timed to appear before the 2014 tournament in Brazil, the book provides a readable personal story and a history of America’s coming-of-age on the pitch.” from eight world cups
EIGHT WORLD CUPS My Journey through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer
The author would be the first to admit that the classification of humans into races—and the possibility of there being a genetic component to the variations—has been hijacked to propagate invidious policies, from racism to eugenics to the Holocaust, which in turn has made further study of how genetics may play a role in the history of the races taboo. Nonetheless, Wade asks, is it inevitable that comparing races foments racism? Why wouldn’t one look to genes for traits: literacy, nonviolence, thrift, numeracy, etc.? In a fluid tone, the author dusts the fingerprints of “natural selection as it molded and reworked the genetic clay.” First, he examines the less-contentious material of social behavior—cooperating with the group, following norms, punishing violators—as well as elements of fairness and reciprocity within the group, intuitive morality and “genetically influenced behaviors, the expression of which is shaped by culture.” Is it really a stretch, as Edward Wilson was pilloried for suggesting, that “[h]armful cultural practices may lead to extinction, but advantageous ones create selective pressures that can promote specific genetic variants?” Following evolutionary theory and history, Wade also tackles some time-worn curiosities. Why did the Industrial Revolution happen where it did? Because the rich, with more surviving offspring, infused their values throughout English society and a critical mass was reached in the human economic behavior that had evolved over the previous 10,000 years. What force shaped the nature of Ashkenazi Jewish intelligence, their skill with words and numerals? It is possible that their engagement in moneylending, which was cognitively demanding but also rewarding, “was important because it enabled Jews to secure a considerable degree of reproductive success?” A freethinking and well-considered examination of the evidence “that human evolution is recent, copious, and regional.”
Vecsey, George Times/Henry Holt (304 pp.) $28.00 | May 13, 2014 978-0-8050-9848-8
One man’s perspective on more than three decades of international soccer. New York Times columnist Vecsey (Stan Musial: An American Life, 2011, etc.) was among the earliest major sports journalists in the United States to embrace wholeheartedly the world’s most beloved game. “Maybe because I discovered soccer relatively late in life, I saw it with fresh eyes, a fresh heart,” he writes. “I loved the difficulty of it, the kaleidoscopic surprises, with a growing appreciation for the history and the strategy.” He experienced his first World Cup in Spain in 1982 and has attended the global showcase every four years ever since, as well as witnessing the emergence of the women’s World Cup as a significant sporting event. Here, the author serves as an idiosyncratic tour guide through the recent history of the beautiful game and the politics surrounding it. His periodization, if solipsistic and occasionally self-indulgent, is also apt, as it begins when the United States was a true backwater in the sport and ends as the Americans have established a presence as a solid second-tier power (this is not an insult) on the world’s stage. Vecsey’s tone is conversational, which usually works but may at times prove grating for some readers. His intended audience is the increasingly sophisticated and educated American soccer supporter and may well not resonate outside of the U.S. The author also admirably engages with the rise of the women’s game, though by the end of the book, he seems to have forgotten about the distaff side. Vecsey also confronts some of the seamier aspects of the politics of soccer’s global governing bodies and some of its more corrupt leaders. Timed to appear before the 2014 tournament in Brazil, the book provides a readable personal story and a history of America’s coming-of-age on the pitch. (15-20 b/w photos and one 8-page photo insert)
THE NOBLE HUSTLE Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death
Whitehead, Colson Doubleday (256 pp.) $24.95 | May 6, 2014 978-0-385-53705-6
An assignment to compete in the World Series of Poker allows the author to meditate on his identity, failings, writing, appetite for beef jerky and challenge to make the leap from decent house player to high-stakes pro gambler. As a novelist of considerable range, Whitehead consistently writes about more than he’s ostensibly writing about, turning a futuristic zombie novel (Zone One, 2010, etc.) into a parable of contemporary New York and here writing a poker book that should strike a responsive literary chord with some who know nothing about the game, though for those who want to read a poker book, much of this contextual elaboration might feel like padding. It begins with a definition of “anhedonia: the inability to experience pleasure,” preceding the first chapter, “The
A TROUBLESOME INHERITANCE Genes, Race, and Human History
Wade, Nicholas Penguin Press (288 pp.) $27.95 | May 6, 2014 978-1-59420-446-3
Deploying his natural science background, New York Times journalist Wade (The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why It Endures, 2009, etc.) strides into the political minefield of genetic influence on racial differences. |
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“Despite a lack of revelations, this is probably the best Olivier book for general readers.” from olivier
Republic of Anhedonia,” of which the author proclaims himself a citizen and representative. The first sentence: “I have a good poker face because I am half dead inside.” He also has an ex-wife, a young daughter, a weekly poker game and an assignment from Grantland to cover the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas as a participant. Even the assignment is something of a gamble—his freelance payment is the entrance fee, and whatever he wins (or, presumably generates in subsequent book royalties), he keeps. But if he loses, as odds are he will, he gets nothing but memories and experience for the article he must write. As he writes of warm-up sessions in Atlantic City, training with his “Coach,” competing with more experienced players in Vegas, he sometimes seems to be trying too hard—“Pick your fights like you pick your nose: with complete awareness of where you are”— while drawing parallels between poker and writing (“We were all making up stories, weaving narratives”). Since his narrative doesn’t proceed chronologically to a natural climax, he jumps around a bit with time. A minor work by a major novelist, a busman’s holiday, but engaging in its color and character.
unable to work onstage, a painful fate for an actor who regarded film and TV as second choices. His formerly happy third marriage to Joan Plowright suffered in this period as well; once he could no longer act, he was a querulous old man waiting to die. Despite a lack of revelations, this is probably the best Olivier book for general readers. (Two 16-page b/w photo inserts)
OLIVIER
Ziegler, Philip MacLehose/Quercus (352 pp.) $35.00 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-62365-042-1 Veteran biographer Ziegler (Edward Heath, 2010, etc.) offers a well-rounded portrait of the legendary English actor. Laurence Olivier’s life (1907-1989) has been the subject of innumerable biographies, ranging from innocuous (Anthony Holden, 1988) to scandalous (Donald Spoto, 1992)— not to mention his own weirdly frank yet ultimately unrevealing Confessions of an Actor (1982). Ziegler’s version contains nothing particularly new on Olivier’s earlier years: the rivalry with John Gielgud in Romeo and Juliet, the partnership with Ralph Richardson at the Old Vic (home to Olivier’s greatest performance, in Richard III); his pioneering efforts as a popularizer of Shakespeare on film, most notably with Henry V; and the tragic marriage to Vivien Leigh, doomed by the basic incompatibility of their talents. Ziegler does convey a vivid sense of what made Olivier the most famous stage actor of the 20th century: He simply worked harder than anyone else and invested his roles with a physical bravura that made him thrilling to watch. The biography is notable for a substantive account of Olivier’s tenure as director of England’s National Theatre, during which he helped establish a fledgling organization with his charm and charisma while also displaying the well-known competitiveness that kept such acting peers as Gielgud and Richardson off the National’s roster. Nonetheless, as Ziegler notes, the National owed its existence to Olivier’s “passionate exuberance [and] dynamic energy”; he deserved better than the poorly managed transition to Peter Hall’s leadership in 1973. Olivier’s final years were marked by a series of debilitating illnesses that left him 74
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children’s & teen These titles earned the Kirkus Star:
NORMAN, SPEAK!
Adderson, Caroline Illus. by Leng, Qin Groundwood (32 pp.) $17.95 | May 13, 2014 978-1-55498-322-3
PICNIC by John Burningham.............................................................. 80
HOOVES OF FIRE by Denys Cazet......................................................81 IF IT RAINS PANCAKES by Brian P. Cleary; illus. by Andy Rowland.........................................................................83 OUTSIDE IN by Sarah Ellis..................................................................85 THE GLASS SENTENCE by S.E. Grove............................................. 88 MILES TO THE FINISH by Jamie Harper........................................... 90 WHILE WE RUN by Karen Healey..................................................... 90 SLEEPYHEADS by Sandra J. Howatt; illus. by Joyce Wan.................91 THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Kazuno Kohara...................................97 DALIA’S WONDROUS HAIR / EL CABELLO MARAVILLOSO DE DALIA by Laura Lacámara; trans. by Gabriela Baeza Ventura.........97 WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart....................................................... 98 DREAMWOOD by Heather Mackey................................................... 98 MILLIE FIERCE SLEEPS OUT by Jane Manning................................ 99 MIGRANT by José Manuel Mateo; illus. by Javier Martínez Pedro..........................................................100 THE FREEDOM SUMMER MURDERS by Don Mitchell..................102 FROODLE by Antoinette Portis......................................................... 104 A BOY AND A JAGUAR by Alan Rabinowitz; illus. by Catia Chen.............................................................................105 DEER DANCER by Mary Lyn Ray; illus. by Lauren Stringer..........105 THE PILOT AND THE LITTLE PRINCE by Peter Sís.........................109 FILE UNDER by Lemony Snicket; illus. by Seth.................................110 THREE BEARS IN A BOAT by David Soman................................... 111 A TIME TO DANCE by Padma Venkatraman.................................... 113 DIRT BIKES, DRONES, AND OTHER WAYS TO FLY by Conrad Wesselhoeft.........................................................................114 FIENDISH by Brenna Yovanoff..........................................................116 BAD LUCK GIRL by Sarah Zettel.......................................................116 A MOM FOR UMANDE by Maria Faulconer; illus. by Susan Kathleen Hartung....................................................... 117 HOW TO CHEER UP DAD by Fred Koehler...................................... 118 FOLLOWING PAPA’S SONG by Gianna Marino............................. 118 SEND FOR A SUPERHERO! by Michael Rosen; illus. by Katharine McEwen...............................................................120 GEOLOGY by Kids Discover.............................................................. 121 WAKE UP MO! by StoryToys..............................................................122 |
In this picture-book debut, novelist Adderson (Jasper John Dooley: Not in Love, 2014, etc.) provides an affectionate look into the surprises of bringing home a new pet. It’s a familiar scene for many families: A young boy and his parents adopt a dog from the animal shelter. Overwhelmed by the choices, the boy wishes he could take home every forlornlooking pup. He decides that he’ll choose a stray, Norman, that has been there the longest. The pup has a stump of a tail, and his wag is “a hula dance of happiness.” At home, the boy encourages Norman to do the usual canine things, like sit or speak. Norman, however, doesn’t understand, and the boy figures that Norman just isn’t very smart. But intelligence is deceiving. Through an encounter with another pet owner, the boy discovers that Norman understands Chinese (Mandarin), not English. (“Norman! Why didn’t you say so?” scolds the boy.) Pet lovers will appreciate this family’s lighthearted journey toward making this relationship succeed. As an added bonus, readers can learn or brush up on their Mandarin, giving an original twist to the story. Leng’s illustrations in ink on paper add heart with warm pastel hues. The simple and clean facial expressions convey emotions with the right touch, from puzzlement to complete joy. Norman’s rocking rump and hula dance are quite the highlights—it’s a language everyone can understand. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)
WHERE’S MY TUSHY?
Aronson, Deborah Illus. by Stevanovic, Ivica Carolrhoda (24 pp.) $17.95 | $12.95 e-book | May 1, 2014 978-1-4677-1197-5 978-1-4677-1199-9 e-book Playful rhyming couplets reveal the necessity of backsides. You’d think it’d be cushy to write about tushies. You’d think it’d be easy to please. Instead, it’s a chore. The effort’s a bore, and rhyming takes real expertise. Aronson pulls it off in this jaunty picture book enlivened by humorous cartoons featuring chubby, shmoo-like figures dressed in an amazing variety of underwear. When all the tushies in town decide their lives are “too tough” and take off for vacation at the beach, people
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discover just how important these body parts are in their lives. Their clothes won’t stay up, and they can’t sit down. There’s no real narrative arc here. The rumps run away, romp in the sun and then return, while their owners worry and wonder where they’ve gone. The couplets, often set as quatrains, sit directly on the illustrations, many of which are double-page spreads that expand the story. Stevanovic’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations, digitally enhanced, show unhappy townsfolk making do with pillows and suspenders while detectives and police carry on their investigation and the runaways enjoy the shore. A wraparound cover sets the stage, depicting the bums escaping into the night. Captain Underpants look-alikes return with a caper sure to tickle preschool funny bones at storytime. (Picture book. 3-6)
D-DAY The Invasion of Normandy, 1944
Atkinson, Rick Henry Holt (224 pp.) $17.99 | May 6, 2014 978-1-62779-111-3
This version of the much-admired The Guns at Last Light (2013) for younger audiences focuses on the drama and the astonishing scale of one of World War II’s pivotal operations: the D-Day invasion. Having plainly done his research, Atkinson seats readers at secret meetings of the Allied commanders, ejects them with paratroopers over the foggy French countryside, puts them into landing craft to hear soldiers barf and exclaim, and sends them out to die bloodily on beaches wracked with enemy fire. Along the way, he also drops almost-unimaginable numbers: 301,000 Allied vehicles gathered for the invasion, 3,000 tons of maps, nearly 700 GIs killed in a single training exercise. He also provides fascinating sidelights, from the fiendishly clever disinformation campaign preceding the invasion to the contents of K-rations. For all its scope, the story is largely told from the Allied point of view, as most of the German side of the event is confined to a single chapter. Furthermore, all the rest of the war in Europe is likewise squeezed into a chapter around two lengthy congratulatory messages from (then) Gen. Eisenhower. Within its limits, a grand and historically significant tale told with dash and authority. (maps, charts, lists of major armies and figures, weaponry, personal supplies, timelines, photos) (Nonfiction. 11-13)
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BLOODWITCH
Atwater-Rhodes, Amelia Delacorte (288 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | $20.99 PLB May 13, 2014 978-0-385-74303-7 978-0-307-98074-8 e-book 978-0-375-99091-5 PLB Series: Maeve’ra, 1 Atwater-Rhodes begins a new vampire series with a new world in this first installment of the Maeve’ra series. Vance has lived all his life in a wonderful, colorful greenhouse ruled by the beautiful Lady Brina. Now 14, Vance adores Brina and feels completely loyal to Midnight, the vampire empire ruled by Lady Jeshickah. Vance is not a vampire: He’s a shape-shifter who transforms into a quetzal. He leaves the greenhouse when Malachi Obsidian, a rebellious shape-shifter who hates Midnight, takes Vance to its stronghold, and once there, Vance discovers how brutally the vampires treat their human slaves and others they command. When he learns that he has some sort of magic, he faces more decisions, especially since a mysterious disease has begun to ravage both human slaves and vampire masters. At last, other groups become involved in an effort to destroy Jeshickah and the seemingly all-powerful, oppressive empire of Midnight. Vance makes for a naïve, rather hyperconscious narrator, continually speculating as to who may be telling the truth and what their motives may be. With this series, the author takes inspiration from the mythology of ancient Mexico, basing names and spellings on Mayan and Aztec words. It’s clear that this installment is just a setup volume, and the plot to take Midnight down will span many characters and pages to come. Plenty of fun ahead for the author’s many fans. (Paranormal suspense. 12-18)
SUBWAY LOVE
Baskin, Nora Raleigh Candlewick (384 pp.) $16.99 | May 6, 2014 978-0-7636-6845-7 A time rift connects Laura in 1972 with present-day Jonas. The story of their romantic connection alternates with scenes of each struggling with parental divorce in his or her own time. While the mechanics connecting Laura and Jonas are never explained, they seem to be related to a set of New York City subway trains tagged by a particular graffiti artist, Spike, in 1972. While riding these particular trains, Laura and Jonas can see, touch and talk to each other— but leaving the train severs their connection. Spike befriends Laura in 1972 and is also able to connect with Jonas—even outside of the subway. Wanting to preserve his subway art, Spike
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“Bausum successfully weaves Stubby’s astonishing story together with information about the war….” from stubby the war dog
believes Jonas’ photography hobby can help, as a white boy with a camera will be less likely to draw authorities’ attention than a Hispanic graffiti artist might. There’s a lot happening in this novel: time rifts, parental divorce, physical abuse, Jewish mysticism, musings on hippie culture, commentary on racial tension in the 1970s and more, all of which ends up overwhelming the romance that supposedly centers the story. Though readers are told Laura and Jonas are soul mates, the disjointed narrative never allows real chemistry to develop. An ambitious concept that doesn’t take off. (Historical fantasy. 12-16)
STUBBY THE WAR DOG The True Story of World War I’s Bravest Dog Bausum, Ann National Geographic (64 pp.) $17.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-4263-14865
DIGGER DOG
Bee, William Illus. by Johansson, Cecilia Nosy Crow (36 pp.) $14.99 | Apr. 22, 2014 978-0-7636-6162-5 Digger Dog is obsessed with finding buried bones, but will he be able to dig
up the world’s largest? His nose finds the bones, and a shovel usually works to dig them up. But this time, a shovel just doesn’t cut it. Neither do a little digger, a bigger digger or a much bigger digger (depicted as a series of ever-larger backhoes). Luckily, Digger Dog has access to the biggest digger in the whole world (so large it needs a foldout of the entire two-page spread to encompass it all). And while the bone may not require the similarly large final foldout spread, what lies beneath it does. But will Digger Dog find it? Throughout, two helpers, a rabbit and a mouse, cheer him on and supply the orange cones, construction signs and tape that mark this
In a story that reads like fiction, a remarkable bond between a soldier and his dog provides a unique look at World War I. Stubby, a mixed-breed dog so named due to his stump of a tail, hung around the Army reservists training at Yale in 1917. Many of them reacted favorably to the dog, but none more than James Robert Conroy, who smuggled the animal onto the ship to France. Stubby even managed to charm the commanding officer, who allowed the dog to stay, not the last to fall under his spell. He became a working dog, hunting rats that plagued the trenches, among other duties. He even suffered an injury that necessitated a stint in the Army hospital—where he went to work boosting patients’ morale. Once back in action, he proved invaluable in finding enemy wounded and managing prisoners of war. He was even credited with capturing a German soldier. At war’s end, Stubby returned home with Conroy with honors, no longer a stowaway. Bausum successfully weaves Stubby’s astonishing story together with information about the war and reveals how connections between people and animals brought an element of humanity into the difficulties of war. Conroy maintained a scrapbook about Stubby, so the text is enlivened with period photographs, including those of Stubby in his uniform. Dog lovers and budding military historians alike should find this canine perspective on the Great War an absorbing read. (timeline, research notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
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“If Harriet M. Welsch lived in 1953 in a community vulnerable to McCarthyism, this might be her story.” from the spy catchers of maple hill
as a digging site. Johansson’s mixed-media illustrations keep the focus on Digger Dog and his workers, their action playing out against a white background and on top of bright ground that is filled with circle patterns, the exposed dirt receiving a color and pattern all its own. With lots of repetition and mostly simple vocabulary, this is suitable for those children moving beyond the early-reader stage, though the lack of a real story may disappoint. Digger-obsessed children will be enthralled, though others may easily pass on this one-note dog. (Picture book. 2-6)
THE BIG SPLASH!
Benjamin, A.H. Illus. by Lycett-Smith, Jon Digital Leaf (32 pp.) $17.95 | May 20, 2014 978-1-909428-32-4 Cartoonish animals, repetitive phrases and fast-paced suspense make for a story that toddlers and their slightly older siblings can enjoy together. Five different woodland animals are interrupted from such activities as “enjoying a nibble” and “storing food” by the same loud noise: “Da-Dump! Da-Dump! Da-Dump! The ground shook and shuddered, trees trembled, rocks rattled….It was a terrible noise!” Each animal dashes away from home, and on each successive page, readers see the growing procession of runaways, until all five—Hare, Beaver, Skunk, Raccoon and Fox—are backed against a wall of rocks. The huge, noise-making beast— Buffalo—arrives on the scene, and a delicious, surprising ending comes with a lesson that young children are just starting to learn: “It was scary at first!” the animals shout. “But fun afterwards!” The artwork clearly supports the text, with wide-eyed, active animals comically portrayed against simple, colorful backgrounds. Such touches as Skunk’s penchant for “frolicking in a flower field to freshen herself up” keep the tone light. Even when the five friends are backed into a corner, with the shadow of the “HUGE, shaggy creature” upon them, the humor throughout both text and illustrations keeps young readers reassured that all will be well. Read it aloud a few times, and younger voices will soon join in. (foldout splash scene [not seen]) (Picture book. 2-5)
THE BABY TREE
Blackall, Sophie Illus. by Blackall, Sophie Nancy Paulsen Books (40 pp.) $17.99 | May 1, 2014 978-0-399-25718-6 When a small boy learns a baby’s coming to his family, he wonders where it’s coming from. In words and pictures, the unnamed narrator’s imagination builds a variety of possibilities from the pat responses to his query he gets from a teenage friend, a teacher, the mailman and his grandfather. Finally, he asks his parents. 78
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Their simple explanation about a seed, an egg and birth in a hospital helps him see that all the other answers (except for Grandpa’s story about the stork) were partially right. As she did in Are You Awake? (2011), Blackall captures the natures of children’s curiosity and family conversations. Her ink-and-watercolor illustrations include plenty of white space. They show the rosy-cheeked boy engaged in typical kid activities at home, at school and while visiting his grandfather. His question is not burning, but time passes and he gets more and more confused. (And his mother gets visibly pregnant.) The pacing is leisurely and the tone gently humorous, and the answer includes no anatomical details. Modern in its imagery (both parents have smartphones plugged in by the bed), this is just right for initiating a conversation with a 4- to 6-year-old child. A final page for parents covers less typical family situations: twins, adoption and single-sex couples. A gentle, appropriate answer to a perennial question. (Picture book. 4-6)
THE SPY CATCHERS OF MAPLE HILL
Blakemore, Megan Frazer Bloomsbury (320 pp.) $16.99 | $11.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-1-61963-348-3 978-1-61963-349-0 e-book If Harriet M. Welsch lived in 1953 in a community vulnerable to McCarthyism, this might be her story. Fifth-grader Hazel has short hair, a Mysteries Notebook and, when the school day ends, dungarees. Her stomping grounds are Memory’s Garden—the cemetery that her parents run—and their sleepy Vermont town. Hazel sneaks canned goods from her kitchen to a graveyard mausoleum so that when the Russians attack, her family can use it as a fallout shelter. Her fear of Communists comes from duckand-cover drills at school, Sen. McCarthy’s search for “Reds” at a local factory, the repeated failures of adults to explain anything and her own proclivity to fill in the gaps. In addition to threatening atomic annihilation, the Russians will put people into sausage grinders and eliminate ice cream floats. Surely the gravedigger her parents recently hired must be a spy. Hazel shanghais strange new boy Samuel into helping her gather evidence, but Samuel’s life holds mysteries too—and sadness. For a smart, probing kid, Hazel’s an interesting and believable mix of persistence and naïveté. Some schoolmates have “a dark, solid center that ma[kes] them mean” and some adults “[r]umor, whisper [and] lie,” but funny, relentless Hazel does what’s necessary until things come clear for her, her people and her town— with some emotional insight gained. Hazel’s inquisitiveness, independence and imperfections are a winning combination. (author’s note) (Historical mystery. 9-12)
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THE MONKEY GOES BANANAS
Bloom, C.P. Illus. by Raymundo, Peter Abrams (40 pp.) $14.95 | May 6, 2014 978-1-4197-0885-5
This predominantly wordless picture book delivers a substantial helping of slapstick. The story begins on the copyright pages with a lone monkey sitting on a beach contemplating a banana tree across a body of water. The monkey—drawn with thick, heavy lines like the rest of the illustrations—tries swimming to the banana tree, only to beat a hasty retreat when he finds the waters shark-infested. The perspective shift as the panicked monkey surges back out of the water is a nice change from what up to this point has been stable. The monkey is not so easily dissuaded from his wouldbe meal and tries—and fails—multiple ways to get around the shark, who in turn refuses to be foiled. Raymundo moves the action forward in this portion of the story in comic book–esque panels. Words are used exclusively for labeling characters (“the monkey”; “the shark”) and elements (“the stilts”; “the bait”) in the story (with the lone exception of the shark’s mighty “CHOMP!”). When the tenacious monkey finally gets his longsought-after banana, it is only for it to fall—literally—into the... mouth...of the enemy: a delighted-looking shark. Though it won’t be joining the stately likes of Aaron Becker’s Journey or Bob Staake’s Bluebird (both 2013), this book is a good laugh nonetheless: There’s nothing wrong with lighthearted fun. (Picture book. 3-7)
WHOOSH AND CHUG!
Braun, Sebastien Illus. by Braun, Sebastien Harper/HarperCollins (32 pp.) $16.99 | May 27, 2014 978-0-06-207754-7 Braun introduces another pair of machine pals in his latest, following Toot and Pop (2012) and Digger and Tom (2013). Chug is a hardworking little engine who uses his two cars and his crane to collect and deliver freight. He may not be fast, but he is careful and dependable. Whoosh is a passenger train who sometimes pokes fun at Chug, calling him a slowpoke. Readers follow Chug on his rounds as he goes “into the forest… / past the lake… / and through the tunnel.” He comes to a stop at a junction, where the signal box tells him there’s danger ahead. While the patient engine waits and waits for the light to turn green, the impetuous Whoosh flies by. When a rock slide and a hole in the bridge trap the larger engine, it’s Chug who comes to the rescue, passing the still-red light to methodically remove the rocks and free Whoosh, who promises to pay better attention. Whoosh thanks Chug for being such a good pal, but since their friendship was not established at the beginning, their bond seems a little shallow—the relationship seems mostly to |
consist of Whoosh’s harping on Chug’s slowness, both before and after the rescue. Braun’s digital illustrations are bright, bold and clean; they combine with the ever-popular subject of trains to grab readers’ attention, but the story within won’t hold it. This Thomas wannabe is eminently skippable. (Picture book. 3-6)
BEFORE WE EAT From Farm to Table
Brisson, Pat Illus. by Azarian, Mary Tilbury House (32 pp.) $16.95 | May 1, 2014 978-0-88448-352-6
A simple poem thanking the people who grow, transport, sell and prepare our food is transformed by Azarian’s bright woodcuts. Upon a verdant, wood-bordered field sits the proverbial groaning board, replete with tablecloth and candles; seated around it are people of diverse ages, genders and ethnicities. This opening image effectively sets the stage with its pleasing composition, exciting patterns and exquisite details. Awkwardly laid out under this strong opening, spread-spanning illustration is the prosaic but certainly accessible-to-all introduction: “As we sit around this table / let’s give thanks as we are able / to all the folks we’ll never meet / who helped provide this food we eat.” The text is set along white borders of both single- and doublepaged artwork. It’s essentially a secular grace chanted beneath furrowed fields, glistening seas and a harvest scene that includes a worker with an “Eat more kale” T-shirt. Old and young, men and women alike roll up their sleeves and get to work without regard to typical gender roles. Eggs, milk and honey are gently collected, sows eat, and cattle graze; in keeping with the reverential mood, only butchers are absent from the list of workers. One thoughtful sentence stands out: “Thank the ones who bought this food, / the ones who teach me gratitude.” A warm celebration of both small farms and the idea that it takes a village to feed a child. (Picture book. 2-6)
TORN AWAY
Brown, Jennifer Little, Brown (288 pp.) $18.00 | May 6, 2014 978-0-316-24553-1 Jersey Cameron has lived her whole life in Elizabeth, Mo., where the weather is unpredictable, and complaining about it is a full-time job. When Jersey’s mother and little sister perish in a tornado, Jersey finds herself rejected by her guilt-ridden, emotionally paralyzed stepfather. He sends her to live in a house full of hostile strangers comprising her alcoholic biological father, who left Jersey and her
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mother when Jersey was a baby; his boorish wife and her two spoiled daughters (the Cinderella connection won’t be lost on readers); and Jersey’s heartless grandparents. Jersey is immediately put to work washing everyone else’s dishes and is made to sleep on a sofa on the porch (sleeping among the ashes must have been considered too obvious). After a particularly nasty fight with the evil stepsisters, Jersey runs away and finds herself with another set of strangers: her mother’s estranged parents. Readers may find themselves wanting to throttle Jersey by the middle of the book; while Brown starts off doing a wonderful job depicting the grief and depression that comes with such a catastrophic loss, Jersey ends up sounding whiny. The novel’s didacticism—Jersey continually reflects on how good she had it before the tornado, regretting sharp words she can’t take back— also causes it to lose its edge. A lukewarm story about finding family and starting over. (Fiction. 12-16)
PICNIC
Burningham, John Illus. by Burningham, John Candlewick (32 pp.) $16.99 | May 13, 2014 978-0-7636-6945-4 A picture-book master presents an engaging feast of a bedtime book. Just as Boy and Girl pack their picnic basket with everything they’ll need for a perfect luncheon, Burningham packs every part of his book’s design with details that contribute to its success. The front cover art introduces the protagonists, while the back depicts the anthropomorphic animal friends—Duck, Pig and Sheep—who join them. Open the book, and the bull that frightens them away from their first picnic site is charging forward on the front flap. Meanwhile, endpapers depict the many characters, places and props that appear in ensuing pages. This provides an “I spy” element to the design, reinforced by later pictures in which the characters lose various items and the text directly asks readers to find them hidden in the pictures. When the group finally does find “a good place to have their picnic,” Burningham treats readers to a wordless double-page spread with generous white space at the top and a verdant, speckled ground on which the friends share their meal. After playtime, they head home to go to bed, and the text asks the reader, “Who is sleeping in which bed?” This leads to a final page that pulls no punches in its playful, direct statement: “Shall we see if we can find your bed?” A very good “good night.” (Picture book. 2-5)
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THE STORM TOWER THIEF
Cameron, Anne Greenwillow/HarperCollins (432 pp.) $16.99 | $7.99 paper | $10.99 e-book May 6, 2014 978-0-06-211279-8 978-0-06-211277-4 paper 978-0-06-211278-1 e-book Series: Lightning Catcher, 2 In this second of the Lightning Catcher series, storm prophet Angus McFangus returns to the Perilous Exploratorium for Violent Weather and Vicious Storms to solve a deadly mystery involving icicle storms, ice diamonds and an enigmatic lightning heart. While his parents remain prisoners of villainous Scabious Dankhart, 11-year-old Angus discovers he has an uncle, Jeremius, who specializes in Arctic weather. Jeremius has been ordered to return with Angus to Perilous, where they find the Exploratorium wrapped in a cold extreme even for its high altitude, with Dankhart as prime suspect. Reunited with chums Dougal and Indigo, Angus and his fellow lightning cubs engage in dangerous cold-weather survival classes while Angus tests his storm-prophet skills against holographic weather horrors. The winter weather nightmare escalates when Dankhart’s clouds of lethal ice diamonds pelt Perilous. After deciphering a message warning him he must find the lightning heart in order to stop Dankhart, Angus knows what he must do, but he suspects it’s bait laid to trap him. Reprising the successful formula of The Lightning Catcher (2013), Cameron again locates her engaging trio of best friends in the fantastical Perilous boarding school venue populated with a growing cast of bizarre characters and some truly horrific winter weather. Fans of Angus McFangus will applaud his latest weather-fantasy adventure. (Fantasy. 8-12)
BIG BIRTHDAY BASH
Cammuso, Frank Illus. by Cammuso, Frank Amulet/Abrams (96 pp.) $14.95 | $6.95 paper | May 20, 2014 978-1-4197-1025-4 978-1-4197-1026-1 paper Series: Misadventures of Salem Hyde, 2 With giant spectacles and even more spunk, budding witch Salem Hyde is back, determined to give her friend the best birthday ever. Tempestuous Salem is a flurry of a girl, always acting first and thinking second. Luckily, her feline companion, Whammy, is there to help keep her grounded and help her use—or, more often, help her undo her use of—her nascent magical powers. When Salem is invited to her friend Edgar’s big birthday bash, she’s beyond excited. However, right from the start, her adversary, the know-it-all Shelly, is determined to upstage her at every turn. Salem decides she’ll give Edgar the best and
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“…Cazet rolls out a tale equally rich in urbane innuendo and slapstick hilarity, cast in well-spaced lines of fluent prose….” from hooves of fire
biggest present ever—with disastrous, magical results. Salem and Whammy are perfect foils, with her whirlwind liveliness balanced by his (semi) calm wisdom. Cammuso keeps the jokes flowing throughout the volume and adroitly weaves them in and out of each narrative section, coming full circle by the end. Linebased art reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes sets an immediate mood, and the characters’ dramatic facial expressions make a winning complement to the steady stream of chuckle-worthy antics. This volume makes a fine jumping-in point for the series, but readers should also make sure to check out the excellent series opener, Spelling Trouble (2013). With lots of laughs and lots of heart, this sophomore offering doesn’t disappoint. (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)
SEARCHING FOR SKY
Cantor, Jillian Bloomsbury (288 pp.) $17.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-61963-351-3
For Sky, contemporary California is a brave new world. As a young child, Sky was one of four survivors of a shipwreck. She has no memory of her life before she lived on Island, slept in Shelter and swam in Ocean. At 16, she now only has River, a slightly older boy, for company, and it’s River who first spies the boat that will change their lives. Rescued from Island and brought to California, Sky struggles to navigate a new life she never wanted—one where she is separated from River and must live with her grandmother, who insists Sky’s real name is “Megan.” In the tradition of Emma Donoghue’s Room (2010), the first-person, presenttense narration allows readers to see their familiar modern lives through Sky’s fresh eyes, though Cantor occasionally ruins the effect by overusing the device. The development of secondary characters suffers to further the plot: Sky’s grandmother is frustratingly inept at times, as is most of the “team of professionals” she assembles to help Sky acculturate. Nevertheless, it’s still satisfying to see Sky’s growth as the truth about her past is gradually revealed. Despite some shortcomings, an appealing and sensitive reverse-survival story. (Fiction. 12-17)
THE ONE
Cass, Kiera HarperTeen (336 pp.) $17.99 | $12.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-0-06-205999-4 978-0-06-206001-3 e-book Series: Selection, 3 The 35 Selection candidates have been whittled down to four; whom will Prince Maxon choose? There’s contained, competent Elise, sweet, kind Kriss, gorgeous, bitchy Celeste and narrator America, who just can’t seem to keep herself from upsetting the apple cart of the Illéan monarchy. Her impulsive thoughts and actions—when the bad Southern rebels start picking off victims caste by caste, she advises the populace to fight back—have King Clarkson fuming. He wants America gone, but America and Maxon want each other—maybe. Amid sorties to meet with the nice Northern rebels and the pageantry of the Selection, the tiresome push-pull of Cass’ love triangle continues. America and Maxon and America and hometown sweetheart–turned–palace guard Aspen keep coming this close to having the critical conversations that will settle matters; it is this tension, not the pretense of political drama, that maintains the plot. Though there’s some attempt made to fill out some of the secondary characterizations, by and large it falls flat. King Clarkson in particular is a cartoon of a blustering strongman; it’s impossible to take him at all seriously as a ruling head of state. And for all America’s protestations of spunky egalitarianism, there’s absolutely nothing in her character or the story structure that does anything but support the corrupt system she supposedly rejects. Readers who think colloquium interruptum is an exceptionally slender premise for a 300-plus–page trilogy conclusion are right. (Dystopian romance. 14-18)
HOOVES OF FIRE
Cazet, Denys Illus. by Cazet, Denys Creston (208 pp.) $15.95 | Jun. 23, 2014 978-1-939547-08-8 Series: Minnie & Moo
In an extremely belated second chapter-book–length outing, Cazet’s bovine best buds kick up their heels in Red Tractor Farm’s “First Annual Hoot, Holler, and Moo Talent Festival.” From the outset, it’s a struggle to keep the audience and the scheduled performers in line—both groups being a mix of domesticated or thoroughly undomesticated sheep, chickens, wolves and weasels (plus Irene the rhino and a few fourlegged vacationers from “Africa World”). Unsurprisingly, a steady string of minor disasters keeps things fizzing. A chorus of overexcited chickens lets loose a barrage of eggs (“Geeze |
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“Tess’ first-person, present-tense voice lends chilling immediacy to her no-nonsense story of mixed loyalty, disturbing secrets, and ethical dilemmas….” from parched
Louize, girls!…Couldn’t you use precautions?”); an impromptu port-a-potty race breaks out during intermission; the crowd enjoys much amateur poetry (“Getting milked / I find quite pleasin’. / I think it’s the way / They does the squeezin’ ”), and the money box repeatedly disappears. Despite all this, the two redoubtable ruminants carry the day to a weary but triumphant close. As in Minnie & Moo and the Seven Wonders of the World (2003), Cazet rolls out a tale equally rich in urbane innuendo and slapstick hilarity, cast in well-spaced lines of fluent prose and illuminated with lots of comical monochromatic ink-and-wash views that feature expressively posed animals in casual human dress or, in aptly named Elvis the rooster’s case, a “white luminescent jumpsuit.” Another romp with nary a dull nor serious moment; welcome back, girls. (Illustrated fiction. 9-11)
EERIE DEARIES 26 Ways to Miss School
Chaperon, Rebecca Illus. by Chaperon, Rebecca Simply Read (64 pp.) $19.95 | May 1, 2014 978-1-927018-40-8
An alphabet of excuses, from “A is for ASTRAL PROJECTION” to “Z is for ZOMBIE APOCALPYSE,” channels the gothic spirit of Edward Gorey. The text follows the standard abecedary model, with a large single letter and a following line on each spread’s verso. The excuses range from at least faintly credible (“K is for KIDNAPPED”; “M is for MONONEUCLOSIS”) to such less-floatable plaints as “E is for ENNUI” and “G is for GREMLINS.” Painted largely on the covers, jackets or endpapers of old books (with the titles often visible), 26 neurasthenic girls cast in gloomy lighting and clad in school-uniform blouses, skirts and high boots poutingly model or act out each alibi amid minimally detailed surroundings. The backgrounds can be the best parts of the illustrations. Beastly Boys and Ghastly Girls is a nice complement to G; Out of the Night is positively brilliant for “I is for INSOMNIA”; A Perfect Spy makes mordant comment on “O is for OBSERVATION,” in which a drowning girl is espied through a pair of binoculars. Others are less successful: Why position an ex libris sticker over the conked-out girl in “N is for NARCOLEPSY”? Of doubtful utility as an idea book for young slackers but sure to draw a few chuckles from the teen leather-andlip-ring set—and grown-ups who often find themselves writing or receiving parental notes to the teacher. (Picture book. 12 & up)
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PARCHED
Clark, Georgia Holiday House (320 pp.) $17.95 | May 1, 2014 978-0-8234-2949-3 A gutsy teen living on an arid, depleted Earth two centuries in the future faces danger and shocking revelations when she covertly joins a subversive group. Sixteen-year-old Tess lived in Eden, a seemingly idyllic, domed city where access to information and water is regulated by the governing Trust. After a rogue robot killed her scientist mother, Tess fled with a terrible secret to the desperate, arid Badlands, where she’s recruited by Kudzu, explained to her as a “nonviolent collective working to undermine the Trust and free the Badlands.” Learning Kudzu plans to destroy Aevum, the Trust’s latest advanced robot, Tess reluctantly returns to Eden, where she finds the luxurious life morally unconscionable and secretly trains with Kudzu. Living with her uncle, who’s involved with Aevum, Tess is strangely attracted to his sympathetic assistant, Hunter. During a Kudzu raid on the Trust’s lab, Tess discovers that Aevum will be used to eradicate all inhabitants of the Badlands—and that Hunter’s not what he seems to be. Tess’ first-person, present-tense voice lends chilling immediacy to her no-nonsense story of mixed loyalty, disturbing secrets, and ethical dilemmas associated with diminishing natural resources and scientific experimentation. Bold futurist adventure with unusual romance, riveting action and ominous ecological red flags. (Science fiction. 12-16)
BRAIN FREEZE!
Clark, Todd Illus. by Clark, Todd Andrews McMeel (176 pp.) $13.99 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4494-4424-2 Series: Ice Cream Kid, 1 In a series opener heavily sprinkled with references to butts, boogers and farting, a fourth-grader discovers that frozen treats give him superpowers. Irwin Snackcracker makes this discovery when chomping into a Fudgsicle results in superspeed and a conversation with a squirrel. Hot on the heels of this incident, he comes home to the revelation that such abilities run in the family—in fact, his Grandpa Gus and flatulent canine sidekick are actually renowned heroes Mighty Super Gus and Capt. Corgi. Both the amateurish cartoon illustrations, which look like they were digitally crafted in the 1980s, and Irwin’s accompanying narrative are so redolent with booger-waving and other heavy-handed juvenile crudités (“Butt…now that’s a funny word. Classic”) that the plot comes off as an afterthought. No sooner does Irwin
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get a cool costume of his very own (with ICK, for “Ice Cream Kid” across the chest) than he’s off with his elder relative to corral Sweaty Crocker, a school lunch lady jailed for “excessive toenails in the meatloaf ” and other crimes but now on the loose. Can she be stopped before she releases the monstrous repurposed school kitchen oven Choptimus Grime upon the unsuspecting citizens of Mock City? Only the very specific audience Clark has in mind will care, and even they may not care very much. (“fun facts and activities,” not seen) (Fantasy. 8-10)
IF IT RAINS PANCAKES Haiku and Lantern Poems
Cleary, Brian P. Illus. by Rowland, Andy Millbrook (32 pp.) $6.95 paper | $19.95 e-book $26.60 PLB | May 1, 2014 978-1-4677-4412-6 978-1-4677-2531-6 e-book 978-1-4677-1609-3 PLB Series: Poetry Adventures
An engaging lantern poem and haiku how-to for young readers. Veteran children’s series author Cleary (Feet and Puppies, Thieves and Guppies: What Are Irregular Plurals? with Brian Gable, 2014, etc.) and British illustrator Rowland team up to launch the new Poetry Adventures series with a picture book demonstrating the great fun to be had with wee poems. While poets typically choose the spare haiku or concrete lantern form to communicate profound reflections on nature, here Cleary turns poetic convention on its ear by conjuring silly, sometimeshilarious situations. Whether describing a bodily function, as in “Yummy”—“When something’s so good / you want to taste it again, / that’s what burps are for”—or poking fun at the haiku form itself—“When you’ve written one / without enough syllables, / you add words. Football”—Cleary’s light touch immediately grabs attention. Even the more contemplative lantern poems, so called because the five-line syllabic form’s outline slightly resembles that of a Japanese lantern, are perfectly geared for the young: “Hug: / a gift / that is best / when you return / it.” To further entice readers to write, Cleary provides clear descriptions of the poetics of each form alongside Rowland’s vibrant, brightly hued illustrations that include a nicely ethnically diverse cast of human characters as well as zany aliens and plenty of visual wit. Wonderfully crafted and illustrated: a delightful, effective primer for budding poets. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)
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SUSAN MARCUS BENDS THE RULES
Cutler, Jane Holiday House (112 pp.) $16.95 | May 1, 2014 978-0-8234-3047-5
The summer before fifth grade brings changes for a Bronx girl. Susan and her parents are leaving the Bronx for Clayton, Mo. It’s the middle of World War II, and Susan’s father, not in the armed forces, has changed jobs. She worries about being a Yankees fan in St. Louis Cardinals territory and leaving close friends and family behind, but she hasn’t counted on the troubling difference in accents and relations with adults from North to South. She makes two new friends very quickly; one has an annoying little sister, and one is a “Negro kid.” Playing with the two of them leads to bigger thoughts. Perhaps they should integrate the pool. No, Jim Crow laws are too strong, she is told. Well then, thinks Susan, they “could ride on the bus together, and we would not be breaking any law.” Although public transportation here is integrated, they raise plenty of eyebrows and turn many heads. Part of this civil disobedience involves eating in a Chinese restaurant that has been vandalized with antiJapanese slogans. Cutler writes her story with her focus squarely on issues. There is insufficient motivation for Susan to have this level of social conscience, and actions take precedence over character development. In addition, her family is nominally Jewish, so there are some requisite but gratuitous-feeling antiSemitic remarks. World War II, segregation and prejudice in a book that feels decades old in its approach. (Historical fiction. 8-12)
BABAR ON PARADISE ISLAND
de Brunhoff, Laurent Illus. by de Brunhoff, Laurent Abrams (48 pp.) $18.95 | May 13, 2014 978-1-4197-1038-4
Shipwrecked pachyderms find many pleasures and surprises on a tropical island. Babar and Celeste and their family, along with their friend “the old lady,” board a boat in Celesteville “for a day on the water.” A storm at sea changes everything; the ship hits a reef and capsizes. The party is able to walk to shore, an island with vines and bushes and palm trees. Babar comes face to face with a creature that looks like a dragon, but when it opens its mouth, not fire but welcoming words come out. The preternaturally helpful creature helps them find coconuts to eat, shows them how to build a hut, and takes them to a waterfall where they can shower and swim. Some of them even get to ride on the dragon’s back. Days pass, and many other animal residents of the island come forward to introduce themselves. At night, everybody sits around
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the fire, singing songs and telling stories. The old lady even manages to make a delicious key lime pie for all to share. Rescue is inevitable, though Babar has mixed emotions. Could their new friend go with them? Even into its umpteenth volume, the hallmarks of the series stand out: simple, declarative sentences, ever-so-mild threat level, blocky, clothed elephants—de Brunhoff ’s too smart to mess with a successful formula. Familiarity here breeds contentment. (Picture book. 3-6)
THE RING AND THE CROWN
de la Cruz, Melissa Hyperion (384 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-4231-5742-7 978-1-4231-8774-5 e-book Series: Ring and the Crown, 1
The lives of five teens intersect in turn-of-the-20th-century London, the capital of the Franco-British Empire. Aelwyn Myrddin, daughter of the Merlin, the magical power behind the throne, has just returned from exile in Avalon. Princess Marie-Victoria, sickly daughter of the 150-year-old Queen Eleanor, reluctantly awaits her marriage to Leopold, Kronprinz of Prussia and wielder of the magical weapon that brought the mighty empire to its knees. Wolf—short for Wolfgang—Leopold’s rapscallion younger brother, has just boarded the Saturnia, on his way to London from New York. Ronan Astor, beautiful scion of the impoverished colonial family, is also on the Saturnia, hoping to snag a rich, titled lord. And Isabelle de Valois, whose family would rule France had the British not defeated the witch Jeanne of Arkk 500 years earlier, heads across the channel to salvage her engagement to Leopold. Intrigue and heartbreak ensue. De la Cruz effectively plaits real-world history together with what-ifs both magical and political to create a fizzy period soap opera. So much attention has been spent on worldbuilding, in fact, that the actual plot takes forever to start and then resolves both abruptly and all too conveniently. Moreover, incompletely explained inconsistencies with regard to the length of Aelwyn’s exile will drive some readers crazy. Readers captivated by the setting may enjoy this novellength setup; they will hope for more plot in the next installment. (Historical fantasy. 14 & up)
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DARK METROPOLIS
Dolamore, Jaclyn Hyperion (304 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-4231-6332-9 978-1-4231-8100-2 e-book A decadent populace, a totalitarian state and a plague of vanishing people bring three young people into the heart of an anti-government plot. Thea just wants to keep her job at the Telephone Club, serving the wealthy glitterati. Her mother’s losing her reason to bound-sickness, weakened by magically enhanced grief from the destruction of her illegal marriage bond to Thea’s missing-in-action father. These days, it’s all Thea can do to keep the two of them alive. Freddy is one of those wealthy Telephone Club patrons. By night, he woos Thea, who fascinates him; by day, he brings corpses back to life at the request of his guardians. Nan was once a Telephone Club waitress herself, but now, she’s awakened—her memory magically damaged—surrounded by gray, unhappy laborers who insist she’s dead. This postwar, Jazz Age–inflected, slightly steampunk magical world is revealed through the eyes of these three teens as they try to save all their world’s victims, even those long since doomed. It’s not clear why this government is so wicked—it feels as though the villains’ dastardly behavior is more a matter of convenience than conviction. Whatever the cause, what can comic-book evil do in the face of three adolescent protagonists? There’s a possibility of sequels in the chaotic, untidy conclusion. There’s enough original worldbuilding in this comfortably familiar dystopian fantasy to keep readers going despite the gaps. (Fantasy. 12-15)
VEGGIES WITH WEDGIES
Doodler, Todd H. Illus. by Doodler, Todd H. Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (32 pp.) $14.99 | $12.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-1-4424-9340-7 978-1-4424-9341-4 e-book The vegetables in Farmer John’s garden learn all about underwear in Doodler’s latest. Those who find underwear funny (mostly kids between 2 and 7) will have no problem overlooking the facts presented here: The veggies aren’t rooted in the ground; they have no hands, legs or butt cheeks to speak of; and they don’t have clothes to wear underwear under. None of this prevents them from checking out the many pairs of tighty whities (all different sizes) on the laundry line above their garden patch, wondering what they are for, and finally trying them on in various ways until Carrot finally sets them straight. Bad fits result in the titular wedgies, so they swap underwear until most are wedgie-free. While adults will surely cringe at the entire package, these veggies will have kids looking at their underwear in new
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“Ellis tackles big themes—loyalty, legality, responsibility, family—with a sure, steady hand….” from outside in
ways. For those making the transition from diapers, this could be a turning point, especially considering the catchy jingle the vegetables sing at the end. Doodler’s characters convey a lot of emotion with just round eyes and simple mouths, though it’s too bad that Carrot, a seeming underwear expert, is stereotypically portrayed wearing glasses. But really, what’s not to like (if you’re very young) about digital vegetables with underwear on? Beware, though, kids may want to wear their underwear like the veggies—without any clothes on top. (Picture book. 2-5)
THESE GENTLE WOUNDS
Dunbar, Helene Flux (336 pp.) $9.99 paper | May 8, 2014 978-0-7387-4027-0
The sole survivor of an incident in which his mother drove herself and four children into a river, high school sophomore Gordie copes with the aftereffects of trauma. It’s been five years since That Day. Gordie is a successful hockey goalie but still has nightmares, hand spasms and self-soothing rituals he calls “spins.” He is certain that everyone at school knows what happened to his family and believes Gordie is a damaged freak. When Gordie’s violent father, who left after the incident, reaches out to Gordie through Child and Family Services, Gordie is sent reeling. The portrayals of Gordie’s fears and coping strategies are adequate, but every element of the story echoes the legions of teen novels about young people dealing with similar tragedies. A tear falls wetly onto a hand. A traumatic event is referred to with Ominous Capitals. A cute, compassionate girl with a quirky hobby takes an interest. The protagonist blames himself for what happened only to discover later that no one else believes he is at fault. Although the relationship between Gordie and his protective older brother, Kevin, is compellingly multilayered, Sarah, Gordie’s love interest, feels more like a plot device than a person. Though competently enough written, it fails to distinguish itself. (Fiction. 12-16)
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WIZARD OF MENLO PARK, NEW JERSEY
Earl, Cheri Pray; Williams, Carol Lynch Familius (152 pp.) $9.95 paper | May 20, 2014 978-1-938301-77-3 Series: Just in Time, 3 In an effort to rescue their parents, who are lost in time, a pair of adventurous time-traveling twins goes to Menlo Park, N.J., in 1879, where they meet Thomas Edison and try to stay a step ahead of antagonist Mr. Crowe, a fellow time traveler. The premise of this series, which can be characterized as time-travel adventure with a little history thrown in, is that Gracie and George, 9-year-old twins, must return the various objects their time-traveling parents collected to their rightful places and eras. Their hope is that once all the objects have been returned, their parents can come home. But to do this, the twins have to travel through time themselves, and in a distinctly odd twist, a side effect is that one of them turns into an animal. In this adventure, George and Gracie, now a parrot, learn that Thomas Edison invented the time machine and that there are rules governing time travel. Unfortunately, the rules are not clarified, and with two Mr. Crowes in a time paradox and two time machines, the story becomes somewhat muddled. After a confusing climax and hopeful ending, the book concludes with three nonfiction codas, one about Thomas Edison and two offering facts about New Jersey. A little something for everyone—history, humor, adventure, time travel—but not a patch on the Magic Tree House. (Adventure. 7-11)
OUTSIDE IN
Ellis, Sarah Groundwood (208 pp.) $16.95 | $14.95 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-1-55498-367-4 978-1-55498-369-8 e-book “What if you could just invent your family, your home, your life?” There are times 13-year-old Lynn wishes she could do just that—like right now. Her feckless, New Age–y mom has just ended her relationship with solid, dependable Clive, lost her job and, worst of all, totally forgotten to get Lynn’s passport, so Lynn can’t go to Choirfest in Portland. Marooned without her BFFs, the Vancouver teen finds an unexpected friend in Blossom, a mysterious girl who saves her with the Heimlich at a bus stop. She leads Lynn down something of a rabbit hole to her home— a cozy, makeshift shelter in a park—where she lives with a dog, her two brothers and a man called Fossick, who is not her father legally or biologically but who is thoroughly devoted. Ellis tackles big themes—loyalty, legality, responsibility, family—with a
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“Although it’s clear early on who the killer might be, the fun comes from Millie’s spunky sleuthing and Fantaskey’s witty, cliffhanger chapter endings, which leave readers begging to turn the page.” from buzz kill
sure, steady hand, allowing Lynn and readers to see the contrast between her situation and Blossom’s and to consider the many threads of relationship that make a family. Both girls’ homes and security are tenuous, though in very different ways, and both are effectively powerless. As Lynn falls in love with the magical, quasi-legal underworld that Blossom inhabits, layers of betrayal threaten it, and everyone shares culpability. More than a thoughtful ode to found family, this slim, sweet novel challenges readers to look anew at the ones they have. (Fiction. 10-14)
THE RULES FOR BREAKING
Elston, Ashley Hyperion (320 pp.) $16.99 | $9.99 e-book | May 20, 2014 978-1-4231-6898-0 978-1-4231-9035-6 e-book Series: Rules for Disappearing, 2 Anna Boyd finally has her name— and her life—back, and she won’t give either up without a fight. In this follow-up to The Rules for Disappearing (2013), Anna, so thankful to have left the world of witness protection behind, is shocked to learn that she is still being hunted by Thomas, the villain who masqueraded as a federal agent and who inexplicably allowed her and her boyfriend, Ethan, to escape when he might easily have killed them. Before she knows what hit her, Anna, her family and Ethan’s are sent off to hide in a remote wilderness area from which she, Ethan, and her little sister, Teeny, are ultimately kidnapped. The trio is whisked away to a secret location where they learn that they have become pawns in a deadly game of chess being played by assassins, organized crime lords and rogue agents. The implausible but still engaging storyline is jam-packed with impulsive decisions that carry foreseeable disastrous consequences, unexpected betrayals and alliances, and a series of skin-of-the-teeth escapes. Amid the chaos, Anna’s head-over-heels infatuation with Ethan and sweet devotion to Teeny will give readers something familiar they can hold on to. Like a good roller-coaster ride: adrenaline-fueled and terrifying with an underlying feeling that everything will end as it should. (Suspense. 12-18)
BUZZ KILL
Fantaskey, Beth HMH Books (368 pp.) $17.99 | May 6, 2014 978-0-547-39310-0 A small-town murder plus a big-time romance equals one feel-good mystery. When high school senior Millie Ostermeyer discovers football coach “Hollerin’ Hank” Killdare’s murdered corpse on school property, no one is surprised that someone would want this seemingly abusive official dead. The suspect could be anyone in Honeywell, Pa., even the assistant coach, whom everyone has seen arguing with Killdare—and who happens to be her widowed father. Taking leads from her beloved literary heroine Nancy Drew (“WWND?”), the prizewinning investigative school newspaper reporter tackles every angle to solve the mystery. Her self-deprecating humor comes in handy more than once, whether it’s outwitting inept Detective Lohser (with a long “o,” of course) or her vindictive newspaper editor, also a cheerleader and her archenemy. And like Nancy’s Ned, Millie has boyfriend Chase Albright to help her solve the clues. Well, he might be her boyfriend if she can also figure out the mystery of why this hot transfer student spends his weekends alone. Their punchy, flirtatious banter will leave fans of John Green and Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss (2010) swooning. Although it’s clear early on who the killer might be, the fun comes from Millie’s spunky sleuthing and Fantaskey’s witty, cliffhanger chapter endings, which leave readers begging to turn the page. If only Nancy Drew had this much excitement solving her cases. (Mystery. 13-18)
MOUSEHEART
Fiedler, Lisa Illus. by To, Vivienne McElderry (336 pp.) $15.99 | $10.99 e-book | May 20, 2014 978-1-4424-8781-9 978-1-4424-8784-0 e-book A naïve mouse discovers his true mettle when he’s accidentally plunged into a world of warring rats, mice and feral cats in Brooklyn’s underground
transit tunnels. An avowed coward, Hopper lives in a pet-shop cage with his sister and brother. After a dramatic escape, Hopper’s separated from his siblings and finds himself alone and terrified in dark tunnels, from which a wily rat named Zucker rescues him. Sympathetic and engaging, Zucker takes Hopper to the sprawling rat metropolis of Atlantia, where Zucker’s father, Titus, rules. Treated like royalty and initially impressed, Hopper gradually discovers that Atlantia hides dark secrets. When he’s captured by a band of rebel rats who deliver him to a tribe of mice called 86
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the Mus, Hopper learns he may be the son of Mus’ legendary leader and could indeed be their Chosen One, destined to lead them against their archenemy, Titus. Unsure if he should trust his friend Zucker or the Mus, a confused Hopper resolutely overcomes his fear to discover the real meaning of courage. Riddled with surprises, the fast-paced, complex plot features a host of vivid, memorable rodent and feline characters. Blackand-white illustrations capture key events. Another stalwart mouse with a brave heart will win fans in this captivating underground adventure. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)
BROKEN HEARTS, FENCES, AND OTHER THINGS TO MEND
Finn, Katie Feiwel & Friends (352 pp.) $17.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-250-04524-9
In this first book of a series, a 16-year-old tries to repair a friendship she destroyed five years before. Gemma’s summer begins with her sweet, steady boyfriend’s sudden decision to break up. Then circumstances require Gemma to leave her BFF and stay with her dad—in the Hamptons, a place that holds awful memories. It was here that 11-year-old Gemma, devastated by the possibility of her parents’ divorce, broke up her father and his new girlfriend, Karen, by doing horrendously mean things to her and her daughter, Hallie. Karen and her family return for vacation, and Gemma first runs into Josh, Hallie’s handsome brother, but due to her massive makeover, she goes unrecognized. It is then she decides to make it up to Hallie by doing a multitude of kind things for her. But soon Gemma’s falling for Josh, and the complex plot thickens. There is much for teen readers to like here: snappy and snippy dialogue, embarrassing situations, blossoming romance, pool parties and the constant tension of maintaining a secret. But the plot threads strain the moorings of credibility, and readers will have to be willing to suspend truckloads of disbelief to stay engaged. And due to the hefty infusion of mean-girl morality, it’s a challenge to stick by the main characters. Here’s hoping the second volume will prove a lighter hand and a truer heart. (Fiction. 13-16)
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INFINITE SKY
Flood, C.J. Atheneum (256 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | May 27, 2014 978-1-4814-0658-1 978-1-4814-0660-4 e-book Tragedy emerges from the commonplace miseries of everyday life in this evocative mood piece. Thirteen-year-old Iris lives with her dad and older brother, Sam, in rural England. Until recently, Iris and Sam had a mum as well, but she’s taken off to Tunisia on a mission to find herself. Now Sam’s associating with ruffians, Dad’s taken to drinking, and Iris is avoiding her best friend, unable to bear the smug pity. When a few caravans of Irish “travelers” squat illegally in Dad’s paddock, Iris sees the possibility of something fresh and untainted in her life. But Dad and Sam loathe the travelers, calling them “Gypsies,” “parasites” and worse. Iris strikes up a friendship—and maybe more?—with 14-year-old Trick, but her father becomes increasingly erratic as he sees his control over his family slipping away. Her Dad repeatedly threatens eviction, and Iris must decide whom to believe in the face of petty crime. A senseless act of violence leads to heavily foreshadowed tragedy. This brief, gloomy debut concludes tidily though with an unclear trajectory: After a summer’s adventure, everyone’s right where they started yet nothing’s the same, mirroring the intransigence of hate. Readers who don’t need endings tied up with tight little bows will find much to think about here. (Fiction. 10-13)
THE STRANGE MAID
Gratton, Tessa Random House (416 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | $20.99 PLB Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-307-97751-9 978-0-307-97753-3 e-book 978-0-307-97752-6 PLB Series: United States of Asgard, 2 Can Signy solve the riddle that stands between her and her rightful place among the Valkyrie? Ten years ago, when she was 7, Signy’s parents died in an accident. In her grief, during a visit to the New World Tree, she climbed the Tree and met Odin Alfather; he renamed her Signy Valborn, handing her her destiny: to become the next Valkyrie of the Tree, one of nine Valkyries who help run the United States of Asgard. The day after her 15th birthday, a riddle appeared on the trunk of the New World Tree; since she couldn’t solve it, Signy set out to find her answer. Two years of sometimes-homeless living later, she’s still looking…until she meets Ned Unferth, who says he can provide her the answer. He says that “The Valkyrie of the Tree will prove herself with a stone heart” means she must
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kill a troll and take its heart, which becomes stone in daylight. She trusts the truth rune she sees in his eye, and they set off to train and find a troll. Gratton’s follow-up to The Lost Sun (2013) is more entertaining and engaging than its predecessor, but the tale’s padded with so many complications it’s easy to put down. There’s such a surfeit of navel-gazing that Signy should be able to map her own spinal column. Fans of the first book and lovers of Norse legend may enjoy, but there’s better for fantasy-adventure lovers. (Fantasy. 14-17)
SECRETS AND LIES
Green, Jacqueline Poppy/Little, Brown (320 pp.) $18.00 | $9.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-0-316-22031-6 978-0-316-22029-3 e-book Series: Truth or Dare, 2 This sequel to Truth or Dare (2013) continues the same mystery, though with even more menace. Beauty-queen Tenley, model Emerson and budding photographer Sydney continue to receive anonymous, threatening messages. Apparently, the person making all the dares in the previous book wasn’t killed after all. Tricia, who did die, must have had an accomplice who survived. That accomplice now continues to make life hell for the three girls, sending text messages and leaving typewritten notes—and even making actual attempts on Tenley’s life. The girls learn that at least one actual murder has occurred and have little doubt that their tormentor will kill them and their family members if they go to the police. Plenty of suspects surface, with few eliminated until the book ends with a cliffhanger that nicely positions readers for the next installment. Possible boyfriends come and go as well, with real possibilities for romance, but the mystery plot keeps the girls and boys apart for now. As the story progresses, readers may begin to wish for better clues to the identity of the perpetrator, but the thrills keep pages turning. Green writes with ease, alternating chapters among the three girls. It’s an undemanding chick-lit thriller, with gorgeous teens and designer clothes all around. An intriguing sequel, with more promised for the future for the Pretty Little Liars set. (Chick-lit/thriller. 12-18)
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THE GLASS SENTENCE
Grove, S.E. Viking (512 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 12, 2014 978-0-670-78502-5 Series: Mapmakers, 1
In this opening volume of the Mapmakers trilogy, 13-year-old Sophia Tims travels into mysterious and uncharted lands in search of her kidnapped uncle and must save the world while she’s at it. In the Great Disruption of 1799, the world came apart. Continents were unfastened from time and flung into different Ages. Europe plunged into a remote century, the Spanish Empire fragmented, and the United States became an uneasy mix of adjoining Ages: the Baldlands in the West, Prehistoric Snows to the north, New Patagonia to the south—and Sophia’s Boston is now in New Occident. Sophia’s parents are missing in a different Age, and politicians are about to close New Occident’s borders, forever trapping them on the outside. When Sophia’s uncle, master cartologer Shadrack Elli, is kidnapped, her search for him sets her on an adventure with the fate of the whole world at stake. Grove’s intelligent and challenging debut is brilliant in concept, breathtaking in scale and stellar in its worldbuilding; this is a world never before seen in fiction. Sophia is a likable heroine, a girl with no sense of time who must use her wits and her uncle’s maps to save the world before time runs out. Wholly original and marvelous beyond compare. (Fantasy. 10 & up)
THE COMIC BOOK WAR
Guest, Jacqueline Coteau Books (256 pp.) $12.95 paper | May 1, 2014 978-1-55050-582-5
A teenager with three brothers fighting overseas in World War II concocts an elaborate coping mechanism that works to keep his anxieties down and his spirits up—until it doesn’t. A small meteorite takes on talismanic properties for Robert when he suddenly begins to spot mysterious parallels between the exploits of his three favorite comicbook heroes and incidents reported in the letters he receives from his big brothers, who are off in Europe with the Canadian armed forces. Determined efforts to raise enough money to buy each new issue of each comic put him head to head with hard-bitten classmate Charlene. Their bitter rivalry slowly transforms into friendship and then something closer as they come to understand what is in many of the messages they are delivering to the people in town. Then one such telegram comes to Robert’s parents, and his certainties of the links between fiction and fact are shattered. Guest gives her tale a distinctly
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Canadian flavor with references to locally produced comics (the better known ones from the U.S. were not imported during the war) and by casting Robert and his family as Métis, a persecuted minority. But her young characters’ emotional challenges are not confined to a particular country or war. Built around a timely (ever timely, unfortunately) theme, this wartime tale featuring young characters with complementary strengths and vulnerabilities shines in a sharply rendered setting. (historical notes) (Historical fiction. 11-14)
THICKER THAN WATER
Hale, Bruce Illus. by Dorman, Brandon Disney-Hyperion (352 pp.) $15.99 | $8.99 e-book | Jun. 24, 2014 978-1-4231-6851-5 978-1-4231-8786-8 e-book Series: School for S.P.I.E.S., 2 Internal dissension, security leaks and attacks from a much larger rival add up to disaster for the orphanage-cum– spy school introduced in Playing with Fire (2013). The Merry Sunshine Orphanage, now the school for Systematic Protection, Intelligence & Espionage Services, can’t catch a break. Money is tight, a nosy inspector from the Ministry of Health is threatening to close the facility down, and LOTUS, the school’s huge and well-heeled nemesis, is somehow finding out about and spoiling every mission. The prospect of more foster-home misery is a downer for lead spy kid Max, but that’s not all. He’s not only subject to constant put-downs from bullying schoolmate Nikki, but also tortured by conflicting feelings for his father, a spy who disappeared years ago but is now repeatedly popping into view at inconvenient times to deliver vague pleas or warnings. Hale is usually good at keeping things light, but here, the banter just comes off as bickering, and the jokes fall flat. So does the plot, which strings together lengthy chases with labored Mission Impossible–style exploits, features a “mole” whose identity is obvious from the outset and ends with a cliffhanger that doesn’t feel earned. Where’s Chet Gecko when you need him? Joyless, juiceless, predictable. (Thriller. 11-13)
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BIG BAD BABY
Hale, Bruce Illus. by Breen, Steve Dial (32 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 12, 2014 978-0-8037-35859 We all know them—on the plane, on the train, in the car seat, after nightynight: big bad baby. Little Sammy is positively cherubic—all pink and roly-poly with Kewpie-doll cowlick and goo-goo eyes—but given half a chance, he becomes Bad Baby. Applesauce too tart? Time to chase the cat with hair clippers. Nap delayed? Time to work some Jackson Pollack with the mustard squeeze bottle. But Bad Baby has his eyes on making a real statement. So he cobbles together a Monster Machine, and voilà—a really big and bad baby emerges. He plays with trucks as if they were Matchbox toys, uses a lamppost as a baton and unleashes a hurricane-force belch. Not to mention the tsunami of drool. Police, firefighters, even the librarian—all are helpless before this diapered behemoth. That is, until the clothes drier finishes with his security blanket. Hale gives Breen plenty of room, supplying a rhythmically funny text that offers up one funny situation after another. Even as a towering Babyzilla, the giant tot retains his look of wide-eyed innocence. Bad Baby conducts his mayhem with so winning a grin on his puss, he’s no threat—he’s an entertainer (as long as he stays in the picture book). Don’t rest too easy. “I’ll be back!” intones our young Schwarzenegger. (Picture book. 3-5)
COOL BEANS The Further Adventures Of Beanboy
Harkrader, Lisa HMH Books (272 pp.) $16.99 | $16.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-0-544-03904-9 978-0-544-30177-1 e-book Series: Adventures of Beanboy, 2
When it comes to dodgeball, how can comic-book artist Tucker MacBean possibly compete with star athlete golden boy Wesley Banks? Middle school realities come to life in Harkrader’s sequel to The Adventures of Beanboy (2012). No one takes the Art Club seriously, so Tucker and his friends engage in an increasingly desperate series of stratagems to prove its relevance. With the survival of their club on the line, the members of the Art Club try to harness their own creative power and work together as a team as the Artful Dodgers. But Tucker has an additional motive: He must redeem himself in the eyes of his younger brother, Beecher, who has his heart set on the helmet that is the prize of the dodgeball tournament. Needing more students for their less-than-athletic team, Tucker creates a new Beanboy superhero comic strip to recruit more Art Club members. But
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“The charm in Harper’s Miles books doesn’t get old—children using their imaginations, directing their own play, and showing empathy and kindness for all. What could be better?” from miles to the finish
LIFE BY COMMITTEE
who is the unknown accomplice helping their campaign out? Harkrader’s newest underdog story has strong pacing and is filled with a memorable cast of adolescent eccentrics. Illustrations on notebook paper, bulletin-board mockups and tournament draws are neatly interspersed between scraps of real life and superhero-action cartoons. Even though the dodgeball tournament is a bit formulaic, the pursuit of individual creativity while recognizing the benefits of teamwork leads to an eminently satisfying conclusion. Readers will be greedy for the next adventure of Beanboy and the modest genius behind him. (Fiction. 8-14)
MILES TO THE FINISH
Harper, Jamie Illus. by Harper, Jamie Candlewick (32 pp.) $12.99 | May 27, 2014 978-0-7636-5562-4
Highly imaginative preschooler Miles is back, this time competing winningly with his friends in a car race. Readers first met Miles in his debut, Miles to Go (2010), in which he “drove” his foot-powered car, Flintstones-style, to his preschool and parked it next to his classmates’ rides. This time, the students at his school are taking a race lap around the playground, but there’s some stiff competition—new student Indie has a Speedster 660, an electric car. Lined up at the start line, Indie’s engine “vroom”s while the other racers tap their feet. Go! From there, onomatopoeia and simple sentences describe the intense action of the race: “Miles takes the lead early. Watch out! Rough track ahead! // Screeeech! Miles escapes the three-car pileup.” But these preschoolers seem to be more concerned about being kind than being fast. All cheer; Miles backs up to check on Otto when he spins out; when Indie’s car sputters, Miles considers taking the easy win but makes a better choice; the victor shares the prize. Winning is not about being fastest. As in the first book, Harper mixes block prints with mixed-media collage, adding interesting patterns and textures to the illustrations, and a map on both endpapers shows the racecourse around the playground. The charm in Harper’s Miles books doesn’t get old— children using their imaginations, directing their own play, and showing empathy and kindness for all. What could be better? (Picture book. 3-7)
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Haydu, Corey Ann Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (304 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-0-06-229405-0 978-0-06-229407-4 e-book Sixteen-year-old Tabitha has a secret. She kissed someone else’s boyfriend, and she liked it. And with the encouragement of a secret, online committee, she
just might do it again. Fans of Haydu’s OCD Love Story (2013) will once again bear witness to a female protagonist hurling herself headfirst into a social train wreck of her own creation. Tabitha is an avid reader and gifted student whose burgeoning sexuality resulted in her two best friends’ unceremoniously breaking up with her over the summer. It isn’t helping either matters or her reputation now that she has a not-so-secret crush on a classmate’s boyfriend. The lure of those forbidden feelings proves impossible to resist despite her conscience. When Tabitha discovers Life by Committee, an anonymous online community where members share their secrets and are given “assignments” designed to empower them to live big or go home, it becomes increasingly difficult for Tabitha to discern right from wrong. In this brave new world of social media, the story’s premise makes for an intriguing, though at times incredibly uncomfortable, read. The online community comes across as cultlike, and it’s hard to watch Tabitha’s increasingly costly choices. For readers who can stomach the ride, it’s a novel that will leave them thinking. Looking for a book to read and discuss? This is it. (Fiction. 14-18)
WHILE WE RUN
Healey, Karen Little, Brown (336 pp.) $18.00 | $9.99 e-book | May 27, 2014 978-0-316-23382-8 978-0-316-23383-5 e-book In the follow-up to When We Wake (2013), a diverse, skilled and politically committed group of teenagers fights a chillingly sinister government in a future Australia. The first volume saw Tegan Oglietti, revived from cryonic suspension in the year 2128, expose the Australian government’s secret plot to send a starship into space with cryogenically frozen third-world refugees to perform slave labor. Pragmatic, politically savvy Abdi Taalib, the “thirdie” from Djibouti who became close to Tegan in the previous installment, narrates here. When the story opens, both teens are in the control of government handlers, coerced by physical, emotional and sometimes sexual torture to publicly promote the government’s starship scheme. The villains and their tactics are believable and frightening, and the political and ethical
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questions raised are satisfyingly complex. Is it ever right to sacrifice human life for political expediency? Are any lives more important than others? This is the best kind of speculative fiction, combining diverse, well-realized characters with thoughtprovoking dilemmas. Abdi’s strong voice and keen awareness of his own ability to manipulate situations provide a compelling window into a future world. Suspenseful, well-crafted and visionary. (Science fiction. 12-18)
CAT NAPPED!
Hernandez, Leeza Illus. by Hernandez, Leeza Putnam (32 pp.) $15.99 | Jun. 12, 2014 978-0-399-16438-5
to long, frequent conversations and ruminations. These primarily involve the romantic triangle of hunky young engineer Crater Trueblood, firebrand tycoon Maria Medaris and emotionally scarred ex-crowhopper Crescent Claudine Besette. Along with amusing banter (“Don’t let your pride get in the way, Crater. That bank account she opened for you should tell you her real feelings for you”) and credible futuristic technology, Hickam again displays a knack for suspenseful scenes out in the “big suck” of space—when he puts his mind to it. His previously firm grasp of physics slips at the climax, though, and he ties off Crescent’s romantic dilemma with a decidedly unethical act. Tidy at the close but even more of a patchwork than the previous episodes. (Science fiction. 11-14)
SLEEPYHEADS
Curious cats can get into lots of trouble, even when napping…. “Kitty cat. / Pretty cat. // Living in the city cat.” A fluffy, gray cat and her little girl play happily in their city apartment. “Mosey cat. / Nosey cat. / Curl up nice and cozy cat.” When the kitty goes for a stroll, she finds a flatbed truck out front. There’s a bright, comfy chair in the sun: the perfect place for a nap. She curls up out of sight, and the truck starts up. The cat that napped has been catnapped! All of the shaking and quaking wake the poor kitty, and when the truck slows down, she jumps out and crashes into a trash can. “Howl cat. / Yowl cat. / Cries a hurt ‘MEEEE-OWL!’ cat.” A nice lady finds her and takes her to the pound for medical attention. Meanwhile, her little girl is making and posting fliers and calling the local shelters. Will the happy duo be reunited? Hernandez’s mixed-media, cartoon illustrations of a wide-eyed cat and her dark-skinned little human extend her spare, rhythmic text, helping to pack a lot of story into few words. Little cat lovers will see themselves and their devoted, playful felines in the tale and easily memorize the words. A cat caper with a happy end for the youngest listeners. (Picture book. 2-5)
CRATER TRUEBLOOD AND THE LUNAR RESCUE COMPANY
Hickam, Homer Thomas Nelson (336 pp.) $9.99 paper | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-59554-662-3 Series: Helium-3, 3
Howatt, Sandra J. Illus. by Wan, Joyce Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (32 pp.) $16.99 | $9.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-1-4424-2266-7 978-1-4424-4678-6 e-book Sleepyhead readers explore a hushed woodland at dusk, where they discover animals nestled in their cozy places at bedtime. Yawning little listeners will fall immediately and effortlessly into the rhetorical rhythms of this surefire good-night book. Gentle narration, soft exclamations and soothing “s” sounds surface again and again, streaming together sweetly. The earthy, mellow artwork, with its dusky greens and browns and thick linework, comforts too. Wan’s many circular shapes (all those radiant stars, the creatures’ rounded heads, ears, coiled bodies and tails—even dandelion seed-puffs and a lightning bug’s glow) recall the warm curve of a caregiver’s chest. Just when heavylidded listeners start to shut their eyes, they might notice a watchful crescent moon hovering on every full-bleed, doublepage spread, reassuring them that all animals (and people) sleep under a shared sky. After visiting every bed in the forest (“We found all the little ones/ in trees, in holes, in caves./ We found all the sleepyheads/ in weeds, in reeds, on waves”), listeners enter a quiet house looking for one last sleepyhead—a baby already fast asleep in mother’s arms. That’s if they are still awake. A superb execution of soporific shapes and sounds perfect for the bedside table. (Picture book. 2-6)
The third and (probable) close to Hickam’s lunar war epic wraps up loose ends aplenty amid a welter of rescues, revelations and big explosions. Readers hoping for nonstop action will only be fitfully satisfied here. The unveiling of a plot by a band of genetically optimized “crowhopper” soldiers and their twisted creators to take over the moon and drop a big asteroid on Earth take a back seat |
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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES
Lois Ehlert
A legendary author and illustrator reveals her creative process By Jessie Grearson
Photo courtesy Albert Trotman
Though some people might hear the word scraps as diminutive and think of leftovers, renowned author-illustrator Lois Ehlert has always had a very different reaction: She loves scraps for their endless creative potential, their ability to fuel her imagination. For Ehlert, scraps—whether colorful fabric, lace and buttons from her mother’s sewing room or pieces of wood from her father’s workshop—were her first art supplies, the source of her earliest creations. So her newest title, the encouraging and inspiring The Scraps 92
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Book: Notes From a Colorful Life, honors the source of her creative joy and the artistic process of collage that her picture books for children are best known for. That title, she notes, is also a play on words—“it’s not just a scrapbook of my memories, but a scraps book, a compilation of many, many things. It’s my personal pun. I love using recycled things, repurposed things. I love making something out of something else,” she says. “To my mind, scraps are wonderful. Scraps suggest an illustration or start me thinking in ways I might not if I was just sketching.” Asked whether this name occurred to her at the very beginning of the project, Ehlert laughs and says the book remained untitled for a long time. “We just couldn’t agree. I always joked that if my mother was still alive she would have called it my ‘I Love Me’ book—because when I was little, she’d always keep a scrapbook of my awards and ribbons, and that’s what she called it. But of course I was a little embarrassed about that title, so it just evolved into being called ‘the scraps book,’ until one day, several years into the project, I said, ‘Wait a minute, why don’t we just make that the actual title?’ ” The book introduces readers to a young Ehlert along with the parents who encouraged her artistic ambitions by being thrifty, creative folks. (“I was lucky; I grew up with parents who made things with their hands,” she writes.) They encouraged Ehlert, who still uses tools they shared with her, like her mother’s pinking shears; they set up a folding table in a corner of their house for her, which became Ehlert’s creative spot, “a place to work and dream.” Readers are also offered behind-the-scenes glimpses of Ehlert’s book-making process woven together with her creative philosophies. Ehlert address-
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es frequently asked questions on where she draws inspirations for her work (all around her, in the garden or the grocery store) and how she captures them (quickly, before they slip away!). She provides glimpses of her colorful, packed studio and notes, “I’m messy when I work,” observing that her wastebaskets overflow and including an illustration of scraps stuck to the bottoms of her shoes but noting that “when ideas are flowing, I keep working.” She traces the path of an idea through early drafts, sketches and the “dummy books” she makes in order to preserve the flow of the language from page to page. “I bind it and put it into the form where you turn the pages…literally I am walking through the book to see how it paces itself. That’s something you can’t really do until you have the art situated,” she explains. “Then I can begin to see the rhythm in the text, hear what it sounds like out loud. I love music and try to make the rhythm and sound of the words go from spread to spread.” Ehlert knows that the current economic climate makes it a challenging time to encourage people to pursue their dreams, but she quietly invites young artists to do just that. “It is difficult but also important to try to do something you feel is productive and good for society as opposed to doing something just to make money,” she says. “I’ve always been interested in education and reading—you are the way you are, you work from there.” She says that the inspiration for the book is simple: “I just felt it was time to share some ideas with young people who might have grown up like I did, wondering how they would fit into society.” Recently, Ehlert’s work was shown at an exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum; she “engineered” the show so that viewers could “walk through” her creative process. She even loaned the museum her folding art table; when she visited, she saw children at work creating art on it. “I loved seeing them there making art,” she says, though she admits to missing her table. The popular exhibit was extended, and her table was on loan for quite a while. Ehlert dedicates the book to her longtime friend and editor, Allyn Johnston, who plays an important role in her creative process. “I don’t think editors get very much credit for anything, but I very much wanted to credit Allyn. She’s the one who questions or seeks to understand what I am trying to do…and |
not everyone would do that. I don’t work like most people do. She tries her best to accommodate me,” she says appreciatively. At its best, Ehlert says, the process of writing and illustrating is yet another kind of collage, “a melding of those two things, words and images.” Sometimes, she notes, a children’s book may have beautiful art “but the story is not so great, and vice versa.” Ehlert feels lucky to be both author and illustrator. “When you do the two together you can literally go back and forth and allow each to do its thing. You don’t illustrate in images what you’ve already illustrated in words.” Jessie C. Grearson is a freelance writer and writing teacher living in Falmouth, Maine. She is a graduate of The Iowa Writers’ Workshop. The Scraps Book was reviewed in the Jan. 15, 2014, issue of Kirkus Reviews.
The Scraps Book: Notes From a Colorful Life Ehlert, Lois Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (72 pp.) $12.95 | Mar. 4, 2014 978-1-4424-3571-1
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ALSO KNOWN AS ELVIS
Howe, James Atheneum (288 pp.) $16.99 | $10.99 e-book | Apr. 15, 2014 978-1-4424-4510-9 978-1-4424-4512-3 e-book Series: Misfits, 4 Over a decade has passed for readers since The Misfits (2001) introduced the Gang of Five, four seventh-grade outsiders who’ve got one another’s backs; for Bobby, Joe, Addie and Skeezie, a year’s gone by. It’s Skeezie’s turn to tell the story. Seventh grade is over. While his friends scatter on family vacations, Skeezie looks after his clingy, younger sisters. His father’s never paid child support, his mom works two jobs, and now Skeezie needs one too. He’s kept the stress and fighting at home a secret from the gang. Joe, out and proud, and Addie, smart and determined, have intact, supportive families; Bobby and his widowed father live in a trailer park, but they’re doing fine, too. Addie’s sometime friend Becca has a crush on Skeezie—or does she? Skeezie enjoys the job he’s landed at the Candy Kitchen, working with pretty Steffi, who calls him Elvis and has family and boyfriend problems herself. When his dad shows up out of the blue, Skeezie’s life changes again, and he’s torn between the possibility of a new life and loyalty for the one he knows. Skeezie tells his story from two vantages, interspersing his present-tense account with occasional interjections from his 12-years-older self. If it lacks the spare, lyrical power of Addie on the Inside (2011), Skeezie’s story shares the series’ strengths. With its companions, it’s a powerful affirmation of friendship, compassion and the right to be accepted for who we are. (Fiction. 10-14)
NANTUCKET RED
Howland, Leila Hyperion (282 pp.) $16.99 | $9.99 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-1-4231-6095-3 978-1-4847-0639-8 e-book A coming-of-age story with a Nantucket backdrop serves up entertainment flavored with a dose of reality. This sequel to Nantucket Blue (2013) picks up after Cricket’s first summer on the island, which was filled with best-friend drama, first loves and heartbreak, and fast-forwards through her senior year, which concludes with a hard-won acceptance to Brown and return ticket to Nantucket. For graduation, Cricket’s best friend, Jules, presents her a framed photo of Jules’ mother, Nina, who died the year before. In life, Cricket had idolized Nina. Hidden in the frame is Nina’s bucket list of adventures, which ranges from learning how to drive and then going to Big Sur to drinking Campari on the Amalfi Coast. Without the funds 94
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to globe-trot, Cricket spends her summer creatively living her way through the list on Nantucket, but along the way, she hits significant snags, including one that throws her entire future and hard work into jeopardy. This second installment hinges on relationships of all kinds—romantic, friend-based and familial—and the ups and downs that they bring with them that push Cricket to accept her new role as an adult. Cricket is a realistically rendered just-graduated senior, with life concerns and encounters befitting an actual young adult. Enjoyable and introspective, this is more than just a summer beach read. (Fiction. 13-18)
FOOL ME TWICE
Hubbard, Mandy Bloomsbury (256 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 paper | May 6, 2014 978-1-6196-3229-5 978-1-6196-3230-1 paper Series: If Only, 2 A light romantic romp from Hubbard begins in medias psychodrama. Mackenzie is returning for another summer at Serenity Ranch and Spa, working in the stables, where her red- and blue-striped hair won’t be noticed by the ritzy spa’s guests. Also returning is Landon, the boy Mack had a summer romance with last year— and who dumped her on the first day of school. Mack is struggling with her still-unresolved feelings when Landon takes a bad fall, hitting his head and getting amnesia. Landon now thinks it’s last summer and that he and Mack are still dating. That gives Mack’s best friend, Bailey, an idea: Mack should get Landon to fall in love with her, then dump him and break his heart. It’s the perfect revenge, except for one problem. This time around, things are different between Mack and Landon. And since she never really got over him, it’s even easier to fall for him again. But what will happen when Mack reveals the truth? The characters are fairly stock, with Mackenzie in particular feeling flat. That the girls can keep Landon’s amnesia a secret from him requires a monumental suspension of disbelief. Still, this book, which launches the If Only series along with Kristin Rae’s Wish You Were Italian, isn’t really about realism. As romances go, it’s harmless enough. (Romance. 14-18)
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“[Imai’s] sophisticated artwork uses linear design to great effect by highlighting size differences and perspectives.” froms puss & boots
A THIRST FOR HOME A Story of Water Across the World
Ieronimo, Christine Illus. by Velasquez, Eric Walker (40 pp.) $17.99 | $18.89 PLB | May 20, 2014 978-0-8027-2307-9 978-0-8027-2308-6 PLB
Adopted from Ethiopia, where water is precious and obtained from distant water holes, Eva Alemitu finds a connection with her homeland in sunshine and puddles in her new home. Eva recalls her early childhood in the Ethiopian countryside, burnished in oil-paint and mixed-media illustrations that emphasize the browns of the land and the blues of the sky. But both text and pictures offer reason to leave: A growling beast of a cloud follows the child and her mother on their daily trek for wood and water; a lion roars in her empty stomach, too. Sadly, the child’s mother sends her away to a new home and new family. Life is different in this country: Water comes from a tap; she goes to school, wears shoes most of the time and eats regularly. Even the animals are different. Velasquez’s paintings depict the Ieronimo family, and the story has its roots in the author’s experience. A short endnote describes issues of clean water and poverty in Ethiopia and connects readers to organizations that offer help. Pair with Beatrice Hollyer’s Our World of Water (2009) to broaden the scope of children’s understanding of the need for clean, safe water around the world. This slim, sweet story will resonate particularly with children missing a previous home. (Picture book. 5-8)
PUSS & BOOTS
Imai, Ayano Illus. by Imai, Ayano Translated by Uchida, Sayako Adapted by Westerlund, Kate Minedition (32 pp.) $17.99 | May 1, 2014 978-988-8240-71-5 A resourceful feline comes to the aid of a shoemaker. With no orders to work on, the poor shoemaker shares his last meager meal with his cat. The cat, however, has a better idea. With a brand new pair of stylish red boots on his own two feet, he sets out for the local monster’s castle deep in the dark woods. There, he proceeds to cater to the greedy monster, who “must have the right shoes to match whatever creature he turned himself into.” There are lace-ups for when he becomes a zebra, high boots for when he is a bear and clogs for his time as a baboon. The monster, however, does not care to pay for any of the footwear, so the cat has the shoemaker fashion a pair of the very finest and tiniest shoes, fit for a mouse. And the rest is the best sort of fairy-tale ending. Monster becomes mouse; mouse becomes a meal for cat—and the shoemaker, now busy at work |
in the castle, and his cat fare very well indeed. Imai skillfully blends elements of popular stories into a fresh, clean tale, abetted by translator Uchida and adapter Westerlund. Her sophisticated artwork uses linear design to great effect by highlighting size differences and perspectives. The muted palette of greens, browns and oranges lends a slightly mysterious air. Friendship trumps greed in this satisfying tale. (Picture book. 4-7)
BEST FRIEND TROUBLE
Itani, Frances Illus. by Després, Geneviève Orca (32 pp.) $19.95 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-55469-891-2
Uh-oh! Friendly rivalry turns to out-and-out competition when Hanna, a raccoon, and Lizzy, a skunk, argue about who can throw a ball the farthest. The two are best friends—or at least they were until this most recent disagreement. It seems to Hanna that Lizzy is better at just about everything, and she’s very proud of it, too! Appealing, cartoonlike watercolor-and-pencil illustrations show the indignant raccoon as she visits her brother, father, mother, and pet hamster and deals with her frustrations by hammering nails, playing cymbals, drawing a picture, reflecting and plain old complaining. As Hanna works through a situation that will seem familiar to anyone who has ever had a friend, she is met with the good advice, patience and understanding that enable her to speak with Lizzy when they’ve both calmed down. Lizzy, it turns out, feels much the same way, and after talking things out and somewhat begrudgingly acknowledging each others’ strengths, the two find a way to play that brings out the best in both of them. A warm, pithy navigation of the ups and downs of friendship, this straightforward selection points out the necessity of catharsis and the satisfaction of compromise. (Picture book. 3-6)
COUNT ON THE SUBWAY
Jacobs, Paul Dubois; Swender, Jennifer Illus. by Yaccarino, Dan Knopf (32 pp.) $14.99 | $9.99 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-0-307-97923-0 978-0-307-97925-4 e-book Count up to 10 and back again with a mother and daughter as they ride the rumbling subway. Husband-and-wife author team Jacobs and Swender are both counting and subway veterans (Nascar 1-2-3s, 2008) and (My Subway Ride, 2004), but this time they have combined the two. In short, staccato bursts, with a snappy beat, Momma and daughter take a subway ride, counting all the way. “6 empty
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“Keplinger skillfully creates a depth to these friendships that have defined Nola’s childhood.” from the swift boys & me
seats, sit right down. / 7 more stops, going uptown. // Big Apple subway, 8 cars long. / 9 people off, 10 people on.” The numbers in the text are cleverly designed; they look like the same circles found on New York City’s transit signs. Savvy New York City kids will notice the colors don’t correspond with the correct numbered subway lines—forgivable artistic license, as it allows for a nice variety of colors, and there’s not a real-world line for each number. Happily, though, the path taken is absolutely a plausible trip! Yaccarino’s loose-limbed riders sway with the rush of the train, and the joyful smiles make this excursion all the more fun—especially the hidden art from previous books tucked in various corners. A simple concept done with clean, commendable style. (Picture book. 2-5)
SCAN
Jury, Walter; Fine, S.E. Putnam (336 pp.) $17.99 | May 1, 2014 978-0-399-16065-3 Tate Archer stumbles into a secret intergalactic conflict. Frederick Archer insists that his son learn multiple languages, math, science and self-defense—all in the name of some mysterious family responsibility. Tate rebels by sneaking into his father’s lab and borrowing an invention, a scanner. The next thing Tate knows, he and his girlfriend are on the run from police and secret-agent types. His father—before paying the price for Tate’s mistake—spills the family secret: Aliens indistinguishable from humans invaded 400 years ago, systematically infiltrated powerful positions and are outbreeding humanity. Only one-third of the population is biologically human. Indeed, most aliens think they’re human; their central organization ruthlessly guards their secret. The Archers are part of a coalition of human families in the know trying to preserve humanity. Tate puzzles out his father’s scanner while dodging aliens and discovering other coalition members’ unpleasant truths. Untrustworthy adults force Tate to solve his own problems—his skill with improvised, householdmaterials chemistry allows him to do so explosively, alongside his competent, quick-thinking girlfriend. The chemistry applications are delightful, but bio-geeks might be skeptical about the mechanics of the invasion. The prose sometimes overnarrates, pairing showing with redundant telling, but action keeps the plot moving. The resolution casts doubt on everything Tate and readers think they know, setting up for a sequel. Car chases, explosions and action galore—awesome. (Science fiction. 12 & up)
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THE SWIFT BOYS & ME
Keplinger, Kody Scholastic (272 pp.) $16.99 | $16.99 e-book | May 27, 2014 978-0-545-56200-3 978-0-545-56202-7 e-book Nola has been best friends her entire life with her next-door neighbors, the three Swift brothers. Now, in response to their father’s desertion, the brothers have changed. Brian, older than Nola, Kevin, a fair bit younger, and Canaan, just her age and her “best-best friend,” have seemed like the most perfect of buddies till now. After their father abruptly leaves, Brian soldiers on, filling in for his depressed mother, before he too is overwhelmed. Kevin, always a chatterbox, becomes mute, and worse, angry Canaan is now hanging around with the neighborhood bullies, adopting their brutal ways and even betraying Nola. Determined to help, Nola hatches a childish plan to find Mr. Swift and convince him to return home. Interweaving Nola’s memories—scenes from happier times are italicized to distinguish them from the present-day narrative— Keplinger skillfully creates a depth to these friendships that have defined Nola’s childhood. These scenes go beyond providing the background for their complex relationships, especially with Canaan; they also begin to offer Nola some insight into why the brothers have changed so dramatically. Everything else is changing as well, as Nola faces the transition to middle school, her mother plans remarriage, and a move is envisioned. Realistically, there’s no easy solution; the conclusion doesn’t sugarcoat the pangs of growing up. A fine, honest and heartfelt coming-of-age tale. (Fiction. 10-14)
IT’S A GIFT!
Keselman, Gabriela Illus. by Hilb, Nora Cuento de Luz (32 pp.) $16.95 | May 13, 2014 978-84-15784-92-0 Anthropomorphic animals enact something of a frenzy of giving and receiving. Little Duck is having a fine time splashing in his pool, but his friend Beaver didn’t bring her hat, and now the sun hurts her. Little Duck offers Beaver his nest as a hat. Squirrel is hungry—“I’ve lost my nuts!” she cries—so Little Duck gives her his bread sandwich. Bear, who laments his empty water jug, is comforted when Little Duck allows him to drink up the whole pool. Little Duck even pulls out a feather so Mouse can write down a poem he just thought of. Little Duck now realizes he doesn’t have anything left at all and starts to cry. His friends rally round, praising his “big heart,” and Otter brings a bathtub full of water while Rabbit scurries over with cookies. An awkwardly phrased blurb on the back cover does
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nothing to clarify this clunky parable. The pictures are bright, with watercolor effects and very childlike animals, but they are not appealing enough to counteract the opacity of the text. Very little fun and lots of preaching do not make a good story. If the lesson is to give away all your stuff until you have nothing left, what child wants to learn that? (Picture book. 4-7)
POPPY THE PIRATE DOG’S NEW SHIPMATE
Kessler, Liz Illus. by Phillips, Mike Candlewick (64 pp.) $14.99 | Apr. 22, 2014 978-0-7636-6751-1
Following her debut in Poppy the Pirate Dog (2013), the seagoing Dalmatian is back for another outing. This time, the normally perky pup is depressed, as the children in her family, Tim and Suzy, have returned to school after summer vacation. The family decides to acquire a “little brother” to keep Poppy company—but the new addition turns out to be not another dog as Poppy hoped, but an orange-striped kitten named George. The family focuses all their attention on the adorable new kitten, leaving Poppy even more desolate, and predictable conflict between cat and dog ensues. Also predictably, when George falls in the garden pond, Poppy rescues him, and they suddenly become best buddies. There is no pirate action or lingo beyond a couple of skulland-crossbones bandannas, no seagoing adventure, and in fact, no real adventure of any kind. The rather wordy text is divided into five short chapters for beginning readers, but only previous Poppy fans or Dalmatian devotees are likely to be interested in the story. Loose watercolor-and-ink illustrations on every page give Poppy and George some personality, but the mundane text drags the overall effort down. Poppy and her crew best be a-sparkin’ up the plots and purveying the piratical prattle soon, or this series is likely to be tossed overboard. (Early reader. 6-8)
THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY
Kohara, Kazuno Illus. by Kohara, Kazuno Roaring Brook (32 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-59643-985-6
A celebration of the expanded roles of libraries in the 21st century takes its visual cue from the best mid-20th-century picture books. “Once there was a library that opened only at night. A little librarian worked there with her three assistant owls.” These sentences appear on opposite sides of the gutter of a doublepage spread that shows a simply depicted girl in a dress, with |
hair in sticking-out braids and arms full of books, moving briskly across the library. Bold black outlines the little librarian and her avian assistants, all of whom are the same goldenrod color as the library walls and the outside-of-the-windows stars. The third color in the tricolor prints is a deep blue, consistently coloring the many books shelved throughout the pages. The little librarian and her assistants cheerfully accommodate musical squirrels who disrupt silent readers, a wolf who weeps over a sad part in a book (“she was crying so much her tears fell like rain”) and a tortoise whose slow reading threatens to keep the library open past its dawn closing hour. The text and artwork do not miss a beat as the closing spread shows the little librarian and her assistants reading a bedtime story. The book-and-starthemed endpapers add to the charm. Original, imaginative and perfect for naptime or bedtime. (Picture book. 2-6)
DALIA’S WONDROUS HAIR / EL CABELLO MARAVILLOSO DE DALIA
Lacámara, Laura Illus. by Lacámara, Laura Translated by Baeza Ventura, Gabriela Arte Público (32 pp.) $17.95 | May 31, 2014 978-1-55885-789-6 One magical morning, Dalia awakes to find her hair has grown up toward the sky, “tall and thick as a Cuban royal palm tree.” Throughout the day, to the shock of her neighbors, Dalia covers her wondrous hair with natural material from the environment around her in order to do something truly special, making for an imaginative story. She stuffs and squishes wild tamarind, coontie leaves and mud into her hair, turning it into a butterfly garden overnight. The mixed-media illustrations depict tender interactions between Dalia and the natural world, enhancing the feeling of whimsy. Further enriching the story is the appearance of flora and fauna specific to Cuba. The vibrant illustrations stretch across full pages, the deeply saturated colors and assured lines drawing readers’ eyes across each spread. The placement of the bilingual text is a little sporadic, at times being side-by-side and other times above-and-below, but the presentation of the book overall is excellent. A bilingual author’s note provides further information about the plants and animals referenced and presents instructions for creating one’s own butterfly garden. A delightful account of one fanciful little girl’s enchanted day in Cuba. (Bilingual picture book. 3-6)
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PRINCESS WANNABE
Lammle, Leslie Illus. by Lammle, Leslie Harper/HarperCollins (40 pp.) $17.99 | $18.89 PLB | May 1, 2014 978-0-06-125197-9 978-0-06-125198-6 PLB A frothy bit of storytelling and soft, squiggly art full of easily recognized folk from other tales. Fern wants a story before bedtime, as she sits surrounded by her stuffies and toys. But the babysitter is rushing to put the baby to bed, so wishing she were a princess, Fern opens her own book—and falls into it. The fairy godmother is fixing a leak in the fairy-dust machine and can’t grant any wishes, so Fern heads off to the castle, followed by a couple of blind mice. The frog prince is brushing his teeth, and the wolf is gently caring for a few piglets (“Bad behavior is just my day job,” he notes). She doesn’t even notice the troll under the bridge, but the giant, who is directing air traffic (Mother Goose, a dragonet, a fairy, etc.), shows her the way to the princess’s castle. She finds the princess reading aloud to a large gathering of storybook characters. When Fern asks her what it’s like to be a princess, the answer lands with a thud. Readers might wonder about the princess’s complaint: She is subject to starched collars and teased hair when she’d really rather just read a book. Despite the can’t-miss lesson, it’s nice that storytime is such a big deal, even in the castle, and children will enjoy seeing all the familiar characters gathered here. (Picture book. 4-8)
WE WERE LIARS
Lockhart, E. Delacorte (240 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | $20.99 PLB May 13, 2014 978-0-385-74126-2 978-0-375-98440-2 e-book 978-0-375-98994-0 PLB A devastating tale of greed and secrets springs from the summer that tore Cady’s life apart. Cady Sinclair’s family uses its inherited wealth to ensure that each successive generation is blond, beautiful and powerful. Reunited each summer by the family patriarch on his private island, his three adult daughters and various grandchildren lead charmed, fairy-tale lives (an idea reinforced by the periodic inclusions of Cady’s reworkings of fairy tales to tell the Sinclair family story). But this is no sanitized, modern Disney fairy tale; this is Cinderella with her stepsisters’ slashed heels in bloody glass slippers. Cady’s fairy-tale retellings are dark, as is the personal tragedy that has led to her examination of the skeletons in the Sinclair castle’s closets; its rent turns out to be extracted in personal sacrifices. Brilliantly, Lockhart resists simply crucifying the Sinclairs, which might make the family’s foreshadowed 98
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tragedy predictable or even satisfying. Instead, she humanizes them (and their painful contradictions) by including nostalgic images that showcase the love shared among Cady, her two cousins closest in age, and Gat, the Heathcliff-esque figure she has always loved. Though increasingly disenchanted with the Sinclair legacy of self-absorption, the four believe family redemption is possible—if they have the courage to act. Their sincere hopes and foolish naïveté make the teens’ desperate, grand gesture all that much more tragic. Riveting, brutal and beautifully told. (Fiction. 14 & up)
DREAMWOOD
Mackey, Heather Putnam (336 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 12, 2014 978-0-399-250675 An original fantasy for middle-grade readers plaits together science, the supernatural and deep ecology. Lucy Darrington, 12 1/2, is a spunky girl who has escaped the stultifying atmosphere of a San Francisco finishing school to reunite with her beloved father, a scientist whose livelihood as a ghost clearer has diminished with the spreading, turn-of-the-20th-century popularity of electricity. Lucy arrives at the fictional city of Pentland—in an alternate Pacific Northwest where American settlements are embedded within lands still owned by indigenous peoples—only to find her father gone from his rooming house. Is his disappearance related to Rust, which is killing off kodok trees, source of income for many settlers and First Peoples? How does mythical, elusive dreamwood fit into the picture? Determined to find her father, Lucy embarks on a series of adventures, most of which include Pete Knightly, a slightly older boy whose parents were housing Lucy’s father. The latter part of the book takes them deep into the Devil’s Thumb peninsula, where gripping, even terrifying, moments are seasoned with humor and a slowly blossoming friendship. The carefully plotted twists and turns will keep readers absorbed to the end. A stunning debut with equal parts originality and heart. (Fantasy. 8-13)
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SUNNY SWEET IS SO DEAD MEAT
Mann, Jennifer Ann Bloomsbury (208 pp.) $15.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-59990-978-3 Series: Sunny Sweet
More adventures of genius Sunny Sweet and her loving but frustrated big sister, Masha, who is clearly tired of her little sister knowing more than her. |
“Manning’s understated free-verse text employs repetition and gently applied simile to get to the heart of Millie’s emotions.” from millie fierce sleeps out
Given that Sunny Sweet Is So Not Sorry (2013) landed both girls in the hospital, readers might think that their single mother would understand how careful she needs to be about sending her daughters off unsupervised. No. The two girls are dropped off for a science fair. Sunny soon tosses red dye on Masha and reveals her true plan: It’s a social experiment about being different, and Masha is the subject. Soon Masha is breaking into art classrooms, running away on a city bus, arguing with Sunny, picking up a maggot-encrusted hamburger and falling into an open grave. Turns out that Sunny is filming all these adventures from a camera hidden in her hat and sending the feed to the science fair. To enjoy these adventures, readers need to suspend any sense of reality: How many 6-year-olds, geniuses or not, have smartphones? How long would real teachers watching the movie feed wait before intervening? The slapstick escalates to thoroughly ludicrous proportions. The final chapter appears to be a confusing introduction to the next unbelievable episode in these girls’ lives rather than a resolution to this one. Over the stinkin’ top, as Masha might say. (Fiction. 8-12)
MILLIE FIERCE SLEEPS OUT
Manning, Jane Illus. by Manning, Jane Philomel (32 pp.) $16.99 | May 29, 2014 978-0-399-160936 Manning’s Millie returns with fierceness in check until an unwelcome visitor finds her chasing him “like bad luck.” Millie, who once had fierceness-management issues, has brought them under control. She has been (in the words of her mother) a “sugar-pie,” which entitles her to a backyard “sleep out” with two friends and her dog. Millie plans the sleep out down to a T—which, even for a sugar-pie, is a recipe for trouble—and when her comrades and the dog don’t truck to her plans, she struggles to keep “the top on tight / to her inner fierce.” When a growl and then a snarl send all but Millie diving for cover, it’s time for the inner to seek outer expression. Even though it is only Vincent, the neighbor’s pug, snarfing some discarded gummy worms, all are glad when their fears are laid to rest. Manning’s understated free-verse text employs repetition and gently applied simile to get to the heart of Millie’s emotions. Her artwork is equally expressive, down to each ferociously messy dab of watercolor; it is also, as when Millie’s right eye begins to twitch after all the s’mores but one have vanished, touched by the spidery derangement of Ralph Steadman. Readers already know what Millie learns: To everything there is a time and purpose, including fierceness; they will welcome this validation. (Picture book. 4-8)
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I LOVE YOU TOO
Marley, Ziggy Illus. by Jatkowska, Ag Akashic (48 pp.) $15.95 | Apr. 15, 2014 978-1-61775-310-7
Lyrics inspired by an exchange with Marley’s 3-year-old daughter are set to bright paintings of a multicultural cast of children and adults enjoying each other’s company indoors and out. The Emmy-winning song is already available on recordings and as an app, and it’s better suited to those formats. Here, without the music, the experience is primarily visual, since the lyrics are largely repetitions of the chorus—“I love you, I love you too. / I tell you, I love you”—interspersed with variations on “Like the fish loves the sea. // Like the honey and the bee” or “When you smile, I’ll smile along. / When you cry, my comfort comes.” Reflecting both the imagery and the warm intimacy of adjacent lines, three children and their parents (babies, grandparents and others put in cameos) in various combinations play together, sit at meals, observe birds and smiling worms, decorate a holiday tree or simply embrace lovingly in Jatkowska’s illustrations. A note on Marley’s charitable organization, Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment, follows the text. The art will draw and hold young children’s attention, but the words hang together better when sung rather than spoken. (Picture book. 3-6)
NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIE CHICKENS
Mata, Julie Disney-Hyperion (288 pp.) $16.99 | May 20, 2014 978-1-4231-9459-0 Series: Kate Walden Directs
An aspiring director, 12-year-old Kate’s first feature-length film involves zombies, chickens and mayhem. Although a recent family move to accommodate her mother’s career change from corporate worker to chicken farmer has left Kate feeling adrift from her friends, it has resulted in a cinematic opportunity. Kate translates her skepticism about her mother’s chickens into her film. However, a rift with her lead actress and longtime BFF, Alyssa, jeopardizes Kate’s production. When Alyssa invites reigning popular girl Lydia to participate in Kate’s movie, things quickly go wrong. Soon, Kate’s social status at school plunges, and she endures relentless teasing. After a confrontation with Alyssa culminates in an epic argument, Kate schemes for revenge. Yet when Kate’s retaliation is successful, remorse compels her to reconsider her actions. Mata’s tale subtly addresses the issue of changing friendships and the concept of forgiveness. Kate’s fledgling friendships with Doris and Margaret, who are on the
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“Content and design coalesce in a handsome presentation that invites readers to decode intriguing images in a pastoral setting suggestive of folklore….” from migrant
social outskirts, offer Kate a respite from her school woes and transform her perspective. Throughout the story, Mata conveys Kate’s exuberant enthusiasm for the filmmaking process, including Kate’s relish in the special effects tactics used in zombie films and other movies. The surprise twist that provides a timely solution to Kate’s dilemmas is suitably theatrical for the movie enthusiast. Preteen and middle school readers will respond to the dogged tenacity with which Kate pursues her moviemaking dreams. (Fiction. 10-14)
MIGRANT
Mateo, José Manuel Illus. by Pedro, Javier Martínez Abrams (22 pp.) $17.95 | May 1, 2014 978-1-4197-0957-9 A family’s arduous journey from a farm in Mexico to a crowded dwelling in Los Angeles unfolds, literally, as a ribbon is untied and accordion-style pages open to reveal one continuous, aesthetically astonishing scene. The densely packed black-and-white composition painted on traditional amate (tree bark) paper conjures both the mystery and stylization of pre-Columbian codices and the imagery and political overtones of a Diego Rivera mural. Written in the first person (English on one side, Spanish on the reverse), the succinct but pithy paragraphs read vertically, paralleling the visual layers. Low buildings, pigs and vegetation surround the young narrator as he feeds roosters in the top scene. When the economy changes, his father searches for work across the northern border. Tension mounts as the family follows later, jumping onto moving trains and avoiding police so they don’t “disappear.” Mirrored actions heighten the drama: An early game of hide-and-seek contrasts with the subsequent need to escape detection by border patrols, for instance. Arriving to a world of skyscrapers and thruways, mother and children find cleaning jobs, but their future is uncertain, as is the whereabouts of their husband/father. Content and design coalesce in a handsome presentation that invites readers to decode intriguing images in a pastoral setting suggestive of folklore—and in the process, arouses empathy for the all-too-real risks surrounding migrants. Breathtaking. (author and illustrator notes) (Picture book. 6-12)
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LOVE AND OTHER FOREIGN WORDS
McCahan, Erin Dial (336 pp.) $17.99 | May 1, 2014 978-0-8037-4051-8
Narrator Josie, 15, is a bossy, Styxloving, gifted eccentric and happy to stay that way, but the family status quo—her loving parents and older sisters—is about to be shaken up. Not only does Josie detest her sister Kate’s fiance, she misses Kate, who’s changed. Josie tries to enlist her parents and equally gifted best friend, Stu, in her crusade against catastrophe. While they agree with her that Geoff ’s hard to like, they’re willing to try since Kate chose him. However, romantic love’s a language Josie hasn’t learned. Her campaign to stop the wedding alienates Kate and annoys her parents. Josie’s efforts to speak this foreign language herself aren’t going well, either. Classmate Stefan wants to be loved, not liked. She crushes on Ethan, then discovers he’s teaching her sociolinguistics class at the college she and Stu attend part-time. Beneath Josie’s buoyant exterior, anxieties work their way to the surface—accepting the inevitable isn’t her strong suit. Pushed, Kate proves to have sharp edges. She ridicules Josie’s appearance, demanding she get contact lenses and a push-up bra for the wedding. Josie’s a rarity in teen literature, a genuine original. Being gifted sets her apart. Armored by arch mannerisms, trying to control what can’t be controlled, wanting and fearing love, she’s one of us. Lively characters and a satisfying plot foil reader expectations in the best possible way. (Fiction. 12-18)
THE NERDY DOZEN
Miller, Jeff Harper/HarperCollins (304 pp.) $16.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-06-227262-1 978-0-06-227264-5 e-book Series: Nerdy Dozen, 1 In this distant cousin of Ender’s Game, a gaggle of young gamers get to display their virtual piloting skills with real jets. Also ostriches. Thirteen-year-old Neil does not spend his Memorial Day weekend in his bedroom in front of a screen as he hopes. Along with 11 other geeks who have earned top scores in the online flight simulator “Chameleon,” he helps the U.S. Air Force recover an actual Chameleon, an experimental jet that can turn invisible and has gone down on a remote volcanic island. Over the course of the mission, Neil faces a series of character-building challenges ranging from the discovery that the only pizza available on the island is topped with pineapple to the even more harrowing revelation that his online best buddy, ShooterSam is actually Samantha. “Credibility” doesn’t seem to be an item on Miller’s priority
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list, but he does propel his assorted misfits through a series of silly set pieces and exciting aerial acrobatics on the way to a wild ride to the climax atop the aforementioned feathered steeds. Neil shows plenty of leadership ability in coping with each reverse and revelation too, and by the end, he can even share a victory hug with Sam without fantods. A feather-light, stand-alone series opener for readers who don’t mind saying goodbye to their disbelief. (Adventure. 10-13)
CURIOSITY’S MISSION ON MARS Exploring the Red Planet
Miller, Ron Twenty-First Century/Lerner (64 pp.) $24.95 e-book | $33.26 PLB | May 1, 2014 978-1-4677-2547-7 e-book 978-1-4677-1087-9 PLB A brief overview of how Curiosity, the rover NASA sent to Mars in November 2011, is making amazing discoveries suggesting some parts of Mars may have been habitable—and could be again in the future. Could life have previously flourished on Mars? Will humans be able to travel there and colonize the red planet? These are questions NASA scientists hope Curiosity will help answer and that Miller explores, covering the essentials. By gathering information about Mars’ climate and geology, the rover is helping scientists uncover the secrets of the planet and its past. Curiosity has discovered an ancient streambed where water once flowed for thousands of years and analyzed rock samples proving that the surface soil on Mars still has water. Drilling into Martian rock, the rover has detected the key elements necessary for life—sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon. Curiosity’s measurement of radiation on Mars shows levels similar to that at the International Space Station. All of this information, Miller explains, will help scientists decide if human travel to Mars is possible and colonization of the planet plausible. He also includes information on previous Mars missions and how the idea of life on the red planet has captured imaginations since the late 19th century. An informative, useful look at a current and ongoing mission to explore our nearest neighbor in the solar system. (source notes, glossary, further reading, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)
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ANNIKA RIZ, MATH WHIZ
Mills, Claudia Illus. by Shepperson, Rob Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux (128 pp.) $15.99 | May 13, 2014 978-0-374-30335-8 Series: Franklin School Friends, 2 Annika loves numbers. Annika and her friends each have their own special talents, and Annika’s is math. She looks forward to math class the way Kelsey loves reading and Izzy loves running. But while Annika likes reading and physical exercise, her buddies hate math. When others in the class do not know an answer or are daydreaming, Annika side-whispers the answer to help them out of a bind. Annika and fellow third-grade math whiz Simon are excited to learn that the library is running a sudoku contest, and Annika sets out to practice as much as she can. Mills keeps the situations light and amusing, inviting readers into Annika’s number-filled house, where the tablecloth is printed with numbers and the magnets on the refrigerator are numbers and even the dog is named Prime, and introducing them to Mr. Boone, the overenthusiastic principal who takes a seat in the carnival dunking booth. Shepperson’s black-and-white drawings extend the text nicely; kids will chuckle at the kitchen chaos as the girls make cookies for the bake sale and at the interruption-hating Mrs. Molina as she tries to control math class. Math lessons are embedded gracefully into the plot, making it an easy tie-in for teachers looking for accessible real-world math problems. For number lovers and phobics alike—this bighearted series has something for everyone. (Fiction. 7-10)
PIGSTICKS AND HAROLD AND THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
Milway, Alex Illus. by Milway, Alex Candlewick (84 pp.) $12.99 | May 27, 2014 978-0-7636-6615-6
When Pigsticks, a pig with wanderlust, teams up with Harold the hamster, anything can happen. Pigsticks wants to be just like his ancestor, Col. Pigslet, who traveled to the Ends of the Earth. Unlike the colonel, Pigsticks intends to make it back alive. But he needs an assistant and interviews just about everyone in Tuptown; alas, no one is worthy. And then he meets Harold, who is convinced to join the trip with the promise of three cakes as payment. Silliness ensues as the two make the seemingly never-ending trek through jungles and up mountains and into avalanches to the Ends of the Earth. Humorous cartoon illustrations appear on most pages and extend the text, adding to the chuckles. One especially funny picture shows Harold being
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squeezed by a boa constrictor while the text remarks, “he wasn’t having quite so much fun.” The story needs the humor. Many very challenging words (“Battenburg,” “persuasive,” “intrepid,” “ravine,” “evasive maneuvers” “ascent,” “unconvinced”) make this a stiff read, even for confident emergent readers. Most pages contain just a few sentences, but a few are so filled with words that many children will be left frustrated. It’s funny, but as a book for beginning readers—which it’s billed as—it misses the mark. (Early reader. 6-9)
THE FREEDOM SUMMER MURDERS
Mitchell, Don Scholastic (256 pp.) $18.99 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-545-47725-3
A 50th-anniversary examination of the Mississippi murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner and their aftermath. An introduction describes the legally entrenched racism of Mississippi and the inception of the Freedom Summer campaign. Following this, Mitchell drops readers right in with the events that led up to the murder of the three young men, evoking the hostility and fear that covered Neshoba County like a blanket. He pulls back to sketch the victims’ biographies in separate chapters, then takes readers through the investigation and the steps toward the 1967 trial that infamously failed to deliver justice. That account alone, illustrated with ample archival photographs and memorabilia, makes riveting reading. He clearly states the legal intricacies and thoroughly incorporates the players’ own voices, with often breathtaking effect: “They killed one nigger, one Jew, and a white man. I gave them all what I thought they deserved,” said the presiding judge later. Mitchell takes the story into the present day, describing how the families of the victims continue to fight for civil rights and how both locals and state officials kept the case alive, simultaneously working toward legal and emotional resolution. He leaves open the question whether now “the killing of a black mother’s son is as important as the killing of a white mother’s son”—but the country is getting closer to that goal. Essential. (map, endnotes, bibliographic essay, bibliography, index [not seen]) (Nonfiction. 12-16)
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TUESDAY TUCKS ME IN The Loyal Bond Between a Soldier and His Service Dog
Montalván, Luis Carlos with Witter, Bret Photos by Dion, Dan Roaring Brook (40 pp.) $16.99 | May 27, 2014 978-1-59643-891-0
An appealing golden retriever takes readers through his life as a service dog assisting a retired Army captain living with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury. The story of Tuesday the service dog and his partner was first explored in Montalván’s best-selling memoir, Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him (2011). This story for much younger readers offers a simplified look at the author’s life, with his beloved dog effectively employed as first-person narrator. The use of the canine as storyteller provides some distance from the author’s hardships while highlighting the undeniably charming golden retriever’s winning personality and photogenic expressions. Superb photographs of the author and Tuesday bring their urban lifestyle into sharp focus as they navigate the subway, stairs, taxi rides and visits to parks, as well as their shared life in their apartment. Full-page photographs alternate between smaller views set against backgrounds of mostly blues and purples, establishing a contemporary tone in the book’s thoughtful design. The simple text uses just a few sentences per page, with well-chosen details conveying the challenges Montalván faces in a matter-of-fact way. A concluding note from the author shares more of his history and information on service dogs assisting disabled veterans. A touching story that will appeal to all dog lovers and to older children, including those with limited reading skills. (Informational picture book. 4-10)
THE LOVELY AND THE LOST
Morgan, Page Delacorte (368 pp.) $18.99 | $10.99 e-book | $18.99 PLB May 13, 2014 978-0-385-74313-6 978-0-307-98082-3 e-book 978-0-375-99096-0 PLB The saga of a girl and the gargoyle she loves begun in The Beautiful and the Cursed (2013) continues. Paris in 1900 turns out to be home to a whole catalog of demons that roam the streets and sewers. In the previous book, 17-year-old earl’s daughter Ingrid learned that she has both angelic and demonic blood and the ability to create lightning. Her twin brother is a part-time hellhound. Her 16-year old sister, Gabby, just wants to fight demons, although the Alliance, a society that exists to do just that, doesn’t want her. Luc, a gargoyle tasked with protecting Ingrid and her family, can’t seem to manage that task alone. Worse, Luc has fallen in love with
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“Humor sustains this look at real life in the heartland.” from steering toward normal
Ingrid, which is forbidden to his kind. As various demons and societies come into conflict in their attempts to capture Ingrid, havoc ensues. Although Morgan weaves the strands of plot together more convincingly than in the first installment, she still demands a lot of readers. They will be amazed that society girls in long dresses and corsets can sword fight so well. In fact, the historical setting appears to exist solely for atmosphere. Most characters, especially Ingrid and Gabby, behave as fully modern 21st-century people, and the entire plot would have worked as well in a contemporary setting. Clichés abound: Everyone is beautiful; kisses burn; true love seems preordained. For fans only. (Paranormal suspense. 12-18)
STAR CHILD
Nivola, Claire A. Illus. by Nivola, Claire A. Frances Foster/Farrar, Straus & Giroux (40 pp.) $16.99 | May 6, 2014 978-0-374-37182-1 A fanciful, thoughtful examination of a life well-lived. As if building on the notion that we are all made of the stuff of stars, the author opens with the Star Child asking his “elders” if he may visit Earth. Their explanations of what he will need to do—“be born as a human child”—and what he will experience throughout his life on Earth make up the text of the book. Simple lines start with the basics, such as learning to walk, run and speak, then move on to more abstract concepts, describing feelings of pleasure, fear and sadness. These are paired with detailed, folk-art–style watercolor paintings and vignettes that seem to capture an earlier time: His mother is often in skirts; he rides a bike without a helmet or shoes; and no glowing electronic devices compete with fireflies. What the Star Child may do in adulthood is condensed: “Over the years you will try to make sense of that happy, sad, full, empty, always-shifting life you are in.” He may even forget where he came from and find it difficult to leave when the time comes. There’s no doubt that the sentiment is lovely, but it seems ill-matched to an audience that is still in the throes of becoming. An affirmation that it is all worthwhile, better suited, perhaps, to adolescents who will appreciate a look at where they have been and what they may expect in the future and to older adults who will enjoy the philosophical bent. (Picture book. 6 & up)
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STEERING TOWARD NORMAL
Petruck, Rebecca Amulet/Abrams (336 pp.) $16.95 | May 13, 2014 978-1-4197-0732-2
An eighth-grader rediscovers the importance of family in this debut. Since being left as a baby on Pop’s doorstep, Diggy Lawson has been content living on a farm in rural Minnesota. He raises steers for competition at the state fair and has surrounded himself with 4-H friends. Diggy has a secret crush on senior 4-H’er July. Everything changes the day fellow eighth-grader Wayne Graf is left at Diggy’s house, dropped off by his drunken father three weeks after his mother’s funeral. As it turns out, Pop is also Wayne’s biological father. While Pop and Wayne negotiate their relationship, Diggy spends time with his steer, Joker, and tries to ignore the changes caused by Wayne’s presence. Then Wayne decides that the best way to escape his mother’s family and the alcoholic Mr. Graf is to raise his own steer and win the $12,000 Grand Champion prize. Once Wayne convinces July that he is serious about competing, he soon has a steer of his own. Diggy is left questioning his relationship with Wayne, his 4-H friends and even his dad. Petruck uses research and her own experience as a former member of 4-H to flesh out the narrative, sometimes letting factual details and livestock lingo overshadow it and its universal themes of family, friendship and acceptance. Humor sustains this look at real life in the heartland. (author’s note, glossary) (Fiction. 9-13)
SECRET AGENT GADGET BATTLE
Pflugfelder, Bob; Hockensmith, Steve Illus. by Garrett, Scott Quirk Books (256 pp.) $12.95 | $12.95 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-1-59474-676-5 978-1-59474-681-9 e-book Series: Nick and Tesla, 3 Determined to uncover the identity of the secret agent who seems to be right inside their uncle Newt’s house with them, 11-year-old twins Nick and Tesla construct a variety of spy-revealing gadgets in this third of an ongoing mystery-and-how-to series. When an unfinished phone message from their mother reveals that there is someone nearby they can’t trust—and the message is suddenly erased—Nick and Tesla begin to see spies everywhere. Is it Oli, Uncle Newt’s new apprentice, who’s obviously not from Australia? Is it Skip, the exterminator from Verminator Pest Control, or Ethel and Gladys from Maidsto-Order? All these strangers are suspiciously hanging around the house where Uncle Newt is supposed to be keeping them safe while their parents are away on a shadowy mission. The
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“Repeat listeners will gleefully join in….” from froodle
inventive twins construct a fingerprint finder, alarm, spy camera and code wheels to use with their friends Silas and DeMarco, who help their investigations. Even Uncle Newt joins in at the end to distract the discovered evildoers with his mashedbanana–filled balloon weaponry. Instructions and diagrams are provided so that readers can do the same. Fast-paced, suspenseful and enlivened with grayscale illustrations, this is appealing middle-grade reading. Hot-glue–gun fans will barely need the story that surrounds this new set of do-it-yourself gadget projects, but the continuing mystery will keep readers wanting more. (Adventure. 9-13)
A PIECE OF CAKE
Pham, LeUyen Illus. by Pham, LeUyen Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (40 pp.) $16.99 | May 27, 2014 978-0-06-199264-3 Bringing his friend a birthday surprise isn’t exactly a piece of cake for Mouse. Mouse bakes a delicious birthday cake for his friend, Little Bird, but as he takes the walk to deliver it to Little Bird’s house, various animals along the way entice him to share pieces with them. In return, they offer him miscellaneous tokens of thanks. He feels bad when he arrives at Little Bird’s house with a cork from Chicken, a wire from Squirrel, a butterfly net from Bear and a flyswatter from Cow, but Little Bird has a big plan. It turns out each animal who was eager to swap something for cake needs something that another animal traded. By fulfilling these needs, Little Bird and Mouse obtain ingredients to make a new cake—milk from Cow, honey from Bear, nuts from Squirrel and eggs from Chicken. The fun comes with the surprising solutions that Little Bird and Mouse offer: They don’t give Bear a flyswatter to shoo away the bees swarming near the honey he’s collected, for example; they give him the cork to plug up the hive. (Here’s hoping Bear removes it when he leaves, or that’s the last honey he’ll be collecting.) Digitally colored pencil illustrations lack the sketchy, expressive charm of Pham’s Big Sister, Little Sister (2005) and instead adopt a flat, humorous cartoonish quality that’s reminiscent of some of illustrator Peter Brown’s work. A treat of a birthday picture book. (Picture book. 3-7)
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AFTER THE END
Plum, Amy HarperTeen (336 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-0-06-222560-3 978-0-06-222562-7 e-book Plum serves up another paranormalsuspense series opener. Seventeen-year-old Juneau lives in the wilds of post-apocalyptic Alaska, where elder Whit is teaching her to become clan Sage, to connect her mind with the Yara. This mystical energy enables her to Read distant events and people’s motivations and to Conjure, allowing her to manipulate objects remotely and even to become briefly invisible. Returning from a hunting expedition, Juneau discovers that helicopters have attacked her village and carried off everyone in it. She begins to track them down, then discovers that the story she had been told all her life is a lie: She and her clan are not survivors of World War III, supposedly fought in 1984. Instead of devastation, she finds the vibrant contemporary city of Anchorage. Going undercover in a modern world she doesn’t understand, Juneau begins to lose her paranormal powers. Meeting Miles, the son of the powerful man behind the underlying plot, she partners uneasily with him in a trek across the west in search of her clan. The story morphs from paranormal exploration to a chase thriller as Juneau narrowly eludes her pursuers. Miles and Juneau trade narration duties, their present-tense voices nicely distinct; Juneau speaks formally, with a slightly archaic accent, while Miles uses a pleasantly normal contemporary vernacular. Attractive characters and the fresh, present-day setting should hook genre fans. (Paranormal suspense. 12-18)
FROODLE
Portis, Antoinette Illus. by Portis, Antoinette Neal Porter/Roaring Brook (32 pp.) $16.99 | May 6, 2014 978-1-59643-922-1 When Little Brown Bird decides to sing something silly, most birds in the neighborhood follow her lead, but crows can’t be silly, can they? The creator of A Penguin Story (2009) returns with another imaginative solution to monotony and predictability in the natural world. “All year long,” the narration begins, “…the birds in the neighborhood went....” The words “caw,” “coo,” “chip” and “peep” repeat in speech bubbles, varied only in the order of their appearance. Then, one day, Little Brown Bird tries something new. “Froodle sproodle!” extends across a lengthy spread, its font emphasizing the shocking surprise. On the next spread, matched in magnitude, an unamused crow stares down at the miscreant, but Little Brown Bird can’t resist. Soon, Cardinal and Dove are experimenting, too. As the silliness spreads, the story actually turns sideways for a moment, forcing readers
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to physically rotate the book 90 degrees. Repeat listeners will gleefully join in with the rhyming dialogue bubbles. The mixedmedia illustrations created with pencil, charcoal and ink and with digitally added color are made up of simple and stylized images, but the birds are recognizable. “The neighborhood was never the same,” the narrator reports, and neither will be the charmed listeners and readers of this cheerful invitation to invention. (Picture book. 4-7)
I LOVE YOU NIGHT AND DAY
he helps persuade Belize to set aside land as a jaguar preserve. Chien’s acrylic-and–charcoal-pencil art is filled with light and warm, rich colors, her edge-to-edge illustrations inviting, emotional and engaging. The forests of Belize are seen as deeply gray-green, a few animal faces peeking from the thick growth of vegetation. A note about Rabinowitz along with a brief Q-andA pitched to young understanding confirm the promise kept: The author continues to use his voice to advocate for big cats throughout the world, as well as for stutterers. Moving and sweetly resonant. (Picture book/biography. 3-8)
Prasadam-Halls, Smriti Illus. by Brown, Alison Bloomsbury (32 pp.) $16.99 | $17.89 PLB | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-61963-222-6 978-1-61963-223-3 PLB
DEER DANCER
This new entry in the “I love you SO VERY MUCH” genre offers grandiose rhyme paired to images of a small blue bunny and a slightly larger purple bear. Broadening the potential audience if nothing else, the two figures are both androgynous and cast in an ambiguous relationship. Whether sibs, parent and child (perhaps adoptive), bosom buddies or outright lovers, in Brown’s spacious, idyllic pastel paintings, they pose together in a variety of seasons and settings, sometimes holding paws, more often sharing smiles and glances. Whether soaring in a hot air balloon, climbing a mountain or snuggling together with a book in bed, the sentiment never varies—even during a temporary ruction caused by broken crockery. The verse, spread out to a line or a couplet per spread, is as oblique as the relationship: “I love you most, I love you best, / Much, much more than all the rest. // I love you tall, I love you high, / Way up in the sunny sky.” Unsurprisingly, it’s even unclear which of the two is delivering the declarations. A generic addition to a thoroughly overcrowded bandwagon. (Picture book. 5-8, adult)
A BOY AND A JAGUAR
Rabinowitz, Alan Illus. by Chien, Catia HMH Books (32 pp.) $16.99 | May 6, 2014 978-0-547-87507-1
Ray, Mary Lyn Illus. by Stringer, Lauren Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (40 pp.) $17.99 | $12.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-1-4424-3421-9 978-1-4424-3422-6 e-book A young ballerina finds her muse in a woodland creature. A raven-haired, unconventionally dressed young girl has a secret place in a forest clearing where she practices the steps that she is learning in ballet class. Then one day a buck shows his face, and the two stare intently at each other in complete silence. When she is back in class, she wonders if her teacher has also seen that deer, as she tells her class to “Hold your head as if you’re wearing antlers.” The young girl struggles with her steps and positions, so she returns to her hideaway. So does the deer, and with a great smile on her face, the girl feels “[A] song to dance”—and maybe the deer does, too. Ray’s brief text lyrically sings of the beauties of dance and nature. Stringer’s lush acrylic paintings depict the forest in sumptuous shades of sunshine yellow and emerald green, the girl and deer each captured in swirling scenes of graceful movement. Vignettes in the ballet studio, painted against a white background, skillfully show young students intently practicing. How wonderful to connect the structured world of ballet with the free-form world of an animal at play. An ode to joyous dance. (Picture book. 4-7)
SHARK KISS, OCTOPUS HUG
A simple memoir recounts a lifelong bond between a child who felt “broken” and the animals, especially jaguars, that have informed his life’s work. The narrator explains his teachers must think he is “broken” when he is switched from his regular class due to his severe stuttering. But he can talk with his own small menagerie at home— in fact, he says, he can only speak fluently when he is singing or when he talks to animals. He promises the sad, caged jaguar at the Bronx Zoo that one day he will be a voice for the animals. In college, he finds ways to manage his stuttering; as an adult, he studies black bears and, later, jaguars. In a triumphant moment, |
Reed, Lynne Rowe Illus. by Cornell, Kevin Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (32 pp.) $14.99 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-06-220320-5
Two sea creatures who do not really leap to mind as cuddly-wuddlies are starved for a little smooch and a little squeeze from the denizens of the beach. Charlie the shark and Olivia Octopus—who could have come straight from Hanna-Barbera/Nickelodeon central casting—have yearnings. Charlie wants a kiss, and Olivia wants a
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hug, so they study beachgoers in order to devise stratagems. Elementary, my dear Ahab. Just set up a kissing booth, or put on a play, or offer free rides, or throw a cookout, complete with “delicious algae soufflé.” Kisses and hugs always follow a good time, don’t they? The kids are a tad wary, though, and the parents are near hysterical. When their best designs are met with screams of horror, Charlie begins to shed a tear. Olivia moves to comfort him. A hug. A gentlemanly kiss in return. Not bad, not bad at all. Who needs those pasty landlubbers? Affection can come from the oddest and often most overlooked places. Let us just hope that Charlie never activates his urge to swallow Olivia whole when a kiss was all that was intended. Brain chemistry...what a mess it can make of things. But not here. Cornell milks the premise for all it’s worth, throwing verisimilitude to the winds; a puckered-up Olivia, eyes closed, should have readers in hysterics. Pity poor Charlie when he has to buy eight wedding rings. (Picture book. 4-8)
WE ARE THE GOLDENS
Reinhardt, Dana Wendy Lamb/Random (208 pp.) $16.99 | $10.99 e-book | $19.99 PLB May 27, 2014 978-0-385-74257-3 978-0-307-97581-2 e-book 978-0-375-99065-6 PLB Nell’s discovery of her sister’s secret tests the powerful emotional bond between them. When Nell starts high school in San Francisco, she plans to follow in the footsteps of her near-perfect sister Layla, whom she loves with a devotion that approaches adulation. Up till now their lives have been intertwined, particularly since their parents’ divorce, but Layla is becoming distant. At first, Nell brushes off rumors that Layla’s in an inappropriate relationship with City Day’s young art teacher, but Layla’s secretive behavior can’t help but attract suspicion. In a blend of first- and secondperson, past- and present-tense narration, Nell addresses her sister directly, spilling out her thoughts as she prepares to confront Layla and bring the secret out into the open. Nell’s inner dialogue with two boys, brothers who died within a year of each other, is convincing as a framework for Nell to process the truth, while her best friend, Felix, provides real-life emotional support. Along the way, readers are kept in suspense about Layla’s whereabouts, although the ending is somewhat anticlimactic. In the end, the story feels rather ordinary—as so much of life is. Reinhardt’s skillful exploration of the dynamics of sibling relationships and truly inventive narrative structure shine a light on the ordinary struggle of growing up. (Fiction. 12-15)
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PRANKS AND ATTACKS!
Richard, Laurent Illus. by Ryser, Nicolas Graphic Universe (64 pp.) $6.95 paper | $21.95 e-book | $29.27 PLB May 1, 2014 978-1-4677-2174-5 978-1-4677-2554-5 e-book 978-1-4677-2095-3 PLB Series: Tao, the Little Samurai, 1 For one wannabe samurai, the path to martial arts stardom is paved with mischief and hijinks. At Master Snow’s martial arts school, Tao likes to pretend he’s a grandmaster but more often ends up playing the role of class clown. Impetuous and energetic, he struggles with silent meditation and archery; it’s a shame his knack for samurai video games doesn’t help him with his actual studies. This graphic-novel series follows Tao’s scrapes and adventures through a sequence of one- to two-page episodes, each focused on a single gag. Though some later vignettes build upon earlier ones—Tao’s puppy-love crush on his classmate, Kat, develops over the course of the simultaneously publishing sequel, Ninjas and Knock Outs!—there’s no overarching plot to the volumes or series. Ryser’s playful, roly-poly art complements the graphic novel’s silly humor, but unfortunately, Richard’s worldbuilding is a disappointing, stereotypically “Oriental” mishmash, apparently including everything he can think of: origami, jogging sumo wrestlers, conical hats, gongs and more. The students learn both Japanese and Chinese martial arts—including karate, judo, kung fu and tai chi—as if those disciplines and cultures were interchangeable. Good for a few laughs but only for readers who are willing to overlook the cultural cluelessness. (Graphic fiction. 7-10) (Ninjas and Knock Outs!: 978-1-4677-3273-4)
A MIDTERM NIGHT’S SCHEME
Robbins, Trina Illus. by Page, Tyler Graphic Universe (64 pp.) $6.95 paper | $21.95 e-book | $29.27 PLB May 1, 2014 978-1-4677-1499-0 978-1-4677-1635-2 e-book 978-0-7613-8167-9 PLB Series: Chicagoland Detective Agency, 6 Fans of the Chicagoland Detective Agency series have a problem. With each book, the plot gets more and more difficult to explain. The science-fair projects at James A. Garfield Middle School include a jet pack and a robot that can bag groceries. The students have built every invention that was ever promised by the World’s Fair or The Jetsons. The graphic novel feels like a mashup of Hanna-Barbera cartoons and science-fiction comics and everything Robbins watched or read when she was growing
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“Free of crises and melodrama, a buoyant take on the theme of embracing one’s family heritage.” from son who returns
up. It has a talking dog and a love potion and snippets of haiku. Some of the plot is borrowed, loosely, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as the title suggests: 13-1/2-year-old Megan drinks a potion and falls in love with the talking dog. A few readers will find this creepy, but anyone who grew up on Hanna-Barbera cartoons will think it’s perfectly normal. The author and the artist must have had a ball throwing new complications into the story, and Page has crammed every possible detail into the pictures of the science fair. The story gets more absurd with every page (by the last chapter, a character has turned into a cat), but the book is still a perfectly credible mystery with a very satisfying solution. Don’t bother trying to explain it to your friends. Just tell them it’s hilarious. (Graphic mystery. 9-14)
SON WHO RETURNS
Robinson, Gary 7th Generation (152 pp.) $9.95 paper | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-939053-04-6 Series: PathFinders
Powwow drums call a modern teen to reconnect with his Native American roots. Discontented with a move to Dallas, 15-year-old Mark persuades his father and stepmother to let him spend the summer with his Chumash grandmother on a California reservation. Following the lead of a newly met half brother who is a committed powwow dancer, Mark is irresistibly drawn both by the spectacular ceremony at events he attends and also a strong inner calling to become a dancer himself. A broad informational agenda runs through Robinson’s story, as his protagonist eagerly absorbs Chumash history and culture from those around him, along with details of the dancer’s ornate regalia as well as the purpose and spirit of powwows. Ultimately Mark stays with his multicultural extended family (he himself is, as he puts it, “four kinds of brown,” since his father is Filipino-Mexican and his birth mother was Chumash-Crow) to finish high school and to enter the huge Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque—“the Indianapolis 500 of the powwow world” and the book’s climax. Free of crises and melodrama, a buoyant take on the theme of embracing one’s family heritage. (Fiction. 10-13)
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BIG BAD BUBBLE
Rubin, Adam Illus. by Salmieri, Daniel Clarion (40 pp.) $16.99 | May 6, 2014 978-0-544-04549-1 La La Land is populated by scaredycat monsters. According to the narrator, when bubbles pop, they reappear in La La Land, home of some remarkably uninspired-looking (and -named) monsters. Monsters who are terrified of bubbles. A bubble-gum bubble once popped on the face of a monster named Mogo, and his subsequent fright is the rather weak basis for the collective monster bubblephobia. As Mogo attempts to spread comical misinformation about bubbles, the narrator (who speaks to both the characters and readers) instructs readers to ignore him. A pace-crushing spread of haphazard facts about La La Land comes across as filler to bring this very slight effort up to 32 pages. In the end, the narrator convinces the monsters to face their fears using their fearsome physical qualities. Salmieri does his best, placing hairy, toothy monsters against a black background; a monster called Wumpus looks a little like Sendak’s horned Wild Thing. The final illustration, with the three smaller monsters astride their larger friend fleeing in apparent terror from a monarch butterfly, may be the funniest part of this book. The book’s potential utility in helping children cope with irrational fears is undermined by its absence of a credible story. (Picture book. 4-7)
FREEDOM SUMMER The 1964 Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi Rubin, Susan Goldman Holiday House (128 pp.) $18.95 | May 1, 2014 978-0-8234-2920-2
In time for the 50th anniversary of the pivotal civil rights event, Rubin presents heroes, villains and everyday people in 1964 Mississippi. Freedom schools, voter-registration drives and murders drew national attention to Mississippi during the Freedom Summer, and actions there affected the civil rights movement elsewhere, all culminating in the Voting Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. The number of eligible black voters rose from 6.4 percent prior to Freedom Summer to 60 percent by the end of 1966. Two threads weave through Rubin’s narrative—a detailed story of the murders of civil rights workers Mickey Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman and a less focused, anecdotal picture of freedom schools and voter registration, drawing on extensive personal interviews. Though archival material and many photographs are included, too many pages of dense text are unrelieved by visuals. The extensive research is well-documented, and young readers
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“The full-spread illustrations capture Mateo’s enthusiasm and the work his family has put into preparing such a lively party.” from dale, dale, dale, / hit it, hit it, hit it
DALE, DALE, DALE / HIT IT, HIT IT, HIT IT Una Fiesta De Números / A Fiesta of Numbers
may find much of interest in the websites recommended. Overall, the account is accessible and passionate, taking the events of that violent summer into the present, when, in 2005, 80-yearold, wheelchair-bound Edgar Ray Killen was found guilty of the murders of Schwerner, Chaney and Goodman and sentenced to three 20-year jail terms. A fascinating treatment of a key civil rights moment. (Nonfiction. 10-14)
I WISH I HAD A PET
Rudy, Maggie Illus. by Rudy, Maggie Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (40 pp.) $15.99 | $12.99 e-book | May 20, 2014 978-1-4424-5332-6 978-1-4424-5333-3 e-book Quirky dioramas illustrate this explication of pet care. Rudy’s carefully composed scenes feature clever components and unexpected details, including felted figures, repurposed household objects, torn paper and objects from the natural world. The straightforward text begins by speaking directly to the small, pensive-looking mouse who appears on the first page: “Do you wish sometimes… / that you had a pet?” Many of the following spreads (a mix of single- and double-page) have only one or two simple declarative sentences or phrases, giving the text a staccato feel. All are useful suggestions: “Pick a pet that suits your style,” or “Pick a pet you’ll like to exercise.” The illustrations, meanwhile, provide offbeat extensions of the simple text—a fuzzy yellow caterpillar worn like a feather boa or a pair of bees flying on leashes. Most scenes have an old-fashioned feel, featuring antique toys, fancy miniature furniture, bits of lace, old letters and postage stamps—details that will resonate more with adults than young listeners. The few instances of mild humor are also likely to go over children’s heads. Despite the general-sounding advice, this is ultimately the very specific story of one young mouse’s search for the perfect pet—and a demonstration of one artist’s fascination with creating realistic rodents and placing them in charming domestic scenes. Whimsy in search of an audience. (Picture book. 4-7)
Saldaña Jr., René Illus. by Flores, Carolyn Dee Arte Público (32 pp.) $17.95 | May 31, 2014 978-1-55885-782-7
Mateo’s birthday is full of excitement, family and many things to count in English and Spanish. With minimal bilingual text, readers count along throughout Mateo’s birthday fiesta. As he waits for the party to begin, he helps prepare the decorations and takes a peek at the party favors that have been prepared for his guests. There are five lucha libre masks, six tops, seven bubble bottles and nine toy cars. When his 11 cousins arrive to celebrate, there is music and birthday cake. But best of all, there is the birthday piñata that Mateo will strike open as together they sing a traditional song, “Dale, dale, dale.” The lyrics to the piñata-breaking song are included in both English and Spanish, but the lack of any note or information about it is a missed opportunity. However, the exuberant energy of the book as a whole makes up for this oversight. The full-spread illustrations capture Mateo’s enthusiasm and the work his family has put into preparing such a lively party. While many of the illustrations are photorealistic, others are more playful, such as the images of Mateo striking his best lucha libre poses or an image of all of the children at the party displayed on the screen of a digital camera. A contemporary and festive Latino birthday celebration. (Bilingual picture book. 3-6)
WHERE ARE YOU?
Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman; Sharmat, Mitchell Illus. by Wheeler, Jody Random House (48 pp.) $12.99 | $15.99 PLB | May 13, 2014 978-0-385-74336-5 978-0-375-99109-7 PLB Series: Nate the Great Nate the Great and his dog, Sludge, want a day off from detective work. Eight brief chapters present a rather confusing story about the boy detective and his dog, who long to escape the demands of neighborhood children with cases to solve. They go so far as to visit a costume shop to try to find disguises before just trying to hide—unsuccessfully—from Rosamond, Annie and her dog, Fang, Claude and Harry. The mysteries the children pose are odd rather than compelling, and the characterization of Rosamond as little more than a bossy, icky girl is downright grating. For his part, Nate the Great does end up participating in solving the mysteries, but since these spring from coincidence, trickery and the failure to use logic, the solutions aren’t so much satisfying as they are anticlimactic. Wheeler’s art, in
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the style of Marc Simont, fails to live up to the earlier books in the series as it lacks the expressive movement and liveliness of his line. A not-so-great addition to a classic early-reader series. (Early reader. 6-9)
CURSES AND SMOKE A Novel of Pompeii
Shecter, Vicky Alvear Levine/Scholastic (336 pp.) $17.99 | $17.99 e-book | May 27, 2014 978-0-545-50993-0 978-0-545-50994-7 e-book
An impossible forbidden love in ancient Pompeii delivers history to romance fans. Sixteen-year-old Lucia dreads her upcoming marriage to a rich old man chosen for her by her father, the owner of Pompeii’s least prestigious gladiator school. When she learns that Tag, one of her father’s slaves, has returned from Rome, she fondly recalls playing together as children. When the two meet, true love blossoms. Can they keep their romance a secret while Lucia tries to escape the awful marriage? Can they actually get away from Pompeii and have a real life together? The standard romance plot widens with Lucia’s passion for natural history and her hope to meet her hero, the naturalist Pliny. Tag hopes to become a gladiator and win his freedom, but he also finds himself drawn to continue in his ailing father’s profession as a medical slave. Meanwhile, Lucia notices abundant small earthquakes and strange natural disturbances….The eruption engenders considerable tension as the lovers try to escape. Although the romance seems highly improbable, Shecter tempers the implausibility by giving Tag’s enslaved family a noble Etruscan background. Aside from the romance, the book’s focus on daily life in ancient Pompeii rings true. Their firm belief in various gods and goddesses and other superstitions comes across strongly, as does the author’s examination of slavery in ancient times. Romance with benefits. (Historical romance. 12-18)
THE BREAK-UP ARTIST
Siegel, Philip Harlequin Teen (304 pp.) $17.99 | May 1, 2014 978-0-373-21115-9
Breakin’ up may be hard to do but not if you get a little help from a cynical teenager who’s found a niche market for her special skills. Becca Williamson has spent her high school career going largely unnoticed. All around her, she’s seen what love does to people: how her sister was jilted at the altar, how her parents act more like siblings than lovers, and how she lost her old best friend, Huxley, |
years back when Huxley started dating a popular football player named Steve. Aided by a keen eye and a razor-sharp wit, Becca uses her skills to break up her classmates for profit. One day she receives a mysterious request that asks her to split power-couple Steve and Huxley. Still nursing her old wounds, she accepts. Becca suddenly finds herself immersed in the popular crowd for the first time and wondering if she can really do it—can she ruin her ex-BFF’s life? A fun, lighthearted romp with all the makings of a good rom-com, this romantic darling has it all: laughs, intrigue and a healthy dash of love conquering all. Most readers will undoubtedly clamor for more of Becca’s adventures, and Siegel indicates she may be back, in a closing Q-and-A. A true chick-lit charmer, ideal for a chilly winter night or a sunny beach chair. (Chick-lit/romance. 12-16)
THE PILOT AND THE LITTLE PRINCE The Life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Sís, Peter Illus. by Sís, Peter Frances Foster/Farrar, Straus & Giroux (48 pp.) $18.99 | May 27, 2014 978-0-374-38069-4
What was essential about one golden-haired boy in love with flying becomes visible in Sís’ richly visual biographical portrait of French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Sís covers the basics: Saint-Exupéry briefly studied architecture, then was a pioneer air mail pilot and began to publish his stories. Assigned to the mail station at Cape Juby in the Spanish Sahara, “he loved the solitude and being under millions of stars.” He spent two of the war years exiled in New York and finally returned to fly for France. Sís’ work invites readers to take time, to attend to the narrative in both the straightforward text and the nuanced, complex pictures. Antoine’s pilot friend Guillaumet advises him “to follow the face of the landscape”: A small plane flies over faces in the dunes (perhaps a nod to Saint-Exupéry’s Terres des Hommes). A desert fox greets one of Antoine’s several crashes, but instead of direct speculation about Saint-Exupéry’s inspiration for The Little Prince, Sís offers a multifaceted look at the author as adventurer and dreamer. Saint-Exupéry disappeared over the sea near Corsica in 1944: In Sís’ poignant illustration, the lines of the Lockheed P-38 become the wings and bicycle of a flying machine, a little like one Antoine made as a child. Extraordinary and wonderful. (Picture book/biography. 6-12)
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CAGED WARRIOR
Sitomer, Alan Lawrence Hyperion (224 pp.) $15.99 | $9.99 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-1-4231-7124-9 978-1-4231-8659-5 e-book McCutcheon “M.D.” Daniels has one dream: to get out of poverty-stricken Detroit. His golden ticket? The violent, underground sport of mixed martial arts. M.D.’s alcoholic, has-been father coaches him to win fights and impress the Priests, gangsters that run all the MMA action in the city. His younger sister, Gem, is the one ray of sunshine in a world Sitomer paints as ruthless and needlessly cruel. The hope for a better life juxtaposes sharply with reality; it’s constantly on the verge of bursting, an idea the author presents with great aplomb. M.D.’s gritty, vernacular narration goes beyond typical teen angst and captures the true spirit of the lowest class, a downtrodden world long left behind by the rest of American culture. When the teen begins to notice the damaging, cyclical nature of pessimism, he makes plays that he hopes will remove him from the clutches of his father and the Priests. The reactions to these moves are both explosive and engaging. The book is a brisk read, made all the more appealing by the author’s blend of heartfelt sentiment and sensational sports drama. The multiple fight sequences are tightly constructed, and none of the more emotional moments are overwrought. This is swift storytelling, offering little fuss but plenty to chew on. Smart, insightful and brimming with earned optimism. (Fiction. 12-16)
FILE UNDER 13 Suspicious Incidents
Snicket, Lemony Illus. by Seth Little, Brown (272 pp.) $12.00 | $3.99 e-book | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-316-28403-5 978-0-316-28404-2 e-book Series: All the Wrong Questions How many mysteries lurk in the nolonger-seaside town of Stain’d-by-the-
Sea? Thirteen. Collected herein, only for members of a certain secret organization (for nonmembers: This is a blank book; please move along), are 13 short investigations by young Lemony Snicket from the days of his apprenticeship in the increasingly deserted and mysterious town of Stain’d-by-the-Sea. The remaining residents, having heard of his investigations, bring him cases: Rare amphibians have gone missing; family heirlooms have been stolen; missives have been momentarily mislaid. Is there a demon on the docks at midnight? Is there a ghost haunting Old Lady Mann? As he ruminates, which here means to contemplate 110
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rather than to chew repeatedly, over the larger mysteries left in the wake of his previous investigations, Snicket solves small cases; readers can match wits as the solutions are only presented in a subfile at the volume’s end. Snicket (the author, aka Daniel Handler) gifts fans of his All the Wrong Questions quartet of tongue-in-cheek noir mysteries with a Volume 2.5 that expands the setting and characters of the main series while offering an homage to Donald Sobol’s Encyclopedia Brown. Literary allusions and witty wordplay abound as expected, with the added fun of getting to play detective. Fans can still look forward to Volume 3 of All the Wrong Questions, coming in October 2014: fabulous (which here means “very good” rather than “not real”). (Mystery/short stories. 8-14)
ANNA & SOLOMON
Snyder, Elaine Illus. by Bliss, Harry Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux (32 pp.) $17.99 | May 20, 2014 978-0-374-30362-4 A young man immigrates to America at the turn of the 20th century and works and saves so his wife can join him. Russia was not a good place for a young Jewish couple to thrive, no matter how hard they worked. The czar’s soldiers attacked their town, destroyed homes and religious books, and stole their possessions. Solomon and Anna decide that he should go to America and save up money to buy Anna a ticket. He arrives in New York and works as a housepainter, and months later, he is able to send the money. But when he meets the ship, Anna’s brother is there instead. They work together to send money again, and this time another brother arrives. Next time, it is Anna’s mother who gets off the ship. Finally Anna arrives, and they are reunited. The whole family continues to work and grow and prosper in their adopted land of freedom and opportunity. This tale of the author’s grandparents was passed down through the generations of her family. Snyder relates the events with obvious pride and love, in a conversational tone filled with descriptive details that highlight her ancestors’ determination, courage and compassion. Bliss’ illustrations beautifully complement the text, capturing time, place and emotions. An American story that is at once personal, timeless and universal. Lovely and uplifting. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-10)
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“Humorous and intelligent—and with watercolor seascapes so luminous that readers will want to jump in—this is a book to be treasured for years to come.” from three bears in a boat
THREE BEARS IN A BOAT
Soman, David Illus. by Soman, David Dial (40 pp.) $17.99 | May 20, 2014 978-0-8037-3993-2
Taking a break from Ladybug Girl, Soman uses his watercolors to paint a playful tale of responsibility. When Dash, Charlie and Theo—three sibling bears growing up by the sea—break their mother’s treasured blue seashell while attempting to get into the honey pot, they don’t ’fess up. They instead sail away in their boat, thinking maybe they can find another shell to replace the broken one before their mother gets home. An old, “salty bear” advises them to sail to a faraway island, but when they get there, there’s no shell. A sudden storm, conveyed in a brilliant page turn, helps the quarreling bears realize both their common vulnerability and their culpability, and they sail home, finding a blue shell on their own beach. They apologize to Mama Bear, offering the replacement shell. She forgives them, of course, but with a twist that will make readers smile as they remember another naughty adventurer and his “still hot” dinner. Filled with illustrations that insert lighthearted visual nods to classic books (a boat named Melville is filled with Moby Dick–ish bears, and a raft carries Huckleberry Finn–like bears), this tale is a treat for both eye and ear. Humorous and intelligent—and with watercolor seascapes so luminous that readers will want to jump in—this is a book to be treasured for years to come. (Picture book. 2-8)
ALLIES & ASSASSINS
Somper, Justin Little, Brown (496 pp.) $18.00 | $9.99 e-book | May 27, 2014 978-0-316-25393-2 978-0-316-25394-9 e-book Series: Allies & Assassins, 1 Following the murder of his brother, Prince Anders, Jared must not only assume the throne as ruler of all Archenfield, but take on the role of investigator
into the crime. As he’s only 16, it is lucky for Jared that he has the Council of The Twelve to guide him in his decisions. Unfortunately, he quickly learns that not all is as it seems in the kingdom. Lust for power, unrequited love and personal vendettas make it difficult for Jared to know whom to trust. So when Asta Peck, the Physician’s niece and apprentice, begins her own inquiry, he is relieved to find that he is not the only one seeking the truth. Their investigation is complicated by the death of the prince’s consort and her unborn child and the attempted murder of the Falconer. It is clear that the killer is ruthless, but his or her motivation and identity remain hidden. While the mystery is suspenseful, a lack of sensory detail keeps the fantastic setting |
vague, despite ornate, medieval-esque trappings. The over-large cast is often unwieldy, keeping the individual characters undefined and forcing readers to the Archenfield family tree and list of officers at the front. Still, there’s a lot going on, and readers caught up in the plot will probably want to find out what happens next. Here’s hoping they’ll be rewarded with more depth and color in the sequels to come. (Adventure. 12-16)
ANOTHER DAY AS EMILY
Spinelli, Eileen Illus. by Lew-Vriethoff, Joanne Knopf (214 pp.) $12.99 | $9.99 e-book | $15.99 PLB May 13, 2014 978-0-449-80987-7 978-0-449-80990-7 e-book 978-0-449-80988-4 PLB Spinelli’s free verse presents a summer of self-acceptance for one girl. Suzy is almost 12 when her 4-year-old brother sees their elderly neighbor collapse. He dials 911 and becomes a “little hero” in their town. Suddenly everything revolves around him, and no one seems to care about Suzy’s needs. Worse, she doesn’t get a part in the community play, but her best friend, Alison, does. Suzy is feeling decidedly unloved and decides that her best bet is to emulate a poet she has recently learned about—Emily Dickinson. Suzy insists on being called Emily and makes a list of Emily-appropriate activities (write poems, dust, read, listen to crickets). But Suzy soon finds that being a recluse is a lonely occupation. Lots of white space on the page, short chapters and appealing illustrations make this an unintimidating read for even the most reluctant readers. And besides, it’s a rollicking good story. Spinelli mixes dollops of wit with her dabs of pathos to keep things lively and realistic in a fresh way that nevertheless feels comfortably old-fashioned. The interspersed bits of history (the origin of baseball, some famous people of the 1800s) and wholesome activities (bicycle riding, helping neighbors, going to the library) make this a story to be enjoyed and appreciated by readers weary of the mall-shopping, cellphonecentric, mean-girl genre. A witty and endearing story with a timeless message. (Verse fiction. 9-12)
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“St. Antoine writes with a delicate hand and lets her keen observation rule many of her pages….” from three bird summer
THREE BIRD SUMMER
St. Antoine, Sara Candlewick (256 pp.) $16.99 | May 13, 2014 978-0-7636-6564-7
At a peaceful summertime lakeside retreat, three generations come to terms with growing up, growing old and letting go. Adam knows this summer at the lake will be a lot different than past summers. Because of his parents’ recent divorce, his dad and cousins won’t be with them. Just he and his mom and his grandmother will share the cabin. Adam doesn’t mind spending time without other young people, but he gets worried when his grandmother displays slips of memory; she even takes to leaving notes to a man she knew as a young girl—not Adam’s grandfather—in Adam’s room. The mystery deepens when one of her notes mentions a treasure. With help from Alice, the girl who lives in the next-door cabin, Adam sets out to find the treasure, even as his mother makes plans to change his family’s life forever. St. Antoine writes with a delicate hand and lets her keen observation rule many of her pages: “Being old had to be so strange—to know you looked ragged on the outside, but to still feel...like the fresh young person you once were.” Adam and Alice are both endearing and believable teenagers. Despite an ending that borders on convenient, this spirited novel seamlessly combines endings and beginnings against the beautiful backdrop of a lake in summer. (Fiction. 9-12)
BOYS LIKE YOU
Stone, Juliana Sourcebooks Fire (288 pp.) $16.99 | May 6, 2014 978-1-4022-9147-0 A contemporary romance-with-a-conscience presents three teens who have erred but are worthy of redemption. Hot girl from out of town; hunky, vulnerable hero; alcohol-troubled exgirlfriend; conflict and regrets…there’s nothing wrong—and a good deal that is right—with the romance formula when it’s handled this well. Emotionally damaged and painfully remote, New York teen Monroe is spending her summer in Louisiana with her wise and loving gram. There to heal after an initially unspecified tragedy, Monroe quickly meets local kindred-tortured-soul Nathan (“the pain that I saw there let me know I wasn’t the only one…who hated herself ”). Their tragic tales emerge in alternating chapters; Nathan must deal with catastrophe or its fallout daily and faces it head-on, while Monroe circles around her pain. In their world, thoughtful, caring friends and a wise grandmother are better than therapists, and despite Monroe’s assertion that Nathan is not her type, hot days, Southern swimming holes, steamy nights and boozy teen 112
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parties out in “the bush” prove her wrong. Conveniently naïve parents and Gram’s upfront insistence on birth control create space for tender, consensual, responsible intimacy. Several layers of complexity (grief, guilt, the search for healing) nudge this toward the general fiction category even as it maintains familiar characteristics of the standard romance. The as-happy-as-it-could-be-under-the-circumstances ending will definitely satisfy, and Stone writes it with confidence and style. (Romance. 14-18)
GIRL IN REVERSE
Stuber, Barbara McElderry (336 pp.) $17.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-4424-9734-4
Searching for answers about her Chinese mother generates tension between Lily and her adoptive Caucasian family, while the onset of the Korean War prompts a growing anti-Chinese sentiment at her school. Lily rejects her Chinese heritage, perceiving it as socially unacceptable even as she deeply longs to understand her birth mother. Lily’s fragmented memories of her mother—her scent, the color of her sweater, the texture of her hair—and the yearnings they inspire are the novel’s most genuinely affecting moments. They convincingly explain Lily’s determination to secretly investigate her heritage after her brother uncovers a box of Chinese artifacts in their attic. Unfortunately, the mystery of her mother that has so tormented Lily is too easily solved, thanks to a series of narrative conveniences that, taken together, seem unlikely. Several additional plotlines, including a romance, the school janitor’s speeches about racism and a nun’s decision to leave the order, further dilute the potential drama of Lily’s search for her mother. Lily’s spirited younger brother provides welcome instances of humor. Though the plot is sometimes uneven, ultimately readers will applaud Lily’s increased appreciation of her Chinese heritage. Despite moments of beautiful sensory detail, the novel ends up feeling didactic rather than genuine. (Historical fiction. 12-18)
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DANNY BLACKGOAT, RUGGED ROAD TO FREEDOM
Tingle, Tim 7th Generation (176 pp.) $9.95 paper | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-939053-05-3 Series: Danny Blackgoat, 2
A resourceful young Navajo’s efforts to rescue his family are complicated by dust-ups with a violent gang of slave traders in the second episode of this Civil War–era trilogy (Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner, 2013). Tingle packs a lot into this slim book, braiding action with too-little-known history for an effective period adventure. Freshly escaped from a west Texas prison camp, Danny immediately rides for Fort Sumner in New Mexico—only to fall into the clutches of slavers. Thanks to harrowing experiences that have transformed him from a “tough young man who fought with his fists to a strong young leader who fought with his thinking,” Danny copes admirably. He not only leads his captors into an ambush, but goes on to join an attack on their compound and rescue other captives. He also rejoins his family and other displaced Navajos clustered around Fort Sumner in time to save them from the same gang and, having encountered so much death and violence, receives a healing ceremony from his grandfather. By the end, things are looking up, but the Blackgoats’ trials are far from over. A suspenseful middle volume. (Historical fiction. 10-13)
REBEL
Tintera, Amy HarperTeen (352 pp.) $17.99 | $12.00 paper | $9.99 e-book May 6, 2014 978-0-06-221710-3 978-0-06-233790-0 paper 978-0-06-221712-7 e-book A breakneck follow-up to Reboot (2013) delves deep into its characters. Wren 178 has successfully led a group of Reboots to freedom after breaking them out of the facility where they were imprisoned and forced to act as soldiers carrying out the bidding of the humans in charge. The numbers associated with Reboots’ names represent the minutes they spent dead before rebooting—reanimation as more physically sound versions of themselves, a side effect for some of a rampant virus that has plagued humanity in this near-future world. This second novel smartly delves into questions of ethical responsibility, placing Wren in the middle of situations in which others look to her for leadership even as she longs to escape the burden and forcing her to choose whether or not to challenge the radical notions of the leader of the refugee camp in which they’ve sheltered. She’s a tough, immensely likable narrator—a task newly shared with her love interest, Callum 22, this time around. Their |
alternating narration works just fine, but it somewhat lessens the sharpness of her voice. At the same time, readers who are thrilling to their developing romance may well like the insight into Callum’s thoughts. Action-packed and intelligent, this science-fiction thriller offers a refreshingly hopeful conclusion. (Dystopian adventure. 14-18)
SO WHAT!
Trussell, Tracey Illus. by Price, Neil Digital Leaf (32 pp.) $9.95 paper | May 7, 2014 978-1-909428-19-5 Sparkle-filled lettering on the cover and elaborately styled figures within display plenty of flash. Every time she tries to share a bit of news with her “best friend” (contradicting the evidence), Lissy, the young narrator gets only the titular put-down in response. In response, she second-guesses herself by thinking that she should have announced something more flamboyant: instead of a new bunny, a camel with six humps; instead of a new dress, a velvet gown and tiara; instead of a touch of flu, a space alien’s weird disease. Turnabout comes at last after Lissy snottily announces that she’s going to the park with a new friend and gets to be on the brushoff ’s receiving end. Lissy, flanked by sycophants who mirror her sneers, is last seen left agape while the narrator strolls off in satisfaction. The hand-lettered text is laid over painted scenes done in saturated colors and featuring strutting, fashionably accessorized preteens with oversized heads. A bit of superficial wish fulfillment that leaves the moral high ground entirely unoccupied. (Picture book. 6-9)
A TIME TO DANCE
Venkatraman, Padma Nancy Paulsen Books (320 pp.) $17.99 | May 1, 2014 978-0-399-25710-0 Flowing free verse tells the story of a teenage dancer in Chennai, India, who loses a leg and re-learns how to dance. As a child, Veda climbs a stepladder in the temple to reach up and trace the dancers’ feet carved into granite with her fingertips. Shiva’s the god of dance and creator of universes, and a priest teaches Veda to “feel Shiva’s feet moving” inside her chest, as her heartbeat. Years later, as a teen, she wins a Bharatanatyam dance competition and relishes the applause. Then a van accident leads to the amputation of her right leg below the knee. Venkatraman weaves together several themes so elegantly that they become one: Veda’s bodily exertion, learning to dance with her prosthetic leg; her process of changing her dance technique to be emotional and spiritual as well
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as physical; and all the rest of Veda’s life, including young love, grief, insecurity and a dawning awareness of class issues. The fluid first-person verse uses figurative speech sparingly, so when it appears—“A bucket of gold melting from the sky”—it packs a punch. Veda’s no disabled saint; awkwardness and jealousy receive spot-on portrayals as she works to incorporate Hinduism and Buddhism, life experience and emotion into her dancing. When she does, her achievement is about being centered, not receiving accolades. A beautiful integration of art, religion, compassion and connection. (author’s note) (Verse fiction. 13-17)
PANDEMIC
Ventresca, Yvonne Sky Pony Press (256 pp.) $16.95 | May 6, 2014 978-1-62873-609-0 In her first novel, Ventresca pulls together three unrelated themes to create a medical thriller/romance. Lily’s had trouble coping ever since one of her teachers, Mr. B, attempted to sexually assault her, an attack that’s only gradually revealed. In response, she’s taken up smoking and dressing in a sort of lazy version of goth, and even though she was an honor student, she’s begun cutting classes. Now, with her father away at an infectious-diseases conference and her mother in Asia, the abrupt appearance and rapid spread of the often lethal Blue Flu has pushed her to the brink. Not only are looters roaming her neighborhood and dead bodies piling up in homes, but Mr. B is stalking her. Further complicating matters, previous love interest Ethan and likable neighborhood smoking pal Jay are competing for her affection. It’s challenging to give all three threads—disease, sexual assault and teen romance—full attention. Even though she’s obviously conflicted, Lily’s monthslong emotional meltdown feels somewhat contrived, especially since she reacts capably as civic response to the contagion falls far short, those close to her sicken and die, and she accepts, if reluctantly, responsibility for caring for children—including an infant—orphaned by the disease. With the scarily rapid spread of the disease and the resulting crumbling of society offering ample peril and suspense, the sexual-assault theme adds little. Still, this realistic page-turner will keep most readers enthralled. (Thriller. 12-16)
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THE TREE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT Verburg, Bonnie Illus. by Teague, Mark Orchard/Scholastic (40 pp.) $17.99 | May 27, 2014 978-0-439-85338-5
As the title indicates, arboreal hijinks inspired by the classic rhyme. The tale begins recognizably enough: “Here is the boy / up in the tree / where he built a house / overlooking the sea.” Then there is a pesky fly, followed by a lizard that snaps at that fly. But the narrative halts its cumulative efforts partway through to take a different turn. Jack has built a treehouse full of pulleys, levers, ropes and ladders. There is a rabbit, enticed by a carrot on a string, who powers a device to fan the monkey. Not to mention the speedy pineapple-delivery system for the squirrels. Verburg interrupts the expected rhyme to falteringly point out the wonders of the treehouse as the cat “jumps on the swings, / the ladder, the birdbath, / the marvelous things / Jack made with his tools.” The invitation to closely inspect Teague’s saturated art is unnecessary. Readers will be eagerly peering through branches to catch all the details of their own accords. The cumulative narration begins again, only to be halted by the storytime bell; however, this time the rhythm is better preserved. Jack, in fact, reads the same story that they are all in! A semiclever twist that lends itself to far more imaginative play in illustration than text. (Picture book. 3-5)
DIRT BIKES, DRONES, AND OTHER WAYS TO FLY
Wesselhoeft, Conrad HMH Books (352 pp.) $17.99 | $17.99 e-book | Apr. 8, 2014 978-0-544-23269-3 978-0-544-28965-9 e-book There is a place where Arlo goes to break free—free from his mother’s recent murder, his father’s grief, his sister’s progressing Huntington’s disease. In this place, the Drone Zone, it all falls away and there is just the moment. Arlo’s two mechanisms for reaching the Zone are pulling stunts on his dirt bike and playing “Drone Pilot,” a video game that simulates drone flight and at which he is currently the best in the world. With these tools, Arlo is able to fly, and for his incredible skill with each, he begins to attract attention. A reality TV show that specializes in capturing daredevil stunts wants to pay him to risk his life for entertainment. The military also takes notice, wanting Arlo to work for them secretly, flying drones and gathering reconnaissance that could lead to the capture, or death, of the world’s most notorious terrorist. Both options offer to provide his family with financial resources they
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“All the elements are in place, including page backgrounds that modulate from dirty browns to fresh, clean colors and endpapers that bookend the story….” from the pigeon needs a bath!
direly need. Which, if either, is worth the risk is what Arlo must decide. Readers will worry, laugh and ultimately soar along with Arlo as he finds his way. Nuanced supporting characters and a vivid New Mexico landscape ground Arlo’s dilemma, creating a superbly well-balanced narrative. As complex as life itself, this novel addresses serious topics without taking itself too seriously. (Fiction. 14-18)
THE PIGEON NEEDS A BATH!
Willems, Mo Illus. by Willems, Mo Hyperion (40 pp.) $16.99 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-4231-9087-5 Series: Pigeon
The pigeon is back, and he is filthy! Readers haven’t seen the pigeon for a couple of years, not since The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? (2012), and apparently he hasn’t bathed in all that time. Per the usual routine, the bus driver (clad in shower cap and bathrobe) opens the story by asking readers to help convince the pigeon to take a bath. Though he’s covered in grime, the obstreperous bird predictably resists. He glares at readers and suggests that maybe they need baths. With the turn of the page, Willems anticipates readers’ energetic denials: The pigeon demands, “YEAH! When was the last time YOU had a bath?!” Another beat allows children to supply the answer. “Oh.” A trio of flies that find him repulsive (“P.U.!”) convinces him it’s time. One spread with 29 separate panels depicts the pigeon adjusting the bath (“Too wet!…Too cold.…Too reflective”) before the page turn reveals him jumping in with a spread-filling “SPLASH!” Readers accustomed to the pigeon formula will note that here the story breaks from its normal rhythms; instead of throwing a tantrum, the pigeon discovers what readers already know: “This is FUN!” All the elements are in place, including page backgrounds that modulate from dirty browns to fresh, clean colors and endpapers that bookend the story (including a very funny turnabout for the duckling, here a rubber bath toy). Willems’ formula is still a winner. (Picture book. 3-6)
SONG OF THE SWORD
Willett, Edward Coteau Books | (288 pp.) $14.95 paper | May 1, 2014 978-1-55050-580-1 Series: Shards of Excalibur, 1
A King Arthur–based fantasy set in modern-day Canada. High school student and inveterate reader of fantasy Ariane Forsythe is haunted by her mother’s supposed descent into insanity, which preceded her disappearance two and a half years ago. Only recently out of foster care (now in |
the care of her aunt, who was previously too sick to care for her niece), Ariane is used to bullies, and these find her almost as soon as she has started her new school. Through a magical encounter with the Lady of the Lake, Ariane discovers she is the Lady’s heir, accepting the Lady’s power and a quest to retrieve the shattered shards of Excalibur before Merlin—still alive and the story’s villain—can. Aiding Ariane is her schoolmate, the endearingly geeky Wally Knight. Together they use Ariane’s new powers to seek the shards and face Merlin, readying themselves for the sequel. The fantastic elements work better than the realistic ones. Readers will be struck at the way the girls who prey on Ariane vacillate between laughable immaturity and more plausible tactics, such as force-stripping Ariane with the intention of texting her picture to their schoolmates. Nevertheless, though it’s not fast-paced, it’s a tight story (all the details make sense), and characters exhibit honest emotions. Fantasy references galore should ensure that readers who enjoy fantasy—and Arthurian legend in particular— come away satisfied. (Fantasy. 12-16)
MY RED BALLOON
Yamada, Kazuaki Illus. by Yamada, Kazuaki Minedition (56 pp.) $18.99 | May 1, 2014 978-988-8240-72-2
A day in the life of a girl, her animal friends and her special red balloon. Starting at the bus stop where the little girl stands waiting, this sparsely worded book traces the day. Though she is the lone passenger on the bus, she is not lonely. When the bus stops for the purse-carrying brown bear, the girl excitedly shows the balloon to the bear—but loses it out the window. The bus follows the balloon, stopping to pick up various animal friends along the way to help with the search. Naïve, childlike illustrations invite readers to look for the balloon, which hides behind a tree, floats out of the frame, dangles from a cloud and reappears in the mountains. When a black bird pops it, the girl’s sadness cannot be assuaged until the friends find the balloon, reborn as something new. Young readers will enjoy finding the heart-shaped tree, multicolored clover plants, bus-stop signs that change with the riders and a Popsicle-eating penguin. The illustrator’s use of the horizon line keeps the focus on the trip, and each page turn reveals just how long a journey this is. The muted paintings have a flat, folk-art feel that adds to the warm tone of the story. The children of modern, worry-filled parents will find this girl’s solo adventure on the bus inspiring. This Japanese import elegantly conveys the sustaining gift of friendship. (Picture book. 3-6)
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“Zettel beautifully places this age-old generational conflict into her distinctive world.” from bad luck girl
FIENDISH
Yovanoff, Brenna Razorbill/Penguin (352 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 26, 2014 978-1-59514-638-0 The atmosphere in Yovanoff ’s latest is eerily reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird, if only Harper Lee’s Maycomb residents had been given magical families as a focus for their bigotry. New South Bend is a typical small town, where families have known each other for generations and intolerances simmer just beneath the surface. Tension runs high between the “craft” people, town outcasts because of the magical qualities inherited from their “fiend” ancestors, and the everyday townspeople. Once, years earlier, at a time when the craft ran amok causing chaos, many townspeople burned craft homes and killed craft people, an event that has come to be known as “the reckoning.” Few people realize that a young craft girl, Clementine, was magically bound and left in a trancelike state in the cellar of a burned home. When Fisher, who has more than a touch of craft blood in him, unearths Clementine, now a teenager, history begins to repeat itself. As Fisher and Clementine are drawn to each other, the craft become increasingly unruly. But this time, Clementine, fueled by her pure heart and her unique ability to enhance others’ powers, is determined to control the craft and avoid another bloody confrontation. Yet old habits die hard, and Clementine finds her potential craft allies may prefer revenge for their reckoning. This beguiling amalgamation of the magical and modern worlds will have readers mesmerized. (Urban fantasy. 12-18)
BAD LUCK GIRL
Zettel, Sarah Random House (368 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | $20.99 PLB May 27, 2014 978-0-375-86940-2 978-0-375-98320-7 e-book 978-0-375-96940-9 PLB Series: American Fairy Trilogy, 3 Calliope Margaret LeRoux deMinuit, half-human and half-Unseelie, Heir to the Midnight Throne, can save or destroy all of fairykind. Now that Callie and best friend Jack have rescued Callie’s parents, everything’s going to be just fine, right? Jack, Callie and her parents reach Depression-era Chicago, struggling against dangers both magical (cold iron, which has a worse effect on Callie’s Unseelie father, Daniel LeRoux, than on half-fairy Callie) and mundane (the racism of Jim Crow, which endangers dark-skinned Daniel more than light-skinned, half-white Callie). After all the time she and Jack have spent fighting to escape the Seelie and Unseelie courts while rescuing Callie’s folks, she’s 116
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confident and independent. But her father is ancient, powerful and protective; Callie hates how Daniel’s “ordering [her] around like a little kid.” Zettel beautifully places this age-old generational conflict into her distinctive world. Callie and Jack want to help the Halfers, half-fairy elemental creatures composed of paper, electricity and other urban magics; Daniel calls them “Undone” and orders Callie to stay far away from the strange magic he despises. Ultimately, all the powers that be want to use Callie’s magic to win the war for their side, and nobody cares what happens to Callie, Jack or the Halfers, raising the stakes to frighteningly high levels. Callie and Zettel bring this stellar trilogy to a satisfyingly sentimental conclusion. (Fantasy. 12-14)
m o t h e r ’s d a y & f a t h e r ’s d a y r o u n d u p ME AND DAD
Catherine, Maria Illus. by Campion, Pascal Picture Window Books (32 pp.) $8.95 | Mar. 1, 2014 978-1-4795-2253-8 Series: Time Together A slide show of snapshots of different children and their fathers spending happy times together. Catherine’s language consists of brief phrases that always end with the word “time” to describe the series of double-page spreads of dads and children together. Campion’s illustrations appear to be digitally rendered and display an animation-style aesthetic. Beginning with “Favorite song time” and ending with a predictable “Sweet dream time,” a not-very-diverse cast of dad-child pairs plays hide-and-seek, has tea, reads fairy tales, bakes, hugs, talks, builds, rakes leaves, walks the dog and brushes teeth. Of the 14 vignettes presented, only three contain characters that are obviously not Caucasian—there’s one black pair, one Asian pair and one that could possibly be Latino. Although hair color sometimes varies between parent and child, there are no biracial pairs. Some young readers will enjoy recognizing the familiar activities that they experience with their parents, but with no story, the bland renditions of the various activities taking place and the lack of diversity, the overall appeal is low. Companion title Me and Mom is similarly flawed. Do not spend much time deliberating about this title— pass. (Picture book. 2-5) (Me and Mom: 978-1-4795-2252-1)
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NELLY GNU AND DADDY TOO
Dewdney, Anna Illus. by Dewdney, Anna Viking (40 pp.) $17.99 | May 6, 2014 978-0-670-01227-5 Series: Llama Llama
Fans of the Llama Llama series can rejoice—best-selling author Dewdney is back with another one, this time featuring Nelly Gnu and her ever helpful daddy. Having made her first appearance in Llama Llama, Time to Share (2012), Nelly is back and quite industrious as she and her father work together to build a playhouse. Rhyming couplets cheerily describe the activity: “A great big box, some tape and string— / Daddy can make anything! // First they measure. Then they draw. / Nelly tapes, and Daddy saws.” As the project takes shape, Nelly decides that the playhouse needs some decorating. Off the pair goes to get paint and brushes at the store. Nelly laughs as she rides high on Daddy’s shoulders, and she is amazed at all the colors of paint she sees on the shelves. Amid the hustle and bustle, Nelly suddenly loses sight of her father and has a moment of panic. The full-bleed spread of Nelly alone in a sea of shoppers, viewed from above, brings emotional heft to the otherwise innocuous preschool story. But the page turn reveals Nelly in close-up, being embraced by the two strong arms of her dad. All ends well as they complete their special day painting “the house with brick designs. / Big bright flowers, climbing vines.” Dewdney clearly knows her audience and delivers an engaging story illustrated with a rainbow of vibrant hues that preschoolers will love. Here’s hoping there will be more adventures with Nelly and her family. (Picture book. 3-6)
A MOM FOR UMANDE
Faulconer, Maria Illus. by Hartung, Susan Kathleen Dial (32 pp.) $16.99 | Apr. 3, 2014 978-0-8037-3762-4
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MIGHTY DADS
Holub, Joan Illus. by Dean, James Scholastic (40 pp.) $16.99 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-545-60968-5 Big-daddy and little-kid trucks of all kinds are busy at work on a construction site. Holub uses rhyme—which is often forced—and repetition to create what is most likely intended to be an over-the-top interactive reading-aloud success. Some phrasing really works: “Excavator Big / helps little Vator dig. / They go scoop, scoop, scoop.” Others are not as impressive: “Backhoe Steady / waits for HoeHoe to get ready. / They go trench, trench, trench.” Along the way, cranes reach, boom trucks crash, mixers pour and steamrollers pave. Each spread features Dean’s (Pete the Cat series) brightly hued vehicles—one huge and one tiny. They are always calmly working together. Each wears the exact same heavy-lidded expression, except when the day is done and it looks as though all the trucks are sleeping. Clearly a Dean trademark, this nevertheless comes across as a missed opportunity to visually engage readers and add some energy. Shouldn’t these dad-and-child pairs look like they’re having a good time together? Sure to enjoy commercial success thanks to the marquee talent, this effort will result in more disappointment than enjoyment. (Picture book. 2-5)
MOM’S THE WORD
At the center of this tale based on a true story is an adorable baby gorilla whose mother does not know how to take care of him. When Umande is born on a winter night at the zoo, “[h]e cries, as if to say ‘Will you hold me?’ ” Unfortunately none of the other gorillas do. Faulconer writes simply, describing the facts of the situation. Readers are immediately drawn into the challenge that the zookeepers face. Around the clock, human caregivers groom, feed and model appropriate gorilla behavior to help ensure his future survival. Hartung uses oil glazes on sealed paper that is then rubbed or scratched to create textured effects. This technique allows the snowflakes to seem as if they are drifting off the page, and in other scenes, readers can almost feel the tufts of yellow hay that makes up Umande’s enclosed |
habitat. When he is about 8 months old, zookeepers decide to try and find a female gorilla at another zoo who can be a mother to Umande. Children will delight in seeing Umande peeking out the window of a plane and ultimately, over a period of weeks, connecting with Lulu, the gorilla who will be his new mom. Not only a special adoption story, but also a heartwarming look at the human-animal relationship. (note) (Picture book. 5-8)
Knapman, Timothy Illus. by Littler, Jamie Tiger Tales (32 pp.) $15.99 | Mar. 1, 2014 978-1-58925-157-1
This energetically illustrated tribute to mothers challenges readers to consider many different feelings associated with the word “Mom.” Knapman’s text puts forth a series of questions and declarations in rhyme. “What’s the word that feels like a cuddle? / Like splashing and sploshing through a great big puddle?” His language piles clue on clue by comparing the elusive word to a warm “good-night kiss” or one “that tastes like an ice-cream sundae.” Like a magic word that can both mean “Get well soon” and evoke “a firework [that] lights up the night,” the intended
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message gets muddled. Putting the confusing concept of the book aside, readers will respond to the spirited illustrations Littler creates. The focus is on a gray-and-white dog whose pricked-up ears, wagging tail and wide range of emotional expressions instantly appeal. Generous white space allows the large typeface and the pictures full of action to balance each other. Readers of all ages will feel the glee of sliding down a steep red slide at top speed and feel the soppy despair of getting caught in the rain. Of course, the “word that so much joy comes from… / …is… / ‘Mom!’ ” Obviously intended as a gift for Mother’s Day, this relatively attractive title will likely help meet that demand. Too bad the concept inside is less than successful. (Picture book. 3-7)
HOW TO CHEER UP DAD
Koehler, Fred Illus. by Koehler, Fred Dial (32 pp.) $16.99 | Mar. 20, 2014 978-0-8037-3922-2 In Koehler’s picture-book debut, Little Jumbo repeatedly tries the patience of his dad but then does his best to make everything better. Before the story starts, readers know that Dad is in for it. The title page shows a slumbering, pajama-clad elephant about to be pounced on by his son, who is already in midair. On the copyright page, Dad rushes to stop the tyke from consuming a spoonful of paste. So readers will understand the opening line: “Little Jumbo’s dad was having a bad day.” The understated text is paired with the irrepressible son’s antics throughout, maintaining a constant level of hilarity. One spread’s matter-of-fact text reads, “Dad put raisins in Little Jumbo’s oatmeal. / He should have known what a mess that would make.” The accompanying illustration depicts spunky and joyous Little Jumbo standing on his chair and peppering the ceiling with a splatter of rejected raisins. Dad has had enough—the two elephants have a standoff trunk to trunk. One timeout later, the young elephant starts trying to change the mood of his father. From a hug to playing catch, sharing a huge ice cream cone, fishing and reading a bedtime story, Little Jumbo sincerely does his best to make up for his behavior—but the final page makes it clear that the challenges will continue tomorrow. Welcome Little Jumbo! We hope we’ll see more of you. (Picture book. 3-7)
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A GIFT FOR MAMA
Lodding, Linda Ravin Illus. by Jay, Alison Knopf (32 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | $20.99 PLB Mar. 25, 2014 978-0-385-75331-9 978-0-385-75333-3 e-book 978-0-385-75332-6 PLB An earnest boy walks the streets of turn-of-the-20th-century Vienna, seeking the perfect present for his mother’s birthday. Lodding begins in the morning with Oskar peering “wide-eyed into the shop windows” of the bustling city, where “[s]hoppers and sellers filled the streets, and carriages clippity-clopped against the cobblestones.” The descriptive language reveals a task to be completed. He must find something to buy his mother even though he has but one coin. Oskar spots a striking yellow rose and promptly buys it. But an artist admires his flower and trades him a paintbrush for the bloom. Oskar then decides this will be the perfect item with which to paint his mother a picture. Agreeable and ever helpful Oskar then encounters a conductor, a writer and the empress, and a trade occurs each time. As the sun begins to set, he runs along the Danube, eager to present his gift to his mother…until he notices a girl crying. He discovers that she is in a similar predicament and decides to give the girl his gift even if that means he is left with nothing. When all seems hopeless, a tap on the shoulder from the girl reveals a most beautiful and familiar resolution. The beauty and warmth of the tale is skillfully matched in Jay’s glowing illustrations that appear to have an aged, crackled finish. Treat this lovely story as a gift worth sharing. (note) (Picture book. 4-8)
FOLLOWING PAPA’S SONG
Marino, Gianna Illus. by Marino, Gianna Viking (40 pp.) $16.99 | Apr. 3, 2014 978-0-670-01315-9
A young whale awaits the call for his first migration with a mix of concern and anticipation, but Papa’s strong reassuring presence and sage advice make for an exhilarating journey. Little Blue is eager to know how far they will travel, how they will know where to go and how to swim so quickly as they await the signal from other whales. Papa’s wise replies teach as well as comfort. When Little Blue hears a sound from afar, Papa signals for them to begin the long swim to their summer feeding ground. “Papa’s voice echoed across the sea, through the liquid light and deep into the mysterious black.” Marino’s text has a lyrical quality that pairs beautifully with the magical mixed-media illustrations created with gouache and textured paper. By varying the perspective in the spreads, she conveys the vastness of the ocean to children. On one, the father and child look rather small moving through a great expanse of turquoise blues, while on another, a close-up of
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“McMullen’s appealing watercolor illustrations skillfully paint the contrast between Lucy’s perky enthusiasm and Grandma’s careful movements.” from let’s dance, grandma!
the whales’ faces emphasizes the warm intimacy between the pair. Dramatic changes in color signal emotional shifts in the story. This beautifully executed book about the bond between father and child that can be as deep as the darkest sea and powerful enough to help navigate in times of trouble will resonate with readers both young and old. (Picture book. 3-6)
MOMMY’S LITTLE SUNFLOWERS
McAllister, Angela Illus. by Edgson, Alison Tiger Tales (32 pp.) $16.99 | Mar. 1, 2014 978-1-58925-154-0
A tale of two young mice that go off on an adventure to first replace then plant a sunflower seed, from the pair who created Yuck! That’s Not a Monster! (2010). Brothers Scurry and Scamp are a cuddly yet determined duo. The first page launches readers into a lengthy tale about how they get the oversized bloom to give to their mother. When younger Scamp nibbles the seed that Scurry brought home from school to plant, his hopes of growing a “funflower”—according to Scamp—are slim. But then Blackbird swoops down and tells the mice where they can find a field of sunflowers. The quest begins. On the way, the siblings are challenged with physical obstacles and must cooperate with each other to get the desired result. Ample dialogue is dominated by exclamation points: “Suddenly they heard a ‘MOO!’ ‘Look! It’s a cow! She’ll help us!’ cried Scamp. ‘Watch out!’ squeaked Scurry. ‘We’ll get SQUASHED!’ ” Unsurprisingly, the initially scary cow comes to the mice’s aid. As the story draws to a close, the two mice decide to put their creative talents to work to surprise their mother, since growing the plant did not work out as planned. The forced melodrama and rather pedestrian, consciously cute pictures fail to impress. Sure to appeal to those who like their children’s books saccharine. Everyone else should pass. (Picture book. 3-6)
LET’S DANCE, GRANDMA!
McMullen, Nigel Illus. by McMullen, Nigel Harper/HarperCollins (32 pp.) $16.99 | Mar. 11, 2014 978-0-06-050747-3
A young fox tries to share her passion for dancing when her grandmother comes to visit. Will she succeed in getting Grandma up on her feet? Lucy loves to dance, but Mom warns on her way out of the house that there will be “No dancing, Lucy. You’ll wear Grandma out. Grandmas don’t dance.” This does not stop Lucy from trying. Each time she tries to coax her grandmother to dance, the older fox just shakes her head. Instead, |
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they play ball, dress-up and cards. Readers will notice the knocked-over vase of flowers, the way the grandmother nurses her aching back and her overall fatigue as she attempts to keep up with her energetic granddaughter. Lucy finally realizes that Grandma may need to rest when she finds her napping in her hiding place during a game of hide-and-seek. When Lucy requests to cuddle instead of dance, Grandma responds in a most delightful way. A sung lullaby leads to gentle swaying, and soon both are dancing, “slowly at first, but then faster, until it seemed to Lucy that the whole world was dancing.” McMullen’s appealing watercolor illustrations skillfully paint the contrast between Lucy’s perky enthusiasm and Grandma’s careful movements. This intergenerational story has an ending sure to satisfy. (Picture book. 3-5)
HOW TO BABYSIT A GRANDMA
Reagan, Jean Illus. by Wildish, Lee Knopf (32 pp.) $16.99 | $10.99 e-book | $19.99 PLB Mar. 25, 2014 978-0-385-75384-5 978-0-385-75386-9 e-book 978-0-385-75385-2 PLB
Reagan and Wildish create a humorous follow-up how-to tale in this companion to How to Babysit a Grandpa (2012). “When you babysit a grandma, if you’re lucky…it’s a sleepover at her house.” A committed, pigtailed girl is excited to take on this huge responsibility. A narrative set in conventional black type explains the pacing of the day, and a more informal purple style is utilized for notes or lists of ideas to be considered by a babysitter. The book has a busy look, with some pages containing multiple vignettes showcasing the duo’s visit to the park or playing inside, while other, double-page spreads allow readers’ eyes to linger on the pair’s quieter moments, such as when they eat dinner, gaze at the stars or make shadow puppets on the wall. Parents and children alike will giggle at all the things the granddaughter has planned, along with her helpful pointers. Foods do taste “yummier” with sprinkles, and shouting “Ta-dah!” does make someone feel special after they have dressed up. After a jam-packed day of fun, morning comes and with it, “the hardest part: goodbye time.” This silly take on role reversal will have preschoolers and early-elementary children plotting their own babysitting jobs. (Picture book. 4-8)
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“With his gray-on-gray outfit and seemingly endless monologue about selecting what to wear, he has a slumberous effect on everyone, including Filth and Vacuum—and Elmer and Emily (as if, Dad!).” from send for a superhero!
MAMA’S DAY WITH LITTLE GRAY
Reid, Aimee Illus. by Bryant, Laura J. Random House (32 pp.) $16.99 | $10.99 e-book | $19.99 PLB Mar. 25, 2014 978-0-449-81083-5 978-0-375-98138-8 e-book 978-0-375-97150-1 PLB A cozy tale about a young elephant imagining what things would be like if he were grown. An elephant mother spends the day with her Little Gray. His desire to grow up and his conflicting desire that his mother always be there to offer advice and support are at the root of his many questions. “Mama, when I grow up, will you grow down?” Mama elephant is portrayed as the ideal mother. Her gentle words put her young one at ease and bolster his growing confidence. When Little Gray states he will share leaves from a tall tree when he is bigger, Mama exclaims, “You would be big!… And very kind.” Pastel-hued spreads are dominated by pale yellows, warm greens and watery blues. The elephants’ expressive eyes convey admiration and love, while the nimble movements of the younger pachyderm contrast with the steady, darkerhued mother, whose bigger shape often frames her child. Still, although Reid’s and Bryant’s talents pair well, the number of books about animal mothers and children are many. This story is enjoyable enough but may not ultimately be that memorable. A nice addition in places where the animal-child-andmother herd is a little thin. (Picture book. 3-6)
SEND FOR A SUPERHERO!
Rosen, Michael Illus. by McEwen, Katharine Candlewick (40 pp.) $16.99 | May 27, 2014 978-0-7636-6438-1 An over-the-top comic-book adventure within a bedtime story aims for laughs. Veteran children’s-book writer Rosen (Aesop’s Fables, 2013, etc.) proves he knows what kids like and what they are like. The story begins as Dad reads a comic book to “Emily and little Elmer” at bedtime: Filth and Vacuum are on their way to Earth to take over the world. Within the comic book, savvy schoolboy Brad 40 tries to warn Miss Nice and Class Perfect. In the frame, Elmer gets excited by the story, and Emily becomes impatient with his interruptions. Back in the story, Brad 40 alerts Mayor Troubleshoot of the dreaded duo’s approach, and the Mayor mobilizes the heroes. Unfortunately, neither Steel Man, Super-Flying-Through-The-Air-Very-FastMan nor Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green Man can fend off Filth and Vacuum. Brad 40 calls on Extremely Boring Man to come to the rescue. With his gray-on-gray outfit and seemingly endless 120
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monologue about selecting what to wear, he has a slumberous effect on everyone, including Filth and Vacuum—and Elmer and Emily (as if, Dad!). McEwan alters the style of illustration and palette to cue the back and forth between the stories. The comic adventure is laid out in frames with urgent declarations and sound effects, with a printed-on-newsprint effect, whereas the scenes with Elmer and Emily are often on full-bleed pages and pulse with saturated colors. Although this approach has been used before, rarely has it been executed with such hilarious results. (Picture book. 4-8)
TEA WITH GRANDPA
Saltzberg, Barney Illus. by Saltzberg, Barney Neal Porter/Roaring Brook (40 pp.) $15.99 | Apr. 15, 2014 978-1-59643-894-1 A young girl and her grandpa do not let distance keep them from their daily commitment to have tea together. Bespectacled Grandpa meets up with his curly-haired granddaughter “[e]very day at half past three” to spend time with each other. Tea is poured, stories are told, songs are sung, and much laughter is shared. Observant readers will notice the girl’s pet cat and Grandpa’s pup cavorting as the gentle vignettes go back and forth between the two characters. Pastel-hued illustrations in what look like watercolor with details drawn using fine black lines have a cheerful cartoon style. Each spread presents one page with a simple line or two of gently rhyming text opposite a vignette of either Grandpa or the little girl. Even though the background colors subtly change from green for the girl’s scenes to pale blue for the grandfather’s, few will predict the unexpected ending that increases this title’s charm and timeliness. When Grandpa says, “I’d like some muffin,” his granddaughter tells him he is “[t]oo far away.” But on the following page, they almost clink their cups together against a pink, heart-shaped background and say their goodbyes face to face… through the computer. The welcome modern twist to Saltzberg’s intergenerational story is sweetly affirming for today’s far-flung families. (Picture book. 3-6)
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interactive e-books ABC.DC An Art Alphabet Harris, Kristin Kristin Harris $0.00 | Feb. 4, 2014 1.0; Feb. 4, 2014
Choice reproductions of artwork from the National Gallery of Art are matched with letters and words for some amusing, very simple interplay with readers. The format here is straightforward. The letters of the alphabet are arrayed on the screen; press any letter, and up comes a page comprising the letter, a few words starting with that letter and a piece of art whose title begins with that letter. Touch M for Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps’ Monkey Paging Through a Book, along with an upper- and lowercase M and the words “magic,” “media” and “monkey.” A brief narrative identifies the letter and introduces the artist. Touch the painting, and the monkey moves around a little; other artwork breaks out in furling ribbons of color or a swarm of musical notes. Each page has a movable creature—a cutout cat, duck or fish—readers can squire about (and sometimes leave a stream of glitter). There is something of a disconnect between the artwork, which can be pretty sophisticated stuff, and the age of the audience, which is fairly young considering the simplicity of the animation. Fodder, then, for the 4-year-old future museum curator. But it would be wrong to underestimate anyone’s curiosity in that lion’s-head door pull from 16th-century Germany. Though some of it may sail over the audience’s heads, this shot at early art appreciation is certainly worth the chance. (iPad alphabet app. 4-8)
MONSTERS VS. KITTENS
Jones, Dani Storypanda $3.99 | Feb. 13, 2014 1.1; Mar. 10, 2014
A seemingly bland comparison of cute cartoon kittens and equally cuddly monsters offers customizing features that allow aspiring writers all the narrative freedom they might desire. “Monsters are big. Kittens are small.” To these and similarly innocuous lines, Jones matches scenes of rotund brutes and little felines posing together, with minor animations and tapactivated, low-volume growls and mewing added. Despite all the differences, the two also turn out to have plenty in common, from “They are both warm and cuddly,” to “They don’t care what their friends look like.” The redoubtable Lee himself adds star power with an emotive “Read To Me” narration. Some |
discreet farting paired to “Monsters smell weird” is about as far as the envelope gets pushed—at least on the first run-through. Start over or tap the “create” icon, however, and the text on each screen vanishes for a keyboard that allows children to type in, or to voice with the microphone option activated, a (savable) text—any text—of their own. Budding artists aren’t forgotten but have fewer options; floating pencils turn out to be just icons to open ribbon menus that allow some switching of selected figures’ colors or shapes, but there’s no free drawing. The overall lack of action or a plotline hints that this may be intended more as a fill-in-the-blanks gag than a series of opportunities for story crafting, but there’s still a lot of scope for invention. (iPad storybook app. 6-9)
GEOLOGY
Kids Discover Kids Discover $3.99 | Feb. 8, 2014 1.0; Feb. 8, 2014 With this app, Kids Discover continues to transform their print-magazine issues into multilayered informational experiences. Right from the opening screen, this app grabs readers’ attention, panning across a striking photograph of glowing stalactites inside a cave, with eerie dripping sounds adding to the mystique. Full-color photographs, short videos, sound effects and excellent graphic design are used throughout to draw readers into short chapters examining different aspects of geology and the study of rocks. Beginning with a short look at “What is a rock?” chapters cover topics such as types of rocks, plate tectonics, the Earth’s four main layers and fossil formation. The text and many images were originally published in the Kids Discover magazine issue “Rocks” (April 2002), but several illustrations have been added, including an animated sequence showing the fossilization process. Interactive features pull readers in, encouraging them to tap icons to access photo captions, tilt the iPad to experience a 360-degree view of Stonehenge and take an interactive quiz. Unlike a more typical introduction that proceeds step by step, this informational app is better suited for browsing. The index is readily accessible from every page, helping readers jump from section to section. Websites and books for further reading are included in the backmatter for readers who want to dig deeper. Clear science writing, captivating visuals and excellent design—a winning combination. (Requires iOS 6 and above.) (iPad informational app. 9-12)
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THE THREE BEARS AND GOLDILOCKS
Pignatelli, Vincenzo; Masciullo, Lucia Illus. by Wood, Laura Blue Quoll $2.99 | Dec. 13, 2013 1.1; Dec. 30, 2013 The infamous golden-haired mischief-maker is dressed up as a Native American in an appalling miscalculation that makes this potentially charming storybook app utterly missable. Modern adaptations of classic folk tales abound in the App Store, since the stories are so well-known and still strike a common chord (and don’t entail pesky copyright problems). This interpretation starts out by casting Goldilocks as a young, generic (except for the blonde curls) Native American girl in a dreadful use of stereotypical images that adds nothing to the story. A totem pole, tepees, fringed skirt and braided hair are all mixed in with desert cacti in a bizarre mashup that disregards any cultural relevance or specificity. Were it not for this fatal flaw, the app might be a winner. The bears are recast from the traditional family roles as Mr. White, Mr. Black and Mr. Brown, sporting, respectively, a red bow tie, a meerschaum pipe and a monocle. When the bears politely confront her, the young troublemaker sees nightmarish versions of reality. They sing; she hears vicious roaring. They offer her more soup; she is convinced that they want to cook her alive! Goldilocks runs home, leaving the bears staring in surprise, “What an impolite creature.” The text and narration are available in eight languages, and the interface works smoothly. Background music and forest noises add nicely to the overall tone. Stereotypical Native American images ruin this otherwise pleasant adaptation; should the developer take advantage of the flexibility of the medium to correct them, it will be a keeper. (iPad storybook app. 4-8)
interactive elements on each page—running water, bread slices that pop out of a toaster, clothes to put on, etc. Sound effects are crisp and cute, especially the yawning and mumbling noises that Mo and his creature friends make. Narration and navigation are both top-notch, and the illustrations are basic, bold and vibrant—a perfect combination for the intended audience. A companion app, Good Night Mo, provides a delightful end-ofday experience that closely mirrors its daytime counterpart. A very well-balanced effort. Kids will want to help Mo and his critters wake up and go to sleep over and over again. (iPad storybook app. 1-5)
WAKE UP MO!
StoryToys StoryToys $2.99 | Feb. 13, 2014 1.0.0; Feb. 13, 2014 This digital pop-up book for toddlers and preschoolers aims to help youngsters learn about daily routines. The story begins with Mo, a diminutive purple pandalike creature, sleeping soundly in a comfy bed. Once awakened, he begins going through a sequence of daily habits, including stretching, eating breakfast, getting dressed, attending to personal hygiene, and then gathering his things so he can catch the school bus. The rhyming story is quite simple, told on eight virtual double-page spreads within what looks like a chubby board book for toddlers. When the “page” is turned, the characters and their surroundings unfold or collapse, very much like a traditional pop-up book. There are simple 122
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indie NEW LOVE POEMS
These titles earned the Kirkus Star:
Benczik, Terry BalboaPress (164 pp.) $30.95 | $12.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Aug. 12, 2013 978-1-4525-7522-3
HENRY’S RE-ENTRY by Welcome Cole.............................................124 A BECKONING WAR by Matthew Murphy.....................................129
A BECKONING WAR
Murphy, Matthew CreateSpace (304 pp.) $20.00 paper | Jan. 15, 2014 978-1-4937-1488-9
A wide-ranging collection of poems about love, extending from the personal to the spiritual and from the romantic to the platonic. Benczik’s debut collection takes a broad look at love, beginning with wooing and flirtation and moving to romance, heartbreak, friendship, love for oneself and experiences with the divine. The characters in the romantic love poems are often left unnamed, creating the feeling of a universal experience to which readers can easily relate. Although Benczik writes about heartbreak and rejection, love in her poems is almost always a source of healing; the collection tells of new loves that “kissed the tears away” and the speaker’s quest for love in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and the 9/11 attacks. The longer narrative poems are tempered by shorter pieces that evoke a Dorothy Parker–esque sense of humor. In “Valentine’s Day,” she says simply, “A celebrated date / to osculate / your mate.” Her tongue-in-cheek wisecracks are evident throughout but so are a sense of genuine hopefulness and a desire to uplift and enlighten the reader. The poems frequently break into the second person with words of wisdom and comfort. “I want to give you this gift in case you were missing it like I was,” the narrator says after describing a long struggle to gain attention from others. “So now, let’s tell everybody the secret / You have God’s Full Attention, too.” Religion is a recurring theme, but as with the rest of the collection, the poems attempt to represent a broad range of experiences; Buddha appears in addition to Catholic saints, and an unspecified God makes multiple appearances. The poems often venture into rhyme but never adhere to a fixed form for long. Readers are left with the lingering sensation that this talented new author is not only exploring love, but her own poetic voice and range. A sweet, philosophical collection of poems about love in all its forms.
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“Cole’s tale of impossible redemption is, sentence for sentence, a textural feast.” from henry ’s re -entry
CALLY’S WAY
HENRY’S RE-ENTRY
Bow, Jane Iguana Books (326 pp.) $20.99 paper | $4.99 e-book Dec. 23, 2013 978-1-77180-036-5
Cole, Welcome Caelstone Press (354 pp.) $24.95 | $15.95 paper | $9.99 e-book Dec. 3, 2013 978-0-9894249-4-3
In Bow’s novel, a young Canadian woman confronts family history and future choices on the isle of Crete. After her mother dies, 25-year-old Callisto “Cally” Armstrong makes a discovery in her mother’s dressing table. Folded into a secret compartment is a “Cruise to Crete” pamphlet with her mother’s wedding rings taped to it and the shakily written words “For Cally.” Her mother was born in Crete, but Cally knows almost nothing else about her past. In Crete, Cally’s doubts grow about a planned new job and so does her curiosity about the island and her grandmother’s role in the resistance movement of World War II. Then there’s Oliver, a handsome American, although—as a restaurant waiter warns—“Tonight he dances. Tomorrow? Gone.” Cally’s stay becomes indefinitely lengthened as she lives as simply as possible, exploring family history, Crete and its people, and her deepening feelings for Oliver—but also a new sense of independence. Discovering her grandmother’s admirable bravery, she also finally learns her mother’s heartbreaking story. Bow (The Oak Island Affair, 2007, etc.) shows an accomplished and lyrical, but not overblown, style that is tied to the history, landscape and culture of Crete, as when Cally wrestles with initial doubts: “The day’s first light, piercing the clouds to lay patterns on the rolling surface of the sea, belonged to Zeus. But still shimmering with last night’s love, Aphrodite, ruthless as ebony, old as art, danced a whole sequence of choices above the morning waves.” Bow’s descriptions of Crete’s natural beauty are vivid and evocative. But there’s more to the book than lovely descriptions of food, landscape and romance. The World War II history is harrowing; Oliver’s Gulf War experience adds a dimension. An obviously right decision becomes the wrong decision on further reflection. Important questions like whether it’s possible to avoid being implicated in the modern world’s sins are thoughtfully considered. Perhaps Cally is luckier than she ought to be, but then, her mother was unluckier. A skillfully written novel, romantic yet tough-minded, in a beautiful setting.
Cole’s (The Pleasure of Memory, 2013) novel is equal parts snark-filled road trip and bittersweet confrontation of past sins. Henry wakes up in a gas station bathroom, crusty with vomit and missing both a shoe and his wallet. Exiting, he finds himself in New Mexico, his car nowhere in sight and his memory lost to a weekend of boozing. This is his re-entry into a miserable life spent guilt-ridden over how he treated Zoe, his wife, who’s been dead for four years. Naturally, his first stop is a bar just steps away. Clarence, the philosophically inclined bartender, insists that he drink some water. During the ensuing back and forth, Clarence calls Henry out on carrying needless emotional baggage. Eventually, Henry leaves and begins hitchhiking; he meets a string of fascinating people, including Rev. Joshua White, a social worker named Mrs. Pena, and the stunning Alice—a dangerously perfect companion who’s on a yearly pilgrimage with her siblings. Henry joins Alice and company in their van, hoping to reach California while reluctantly cleansing himself of the idea that he’s no good for people. Has Zoe’s ghost trapped him, or can Henry be salvaged from this self-destructive epic outing? Cole’s tale of impossible redemption is, sentence for sentence, a textural feast. Fabulous lines like, “He collected friends the way a lumberjack collected trees...[they] only complicated his plans,” pop on every page. Equally marvelous is his dialogue; Clarence tells Henry, “You like the drama because it makes you feel important, gives you a sense of purpose, a reason for not being dead.” Readers will savor Cole’s narrative as it unfolds across a series of conversations that are by turns probing, poignant and hilarious. From his time with Rev. White, readers learn that Henry is a relentless cynic; from Mrs. Pena, that he’s softer than he appears. Alice, with eyes like bright green kryptonite, threatens all of his bourbon-drenched defenses. By the end, readers will wish these terrific characters could stick around longer. Cole maps out a propulsive emotional journey.
WALLOWA SONG
Dawson, Gaynor iUniverse (154 pp.) $14.95 paper | $3.99 e-book Nov. 8, 2013 978-1-4917-1085-2 A charming, accessible collection of poems on nature, everyday life and the benefit of hindsight. One of this slim volume’s first poems is an ode to humility. In life, Dawson (Yesterday’s Moon, 2010) writes, “your odds improve for a better ride / With more humility and far less pride.”
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Such simple lessons abound early in this collection, as does a deep respect for simple pleasures. The “Wallowa” of the title refers to the author’s cattle ranch in Wallowa County, Ore., and many of his poems hail its majestic attributes and particularly its ability to help him put things in perspective: “the primal power of the repeated theme / Belittles my importance in the larger scheme.” Dawson is an unapologetic formalist—a traditionalist who jokes that he believes in rhyme and goes on to prove it in every poem. Although he’s not a groundbreaking poet, he can certainly turn a phrase, and there’s a certain lay quality to his work that serves him well. As a narrator, he’s hard not to like, and his poems have a rolling melody that’s pleasing and admirable. His unabashed fondness for nature may grate on some readers, but the collection is far more than a mere homage to mountains and trees. In fact, Dawson interjects “real life” throughout, grounding his retreat in a quotidian reality; at one point, he delicately references the housing bubble: “We purchased our place / When the prices had peaked, / Then struggled thereafter / To make ends meet.” The book has a distinct melancholy that comes, it seems, from the harsh juxtaposition of living in these two worlds. At such moments, the author might have challenged himself a bit more formally by veering away from neat, dependable rhymes, but overall, he manages to make the verses’ tones interesting and varied enough. Toward the end, instead of offering more lessons, he does a fine job of turning the lens on himself, second-guessing decisions he’s made and bringing them to light in a powerful way. A solid, spirited take on poetry and life.
CORIANDER JONES SAVES THE WORLD
English, Kim Cricket Cottage Publishing (270 pp.) $14.95 paper | $4.99 e-book Sep. 12, 2013 978-0-615-87893-5 A young girl from a low-income home discovers a surprising family legacy in English’s debut novel, a darkly funny young-adult fantasy adventure. Thirteen-year-old Coriander Jones and her younger sister, Autumn, are on the bus to Happy Haven, a summer camp that mostly takes children from poor families, along with a number of friends and neighborhood kids, when their bus driver—or rather the lizardlike creature that seems to have possessed him—suddenly tries to kill them. Shortly after subduing and decapitating him, Coriander and her compatriots learn the truth: This isn’t an ordinary camp but rather one of the last lines of defense between our world and the Old Ones, ancient, Lovecraftian gods who want to tear down the barriers between the universes and take over reality. And so on top of the typical teenager problems, conflicts and such that occur at camp, Coriander also has to worry about fighting off creatures of darkness. She even learns that her “crazy” Aunt Collette is also a warrior in the fight to preserve this universe. Throughout the book, English balances suspenseful situations with a sharp sense of humor. Coriander
makes for a fun, unusual first-person narrator for a female-driven YA story, neatly switching from self-deprecating digs at her social status to coping with the burden of being an otherwise everyday kid now learning how to fight actual gods and monsters. Centering on such a tough, self-reliant tomboy of a girl makes for a refreshing break from the angsty, pretty Barbie dolls that populate so much of YA fiction. Meanwhile, Coriander’s repeated warnings to readers to turn away if they would like to read something less frightening is nicely reminiscent of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Coriander’s story doesn’t have quite the bite of that series, and it isn’t a wildly new concept, but for young readers, it’s a nice introduction to urban fantasy and Lovecraft, with an entertaining mythology and even more entertaining characters. Recommended to youths eager to read about a strong, teenage heroine fighting monsters but who aren’t quite old enough for Buffy.
DEATH OF A GRIM REAPER Fields, Bali Clonakilty Publications (272 pp.) $11.99 paper | Feb. 1, 2014 978-0-9890067-0-5
Fields’ imaginative debut novel features an engrossing, modern world of life and death that will speak to fans of fantasy and secret societies. Cornelius Hoyt is a simple Colonial American farm boy turned Grim Reaper Cadet. But gentle Cornelius slowly realizes that he’s a bad fit for this kind of work: “The Event left Cornelius heartsick. He departed the scene afraid he had made a grave mistake when he joined the cadets.” While Cornelius wrestles with his identity crisis, reaperdom is undergoing a similar struggle between the Provocateurs, who promote evolution by the assemblage, and the Traditionalists, who resist change: “An increasing number of reapers viewed technology as an existential threat and advocated drastic measures, specifically stealing the souls of inventors, innovators, and scientists, but the concept was unpalatable to the majority and impossible to implement without damaging the basic tenets of the Society of Death.” Evil Traditionalist Roger Mortimer, aided by his secret spies, seeks to devastate and remake the world with himself as ruler. Poor, conflicted Cornelius finds that he’s embroiled in this internecine battle whether or not he wants to be, and he tries to escape from this domain in which he doesn’t feel he belongs. While doing so, he discovers Kao, a kindred soul, and they try to find a safe place to call their own. For his part, “Cornelius only wished they were able to enjoy it without the constant fear of Expulsion.” In his dynamic style, Fields, using his background in cultural anthropology, provides a well-developed hierarchy for a group only hinted at by most mythologies. He skillfully balances Cornelius’ soul-searching with the larger threat looming within the organization, all the while effectively drawing characters that help make the fantastic seem believable. A winning first release that admirably blends mortality, adventure, organizational politics and even a bit of love. |
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“This is plainspoken verse, often trying to capture very simple, fleeting, common experiences of life.” from raison d’etre, i
LA BELLE RESIDENCE Stories of Aging and Alchemy in Assisted Living Holden, Richard Richard Holden (188 pp.) $12.99 paper | Jan. 9, 2014 978-0-615-90494-8
A group of residents in a senior living facility faces a host of obstacles in Holden’s inventive collection of vignettes. Norris Mae Ledbetter is a resident at the Wicklow Senior Living Center, also known as La Belle Residence. While her caregiver, Janice, tends to her, Norris Mae conducts her own inner dialogue, reliving the classic books she once memorized in her days as a librarian. Though Janice and Norris Mae are usually inches apart, they’re worlds away in their communication. That’s just one of many scenarios Holden explores in this creative assortment of short stories, each taking place at Wicklow. Various residents grapple with their afflictions: Claudia McCormick is haunted by her late husband’s barrage of insults, which play in an endless loop in her head; the 10-year “warranty” on Alvin DeGrand’s coronary bypass surgery has just expired; Jacob Walterman, a talented artist, has had a stroke and can only draw half his subject’s face. Holden dodges the clichés a lesser writer might have employed when conjuring the rather obvious ailments that could befall a senior. Even when he addresses stroke, Alzheimer’s or emotional abuse, he adds a twist to avoid banality. He also tackles lesser-known maladies such as agnosia (the inability to recognize familiar objects, usually faces) and aphasia (the loss of speech). Holden’s characters are aware of their failings and often suffer privately, as caregivers placate them in babyish tones, oblivious to the patients’ quiet screams. Fortunately, humor throughout adds levity and helps avoids the melancholic note these stories could easily have adopted. Some stories offer more of a punch than others, while a few end too early, leaving readers wanting more. Nevertheless, each boasts a sharp, tight ending on a fleeting glimpse into the rooms of Wicklow. New finesse on an old theme, sure to grab readers’ attention.
BREAKFAST WITH THE BIRDS Hyman, Jack G. BalboaPress (216 pp.) $33.99 | $15.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Nov. 5, 2013 978-1-4525-8455-3
A little girl rescues a wounded bird, discovering both the joy and responsibility of caring for and letting go her new best friend in this debut chapter book. Molly, almost 9 years old, lives for Sundays, the day she wakes at dawn and has breakfast in the backyard with the birds. Her mom and dad call her Molly Sunday in tribute. She and her little brother, Fred, or Ferd, as she 126
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calls him, who’s 6, live with their veterinarian parents but have no interest in owning any pets. That is, until they both witness a cardinal with a broken wing take a tumble from the top of Ferd’s treehouse in their backyard. From that moment on, the race is on to be the best caretaker of the injured bird, dubbed “Flappy” by Molly. Ferd is quickly intimidated, but Molly finds her niche in watching over Flappy. From adding vitamins to his water to trying to sneak a kiss without being pecked, Molly loves her new job. She becomes so enamored she even causes a rift between her and her best friend when she tries to keep Flappy completely to herself. Molly and Ferd learn many lessons during their short time with Flappy, far beyond just how to care for him. The cardinal teaches the duo how to empathize and how to be better friends. When it’s time to let Flappy go, Molly must learn the true meaning of the old adage, “If you love something, set it free.” Hyman channels both Molly’s and Ferd’s voices with ease; both leap off the page with the realistic highs and lows of boisterous children. The fast tempo and brightness of the prose makes for a quick, joyful read. Lovers of Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House series will delight in this reality-based, exuberant chapter book. The inconsistent appearance of the illustrations may be due to the fact that various friends of the author drew them, but the artwork still adds character to each chapter. A solid debut from a promising author, fit to be read aloud or devoured by young readers.
RAISON D’ETRE, I
james, bradley CreateSpace (424 pp.) $24.99 paper | $24.99 e-book Jan. 4, 2014 978-1-4935-0357-5 An epic, multipart poetry cycle about the nature of life and the transience of relationships. James breaks up this debut poetry volume into six long segments: “a few letters,” “a new place,” “a new time,” “in distance, be,” “from ocean, sea” and “her song of legacy.” In each, he presents dozens of blank verse ranging from longer, sonnetlike constructions to much shorter, almost koanlike pronouncements (“is a man now? / is a man ever? / and (far more importantly) / is a man ... at all”). He delivers them all in a direct, clean voice with a bare minimum of standard poetic diction. This is plainspoken verse, often trying to capture very simple, fleeting, common experiences of life: “(just lying there, breathing) / (just lying there, feeling).” The poems frequently evoke the incredible power of literature and art to stir the emotions (“i have read the meditation of aurelius / and the hidden words of machiavelli / i have stood before the paintings of kandinsky / and cried with da vinci’s sketches”). However, the narrator is also a realist; time and again in these poems, actual, lived life pushes aside even the most enjoyable forms of art, as in one telling scene: “sitting at the cafe and reading dumas / a scalding cup falls on a boy / and dumas / be damned to hell.” Throughout, the poetry describes the seductive power of illusions, most often reflected in
the discrete moments when they are shattered: “with one toe / he breaks the surface, / and fish swim away.” All along, the narrator observes everything with a storyteller’s sharp eye—“let me tell you / a short, little story / single man / in a single city / at a single point in time”—and a sometimes-urgent need to understand: “what are the four hidden truths? / tell me—and tell me quick.” A recurring hint of deep personal loss fills the final segment, “her song of legacy,” helping to make it the most involving, satisfying section of a collection that can sometimes be rather aphoristic. A free-form, often thought-provoking verse confessional in the tradition of Leaves of Grass.
OPAL SUMMERFIELD AND THE BATTLE OF FALLMOON GAP Jones, Mark Caldwell Samurai Seven Books (416 pp.) $17.99 paper | $2.99 e-book Oct. 16, 2013 978-0-9910376-0-5
The first installment in the Opal Summerfield series has her discovering her magical origins and a parallel world. Opal Summerfield, the heroine of Jones’ debut fantasy series, lives an ordinary life in the Ozarks with her adoptive parents. But on her 16th birthday, she receives a mysterious gift from the pet hawk of a mystic—a beautiful opal necklace. What she doesn’t know is that the opal necklace, which belonged to her dead mother, has great magic and will lead her to discover whom she really is. It is also coveted by, among others, the wicked Big Maggie, a disguise of Amina the Conjurer, who will stop at nothing to possess it. When hooded men kill Opal’s family, she flees deep into the wilderness, crossing a threshold into another world. An undercurrent of racial tension is at work in Jones’ novel: Opal is a blue-eyed AfricanAmerican girl, “a spectacle among both the white folks and the black folks of the town.” With great attention to worldbuilding, Jones creates two very different realms, making for the interesting contrast between Grigg’s Landing in the Ozarks, where there’s a distinction between the white and black sides of town, and the magical land called the Veil. The Veil is a place full of magical creatures and places, such as flaming horses and Fallmoon Gap, a beautiful city hidden in the mountains. In the wilderness, Opal is helped by a boy named Luka, a member of the Wardens, who protect the mountains and Fallmoon Gap. There’s also the mysterious Ranger, who’s tasked with saving her. Yet Opal is no girly girl or damsel in distress. When she’s attacked by wereboars, she fights them off with the help of her magical necklace. She’s tough, brave and smart—an appealing heroine for young readers, especially girls. The narrative slows down in the dull middle sections, but it finds its stride when Opal makes it to Fallmoon Gap, where she learns how to control the magic of her opal necklace. Taking classes such as Forensic Magic & Engineering Enchantments and Magical Armaments, Opal trains to be a Warden. In the climactic, action-packed final act, Opal learns terrible truths about Amina, the Ranger
and herself as she battles to protect the Helixflow, the source of all magic. A dazzling debut with magical places, creatures and gemstones, plus a compelling heroine young readers will love.
BLEST BY THE DARK ANGEL Healed and Transformed Through Depression Keiffer, Ann Louise Shadow Dance Press (200 pp.) $19.95 paper | $5.99 e-book Oct. 16, 2013 978-0-9893801-0-2
This memoir chronicles the story of one woman’s courageous battle with depression and how, rather than destroying her life, the crippling disease ended up improving it. Keiffer (Word-Temple Person, 2007, etc.) seemed to have it all. She held an enviable position at a prestigious advertising agency; she had a husband who loved her; and she had a well-behaved, lovable teenage son and a slew of loyal friends. It was hard to fathom, then, why she began slipping into a deep depression, which left her feeling not only incapacitated and weak, but also suicidal. Keiffer’s battle with depression began when she started feeling extreme pressure to succeed at a fast-paced ad agency in San Francisco. As her main priority shifted to doing better and better at work, she began to notice that she felt odd, “like a visitor from another planet”—lethargic, disinterested in food and no longer able to find enjoyment. She also had an inexplicable rash on her body. Eventually, Keiffer realized she had reached a place where she was no longer able to function, and she took leave from her job, going from her own bedroom to a hospital to a supportive friend’s home to try to recuperate. Keiffer’s book chronicles her excruciating journey, from the fall into depression through the climb out of it. As she explains in her introduction, “I will take you down into the abyss of my depression with the truest words I can find. And I will leave nothing out—not the chaos of the fall, the deadening despair, nor the love that was a candle in my darkness.” Keiffer focuses much of her story on the pulls of feminine and masculine instincts inside of her (labeling these instincts “Valentine” and “Duke,” respectively), and she explains how this conflict exacerbated her depression. Her book offers not only a brutally honest account of what it feels like to deal with depression, but also the hopeful and optimistic story of overcoming it. A candid memoir about the toll depression can take on body, mind and spirit, offering hope for sufferers and their loved ones.
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APEX PREDATOR
Kwa, Kelvin CreateSpace (668 pp.) $28.99 paper | $5.99 e-book Dec. 9, 2013 978-1-4903-2005-2 Chinese soldiers and Navy SEALs race to retrieve a fallen satellite in the Arctic Circle only to discover a common enemy in a gigantic sea creature in Kwa’s debut sci-fi thriller. When the Chinese launch a satellite that’s capable of spotting subs, the U.S. government tries to hijack it electronically. After its attempt is intercepted, the satellite crashes to Earth. Master Chief Carter Bohem’s SEAL team is sent in to recover it, but they’re beaten to it by the People’s Liberation Army—but only by the one member who survived an attack by a serpentine beast. Capt. Marcus Cartaneo is ordered to extract the team, and soon the creature is pursuing his ship, the U.S.S. Seawolf. The author doesn’t waste any time introducing the monster: snakelike, coiled, with a “bullet-shaped head.” Its constant attacks are reminiscent of Hollywood action-movie scenes, and the author ramps up the suspense whenever the characters’ fates hang in the balance. But even in scenes without the sea serpent, the story keeps up a frenetic pace. At one point, for example, Marcus rushes to save his wife and daughter, stuck near a naval station during a hurricane. The gargantuan, multitoothed beast is terrifying, but its most frightening traits are its most humanlike—it doesn’t always attack for food but often for revenge, as it blames the crashed satellite for destroying its hatchlings. It’s also clearly intelligent; at one point, it creates a makeshift iceberg to prevent the soldiers’ escape. The human characters, meanwhile, aren’t static—Marcus, for example, is rethinking his life in the Navy after a colleague’s suicide. The novel’s environmental message is a bit heavy-handed, as it overtly blames global warming for the beast’s onslaughts and ensuing carnage, but it doesn’t slow the plot down. A thriller with the speed and precision of a tightly edited action film, headlined by a colossal monster that could give the kraken a run for its money.
THE VALLEY OF DECISION McDermott, Shannon SALT Christian Press May 31, 2014
In McDemott’s (Inspection, 2013, etc.) latest fantasy novel, an embittered warrior leads a revolt against an ethereal enemy enslaving his people and finds himself in a fight for his own soul. In the lands north of the Black Mountains, there are no free men—only slaves of the overlord Belenus, one of a race of immortals known as the Fay. He taxes the people of Dokrait into poverty, and when they fall short, 128
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he demands their children as payment. Although the hardnosed, single-minded Keiran commands Belenus’ army, he’s no freer than anyone else; his body still has scars from floggings he received during a youth spent in the Fay’s mines. So, with his deputy and only friend, Caél, he plots a rebellion in order to lead his people out of bondage—through the country of their lifelong enemies, the Alamiri, to the Wildheath, an unsettled land that will become their new home. When Belenus pursues the refugees with an army of hobgoblins, Keiran must confront how his impulse toward expediency, rather than justice or mercy, makes him more like his foe than he cares to admit. The leader of a mysterious band of Fay known as the Others soon tells him that the only way forward is by embracing the Eternal One. The plot’s biblical echoes, with its themes of slavery, freedom, obedience and revolt, are no coincidence. McDermott (Inspection, 2013, etc.) bills the novel as both fantasy and Christian fiction, but like C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, the religious undertones are subtle enough to still engage a secular audience (although the epigraph, drawn from the Gospel of Matthew, does tip the author’s hand). No divine fire ignites the plot, but the characters are real enough, with realistic conflicts; Caél, for example, is torn between his duty to his family and to his people, and an Alamiri prisoner, Jarmith, weighs his desire to escape against his responsibility to prevent a murder. The prose also frequently achieves a gentle cleverness, as when a character quips, “I think if I throw myself on Belenus’ mercy, there will be nothing to break my fall.” A solid fantasy that wears its spirituality lightly yet effectively.
FACING EAST Photos from the Heart Morgan, Roger Xlibris (228 pp.) $58.85 paper | $3.99 e-book Apr. 17, 2013 978-1-4836-0377-3
An avid traveler and portrait photographer shares images and experiences from his journey across the Himalayas. In his debut book, Morgan conveys via photographs the recent changes in the lives of many Himalayans. The dramatic geography of the Himalayas and their surrounding rivers created isolated regions where unique cultures developed, relatively uninfluenced by the rest of the world. Morgan explains that these cultures had maintained traditional ways of life in their almost total isolation. Immigration from surrounding regions, global warming and rapidly expanding technologies are now affecting these previously independent cultures, and Himalayans must decide whether to change or maintain their traditions. Morgan traveled across the Himalayas between 2009 and 2012, staying with families along the way. He photographed people in isolated regions of China, India, Pakistan and Nepal and shares the images and vignettes of his travels. Photographs are organized into a four-part travel book—one
“Murphy meticulously conveys the realities of war, from the ruined Italian countryside to the mixture of boredom and anxiety haunting the soldiers.” from a beckoning war
for each country. Morgan introduces each section with a short discussion of the region’s history and culinary culture; a brief caption accompanies each image. His funny, thought-provoking essays lead the reader to wonder about the consequences of globalization. During his travels, Morgan made attempts to wholly immerse himself in each culture by living with families in their homes. The result is an arresting portfolio that offers glimpses of cultures rarely seen by the Western world. Through precise lighting and attention to detail, Morgan’s portraits reveal the emotions and resilience in the faces of those featured; atmospheric landscapes complement these intimate portraits. An arresting travel book about the way geography and people intersect.
A BECKONING WAR
Murphy, Matthew CreateSpace (304 pp.) $20.00 paper | Jan. 15, 2014 978-1-4937-1488-9 Rendered in beautifully poetic prose, Murphy’s debut novel follows Capt. James McFarlane of Canada’s “A” Company, 1st Irish, in war. Capt. James McFarlane is on the brink. It is September 1944, the eve of a great battle, he has not heard from his wife, and he is physically and mentally exhausted. He’s noticeably losing his grip. At first blush, though, McFarlane seems normal enough, “happy that he is in a situation where he can test himself to his physical, mental, emotional and spiritual limits.” He jokes with fellow soldiers and seems well-liked by fellow officers and his men. But piece by intricate piece, his motivations and fragile psyche are revealed. Tiny sips from a flask grow into a major drinking problem that leads him to strike an enlisted man, miss an important pre-battle inspection and ultimately send his assistant in search of rum in the midst of a firefight. Through dreams, flashbacks and letters, readers learn that his decision to join the army was more out of inadequacy and restlessness than patriotism, and this decision to voluntarily leave his new bride, Marianne, dealt a severe blow to his marriage. While exploring McFarlane’s inner landscape, Murphy meticulously conveys the realities of war, from the ruined Italian countryside to the mixture of boredom and anxiety haunting the soldiers. All is done in exquisite style that places readers squarely in the action: “Here and there, flash by flash, are illumined trees, houses, hills, recoiling guns and men in action, captured in flared snapshots, yellow and orange flicker, red glow, a purple bruise of clouds.” Murphy uses stream of consciousness throughout, but in the dénouement, that stream explodes into a roiling sea breaking on the various shores of McFarlane’s inner and outer realities. An empathetic yet flawed man drives this wonderful novel, the first from an author ready for a glittering literary career.
1901 Theodore Roosevelt, Robot Fighter O’Brien, Gerry Manuscript
In this sci-fi–influenced twist on a political thriller, new Vice President Theodore Roosevelt finds himself embroiled in an international conspiracy involving robots. Imagine a world where Abraham Lincoln survived that fateful night at the theater and his first choice for vice president, Benjamin Butler, helped lead the country into an era of technological advancements beyond even the 21st century’s wildest dreams. Tesla and Edison are partners, an elaborate underwater rail system connects New York and London, Brooklyn is a center of entertainment that far exceeds Manhattan, and robots are attacking world leaders. The only person man enough to take them on is Theodore Roosevelt himself. With the help of British superspy Sidney Reilly and numerous fantastic gadgets such as freeze grenades, Roosevelt assembles a team of the bravest and brightest minds of the era to uncover the truth behind the metal menace. Debut author O’Brien has an enviable imagination and a keen eye for detail; his version of the world circa the turn of the 20th century will enrapture history fans and sci-fi buffs. However, the story would have benefited from fewer plot strands; the further into the book, the more confusing things get. So many historical characters are shoehorned into the plot in so many different ways that eventually this alternative America starts to feel less like a fascinating lens through which to tell a story and more like a gimmick. Fortunately, O’Brien’s wild world manages to remain so engaging that even at the story’s weakest moments, when so many famous names slide across the page so quickly that it becomes difficult to keep track of who is plotting with whom, readers will still want to stick around to figure it all out. It helps that the sprawling cast of characters contains a number of compelling, powerful women who not only participate in society, but control it—a far cry from the Victorian era chronicled in history books. A steampunk fever dream that will entertain readers even as it overpowers them.
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Interviews & Profiles
Nick Katsoris
The writer’s belief in his mission has earned him friends in powerful places By Sarah Rettger
Nick Katsoris has found that it never hurts to ask—especially when the subject is a fluffy Greek lamb who raises money for children’s charities. Asking is how Katsoris has convinced actors, including Jennifer Aniston, Olympia Dukakis and Morgan Freeman, to record the audio versions of his children’s books about Loukoumi the lamb. And asking is how Katsoris improbably found himself sitting at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory next to an aspiring Mars rover engineer, watching the landing of the Mars Phoenix. Katsoris ended up at NASA after organizing a contest in conjunction with his series of six books about Loukoumi. The Growing Up With Loukoumi Dream Day contest invites children to draw a picture of their dream day; Katsoris makes the win130
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ner’s dream come true. When the winner—a young girl who said her dream was to work with the Mars rovers—was chosen, Katsoris had no idea how he would deliver the prize. So he just called NASA and asked for help. The person he spoke to had a solution: “She can sit inside mission control as we land Phoenix on Mars.” Katsoris made the necessary arrangements and was sitting next to the contest winner, watching the scientists at work, when she told him, “Because of this, there’s no doubt I want to be a Mars rover engineer.” Experiences like that one (subsequent Dream Day winners have played with the New York Red Bulls and cooked with Rachael Ray) remind Katsoris why he began publishing the Loukoumi books in 2005. Loukoumi takes her name from the Greek word for “sweet,” which is also the name of a confection. Katsoris, a second-generation GreekAmerican who is 47 years old, had the idea for the series 14 years ago. He asked his wife to pass a dish of loukoumi and then thought, “Wouldn’t that make a cute name for a children’s book character?” Over the course of six books, Loukoumi has traveled the world, followed her dreams, learned to cook and faced up to the schoolyard bully. Each book— Katsoris has two more in the works—is focused on a child-appropriate lesson, and Katsoris, who lives in New York, encourages readers to participate in Loukoumi’s philanthropy. Beginning with the 2009 release of Loukoumi’s Good Deed, Katsoris has organized an annual Make a Difference with Loukoumi Day, in which children commit to doing “whatever good deed it is they want in their hearts,” from promising not to argue with siblings to making charitable donations. “After five years, we’re up to 20,000 kids taking part,” Katsoris says.
Katsoris, a corporate lawyer by day, says “lack of sleep” is what allows him to manage a professional career, two young children and a successful series of books. He works closely with the illustrator on book design and relies on feedback from several first readers—including his children, who he says are “the perfect age” for offering insight into Loukoumi’s appeal. Baker & Taylor is the books’ primary distributor, although Katsoris, with the help of a sales agent, has worked directly with Follett and Barnes & Noble to place the books in chain stores. “We’ve had national distribution for the series, which has been great,” he says. Loukoumi also does her part for charity. Katsoris says that over the course of the series, he has donated more than 10,000 copies of his books to literacy organizations, and the profits from the books’ sales are also donated. “We just passed the $100,000 mark of donations we’ve been able to make to children’s charities,” he says. In February, the Loukoumi series was chosen as one of 10 winners of USA Weekend’s National Make a Difference Day grants. Among the organizations Katsoris focuses on is St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, which he has worked with since 2009. In addition to monetary donations, he makes regular visits to the hospital and loves reading Loukoumi books to the patients. Katsoris was introduced to St. Jude’s by actress Jennifer Aniston, a longtime supporter of the hospital, after she narrated several of the Loukoumi books. He knew Aniston’s father, John Aniston, through the Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund and asked John, also an actor, if he would be interested in narrating Loukoumi’s Good Deeds with his daughter. “I almost drove off the road” when Jennifer called to tell him she was happy to participate, Katsoris says. Some of Katsoris’ celebrity narrators have come from connections forged through the scholarship foundation, but others have taken part simply because Katsoris asked them to, reaching out through their agents or through public contact information. For the most recent book, Loukoumi and the Schoolyard Bully, he says, “I realized I needed somebody for the bully, and there’s no one with a better voice than Morgan Freeman.” Freeman, it turned out, was delighted to participate.
In addition to providing a character’s voice, Freeman has also contributed a recipe to the upcoming Loukoumi’s Holiday Cookbook. This is the second recipe collection, following the success of Loukoumi’s Celebrity Cookbook (2011). Katsoris’ partner in that cookbook was Iron Chef Cat Cora, who appeared as a character in the book, teaching Loukoumi to cook. Nicole Kidman, Faith Hill, Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey are among the celebrities who shared favorite childhood recipes. Katsoris still sounds amazed when he describes the email Winfrey sent in response to his query: “Not only did she say yes, but the recipe was attached.” Katsoris says he is able to bring so much energy to the Loukoumi series because writing the books and coordinating the charitable donations does not feel like work. “I feel like what I’m doing with these books is what I was meant to be,” he says. “As long as people keep reading them, I’ll continue to write them for the rest of my life.” Sarah Rettger is a writer and bookseller in Massachusetts. Loukoumi and the Schoolyard Bully is reviewed on kirkus.com.
Loukoumi and the Schoolyard Bully Katsoris, Nick NK Publishing/Loukoumi Books (32 pp.) $15.95 | Nov. 4, 2013 978-0-984-16103-4 |
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QUEEN OF HEARTS Volume One: The Crown Oakes, Colleen Sparkpress (222 pp.) $15.00 paper | $3.99 e-book Feb. 14, 2014 978-1-940716-02-2
A story set in the world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as seen from a very different perspective. Fifteen-year-old Dinah is the Princess of Hearts, the daughter and heir of the fearsome King of Hearts. But her life isn’t exactly easy: She’s awkward, plump and unattractive and the butt of jokes from the palace courtiers and even the servants. Her mother died when she was a child, and her father ignores her except to criticize her. Dinah would give anything to win her father’s approval, and when the king unexpectedly summons her, she hopes she’ll have the chance to do so. But to her horror, the king has called an audience to announce to the court that he has an illegitimate daughter named Vittiore, whom he’s brought to the palace to live with the royal family as a duchess. Vittiore’s beauty makes her an instant favorite with the court and the king, which makes Dinah hate her all the more. Dinah swears that she’ll never accept Vittiore as her sister, but she’s the least of the princess’s problems: The king’s adviser, Cheshire, seems to be plotting something; Dinah’s brother Charles, the Mad Hatter, drifts farther from reality as he spends his every waking moment crafting his amazing hats; and Dinah’s best friend and secret love, Wardley, whom she intends to marry someday, doesn’t seem to see her as anything but a friend. The more Dinah digs into the mysteries that surround her, the more sinister secrets she uncovers. Oakes’ latest heroine is spoiled, headstrong, temperamental and prone to tantrums, yet she somehow remains an incredibly sympathetic character. Perhaps it’s Dinah’s oh-so-human nature that makes her so easy to like, despite her flaws. Just as Gregory Maguire’s depiction of the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked (1995) gave her a background that changed readers’ perspectives, so Oakes’ portrait of the villain-to-be turns her into a real and even likable person while clearly foreshadowing her future as Alice’s Queen of Hearts. A wonderfully entertaining twist on an old classic.
CLARA MASON FOX Pioneer, Painter, and Poet of Orange County, California Passero, Lorraine Mill City Press, Inc. (104 pp.) $11.95 paper | Mar. 12, 2013 978-1-62652-008-0
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Passero’s debut tells the little-known story of Clara Mason Fox, an artist and poet who led a rather adventurous, exciting life. Fox, the author’s husband’s ancestor, was a member of a pioneer family who moved to California in 1887. She later traveled to New York to attend art school and became a painter and poet, capturing some early images of Laguna Beach and Orange County. Passero’s project was spurred by the discovery of a box in a family attic, and it’s a labor of love that sheds light on a fascinating time in American history. She describes her extensive research in her quest to discover as much about Fox as she could. The author worked as a teacher for many years and this book seems to be aimed in part at younger readers; as a result, she weaves in sentences such as “Imagine what it was like not having any of these [modern] conveniences” to help bring the setting to life. Her inclusion of some of Fox’s paintings and sketches also works very well, resulting in an unusual combination of text and visual art that illustrates Fox’s artistic talents. The author sometimes fleshes out historical context and descriptions of early California landscapes at the expense of Fox’s story, and readers may find themselves wanting to know more about this pioneer woman’s inner life. That said, the book provides a good jumping-off point for exploring both Fox’s life and the history of the state she loved so much. Passero reveals that local California organizations have recently shown interest in Fox’s work and that some of Fox’s paintings will be exhibited at the Huntington Library in San Marino. She says that she hopes to continue generating interest in Fox’s life and work, and with this book, she seems to be doing a great job of making that happen. An unusual, engaging historical biography of a California artist.
FORTY DAYS AND NINE MONTHS A Novel of the 95th Pennsylvania in the Overland Campaign and the Siege of Petersburg Paul, James Jeffrey CreateSpace (164 pp.) $13.95 paper | $7.99 e-book Dec. 13, 2013 978-1-4936-9582-9
In this gripping novel, Paul (Nothing is Strange with You, 2008) chronicles bloody Civil War battles fought by the 95th Pennsylvania regiment. As the novel opens in May 1864, the 95th Pennsylvania Volunteers have dwindled from the infamous “Original TwentyFive” to just 12. These young men, encamped in Virginia, introduce themselves in an opening sequence that relies on formulaic descriptions (“a twenty-two-year-old typesetter and aspiring journalist from Philadelphia”) but benefits from rollicking dialogue (“Oh, I’ll tell you about it soon.” “When? When we’re all dead and buried?”). Although Paul includes real-life historical figures in the story, such as Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, he invented these dozen major characters. As the soldiers each
“The author is equally at ease with introspection as he is with showmanship, proving that camp and spiritual inquiry aren’t mutually exclusive.” from confessions of a motion addict
discuss heroism and self-abnegation, they develop distinctive personalities. Their tone is often one of philosophical resignation—when “[g]ood men get killed every day,” “it ain’t always important whether you live or die,” one insists—but some soldiers are also devout religious believers, praying for God’s mercy for themselves and the Confederates. Paul effectively recreates the atmosphere of wearisome marches and gory warfare, and his combat scenes are matter-of-fact and graphic: There are gunshot and bayonet wounds but also crushed testicles and teethtorn throats—as well as an unexpected erection in a scene of uncomfortably sexualized violence. The narrative often shifts to a single character’s perspective, only to have him suddenly shot to death. Such unsentimental bluntness, however, contrasts with Paul’s overall concern for his characters’ psychological back stories; Abbot, for instance, longs to join an English theater troupe, while Greisler is terrified of fire. The novel’s finest chapter details a wounded soldier’s struggle to escape an eerie forest and rejoin the company, and it balances irony and tragedy perfectly, juxtaposing tender flashbacks of the soldier’s prewar life against the blood-soaked present. As the novel concludes, with just a “quartet of survivors” remaining to parade through Philadelphia, the sadness is tempered by the prospect of new life ahead: “[Babcock] resumed walking forward—or backward—or sideways, or up and down—into what looked like the future.” Paul’s canvas may be limited in this novel, but his talent could easily sustain future works of epic historical fiction. A brief, powerful historical novel that reflects on the beauty and brutality of life in wartime.
CONFESSIONS OF A MOTION ADDICT
Petronio, Stephen CreateSpace (288 pp.) $20.00 paper | Jan. 22, 2014 978-1-4927-3654-7 A candid memoir of misadventures and modern dance. In this talky debut, dancer and choreographer Petronio looks at the formative experiences that set his dance career in motion—and the momentum that’s carried him forward ever since. His wit and penchant for getting into ridiculous situations may call to mind celebrated gay memoirists such as David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs, but Petronio, a self-described “awkward boy/obstinate man,” has a story that’s all his own. He grew up in suburban New Jersey in the 1960s and, after a college girlfriend encouraged him to take his first dance class, went on to have an acclaimed career. His trajectory is quite impressive, and readers interested in the downtown New York art and performance scene will enjoy his stories about collaborating with people such as Lou Reed, Cindy Sherman, Rufus Wainwright and Yoko Ono, to name a few. On the other hand, the name-dropping sometimes clutters the narrative with superfluous detail and contributes to an undercurrent of self-satisfaction. The book’s range of tones, however, proves to be one of its greatest strengths; the
author is equally at ease with introspection as he is with showmanship, proving that camp and spiritual inquiry aren’t mutually exclusive. Unsurprisingly, he has a gift for articulating the complex experiences of movement and performance, and some of his best prose comes when he’s describing dance. Under the header “Two versions of the same dance on different nights,” for example, he offers two conflicting accounts: One begins, “My arm is moving like no other in history,” and the other starts, “I am moving my arm, how humiliating.” Overall, Petronio approaches his most sacred material—his life’s work—with humor and grace. A choreographer’s wild stories and engaging insights into love, life and artistic practice.
THE RUNAWAY DAUGHTER Philip, Juliet Sparkpress (154 pp.) $15.00 paper | $9.99 e-book Dec. 17, 2013 978-0-9893159-9-9
A coming-of-age novella in which a young girl dreams of leaving India. Kamada, the teenage narrator of Philip’s spirited, absorbing debut novel, declares: “I will be the hero of my life. I will make deliberate choices to create my own destiny and escape my mother’s dirty world.” Her mother is a high-priced prostitute, an imperious and sharp-tongued woman not above striking her daughter when displeased with her; she has nevertheless raised Kamada in comparatively luxurious comfort, in a nice house with servants to attend her. The “dirty world” here is not only the prostitute life (into which Kamada’s mother expects her to follow), but the teeming city of Bombay, which Philip captures with overflowing detail. The streets Kamada navigates are full of ordinary people “eager to rush home to cook elaborate meals for their husbands or watch the latest cricket match,” but they are also full of rickshaw wallahs, eunuch hijras and violent beggars. It’s a profusely colorful world, though it holds no charms for Kamada. A “small brown boy pours some [lemon sherbet] into two glasses for two brown men with moustaches. Brown sparrows trill on electric poles. I am a brown girl in a brown world,” she says. She dreams of leaving it all behind and going to America to study and live. “I will escape this chaos,” she vows. “I will escape these people jamming the traffic and the traffic jamming the people.” Her means of escape is the blue folder she carries everywhere, containing all the carefully assembled documents she needs to take her GED test and apply for her student visa; she also escapes via her own antic imagination, which conjures fantasy creatures everywhere, animates the fruits at vending stalls and lends voices to the city’s potholes. It’s this overlay of fantasy, always evocatively but matter-of-factly interwoven with the real-world narrative, that lends the book its greatest charm. The sheer manic detail of it all speaks eloquently of Kamada’s fever-pitch desperation for a new life, and its resolution at the book’s end is touchingly bittersweet. An extremely memorable and winning YA tale of the perseverance dreams require. |
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MANITOULIN MEMORIES
IF YOU WERE ME AND LIVED IN... TURKEY A Child’s Introduction to Culture Around the World
Reeves, W.J. Self (132 pp.) $10.25 paper | $1.99 e-book Feb. 17, 2012 978-0-9836865-1-4
An aging New Yorker reflects on his childhood growing up on a Canadian island in novelist Reeves’ (Bada Bing in Brooklyn, 2012, etc.) linked story collection. Once a sparsely populated area given to wildlife, Manitoulin Island is now primarily a retreat for Midwestern tourists with little appreciation for its history. At least, that’s true according to Jim, a professor in Brooklyn who spent much of his childhood there. In the late 1950s, he and his parents moved to the island from Indiana in search of simplicity, renting out rooms in their cabin for cash. As an adult, Jim visits the island often, both in person and in memory, haunted by the joyful yet trying years he contended with his increasingly alcoholic father and aided his mother, who suffered from multiple sclerosis. But none of this is explained directly. Details are gradually revealed in nine candid stories, united by their lack of details (Jim is usually referred to only as “the man” or “professor”), the family’s golden retrievers, various objects (e.g., cigars and Kohl binoculars) and a structural formula that typically finds Jim in a present-day scenario conveniently similar to one from his boyhood. Warning a tourist about yellow jackets reminds him of when a customer entered a wasp-infested outhouse. Observing a potential suicide on the George Washington Bridge, he recalls helping his father retrieve a drowned corpse. In an uncharacteristic move, Jim unleashes snakes in a lodge as vindication against the owner, whose mother once stood his up at a lunch gathering. And in the pinnacle story, “Dire Straits,” young Jim secretly purchases a ferry ride to shorten a family trip that results in tragedy. Reeves delivers each tale in relentlessly spare prose that evokes Hemingway’s; often, however, he omits just enough detail to stir frustration. Likewise, sarcastic Jim is always wiser than those around him, and though he finds connections to strangers, he withholds information to avoid interaction. In “The Hoax,” for instance, Jim sips beer in a Manhattan bar where fellow drinkers ask whether he’s heard of their hometown, Muncie, Ind. “ ‘No,’ said the professor, whose parents graduated from Muncie Central High School.” And while Reeves proves himself adept at transitioning back and forth in time, the conceit becomes tiring and ostentatious. Still, his prose is sharp and subtle, his eye attuned to human frailty and offbeat humor. A beautiful, tragic glimpse into isolation, family and coming of age.
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Roman, Carole P. CreateSpace (26 pp.) $9.99 paper | $0.99 e-book Nov. 29, 2013 978-1-4819-7984-9
Roman (If You Were Me and Lived In …Kenya, 2013, etc.) introduces children to the history, geography and customs of Turkey in this colorful primer. This entry in the author’s cultural series follows the format of the books that preceded it, which took young readers to Mexico, France, Kenya and other countries. In this case, Roman gives children a brief lesson on the geography of Turkey before moving on to everyday customs. Kids learn about Turkish holidays, landmarks, children’s names and money (at the market, “you would use lira to pay for things”). The book also describes family life and popular toys and games: “Of course, you would love to play soccer, but you would call it football, because you use only your feet. Maybe you would rather play with a doll, which is called a bebek.” In clear and simple language, Roman demystifies customs that many young readers may be hearing about for the first time, such as when she explains: “You would enjoy a feast of borek and doner kebabs. Borek is a delightful pastry stuffed with meat, cheese, or potatoes. Doner kebab is marinated, grilled lamb that is served with a round bread called pide.” Colorful illustrations, depicting activities such as eating borek or visiting a market, convey additional information. The frequent use of “you” encourages children to imagine themselves visiting Turkey, which makes the book a good choice for early elementary school students studying geography or world cultures. And with Turkish cuisine becoming more widely available in American restaurants, the descriptions of food may give readers ideas for dishes they’d like to try closer to home. Taken as a whole, Roman’s series can help kids see that while they may have different names or eat different foods than do their peers in other countries, they have many things in common. A simple introduction to Turkey that may especially appeal to elementary school children who are learning about life in other countries.
THE MISSING PILL The Rise of Energy Healing and Conscious Bio-Spiritual Transformation…With an Introduction to Unity Field Healing Ryan, John G. Self (604 pp.) $9.99 e-book | Jan. 31, 2014
A Western doctor’s persuasive testament to energy healing. The notion that all matter contains energy and consciousness has been gaining traction in public discourse. Ryan (Harp of the One Heart, 2013) adds credibility to the conversation with scientific examination as well as his own journey of conversion. He reframes the human experience as a biospiritual continuum that runs from subatomic particles to our higher spiritual natures and comprehensively explores that perspective. The scope and length are daunting, but a clear, conversational style, abundant personal anecdotes and palpable empathy for the reader make even technical or arcane concepts accessible. The treatment of commonly observable phenomena—fundamentals of electromagnetics, DNA, visible sound and vibration, sacred geometry—provides the foundation for the less easily perceived ones, such as the aura, chakras and energy bodies. Ryan addresses the role and limitations of science and explores modes and levels of healing. Key to the book’s value is the revealing chronicle of his own awakening to intuition and energetic healing, which accelerated during his medical studies. His grounding in logic and science remains firm, a stance that lends credence to his more unconventional practices and may especially appeal to those new to energy work. In his view, healing has moved from curing a condition to restoring balance with the self, environment and spirit. The means for achieving this balance, he explains, is embracing the spiritual and giving it suitable expression in the physical. That is the thrust of current human evolution, he contends. It is also the goal of his Unified Field Healing technique. As with the discussions that precede it, he introduces it without hype or pressure. “Don’t park your brain at the door” is the consistent message. As his life demonstrates, logic and the physical coexist with the intangible. An impressive primer on the roles of energy and consciousness in the physical world and human healing.
SONGS FROM A DISTANT COCKPIT
Schulz, John J. CreateSpace (290 pp.) $12.99 paper | Nov. 12, 2013 978-1-4929-6290-8 Beveled by interludes of poetry, Schulz’s biting memoir tells of his eightplus years as a supersonic fighter pilot. Schulz offers snippets of his youth in Missoula, Mont.—where he excelled at sports to the point of being offered a shot at playing professional baseball, then proceeded to be a quarterback for the University of Montana football team while majoring in journalism—but the thrust of his story pivots on his combat missions during the Vietnam War flying his beloved but freakishly dangerous F-100 jet fighter. Early on, in both his searchingly sincere poetry and his controlled narrative, readers will sense the ambivalence he brought to the conflict: “The main U.S. headquarters base at Ton Son Nhut is the grubbiest place I have ever seen; filthy, and old and dingy inside….My first thought was, why would anyone fight over a place like this?” He continues to ponder this question throughout the book, but he’s intent on conveying what it was like to be behind the controls of such a volatile machine as the F-100, a touchy supersonic jet with an overwhelming arsenal of deadly weapons—cannons, bombs, napalm, etc. Nicknamed “widowmaker,” even the plane itself was murderous due to its difficult handling. As the war carried on—this book focuses on the early-to-mid 1960s—Schulz begins to experience a pride in protecting American troops, and he flew his missions with a certain bravura. On 107 of his 275 sorties, he returned with his jet shot up. “Mine was neither a heroic stance nor a form of bravery; it was merely a mindset,” he says, “an attitude based on preconditioning...hyper-extended to a form of unreality by the pressures of combat, cordite and loss—and more than a little anger.” He recognized his recklessness—“I loved being in combat, and loved to join with my metal partner as we roared down the hottest battles”—in time to stay alive; later, he found a measure of remorse: “And I’ve known a strange and special breed of men, / and lived with facts / that would appall me / now—but didn’t then.” Sprinkled into the mix are vignettes of his fellow pilots, vulnerable love poems to his wife, which serve as counterweight to the mayhem, and not enough about his 21-year career with Voice of America. An intimate, creditable wartime memoir set against the sound and fury of the Vietnamese sky.
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“Soaje depicts the nuances of human behavior through subtle turns of language: Amelia hugging a paper bag close, or Chloe silently handing Amelia a stone to put near her father’s grave.” from twelve houses
SAM AND THE O’MALLEY BROTHERS
TWELVE HOUSES
Soaje, Olga CreateSpace (262 pp.) $12.99 paper | $2.99 e-book Nov. 28, 2013 978-1-4942-8599-9
Sloke, John M. Self (348 pp.) $14.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Nov. 1, 2013 978-0-615-80864-2
Sloke’s debut, a coming-of-age drama, follows the three O’Malley brothers and Sam, the young boy they help raise later in life in the fictional town of New Dublin. When 12-year-old Jimmy’s father is killed in the SpanishAmerican War, the boy and his young twin brothers, Pop and Billy, learn to fend for themselves. Jimmy gets a job as an errand boy, and the twins start selling groceries. Years later, Jimmy and Billy become priests, while Pop has his own grocery store. Young Sam Jenkins, having experienced tragedy and looking for work, is somewhat of a reflection of the brothers, so Pop becomes his surrogate father and the others, his uncles. The chronological narrative covers nearly a century, most chapters covering different time periods but kept fresh with alternating first-person perspectives—from the O’Malleys’ mother, Alice, becoming the town’s schoolmarm following her husband’s death to Sam’s childhood friend, Johnny, joining the Air Force. The expansive story takes an amusingly literal interpretation of history repeating itself: Sam’s asking Pop for a job in his store is the same (almost verbatim) as Jimmy’s job inquiry years ago, and children of separate eras wind up in the same types of trouble, playing hooky or going on adventures without telling their parents or guardians. Sloke does have the tendency to highlight the more upbeat moments, which can, on occasion, soften the dramatic punch, like a significant character’s death that’s mentioned only in passing or the focusing on reunions more than people’s time away; for instance, Johnny leaves for flight school and the very next page is heading home for Christmas, making his homecoming feel a bit rushed. But the more tender scenes are nostalgic and sweet without being cloyingly so, particularly when the three brothers make sure that Sam’s first Christmas with them is a happy one. Throughout, the novel’s historical elements are incorporated superbly—a growing economy, presidents changing office and the country facing various wars, as well as the true story of Vietnam War hero Father Vincent Capodanno—all while New Dublin always seems to stay the same. A touching story with a preference for the wistful side of life—a preference many readers will readily embrace.
Soaje (Borrowing My Mother’s Saints, 2012) offers a subtle, nuanced novel about how a web of personal connections—old and new—allows a grieving woman to restart her life. Amelia Weiss, 58, is a gifted Jewish artist and the mother of two. As the story begins, the day after her husband’s funeral, she’s dealing with a grief so crushing that it’s left her crumpled and sobbing on her closet floor. The details of Amelia’s personality, large and small, unspool through the story as she gradually, painfully recovers; for example, she has a fondness for astrology and feels that she’s been unable to communicate with her daughter, Chloe. At first, she escapes into memories of the loving relationship she enjoyed with her husband. But they’re also torments, as each memory highlights how she’s been shattered by his death. The various personal connections in Amelia’s life— a pushy art agent; her two best friends, one old and one new; and her troubled daughter—bring Amelia back to normal, then shock her with the possibility of a new love in James Rosenberg, an admirer of her work. Amelia immediately recoils from the idea of romance, and she’s full of guilt and shame: “I was raised to think that widowhood is the time to enjoy grandkids, mourn your loss in every breath, and not think about love like a kid.” Soaje depicts the nuances of human behavior through subtle turns of language: Amelia hugging a paper bag close, or Chloe silently handing Amelia a stone to put near her father’s grave. Ultimately, it’s the authenticity of Amelia herself, and her longing for her lost husband, that draws readers in until they can’t help but wonder whether she’ll take a chance on love again. An engaging novel that authentically portrays a widow’s pain and her chance at finding peace.
WINDS OF DALMATIA A Historical Novel
Tuma, Tanja CreateSpace (516 pp.) $19.90 paper | $8.99 e-book Jun. 22, 2013 978-1-4839-6922-0 This sweeping historical fiction, the first in a projected trilogy, covers 10 centuries in the history of Dalmatia, in the former Yugoslavia. The framing device of Tuma’s novel is the life and memories of Maria Peric, a 66-year-old historian and hotel owner on the peaceful Croatian island of Pag, in the Adriatic Sea. She’s the doting grandmother of Paula, a young girl suffering from leukemia, and to distract the child, she tells stories about the long
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history of Dalmatia and the Balkan region. Maria has her own traumatic history: “Like thousands of Croatians, Bosnians and Serbians from former Yugoslavia, I am one of the victims of that bloody Balkan war ravaging the heart of Europe in the nineties.” But in the book’s ensuing chapters, Maria tells Paula dramatic stories from the past, starting with the ancient Greeks of the sixth century B.C. and moving on to the Roman emperor Diocletian (“still the most important politician of all times coming from our shores”) and to the 14th-century empire of Ragusa, which controlled the world’s trade routes and grappled with the mighty Venetian Republic. The narrative moves on to the Ottoman Empire and eventually to the rebirth and fall of modern 20th-century Yugoslavia. By pausing the narrative and using fiction to illuminate daily life in each era, Tuma’s dramatization is reminiscent of Rebecca West and James Michener. The momentum of all that history brings the book to the present, to the trial of a Yugoslavian war criminal at The Hague, forming the backdrop for a jarring transition to the book’s second half, which abandons history and deals with the modern-day politics and daily lives of a disparate group of survivors of the recent Balkan wars. The prose throughout can be clunky and a bit prone to cliché, while the relationships in the present day—especially those involving the overly saintly Paula—are curiously less convincing than any of those set in the past. Still, Tuma’s human insights and her considerable scene-painting abilities shed great amounts of light on a region and a people often overlooked in historical fiction, and subsequent volumes should help sharpen the focus on the modern era. The tumultuous history of the crisis-torn Balkans rendered in a gripping panoramic novel.
CULTURE VS. COPYRIGHT A Diary of a Naive Philosopher Volynets, Anatoly Total Knowledge Feb. 28, 2014 978-0-9889557-0-7
A musing on the philosophy of copyright and the nature of culture, presented mainly as a dialogue among students. In this philosophical book, the author’s debut, a fictional dialogue blends with essay-style authorial comment to develop the theory of so-called Authoright, a copyright alternative that requires full attribution of a work’s original creator but allows for unlimited reproduction and derivative works. The author acknowledges the book’s ambiguous genre in his introduction: “[I]t is neither a strictly scientific investigation nor a purely fictional, political or autobiographical work.” The dialogue is a conversation between a teacher and five first-grade students, identified as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Kappa and Delta, who argue about the creative process, the relationship between culture and civilization, appropriate forms of compensation and the nature of art. Periodically, the text returns to standard prose format for a longer essay or a
summary on the same topics, written in the author’s voice. Volynets evaluates three different systems for recognizing and compensating cultural productions, concluding that copyright is a destructive monopoly, whereas Authoright is the most effective way of compensating authors while removing limits on creativity—a conclusion reinforced by the fact that the book displays an Authoright, not a copyright, in its frontmatter. Volynets’ book requires readers to be open to thought experiments and theoretical discussions, though these are, for the most part, easy to follow. However, readers may wonder why a dialogue among first-graders is full of comments such as “There are riveting and telling pictures out there, and there are many that are good for the trash can only. How is this possible?” Readers accustomed to the current publishing industry are unlikely to agree with Volynets’ expectation that authors will somehow increase their earnings by selling to multiple publishers under the Authoright system. Likewise, they might not consider the current setup to be a “toxic copyright-driven environment.” Nevertheless, Volynets presents an engaging discussion of a timely topic. A detailed, if somewhat idealistic, exploration of art, culture and copyright in the marketplace.
THE COUNTRY OF HEART, EYE, AND HAND Essays From Nature Weeden, Robert B. FriesenPress (296 pp.) $34.99 | $23.99 paper | $2.99 e-book Feb. 26, 2013 978-1-4602-0318-7
A retired naturalist reflects on his own life, life in general, and the relationship between mankind and the land. In this “tossed salad of vignettes and essays,” Weeden (Messages from Earth, 1992, etc.) writes lyrically of his past as a biologist in Alaska’s wild interior and of his present as a gentleman farmer on Salt Spring Island off the coast of British Columbia. He rounds out the collection with a plan for nature’s—and humanity’s—future, in which he sees a looming environmental catastrophe. He mainly attributes this coming cataclysm to modernity and its out-of-control economic development, surging human population growth and the populace’s “mediasuffocated mind,” bereft of a sense of place or attachment to the land. In these essays, he immerses readers in nature’s power and beauty. He also offers a prescription for saving the future, which he says will require a radical reduction of the human population and a bioregionalism that would shift global and national political power to local control. This beautifully written book works on many levels: as an enjoyable nature read; as an elegy to what humans have destroyed; as an homage to works of art and natural history both famous and obscure, from the essays of Aldo Leopold and Wendell Berry to the musical compositions of Philip Glass and Ferde Grofé; and as an antidote to the ecological poisons endangering humanity. Unlike some nature writers, Weeden writes with facility and wry humor. “A lot of |
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people find geese pushy, and I suspect the reverse is true, too,” he writes, also noting that a pair of donkeys are “loud at one end and irrepressible at the other.” After he declares that “the duty of every inquirer is to uncover more questions than answers,” he achieves that goal in this book, raising crucial questions and sharing real wisdom about the real world. A thoughtful and thought-provoking account of mankind’s uneasy relationship with nature.
DONNY AND URSULA SAVE THE WORLD Weil, Sharon Passing 4 Normal Press (298 pp.) $12.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Feb. 28, 2013 978-0-9889071-9-5
A comic novel in which an unlikely pair foils a dastardly government plot. Weil’s debut has an uproarious premise: The nefarious agribusiness giant AgriNu has decided to eradicate spinach from the world’s menu. In collaboration with a spinach-hating U.S. president, the company’s senior vice president of acquisitions of technological development, Edwin “Mr. Ed” Edwards (“[H]e had a big Rolodex and a
cloudy moral compass”), conspires to eliminate spinach crops worldwide and poison the vegetable’s reputation with the public. “The only ones who might miss it were a couple of Italians and Popeye,” Weil writes. This would pave the way for alternate products controlled by AgriNu. Two unlikely heroes come together to thwart this dastardly plot: Donny, a big, tough, kindhearted guy from Queens, N.Y., and Ursula, a travel agent, belly dancer and ardent vegetarian. They encounter each other by chance (“She was a woman he’d met at a party a few nights ago and wanted to go out with because he liked saying her name. ‘Ursula’ ”), and together, they form the core of a ragtag group of eccentric characters who resist Mr. Ed and fight the good fight. “Americans eat 20 million burgers a day,” Ursula says. “Between clear cutting the forests to create pastures, and the industrial farms that grow the lettuce and tomatoes...if we all just stopped, we might save our planet in time.” AgriNu fervently believes in Henry Kissinger’s saying, “Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people,” and when the company senses opposition, its government allies crack down hard on ordinary civilians, who become outlaws as they fight to change the world. Weil’s narrative, by turns winsome and hilarious, is populated with welldrawn comic characters and filled with snappy dialogue; even a cleverly anthropomorphized Mother Earth gets in a few good zingers. The book’s action climax is also delightfully surreal. A fun, raucous eco-novel.
This Issue’s Contributors # Adult: Elfrieda Abbe • Maude Adjarian • Mark Athitakis • Joseph Barbato • Rebekah Bergman Becky Bicks • Amy Boaz • Jeffrey Burke • Lee E. Cart • Derek Charles Catsam • Perry Crowe Kathleen Devereaux • Allison Devers • Bobbi Dumas • Daniel Dyer • Sophia Efthimiatou Lisa Elliott • Julie Foster • Peter Franck • Bob Garber • Lauren Gilbert • Devon Glenn • Amy Goldschlager • Jessie Grearson • April Holder • Robert M. Knight • Megan Labrise • Paul Lamey • Louise Leetch • Judith Leitch • Angela Leroux-Lindsey • Peter Lewis • Elsbeth Lindner • Georgia Lowe • Joe Maniscalco • Don McLeese • Gregory McNamee • Carole Moore • Clayton Moore • Liza Nelson • Mike Newirth • John Noffsinger • Mike Oppenheim Derek Parsons • Jim Piechota • Christofer D. Pierson • Gary Presley • Sarah Rettger • Karen Rigby • Nancy Robertson • Sean Rose • Lloyd Sachs • Leslie Safford • Bob Sanchez • Joshunda Sanders • Michael Sandlin • Rosanne Simeone • Linda Simon • Elaine Sioufi • Wendy Smith Margot E. Spangenberg • Andria Spencer • Bill Thompson • Matthew Tiffany • Claire Trazenfeld • Pete Warzel • Carol White • Joan Wilentz Children’s & Teen: Kim Becnel • Marcie Bovetz • Louise Brueggemann • Timothy Capehart • Ann Childs GraceAnne A. DeCandido • Dave DeChristopher • Lisa Dennis • Andi Diehn • Brooke Faulkner • Laurie Flynn • Laurel Gardner • Judith Gire • Faye Grearson • F. Lee Hall Heather L. Hepler • Megan Honig • Julie Hubble • Shelley Huntington • Kathleen T. Isaacs Laura Jenkins • Betsy Judkins • Deborah Kaplan • Joy Kim • Robin Fogle Kurz • Megan Dowd Lambert • Angela Leeper • Peter Lewis • Wendy Lukehart • Meredith Madyda • Lauren Maggio • Joan Malewitz • Jeanne McDermott • Shelly McNerney • Kathie Meizner Daniel Meyer • Lisa Moore • Deb Paulson • John Edward Peters • Susan Pine • Melissa Rabey Rebecca Rabinowitz • Kristy Raffensberger • Nancy Thalia Reynolds • Erika Rohrbach Leslie L. Rounds • Ann Marie Sammataro • Mindy Schanback • Katie Scherrer • Mary Ann Scheuer • Dean Schneider • Hillary Foote Schwartz • Stephanie Seales • John W. Shannon Robin Smith • Edward T. Sullivan • Jennifer Sweeney • Deborah D. Taylor • Monica Wyatt Melissa Yurechko Indie: Kent Armstrong • Robert Berg • Alexandra Bicks • Kathy Biehl • Valerie Brooks • Claire Bushey • Amy Cavanaugh • Stephanie Cerra • Wendy Connick • Steve Donoghue • Joe Ferguson • Jameson Fitzpatrick • Rebecca Foster • Jonathan Fullmer • Justin Hickey • Leila Jutton • Peter Lewis • Daniel Lindley • Lisa Maloney • Dale McGarrigle • Khristian Mecom Ingrid Mellor • Ashley Nelson • Kathleen O’Dell • Sarah Rettger • Kimberly Whitmer
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K i rk us M e di a LL C # President M A RC W I N K E L M A N Chief Operating Officer M E G L A B O R D E KU E H N Chief Financial Officer J ames H ull SVP, Marketing M ike H ejny SVP, Online Paul H offman # Copyright 2014 by Kirkus Media LLC. KIRKUS REVIEWS (ISSN 1948- 7428) is published semimonthly by Kirkus Media LLC, 6411 Burleson Road, Austin, TX 78744. Subscription prices are: Digital & Print Subscription (U.S.) - 12 Months ($199.00) Digital & Print Subscription (International) - 12 Months ($229.00) Digital Only Subscription - 12 Months ($169.00) Single copy: $25.00. All other rates on request. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kirkus Reviews, PO Box 3601, Northbrook, IL 60065-3601. Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, TX 78710 and at additional mailing offices.
Appreciations: Remembering Winnipeg the Bear B Y G R E G O R Y M c NAMEE
A hundred years ago, a female black bear cub was born in the Ontario woods. She was soon orphaned, her mother killed by a hunter who took the cub to a trading post and sold her to a young cavalry officer. Harry Colebourn planned to raise the cub, which he named Winnipeg after his adopted hometown, to adolescence, then let her loose. But when he took the cub back to camp, his troop instantly adopted Winnipeg the Bear, who slept under his cot, until she soon grew too big to fit there, then just outside the door. The Fort Garry Horse received orders to travel to England in preparation for moving onward to the western front. Colebourn smuggled Winnipeg onto a troop ship and across the ocean to an encampment near Stonehenge, where she amused herself wandering among the ancient stone ruins and occasionally giving visitors A.A. Milne with there a start. Christopher Robin Milne The horrors of the trenches awaited, though, and Harry Colebourn arranged for the London Zoo to house her. He left for battle, always returning to visit her on his infrequent leaves. Meanwhile, the affectionate and gentle Winnipeg, now known as Winnie, proved a popular attraction—so popular that, at the end of World War I, Colebourn decided to donate Winnie to the London Zoo permanently. Three years later, a little boy celebrating his first birthday was given a stuffed teddy bear, so named for American president and conservationist Theodore Roosevelt but marketed in England under the trade name “Edward Bear.” Christopher Robin Milne came to love two things: his toy bear, which he would cherish all his life, and visits to the London Zoo to see Winnie the real-life bear. From the moment he could speak, he called his toy bear Winnie, adding the name “Pooh,” which apparently was the name he used for all animals. Christopher Robin’s father, Alexander Alan Milne, had also served on the western front. By the time Christopher Robin was born, he had written several mystery novels. But Christopher Robin demanded a different kind of story, and so A.A. Milne began to invent stories that featured his son’s two favorite bears, skillfully weaving the tales into the books Winnie-the-Pooh, published in 1926, and The House at Pooh Corner, published two years later. Though in adulthood he declared himself “haunted by Pooh,” Christopher Robin Milne was a generous donor to the London Zoo, as his father had been. After he died on April 20, 1996, his beloved stuffed bear, which he had kept all his life, traveled across the Atlantic. It is now on display in the Children’s Room at the New York Public Library. Winnipeg the Bear lived until the age of 20, a ripe old age for a bear. She died in 1934, gentle to the end. A statue of her stands at the London Zoo today. Another statue of Winnie and her beloved Capt. Harry Colebourn, who died in 1947 after a distinguished career as a veterinarian, stands in a park in Winnipeg. And in White River, Ontario, where the cub came into Harry’s life and ours, a museum now stands to chronicle the life of that beloved bear, real and in story. Gregory McNamee is a contributing editor at Kirkus Reviews. |
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Carol Leifer
Sheryl Sandberg
George Saunders
Katherine Schwarzenegger
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying: Lessons from a Life in Comedy
Lean In: For Graduates
Congratulations, by the way: Some Thoughts on Kindness
I Just Graduated…Now What? Honest Advise for Navigating What Comes Next
Part memoir, part guide to life, and all incredibly funny, a book by a woman—and for women—who are driven, determined, and definitely not afraid to “lean in.” With hilarious anecdotes drawing from her tenure at Saturday Night Live, Leifer presents tried-and-true tips for getting ahead, and opening doors—even if you have to use a sledgehammer. 978-1-59474-677-2 | $19.95/$20.95C 50,000 | Quirk Books | HC | April E 978-1-59474-682-6
Expanded and updated exclusively for graduates just entering the workforce, this extraordinary edition of Lean In includes a letter to graduates from Sheryl Sandberg and six additional chapters from experts offering advice on finding and getting the most out of a first job; résumé writing; best interviewing practices; negotiating your salary; listening to your inner voice; owning who you are; and leaning in for millennial men. 978-0-385-35367-0 | $24.95/$28.95C 150,000 | Knopf | HC | April E 978-0-385-35386-1 ] CD: 978-0-553-54449-7 ] AD: 978-0-553-54450-3
Three months after George Saunders gave a convocation address at Syracuse University, a transcript of that speech was posted on the website of The New York Times, where its simple, uplifting message struck a deep chord. Within days, it had been shared more than one million times. Powerful, funny, and wise, Saunders offers an inspiring meditation on kindness. 978-0-8129-9627-2 | $14.00/$17.00C 100,000 | Random House | HC | April E 978-0-8129-9628-9 ] AD: 978-0-8041-9302-3
In the tradition of Marlo Thomas’s The Right Words at the Right Time and Ellyn Spragins’ What I Know Now—but with a fresh, young, relatable twist. Interviews include Lauren Bush, Andy Cohen, Meghan McCain, Eva Longoria, and Sara Blakely. 978-0-385-34720-4 | $20.00/$24.00C 75,000 | Crown | HC | April E 978-0-385-34721-1
COVER NOT FINAL
Kurt Vonnegut; edited and introduced by Dan Wakefield
Lea Michele
Joanna Rakoff
Wes Moore
If This Isn’t Nice, What Is? Advice for the Young
Brunette Ambition
My Salinger Year
The star of the hit show Glee shares her experiences and insider tips on beauty, fashion, self-esteem, career, and more in an illustrated book that’s part memoir, part how-to, and part style-guide.
Poignant, keenly observed, and irresistible: a memoir about literary New York in the late ‘90s, a pre-digital world on the cusp of vanishing, where a young woman finds herself swept into one of the last great stories and entangled with one of the last great figures of the century. For fans of The Devil Wears Prada.
The Work: Creating Success in New and Meaningful Ways
A collection of graduation speeches never before collected, by acclaimed author Kurt Vonnegut, offering his heartfelt and humorous advice for young people. Depicting a side of Vonnegut—personable, brave, provocative, intimate, loving— that is consistent with, but different from the Vonnegut of his books. 978-1-60980-591-3 | $21.95/$21.95C 75,000 | Seven Stories Press | HC | April
978-0-804-13907-6 | $21.00/$25.00C 150,000 | Crown | HC | May E 978-0-804-13908-3
978-0-307-95800-6 | $25.95/$28.95C 40,000 | Knopf | HC | June E 978-0-307-95801-3
In his new book, Wes Moore discusses his remarkable quest to “find a life that matters.” From Oxford and Afghanistan to Wall Street and the White House, Moore weaves his story together with those of the remarkable change makers he has met along the way —those who found the meaning of their lives in serving others. 978-0-8129-9357-8 | $27.00/$32.00C 50,000 | Spiegel & Grau | HC | December E 978-0-679-64601-3 ] CD: 978-0-804-19093-0 ] AD: 978-0-804-19094-7
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